Lal Baba achieves the dust of Vraj

[Guest guest]

My dear Maharajas and Prabhujis,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Those of you who have visited Sanatan Goswami's bhajan kutir at Pavan

Sarovar in Nandagaon may remember the little old sadhu who lived in the room

on the side of the courtyard. His He was affectionately called Lal Baba and,

until 3 years ago when his hands were no longer able to do the work, he used

to make japa beads and kanthi mala. His real initiated name was Krishna

Chaitanya Dasa.

 

For last several years, Vrinda Kunda has been looking after him supplying

him with medicine and fruits and whatever else he needed. On ninth morning,

Bhagwat Pujari from Vrinda Kunda called to tell me that Lal Baba was leaving

his body. So I immediately got a kirtan party together and went there to do

kirtan for him. By 4 pm it was obvious that he was going to stay on for a

while longer, but I was sure he would not make it through the night. So I

told everyone they could return to Vrindavan, but I wanted to stay.

Daivishakti matatji who used to look after him also wanted to stay.

 

Around 9:30 pm his breathing began to slow down, so we started kirtan. At

exactly 10 pm Lal Baba breathed his last. As he breathed his last, his mouth

opened slightly and everyone took it as a sign that his atma went up. Of

course living for 50 years in Nandagaon and leaving his body there we know

he went to join Krishna and Balram in their nitya-leela.

 

The next morning all the sadhus of Nandagaon gathered and we did his last

rites. In Nandagaon and many villages of Vraj, I have seen that instead of

using wood, they use cow dung patties which seems much more auspicious.

Then, according to the custom of the local sadhus, there was a feast for all

the sadhus of Nandagram, puri, subji, and halevah. After some time we will

make a general feast.

 

Just a week before, we were visiting and Lal Baba, who never much talked

about his past, told us of his youth. His grandmother lived in a house that

had a tulsi growing in a nice tulasi pillar, which you may see in Bengal.

Later was divided between the two brothers. The sister in law of his

grandmother told to take the tulasi away as it was growing right between the

two properties. She begged that it is not proper to harm Tulasi, but one day

the sister in law had someone cut the tulasi which was quite large, more

that two inches thick trunk. At that moment she fell down inexplicably and

broke her leg and arm.

 

The tulasi was thrown beside the house where as a little boy Lal Baba found

it. He was very young and had no idea what it was. He simply thought it was

a great for making a walking stick. So he took a knife and took off all the

bark and and whittled it into a walking stick.

 

His uncle came a saw what he had done and told him now you've done a big sin

and will go to hell. Tulasi is just as worshipable as Thakurji. This is a

big sin what you're doing. You should offer flowers, put chandan, and offer

sweets to this Tulasi stick. He was young and didn't know anything so he

would offer flowers, put chandan, and offer sweets according to the order of

his uncle.

 

Later he came to Vraj and went on Vraj Parikrama. When the party reached

Nandagaon, a dog bit him and he got infection and fever. The party refused

to take him along so he stayed in Nandagaon. In fact he stayed there for

almost 50 years and never went anywhere else. Once he went to Vrindavan to

see Chandan yatra.

 

Later Pramode Puri Maharaj came and saw this young sadhu there at Pavan

sarovar and put 10 rupees in his hand and told him to make some japa mala

for him. Then another Maharaj came and did the same thing and that was his

life's career, making tulasi japa mala for the devotees.

 

In service to Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

Deena Bandhu dasa