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The Jaladuta Diary is a personal account written by Srila Prabhupada that documents his sea voyage from India to America in 1965. Originally a complimentary diary provided by the Scindia Steam Navigation Company in Bombay, Srila Prabhupada initially used it as an appointment book. However, once his journey aboard the M.V. Jaladuta began, he began making regular entries, recording the difficulties of the voyage, prayers, and complete dependence on Lord Krishna.
The diary offers a touching glimpse into the heart of a great spiritual teacher as he carried out his divine mission to spread Krishna consciousness in the West.
Why Did Srila Prabhupada Travel to America?
Srila Prabhupada traveled to America primarily to execute the order of his spiritual master, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. His spiritual master desired that Indian-educated young men should take up Lord Chaitanya’s message and preach it to the Western world. Srila Prabhupada took this desire as his very life and soul and dedicated himself to fulfilling it.
Preaching Krishna consciousness to the whole world was the mission of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, a great acharya and a follower of Lord Chaitanya, traveled India to spread this mission. To fulfill the Lord’s mission, he sent his disciples to the West, but none of them was able to convince them to accept Krishna consciousness.
After accepting him as his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada started preaching through English magazines in India. For preaching Krishna Consciousness to the West, he finally decided to go to America.
Srila Prabhupada’s Journey on the Jaladuta
Srila Prabhupada’s journey to America aboard the Jaladuta ship in 1965 was a 38-day voyage. At the age of 69, with almost nothing, he journeyed to the United States to fulfill the instruction of his spiritual master.
Departure and Voyage Logistics
Srila Prabhupada embarked on his journey to America on Friday, August 13, 1965, departing from Calcutta Port at 9:00 a.m. He traveled aboard the M.V. Jaladuta, a cargo ship belonging to the Scindia Steam Navigation Company. Through the kindness of Smt. Sumati Morarji, he was provided with a free passage and stayed in the owner’s cabin, which included a comfortable sitting room and bedroom.
He left India with very meager resources, carrying only a small suitcase, forty rupees (approximately seven dollars), and several books, an umbrella, and dry cereal. After facing the trials of the Atlantic ocean, he safely arrived in the United States on September 17, 1965.
Challenges Faced During Voyage
After reaching the Bay of Bengal on August 14, Srila Prabhupada began suffering from intense seasickness, characterized by dizziness, vomiting, and a total lack of energy. The most life-threatening challenge occurred in the Arabian Sea, where he suffered two heart attacks on consecutive nights.
In his diary entry for August 31, he recorded passing through a "great crisis" in a struggle between life and death, later noting that he surely would have died had a third attack occurred on the ship. Throughout these hardships, he experienced a deep sense of separation from Vrindavan and his beloved Deities.
Srila Prabhupada’s Prayers and Dependence on Krishna
While facing the challenges, Srila Prabhupada constantly prayed to Lord Krishna for His mercy, expressing his deep humility and gratitude. During this period, he wrote two heartfelt prayers: Prayer unto the Lotus feet of Krishna on September 13 and Markine Bhagavat Dharma on September 18.
In the first prayer, he addresses Lord Krishna as his eternal companion and expresses a deep longing to regain Krishna’s association. In the second prayer, he expresses a deep sense of concern about how the people will accept Krishna consciousness at the same time he is fully dependent on the Lord.
Throughout the voyage, Srila Prabhupada remained completely dependent on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy and had firm faith in the power of the holy name. During the journey, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared to him in a dream with His various incarnations, rowing a boat and guiding the ship toward America. This gave Srila Prabhupada great assurance that the Lord was protecting and guiding him at every moment.
Arrival in America
Arrival in Boston
The Jaladuta safely reached Boston Port at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, September 17, 1965, marking the 36th day of the voyage. Although Śrīla Prabhupāda’s destination was New York, his entry into the United States was completed in Boston when immigration officers came onto the ship at 10:00 a.m. During the stop at Commonwealth Pier, Srila Prabhupada visited the town with the ship’s captain and spent the day and night aboard the vessel.
Arrival in New York
The ship departed Boston at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 18. After navigating through dense fog that forced the ship to move slowly at midnight, it finally docked at New York Port at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 19, 1965, about three hours behind schedule.
Lessons We Can Learn from the Jaladuta Diary
- Total Dependence on Divine Mercy: One of the most prominent lessons is the necessity of absolute dependence on Lord Krishna when facing obstacles in life. He suffered from two heart attacks and severe seasickness, yet he viewed these crises as part of a divine plan.
- Determination in Duty: At the age of 69, Srila Prabhupada embarked on a 38-day voyage across the ocean with only a few belongings, showing how determined he was to execute his spiritual master’s order.
- The Virtue of Humility: The diary reveals the internal state of a leader who, despite undertaking a historic mission, viewed himself as an "insignificant beggar" and a "useless soul". He did not seek personal glory, but rather prayed for the Lord’s mercy upon the hearts of others.
- Compassion for Others: Despite his own physical hardships, Prabhupada’s primary concern was the spiritual welfare of the people he was going to meet. This highlights the lesson that a saintly person is "para dukha dukhi", or one who is genuinely distressed by the sufferings of others and acts selflessly to relieve them.
- Spiritual Vision During Challenging Situations: He showed a unique way of interpreting the world: he saw the foamy sea as a vivid example of Maya (illusion) and the unusual calmness of the Atlantic as Krishna’s special mercy. This teaches the importance of developing a transcendental vision that recognizes the hand of the Divine in every circumstance, whether favorable or unfavorable.
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Conclusion
Srila Prabhupada wrote every incident in the Jaladuta diary that happened throughout the voyage. Facing obstacles like thunderstorms, seasickness, and lack of energy, but he was still completely dependent on Lord Krishna without losing faith. This journey teaches us many lessons like divine dependence, humility, and compassion for others. His journey shows that if we also have such faith in the Lord, then we will be protected at every moment without a doubt.
