Two ISKCON devotees from Chennai, Paramaguru Krishna Dāsa and Manjulālī Viśākhā Devī Dāsī, describe their initiation in May 2022 and their work serving their guru through cooking, teaching, and preaching. They've built a local following of 35 to 40 regular attendees and seen their son transform spiritually after visiting Mayapur.
We are from Chennai. We have been in Chennai for quite so many years now. And we came to know about ISKCON from one of our very close friend, my college mate Harley Ladas. He introduced us to ISKCON and we started listening to his lectures in YouTube and he also had separate Bhagavad Gita classes in WhatsApp audio. Then we listened to that for two, three months. When we reached second chapter end then we decided that this is the path to go. And I was bitten dilemma. But she made the decision yeah, this is the path we should go. And then that's how our journey in ISKCON started. It was five, six years back then we targeted to get initiated as soon as possible and because of COVID it got delayed by two, three years. After getting shelter we had to wait for Guru Maharaj's visit. And finally we got initiated. Last year, Same time in May 2022 we got initiated. My name is Paramaguru Krishna Das.
I am Manju Hasri Vishaka Devitas. I am sure. So can you tell us something about the initiation?
We both prepared for initiation for quite some time. We prepared the question and answers in a thorough document and we started memorizing all slokas and we started both questioning each other to know if you are correct and all that. And so that was a very useful practice to understand the concept, memorize basic stroke of and all that. And so since our preparation was very good, our interview process was quite easy. We could complete that successfully. Oh, it was an in person meeting. So when he was in Chennai last year.
Any remember for initiation when you are giving the name?
No, we were kind of so excited that we did not even notice our name. We were just seeing Guru Maharaj and we were so excited in receiving the beats from him. So that was very, very exciting for us. Guru Maharaj presence and we are there in front of him and we are getting initiated. That itself was great experience. Nothing came to our mind that time. And our initiated names, both of our initiated names are almost our original names extended with this one. My original name is Parama Guru Nathan he took that Paramaguru and Krishna Das, Guru Maharaj added and for her original name is Manjula that has become Manju Hosini Ishaka Devidasi. So you're very happy.
So can you tell us about your services for Guru Maharaj?
She is a good cook. So whenever Guru Maharaj is in Chennai, normally for treatment, he comes here at least once a year and stays here for two, three weeks and that time, at least once or twice she will cook varieties of prasad for Guru Mahgaraj devotees. And if we get a chance, we also go there and do some cleaning work and all that in Guru Maharaj's place. And all disciples like her prasadam. And she will prepare the whole night and make too many dishes for them. And we are also doing preaching. We have started preaching after our initiation. We are not lucky to get any direct instruction from Guru Maharaj about our service. But we realize understand from various Guru Maharaj messages that preaching should be our prime service. So we both planned in our community and in and around our community. So we kind of went to temples when distributing books. We talk about Krishna consciousness and importance of learning this knowledge and doing chanting. And we could gather almost 120 phone numbers and contacts. And we called them all of them one by one for Bhagavad Gita class at our home. And now we have almost 35, 40 people who have come into our class. And she is taking daytime class for Mataji's in weekdays. And I take weekend Bhagavad Gita class for mothers, rest of the people. And we also give nice prasadam with her cooking at the end of the session. So they all like now almost seven, eight people have started chanting regularly out of this group within six months of time. And one or two are keen to get initiation. So they started planning for it.
Some of them started to offer boga at home.
So that is very encouraging for us. So we want to do more of this. When we talk to people, we understand so many people are waiting for coming out of this pathetic material world. And I think we need to work more. Want to take this message to many people.
Thank you. Doing something for children also. I take Slopa class for kids. PG class. How many kids? Near 10.
And slowly it is. The news is going around and more people are getting interested. I hope more kids will come.
So how you see Guru Maharaj doing what Prabhupada want?
Guru Maharaj is doing more than what Guru Maharaj instructed to him. This is my opinion. In very early days, when Guru Maharaj was a young boy, Prabhupada said this boy will be in relation to thousands of dots in future. But he is doing much more than that now. Working in his homework. And he has given initiation to more than 80,000 devotees. And he is very regular instructionist. All of his devotees should register, read all the Sastras thoroughly, proper kind of system. And then they should also become.
Start.
Giving initiation with proper qualification. So by this. He's expecting this movement to really go to all towns and villages which we are seeing in this happening. So it is now. It used to be only in big cities. Now it is there in small cities also. I think in future Guru Maharaj's devotees go to small towns and villages also.
Thank you. If remember something more about Gurmaharas in Mayapur or you can tell. Actually my elder son was almost like atheist. Then I prayed to Guru Maharaj and gave him Prasha help. Then we sent him my home. Then he changed. Now he changed completely. And then he is very sincere than us. Very sincere than us. And he improved a lot. Last time he brought one Paduka from Guru Maharaj Gurumagara's Paduka. After that I am feeling Guru Magra's presence at home. At my home. That is very happy doing this.
Actually our change in our son is a very, very emotional thing to both of us. And we were feeling very bad about him earlier in worry. And he went to Mayapur, went to Guru Maharaj, the other senior devotees. Within three months we could see a change. And now he's very keen to get initiation and he wants to live in Mayapur as early as possible. That is his subjective.
Now he instructs us a lot like come to Mayapur. He says transfer to Mayanpur like that.
So we are very headsar. Big blessing to us.
So you can now say thank you to Guru Mahagaj. And I have not seen Prabhupada but I can see Prabhupada through Gurmagraj and his instructions. So very happy to be his disciple. I want more strength to preach and serve his servants.
Very happy to be associated with Guru Maurya and very, very proud that we got initiated from you. Be grateful to my friend who has introduced us to Iskam and want to do more service as as much as possible. More, more and more and more.
Thank you. He is our younger son, Sri Hari. He is studying 9th standard. He is very enthusiastic to do service. He helps me a lot in cooking service. And then he made garland to Krishna Jagannath every week to Guruma Garage every week weekly session. I want blessings from Guru Maharaj to improve his spiritual knowledge and what? Mridanga. Mridangam knowledge. Thank you Sri Hari. On my birthday I made flower and bead scarland for Gurmaraj and offered it to him myself in person. I am very happy about that. I want to do more service. Krishna and Guru Maharaj, Hare Krishna. Thank you.
