An Indian devotee said that when Prabhupada was very ill in Vrindavana with a high fever he had prayed that the visnu-jvara might reduce his fever. “So we were just reading the Bhagavatam when you were sick. Anybody suffering from fever means you read such and such a portion. So it should come down.”
It seemed like a nice sentiment, but from Prabhupada’s pure devotional viewpoint it wasn’t acceptable. “No, Vishnu should not be utilized for curing your fever. That is not bhakti. That is business.”
Kirtanananda Swami asked, “Can a disciple invoke Lord Vishnu’s help for serving his spiritual master?”
Srila Prabhupada replied more enthusiastically. He also revealed something of his internal mood in his struggle to establish the Bombay temple. “Hm! That is nice. That is for curing Vishnu’s representative. When we were in danger, there was so much obstruction for constructing the temple, and we prayed to Krishna that it should be stopped. We prayed to Krishna, ‘Please give Your protection.’ That is for Vishnu’s purpose.“
