Passing away of H G Jagdanand Pandit Prabhu

[Guest guest]

Dear Maharaja and Prabhus,

 

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

 

With a heavy heart I want to inform you that one of our old devotees, named

Jagadananda Pandit Das had left his body on 29th of April at 5 pm.

Jagadananda Pandit Prabhu who was popularly known as "Pandit-ji" was

actually a "pandit" - a very scholarly devotee. He joined Sri Sri

Radharasabihariji temple at Juhu, Mumbai in the year 1984 and served Their

Lordships till his last breath. He was the disciple of H.H. Gopal Krishna

Maharaj.

 

He has distributed thousands of Srila Prabhupad's books throughout India as

a leader of the traveling Sankirtan party. He participated in Srila

Prabhupada's Marathon for more than 13 years in one particular place called

Churchgate in downtown Mumbai. I remember on several occasions he

distributed more than 1000 Bhagavad-Gitas in a single day. His modus

operandi was that early morning he would go out and speak about the

philosophy of Bhagavad-Gita through the microphone and people would gather

around him and at the end of his short speech those people gathered around

would buy books. After the crowd is dispersed he would start again and fresh

passerby's would gather and the process gets repeated.

 

For the last several years he has been doing the service of being the leader

for New Bhakta program. He was apt for this service as not only the new

devotees but everyone here in Juhu saw a fatherly figure in him due to his

loving and caring nature. Devotees found in him a person genuinely

concerned about their well being. He had no personal motives in his

relationships and dealings with devotees - a fact well evident and

recognized by all the devotees who dealt with him. Devotees found themselves

struck down by his simplicity and humility. He would disperse off any

volatile situation among bramacharis with a cool head, simply smiling and

chanting and telling the devotees that the concerned matter was

insignificant in comparison to our overall life span and one should get on

with their service.

 

He would also regularly go out for preaching programs. His lectures were

attentively listened by many because of the scholarly content. His desire

to preach by his lectures was reciprocated by devotees as he was invited to

go to Kenya for preaching. He preached for many months, especially to the

Hindu community there.

 

He studied Srila Prabhupad books thoroughly and methodically and used to

present the philosophy very nicely. He had a natural attraction towards Hari

nama. Devotees who interacted with him can give a testimony of how they

never ever found him doing prajalapa or blaspheming others. He was a friend

of both the gentle and the ruffians like the six Goswamis.

 

Recently he went to Chitrakuta for preaching program for one week where he

spoke to nearly one thousand people everyday. He came back a fortnight

before from Chitrakuta. On 29th morning he called a few of us while mangala

aratik was going on. He had a record of never missing managala aratik and

since that particular day he was not there for mangala aratik and infact had

sent word that he was feeling ill , we understood that the matter was

serious. When I enquired him about his health, he complained that he had lot

of pain on his right chest and he was about to die. We decided to take him

to the hospital to which he responded saying "I took Jamuna water and tulsi

leaf and I am alright."

 

We still insisted him to come along to the hospital but he said he was never

admitted to the hospital and hence was reluctant to go. Jagananda Pandit

prabhu was doing saligram puja everyday but due to sickness he could

not do puja for those last 4 days. But on the 29th morning he cleaned his

room and did the puja, offering fresh flowers and tulsi to saligram.

 

Later in the evening at 5 PM he went to a local clinic with one bhakta. The

doctor examined him and told that he was very serious and he may not

survive. He advised him to get admitted to the nearby hospital. But

Jagananda prabhu left his body before reaching the hospital.

 

We brought his body from the hospital to the temple and decorated his body

with flowers and garland from Sri Sri Radha Rasabihariji. We kept his body

for darshan and that whole night devotees were chanting till 30th April

early morning and after mangal aratik we took his body around and in the

temple and all the devotees accompanied the procession till the cremetorium

chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Last rites were performed and HH Gopal

Krishna Maharaj who on his way driving to Pune, returned back half way

through on hearing the demise of Jagadananda Pandit and participated in the

entire ceremony.

 

Later we found from among his personal belongings a note book, in which he

wrote a note just a day before he left his body i.e. on 28th night that

after his death, the devotees should do his sanskars (final rites) and he

had given his brother's address mentioning that we should inform him. He

also wrote many slokas quoting from different scriptures about death and

what one should do at the time of death. From all this it was very evident

that during those last couple of days Jagadananda Pandit prabhu was very

well preparing to leave his body in sound Krishna consciousness which is the

ultimate goal of devotees. As Srila Prabhupada describes from the Bhagavatam

- Ante Narayana Smriti - the successful termination of ones material

existence. Everything will be tested at the time of death.

 

Jagadananda Pandit is a picture of humilty and was completely attached to

the instruction of his guru. He will remain a source of inspiration to all

of the devotee community. All the devotees of Juhu temple and congregation

organized a condolence meeting in the temple room and narrated his glories

and offered puspanjali and served feast to everybody.

 

Although physically he is not present with us, we the devotee of Hare

Krishna Land always aspire for his association and will remember him always

in core of our heart. Let his example of humility and all vaishnava

qualities guide us to progress in spiritual life.

 

Your servant

Brajhari Das

Acting Temple President