The Appearance of Lord Vishnu with Garuda

from Padmamali dasa (Prague CZ)

During the SP marathon 1996, when I was just a new bhakta, I was one time so spaced out that for an hour I couldn't even approach anyone. I became angry with myself and started to preach to my mind, "How can you just sit here while all these people walking by are actually searching for these very books you're holding in your hands? Do something!"

At last I pulled myself together to stop one young man who was hurrying back to work with his sandwich. He was interested in the books so he invited me to his shop. It was an alternative gift shop full of oriental and Indian gifts. His two colleagues also liked the books, but no one was willing to buy them. They were just interested in the vegetarian cookbook.

I began to narrate a story about Lord Vishnu and showed them the picture from Srimad Bhagavatam where Lord Vishnu is carried on the back of Garuda. One of the shop assistants exclaimed, "Hey, He looks like our one!"

I asked, "What?"

They took me upstairs to a statue covered with cloth. She uncovered the statue and there He was, Lord Vishnu standing on the back of Garuda, ready to release His Sudarsana Cakra. I cried out, "Vishnu" and paid my obeisances.

At that moment somebody entered the shop and the shop assistants went down to look after them. I remained alone with the Lord and prayed to Him for His mercy to allow me to distribute some books to these people. They returned and told me that it was my last chance to see Him because one twelve year old girl had already bought and paid for Him and she was picking Him up tonight.

With renewed enthusiasm I showed them all the books again. This time they were really inspired and the young man I had first met opened the cash register and pulled out some money. The Lord was very merciful and they took 17 books between them.

The young girl wasn't the only one to take the Lord home that night. He resides in hundreds of millions of homes all over this planet in His form of Srimad Bhagavatam. I regularly visit this shop and bring them some prasadam and they always like to give nice donations.

Your servant

Padmamali dasa (Prague CZ)

CHAKRA 22-Oct-98