By Deena Bandhu Das
The untold story of Nelson Mandela thanks to Prananatha Prabhu:
Nelson Mandela & the Bhagavad Gita. Hare Krishna. I thought you might like to know a little bit of the untold side of Nelson Mandela. He came several times to ISKCON’s Ratha Yatra in South Africa while he was president of the nation. The first time Bhakti Tirtha Swami met him, in the course of their conversation, Maharaja quoted a Gita verse. Half-way thru the verse, Mandela quoted the rest of it. BT Swami was surprised. He asked “You know the Gita?”
Mandela said “Try me.” Every Gita verse Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja knew, Nelson knew as well. Naturally, BT Swami asked “How is this?” Nelson Mandela explained that he was imprisoned on Robbins Island along with some of his fellow leaders of their political party, the ANC. One of them was an Indian-bodied lawyer. The South African government tried to break them by giving them mindless labor and routine. Realizing that they needed to keep their minds actively engaged, the Indian lawyer taught Nelson Mandela Gita verses which they quoted and discussed back and forth to transcend their daily drudgery. Nelson Mandela told Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja that learning the Gita helped keep him sane and did much to infuse his view of the world and his strategies for bringing independence and a better future for the South African people. Bhakti Chaitanya Maharaja, the GBC for South Africa adds: “When Mr. Mandela visited our temple the first time (he came several times thereafter as well) he, with dignity but humility bowed before Srila Prabhupada, and then asked (me) “How did he do it?”, meaning how did Srila Prabhupada spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. We then had a brief discussion about how Srila Prabhupada gave Krishna consciousness to all nationalities and types of people, without discrimination, and Mr Mandela was deeply struck by this, and was very appreciative of Srila Prabhupada.
By Bhakti Caitanya Swami
In 1992, shortly after coming out of prison, but before he became President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela visited our Sri Sri Radha Radhanatha temple in Durban, South Africa. I got to show him around.
On the whole he was very nice, but the most interesting thing was when we went into the temple room. We took him over to see Srila Prabhupada, and he offered obeisances. Then he and I sat down on the other side of the temple room and spoke a little. I was explaining about our movement and what Srila Prabhupada did to establish it – how he travelled single handed from India and got everything started.
At one point Mr Mandela asked me, in a very pointed way, “how did he do it?” he was really struck by Srila Prabhupada and his achievements in the face of adversity. So I explained further about how Srila Prabhupada was spiritually empowered, and he appreciated that.
He also liked prasadam a lot.
Mr Mandela came to our temple again in 1994, when he was President, on an official visit. I was not there at the time, so I don’t know the details of that visit, but I understand it went very nicely.
Then in 1997 our Durban Food for Life devotees put on a large scale programme for 40,000 school children in a stadium, and Mr Mandela attended. He was only meant to stay for an hour or so, but he ended up staying for maybe four or five hours, and afterwards said it had been the happiest day of his life. That day he interacted no numerous occasions with different devotees, and saw very clearly that it was a Hare Krishna programme, so it certainly must have also made a great impact on his heart.
Now he has moved off to his next lifetime, but I’m sure there are significant benefits there on the transcendental platform for him.e Krishna. I thought you might like to know a little bit of the untold side of Nelson Mandela. He came several times to ISKCON’s Ratha Yatra in South Africa while he was president of the nation. The first time Bhakti Tirtha Swami met him, in the course of their conversation, Maharaja quoted a Gita verse. Half-way thru the verse, Mandela
quoted the rest of it. BT Swami was surprised. He asked “You know the Gita?” Mandela said “Try me.” Every Gita verse Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja knew, Nelson knew as well. Naturally, BT Swami asked “How is this?” Nelson Mandela explained that he was imprisoned on Robbins Island along with some of his fellow leaders of their political party, the ANC. One of them was an Indian-bodied lawyer. The South African government tried to break them by giving them mindless labor and routine. Realizing that they needed to keep their minds actively engaged, the Indian lawyer taught Nelson Mandela Gita verses which they quoted and discussed back and forth to transcend their daily drudgery. Nelson Mandela told Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja that earning the Gita helped keep him sane and did much to infuse his view of the world and his strategies for bringing independence and a better future for the South African people. Bhakti Chaitanya Maharaja, the GBC for South Africa adds: “When Mr. Mandela visited our temple the first time (he came several times thereafter as well) he, with dignity but humility bowed before Srila Prabhupada, and then asked (me) “How did he do it?”, meaning how did Srila Prabhupada spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. We then had a brief discussion about how Srila Prabhupada gave Krishna consciousness to all nationalities and types of people, without discrimination, and Mr Mandela was deeply struck by this, and was very appreciative of Srila
Prabhupada. By Bhakti Caitanya Swami
By Deena Bandhu Das
The untold story of Nelson Mandela thanks to Prananatha Prabhu:
Nelson Mandela & the Bhagavad Gita. Hare Krishna. I thought you might like to know a little bit of the untold side of Nelson Mandela. He came several times to ISKCON’s Ratha Yatra in South Africa while he was president of the nation. The first time Bhakti Tirtha Swami met him, in the course of their conversation, Maharaja quoted a Gita verse. Half-way thru the verse, Mandela quoted the rest of it. BT Swami was surprised. He asked “You know the Gita?” Mandela said “Try me.” Every Gita verse Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja knew, Nelson knew as well. Naturally, BT Swami asked “How is this?” Nelson Mandela explained that he was imprisoned on Robbins Island along with some of his fellow leaders of their political party, the ANC. One of them was an Indian-bodied lawyer. The South African government tried to break them by giving them mindless labor and routine. Realizing that they needed to keep their minds actively engaged, the Indian lawyer taught Nelson Mandela Gita verses which they quoted and discussed back and forth to transcend their daily drudgery. Nelson Mandela told Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja that learning the Gita helped keep him sane and did much to infuse his view of the world and his strategies for bringing independence and a better future for the South African people. Bhakti Chaitanya Maharaja, the GBC for South Africa adds: “When Mr. Mandela visited our temple the first time (he came several times thereafter as well) he, with dignity but humility bowed before Srila Prabhupada, and then asked (me) “How did he do it?”, meaning how did Srila Prabhupada spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. We then had a brief discussion about how Srila Prabhupada gave Krishna consciousness to all nationalities and types of people, without discrimination, and Mr Mandela was deeply struck by this, and was very appreciative of Srila
Prabhupada.
By Bhakti Caitanya Swami
In 1992, shortly after coming out of prison, but before he became President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela visited our Sri Sri Radha Radhanatha temple in Durban, South Africa. I got to show him around.
On the whole he was very nice, but the most interesting thing was when we went into the temple room. We took him over to see Srila Prabhupada, and he offered obeisances. Then he and I sat down on the other side of the temple room and spoke a little. I was explaining about our ovement and what Srila Prabhupada did to establish it – how he travelled single handed from India and got everything started.
At one point Mr Mandela asked me, in a very pointed way, “how did he do it?” he was really struck by Srila Prabhupada and his achievements in the face of adversity. So I explained further about how Srila Prabhupada was spiritually empowered, and he appreciated that. He also liked prasadam a lot.
Mr Mandela came to our temple again in 1994, when he was President, on an official visit. I was not there at the time, so I don’t know the details of that visit, but I understand it went very nicely.
Then in 1997 our Durban Food for Life devotees put on a large scale programme for 40,000 school children in a stadium, and Mr Mandela attended. He was only meant to stay for an hour or so, but he ended up staying for maybe four or five hours, and afterwards said it had been the happiest day of his life. That day he interacted no numerous occasions with different devotees, and saw very clearly that it was a Hare Krishna programme, so it certainly must have also made a great impact on his heart.
Now he has moved off to his next lifetime, but I’m sure there are significant benefits there on the transcendental platform for him.