Visnujana Swami's Birthday

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June 2, 1949 was the birthday of one of ISKCON's first saints. Visnujana Swami was one of the first pioneers to help Srila Prabhupada spread the Sankirtan Movement all over America. He traveled all over America and to India chanting so nicely that he melted the hearts of thousands of fortunate souls.

 

Visnujana's devotion for the Holy Names and his Deities, Sri Sri Radha Damodar, was so deep that all those who came in contact with him could sense it and became enlivened. Even though he was so advanced in spiritual life he remained and became more humble. That is the real attractive feature of any advanced devotee.

 

Visnujana woke first and cooked the manala sweet performed Kirtan then bathed and dressed the Deities with great love and devotion. Once in awhile we got to see Radharani's lotus feet. This was because she was/is at the young age of Damodar. Otherwise Srimati Radharani's feet are never shown on the Deities.

 

If you can organize a Harinam Party in his honor it would be very nice for all. You can go to a nice park or College and perform nice Harinam. Listen to Visnujana's sweet kirtans. I just found out recently from VJ's sister about his birthday so every year we can do a better and better festival in his honor.

 

Here is a few stories from my website about H.H. Visnujana Swami:

 

"Visnujana In Berkeley"

 

Traveling with Visnujana Swami and the Radha Damodara Traveling Sankirtan Party was always exciting. When we were in Berkeley in the summer of 74 we performed sankirtan at the front of the university every day for about 2 weeks. There was one Christian man preaching fire and brimstone every day. He was about 6'4" & 250#s. His voice was as loud as our amplified kirtan and he was really an agitation to the devotees. The bus driver and some of the others waited to force him to leave but Visnujana wouldn't let them. He tolerated this man day after day until he went a little too far.

 

The man had a cane with him and raising it up he declared that we were worshipping idols and that he could break the idols into a thousand pieces. Visnujana had been blissfully playing his harmonium but when he heard that he poped up like Nasringadeva; grabbing his rather large dunda from the side of the alter he charged the shocked Christian. The man looked like death personified was approaching. He turned and ran as fast as he could down the street. All we could see was Visnujana hitting him back and forth with his danda all the way down the street. Needless to say the man never returned. My feelings for Visnujana Maharaja increased more and more the whole year that I traveled with him.

 

"Visnujana Swami in Boston"

 

Visnujana Swami was so devoted to Sri Sri Radha Damodara it was inspiring for me and all of the devotees. He would wake up first, bath with cold water, sometimes breaking the ice outside, and dry off with the dhoti he would put on. He was a true sanyasi. He would then cook the Deities a milk sweet, wake Them, and then lead Mangal-arati. Then he would bath and dress Them and lead the greeting of the Deities. When he spoke it was usually short and sweet. He spoke with such love that our hearts would melt and we would never become tired or bored with his talks. He would lead kirtans and bhajans about 8 hours a day, sometimes more! He still found the time to always chant his rounds and arrange for and perform the Deitie's services.

 

ÝOne time we were in Boston in 1974. Visnujana was giving class and he described that the Deities were made out of 5 metals including gold and silver. I being a foolish new devotee that I still am, made a big blunder. When it came time for questions I said that even materially speaking if you melted the Deities down They would be worth a lot of money. That was it! Visnujana who rarely ever got angry, became very upset. He told me to never say anything like that again. I felt miserable. I didn't mean it that way. This incident showed me again how Visnujana felt about Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Damodara. He knew They are Persons, not just statues.!

 

ÝThe day before Rathayatra in San Francisco in 1974 Visnujana Swami was giving a lecture in the Armenian Hall. I was a recovering impersonalist and was staring at the Deities while he spoke. Damodara had a blue light on Him and Radharani had a gold one on Her. Visnujana said, "Don't think that these Deiites are idols. This is Krishna!" At that point a flower fell from Damodara's cheek over His arm and down. This convinced me that it was true. Krishna was telling me that He was there.

 

Ý The day after Rathayatra I ended up joining the R.D.T.S.P. I traveled withVisnujana for the first year and I thought he was a pure devotee. When I made this statement in the Phily Brahmachari ashram I was blasted. They said nobody's a pure devotee but Prabhupada. Later when Srila Prabhupada had left the planet and I raised doubts that all of the 11 'gurus' were pure devotees and again was 'blasted' for doubting them. I couldn't win either way! I still think Visnujana was/is a pure devotee and hope to have his association, and of course Srila Prabhupada's, in my next life.

 

"Visnujana's Cooking"

 

When Visnujana cooked the offerings were saturated with love and devotion. He would rise up usually first in the morning and take his bath. He would dry himself with the dhoti that he would put on. He was so austere it was unbelievable. He would go into the kitchen and cook the mangala arati sweet; usually milk cooked down with coconut. You knew you were getting 'prasadam' when you got Sri Sri Radha Damodara's remnants.

 

On Sri Radhastami in 1974 we were in Philadelphia. Visnujana and Tamal Krishna Swami's stayed up all night cooking 25 preparations for each of Radharani's qualities. All of the devotees were sitting in the back yard honoring the temple feast. Visnujana came and asked us why we were sitting in the back yard when the bus was full of prasadam. We got up and charged for the bus like a bunch of bees. The whole floor was covered with plates of prasadam. It was a first come first take system. Devotees were going mad after the prasadam. It was awesome!

 

One of my favorite Visnujana preparations was strawberry malpura. It seemed like Visnujana had the 'midas touch'. Everything he touched turned to gold. His chanting, his speaking, his cooking and his Deity worship were full of devotion so much so that he inspired all who were fortunate enough to come into contact with him.

 

"Visnujana in Key West"

 

Traveling on Sri Sri Radha Damodara's bus was always an adventure. There was hardly a dull moment. In the winter months we traveled in the southern states and in the summer the north. In the winter of 1974 we were in Florida. We left most of the devotees in Ft. Lauderdale and took a small crew for an sankirtan outing in Key West.

 

There is a famous place where people gather to watch the sunset. It's also one of the only places where the sunrise and sunset can be observed from the same place.

 

We pulled up to the site about an hour before sunset. Alot of people had started to gather already for the evening ritual. Some of the people noticed us and began to jeer. They didn't want us interfering in their sense gratification I guess. Tamal Krishna Maharaja expressed reservations about setting up in such a situation. Visnujana Swami however was never dissuaded from spreading the glories of the Holy Names and assured us that it would be ok. We didn't drive hundreds of miles for nothing. We set up and started to chant. A few of the people continued to mock at us. Some came over and sarcastically danced with beers in their hands. Visnujana Swami stopped the kirtan and in his esoteric and amiable voice he told them that we wanted them to dance with us but could they leave their beers elsewhere. They left laughing and we didn't expect them back. Within an hour more and more of the hundreds of people had turned from the upcoming sunset to join our kirtan. Finally it seemed everyone on the whole dock was dancing and chanting with us. Even the guys from before had rejoined us. (Probably because all of the girls had!) As the sun set beautifully in the distance hardly anyone noticed. They were absorbed in the sunrise of Sri Chaitanya's Hari Nama Sankirtan Mission. I saw a potentially dangerous situation turn into a spiritual festival of love of God. Visnujana Swami did this day after day. It was amazing. His heart was so pure and he was so humble that he had a positive influence on everyone who was fortunate enough to come in contact with him.

 

All glories to the mission of Sri Sri Guru & Gauranga!!! The bus program was so successful. Why don't we repeat history? It's tried and true! Ooooom namo Bhagavate Vasudeviya!