HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami Memorial Part 2

[Guest guest]

[Continued]

 

Hari Sauri Prabhu: Srila Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja! Thank you very

much Hrdayananda Goswami Goswami. Now we'd like to ask another godbrother of

Svarupa Damodara Maharaja, Visuddha-sattva Prabhu who was working with

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja since about 1980 on the scientific

preaching, particularly in pursuance of the instructions Prabhupada gave to

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja to gather up all our PhDs and present the

Vedic Planetarium. So Visuddha-sattva Prabhu, if you'd like to say a few

words.

 

 

Visuddha-sattva Prabhu: It is my honor to say a few words about my

godbrother Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja, with whom I had to the work very

closely in the last thirty years. I know that it is not possible to glorify

Vaisnavas in a short time, eight-ten minutes. I will try to do my best to

some glorification of His Holiness Sripad Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja

because I have very few things to say that nobody knows about his pastimes,

even some confidential things about his departure.

 

As were saying Jayapataka Maharaja, Hrdayananda Maharaja, Sesa Prabhu, the

qualities of Svarupa Damodara Maharaja as Vaisnava are very wonderful. He

was a very special disciple of Srila Prabhupada. of course, Prabhupada, like

all fathers, eternal well-wishers, he likes every disciple, but there are

some special disciples who are more surrendered.

 

So Prabhupada through his instrument Svarupa Damodara Maharaja made this

specific task to preach to the academic community against the atheistic

theory that life comes from matter. So there was this conversation in Venice

Beach between Srila Prabhupada and Svarupa Damodara Maharaja in the form of

a book, everyone knows that book, "Life Comes From Life".

 

By the arrangement of Krsna, they met each other under very special

circumstances. I want to explain to Vaisnavas what is not well-known: how

Srila Prabhupada met Svarupa Damodara Maharaja. He was preparing his thesis

in physical organic chemistry in University of California in Irvine. His

very close friend was Dr. Rao, also a PhD student. He was Indian. Maharaja

was also Indian, from Manipur.

 

In fact, Maharaja was naisthika-brahmacari from birth. This is another

quality that should be mentioned. Along with his gentleness, he was a

perfect gentleman, very charming, very humble, very simple, at the same time

very learned. This is the quality of Vaisnava, to be humble. He was PhD, but

he was always very aware of his mission entrusted by Srila Prabhupada.

 

Hrdayanada Maharaja said Prabhupada made him a perfect instrument to be an

ambassador for preaching to the academic community because Prabhupada knew

that if we can defeat this materialistic tendency, because the scientists

are the leaders, then the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

will have credit. So Maharaja was acting in tune with Prabhupada to be his

perfect instrument to defeat these, as Bhagavad-gita says:

 

mayayapahrta-jnana asurah bhavam asritah.

 

So Maharaja met Srila Prabhupada when he was a PhD student at the insistence

of his friend Dr. Rao. It was in Los Angeles, "I want to go to see Srila

Prabhupada."

 

He insisted at different times that he go to see Srila Prabhupada, but he

[bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja] said, "No, because I am very busy with my

thesis."

 

For one month again and again he insisted, his friend Rao. Finally, he said,

"If you are not coming today, I won't be your friend anymore."

 

So Maharaja, at that time, said, "OK, I will go with you." So he met

Prabhupada.

 

As soon as he met Prabhupada, he knew that they are both scientists from

Manipur and India, he said, "You are both coming to USA to steal scientific

knowledge and to get money, but I gave to give a very valuable thing through

this Krsna consciousness." Those are the words that very much impressed

Svarupa Damodara Maharaja. He became convinced in his heart. The rest is

history.

 

I want to say a few words about his departure. I had the honor to work with

him very closely. He was superior to me in many ways, but by his compassion,

his mercy, as his disciples were saying, he was always showing a lot of

compassion to everybody. He was the perfect ambassador of how to deal with

the scientists, especially Nobel laureates.

 

Prabhupada's message came through him because Prabhupada told him to

establish BI, Bhkativedanta Institute, for this specific purpose of

preaching to the academic community. Otherwise, they may not accept this

wonderful movement as strong and understand consciousness. Prabhupada wanted

him to play that role. I think that he accomplished this task very

wonderfully.

 

I remember that I was in Bombay. I came to India in 1979. I was sankirtana

leader in Caracas. I was working under the GBC, Hrdayananda Maharaja, at

that time. I went to the BBT in Los Angeles. I met Svarupa Damodara Maharaja

for the first time there. Svarupa Damodara was brahmacari. He was staying in

the BBT apartment. I was very impressed, as with Gaura Govinda Maharaja,

when I met him for the first time, with his humility.

 

He told me, "I know that you are mathematician doing research on Fifth

Canto, so please you join BI."

 

So I went to Bombay and joined. I was in Bombay for many years with other

scientists, Madhava Puri, who has a PhD in quantum physics. So we were with

Maharaja very closely. We traveled together to different places all over the

world, conferences in San Francisco, Los Angeles. Here in India we had a

special alliance with Professor George ?, a Nobel laureate in Bombay, and

Nobel laureates in Delhi. I remember one All-Indian Science Conference in

Delhi, there were three Nobel laureates, and a Nobel laureate in quantum

physics also.

 

Anyway, Maharaja was empowered by Srila Prabhupada as a special disciple. As

Sesa Prabhu was saying, his determination, even in the time of obstacles and

impediments and disagreement, he was fixed in the determination to follow

the instruction of his spiritual master. This is a very nice quality to

remember in this memorial about his character. His personality was fixed.

 

For the last few years, I also had the honor to be very close with him. He

was very intensely preaching here in India. Maharaja told me . . . . Maybe I

can tell you, even about his departure.

 

During the Manipur blast, I was supposed to come to India in July. Then by

arrangement of Krsna, the ticket never came. I complained to Krsna, "Why,

Krsna, why?" In fact, Krsna is unbelievable. His plan is acintya. He had

some plan for my humble self. So I could not come to Manipur, it was that

blast. Bhojadeva was there. He was severely injured during the rasa-lila. It

is Vaisnava state. Some criminal activity threw some grenade. It was big

blast. Five local Manipuri devotees died. Almost forty-fifty devotees were

injured. Bhojadeva Prabhu was one of them. He protected Maharaja so that he

did not die. All these were signs together.

 

Maharaja told me very confidentially, "Maybe I don't have more time left in

this world. I am already sixty-one."

 

I said, "Maharaja, what will happen to the Bhaktivedanta Institute because

the disciples . . . . Who is going to continue this mission, vision of Srila

Prabhupada, this legacy?"

 

He was saying, "Let's see. Everything is in the hands of the Lord. We are

insignificant. He should carry on the mission of Srila Prabhupada."

 

With this very intensity, even in year 2006, we did Govardhana Parikrama

together. He never did Govardhana Parikrama, but he did parikrama naked

feet. Brijabasis told me, I spent many years in Vrindavan, "We respect

Svarupa Damodara Maharaja because he has the qualities of a sadhu, titiksava

karunika. He is very compassionate, very merciful, very charming person,

also his smile."

 

He was empowered by Srila Prabhupada how to deliver Krsna consciousness to

that difficult academic community. In fact, he was the only disciple of

Srila Prabhupada who wrote a book during the presence of His Divine Grace,

"Scientific Basis of Krsna consciousness". Prabhupada was very pleased. At

that time, '76, '77, we had a conference in Vrindavan. Prabhupada was very

pleased with him giving reports every day.

 

In the departure of Prabhupada, the antya-lila, final pastimes of His Divine

Grace in Vrindavan, he also had close association, Svarupa Damodara. In

fact, from one o'clock to three o'clock, he was nearby the bed of Srila

Prabhupada. Prabhupada told to him in Bengali. He told to me, "Prabhupada,

told me in Bengali." Maybe when we are going to pass away, we talk in our

mother tongue. Of course, Prabhupada was transcendental. He came from the

spiritual world to save us. He was an emissary of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai,

parama karuna. He was nearby the bed of Srila Prabhupada.

 

He was speaking many, many things only about Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Prabhupada said, "Bhaktivedanta Institute is a more prestigious branch of

ISKCON. If we can convince the scientists that will be for the glory of the

International Society for Krishna Consciousness."

 

I want to say to finalize, I have many, many things to say about him. I was

fortunate to get close association, intimate relation. Prabhupada made him

GBC for life. One thing I learned from him is tolerance and humility. It may

be easy to be humble, but it is very difficult to be tolerant. So the last

year, the last two years, he was very disgusted, very sour from many

misunderstandings, circumstances from his Godbrothers. He told me, "Anyway,

I will be obedient to Prabhupada and I will be fixed in my determination to

carry on that mission that Prabhupada instructed to me."

 

So he was worrying about that conference in Puri, Jagannath Puri. He was the

chairman. We organized a Second All-Indian Student Conference for Science.

The first was held in Vrindavan after his Vyasa-puja in 2005. So this past

December 9-10, we held that conference. I made a presentation on Vedic

Cosmology in his honor.

 

Before that, in Vrindavan, I'll just take one minute more because it's

important, about his departure. We say that Svarupa Damodara Maharaja died

because of a massive heart attack, but it was not so. I will reveal for the

first time in the presence of Radha-Madhava, asta-sakhis, and Vaisnavas what

was the real departure.

 

I called him two days before. From Vrindavan, I called Calcutta. Some

disciple told me that Guru Maharaja has high fever. So he was last recorded,

his last address to the disciples, "Thank you very much for all the service

you are doing for me and Prabhupada, etc." But some perception came to my

heart by the mercy of Prabhupada and Radha-Krsna that said that Maharaja

wants to leave.

 

So that night, about ten o'clock, he was in his apartment in Bhaktivedanta

Institute in Calcutta, M.P. Road. Maharaja woke up and complained about some

pain in his left shoulder. He asked a disciple taking care of his

publications, to bring some ice because the pain was going from his left

shoulder to his fingers. Then suddenly Maharaja started breathing heavily

with difficulty.

 

He asked for some massage, but he was waiting for the maha-rasa because

after the Manipur blast, he was complaining, "My mind came to new spiritual

world." He was revealing, very confidential, I can tell you, I have

perception also about that. Maharaja left this world because Prabhupada

wanted to take him back for his nitya-lila service and Radha-Krsnacandra

also wanted to have him back in the spiritual world. I had this perception

by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada. we said, for the practical sense, to the

doctor, that he was passing away form a heart attack, to avoid making

[unclear]. But in fact, by Krsna's arrangement, he was waiting for the

rasa-lila time, so he passed away at that moment.

 

Many things to say, but time is short. We don't want to tie-up the

Vaisnavas. We should take the wonderful example of this great disciple of

Srila Prabhupada, scientist, Vaisnava from birth. He was in the line of

Narottama dasa Thakura. He was Vaisnava from the very beginning. This is an

example for all our ISKCON society, for disciples of [unclear], the

wonderful qualities he had. We want to pray for his mercy.

 

We want to pray also to the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas and Srila Prabhupada

to continue and put forward the legacy, the vision, the mission of

Bhaktivedanta Institute that Srila Prabhupada entrusted to us.

 

Srila Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja ki jai!

 

Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

 

 

Hari Sauri Prabhu: Hare Krsna. Thank you, Vissudha-sattva Prabhu. Now our

final speaker is Sriman Prasada Das. There is a sheet that has been passed

around giving a description of Maharaja's last few hours. He will read from

that. Then we are going to end with a very short audio clip of Bhaktisvarupa

Damodara Maharaja singing a verse that he wrote about Radha Krsna lila.

Thank you. Prasada Prabhu.

 

 

Prasada Prabhu: So I will read about the glorious departure of Srila

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja, which is written by Sripada Maharaja's

servants, those attending him in Calcutta for the last seven to ten years:

 

Srila Sripada 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. Sripada 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

Sripada 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.

 

Sripada 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. Sripada 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, Sripada 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 Sripada 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,

Sripada 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, Sripada 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, Sripada Maharaja explained to us that one of the Manipuri

songs described Srimati Radhika's walking to be like that of a graceful

female elephant. Sripada 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 Sripada Maharaja during this time. Sripada 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 Sripada Maharaja how the Gaudiya Vaishnava culture and these

peculiar Manipuri tunes originally came to Manipur. Sripada 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, Sripada 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, Sripada 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".

 

We are very fortunate to have this recorded. Maharaja often sang these

verses in crying mood. So now we will play the recording:

 

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

 

nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale

srimate bhaktivedanta svamin iti namine

 

namaste sarasvati deve gaura vani pracarine

nirvesesa sunyavadi pascatya desatarine

 

jaya sri-krsna caitanya prabhu nityananda

sri advaita gadadhara srivasadi gaura-bhakta vrnda

 

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

 

(In "his gopi voice":)

 

VRAJAPREMDA LUPPE ANGAOBAGUMLE

RADHABU THIRAKLE SRI GAURANA

 

KEIDANO BRINDAVAN KEIDANO KUNJAVAN

KADAIDA LEIKHRE SAKHISHINGDUNA

THIRAKLE RADHABU SRI GAURANA

 

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

 

VRAJAPREMDA LUPPE ANGAOBAGUMLE

RADHABU THIRAKLE SRI GAURANA

 

Immersed in the loving thoughts of Vrajaprema, Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu is

searching for Srimati Radhika like a mad man. He is constantly heard saying,

"Where is Vrindavana? Where is Kunjavan? Where are the loving sakhis?"

Crying again and again uttering these words, Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu is

searching for Srimati Radhika like a mad man.

 

My dear loving devotees, by the divine grace of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri

Radha-Krsnacandra and also by your sincere prayers, I am recovering very

rapidly. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for your sincere

prayers. I look forward to seeing all of you in Puri in November, otherwise

December. [unclear] our protector Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Krsna.

[unclear]

Hare Krsna.

[End of recording.]

Srila Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja ki jai! Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Bhaktivedanta Institute ki jai! Gaurapremanade haribol!

 

Hari Sauri Prabhu: Thank you very much, Prasada Prabhu. Unfortunately we

don't have time for any further talks, but there is a printed sheet. If you

don't have one, you can see Prasada Prabhu and get one of these. This is an

account of the last few hours of Maharaja's stay with us. There is also a

wonderful book. There is a very nice book that glorifies Sripada Maharaja,

it is called "Bhagavata Sevarpanam". It gives a few details of his early

life in Manipur, how he came to the west, how he met Srila Prabhupada, how

he took up the instructions he was given, and some of the consequences of

his scientific preaching. I think that is available from the BI bus that is

parked just opposite this building. You can get that from Bhaktisvarupa

Damodara Maharaja's disciples.

 

Thank you very much for attending the program. Let's meditate on Svarupa

Damodara Maharaja's wonderful service to Srila Prabhupada as we go about

doing our own service to Srila Prabhupada and the Vaisnavas.

 

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja ki jai! Srila Prabhupada ki jai! Gaura

premanade!

 

[End]

 

[The following is the remainder of the document from which Prasada Prabhu

was reading:]

 

On October 1st, 2006, Sripada 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 Sripada Maharaja took a little soup

as his dinner and after that he went to take rest, as did we.

 

About an hour later Sripada 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 10:35 pm. Sripada

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.

 

Sripada 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 Sripada Maharaja stated he was experiencing

some pain, he was simultaneously exceedingly blissful and joyous. It was

just a moment later that Sripada Maharaja tilted his head back slightly and

disappeared from this world. One of assistants cried out "No Sripada! 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 Sripada

Maharaja's feet and hands hoping our most beloved Guru Maharaja would awaken

from his Samadhi. But Sripada Maharaja had already entered Lord Sri

Krishna's divine Rasa Lila.

 

The following day, Sripada 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 Sripada 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 Sripada 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 Sripada 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 Nabadvipa 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. Sripada 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.