Chapter 9
In Puré
with
Çréla Prabhupäda
the next evening, at which the book would be inaugurated. Çréla Prabhupäda agreed.” (From the Çréla Prabhupädalélämåta )17
January 26 “After breakfast and his rest, Prabhupäda called me in to ask what I thought about his bathing in the sea. We all thought it would be a very good idea as the seawater is supposed to be good for health and digestion. So, he decided to try it. He had his massage in the bedroom and then he walked down to the beach with his towel on over his gämchä. A concrete path took us 150 yards to within a few yards of the shore, and leaving his towel on the sand Prabhupäda stepped carefully down to the water’s edge. All the members of the näma-haööa stood around him in the water with Bhägavata, Jayadharma who had his camera, and others. As the water came in and swirled around his lotus feet almost up to his knees and then out again. I began to scoop up some water and wash Prabhupäda’s body. I began with his arms and then his chest and then his back and his head, washing off all the oil. First of all, I did it, then Gargumuni, Gurukåpä and then everyone started to scoop a little water and pour it on Prabhupäda’s body. Prabhupäda laughed and it became like a transcendental abhiñeka as all the devotees cried out ‘Jaya Prabhupäda, Hari bol!’ After about ten minutes in the water Prabhupäda came out and then changed into his clothes and went back up to the hotel.” (Hari Çauri däsa notes)18 Jayadharma däsa: Then Çréla Prabhupäda came for a swim himself, and he said that he felt a regaining of his life since bathing in the ocean at Jagannätha Puré.
There were many devotees there; the whole Näma Haööa party from Japan was there, which was about fifteen men; 161
