Mr. Balu had a small temple in his home compound, and they had a set of beautiful, marble Deities of black Krishna and white Radharani who were the same size as what Srila Prabhupada called ‘Yamuna’s Deities.’ So the first day I arrived there with our Deities, They were placed on the altar in Mr. Balu’s small temple next to his Deities. In Vrindavan, I had been using a tailor named Lalit Prasad, who made the outstanding white outfit for the Deities at the first Delhi pandal. I also had him make four sets of clothing for our traveling small Deities, and immediately Mr. Balu was stunned by the beauty of the dresses. Srila Prabhupada was also pleased because they were flashy and made with some of his favorite colors. One was a deep pink with vivid green and another white. So spontaneously Srila Prabhupada asked me to allow Mr. Balu to take any of the dresses he liked for his Deities, and although I heard this instruction, I was not eager to give up the dresses, wondering when I would have the opportunity to have more made. So as embarrassing as it is to reveal such a flaw in my character, even though Srila Prabhupada had given the instruction, I was reluctant to offer the dresses to Mr. Balu.
We stayed for about five days at the Balu residence, and then Srila Prabhupada felt we were becoming a burden on them with our large party. The pandal program there was also not very long. So finally one day Srila Prabhupada called me into his room and said, “Have you donated the dresses to Mr. Balu?” and I simply said “No.” He then explained that I should understand that whatever I do will be a reflection on him. And this man, Mr. Balu, had hosted us so nicely, so we should be very generous in return and offer him whatever we can for his advancement in Krishna consciousness. I was immediately struck with remorse at my diseased mentality and requested Mr. Balu to come look at the clothes. So he and his wife came, chose one dress, and we decorated his Deities nicely. It was inspiring for his Krishna consciousness and I was, of course, enlightened that this is the same Krishna, the same Radha, and why was I making such distinctions with so much attachment? Again I was reminded that when one gives, he or she is never the loser. Preaching means to give Krishna consciousness through whatever you have learned and heard from the Spiritual Master, so one’s rapid advancement in Krishna consciousness is certain according to his ability to cent-per-cent follow the orders of the Spiritual Master. It was an important lesson for me to learn.
Dinatarini devi: Prior to the visit to Madras, Yamuna had begun gathering information and pictures for what would become “Yamuna’s Deity Book.” During their stay at the Balu residence in Madras, Yamuna had become so charmed by the sweet face of Srimati Radharani that she determined that if ever she had Deities made, she would use Her beautiful face as the inspiration. So she got a close-up picture of Her face, and when the Deities were being conceived for the Vrindavan temple, she gave that picture to the Deity makers in Jaipur. The picture is reproduced here, along with an early picture of Radharani at Krsna Balarama Mandir, Vrindavan.