20260310 Śrīla Prabhupāda The Jaladuta Diary 1965

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurun dina tāriṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapataka Swami: I was thinking about passing Sicily and Śrīla Prabhupāda is writing he is passing Sicily! Sicily is part of Italy. Pizza place! Pasta, pizza! Unfortunately, they are not stopping there! Śrīla Prabhupāda was passing all these places on his way to America – Malta, Sicily – all night, throughout the night.

5 SUNDAY

In the evening the sky was cloudy and they expected foggy weather and all of them became little gloomy. But at midnight we passed Malta Sicily by God's grace it was all right throughout the night.

6 MONDAY

Today I have  taken khichri and kari. It was tasteful. and I took them with relish and this gave me a push forward to get renewed strength little by little.

TUESDAY 7

Today Baraha Dwadashi observed

The best atmospheric condition on the Mediterranean sea. All along we have seen the Algerian coast.

Jayapatākā Swami: So this is a special blessing in geography! On one side he is seeing Italy and Malta and on the other side he is seeing Algeria!

WEDNESDAY 8

Today at about 8 o'clock in the morning and near about Gibraltar we had a first experience of fog impediment. It was all dark round the ship and she stopped moving completely She was whistling now and then to protect herself from other unseen ships being collided with. We started at about 11 again.

8/9/65 at about 2/30 p.m. we passed over Gibraltar Port ending at Tarita(?) Light House. The other side is Spanish Morocco There is regular ferry steamer service. The strait (?) is wide about seven miles across. We are in the Atlantic.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya! How he was going, step by step, into the Atlantic Ocean, carried by the order of his spiritual master and the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. I am overwhelmed!

THURSDAY 9

Till 4 o'clock afternoon we have crossed over the Atlantic Ocean for twenty four hours. The whole day was clear and almost smooth. I am taking my food regularly and got some strength to struggle. There is slight lurching of the ship and I am feeling slight headache also. But I am struggling and the nectarine of life is Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, the source of my all vitality.

Jayapatākā Swami: Haribol! So, Caitanya-caritāmṛta was giving Śrīla Prabhupāda his vitality of life! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga!

10 FRIDAY

Today the ship is plying very smoothly. I feel today better. But I am feeling separation from Sri Vrindaban and my Lords Sri Govinda, Gopinath, Radha Damodar. The only solace is Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita in which I am tasting the nectarine of Lord Chaitanya's Leela. I have left Bharat Bhumi just to execute the order of Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati in pursuance of Lord Chaitanya's order. I have no qualification, but I have taken up the risk just to carry out the order of His Divine Grace. I depend fully on Their mercy so far away from Vrindaban.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we don’t have any idea how big a venture this was for Śrīla Prabhupāda! How he left Vṛndāvana where he lived, regularly seeing the samādhi Mandir of Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana and Jīva Gosvāmī. How he was looking at the Deities of Rādhā Dāmodara, Rādhā Govinda! Now he was in the Atlantic Ocean, on the way to America. Far away from Vṛndāvana! Far away from the spiritual world just execute the order of his guru, Lord Caitanya, to deliver us!!

11 SATURDAY

Today the ship ran on very smoothly. The sky was clear and there was sunshine all the day. At about 7/30 in the morning we passed on the Azore group islands under the Portugal Republic. There was again rehearsal for life boat saving at 4/30 p.m. There was rehearsal of the fire brigadiers also. At night there was profuse moonlight on the ocean and considerable lurching also. But did not affect me very much as it used to do in the Arabian sea. The Atlantic Ocean is more kind to me than all other seas so far we have crossed over. It is all Lord Krishna's Grace.

Jayapatākā Swami: Normally the Atlantic Ocean is more rough, but by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy it became very smooth for Śrīla Prabhupāda. So, normally the Pacific Ocean is smooth and the Atlantic Ocean is rough. But Śrīla Prabhupāda is saying, by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, the Atlantic Ocean was smooth!

12 SUNDAY

S. R. Day. Today there is a great deal of lurching although the sky is clear. Mrs. Pandiya although a little lady but very intelligent and learned also. She has foretold about my future. Thanks to her prediction. All blessings of Lord Krishna for her. The crisis which I suppose to have crossed is also mentioned by her. If I have crossed the crisis, then that is Good Will of Lord Krishna my friend and philosopher. In the evening there was too much lurching and I felt a bit sea-sickness. I could not take my food properly. A little sweets were accepted with some relish. The lurching continued till midnight.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the boat was lurching, Śrīla Prabhupāda again felt sea sickness and he could not eat. He took a few sweets. So, he remembered the astrologer had said, that he would go through some crisis, but if he crossed over this, then he would have Kṛṣṇa’s grace!

MONDAY 13

Today is the 32nd day of our journey from Calcutta. After midnight yesterday the lurching decreased and I felt relief. In the morning also I could not take my breakfast properly. Then I cooked 'Bati-chachari(?).' It appeared to be delicious and I was able to take some food. Today I have disclosed my mind to my companion Lord Sri Krishna. There is a Bengali poem made by me today in this connection. At about eleven there is a little lurching. The captain tells that they had never such calmness of the Atlantic. I said it is Lord Krishna's mercy. His wife asked me to come back again with them so that they may have again a calm Atlantic Ocean. If Atlantic would have shown its usual face perhaps I would have died. But Lord Krishna has taken charge of the ship.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying that if the Atlantic Ocean had its normal rough form, then he might not have survived! So, by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy he crossed the Atlantic, at least this far! So, we have to see how much, how much austerity he is doing. We want our devotional service to be easy, but Kṛṣṇa tests us! It will be more difficult. For some it is not easy. But if we are determined we can do it! Just like Śrīla Prabhupāda did! Because of this Krsna took charge of his ship!

TUESDAY 14

Today is the 33^rd day of our journey and at 3 o'clock in the morning I saw the sky cloudy with dim moon-light. From morning till 1 o'clock the sky remained cloudy and at 1/30 p.m. there was a shower of rain. The sky is still cloudy and the wind is blowing from south-east corner and raining at intervals. The whole day passed in that way and the wind assumed a para-cyclonic face with dense cloud resulting in rain till 9/30 p.m. with regular lightening etc. At ten o'clock when I was talking in the captain's room the chief engineer Mr. Travers told me that he had never such experience of calm & quietness of the Atlantic Ocean. There was always typhoon, cyclone, fog, etc. at least for days in every trip in the past(?). I said it is Lord Krishna's Grace. If such things as usual in Atlantic would have taken place, I would die.

Jayapatākā Swami: The captain’s wife was saying to Śrīla Prabhupāda, please come with us on our return journey – we can enjoy a peaceful Atlantic crossing! Ha! So this engineer was saying normally there would be few days of typhoons, cyclones, fog, etc. Those who are used to this, it is one thing. But Śrīla Prabhupāda had never gone on an ocean voyage before! He was doing this. When we go we take a plane and reach in 24 hours or 11 hours or something. And people say, oh, I am wiped out, I am jetlagged! But here Śrīla Prabhupāda says 33 days of his journey! 33 DAYS! What an austerity!

WEDNESDAY 15

Today 34^th day of our journey As usual I rise up at 3 a.m. and when I went to veranda I saw the sky almost clear. There was moon-shine on head(?) and although the wind from south-east was strong, the ocean was clear visioned and the ship was passing smoothly. At about 11 a.m. the sky again became over cast with cloud and it is continued till 3 p.m. There was rainfalls at intervals but after 4 o'clock the sky became clear and there was bright sunshine. I was engaged in reading Kaliya Daman Leela from Srimad Bhagavatam specially the prayers by Srimati Naga Patnis and the last appealing prayer by Kaliya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Śrīla Prabhupāda was absorbed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Somewhere in this journey he had a heart attack. I think he was too sick to write any diary entries! He had a dream where Kṛṣṇa was captaining the boat and taking him across the Atlantic Ocean. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda did not write about this, but it happened.

We will end here and tomorrow he is arriving in Boston!

The Safari went to Baḍagāchi. How was it? You saw Nityānanda Prabhu’s marriage place? Saw the beautiful Deities of Nitāi Gaura? Everyone had the opportunity to worship and do abhiṣeka for Lord Nityānanda? Everyone! Wow! Villagers, police, children, everyone! I went researching where is this place of Baḍagāchi. I remember I went with Bhavānanda Goswami, now Bhavānanda dāsa. He was saying so many things. But we found this Śāligrāma in Baḍagāchi. By the side of Baḍagāchi there was a hill – is the hill still there? (Yes!) I don’t know what is in the hill. So, I am very glad that BSCT, Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust wants to develop that place. That the Safari went there and established the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu. Thank you very much! Haribol!

Please accept my blessings!

Kṛṣṇe matir astu! I heard tomorrow is a free day! We will speak on your future Safari program. Now His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami will address you. May be he has some program.