October 8, 2006 Carpinteria, CA USA

My dear Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We are missing you terribly today, after your sudden departure from this realm of mortality to the service of Srila Prabhupada in eternity.

My thoughts turn to my earliest association with you. I had been suffering from a relapse of jaundice in Bombay, and Srila Prabhupada said that as long as I remained there I would be unable to recover. So I returned to the United States for treatment, and after spending about five days in Chicago, proceeded to Los Angeles.

There, you were continuing your association with the devotees and going on your famous morning walks with Srila Prabhupada, discussing the principle of “life comes from life” and the importance of scientific preaching. As I gradually recovered from my illness, I was able to accompany you and Srila Prabhupada on some of the walks and to be in Srila Prabhupada’s room when you and sometimes Dr. Wolf-Rottkay came to meet him. Hearing your discussions, I was struck by your humility and simplicity–and by your open and intimate relationship with Srila Prabhupada. He had so much love for you and put so much trust in you–and surely, his great hopes for you were not disappointed. Your patent sincerity, combined with your intellectual prowess, were strong qualifications for understanding Srila Prabhupada and his teachings and mission–and the specific mission he gave to you. You took all of his words to heart and were so enthusiastic to take up his call. Obviously, you were a very pure devotee from your birth, from your culture, and in Srila Prabhupada’s association your natural devotion was encouraged and manifested. It was like a jewel that Srila Prabhupada mined and cut and polished–and then held out to sparkle for the world, for all the world’s the benefit.

Earlier in 1973, a scientist had come to the university and given a lecture on how life had arisen from a combination of four primordial elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. With so many technical words and diagrams and formulas, he tried to establish that life had come from these material elements. At the end of the presentation you had stood and inquired, “If I give you these ingredients, will you be able to produce life?” And the scientist had replied, “That I do not know.” Srila Prabhupada was so pleased and proud of you that he spoke of the incident in his lectures and conversations–how “our Svarupa Damodara” had challenged the scientist and defeated the notion that life comes from matter.

Being with you and Srila Prabhupada in that atmosphere, I became inspired by the idea of scientific preaching. Although I was not qualified like you, materially or spiritually, I did have some desire to participate. So one day I approached Srila Prabhupada in his room, during his massage, and told him that I was willing to join in the scientific preaching. He, in a relaxed, blissful mood, simply smiled and said, “Your field is psychology.” (He knew I had been a psychology major.) Still, he said I could apply that knowledge in the work of the Bhaktivedanta Institute. Then I told him that I noticed that when he spoke about the scientists he used such words as “nonsense” and “rascals” and said that we should “kick them in the face with boots,” and I asked whether when we preached or met with scientists we should use such language. And Srila Prabhupada replied, “No. You should speak like a gentleman.”

Soon enough, I was able to recover my health and return to India (as Srila Prabhupada had told me in LA, “Back home, back to Bombay”) to work on the Juhu project. In time, the project developed and we were able to provide Srila Prabhupada a facility on the fifth floor of the west tower, overlooking the Arabian Sea. There too, Srila Prabhupada continued to emphasize the importance of scientific preaching and to encourage you in all respects. I was fortunate to be present with Tamal Krishna Goswami when Srila Prabhupada asked him how much money the Bhaktivedanta Institute, the BI, needed for its work. Goswami Maharaja wasn’t sure exactly–he said he would have to consult with you–but he thought about $10,000 a month. And Srila Prabhupada, without a moment’s hesitation, responded, “Arrange immediately.” He wanted you to have whatever you needed; he didn’t want you to have to worry about money.

Srila Prabhupada was also concerned that you should have proper offices in the new construction. Although he had instructed that in general our offices should be at the back of the property in the old tenement buildings, he insisted that the BI should be in the temple complex, in a prominent location. So you and I reviewed the architectural drawings and walked through the site and decided on the six rooms between the two towers on the second floor (in America, the third floor), three overlooking the temple courtyard and three overlooking the guesthouse entrance. Later, you created a room on the western end of the offices overlooking the temple for use as a conference room, and you got other rooms to use for residence.

In the 1970s you were still quite new to ISKCON’s ways, and because of your humble and gentle nature–and your highly cultured (and different) background–you were often overlooked by ISKCON’s leaders. Although I myself was not one of the big managers, at least I was able to speak with them on your behalf. Being attracted by your gentle and humble nature, and knowing how much Srila Prabhupada loved and cared for you, I would often ask how you were doing and if you needed anything, and you, in turn, would approach me whenever you had some difficulty or needed to get some message through to the leaders. So I was pleased to present your concerns to them, or to arrange for you to meet with them and present your concerns to them directly.

In March of 1977 we arranged a pandal program for Srila Prabhupada at Cross Maidan in downtown Bombay, and as part of the program Srila Prabhupada wanted you to make a presentation. Although Prabhupada was quite ill then
(this proved to be his last public engagement) and remaining in the pandal for long was a strain for him, he was so keen on your work that he wanted to be there for your presentation. The programs began in the early evening, and after the first kirtana and Prabhupada’s own lecture, when he usually left, you began your presentation about “life comes from life,” with slides and your own explanations.

Earlier, Srila Prabhupada had commented that ordinary people can’t understand what the scientists are saying but that they are impressed by the scientists’ bombastic words–the complicated calculations and formulations and diagrams and jargon. So even if people don’t understand what we are saying, if they see that we too have scientists who make presentations with technical language and scientific evidence–in favor of God and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita–they will be impressed and think, “Oh, this is scientific; we can believe what they say.”

So Srila Prabhupada–I will never forget how happy he was. I had hardly ever seen him so happy. He was so pleased with your presentation that evening at Cross Maidan–he really felt that this approach could change the world. He knew that the scientists’ ideas were guiding all of human society and that, unfortunately, most of the scientists were atheistic. On a morning walk in Juhu I had told Srila Prabhupada about a news report about a scientist who had been in town, and when asked where the ingredients for creation came from, had replied that he didn’t know. “Then why do you talk nonsense?” Srila Prabhupada had retorted, as if to the scientist. “Another rascal. You do not know from where the ingredients came. Our answer is, Krsna reveals, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg 10.8]: ‘The ingredients come from Me.’” But the scientist had said more. So I had continued, “He replied that he didn’t know but that he was sure that the answer wouldn’t involve God.” And Prabhupada had responded, with sarcasm, “Still, he is scientist. He doesn’t know–he is rascal–still, he is scientist. Just see.” Srila Prabhupada considered the scientific preaching to be crucial, so that God will assume His rightful place in people’s consciousness, in their understanding of the scheme of things, and their human lives will not be wasted in animalistic, materialistic pursuits.

Srila Prabhupada wanted you to present the same philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita in scientific language. Once, some devotees proposed to Srila Prabhupada that we use the name “Bhaktivedanta Research Institute,” because research is so popular and people like to give for it. But Srila Prabhupada was emphatic: “No ‘research.’ The research is already done–Bhagavad-gita. No research.” He was pleased when you published The Scientific Basis of Krsna Consciousness.

After the pandal program, Srila Prabhupada spent some time in Juhu, and following a brief stay in Rishikesh, retired to Vrndavana, where he was to spend most of his last months. There, with Prabhupada’s encouragement and guidance, you organized an international conference on “Life Comes from Life,” October 14, 15, and 16. And Srila Prabhupada, although so ill, took personal interest in every detail. He was pleased when he heard your reports about your meetings with various scientists and other leaders you invited, and he was even more pleased when he heard the reports, from you and from others, about the conference itself. In fact, he became ecstatic.

Earlier, at the end of August, Srila Prabhupada had gone to England, and there he had called for you. In a most personal, private, and intimate encounter, he had appealed to you, “Please take me from here. I want to go back to India, back to Bombay.” Many of the other leaders had other plans for Srila Prabhupada–to take him to America, to Gita-nagari–and Srila Prabhupada himself had said that he wanted to go there to establish varnasrama-dharma. But now he confided in you: “I want to go back to India, to Bombay. Please arrange.”

Srila Prabhupada wanted to see the Juhu temple open, and he returned to Bombay. But as fate would have it, he did not live to see the grand opening–although we are sure he was there in his spiritual presence. Anyway, after some time in Juhu he decided that he would go to Vrndavana, and we went with him.

There, you were in the inner group, serving Srila Prabhupada personally. I had always been impressed by your simplicity and dedication and devotion. Although you were so qualified academically, culturally, and spiritually, you were always humble and unassuming. And you were a brahmacari then, in the midst of many sannyasis. But you were very much there with Srila Prabhupada. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita purport, you were “daring and active.”

When the controversy arose about whether Srila Prabhupada should go on parikrama to Govardhana or other places, by bullock cart, you were in the group that wanted Srila Prabhupada to stay and recuperate before he attempted to travel, and you were very strong about it. And I believe that your love–the love of all of you–prevailed; your spontaneous desire to keep Srila Prabhupada with us longer, to keep him from pain and danger and perhaps even death on the way, conquered his heart, and Srila Prabhupada agreed to stay.

In your humility, you often took the night shift. Srila Prabhupada was always concerned about all the devotees, even when he was so ill, but I think he was especially concerned about you. Seeing you there at night, he was concerned that you were staying awake both day and night and not sleeping. You explained, “No, Srila Prabhupada, we take turns. When others are here during the day, I take rest, and then I come at night.” Then Srila Prabhupada gave a very important instruction: “You must take rest. If you don’t take care of your health, then later, even if you are enthusiastic to preach, you won’t be able to.”

Srila Prabhupada left us at 7:26 p.m., November 14, 1977. After putting Srila Prabhupada in samadhi in Vrndavana and carrying his flowers to Mayapur for his puspa-samadhi, Tamal Krishna Goswami and I proceeded to Bombay to work for the grand opening of the Juhu temple, which took place on January
14, 1978, exactly two months after His Divine Grace’s disappearance. We had many items to think about then, and one was certainly the BI and the facility for it and the new complex.

It was a time of deep separation from Srila Prabhupada and deep contemplation about the future of our lives, the future of ISKCON, the future of Krsna consciousness in the world. And I was very touched when once you mentioned, with utmost humility, that we should give special respect to Tamal Krishna Goswami, because of his extraordinary service to Srila Prabhupada in Prabhupada’s last days–some special position of honor and respect. That really touched me. So free from envy were you that without reservation you appreciated the service of another servant of Srila Prabhupada’s, and were prepared to express your appreciation. Because of your deep, deep attachment to Srila Prabhupada, all that really mattered to you was Srila Prabhupada–his comfort, his service, his mission–and anyone who could serve him well was worthy of your respect and appreciation, admiration and love.

Much happened in the years that followed. You organized the extraordinary “World Congress for the Synthesis of Science and Religion” in Bombay, with presentations by renowned scientists, theologians, and historians. It was a tremendous effort with wonderful results. Because of visa problems, I was unable to be present to assist you in your endeavors or even attend the event, but after my return to India I heard reports about it and eventually saw the beautiful volume, Synthesis of Science and Religion: Critical Essays and Dialogues, with papers that had been delivered at the conference. From there, you went on to plan and attend many other major conferences, and in
1996, to coincide with Srila Prabhupada’s Centennial Celebrations, you organized the “Second World Conference for the Synthesis of Science and Religion” in Calcutta, Srila Prabhupada’s place of birth.

In time you also developed the temple in Manipur. I was impressed, because it was one of the first temples other than the ones Srila Prabhupada had constructed, that devotees in ISKCON had built from scratch in the Indian, or Vedic, style of architecture. At first, after Srila Prabhupada left, you were not authorized to initiate, so you brought some of the early devotees from Manipur to Bombay to experience temple life, to be trained and initiated by Tamal Krishna Goswami. I remember them–Ekanath Prabhu and Banamali Prabhu–with great love and affection. My heart goes out to them in their separation from you, and I offer my services to them and to your project in Manipur in any way practical.

So revered and influential were you in Manipur that the royal family gave you a temple at Radha-kunda and an ashram in Navadvipa. One year, at the time of the Navadvipa parikrama, you hosted Tamal Krishna Goswami and a few of us at the facility in Navadvipa and treated us to your wonderful association, Vaisnava hospitality, and Manipuri prasada.

You also brought the great Vaisnava culture of Manipur to the world, through your Ranganiketan performances. I was fortunate to witness some of them on the summer Polish festival tour with His Holiness Indradyumna Swami.

And your own kirtanas were legendary. My office in Juhu overlooked the temple, right under the BI (appropriate that I should be under your lotus feet, as your servant), and the sounds from the temple carried right into my office. Once, I heard your kirtana but didn’t know until later that it was you singing. I was astonished. The spiritual purity and potency of the sound completely captivated me. The sound entered my heart and captured my mind.

It was always a special occasion when you led kirtana. One year in particular you led the kirtana during the Ratha-yatra in Bombay. That was truly an extraordinary experience–thousands of people around us, hundreds in the procession, and you at the center of the kirtana party, with wonderful singing and dancing and playing of kartalas and mrdanga.

So we miss you.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote in his inscription at Namacarya Haridasa Thakura’s bhajana-kutira:

He reasons ill who says that Vaisnavas die, When thou art living still in sound! The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try To spread the holy name around.

And Srila Prabhupada, in relation to the Bhaktivedanta Institute, often quoted the verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.22):

idam hi pumsas tapasah srutasya va svistasya suktasya ca buddhi-dattayoh avicyuto ‘rthah kavibhir nirupito yad-uttamasloka-gunanuvarnanam

“Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting of hymns, and charity, culminates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice poetry.” He related the verse to the purpose of the BI and concluded, “Science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology, and all other branches of knowledge should be wholly and solely applied in the service of the Lord . . . to establish the glory of the Lord. Advanced people are eager to understand the Absolute Truth through the medium of science, and therefore a great scientist should endeavor to prove the existence of the Lord on a scientific basis. . . . Scientific knowledge engaged in the service of the Lord and all similar activities are all factually hari-kirtana, or glorification of the Lord.”

Thus, through the BI, through your followers, your kirtana continues.

Like others, I wish that I had done more for you while you were here–and had more of your association. But knowing that you are with Srila Prabhupada, and that we have been left here to serve you both, gives solace. As Srila Prabhupada instructed, “Please remember always the humble teachings that you have received from me, and that will make you always associated with me, and with your godbrothers. We should all work together for satisfying Lord Krsna, and in that way the feelings of separation will transform into transcendental bliss.”

Our hope now is that we can somehow serve you and please you in your physical absence, and we pray for your blessings that we may satisfy you with our efforts here and then, eventually, have the opportunity to again serve you personally, in service to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

Please bless us.

Thank you. Hare Krsna.

Your eternal servant, Giriraj Swami

5th of October of 2006

(Berikut adalah pelajaran atau renungan Mahanidhi Swami pada prosesi Samadhi Srila Sripada Maharaja di Gopalji Mandir Radha Kunda, yang merupakan penjelasan detail bagaimana  Srila Sripad Maharaj selalu bermeditasi kepada Radha Krishna Lila, khususnya Rasa-Lila dan Lila Radha Krishna Di Radha Kunda, sembari sibuk menjalankan perintah gurunya. Mahanidhi Swami mengatakan Srila Sripada Maharaj kelihatannya sibuk mengajarkan kesana-kemari, keliling dunia, ikut dalam berbagi kegiatan Perdamaian Dunia dan kegiatan lainnya. Sibuk dalam membangun berbagai Proyek tetapi di dalam hati penuh akan bara cinta kepada Radha dan Krishna, bagaikan para Gopi yang selalu menyembunyikan Cintanya. Selamat menikmati-ed)

Srila Sripada Maharaj Ki .....Jay

Mahanidhi Swami: Salah satu brahmacari telah menjelaskan detail tentang bagaimana… Sripada… meninggalkan dunia ini…, Sripada Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Goswami. Kita akan mencoba untuk memberikan perhatian lebih detail tentang proses tersebut, dan kita akan mengulangi beberapa keterangan dan memberikan penjelasan lebih lanjut tentang apa yang terjadi. Satu hal lagi, brahmacari itu… siapa namanya?

Para Penyembah (menjawab):  Vrajendrakumara.

Mahanidhi Swami: Vrajendrakumara… ia telah menjelaskan, ketika ia bertemu, pada malam hari, ketika ia bertemu Guru Maharaja, sekitar jam 10:30. Ia berkata ia melihat jam dan saat itu sekitar jam 10:30 malam, ketika Sripada mengeluh tentang rasa sakit.

Tetapi Vrajendra kumar mengatakan walaupun Sripada merasakan sakit pada pundak dan tangannya, Beliau tersenyum dan menunjukkan perasaan yang sangat gembira dan riang. Ia tidak pernah melihat Guru Maharaja berada dalam keadaan gembira seperti itu. Saya berusaha menangkap apa yang vrajendrakumar katakan. Saat itu Guru Maharaja sangat bersinar dan sangat bahagia, dan bahkan seperti bermain-main. Beliau seperti sedang bermain-main. Beliau mengambil tongkat dan berkata: “Hei.. hei.., kamu anjing tidur! Hei, kamu brahmacari! Kamu seperti anjing tidur, mengapa kamu tidur di saat seperti ini? Tidak tahukah kamu jam berapa ini? Saat ini jam 10:48. Ini merupakan awal dari Nishanta lila. ini merupakan awal dari Rasa Lila.”

Sekarang, mari kita uraikan semuanya bersama-sama. Saya mendengarkan cerita ini dengan sangat jelas sekali.

Uraian Tentang Rasa-Lila (Nishanta-Lila)

Rasa Lila mulai pada saat Nishanta Lila, sekitar jam 10:48 dan selesai sekitar 3:36 pagi hari. Hal itu terjadi di temple, dan Maharaja tidak ingin meninggalkan pertunjukan Rasa Lila tersebut. Beliau ingin pergi setengah jam sebelumnya … Anda telah mendengarkan ceritanya. Saya hanya mengulanginya; saya hanya memolesnya saja …

Maharaja berkata, “Tidak, saya sangat menyukai, saya menikmati Rasa Lila, jadi saya tidak ingin pergi, saya ingin tinggal di sini, biarkan saya mati, biarkan saya meledak, biarkan semua terjadi, tapi saya tidak ingin pergi. Saya merasakan rasa”. Jadi beliau tetap tinggal…

Dan kemudian Beliau melanjutkan untuk mendengarkan Manipuri bhajan, Saya percaya, saat itu ada Manipuri bhajan, dan Manipur bhajan ini tentang… Rasa Lila. Jadi beliau melanjutkan untuk menikmati Manipuri Bhajan, selama beberapa hari berikutnya, dari melihat Rasa Lila, mendengarkan tentang Rasa Lila, bermeditasi pada Rasa Lila, dan apa yang terjadi, wajah Beliau menjadi sangat gembira. Jadi wajah beliau, wajah Guru Maharaja, yang dilihat oleh Vrajendrakumara pada saat terakhir beliau di dunia, adalah wajah seorang penyembah yang hatinya telah menyatu dalam Rasa Lila, oleh  karena itu wajah Beliau bersinar oleh rasa bahagia. Hal itu yang dijelaskan oleh Vrajendrakumar, ia mengatakan bahwa wajah Beliau sangat bahagia.

Maniuri Rasa-Lila Dance

Dan Beliau tidak merasakan sakit apa pun dari tubuh fisik beliau karena Beliau terhanyut dalam svarupa beliau… Svarupa Damodara Goswami. Beliau terhanyut dalam nitya svarupa beliau sebagai manjari, melayani Radha and Krishna di dalam Rasa Lila. Jadi pada malam hari Beliau melayani Rasa Lila dan pada siang hari Beliau melayani lila di Radha Kunda, karena pada madhyama lila, kegiatan itu dimulai pada siang hari, dari jam 10:48 pagi sampai jam 3:36 sore. Dan pada jam 10:48 malam sampai jam 3:36 pagi, merupakan nishanta lila. Jadi hal ini sangat sesuai …

Para Penyembah:  Haribooool!!!

Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Sakhis

Mahanidhi Swami: Jadi Beliau meninggalkan dunia ini dan pada jam berapa beliau meninggalkan dunia ini? Beliau bermeditasi pada Rasa Lila, Beliau menyaksikan itu semua, Beliau mendengarkan itu semua… Hal penting lainnya, Beliau bertanya pada Vrajendrakumara, “Jam berapa ini?” Ingat? Beliau berkata, “Jam berapa ini?”

Ia berkata (Vrajendrakumara berkata): jam 10:36…35.  Dan Sripada berkata: “Ok, biarkan saya menunggu beberapa menit…” Ok, sekarang saya siap untuk masuk. Karena saat itu adalah nishanta lila, yang artinya di mana Rasa Lila mulai. Rasa Lila mulai dari jam 10:36 atau 10:48. Kalau tidak, untuk apa Beliau peduli jam berapa saat itu? Ini karena Beliau ingin datang ke Rasa Lila tepat waktu.

Jadi hal ini sangat, sangat dalam dan merupakan pelajaran yang penting.

Hal lainnya, brahmacari kita Vrajendrakumara berkata, kecenderungan Maharaja adalah untuk memulai segala sesuatu sendiri karena Beliau tidak dapat menyerahkan kepada seorang murid untuk memulai sesuatu, karena mereka butuh inisiatif, mereka membutuhkan petunjuk. Jadi beliau akan memulai banyak, banyak proyek dan rencana secara pribadi. Saya kira Beliau berkata sesuatu tentang… kaum muda dan sains, rekaman dan penerbitan, temple, dan masih banyak lagi… dan kita yang akan melaksanakannya.

Jadi ada dua hal lagi; Saya akan menghubungkan hal ini dengan satu hal lagi.

Srila Prabhupada, Guru Maharaja kita, Prabhupada memberikan Beliau nama Svarupa Damodara Goswami…Swami, apa hal itu benar?!

Para Penyembah: Svarupa Damodara brahmacari,

Mahanidhi Swami: Svarupa Damodara…, itu bagian yang benar. Jadi Beliau memberikan nama Svarupa Damodara, dan Beliau adalah seorang ilmuwan. Dan Beliau mengajarkan kepada para ilmuwan tentang bagaimana menyerahkan diri pada Krishna dan untuk melayani Krishna. Beliau mengajarkan kepada mereka, “Kalian harus menyerahkan diri pada Krishna dan mendedikasikan hidupmu pada Kesadaran Krishna (Kesadaran akan Tuhan)”. Jadi beliau bertindak sebagai seorang guru bagi para ilmuwan, benar? Beliau adalah seorang ilmuwan yang mengajarkan ke kalangan ilmuwan.

Sekarang jika kita melihat arti Svarupa Damodara… Svarupa Damodara adalah Lalita Sakhi. Dalam Gaura Lila Svarupa Damodara ada di situ… tapi dalam Krishna Lila Svarupa Damodara adalah Lalita Sakhi. Dan Lalita Sakhi mengajarkan kepada semua sakhi dan manjari bagaimana mencintai Radha dan Krishna. Jadi untuk orang-orang, karmi atau roh-roh terikat, kepada para ilmuwan, Svarupa Damodara (Sripad Maharaj) telah mengajarkan kepada mereka semua, “Berserah dirilah pada Krishna, cintailah Krishna”.  Dan untuk para penyembah Beliau juga merupakan seorang guru. Beliau mengajarkan bagaimana untuk mencintai Radha-Madhava, Radha-Govinda. Sebagai seorang guru, Beliau merupakan guru bagi para ilmuwan dan Beliau merupakan guru bagi kita semua para penyembah bagaimana melayani Radha dan Krishna, Radha Govinda. Jadi Beliau memulai dan Beliau juga memberi contoh. Beliau berkata:  “Lihat! lihatlah, saya menikmati, saya menikmati Rasa-Lila, ini merupakan param gati (tujuan tertinggi) kita, ini merupakan sadhya kita, ini merupakan tujuan kita, ini merupakan ilmu pengetahuan, hal ini penuh dengan ekspresi pengetahuan Ketuhanan, ini merupakan prema – untuk mencintai Radha dan Krishna.”

Dan Srila Prabhupada, ketika Devi Sakti Mataji bertanya pada Srila Prabhupada, ia berkata: “Srila Prabhupada, dapatkah kita mempunyai temple kecil Krishna Balarama di Radha Kunda?

Dan Srila Prabhupada berkata: “Dan apa yang akan kamu lakukan di situ?”

Dan ia menjawab: “Well, kita akan menyebarkan buku Anda. Karena di setiap temple di seluruh dunia kita menyebarkan buku dan mengajarkan dan mempunyai program standar.”

Dan Srila Prabhupada berkata: “Tidak! Tidak di sana.”

Devi Sakti, murid Prabhupada, ia merasa heran: “Oh! Kita akan mempunyai temple tetapi tanpa penyebaran buku?”

Srila Prabhupada berkata: “Tidak! Radha-Kunda adalah untuk merasakan/menikmati Rasa (Trancendental mellow of loving service).”

Jadi, seperti Swami Maharaja kita telah mengatakan seperti itu, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja telah menunjukkan bagaimana caranya. Ya, Beliau mengajarkan pada kita dua hal dari tirobhava beliau, dengan Beliau masuk ke dalam nitya-lila pravesha. Beliau mengajarkan dua hal – “Datang ke Rasa Lila, simpan Rasa Lila di dalam pikiran dan hatimu dan datanglah ke Radha kunda.” Ini merupakan ajaran yang diberikan oleh Beliau kepada kita, “Pada siang hari Anda ada di Radha Kunda, pada malam hari Anda ada di dalam Rasa Lila; dalam kesadaran, dalam hati.”

Jadi Beliau sangat menikmati. Dan Atmanivedana Swami telah mengatakan bahwa melalui karunia Sripada, Beliau dapat tinggal di sini selama tiga hari.

Melalui karunia Sripada, Saya (Mahanidhi Swami), dapat tinggal di temple ini selama 10 tahun.

Para Penyembah: Hariboooool!!!

Mahanidhi Swami: Dan saya mempunyai atau menjadi semua saksi di sini.

Saya datang ke sini pada tahun 1994, ketika Sripada Maharaja mendapatkan temple ini dan saya mulai dari ruangan yang rusak ditas. Tanpa atap… ruangan ini hanya punya empat tembok dan tidak ada yang lain lagi. Saya menemui Sukadeva (murid Sripada) dan berkata: “Dapatkah kamu menolong saya? Saya ingin membuat bangunan ini menjadi bhajan kuntir. Dapatkah kamu memasang atap dan lain-lainnya? Berapakah biayanya?”

Ia berkata: “sekitar sepuluh ribu rupee…”

Saya berkata: “Ambilah ini…”, dan ia melakukan semuanya. Dan saya merayakan Kartika pertama saya di sini dan 10 Kartika berikutnya, dari 1994 sampai 2004…, melalui karunia Sripada.

Sekarang, setiap kali saya bertemu dengan Beliau, ketika Beliau datang, saya selalu bertanya: “Maharaja, kapankah Anda datang ke Radha Kunda Anda? Ini adalah temple anda. Tertulis di luar, ‘Manipur Gopal Mandir’, dan Anda adalah orang Manipur, bukan saya. Saya datang dari tempat yang jauh di luar Manipur. Jadi, Maharaja, ini adalah temple Anda!.”

Sripada Maharaja berkata: “Maharaja, saya ingin datang dan melakukan Bhajan di sini”.

Seperti yang anda tahu Beliau adalah seorang bhajananandi yang hebat. Hati Beliau selalu terserap dalam bhajan, tapi Beliau tetap melakukan guru seva Beliau. Hati Beliau ada di sini, hati Beliau selalu bermeditasi, selalu mengucapkan dan menyanyikan segala hal tentang Radha Kunda, tentang Lila Radha Krishna, dan Rasa Lila di dalam hati.

Juga, terkadang kita mendengar, “Oh Rasa Lila, jangan membaca tentang Rasa Lila, jangan mendengarkan tentang hal itu.” Tentu saja hal itu merupakan hal yang paling utama, tapi Sripada mengajarkan contoh yang indah ini dan saya yakin kita harus mendengarkannya dengan gembira, tentu saja hal ini merupakan hal yang sangat menyedihkan karena kehilangan pergaulan dari Gurudeva kita tercinta dan guru bhai (Saudara Seguru). Tapi, lihatlah hal yang dicontohkan oleh Beliau. Beliau mendedikasikan seluruh hidup, hidup abadi Beliau, hidup Beliau yang dapat anda semua saksikan. Seluruh hidup Beliau didedikasikan untuk misi guru kerohanian Beliau, Bhaktivedanta Institute, pengajaran ke kalangan ilmuwan… tapi ada dua hidup seorang penyembah, hidup external dan hidup internal.

Kata “gopi”…, kita berkata, “gopi”, “vraja gopi”…, “gopi”, kata dasar dari gopi adalah “gup”. “Gup” berarti rahasia. “Gupta”, rahasia, tersembunyi, pribadi. Jadi seorang gopi, Vraja Gopi adalah seseorang yang membiarkan cintanya menyala di dalam hati mereka dengan cara yang rahasia. Para gopi, mengocok mentega, mereka membuat patty dari kotoran sapi, mereka memasak untuk suami mereka, mereka merawat segala hal, mereka merawat sapi, mereka melakukan segala sesuatu yang merupakan kewajiban, semua tugas ashram mereka, mereka melakukan segalanya…, tapi dalam hati mereka, mereka terhanyut dalam cinta mereka pada Krishna.

Jadi ajaran yang indah ini telah diberikan oleh Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Goswami. Secara eksternal Beliau khusuk melayani misi yang diperintahkan oleh guru beliau, “Guru ajna”, siang dan malam. Tapi guru ajna datang dengan dua cara. Ada guru ajna untuk sadhaka rupa dan guru ajna untuk siddha rupa.

Guru ajna untuk siddha rupa adalah untuk melayani dan membantu lila Radha Govinda yugala, dalam Rasa Lila dan di Radha Kunda dan melalui astakaliya lila.

Jadi, secara internal di dalam hati, hal itu ke luar. Beliau tidak dapat menyembunyikan hal ini lagi dan Beliau ingin masuk ke dalam lila tersebut. Sekarang beliau telah mulai…, seperti yang dikatakan brahmacari ini…, Beliau memulai segala sesuatu dan membiarkan kita untuk menyelesaikannya. Jadi Beliau memulai…, Beliau berkata, “Lihat! Saya telah memulai…, Lihat! Saya menunjukkan sesuatu pada kalian. Selama ini kalian berpikir kalau saya adalah seorang ilmuwan. Sesungguhnya selama ini, saya adalah seorang parama-rasika-vaishnava”…

Para Penyembah (dengan keras): Srila Sripada ki jaaaaya!!!

Mahanidhi Swami: …“ Hati saya telah terhanyut”…

Lihatlah, ketika saya sering bertanya pada Beliau, beberapa kali dalam 10 tahun; Bayangkan, setiap 10 tahun, Beliau akan datang tiap tahun, tiap tahun selama 10 tahun saya di sini. Dan saya bertanya, “Bagaimana Anda dapat meninggalkan tempat ini, bagaimana Anda bisa?… nektar, kedamaian, kebahagiaan, karunia yang mengalir di sini…, dan Anda meninggalkan tempat ini?”. Saya melihat ke dalam mata Beliau.

Isi hati Beliau akan tampak melalui mata Beliau dan berkata: “Saya sangat ingin tinggal di sini dan melakukan bhajan. Suatu hari saya akan tinggal di sini (di Radha Kunda), dan saya akan menulis ulasan Bhagavatam (Vedanta-ed) dan saya akan menyanyikan bhajan-bhajan.”

Jadi sekarang kita harus menjalankan apa yang telah Beliau mulai. Beliau telah memulai tradisi memunculkan keinginan yang kuat untuk tinggal di Radha-Kunda. Keinginan untuk masuk ke lila Radha dan Krishna.

Selama pelayanan Beliau dari 1970…

Para Penyembah: 1969.

Mahanidhi Swami: Mulai 1969. 37 tahun telah didedikasikan, 24 jam sehari, untuk melayani guru. Tapi di dalam hati, Beliau selalu terbakar dalam cinta, ketertarikan, dan melayani lila Radha and Krishna. Jadi Beliau telah memberi petunjuk, Beliau telah memulai sesuatu. “Ya saya telah memulainya, saya pergi sekarang, saya pergi ke sini, saya yang  pertama pergi. Saya telah memulainya, Saya telah sampai di Rasa Lila, Saya telah sampai di Radha Kunda. JADI KAPAN KALIAN SEMUA AKAN BERGABUNG DENGAN SAYA?”

Sripada Goswami kiiii…

Para Penyembah: Jaaaaaaya!!!

Alih Bahasa Dhira Kesava Das

The Glorious Dissappearance of Srila Bhaktisvarupam Damodara Swami Sripada Maharaja

Written by: Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s servants
attending Him in Calcutta

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja, beloved spiritual son of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, disappeared from this mortal world during the Ratrilila period of Lord Sri Krishna’s Astakaliya lila on Vijaya Dasami, which according to this year’s Panchangam, is the most auspicious day of this calendar year, 2006. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s disappearance took place in Calcutta, the holy appearance place (Janmasthan) of his divine master Srila Prabhupada. Calcutta is also the holy site from which His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur chose to disappear. Due to Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s deep and intense love for his divine master Srila Prabhupada, he not only chose Calcutta as his place of work but also as his place of disappearance.

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s unwillingness to compromise on Srila Prabhupada’s instructions is well known and we hope that his dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions will serve as an illustrious example for the world-wide devotee community, now and for all times to come.

As most of you may have heard, there was a serious bomb blast inside of ISKCON Manipur’s temple complex on August 16, 2006, Sri Janmastami day. Six devotees including two children left this world and over forty devotees were seriously injured. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s body was also injured during this blast. He had a deep cut and a fractured bone in his left forearm, a small puncture in his left eardrum and a tiny shrapnel burn on his back. After preliminary treatment in Manipur and performing the sraddha ceremonies for the departed devotees, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja came to Calcutta on August 25, 2006 where he was admitted into the Apollo Hospital. There, he underwent successful operations on his forearm and ear. He was discharged from the hospital on September 9, 2006. On September 19, 2006 Maharaja visited the hospital for a routine checkup. At that time the burn on his back had almost healed and the doctors were surprised by how quickly the fractured bone in his forearm was setting. The cut on his forearm was also healing well.

While returning from the hospital to his flat Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja asked us to search his room and find his Manipur Nat Sankirtan (Rasa Lila) audio cassettes. From September 10, 2006, until the day of his disappearance, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s mood and behavior was different from what we had previously experienced. Everyday, he would listen to and sing along with these cassettes for the entire day except for when he was taking his medicine, prasadam or a little rest. We thought that Maharaja was taking it easy during his recovery, as his normal schedule was very active and he never previously took the time to listen to Kirtan cassettes. The Manipuri Nat Sankirtan cassettes that he was listening to are Kirtans sung in the Manipuri language, which describe the pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani. Since we do not understand the Manipur language, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja, during his lunchtime, would sometimes explain to us what was being sung on the tapes. He said that the songs describing the Rasa Lila are so absorbing that one can completely forget this world. He said, “This world is on one side and that world is on another side.” He was always in an extremely happy mood and said he was feeling more enthusiastic than ever.

One afternoon, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja explained to us that one of the Manipuri songs described Srimati Radhika’s walking to be like that of a graceful female elephant. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja expressed many other details about the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, however, due to our unfortunate lack of qualification we could not understand them nor did we make any recordings of Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja during this time. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja described how the Rasa Lila is performed according to the ancient Manipuri tradition. He also told us that once he discussed the Manipuri Rasa Lila with Srila Prabhupada and said that Srila Prabhupada was very pleased with the profound Manipuri Vaishnava culture.

We asked Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja how the Gaudiya Vaishnava culture and these peculiar Manipuri tunes originally came to Manipur. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja said that the songs and devotional culture are from Narottam Das Thakur whose disciples came to Manipur and initiated King Bhagyachandra Maharaja. The tunes were developed by Bhagyachandra Maharaja himself and some subsequent Manipuri kings. While explaining more, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja described how the performance of Rasa Lila is done in the Manipuri tradition. It first begins with the glorification of Gaura Lila wherein Lord Gauranga is requested to come and be the principal witness of the Rasa Lila. The glories of the Yuga Dharma Hari Nam Sankirtan are extolled, and prayers are sung to Lord Nityananda. Then only does the Rasa Lila begin.

A week before his disappearance, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja, in a deep mood, wrote down a wonderful transcendental song in the Manipuri language. He then sang and recorded it for all of the devotees. Many devotees now have a recording of this wonderful transcendental song. It was sung in what we, his disciples, call “his gopi voice”. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s written words for the song and translation by him are as follows:

VRAJAPREMDA LUPPE
ANGAOBAGUMLE
RADHABU THIRAKLE
SRI GAURANA

Translation: Immersed in the loving thoughts of Vrajaprema, Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu is searching for Srimati Radhika like a mad man.

KEIDANO BRINDAVAN
KEIDANO KUNJAVAN
KADAIDA LEIKHRE
SAKHISHINGDUNA
THIRAKLE RADHABU
SRI GAURANA

Translation:
“Where is Vrindavana
Where is Kunjavan
Where are Sakhis?”

Crying again and again uttering these words Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu is searching for Srimati Radhika like a mad man.

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

On October 1st, 2006, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja discussed with some of his disciples from IIT Kharagpur about the upcoming conference in Jagannath Puri entitled: ‘All India Students’ Conference on Science and Spiritual Quest’. The speakers and session topics for the conference were finalized during this discussion. That day, he also wrote a letter inviting the President of India to the conference. Around 8:30 – 9:00 PM Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja took a little soup as his dinner and after that he went to take rest, as did we. About an hour later Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja got up from his bed and walked to his connected office room where some of his assistants where sleeping. He woke one of them and asked him to come to his room. He was extremely jolly. He asked, ‘What is the time now?’ His assistant said it was 10:35pm. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja then requested to have some ice put on his left fingers as they were feeling a little hot and on his left shoulder where he felt some pain. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja then called in Manipuri language for his elderly Manipuri assistant, who was also resting nearby, to come and massage his shoulder. We were surprised that although Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja stated he was experiencing some pain, he was simultaneously exceedingly blissful and joyous. It was just a moment later that Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja tilted his head back slightly and disappeared from this world. One of assistants cried out ‘No Bhaktisvarupa Damodara! You can’t do this!’ We were shocked by what was happening. We immediately called two assistants who were in the next room. We all started rubbing Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s feet and hands hoping our most beloved Guru Maharaja would awaken from his Samadhi. But Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja had already entered Lord Sri Krishna’s divine Rasa Lila.

The following day, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s transcendental body was brought to Sri Sri Krishna Balaram temple in Sri Vrindavan Dham for one night. There, many devotees had his darshan before the Samadhi ceremony that took place the next day, October 4th, 2006. As per Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s desire, he was placed in Samadhi at the Gopaldeva Mandir just on the bank of Sri Radhakunda, on the auspicious disappearance day of Srila Raghunathadas Goswami (our Prayojan Acharya), Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami and Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami.

For the disciples and friends of Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja we feel his desire to enter Samadhi in Sri Radhakunda has now opened an eternal residence for us in Sri Radhakunda. For the disciples, the Guru’s Samadhi is the place to meditate on the pastimes of their Guru Maharaja and their respective personal association with him. During Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s pastimes in this manifest body, he arranged for us to have many wonderful pastimes with him at his Sri Gopaldeva Mandir in Sri Nabadwip Dham. Now as we begin his un-manifest lila, he has brought us all to Sri Radhakunda and we cannot express our gratitude in words. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja used to say that it is not about how much money you have collected, how many temples you have built or how many men you have, it is about how pure you have become.

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s Manifest Lila Overview

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja appeared in a Gaudiya Vaishnava family in Manipur, India. He was a naishtika bramachari and was always absorbed in the Rasa Lila performances that he grew up with in Manipur. From the first day Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja met Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles in 1970 to his last manifest days on Vijay Dasami 2006, every minute of his life was dedicated to carry out Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. Srila Prabhupada gave more personal instructions to Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja than to any other disciple.

Srila Prabhupada personally made Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja the GBC and International Director of the Bhaktivedanta Institute. The Bhaktivedanta Institute is a preaching institute for making scientific presentations of Krishna Consciousness. As International Director of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja organized four major International conferences (Mumbai, San Francisco, Calcutta & Rome), exposing leaders of the scientific community to the Bhagavata viewpoint. He organized hundreds of seminars and symposiums and personally met with and interviewed several Nobel Laureates, statesmen and leading thinkers of the world. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja opened what is now the ISKCON Tirupati temple as the first Bhaktivedanta Institute center. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja published dozens of books on science and spirituality. This year, in order to satisfy Srila Prabhupada who asked him, ‘You are a scientist, prove scientifically that God is a Person’, he published a book entitled, ‘God is a Person’ containing his dialogue with two of the world’s most prominent Nobel Laureates. Today, Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja is recognized in all the major scientific and religious circles of the world and is considered to be one of the leading authorities on ‘Science and Spirituality’. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja also wrote a scientific commentary on the first four verses of the Vedanta Sutra, which are the summary of the whole Vedanta Sutra. He also edited and published ‘Savijnanam’, the journal of the Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja inaugurated and is constructing the marvelous jewel-like temple in Manipur, which he named ‘The University of Bhagavata Culture’. He also established the Ranganiketan Manipuri Cultural Arts Troupe, for the purpose of cultural preaching. Through Ranganiketan, the Bhagavata culture has been presented throughout the world in venues not generally accessible by traditional preaching methods. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja is the founder and director of Bhaktivedanta Institute Mission Schools as well as the Sri Krishna Mission School in North-Eastern India that have over 3,000 students. He also opened a Nature Cure Hospital in Manipur for devotees.

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja gave some of his time to the important subject of inter-religious dialogue. In this line, he participated in hundreds of scientific and religious, peace-making and inter-religious conferences around the world. He is a global council member (Trustee) of the United Religions Initiative (URI), one of the largest inter-religious organizations in the world.

Once when Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja was asked by one of his God-brothers, ‘Could you please tell us one thing about Srila Prabhupada that you remember most prominently?’ Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja responded that when anyone was in the presence of Srila Prabhupada, they always felt Srila Prabhupada’s overwhelming sense of concern for them. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja had numerous disciples throughout the world and he was always equally concerned for all of them. He had an open door policy with his disciples and friends. Tirelessly and mercifully he was and will always be giving himself to those who seek his shelter.

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja was constantly traveling in order to fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to him. He has left with his disciples many instructions, both general and personal to facilitate the Seva to Srila Prabhupada. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja will continue to guide his sincere disciples in serving Srila Prabhupada.

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s disappearance has been as glorious as his life. It is not possible for us to properly glorify him in this brief account, nor would it be possible for us to list the numerous instructions he has left with his followers. We pray that what we have written will remove any misconceptions or misinformation that has been recently published on the internet, by providing a first hand account of Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja’s transcendental disappearance. We have also included a brief overview of his Seva to Srila Prabhupada for the pleasure of the devotees.

A couple of years ago his disciples published a book called ‘Bhagavata Sevarpanam’ which depicts in greater detail the ways Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja is fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to him. If devotees are interested they may contact the Bhaktivedanta Institute, Kolkata, to acquire a copy.

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja has said that all of his Seva, whether it was the Bhaktivedanta Institute, cultural preaching, inter-religious dialogue, the Manipur temple, or traveling and preaching, they were all equal and simply his offering to Srila Prabhupada. We see all these activities as different petals of the lotus flower that Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja is offering to his divine master Srila Prabhupada.

We beg the mercy of the Vaishnavas that we can continue our service of assisting our beloved Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, in his service to Srila Prabhupada. For us he has not left, but has simply decided to now give guidance to his sincere followers in a different manner than before.

All glories to Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami!
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
Hare Krishna!

Rendering service to the person Bhagavata, or the pure servant of God, is described throughout the Vedic literature as being more effective and more pleasing to the Lord than rendering service to the Supreme Lord directly. The person Bhagavata comes in the line of a genuine disciplic succession from the Lord, and through the disciplic succession the divine principle is transmitted to the humble spiritual aspirant. His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, also known as Sripada Maharaja, rendered sincere and loving service to his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, who belonged to the spiritual lineage of the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya. Sripada Maharaja was thus an ideal example of bhagavata-sevarpanam—offering service unto the Bhagavata.

Sripada Maharaja was born in the ancient Vaishnava kingdom of Manipur, in northeast India, on December 9, 1937. It was the holy day known as Odana-shashthi, when Lord Jagannatha is given new clothes. His parents were Sri Yogendra Singh and Srimati Kanyahanbi Devi. Being Vaishnavas, they named their child Damodara, one of the holy names of Lord Sri Krishna. Sri Yogendra Singh was a devotional singer in the Nata Sankirtana tradition, and so from the very moment of Damodara’s appearance in this world, his father filled his son’s ears with the devotional sounds of the holy names and pastimes of the Supreme Lord.

As a youth Sripada Maharaja faced many hardships. Around the age of eight he lost his father, and just a couple of years later he and his sister were living on their own in poverty. Life was difficult, but throughout their hardships they remained courageous by taking shelter of the mercy of Lord Sri Krishna.

Once, at the age of ten, Sripada Maharaja told his sister, “One day we will have money, and I will cover you with gold.”

“No,” she replied, “one day you will get married, cover your wife in gold, and forget about me.”

To which Sripada Maharaja firmly replied, “I will never get married.”

He remained a naishthika-brahmachari (celibate monk) throughout his life.

By the time Sripada Maharaja was twelve, he was forced to live alone and fend for himself by growing rice. He thus had no time to continue his studies. Sometime later his primary school teacher noticed his plight and along with a village elder arranged for a proper home and his further education.

At fourteen, Sripada Maharaja became seriously ill with typhoid. The village physicians unanimously declared that he would soon die. But his guardian prayed daily for his recovery by reciting the Dashavatara-stotra, a prayer to Lord Sri Krishna’s ten incarnations. After fasting for forty days and drinking only whey, Sripada Maharaja miraculously recovered.

Another time, Sripada Maharaja fell from a mango tree.

As he lay unconscious, he heard his guardian saying, “You cannot die yet, your mission here is not complete.”

He suddenly regained consciousness and quickly recovered from his injuries.

Growing up, Sripada Maharaja was very much attracted to hearing about the pastimes of the Lord. He once spent the entire night watching the divine rasa-lila dance of Krishna and His gopis performed in traditional Manipuri style. He consequently missed his mathematics final examination the next day. Sripada Maharaja would also regularly take part in the deity worship of Radha-Krishna, Gaura-Nitai, and Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra in his village’s temple.

Meeting Srila Prabhupada

Because of Sripada Maharaja’s respectful conduct, throughout his student life he developed lifelong relationships with teachers. Possessing the ability to become an expert in anything he set his mind to, he won scholarships that allowed him to further his education in Calcutta and ultimately in the United States. In the 1960s, for someone from the small state of Manipur, India, to make it all the way to the United States on scholarships was almost impossible. Yet by the mercy of the Supreme Lord, Sripada Maharaja won an overseas scholarship from India’s ministry of education.

While doing his Ph.D. research work in chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, he met Srila Prabhupada. Sripada Maharaja quickly decided to dedicate his life in service to Srila Prabhupada and his mission. Sripada Maharaja received spiritual initiation from Srila Prabhupada, who gave him the spiritual name Svarupa Damodara Dasa. Later, after taking sannyasa initiation, the prefix Bhakti was added. Since then he has been known as Sripada Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami or Sripada Maharaja.

Prabhupada’s Instructions

For the next eight years, beginning with Sripada Maharaja’s morning walks with Srila Prabhupada in the early 1970s on Venice Beach in California, to the last hours of Srila Prabhupada’s manifest pastimes in this world, in Vrindavana, 1977, Srila Prabhupada gave numerous instructions to Sripada Maharaja on how to properly introduce Bhagavata culture to the world’s intellectuals and leaders. These instructions were in the fields of science, philosophy, religion, Bhagavata cosmology, evolution, art, culture, and spiritual education, among others. Some of the conversations between Srila Prabhupada and Sripada Maharaja that took place during their morning walks together on Venice Beach are now published and distributed by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) as the book Life Comes From Life.

In 1973 Sripada Maharaja offered a small book to Srila Prabhupada at Prabhupada’s appearance-day celebration in Los Angeles. Srila Prabhupada liked the book so much that he ordered it to be printed and distributed in large numbers. The book—The Scientific Basis of Krishna Consciousness—is based on the instructions Sripada Maharaja received from Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada would often show the book to guests and tell them the book was written by one of his scientist disciples. He ordered the BBT to print over 100,000 copies. This book is still used extensively for presenting Krishna consciousness to students at colleges and universities throughout the world. Over a quarter million copies have been printed, and it has been translated into many languages.

The Bhaktivedanta Institute

After Sripada Maharaja received his Ph.D. in physical organic chemistry in 1974, he went to Vrindavana to be with Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada told him he wanted to start an institute to present Krishna consciousness scientifically to intellectuals. He told Sripada Maharaja he wanted him to be the director of the institute. Sripada Maharaja humbly expressed his feeling of not being qualified for the position.

Srila Prabhupada replied, “I will give you all the instructions required to run the institute. You simply follow them.”

Later, Sripada Maharaja suggested the name Bhaktivedanta Institute, and Srila Prabhupada humbly agreed.

Srila Prabhupada instructed Sripada Maharaja on how to organize and operate the Institute. He gave him specific instructions on organizing conferences, giving lectures, writing books, and interacting with scholars and intellectuals. Srila Prabhupada saw in Sripada Maharaja a person who could fulfill these instructions, as he had a scientific background, a gentlemanly nature, and above all the qualities of a Vaishnava.

Srila Prabhupada’s personal assistant Srutakirti Dasa expressed to Sripada Maharaja, “While I was his Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s personal servant, it seemed like you were always nearby. He had so much affection for you … He gave so much of his time to you because he knew it would not be wasted.”

Srila Prabhupada once said, “Svarupa Damodara is such a nice devotee; he has the quality of always making friends, not enemies. No one speaks against him.”

In 1977 Sripada Maharaja gave a lecture on the scientific basis of Krishna consciousness at a large pandal (tent) program in Bombay. Srila Prabhupada was extremely pleased by his scientific presentation.

While honoring Sripada Maharaja, his godbrother Giriraja Swami recalled the occasion: “Although Prabhupada was quite ill then (this proved to be his last public engagement) and remaining in the pandal for long was a strain for him, he was so keen on your work that he wanted to be there for your presentation.… I will never forget how happy he was. I had hardly ever seen him so happy. He was so pleased with your presentation that evening at Cross Maidan.”

Any disciple of Srila Prabhupada present when he and Sripada Maharaja were together recognized the beautiful relationship and loving exchanges that took place between them. Sripada Maharaja took the instructions he received from Srila Prabhupada as his life and soul. Fulfilling these instructions was his offering of love, as a disciple, to his divine master, Srila Prabhupada.

Interviews, Symposiums, and Books

For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada, Sripada Maharaja organized five major international conferences, in Vrindavana (1977), Mumbai (1986), San Francisco (1990), Kolkata (1997), and Rome (2004). These conferences exposed leaders of the scientific and spiritual communities to the Bhagavata perspective. He organized hundreds of seminars and symposiums and met with and interviewed several Nobel laureates, statesmen, and leading thinkers of the world, such as Charles Townes, William Phillips, Desmond Tutu, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Llama, and Mother Theresa.

In response to Srila Prabhupada’s instruction for him to write books, Sripada Maharaja published dozens of books on science and spirituality. Srila Prabhupada told him, “You are a scientist; prove scientifically that God is a Person.” In 2006 he published God Is a Person, containing his dialogue with two of the world’s most prominent Nobel laureates. As instructed by Srila Prabhupada, Sripada Maharaja also wrote a scientific commentary on the first four verses of the Vedanta-sutra, which summarize the work. He also edited and published Savijnanam and Tattva-jijnasa, respectively the journal and the magazine of the Bhaktivedanta Institute. Today, in large part because of his books, Sripada Maharaja is recognized in major scientific and religious circles around the world and is considered one of the leading authorities on science and spirituality.

To distribute the books of Srila Prabhupada and the Bhaktivedanta Institute to colleges and universities throughout India, Sripada Maharaja started the Bhaktivedanta Institute on Wheels. Currently three motorhome-style buses travel around India performing outreach work for the Institute. The members of the outreach team organize lectures and distribute books to students, professors, and libraries, promoting a dialogue between science and spirituality.

In northeast India Sripada Maharaja started a network of primary and secondary schools to promote the goals of the Bhaktivedanta Institute. Over four thousand students attend these schools and receive a scientific education centered on the spiritual values of the Bhagavata tradition.

Sharing Vaishnava Culture

Throughout his life, Sripada Maharaja attended numerous festivals and conferences all over the world. At these functions he introduced the divine principle of Vaishnava culture, which he had received from Srila Prabhupada. He did this through the literary, culinary, and performing arts at a myriad of venues ranging from urban schools to the most prestigious universities, from senior citizen centers to the Kennedy Center, from South America to Singapore, and to audiences from elementary school students to heads of state. Sripada Maharaja’s presenting and sharing of the divine principle of Vaishnava culture to countless people around the world makes him truly an ambassador of Bhagavata culture.

To introduce the Bhagavata culture of Manipur to the world, in 1989 Sripada Maharaja founded the Ranganiketan Manipuri Cultural Arts Troupe. Ranganiketan is the largest and most frequently booked cultural arts troupe from India. As director of Ranganiketan, Sripada Maharaja shared the beautiful rasa-lila pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna with more than a million people, through approximately six hundred performances at over three hundred venues in more than fifteen countries.

In Sripada Maharaja’s work to introduce the Bhagavata culture to society’s intellectuals, he interacted with many spiritual leaders of the world’s great faiths. He discussed with them the sublime and unifying points of the Bhagavata tradition, which many of them greatly appreciated. Sripada Maharaja felt that dialogue among the world’s religious leaders is a powerful way to create a culture of understanding that aids in discovering the commonalities among various religions and societies. The future depends on all religions working together to formulate a global standard of ethics and morality to guide human action in the right direction.

For the last twenty-five years, Sripada Maharaja organized seminars and interreligious discussion groups around the world. In addition, beginning in early 1980 in Manipur he led annual padayatras (walks) for peace and religious harmony. Sripada Maharaja was a global council member of the United Religions Initiative (URI), an international spiritual parallel of the United Nations. URI is the largest worldwide organization dedicated to spreading peace and understanding among the world’s religions.

In the spirit of peace and harmony Srila Prabhupada told Sripada Maharaja, attending him in his last days, that he wanted to start the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust to bring unity among all Gaudiya Vaishnavas and to aid in the renovation of the ancient Gaudiya temples and holy sites. Sripada Maharaja worked hard to achieve this goal of peace and unity.

Srila Prabhupada instructed Sripada Maharaja to make Manipur a scientific Vaishnava state. In this regard, Sripada Maharaja began building The University of Bhagavata Culture in Imphal, Manipur. Shining in the center of the university complex is the marvelous jewel-like temple, the Sri Sri Radha-Krishnacandra Manimandira. The grand opening of the temple will take place on November 21, 2007. All are welcome. Sripada Maharaja also inaugurated the construction of temples all over India, including Siliguri, Tirupati, Vijayawada, and Agartala.

From his early childhood Sripada Maharaja was deeply influenced by the devotional art, music, and dance of Manipur. An accomplished singer, instrumentalist, and poet, he composed several Vaishnava poems and songs in the Manipuri language. He sang beautifully, bringing transcendental pleasure to those who heard him.

Sripada Maharaja was and continues to be a spiritual master, teacher, and guide for thousands of people. Wherever he traveled, his friendship captivated and charmed people of all ages, faiths, and walks of life. His disciples have been touched by his example of dedicating himself completely to the instructions of his spiritual master. Desiring to continue his mission of serving Srila Prabhupada, Sripada Maharaja’s disciples are now taking the instructions they received from him as their life and soul.

Auspicious Departure

Sripada Maharaja passed from this world on the holy day known as Vijaya Dashami, during the period of the day when Lord Sri Krishna calls the gopis for His divine rasa-lila. Sripada Maharaja’s departure took place in Kolkata, the holy appearance place of his divine master Srila Prabhupada. Kolkata is also the site from which Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura left this world. Sripada Maharaja’s purified body was placed in samadhi (eternal meditation) at Sri Radha-kund, Vrindavana.

(13-14th August 2006) Guru Maharaja arrived from Bali with his guests Gajapati Maharaj, the King of Puri and his spiritual master, the Raja Guru of the Jagannatha Temple at noon in Singapore. They were received by a host of devotees from Singapore & Malaysia and proceeded to Venu Madhava Prabhu’s home. Guru Maharaja introducing his guests to the local devotees. Due to restrictions in Singapore, Maharaja does not wear his sannyasa robes. At Venumadhava prabhu’s house, Gurudev and his guests had a sumptuous prasadam feast prepared by the matajis. They were joined by two visitors from Malaysia, Dr. Vythilingam who is treasurer of the Malaysian Medical Association and Mr. Ramesh, a lawyer, who are helping Gurudev set up Bhaktivedanta Institute (Malaysia). The details of this effort were further discussed after lunch. In the evening, the devotees brought Gurudev and his guest to the Singapore Night Safari. This attraction is an extension of the Singapore Zoo that presents nocturnal animals in their natural habitats. The King is an ardent animal lover who is accustomed to spending several days in the jungle. In his youth, he used to spend his time in the wilderness hunting; however, later, he simply observed animals while sitting on tree branches. The King of Puri Guru Maharaja with the Rajaguru in the tramp during the Night Safari Guru Maharaja was in a jovial mood throughout. When he saw some lions resting on their backs, with legs up, he remarked that, “they are practicing yoga.” Another time, when he saw some goat-like animals (Oryx) sitting still, he said they were meditating. After most of us left the Night Safari, the King remained behind with three devotees to walk around the Safari and have a closer interaction with the animals. Meanwhile, being the perfect host, Gurudev stayed up late in Venumadhava prabhu’s house waiting for the King to return. During this time, Guru Maharaja gave instructions for the prasadam the next day. One devotee said to Guru Maharaja that at times Krishna consciousness is very sweet and blissful, while at other times, there is no feeling at all, almost mechanical. Gurudev replied that the modes of nature are very strong, even a very wise man can be disturbed. We have to always be positive in our Krishna consciousness. We have to be careful to control anger and lust, (kama, krodha, lobha) and it will be easier to practice Krishna consciousness. He said even if difficulties come, don’t view it negatively, but see it positively. He then gave the example of Queen Kunti, who prayed for difficulties so that she would remember Krishna better. The devotee then asked, as householders we are always in anxiety, thinking about our children, whether they will be Krishna conscious etc. Gurudev replied that as Prahlad Maharaja said ideally Krishna consciousness should be started at a young age so that you will be trained on how to deal with things in a proper way. Because the training was not there from young, we have problems with children. He remarked how in India, sometimes when children leave the care of their parents, they are unable to be independent. He then gave the devotee some personal instructions on how to handle her children. The next day, Monday, August 14th, Gurudev was scheduled to leave for Calcutta in the evening. The program for the day was that we would go to the Underwater World in Sentosa island and Kannan prabhu’s house for lunch. Afterwhich Gurudev would do some shopping before heading to the airport for departure. On Monday morning, we had a mangala arotik. Gurudev was pleased that we had Mangala Arotik as he later remarked to the King, “Did you hear their morning program?” Before his bath, Guru Maharaja drank water and a drink of lemon juice and honey. After breakfast, we proceeded to the Underwater world, which is an aquatic exhibition. Everyone was happy to see the Lord’s amazing varieties of creation under the ocean. Srila Sripada and the giant crab Extending his lotus hands to the lucky fishes After visiting the Underwaterworld, we took a walk along the beach and watched a dolphin show. Then we headed to Kannan prabhu’s house for lunch. GuruMaharaja lead the singing of “ Jaya Radha Madhava” as we all danced blissfully. As GuruMaharaja said the prema dhvani prayers he concluded by saying “now it is time for prasadam program” which drew laughter from everyone. To Kannan prabhu, who is a medical doctor, Gurumaharaja said that doctors should find out the relationship between health and spirituality. Gurudev also recalled that he had an interest in doing medicine but his family was not very keen because it would mean that he would have to be away. So he did science instead. Gurudev then shared with Kannan prabhu where he did his undergraduate and postgraduate studies and about his meeting with Srila Prabhupada. Group photo at Dr. Kannan prabhu’s house After taking a short rest at Venumadhava prabhu’s house, Gurudev and some of the devotees went to do some shopping. Gurudev purchased a new luggage bag and souvenirs for the guests in Manipur. Gurudev was very careful and fastidious in choosing appropriate gifts. Guru Maharaja then did his packing in and took a quick shower before heading to the airport. At the airport, a number of devotees had come to see Guru Maharaja off. After checking in his luggage Guru Maharaja sat in the lounge and the devotees sat around him. He talked about his traveling plans and preaching projects. One devotee asked a question about how we should practice Krishna consciousness in Singapore since there was no temple. Gurudev replied that we should meet once a week in different houses. Each devotee can contribute some prasadam. Someone can give a discourse or if no one is available we can just read Srila Prabhupada’s books. Another question was asked, “How can we remain positive if we continuously experience falldowns from our standards and principles?” Gurudev replied that we should not be weak. If we are facing problems in our devotional life we can reveal them to friends who are close to us and together we can try to overcome them. He also suggested that we should read books individually everyday, conduct mangala arotik in our homes, memorize verses for preaching and for our own purification and to keep a diary to write down our thoughts. He emphasized that planning in Krishna consciousness is very important. Planning is as important as executing. He gave the example that an architect makes his plans first before beginning construction. He said that the real secret is to always keep busy in service. After giving us this nectar from his lotus mouth, Guru Maharaja left for Calcutta. The Gajapati Maharaj and the Rajaguru left two days later, after giving us their enlivening association.The Rajaguru especially shared many wonderful stories of Jagannatha. SrilaGurudev ki! Jay! Yours in the service of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga, Rupachandra Das & Vaikunthanatha Das

Jayapataka Swami: Every year, at the New Panihati festival in Atlanta, we have a Prabhupada lila-smarana festival of his visit there. Svarupa Damodara Maharaja was there when Prabhupada was there and he would come to this lila-smarana festival. So we heard from different devotees also how much Prabhupada showered his mercy up on him. There are pictures of him receiving Prabhupada at his car.

He was a VIP devotee. His special service was cultivating VIP’s, especially the scientists. We showed a number of his disciples in Bali and different parts of the world some slides we have of him. He also was a wonderful sadhu. It is rare to find probably scientists who are sadhus, but he was a super-wonderful sadhu because he was very gentle, very kind.

Once we did a Panihati festival in Prabhupada Desh. His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja, I gave him the first pot of the cida-dadhi. He, normally you get a big pot of this cida-dadhi covered with rasagullas, sandesa, normally what you would do is eat it. But what did he do? He took it and offered it in the mouth of all the devotees. There are pictures of the devotees with their mouths open and he is like birds feeding their babies. He was putting the prasad in their mouth.

He had special tunes, maybe these are Manipuri melodies, he would sing. He reached a very high note. Sometimes we would raise his hand. He had a particular, I can’t imitate it, only he can do it. He would raise his hand and then reach this high note. Then he, changed the tune again sang a part of this particular tune.

Prabhupada, I remember that he said that, I heard, I didn’t see it in writing, but I heard that the Manipuris were somehow descended from the gandharavas. That is why they are such nice singers and dancers, very cultural. His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja was like that, he was a great kirtan leader, singer, wonderful Vaisnava.

Somehow he was very kind to me always. He invited me to his World Congress Conference for the Synthesis of Science and Religion, both the one in Bombay and the one in Calcutta. I was studying science when I was in university, but I dropped out and joined Prabhupada’s university. Prabhupada didn’t tell me to keep studying because I was only in my freshman year. So my sophomore year I spent in ISKCON, but Prabhupada had him finish his study and get his PhD and use it.

Somehow he brought me and I tried to do what service I could do discussing with the scientists. One of the Nobel prize scientists in Calcutta, he was the discoverer of the laser. This is how much influence Maharaja had on him, he said, “I came to this function where 20 years ago I would never come, I would never dream, I would say that someone is crazy that I would be sitting here, a scientist, physicist, with religionists discussing about science.”

But because the scientists, the physicists, at least, I can’t speak for the chemists, the physicist, he came, “As quantum mechanics, quantum theory, now we have gone beyond the classical physics. These little particles act like people. I was hearing from Maharaja how this is, the Vedas have knowledge about consciousness in a scientific way, so I’m here to hear about it, I’m here to discuss it.”

So in this way, Maharaja in his tenacious and humble way, he would go and discuss with different scientists and he would convince them to some degree, I don’t know how much, but they would definitely come to his conferences they were influenced. He would influence them to be open to read the Vedas, to read Prabhupada’s books, to come to the conferences. He was having a great impact.

He also was a member of the World Parliament of Religions. He never invited me for one of those, so I don’t know exactly what happened, maybe someone else could speak later. He was very versatile.

I remember one time I was walking with Prabhupada and Svarupa Damodara Maharaja, maybe it was in Bhubaneshwar somewhere, I can’t remember now, Svarupda Damodara Maharaja was saying, “If we can influence the scientists, they are the people who are most respected in the world day, everyone follows science.”

Prabhupada was saying, “Yes, if you can convince the scientists, we can change the world.”

I am a Namahatta preacher, I am trying to get to the masses, so I was saying, “Well, it is very hard to convince the scientists. If we can convince all the people, maybe they’ll be more selective about what they accept from the scientists.”

Prabhupada told me, “Yes, if you can get people to come up to the scientists and say, ‘I don’t believe your theory of Darwin,’ that will be a big thing.”

But then he would go and convince Svarupa Damodara. It was like some kind of a game Prabhupada was playing, but he won. Svarupa Damodara won. Convincing scientists was considered more. . . but I got some good encouragement also.

Svarupda Damodara Maharaja, we were together in many places, but he was able to do things pretty much on his own. Sometimes he would call for help, but generally that was just his mercy. He was a very capable person.

Prabhupada told him to make Manipur a Vaisnava state. It was already a Vaisnava state, but to revive it to its full glory. I had the opportunity to go to Manipur and see. They have what is called Vijaya Govinda deities.

Sometimes he would serve the GBC special Manipuri meals. It’s been a long time since that happened. But he would give this special, they have blue rice in Manipuri. Manipur is like seven mountain ranges. In the middle there are two big lakes. What are they called, the Duck Lake or something? The main flower of this lake is lotus, so lotus is one of the main dietary parts of Manipur. He would feed the GBC’s lotus stems and lotus preparations and this blue rice. Especially when you make the blue rice, it is a sweet rice. It tastes like blueberries. Like this, he was introducing so much culture.

He was so dedicated to Prabhupada. we were discussing that even in the last moments, he was just thinking, “How can I please Prabhupada?” He was completely dedicated to being in ISKCON and please Srila Prabhupada.

There is some, Prabhupada told him especially do this kind of cultivating of scientists. Svarupda Damodara told me how he had this program in Rome in some special hall where once a year all the top scientists get together and have some program. The mayor of Rome gave it to him to also have a program. They had a number of scientists and devotees speaking. It was so successful that the mayor said, “You can have it every year.” It is a very prestigious venue.

I think my time is up. I don’t know who is trained up to follow in his footsteps, who can do the wonderful service he was doing. We were all expecting him to be with us for twenty, thirty years more at least. It is a big loss for all of us. He was very dear to all the Vaisnavas.

His Divine Grace Svarupa Damodara Swami Maharaja ki jai!

taken from

http://mayapurlectures.blogspot.com/2007/02/memorial-program-for-hh-bhaktisvarupa.html

An interview recorded in Singapore on 7 January 1995

Devotee: This initiation was conducted with full fire sacrifice?

Srila Sripada: Yeah so we went upstairs and Ramananda introduced me to Prabhupada saying that I am such and such, come from Manipur, and I’m a student at the university, doing my PhD. in chemistry. When Prabhupada heard that I am from Manipur, then he started saying about the temples in Navadvipa by the kings of Manipur, Vrndavana, Jagannatha Puri, Radha Kunda, that are established by the kings of Manipur, and he started saying about BabHruvahana. Babhruvahana was the son of Arjuna. When Arjuna came to Manipur, he  married Citrangada, the Princess of Manipur. He said that Manipur had been a Vaisnava kingdom for thousands of years – more than 5000 years ago when the Pandavas ruled the planet, the Vaisnavas existed. He said that all Manipuris are descendents of Babhruvahana. Prabhupada knew about the temples in Navadvipa built by the Kings of Manipur. In the process of talking with Prabhupada, who was asking about my background, my family, who my parents were, devotees, he said, “why did you come here to the United States? A Vaisnava,” Prabhupada was humorously saying “A Vaisnava generally is not supposed to cross the ocean. Why did you come here?”

(Interruption).

So to wind my narration, I came up to, yeah, Prabhupada asked me, told me that that all the people in Manipur are descendants from Babhruvahana.

Devotee: How do you spell that name – Arjuna’s son?

Srila Sripada: B.a.b.h.r.u.v.a.h.a.n.a. It is there in the Srimad Bhagavatam in the 9^th canto, see the index for “Manipur”. There are about two slokas. Prabhupada also writes about Manipur in the Srimad Bhagavatam, in the 9^th canto.

Devotee: 9^th canto, Manipur. Srimad Bhagavatam?

Srila Sripada: Yes. In two slokas, Prabhupada explained about Manipur and also about Babhruvahana. What happened is that Arjuna came to Manipur…must be Mahabharat time…during the Asvamedha Yajna being performed by Yudhistira Maharaja. Arjuna was going that side, and when he reached Manipur, and the King of Manipur at that time he did not have any sons, but he had a daughter, this princess, that Citranganda. So the King of Manipur, since he was old, he could not combat with or challenge Arjuna. So he tried to surrender to Arjuna. But his daughter, Citrangada, wanted to fight with Arjuna (laughter). She wanted to challenge, she wanted to challenge. So Arjuna got very inspired. So somehow he got married to Citrangada (laughter). So this Babhruvahana was born between Citrangada and Arjuna. Prabhupada wrote in the Bhagavatam that when he was 15 or 16 years old, he became the King of Manipur. And later on when Arjuna again visited (Manipur), there was a challenge between his son Babhruvahana and Arjuna. When Babhruvahana was told that Arjuna was his father, he didn’t want to fight—didn’t want to challenge. Then Arjuna told him, “If you are the King of the country, and a ksatriya, .whether it’s your father or a relatve, if you don’t respond to the challenge of the other person, then you are not worth it.” So then Babhruvahana decided to fight. In fact Arjuna was defeated by his son in Manipur. He became unconscious. So Krishna had to come and revive Arjuna again…so that is Mahabharata. [inaudible] chapter. That’s how Babhruvahana became very famous. So Prabhupada was narrating that story from Mahabharat.

In the process of discussion he said all the Indian young scholars and students are coming to the United States for either begging money, dollars, or begging science and technology. Prabhupada was saying like that. “So you are all coming like that,” Prabhupada said, “But I did not come like that. I came here to give something. I came here to give, not to take. Why don’t you give something? Why are you simply taking? Why don’t you give something?” (laughter). This was his conclusion. Prabhupada was saying that we should give something. Why should we take? Just give something or do something like that, Prabhupada said…like preaching. And so I got very inspired by that…(Interruption). So basically that’s how I met Prabhupada.

Devotee: And he asked you to come?

Srila Sripada: Since then I had been going almost every day. Whenever Prabhupada comes, I used to go to Los Angeles. It was almost one hour’s drive.

Devotee: That was the time when the morning talks started? And…

Srila Sripada: Yes. That was in ’69, ’70. The talks were mostly, let’s see, around ’72, ’73.

Devotee: After initiation?

Srila Sripada: Yes, yes. Whenever I used to go, Prabhupada would always want to talk about something about different aspects of science.

Devotee: So when did you get your initiation? Which year was it that you got initiated by Prabhupada?

Srila Sripada: I got formal initiation in ’71. And I was just about to be initiated within one week after (first) meeting Prabhupada. But then Prabhupada was leaving for India and he gave me this mala, and he said it was as good as initiation…because that was a rush period, with Prabhupada’s plans for India. 1970, he came back. You see that year, 1969, yes 1970 there was a ratha yatra in San Francisco, and for the Ratha Yatra, Prabhupada invited me and Ramananda to come and participate in the festival in San Francisco. So we went. We were with Prabhupada in the ratha yatra in 1970 in San Francisco. Oh yes, after the ratha yatra, Prabhupada left for India. I was supposed to be initiated at that time. Then when he came back the next year, 1971, I think it was ’71, that’s correct, a proper initiation was done in Los Angeles temple. Whenever Prabhupada came to LA, I used to work in the university, trying to finish my Ph.D. and one time I told Prabhupada that this Ph.D. is taking too much time for me, and I should stop. But Prabhupada said, “No, no. you should finish it, and use that for preaching.”

~The End~

(Sent by Rupachandra das of Singapore)

Srila Sripada: ..try to use one’s intelligence properly. That’s the meaning of understanding one’s guna, karma and application. Its not only understanding one’s guna karma but how to apply that guna karma in Bhagavat seva, Krishna consciousness. Prabhupada used to quote that very nice sloka in the Bhagavatam:

idaḿ hi puḿsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā

sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ

avicyuto ‘rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito

yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam¹

There was a narration by Narada Muni to Vyasadev. Vyasadev was feeling very unhappy inspite of his tremendous scholarly work, compiling all the Vedic literatures.  In that connection, Narada Muni was replying  to Vyasadev that the reason for his unhappiness in spite of so much achievement, scholarly work, compiling the Vedic literatures was that he hasn’t specifically glorified the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. So in that connection it is mentioned in the sloka, first canto. So every piece of ability that a person has, unless that ability is specifically utilized in glorifying or in seva, Bhagavata seva, promoting and glorifying the activities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord one cannot be happy. But when it is utilized properly in the service of the Lord, then it becomes glorifications, uttama sloka. uttma sloka gunanuvarnanam. When we use the choicest words to praise the Lord and His activities, then the intelligence, the ability and the service one is performing, that becomes properly engaged. So that way one will be happy.

That was the instruction given by Narada Muni to Vyasadev. Our Prabhupada quoted this verse many times, idam hi pumsas tapasash. When he saw any scholarly person who came to see him he used to say that you have to, if you are scientist, you have to prove about the existence of God by your scientific knowledge. If you are a lawyer, you have to show by your legal intelligence that Krishna is the Supreme lawyer. If you are businessman you have to show that Krishna is Lakshmipati so that whatever results are coming, you use in the service of the Lord. So you see, all aspects we have to show that Krishna is the supreme proprietor and by serving Him, by engaging all our senses and intelligence a person will be able to develop proper understanding of the [inaudible].

Prabhupada used to say like that especially when meeting scholarly group of people. You do not have to sacrifice anything. Sometimes people will wonder, suppose if I became a devotee, whether I should be able to continue my work and you know get in anxiety. Or whether I could go and stay in the temple or whether I (should) get my head shaved and some temporary anxiety comes in. If it is understood properly that the function of Krishna consciousness, is that we have to learn how to apply our ability and intelligence and [inaudible] work in the service of the Lord. So in that sense, everything has to be engaged in the service of the Lord. With the proper understanding we’ll be able to apply it properly then it becomes Bhagavata Seva. Otherwise it becomes sense gratification. If one is just trying to satisfy one’s senses, that’s a different thing. If the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord and all the activities that one is performing is engaged in how to please the Lord and His servants, then it becomes properly [inaudible].

So therefore one has to be able to see the broader, the wider perspective of Krishna consciousness. It is required especially in preaching to the scholars and scientists – this is a technique that can be applied. We cannot say immediately you have to shave off your head and you have to do such things immediately. That comes you know, slowly, slowly, certain places according to the nature of that person one will be able to give Krishna consciousness in doses. Maybe at the beginning small dose, then it becomes bigger dose, then later on full dose (laughter). So if it is done like that you’ll find that you can preach to everyone. Even the most uneducated [inaudible] people, let say so called [inaudible] people, all sections of society. So if we, by our preaching skill give some message of Krishna consciousness according to time and place, according to time and circumstances, and according to also the quality of the other person, his ability to take up some Krishna consciousness…[Inaudible]. This is the technique that we try to apply by Prabhupada’s mercy.

Devotee: When you first came to Krishna consciousness you met Prabhupada first or were you already a Vaishnava in your family in your young days?

Srila Sripada: Yes. My parents were already devotees of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Just like the king of Manipur is a devotee of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, so all the subjects, for generations were all in the Gaudiya Vaisnava line…my parents and their parents before. My father was a sankirtana singer.

Devotee: So that’s where you got your singing talents from (laughter).

Srila Sripada: When I met Prabhupada – that was in 1969. That was the period. Actually I met (Prabhupada) through one of my friends. My friend was also doing his work; he was also a scientist, a chemist.

Devotee: You had already obtained your Ph.D. then?

Srila Sripada: No, I was in the middle of my Ph.D. I haven’t finished my Ph.D. yet. I was just starting. I started taking some course. But my friend was already a Ph.D. He was a professor at (inaudible) University – a doctor of Chemistry- Ravindra Rao, and he was working on cancer – making medicine for cancer – and he was there. And it  so happened that I was at the university. Oh, the university mentioned as University of Southern California – actually it is called University of California, Irvine. The university in Southern California is a different university.

Devotee : So it should be University of California?

Srila Sripada: Yes, University of California, Irvine; Irvine is the name of the place. The name is correct, but the ‘USC’ should be ‘U Cal’- University of California. California has about 19 campuses. It is very interesting how I met Prabhupada. It so happened that I got a message when I was at the University. A telegram came saying that my mother had expired in India. So I got a little…I got some separation…and I was not feeling very enthusiastic about life, temporarily, momentarily. So because that summer I wanted to go to India and see the family members, like that.

Devotee: You knew she was not well?

Srila Sripada: I didn’t have that knowledge also. They did not send me that message. And so when the message came that she left her body, I was not very enthusiastic about my activities for some time. And I was planning to go to India to do the sraddha ceremony. Like that.

Devotee: You are the eldest?

Srila Sripada: Yeah, in fact I am the only son. And then I got a letter from one of my uncles saying that a – the letter says like this- that a Vaisnava is never lamenting about the living being leaving the body, and a Vaisnava is always thinking that when somebody leaves, then that is kind of arranged by the mercy of the Lord.  “So you should not come. You should not come just for that matter. You should finish your PhD as soon as possible and concentrate on your work. Don’t worry about the death.”  So I had already arranged for the ticket by borrowing some money from the university, because as a student, I had no money. The University loaned me some money for my round trip to India and back. And when I got that letter, I cancelled my trip. So I didn’t go.  In the process of doing that, I met this, Dr. Rao,  Ravindra Rao. He was brought by one of my friends, he’s also from Kerala. There was one doctor [inaudible name]  who was also doing his Ph.D. in the same department, chemistry department. He was from Kerala. There were only about two-three Indian students in that science department. So then he, this Dr. Ravindra Rao came one day and he said, “Lets go for a drive along the beach”. Laguna Beach is not very far. It is only about 15 minutes drive along the coast highway, you know, the Pacific Ocean, California.  He had a car. I didn’t have any car at that time. So I said “Let’s go”. So in the process, in the evening, we saw some devotees walking on the street chanting Harinama. About five-six of them. One was a black devotee. We were seeing for the first time in America, like that, especially in California. It was in the end of 1969. So this friend of mine, Dr. Ravindra Rao, was very enthusiastic. He said, “Let us see what these people are doing.” So we didn’t want to be very close to them, but we were following from a distance (inaudible). Then one devotee saw that we were following them.

Devotee: You were following in the car?

Srila Sripada: No, no. We had parked the car and we were walking slowly.

Devotee: Long distance…

Srila Sripada:  But making sure we didn’t lose them. We wanted to know what they were doing (laughter). So one black devotee, his name is actually Sukadev. He’s still there in Seattle, Los Angeles. So he stopped by and he was kind of waiting for us, to talk to us. So then he stopped and gave us cards and said they had a temple in Laguna Beach, and every Sunday they have this Love Feast, chanting and feasting with nice prasadam, taste, like that. So he said we should come the following Sunday to the temple and participate in the program. So when that Sunday came, this Dr. Rao said, “Let’s go and see the temple and see what they are doing.”  But I told Dr. Rao, “You see, I’m busy. I’m doing my PhD, and I really do not have the time.  So you go and let me know how or what you think about that.” So I didn’t go with him, I let him go alone. We were not staying together. I was staying at the university campus, and he was staying in an apartment.

So then he came, saying that it was a very nice program, lot of people came, they were chanting, and then (they) served nice halva (laughs). He was very enthusiastic, saying it was a nice program. Then he said that I should go. I should accompany him the following day, after work, in the evening, say at about 5 o’clock, and drive and go to the temple. So he started going every day, every evening, after the work. He was working nearby, at the Cancer Institute and I was in the university, and so every day he would say I should come  with him, and everyday I told him that I am not ready and I don’t have the time, and so I can’t go this time. So everytime  I could not accept his proposals. So, like that about four- five days passed by.

Then he asked where is Guru Maharaja from the devotees there in Laguna Beach, and he found out from them that their Guru Maharaja, Prabhupada was in LA, Los Angeles, where he was staying at that time. So he got the address for Los Angeles, Watseka and with that he came with the proposal: “Let us go and see Swami Maharaja. Let’s go and see Swamiji. He is in LA.” He was all set and he proposed that I should accompany him. Then I told him that, “I’m very busy, Dr. Rao, and not free. You go first and let us know how Swamiji looks like and what does he do.” Like that. So he kept quiet just like that (laughs). I let him go alone. So he went one day, actually in the evening, and then he came back and told me how he met Prabhupada.

He said when he went to the temple, the devotees didn’t allow him to see Prabhupada because he was a stranger and nobody knew him. So he told me in the beginning he was very upset when the devotees did not allow him to see Prabhupada. So he said he just decided to pray to Krishna that something happens. So was he was parking his car just infront of the temple and he was just sitting in the car, sitting and praying to Krishna  (laughs), so he can see Prabhupada. When he was sitting for a little while, one devotee came and he said “Prabhupada wants to see you” (laughter). So he was very happy and he went upstairs – you know Prabhupada stays in the first floor inside the temple. So Prabhupada told him that “in the past few years, I have always been praying to Krishna to kindly send me one Indian boy who can do the translation in Hindi. So I was praying to Krishna so He can send me some Indian boys because the American devotees did not know Hindi and other things.” Alot of letters came from India in Hindi, and required to be replied in Hindi but Prabhupada did not have the time to do that. “So I have been praying to Krishna to send me some nice Indian boys to help me.” So then Prabhupada told him that “You were just sent by Krishna.” (laughter). So this is how he narrated it to me. He added that Swamiji was wonderful and very nice and compassionate, with all the good qualities.

So he came with this story to me and he said the next day I should accompany him and see Swami Maharaj, Guru Maharaj. So I told him that “I’m not so prepared for these things and I’ve got all these assignments and projects. I’ve got to help the students…and I’ll be very busy, and so I can’t go at this time.” So that also I avoided, so I did not go. But then, he was going everyday for about five- six days, going alone. Everyday he will come back and give me a report, and everyday he will insist that I must come and see Prabhupada. Everyday I rejected saying I’m very busy…and all these things. But one day, one evening, he came with a very strong proposal, saying that the following morning, early morning, I should accompany him. He said we should get up at 3.30 in the morning, and after a shower, we can then go to the service, to see Swami Maharaja. And he said that if I did not agree this time, then he would never see me again in life and he will never come, and our friendship is finished (laughter). He would never see me in my life! (Laughs). He was saying it with seriousness…not joking or anything like that. Then I told him, “Why you make things so serious? What has happened with you?” He didn’t tell me what was going to happen, but he was telling me like that. Then I said  “Well, if you are really that serious, I will accompany you the following morning,”  (laughs). Then he said he’d like to stay in my apartment because we had to get up early in the morning, and he had the car, and he would drive. It was about one-hour-drive from our place to Los Angeles temple on the highway. So we got up early in the morning, took bath, then we were on the road- highway. In the car he told me that he would be initiated that morning from Prabhupada . He was going to take initiation.

Devotee: That morning?

Srila Sripada: Yes but he did not tell me that before (laughs). He was only telling me on the road. He was already prepared, but he did not tell me that. It was only about a week (since he met Prabhupada)..in a week’s time. I said, because I knew alittle bit about the background,  said, “Will you shave your head this morning?” I asked him.  (Because) he was working at this American Research Institute where there were lots of people, and I asked him, “Will you go like that to your office with your shaven head? (laughs)….This is in America.” He said, “Why not? It would be a pleasure, ” (laughs). He was very determined, and I said, “Will you also change your clothes and dress in saffron?”, because, at that time everybody was dressed in saffron.

Devotee: Immediately after initiation?

Srila Sripada: Yes, at the beginning stages. He said, “why not? It should be something that I like to do.” So he was kind of very enthusiastic. And I admired him because he was so enthusiastic, so determined, and he did not care for anything else.

So we reached Los Angeles, and we saw Prabhupada was coming out for the morning walk at 6 o’clock. He walks 6 to 7 in the morning. At the time when I saw, he had a car, a Maverick- a white-bodied Maverick. So we waited, when he comes back in one hour. And at the time of Prabhupada’s returning to the temple in those days, the devotees would line up on both sides and Prabhupada would get down to the roadside and then walk. And then, the exchange of flowers: Prabhupada give one flower, then the devotees would give him one flower, then Prabhupada would give flowers to the devotees. After finishing that, this is before entering the temple, just infront of the temple, everybody rushes into the temple. I was just observing that. I had the camera, taking some pictures. I had a regular [inaudible word].

Then everyone went in the temple and Prabhupada was having darshana of the deities and went to his vyasasana and Prabhupada started singing “Jay Sri Krishna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda..” and I heard for the first time. Prabhupada was singing. I was quite far, near the deities, and Prabhupada was on the opposite side. I felt that Prabhupada was in a devotional mood, and his voice was very sweet and inspiring, and it penetrates to your heart. I was very impressed just by his singing alone, without knowing much. So I felt very happy and comfortable. After that, the ceremony, initiation started.  Dr. Rao, Ravindra Rao, he was given “Ramananda Raya”- his name was given. The initiation was for one or two people only. It was specially done for Dr. Rao. And after that, Prabhupada went to his room…inside there is a small doorway. Then Ramananda said, “Lets go and see Prabhupada upstairs,” (laughs). And I became very enthusiastic (laughter) after this incident. He was very fond of having darsana of Prabhupada.

To be continued in Part 2.

Dvibhuja Das

I wrote This report about four years ago. this is the first report I made of  Sripad Srila Sripada Preaching program. My english is very poor and I feel there are many grammatical mistake in the report. If there some mistake please tell and correct me. The tour begin from Jakarta and end in Surabaya on 13th of july and end on 23th of july 2005.

Jakarta.

Fortunately I joined Srila Sripada tour to some provinces of Java island. Srila Sripada’s journey start from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Now, we have a new centre in Jakarta, some of Sripad’s disciple, like Sudhir Krishna Prabhu, Sesa Prabhu, Visvaksena Prabhu, some brahmacarinis, etc in charge there (now the composition bit change except Sudhir Krishna Prabhu still exist there-ed). The building locate in the central Jakarta, Sripada Srila Sripada very like the location. The building is ex-school of Gandhi School and now freely lent to the devotee.

In Jakarta we also have devotee like Tattva Darsi Prabhu, Hari Guru Prabhu and his wife, and some bhakta like bhakta Nyoman sastra and friends. The Devotees of Jakarta arranged a seminar for Srila Sripada (in Cooperation with Yayasan Kota Kita) entitle “Science and Spirituality for World Peace’. The title of the seminar taken from Srila Sripada essay in the just Released book of Bhaktivedanta Institute. The Seminar held in Indonesian Library Building on 14^th of july 2005. Actually there will be 4 (four) speaker including Srila Sripada, only 3 (three) speaker could come. All the Speaker has Doktorate degree.

There were some devotees from Bali accompany Srila Sripada tour, they had arrived there a few days before the day of seminar. I myself came there just a few minute before the seminar began, So I can not give report detailly Sripad Srila Sripada program the day before the seminar, but some devotee told me that the day before seminar Srila Sripada also spoke to the Indian Community and some hindus from Bali who work in the departement of finanace of Republic Indonesia.

The day when the seminar was held, was a holyday, so there was no many student campus came, but many elder people come, they came from various spiritual community include muslim community. Of course our Srila Sripada was the star of the seminar. Srila Sripada got many nice questions from the audience. Unfortunately the time was limited so that not all the questions could be answered. I cannot give the detail here. Hari Narayan Prabhu from Bali and Radhakanta Prabhu from France record the seminar,. I hope the video of the seminar can be published soon.

There was one importance and uniqe thing should be noted in this seminar that was before and after the seminar also there bhajan performance by the brahmacary, and interestingly after the seminar finished, Guru Srila Sripada himself led the bhajan by singing The Srita Kamala Song (Song Composed by Jayadeva Goswami). The audience liked very much Srila Sripada song, they listen it carefully while they were eating the vegetarian meal prepared by the devotees.

After the program finish, almost the audience including the muslims and cristians man approached Srila Sripada, saying their happiness and thank to Srila Sripada, they sake Srila Sripada hand and ask some questions. Some of them also said  “Even we are muslims but we are like to read Bhagavad gita.” Some of them asked for Srila Sripada name card. Especially, the moderator, a muslim lady, very happy to meet Srila Sripada, she said that DR. Singh (Sripad Srila Sripada) is very funny and Peacefull person. He not olny talk about peacefullness but he himself live a peacefull daily life.

The participant of the seminar also bought some Krishna concious books like Bhagavad gita, Life come from life. Not only Books in indonesian languange was sold but also Srila Sripada english Publications like Scientific magazine “Savijnanam” was also sold.

Sripad Srila Sripada in Jakarta, also met some importance persons like the headmaster of International Gandhi School. Srila Sripada present some of his Books to him. In Jakarta Srila Sripada also announced that he has just realesed new book about peace entitle “Toward  a culture of Harmony and Peace” the book published by Bhaktivedanta Institute as we now Srila Sripada is the director of The Institute. This book written by some the nobel laurate and also Srila Sripada is one of the writer and the editor. Srila Sripada hope that this book soonly can be translated into indonesian languange. This is a great task for us in order to satisfy sri guru, so we should cooperate each other to execute this service, maybe by forming the translations team(?)!.

After the seminar Srila Sripada back to the hotel nearby the centre. At that evening Srila Sripada back to the centre (Sri Nilachala Ksetra dhama asram) to take prasad, but before Srila Sripada took prasad, Srila Sripada gave darshan to some of us and also we had  a nice discussion with Srila Sripada about how to present Krishna Conciousness Scientificlly, and also we discuss about Spiriton, Moleccule and Cloning (from vedic perspektif).

Srila Sripada has a great optimsm about the future of Jakarta centre, he said there will be no lack of laksmi (money) and there are fast or big field of preahing there. Bhakta Nyoman sastra asked “What will be our most obstacle in Jakarta ?” Srila Sripada answered “Only lack of enthusiasm will be the obstacle otherwise there will no obstacle actually” so Srila Sripada requested all the devotee to keep their enthusiasm by genuinely develop a culture of humility and we also have a culture of introspection. We should ask ourselves, have our heart as pure as our cloth?. So maharj has empazise about introspection.

GO To PUNCAK (West Java)

So the day after seminar we (Srila Sripada and devotees) went to Bandung to visit our new centre there. We go to Bandung by car and bus through puncak. Puncak lay between Jakarta and Bandung. So on the way to Bandung we Visit Radha Govinda Mandir in Puncak. We Arrived in The Radha Govinda Asram around 14.00 pm. We received very well by the devotee there.  Radha Govinda Mandir is a very nice asrham because the weather is very cold and locate on the hills, and the place is a seclude place. Srila Sripada very happy to see the devotee and Deity there. There are some pair of deities like Sri Sri Radha Govinda, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Sri Sri Laksmi Nrsimha, and some Salagram Sila. The asrham also has their own cow.

After arrived Srila Sripada soonly began the bhajan. Now Srila Sripada chose the song of Bhaktivinod, entitle “Suddha Bhakata” (Srila Sripada also instruct us to memorize this nice song)  the song that he sang when he arrived at the first day in bali a few days before. And then Srila Sripada explain the meaning of the song gave short speech. And then suddenly Srila Sripada stand up and began a kirtan, the devotee join the kirtan joyfully. The kirtan began with “Radhe Radhe Radhe Govinda Radhe………” with Srila Sripada uniqe and special melody. The kirtan was very very ecstatic, every body jumped highly and dance around Srila Sripada.  Srila Sripada keep led the kirtan, like a lion roaring in the jungle, make the birds of our sins go away. Srila Sripada led the kirtan almost one hour.

After the kirtan we honored the prasadam prepared by the host, Matsya Prabhu. After the meal, Srila Sripada talked with the Matsya prabhu-president temple of Radha Govinda and to other senior devotee. And in the after noon, we took permission to the host to continue our journey to next planet, Bandung.

Sri Sri Radhe Shyam ( Bandung centre)

Bandung is the capital city of West Java (Jawa Barat). Not like Jakarta which the weather is very hot, Bandung is enough cold, Srila Sripada very like it. Because of the traffic jam we arrived rather late in Bandung. We arrived quite evening. Srila Sripada greeted by the devotee of Bandung who mostly are student.

After the welcoming ceremony, Srila Sripada did bhajan. Srila Sripada sing the “Gurudev” with deep mood of devotion. And then Srila Sripada  didn’t give any speech because it was very late in the night. Srila Sripada took rest in one of indian man name Prem Kumar. The day after that the devotee of Bandung also held a seminar entittle “The Principle of Reincarnation.”

Srila Sripada present the idea of reincarnation very scientificly qouting the words of some prominent scientist of the world. The seminar in Bandung including culture and art performance like balinese dance, indian dance, and  bhajan by the brahmacary of bali.The seminar run around four hours with enthusiatic questions and answers. The audience are mostly student of university and some are hindu proffesional who live there and some few are from other religion. We also hope that the devotee soonly realesed the video cd of the program.

The day after the seminar, the devotees of Bandung like amala Krishna prabhu, hadai Pandit prabhu, Arcana dasi, etc., took Srila Sripada to Ciater, a hot spring centre, there we had relaxation for some hours, and then we back to Bandung city.

At that time I and some devotee left early to Yogyakarta before Srila Sripada. Srila Sripada had  a house prgram at the night in one of indian people.

Fly To Yogyakarta (the City Of Education)

Yogyakarta are very famous city in indonesia. The are many big universities there and of course there are many student who are studying there. And also Yogyakarta also famous because of it’s culture, we can still see today some yogyakarta people still apply the hindus ritual in their daily life even they are muslims and we can see from the art and culture which are there that it is a Hindus or vedic heritage.

Nrsimha Caitanya Prabhu has open a new centre in yogyakarta, the centre name Sri Sri Radha Giridhari Ashram. Some of Sripad Srila Sripada diciples aslo in charge there, like Ananta Wijaya pranhu, etc.

I, manisi Prabhu, Panca-tattva Prabhu (our brother from malaysia), Suvikram, etc arrived in Yogyakarta a few minute before Srila Sripada landed there. The devotees of Yogyakarta greeted Srila Sripada in the airport and then took Srila Sripada to the asram. And after the welcoming ceremony, Srila Sripada took prasad and rest for a couple of hours.

Go to Jivan Village

Thet day Guru Srila Sripada landed in Yogyakarta was a ekadasi day. In the evening Srila Sripada Visit a village named Jiwan Village, a Village that inhabited by about three thousands people in which about six hundreds of them following the Hindu tradition.

Nrsimha Chaitanya Prabhu, Ananta Wijaya Prabhu had Preached there and now there are about one hundreds villager has chanted the Hare Krishna Maha mantra. JaY!! Harinam Sankirtan Ki Jaya!

At that time Srila Sripada would meet the people in one of the Hindu temple in the Jivan Viilage.The devotees and the villager greeted Srila Sripada enthusiasticlly in front of the temple, they sang “Jaya Sripad Srila Sripada, Jaya Sripad Srila Sripada”, “Jaya Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami,” and of course they also sang the Hare Krishna Maha mantra as thaught by their mentor.

Jivan mean live, Sripad Srila Sripada said in the lecture. Srila Sripada Speak for some minute to the Villager, he spoke about the History and the glory of harinam sankirtan, the vedic cosmology, the regulative principle, the danger of kali yuga (present age), etc. the villager listened to Srila Sripada very attentively. And also Srila Sripada encourage them to apply Krishna Concoiusness in their daily life.

After the lecture Srila Sripada did bhajan. The bhajan ran very melodiously, and in the middle the bhajan turn to ecstatic kirtan, every body stand up, raise their hand, and of course some times jumping while shouting the holynname led by Srila Sripada.

After the kirtan the jivan villager offerred  an prayer song to the devotees. The song composed in traditional tune of java. After hearing the tune, Srila Sripada told them to make javaness tune of hare krishna like we have balinese tune that has intoduced by world to devotees around the world. At that time Srila Sripada told the balinese brahmacaru to perform bhajan with hare krishna balinese tune. And all again sing ecstaticly. And after that the villager aslo try to apply the javanese tune to the maha mantra, and the result, very sweet, it was very uniqe and sweet tune of Maha-mantra. Srila Sripada simle satisfied.

anted hare Krishna.

And also that time there was questions and answer between Srila Sripada and the villagers. After the program finished, we back to yogyakarta and Srila Sripada invite the villager to come to the Sri sri Radha Giridhari asram for the program there.The day after after we breakfast, we went to the Borobudur. Borobudur is a shirne of Budhism and it is one of the seven greats of the world.

Intersetingly after sightseeing and observe the building, Srila Sripada led a small prayer, he sang the dasa avatar prayer by jaya deva gosswami. And he explained the meaning and told the devotee for beg the blessing of lord Buddha.

In the afternoon we back to asram and At the night Srila Sripada, after the sandhya arati,  met the inter-relligious dialogue component thar come from various back ground like muslim, christian, chatolic. and gave a short specch on the importance of interfaith dialogue to build apeace bridge of peace.

Srila Sripada also showing the newst book Of Bhaktivedanta Institute to the sutdent, and Srila Sripada plan to give them some of the copy. After Srila Sripada gave the short speech, there was Questions and anwsew with the student and then Srila Sripada require them, each religion represent by one student to say some word of prayer there in the asram and at last Srila Sripada represent the hindu to give the prayer. After that we had prasadam.

The day after that Srila Sripada go to Prambanan, one of the hindu heritage. In prambanan there are some Vedic Deities Like Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Siva. Srila Sripada did praikram and and kirtan. Srila Sripada has a great vision about prambanan that we can use that place for annual meeting in indonesia like the kumba mela in india. Srila Sripada suggest his idea to the hindu parisad.

The day after that, Srila Sripada had a importance meeting with proffesor of  University of Gajah Mada. This Profesor is Srila Sripada friend when he was a student in america, and also his friend in the matter of interfaith dialogue. That was a importance meeting to arranged next program of Sripoad Srila Sripada in the one of Most Prestigious University in Indonesia.

Surabaya (Student centre)

Srila Sripada frequently says that he want to make a strong Student Centre in surabaya, because most of the devotee of Surabaya are Student. So Srila Sripada a great hope the can preach and serve nicely the so that we can build a strong centre of Bhagavata culture there.  Srila Sripada also plans more strong scientific preacing in the college or university of surabaya like  Three days seminar, in the future.

This time the devotees of Surabaya arranged a Seminar on Vedanta and Science entitle “Human Life and Evolution Of Concioussnes” for Srila Sripada. It was the first seminar of Srila Sripada in Surabaya (last Visit in Surabaya, Srila Sripada held a interfaith program there). The audience come from indian community and balinese student, and including another people from various religions and backgrounds.

The day after that Srila Sripada Met some Indian people like mister narain and mr. Hari kissin. They are bussiness men. Srila Sripada hope that they can help the devotees in the future especially to make a permanent centre in surabaya. Srila Sripada encourage them to study more about indian literature lika Bhagavad gita.

Night bhajan and speaks

The devotess did the sandhya arati sambil menunggu kedatangan Srila Sripada di cnetere. Then Srila Sripada arrrived around  eight o clock and led nrsimha prayer. After that Srila Sripada led the melodious bhajan glorifying Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, and devotees folowing by saying the last word of the song : “Tam pranami ca Sri sacitanayam” in the end o the bhajan Srila Sripada turnd to sing Radhe Radhe Radhe Gopinatha Radhe….. (the name of the centre is Sri Sri Radhe Gopinath) Srila Sripada sang Ecstaticly wioth deep mood, may be mood of seperation with his beloved Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha. Srila Sripada showered full mercy the the assembled devotees by that nice bhajan. In the middle of bhajan, the devotee stood up and jumped in ectasy, they couldn’t stand for the bliss in their heart in the Association of a Pure Devotee like Sripad Srila Sripada.

So the kirtan last about one and a half hour. An after that Srila Sripada gave short speech qoutting one verse from bhagavad gita:

Yad karosi yad asnasi  yaj juhosi dadasi yat

Yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva mad arpanam

Bhagavad Gita 9.27

“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, what ever you over or charity you give and whatever austerity you done—do it as an offering unto Me .”

Srila Sripada told the devotee student to keep enthusiastic in Krishna Conciousness and keep cooperate each others, and gave proper respect to the visitors, and always seek good association and take advice from the senior devotees. Srila Sripada hope that the student to arranged the daily activites as nice as possible by make an agenda how long we should study, how long should we chant, how long should we do service, what service we can do in the asram, etc. And of course finished the study in the university nicely. Behave nicely. And so on. Srila Sripada has a great visison for the centre in Surabaya, he said that Surabaya and East Java is a great field to Preach Krishna conciousness.

The day before the seminar and after the greeting ceremony in the house of Dinanath Prabhu, Srila Sripada Had a short Discussions with a reseacrh scientist whoese wife also had chanted the hare krishna mahamantra. They discuss about Science and religion, the nature of reality, ultimate reality, The scientific Evidence of God, etc. the discussion based on Srila Sripada new issue of Savijnanam magazine.

Go to Sulawesi

Surabaya is the last city visited by Sripada Srila Sripada on this tour. From Surabaya, Srila Sripada flight to Central Sulawesi to meet his loving devotees there. Srila Sripada went to sulawesi just accompanied by few devotee, like Premadhana Prabhu, Sridhara Prabhu, Radhanath Prabhu, Brajamani and Of course Sundaranda Prabhu, Srila Sripada translator.

How the program ran in sulawesi may our Radhanath Prabhu could share here.

Lombok Island Indonesia August 13^th 2005

Your Servant,

Dvibhuja das

Notes: :
1. Srila Sripada has  a plan to take some importance people to bali.

2. there will be great growth on harinam sankirtan in ten years later in bali, Srila Sripada said.

3. Srila Sripada Plan to open Bhaktivedanta Institute in Indonesia and also school for childrens with english languange medium..