The Svami, that same glowing personality I’d seen in the park, sat in their midst, looking simultaneously ascetic and aristocratic. He bowed his head on the ground, which to my mind confirmed my belief that everything, including the floor, is God. As the chanting continued around him, he stood up and, followed by a few others, walked into the next room – the ‘greeting room.’ His name, I was told, was Svamiji – or, more formally, om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja– who would later become known throughout the world by the honorific title “Srila Prabhupada.”