My friend Hriday Prasad

When I returned to Pondicherry to visit the Ashram, I had to go to one friend’s place four times, only to say hello to him. He was in his room, but his servant would say, “He is not at home.” I could see that he was home! The servant was talking to him, but she would come to me to say that my friend was not at home. He did not want to see me, perhaps because I was no longer an ashramite and he thought that I had descended. Previously he was my dearest friend, my great admirer, but now he only wanted to see me through my window. Again, sometimes the shutters of my place were closed. Then he felt miserable, because he could not see me through the window. Four times I went to that friend’s place to see him. Previously he was so devoted to me.

The last time I said to myself, “Now, let him tell lies; I will go up.” I went up to his room. I wanted to sing for him two songs, the songs that I sing about the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. He was unwilling to hear my songs on the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. He said that there were other people in the house and I would disturb them.

What a painful experience! But I did not listen to him. Quietly I sang the songs in his room. Still nothing was happening. Then I said to myself, “This is too much for me. What can I do?” I left his room. I never expected him to follow me.

He did follow me and at the main gate I saw that he burst into tears. At the very last moment, he was crying, crying and crying a river of tears. That was Hriday Prasad. Next to Baburam he was my dearest friend.

When Mantu’s physical condition became serious, Hriday Prasad went to see Mantu. At one point when I called Mantu from New York, Hriday Prasad was there. I said, "I would like to speak to Hriday Prasad,” and he was so happy to speak to me.

In the case of Krishna Bhagaban, I lost him as a friend because he saw my occult power. It was too much for him. He said that I wanted to kill him with my eyes. You do not have to show occult power to lose friends. Other friends also I lost. This friend, Hriday Prasad, had been my great admirer, but later he was only eager to see my shadow in my own window. His house was very near mine. He waited for me to open the window so that he could see me. Finally he followed me, followed me, followed me to the main gate of the Ashram.

During my Ashram years, Hriday Prasad used to get tremendous joy by massaging my feet and my head. In those days I was already losing hair. They say that if you use lime juice to massage your head, you can solve this problem. I would be seated. With such devotion - devotion is the right word — he would stand behind me. That was the right time for Lord Krishna to come and see me, face to face! I was seated on my chair. Hriday Prasad was massaging me and he could not see Lord Krishna. God knows what language Sri Krishna and I were speaking. Both of us were talking. Hriday Prasad heard me, but he did not understand a single word. For about ten minutes or so, I was face to face with Lord Krishna while sitting on my chair and this fellow was massaging my head. I did not tell my friend to stop massaging my head, because I know how much love Sri Krishna has for me, no matter what I do. If somebody is massaging my feet, Sri Krishna will not mind. That kind of connection I have with Lord Krishna.

This boy who was massaging me was the same fellow who would not see me in later years. Our friendship was all over. Such a painful, painful experience! But again, he did believe me implicitly in those days. Such admiration he used to have for me.

Friends, friends! Once, while I was looking at the moon with a friend, Sri Ramakrishna was blessing me and talking to me. My friend could not see him and he did not hear anything. But Hriday Prasad did hear. He was hearing my voice, but he could not see Lord Krishna. Such friendship we enjoyed! He was such an admirer of mine. He was massaging and massaging my head with lime juice.

These stories are not my fabrication; they are not cock-and-bull stories in my life. This was Hriday Prasad.

Friendship, friendship, friendship!