Radha Kunda Samadhi for Bhaktisvarup Damodar Maharaja

[Guest guest]

On the evening of Oct. 3rd, the body of H.H. Bhakti Svarup Swami Maharaja

arrived at Delhi Airport from Kolkata. There were more than 100 devotees

performing kirtan at the airport along with H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj

and H.H. Lokanath Swami Maharaj. The Maharajas and senior devotees placed

garlands on Maharaja's coffin. Many VIPs were also present at the Airport who

also placed garlands.

 

Then Maharaja was taken in an air-conditioned ambulance to Vrindavan

accompanied by his disciples. When the ambulance started all the devotees

started chanting and weeping with emotion. H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja

and H.H. Lokanath Swami Maharaja followed in another car along with two buses

with Maharaja's disciples from Manipur and other places.

 

Hundreds of devotees were gathered in the night at the front gate performing

kirtan anxiously awaiting Maharaja's arrival. Many disciples who had come from

different parts of India and the world were seen embracing in tears as they met

their fellow godbrothers and godsisters. Finally at about 9:15 PM we heard the

siren and saw the flashing lights of the ambulance.

 

The main gates swung open and the ambulance carefully navigated through as the

devotees parted in front of it like the Yamuna giving way to Vasudeva carrying

Krishna to Gokula. Srila Prabhupada's Samadhi Museum had been decorated with

many flower garlands and mango leaves with a raised platform in the middle for

devotees to take their final darshan of Maharaja. The ambulance pulled all the

way up to the steps down to the temple and the coffin was slowly taken from the

back of the ambulance.

 

Then bringing Maharaja carefully down the steps of the temple, the devotees

took him on parikrama of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir three times. His

disciples sweetly chanted a nice Manipuri melody of Hare Krishna Mahamantra.

The procession moved very slowly and reverentially around the parikrama path.

After the third round, Maharaja was taken to the Samadhi Museum and there was a

huge surge and rush.

 

The kirtan was stopped and announcements were made to make a line and come in

orderly fashion. Someone was barking passionate orders and the atmosphere

became tense, when some godsisters pleaded with us to start kirtan. So myself

and some other godbrothers began to slowly chant the Manipuri melody that was

the favorite of Maharaja. I could see him dancing in Kumbha Mela with his

special yellow turban surrounded by his Manipuri Kirtaniyas chanting this

melody in my heart.

 

The atmosphere was filled with anticipation as the devotees tried to carefully

remove the nails holding the lid of the coffin. It seemed like an eternity, but

finally the lid was open and tearful shouts of "Sripada Maharaja ki jaya!" rent

the air. Slowly everyone came forward and offered garlands, flowers, and

prayers and filed past. It took about an hour to for everyone to pay respects

and then Maharaja was taken to an air-conditioned room in the Krishna Balarama

Guesthouse where devotees and disciples kept a tearful vigil and performed

kirtan throughout the night.

 

All night long devotees were arriving from all parts of the world and India. In

the morning after Guru Puja kirtan, Maharaja was brought for final darshan of

Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Krishna Balarama, and Radha Shyamsundar. Again he was

taken to the Samadhi Museum for devotees to take darshan and proceed to the

buses and cars waiting to go to Radha Kunda. There was a huge caravan slowly

snaking to Radha Kunda.

 

Arriving in Radha Kunda, a huge kirtan procession proceeded toward the Gopalji

Mandir. The Ambulance arrived from a different side road just near the temple

and Maharaja was taken inside the small temple. This temple had been built by

the King of Manipur who had a dream that a temple should be built on the shores

of Radha Kunda where the first rays of the rising sun strike the kunda. Thus it

is situated on the northwest corner of the parikrama path. Later the king

kindly donated this temple to His Holiness Bhaktisvarup Damodar Maharaja. You

can see the picture of the King and Queen over the entrance to the temple.

 

After aratika and other ceremonies, Maharaja was taken for last parikrama of

Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda. In all about 600 devotees had gathered and it was

quite a long procession. The main kirtan party was way in front and could no

longer be heard. A small kirtan was going on near the coffin. Suddenly, someone

grabbed me by the arm and begged me to lead this kirtan. I felt very happy in

my heart to be able to perform this small service to the Lotus Feet of His

Divine Grace. Gradually we made our way around the sacred Kundas.

 

Returning to Gopalji Mandir, we went through a side entrance to the temple that

I had never seen before. There was a large courtyard surrounded by one and two

story buildings on all sides. Devotees were already lining the terrazas vying

for a view of the sacred body of Maharaja. On one side of the courtyard a huge

pit had been excavated.

 

His Holiness Bodhayayan Maharaja, disciple of Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaja of

Gopinatha Gaudiya Math, kindly came to oversee all the samadhi ceremonies. He

very expertly assisted the disciples in performing all the neccessary rituals,

including abhisheka, dress and decorating Maharaja with tilak and the Holy

Names of Krishna.

 

The whole time, I was watching Bhaktisvarup Damodar Maharaja's face. He looked

so peaceful, it was hard to believe he had left his body. Many devotees also

commented on this. It was as if he had closed his eyes during a lecture, our

hearts kept praying that Maharaja would just open his eyes and finish making

the point he was lecturing on. Even after three days, his body was very supple

and flexible.

 

The whole time kirtan was going on sometimes led by Lokanatha Swami, sometimes

Navayogendra Swami, and sometimes Bhakti Caru Swami.

 

Maharaja was then lowered into the deep pit and placed in lotus posture facing

east. Many other ceremonies were to be performed. All around was the open human

pathos that one is priviledged to see in India. Two brahamacaris embracing each

other and sobbing in tears, a devotee engineer and his wife holding on to each

other weeping uncontrollably, the husband wailing over and over again, "I lost

my father!"

 

Suddenly I spotted my old friend and dear godbrother, Bhojadeva Prabhu. You may

remember that he had taken the brunt of the blast in Manipur and saved Maharaja

from any serious injury. He had taken great trouble, despite being critically

wounded a month before, to be with Maharaja at his samadhi ceremony in Radha

Kunda. Later in the Smriti Sabha, Memorial Service, held in Krishna Balarama

Mandir, he answered a question that many speakers made during their

sraddhanjalis with a very deep realization. Why had Maharaja been taken away so

soon when his preaching to the scientific community was beginning to bear

fruit, but was not complete. Meditating on this question, he observed that

actually Maharaja's preaching was perfect and complete, because the real

perfection of life was to fulfill the order of one's spiritual master, and his

whole life had been dedicated to fulfilling Srila Prabhupada's desire.

Therefore his work was complete and perfect.

 

Finally, Maharaja's transcendental form was covered with rock salt. And then

the devotees began to shovel the earth back into the pit. Everyone lined up and

came forward to place his handful of earth. Many Prabhupada disciples who were

now preaching in other institutions also were present to mourn with us the

incredible loss of one of Srila Prabhupada's most stalwart preachers.

 

A fabulous feast was served to one and all. And this was amazing considering

the amount of devotees and the lack of time to prepare. Everyone was fully

satisfied.

 

Thus His Holiness Bhaktisvarup Damodar Maharaja achieved his samadhi on the

holy banks of the most sacred Radha Kunda.

 

Srila Bhaktisvarup Damodar Maharaja ki jaya!

 

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!