1008 Ways to Remember Srila Prabhupada
<< 21 Goloka and Montreal >>

Gaurasundara and I remained in Montreal for the duration of time that Swamiji was in India; that was about six months. During that time we drew many pictures for early Back to Godhead magazines and daily we worked in our small art studio while hearing Caitanya Caritamrta and Srimad Bhagavatam. During that time I began working on a drawing of Krsna and Balarama returning home with their cows, millions of cows. It became a kind of meditation. Daily I worked on this drawing and although we had little information of how Vrindavana looked it seemed to manifest from within the heart. Though we did many other pictures, this picture was the most dear to me. Even when I close my eyes I would still see an ocean of cows with Krsna and Balarama prancing before them and in my view, over to the right, that cowherd boy was clearly meant to be Srila Prabhupada. After, all Swamiji had requested me to paint his portrait in San Francisco, and it was one of the first pictures I painted for him. Now I felt I was painting his spiritual portrait in Goloka. It was an innocent offering. I sent a copy of the drawing to Swamiji in Vrindavana, saying, "This cowherd boy is my portrait of you". Thank you, Srila Prabhupada for giving me that glimpse of Goloka. It spurred me on in my desire to serve you; even now when I see this picture, my original drawing has been colored in and hangs behind the Deities of Krsna Balarama, I think of you as I see you walking besides Krsna and Balarama, herding the cows home in the evening and I think that this is no accident that this very picture that I had offered to you so many years before is your portrait walking beside your beloved Krsna Balarama and you are there nearby. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada.

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