May 25, 1976 : Honolulu
Hari Sauri: As I perched by his side on his bed during his evening massage, Prabhupada told me how he left home. He told me that despite the fact we criticize everyone without exception, we are still expanding and going forward. He laughed, "I was even criticizing my own family!"
I asked if he used to instruct them, and he said that because they were used to thinking of him merely as husband or father they were unable to take his instruction seriously. "You know my story? Tea or me?" he asked.
"No, Srila Prabhupada," I said, intrigued and eager to hear.
He gave a chuckle. "My wife, she was fond of drinking tea. So one day I told her, 'Either you give up your tea drinking or you give up your husband.' 'Oh, then I'll give up my husband.' Of course she thought I was joking," he went on, "but a few days later I left the house without telling anyone. I borrowed ten rupees from a friend and bought a train ticket and I never returned."
"Where did you go?"
"Somewhere - anywhere!" he laughed. He never saw his wife again. In 1959 he took sannyasa and began to write his books, and in 1965, after the third volume of the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam had been published, he left for America. His second son later told him, "When we learned you had taken sannyasa, it was like a thunderbolt to us!"
I asked if he used to instruct them, and he said that because they were used to thinking of him merely as husband or father they were unable to take his instruction seriously. "You know my story? Tea or me?" he asked.
"No, Srila Prabhupada," I said, intrigued and eager to hear.
He gave a chuckle. "My wife, she was fond of drinking tea. So one day I told her, 'Either you give up your tea drinking or you give up your husband.' 'Oh, then I'll give up my husband.' Of course she thought I was joking," he went on, "but a few days later I left the house without telling anyone. I borrowed ten rupees from a friend and bought a train ticket and I never returned."
"Where did you go?"
"Somewhere - anywhere!" he laughed. He never saw his wife again. In 1959 he took sannyasa and began to write his books, and in 1965, after the third volume of the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam had been published, he left for America. His second son later told him, "When we learned you had taken sannyasa, it was like a thunderbolt to us!"
Reference: A Transcendental Diary Volume 2 - Hari Sauri Dasa
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