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Question: Srila Prabhupada gave you the name Jayapataka Swami, the Victory Flag. And then he took you to India, he made you in charge of Mayapur dhama, which was when you went there, just a hut in the middle of paddy fields, a typical Indian village and he said, I am giving you the kingdom of the Lord, develop it. I don’t think you were more than 22 or 23 then. And you came all the way from the USA to the so called kingdom of the Lord, and to see paddy fields, mosquitoes, snakes. As a youngster looking for a guru, looking for Krsna, you see this. What were your first feelings in your mind?

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Jayapataka Swami: I see it, I was a devotee in Canada for two years. Two weeks after I got initiation I was made the temple president of Montreal. The Canadian Incorporation I registered. Then I went and opened up Toronto. Then Srila Prabhupada sent me to India! Then I was for two years in Calcutta. So it was already four years. Then I was sent to Mayapur. When I went to Mayapur, I bowed down, this is the holy dhama! The Lord Himself, Krsna, in His most merciful avatar, He appeared here! So at that time we had five devotees. We were living in a grass hut and now we have over 5 or 7 thousand devotees! So it is all by the vision and mercy of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada! He told me, you stay here in India! You become an Indian citizen. So I felt guilty! I FELT GUILTY because I should I thought, we should do whatever the guru asked us, even like difficult things, impossible things, we should do it! But I loved Mayapur, I loved the Indians, I loved the Indian culture! You are asking me to do something which I loved to do! He said, well, you are very lucky! But whether you like it or don’t like it, you should do it! Ha! Ha! Ha!
14-SEPTEMBER-2019 DAMODAR DESH