Srila Prabhupada Lila: “Achaa!”

Prabhupada is keen for the Western devotees to learn Hindi and has engaged Mr. Saxena in the task of teaching them. Regular classes are now being held, and all the devotees are expected to attend. He has several times asked Mahavira Prabhu if he is learning, and this morning he had a bit of fun with Jagadisa over it. Srila Prabhupada and his godbrother Dr. Kapoor are having almost daily meetings to organize the support for the court cases.

They were standing in the middle of the darsana room, and Prabhupada called Jagadisa in to ask him for some documents. Jagadisa, acknowledging something Prabhupada had said, replied, “Achaa,” the Hindi word for consent. Prabhupada stepped back, his eyes wide and his mouth open. “Oh!” he cried in mock astonishment, “He is speaking Hindi!” Dr. Kapoor burst out laughing, and the two of them shook with mirth while Jagadisa turned bright red in delighted embarrassment.

Reference: A Transcendental Diary Volume 5 – Hari Sauri Dasa