Los Angeles SD Newsletter VOL. 3, ISSUE 4
MY STORY
COMING TO KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
By Sunil das and Sara Bock
Damakartu Prabhu’s story about coming to Krishna Consciousness is very inspiring for the Sastra Dana program, because Damakartu’s first contact with Srila Prabhupada’s books was at a public library in Croatia. Due to the potency of these books, Damakartu has dedicated his life to serving Krishna, and specifically to distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books as a full time sankirtana devotee.
Damakartu was about 18 years old when he first discovered Srila Prabhupada’s books at the library. He continued reading these books, and gradually gained enough courage to attend a nama-hatta program in his town. Damakartu was attracted to Krishna consciousness, but did not yet feel strong enough to practice full time. He tried to become a vegetarian, but did not know how to eat properly and started feeling weak. His mother cooked a lot of meat, so he was not left with many food options. Damakartu was also very involved in sports, especially wrestling. His goal was to be a professional athlete. At that time in his life, athletics took priority over all else so he did not pursue his spiritual life, but he says that, “sweet memories of Krishna Consciousness were always in my heart waiting for the right moment.”
Damakartu then served his country in the army for 10 months, and then spent three years focusing on athletics. His sports career looked promising. One of the best fighters in the world was ready to sponsor him. But then a disease manifested in Damakartu’s kidneys. The doctor told him that he could no longer participate in such vigorous activities. Damakartu realized that this was the perfect opportunity to pursue Krishna Consciousness. His athletic career had been the biggest impediment in his spiritual life, but now that career was over.
Damakartu had 2 of Srila Prabhupada’s books sitting on his bookshelf – Life Comes from Life, and Science of Self-Realization. He had bought them from a sankirtana devotee years before. When the sankirtana devotee came to his door (in Croatia the primary method of book distribution is door to door), Damakartu had already read these two books, but agreed to buy them anyway since they were so powerful. After buying the books, instead of reading them he put them aside on his bookshelf. He knew that once he picked up the books, he would feel compelled to pursue his spiritual life.
After hearing the news about the disease in his kidneys, Damakartu felt like the right time had come to read the books. He started reading, and that same week he started chanting. Four months later he joined the temple in Croatia to fully surrender to Krishna and devote his life to bhakti-yoga.
Damakartu’s service for the first 11 months was working in the kitchen and cleaning toilets. He wanted to do book distribution, but it was the most popular service at his temple, so he had to wait. Finally, one sankirtana devotee changed his service, and Damakartu got the opportunity to preach full time, which he has been doing ever since. Damakartu performed sankirtana in Croatia for two years. He remembers this door to door preaching as, “the sweetest book distribution [he] ever did”. Then he came to America, spending 2 years in Kansas City, and half a year traveling to different temples. About six months ago he arrived here in New Dwaraka where he has been doing such nice sankirtana service at the airport. At this point in his life, Damakartu Prabhu can not imagine anything he would rather be doing than book distribution.
Thank you to Damakartu Prabhu for sharing his story with us, and reminding us of the power of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Book distribution ki jay!
