Baby Baptism
Dear Devotees,
Parramatta, Sydney Australia, during an all-auspicious Srila Prabhupada marathon, was the location for a very significant milestone in one fortunate jiva's life.
Not only was it very hot weather but also it was extra passionate because, apparently, soon it was Jesus Christs birthday, and strangely, although a lot of things were being purchased, it didn't seem as though any of the gifts were for him. But fortunately Prabhupada's books were being profusely distributed to reconnect this occasion to God.
Intelligently following in the footsteps of one of my senior god brothers, I spent a lot of time excavating in the air-conditioned "Mall Mines" (shopping centres) trying to save any gold-hearted souls from Maya's dungeon.
It was much too busy to be noticed on the cameras by the sleeping surveillance team so I could let my shika hang out.
Due to my lack of purity not every attempt was successfully but one simply sweet exchange still stands out in my memory even though it was the marathon 2008.
I stopped one average everyday Australian looking couple pushing a stroller (baby carriage) and handed them the SB 1.1.
I can't remember exactly what I was saying as it was some time ago but they seemed to think it was pretty spiritual because they became exited and stopped me.
"Hold on." They said as they eagerly opened the veil of their child's stroller while turning it to face me.
At this point I was a little perplexed. Was there some kind of deprogramming device in there?
"Let him here all this." Said the mother.
She wanted her child to hear what I was saying.
I was bewildered by the simplicity of this couple but I continued my presentation now including the new infant observer.
Recognising some of the pictures, they said that there child's babysitter was an Indian lady.
The mother said "Oh! Oh! Our child hasn't been baptised yet. Can you do something for him?"
Now my head was really spinning. I had no yajna pit handy, nor the golden paraphernalia and the qualified Brahmans to chant the Vedic hymns needed to conduct it. And sadly I couldn't find any live cows in the shopping mall to supply the buckets of ghee.
Luckily Krsna supplied me with some quick needed intelligence and I explained to them the potency of what was about to happen so they were ready for this uncommon event.
So I (uninitiated at the time) an aspiring devotee of Krsna, empowered by Guru parampara and witnessed by the Srimad Bhagavatam, conducted Parramatta Westfield mall's first public baby initiation into the chanting of the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra.
I crouched down, look the child in the face and thought of Srila Prabhupada as I chanted…
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
They gave a nice donation and took the book and I hope some time in the future, that baby will become a great devotee.
Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!!!!!!!
An aspiring priest,
Dhruvananda Das
