10 May 1996
(by Yasomatinandana das)

Today is May 10, 7.30 p.m. Bhagavatpad has gone for his "morning walk" to the park "Serebryany bor" which is 10 minutes drive from the temple and I am taking advantage of this break to write a couple of lines for the conference. We've got quite some events here in the past few days since Bhagavatpada had come to Moscow. I will try my best to recollect them with my bluring mind.
Bhagavatpada came by Delta from Bombay via Frankfurt on May 10 at 17.25 pm. Usually it takes over one hour to get through the customs etc. Therefore I was not in the hurry and came 25 minutes later. Miraculously as I approached the Aiport doors I saw the decorated car pulling by and some elated devotees flowing out of the airport.

After few seconds I sow Bhagavatpad coming outsurrounded with devotees, somewhat tired, happy and humble, beauiful rose garland on his neck. I payed my obeisances and joined the party.
There was no kirtana in the airport because the day befor HH Niranjana Maharaj phoned me and requested not to do big and loud receptions in the airport. There is a complicated situation in dealing with the Government in Russia and one year ago the Russian GBCs adopted a policy of avoiding these things. So many things changed in the past one years of Bhagavatpad's absence. Before we used to have nice kirtanas at the airport - they were quite nice. But anyway there was no question of not complying with Maharaja's request and we requested the devotees not to come to the airport and not to do kirtana.
The Moscow devotees organized the whole festival for the devotees here. Over 200 disciples came from the other cities of the Former Soviet Union - to see Bhagavatpad, to hear and associate with him. Some even came from his Asian zone even though he is planning on coming there in a month or two. The Moscow devotees collected maybe 2000$ to provide the facilitate the program - renting a hall, prasadam twice a day, flowers and decorations. Moscow lady-disciples are famous for their flower service to Guru Maharaj - wherever Bhagavatpad goes he is drowing in fresh flowers - fantastic rose garlands, vases, puspa roads, decorated cars, flower vyasasanas. They say that the flowers is the symbol of our surrender.
Bhagavatpad proceeded to his car followed by vailiant Nrisimghananda Prabhu - pale, sick and exhausted by still staunchly doing his service. He got a sunstroke in India and feels very weak, and dizzy.
The car moving as soft as possible along the famous Russian roads, Bhagavatpada is inquiring about his program. His program is promising to be quite intense and he is determined to do it even more intense. It is only Nrsimghananda who has the blessings to convince him about necessety not to overexsert himself - my requests usually fail. He is going to have at least one lecture a day (he wants to give two), plenty of dasrsanas and 70+10 people initiation (first and second). To my happiness he is informing us he decided to put off his departure for America by one more day and leave on 15 morning.
After 45 minutes drive we are arriving to the appartment he is supposed to stay. The devotees are receiving him by traditional abhisek and kirtana. Bhagavatpad speaks to them for 5 minutes and then excuses himself as he is very tired after flying for 21 hours straight. He is always so kind and corteous - he embodies Prabhupada's saying that "guru is a servant of everyone". As there are already 3 more people in the two-room appartment I don't want to inconvenience Guru Maharaj and leave to come back the next morning.
Next day at 6.30 am I am ringing the bell. Kamalanayana (who was transmitted to Moscow the day before by the mystic siddhis of Nrisimghananda) opens the door. Bhagavatpada is worshiping his beloved Prabhupada. Nrisimghananda is lying down. All the night he was vomiting. He definitely has to go to see the doctor. Bhagavatpada takes some fruits and we leave for the program. The devotees rented a big cinema hall. To my amazement it is almost full - 600-700 people. We expected about 4-5 hundred. Todays is the Victory day in Russia (over nazis) and it is a holyday. Bhagavatpada gives class from Jada Bharata's teaching to King Rahugana (Sb.5.11.1) Even though he said he did not want to give long kirtana he still chanted Yasomatinandana and Jaya Radha Madhava - just like he used to. He says that his stamina is the same or maybe 97% like before. But he needs more rest now. On the other hand he cannot resist transcendental allurement of doing more service. He came here after more then one year and the devotees have come all the way, he says... The programs lasts for more then 2 hours.
Then he drives to the so called Begovaya temple (to distinquish it from another temple located in the suburbs of Moscw called Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Mandir). We receive a phone message from Nrsimghananda. The doctors say he has a hepatitos and has to be hospitalized. Today Bhagavatpada stays in the temple as we have to process all the appartment with some antiseptic staff. Actually he is happy. He says he likes to stay in the temple. During the day he as usual met people and in the evening he went for one hours japa walk. Actually he is supposed to do one hour yoga a day but he says he did not have time for nearly past one month because of heavy travel schedule.