On the 18th of April 2009, a very significant event occurred to three devotees - Prahlad Bhakta Das, Tattva Vit Das and Mahaprabhu Das in the heart of Little India, Serangoon Road. Ratha Yatra 2009 was just round the corner, Mahaprabhu, Tattva Vit and Prahlad Bhakta Das were asked by the Ratha Yatra co-ordinator Sriman Raghupathi Prabhu to raise some funds for the upcoming festival in June. We enthusiastically took up this service and headed on a Saturday morning to accomplish this task for the temple.
Doing sankirtan is always a blissful service for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. In fact it is the best service. It is a way of how the fallen souls can be engaged in performing their devotional service to the Lord, in this way starting their devotional journey back home back to Godhead, the medicine for their ultimate freedom from this material disease of birth, death, old age and disease.
They were enjoying the bliss of meeting the people like merchants and well-wishers in the Little India area and telling them about Krishna. In fact they were all very enthusiastic upon meeting us. They were very warm in receiving us into their shops and many of them instantaneously responded by giving either cash or kind for the service of Lord Jagannatha. Even persons of other faiths also gave very willing. It was indeed very heartening to see such a flow of generosity from the very keen hearts of many people. The devotees felt that it must be through Sri Krishna Mandir’s many years of dedicated service to the people of Singapore by the way of food distribution, helping the needy and unfortunate and many other related services which must have touched the hearts of all the residents of Little India.
The devotees had business shop owners inquiring of our temple activities and always asking when the temple will be coming back to the Little India area again as they really miss all the devotees and especially the daily darshan of the Deities Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan, and how they had enjoyed participating in the many festivities hosted by the temple.
As they were winding up the sankirtan collections for the day Prahalad Bhakta Das and Mahaprabhu Das approached the last shop in the area. Prahalad Bhakta Das who had been fervid all day, went into the shop as speedy as an arrow and was later followed in by Mahaprabhu Das. He very enthusiastically approached the owner for a donation. The owner however, was very agitated and was very angry at our presence in his shop. He remarked that for Sri Krishna Mandir, he was not willing to make any form of contribution as he felt that we were not representing the actual philosophy of the Hindus, by proclaiming that Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He felt that we should not deride the position of the other gods in our Hindu religion. Prahalad Bhakta then insisted that these views of his is not supported in our scriptures like Bhagavad Gita etc. and further added that one should not blindly follow the perverted views of many unauthorized persons like our traditional parents etc. and how we should take the word of the Lord as it is from the authorized scriptures.
On hearing this he was further infuriated and was seething like a trampled snake. He then started hurling very abusive language and became very offensive. We thought that it is best to leave the premises as it was getting a bit out of control. At this juncture when Prahalad Bhakta Das was trying to leave the shop, the shop owner slapped him and took out a long knife and placed it on his neck in a most threatening manner, to slash the throat of Prahalad Bhakta Das. The owner then challenged whether Lord Krishna could come and save him now. He was just like Hiranyakasipu who tried to challenge the potency of a devotee of the Lord. Prahalad Bhakta Das was becoming very nervous and frightened at this situation and was simply praying to the Lord to help him. The owner was creating a very big commotion that eventually caught the attention of many passer-bys. As a big crowd gathered eventually, it was only through their intervention that he was relieved from his predicament. As Prahalad Bhakta Das was leaving the premises the demonic owner kicked him further traumatizing him.
Prahalad Bhakta Das was very devastated by the whole episode and was very deeply shaken and distressed. The three devotees then hurried back to the temple to report the matter to the President Sriman Sundar Gopal Prabhu. Upon hearing about the encounter, he was most disturbed to hear as to how they were attacked. He insisted that we proceed immediately to the nearest police station to make a complaint. In fact he personally escorted them to the station to report the matter.
While they were making the report, seeing the seriousness of the subject matter, the investigating officer arrived at the station almost immediately to interview them about the incident. The investigating officer than personally brought them in a police car to the assailant’s shop to confront him on the issue. On arriving at the scene, the perpetuated assailant yelled out warning us to keep away from his premises but the police officer identified himself and insisted that he wants to interview him to hear his side of the story. On examining him and hearing his explanation, he eventually relented and related how he had attacked our Prahlad Bhakta Prabhu and even ended up showing the very knife that he had used in the episode. With a very grave look in his face the police officer sternly warned the assailant that he had committed a very serious crime and it would tantamount him in receiving a very stiff criminal sentence in jail. The owner became very remorseful and started pleading for mercy. He started explaining how he was feeling very sick when he was approached by our devotees and he mistook them as some unlicensed solicitors scourging the public for donations and thought that they were creating a menace.
The devotees were then called in by the concerned officer to meet the owner. He was very sorry for what he had done and was very apologetic for his actions. He seemed apparently to have known the President and was very sorry to have misbehaved with the temple devotees and was deeply regretful. Upon seeing the owner of the shop truly remorseful, the officer confided with the devotees on what their interest would be. The devotees too were of the opinion of letting him go and to drop the charges.
On leaving the shop the President noticed a very expensive golden club in the showcase of the shop and he inquired on its cost. Our President wanted it for Lord Balaram. It was very beautiful and the owner as a result of his folly to make up with the devotees then presented the golden club as a gift to Lord Balaram. The President was very pleased with the gift and remarked that how just a few days ago he was thinking of how Lord Balaram would be happy if only He had a golden club in His hands and now with this episode it has become a reality. He thanked Prahalad Bhakta for making this come true. Prahalad Bhakta Das was feeling very ecstatic and at the same time very humbled at how the Lord had used him for His glorious pastimes. They all thanked the owner and hurried back to the temple to present the golden club to the Lord. It was truly a most satisfying moment for all the devotees. Prahalad Bhakta Das was indeed deeply thinking that for Lord Balaram’s pleasure he would not even mind losing his life again and again.
The next morning during Mangala Arati (the First morning Prayer of the day at 5am) Lord Balaram was very blissful holding His Golden club and He was simply looking very gorgeous. All the devotees were overly ecstatic in beholding this most auspicious form of the Lord.On hearing the news of our Lord Balaram’s pastimes, all the devotees were in ecstasy. Some of the other shop owners too were very pleased to hear the news. In fact some of them related the notoriety of this particular owner who had been a constant pinprick, and who had portrayed himself as the self styled mafia head of Little India and had done various types of mischief to many a person. They were all happy to hear how he was humbled and they all prayed that he would now change over a new leaf.
