Dissapearance Of Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor

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On April 9th of 2001, Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor (Srila Adikeshava Das), a dear disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur and Srila Gauranga Das Babaji, abandoned this mortal world at 3 a.m. in Sri Vrindavan Dham. Most provably to be reunited with them again in the spiritual realm.

 

Srila Adikeshava Maharaja was born Oudh Bihari Lal Kapoor in 1909. He had strong leanings towards the Advaitic philosophy of Shankara. In August 1931, when he was working as a research scholar in the University of Allahabad, he met his diksha-guru Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada, who puled him out of his Advaitic moorings and initiated him into Bhakti. His initiation ceremony took place in Sri Radhakunda-the holiest of all places in Vraja. On Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's advice and under his close supervision he wrote a thesis on the Philosophy of Sri Chaitanya. The thesis was approved by the Allahabad University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Srila Adikeshava Maharaja had the unique distinction of being the first Doctor of Philosophy of this prestigious University.

 

He was very much distressed after the physical disappearance of his beloved diksha-guru . Although he thought that his guru's benedictory hand was still on him, he felt that without his living presence he was like an orphan. While living in Vrindavana Dhama he received the advice of a saint to meet a Siddha-Mahatma. On this saint's own opinion: The only Siddha-saint in Vrindavana at he present. He is most unostentatious and humble. But the spiritual treasure behind his simplicity can hardly escape the eyes of a discerning sadhaka. You must go and see him. After accepting siksha from the distinguished Siddha-saint Sri Gauranga Dasa Babaji of Ramanareti, the blessings of his diksha-guru thus fully manifested. Srila Adikeshava Maharaja was living in Vrindavana since 1967 and wrote books and articles in Hindi on the philosophy of Bhakti and the lives of the Vaishnava saints. Having already accepted the vow of sannyasa-tirtha, i.e., never to leave Sri Vrindavan Dhama, in 1998 he moved to the original ashram in Ramamareti, where he met Srila Gauranga Das Babaji.

 

Due to his close association with his dear God brother, the world known Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, he was named as one of the trust members on the occasion of the establishment of the first Western temple in the history of Vrindavana - the Krishna-Balarama Mandir of ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada had a long and very friendly relationship with Srila Adikeshava Das, which was established during a period of eight years while he was living at Hallahabad. They used to meet often at the Gaudiya Math temple and in their respective houses. Srila Prabhupada deeply appreciated his articles in English and published several of them in the magazine of his international society. He also recognized Srila Adikeshava Maharaja's dialectic on Gaudiya Vaishnavism and expressed it clearly on a review for his book "The Philosophy and Religion of Sri Chaitanya", written few years before Srila Prabhupada's physical departure:

 

...the teatrise bears the hall-mark of authentic research. It is, in my opinion, the first scientific delineation of the philosophy of Sri Chaitanya, based primarily on His direct utterances, as contained in Chaitanya Charitamrita and Chaitanya Bhagavata, and supported profusely by reference to the vast literature left by His learned disciples, most of which was written under His express command and on the basis of the guide-lines provide by Him.

 

The book is written in elegant style. I am sure it will be acclaimed, not only by the Vaishnavas in India, but by the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and the lovers of philosophy and religion all over the world.

 

After The Philosophy and Religion of Sri Chaitanya, which has been sanctioned by learned devotees as a text book for any serious student on Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy for all generations to come, Srila Adikeshava Maharaja wrote more than 25 books in Hindi besides dozens of articles dealing with the lives of the Vaishnava saints and the philosophical essence of the Universal Religion of Love of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His work in Hindi Vrij Ke Bhakta (published in English under the title The Saints of Vraja in an abridged version) has been printed in five editions and is still being acclaimed by the inhabitant all round Vraja.

 

When the need to support the Gaudiya Vaishnava siddhanta and the primacy of the rasika-acharyas followers of Sri Chaitanya over the conclusions of some saints of other Sampradayas, Srila Adikeshava Maharaja wrote Vrij Ke Rasika Upasana, thus defining for ever the supremacy of the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana as the original holders of the topmost conlusions on Rasa-Tattva.

 

Srila Adikeshava Maharaja's contribution to the welfare of the young Hare Krishna movement all over the world started to fully manifest after his writings produced in Vrindavana were first published in 1992 in English version. Surely, they occupy a significant place in behalf of the spiritual growth of the followers of Sri Chaitanya's movement. For the first time in the history of the Western Gaudiya Vaishnavism a learned and devoted follower of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, broadly recognized by bonafide saintly devotees, has brought to the attention of the ample Western audience the deep philosophical understanding relating to the mode of worship brought by Mahaprabhu Himself, together with the relevant biographical data-mostly collected personally-of uncompromising Siddha-saints.

 

Srila Adikeshava Maharaja brought a new, refreshing and unprecedent inner inspiration from contemplating the numerous biographical references given on the lives of the Vaishnava saints from the time of Sri Chaitanya up to recent days. Srila Adikeshava Das contribution in bringing to light such biographies is unique, since becoming absorved in the devotional activities of the saintly devotees of the Lord, invokes our natural faith in the process of Bhakti, since they are the models of devotion and can safely lead us on the path to a complete and pure contemplation of the nectarean pastimes of the Divine Couple Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.

 

Srila Adikeshava Maharaja's departure was surrounded by all auspicious signs since he was constantly engaged in chanting and hearing about the Lord and His devotees. Barely a week before his departure Srila Adikeshava Maharaja's clear memory and jolly mood had impressed again a devotee who spoke with him over the phone from US. Ovbiously, it is a mistake to think that a Vaishnava dies, since he continues living in sound through his writings. A web site offering his books (www.sadhu.net) had just being released before the news of his physical departure. Regretfully, Srila Adikeshava Maharaja could not be informed on time about this, however, it is believed that he would be very happy of his valuable devotional contributions being exposed to the Vaishnava community worldwide. We feel thankful and inspired by the exemplary life manifested by Srila Adikeshava Maharaja during his physical permanence amongst us. Nitai-Gaura Haribol!