Today is the 51st anniversary of Srila Prabhupada accepting sannyasa. Here is a pastime retold relating Srila Prabhupada’s faith in the holy names that took place at Srila Prabhupada’s sannyasa ceremony in Mathura as retold by Giriraj Swami.
While the priest was conducting the fire sacrifice and reciting various mantras, Krsnadasa Babaji was chanting the holy name. He really relished the holy name. One night, on Ekadasi, His Holiness Bhakti Bhrnga Govinda Swami took me to meet him. He was sitting in the courtyard of some ashram. It was very dark–maybe there was a bare light bulb in a corner–and he was just chanting japa and relishing. Clearly, he was tasting, savoring. He was truly drinking the nectar of the holy name. So, during Srila Prabhupada’s sannyasa initiation ceremony he was chanting japa, and the priest turned and motioned to him, “Keep quiet. I am reciting the mantras.” But when the priest returned to the ceremony, reciting mantras and pouring ghee, and the new initiates were repeating the mantras and offering the grains–“Svaha!”–Prabhupada motioned to Babaji Maharaja, “Keep chanting. Keep chanting. Don’t heed what he said.”
Srila Prabhupada had that deep faith.