August 02, 2026
A sweet pastime of Srila Prabhupada relishing popcorn distributed by his disciples in Berkeley, California, in October 1972.
Popcorn in the Hippie Capital
On October 7, 1972, in Berkeley, California, the heart of the hippie capital, Srila Prabhupada spoke at the University of California. The San Francisco devotees received him enthusiastically. Following his lecture, they prepared barrels of popcorn and distributed them.
Prabhupada asked, "What is that?" Jayananda replied, "Popcorn, Srila Prabhupada. Would you like some?" Prabhupada said, "Yes, give me some."
Prabhupada asked, "What is that?" Jayananda replied, "Popcorn, Srila Prabhupada. Would you like some?" Prabhupada said, "Yes, give me some."
Childlike Actions of the Acharya
The devotees gave him popcorn in little bags printed with the Hare Krishna mantra. Srila Prabhupada ate the spiced kernels with great relish, saying, "Oh, this is nice." When he finished, he contentedly left his hand inside the little popcorn bag. It was a sweet, childlike action that enthused the hearts of all the Vaishnavas present.
The next night, the devotees brought him popcorn again. Prabhupada smiled and said: "No, I am old. I cannot do things like that very often. It is good, but it is very difficult for me to digest."
By Srutakirti dasa
The next night, the devotees brought him popcorn again. Prabhupada smiled and said: "No, I am old. I cannot do things like that very often. It is good, but it is very difficult for me to digest."
By Srutakirti dasa