August 18th marks the observance day, according to the Vaisnava calendar, of the start of Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental journey aboard the Jaladuta.
51 years ago, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada mercifully came to America. Having taken sannyasa, he arranged passage aboard the Jaladuta, a freighter owned by the Scindia Steamship Company. In September 1965, Srila Prabhupada began his journey, sailing out of Bombay for his destination in Boston, Massachusetts. Leaving India with little more than several trunks containing 200 sets of his transcendental three-volume Srimad Bhagwatams, on the orders of his Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada began his epic journey to preach Krsna consciousness in the Western world.
The journal that Srila Prabhupada kept during the voyage is a wonderful story, on so many levels. The Sun is pleased to once again present a serialized version of the Jaladuta Diary, each entry posted for the date it was written, almost fifty years ago.
Follow Srila Prabhupada on this great transcendental epoch. The Jaladuta Diary series will run daily through late September, with a few days break at the end of August, during the time when Srila Prabhupada became gravely ill.
Friday, August 13, 1965
“Today at 9 a.m. embarked on M.V. Jaladuta. Came with me Bhagwati, the Dwarwan of Scindia Sansir Mr. Sen Gupta, Mr. Ali and Vrindaban. The cabinet is quite comfortable. It is owner’s residence and therefore the sitting room, the bedroom and the bath and privy all equipped with first class materials. Everything is nice in the 1st class compartment and thanks to Lord Sri Krishna for His enlightening Smti. Sumati Moraji for all these arrangements. I am quite comfortable.
The ship started at 1/30 p.m. very slowly from the dock and reached near Botanical Garden and stopped at mid-stream of the Ganges till 11 p.m. and then turned towards the front and started. It is quite steady. I cannot understand in my cabin if it is at all moving. I am so comfortable. The voyage was again stopped at 3/30 a.m. at Kalpi near Diamond Harbor & Ganokhali wideth and detained for about 8 hours. The delta of the Ganges quite wide with shallow water.”
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
