H.H. Sridhara Swami Leaves His Body in Mayapur / March 14, 2004

[krsna]

http://www.mayapur.info/2004/03-14-04/index.htm

[Govindaram]

 

Even though i do not know a lot about Sridhara Swami, I still hav tears in my eyes at the thought that another pure Vaishnava devotee has left this world.

 

all glories to devotees of sri radha-krsna

[Guest guest]

Sridhar Swami Passes Away

Longtime ISKCON Devotee Succumbs to Liver Failure

by Ananda Tirtha das

Mayapura, India

 

Posted March 14, 2004

 

This is our last update in regards to His Holiness Sridhar Swami's ongoing situation.

 

Our beloved spiritual master has passed away early this morning (March 14, 2004) at 6:10 a.m. in Sri Mayapur Dham, on the auspicious Appearance Day of Srivas Pandita.

 

After a hard night he left this world peacefully, surrounded by devotees who heartfully chanted the Holy Names, keeping a big poster of Srila Prabhupada in front of his eyes.

 

Sridhar Swami will finally enter samadhi here in Sri Mayapura Dham next to the samadhi of HH Tamal Krishna Goswami.

 

On behalf of all his disciples,

 

Acyutananda das

Adbhuta Hari das

Gargamuni das

Mayapur das

 

[Dervish]

I wish to express my condolences to all of the swami's disciples, as well as all his godbrothers who mourn him.

[Guest guest]

HH Sridhar Maharaja in Mayapur

Braja Sevaki dd, February 13, 2004

 

This article was sent by HG Braja Sevaki dd to a public conference on PAMHO.

HH Sridhara Maharaja arrived in Mayapur today, driven up to the doorway of the temple, surrounded by devotees performing kirtan, welcomed by Gulab Kali, and carried either side by his godbrothers Jayapataka Swami and Indradyumna Swami. Doctors have given Maharaja a short time to live, and he has made his way to Mayapur to be nursed in the loving embrace of the devotees here.

(These pictures are courtesy of www.mayapur.info )

This is the first time that most of the devotees here have had the chance to welcome a Vaisnava who is entering their final days in this world. The atmosphere was charged; it was a very emotional morning. As Maharaja was led into the temple, a swarm of devotees followed him. As he approached Sri Sri Radha Madhava's altar, the Govindam prayers began to play on the temple speakers. I wasn't the only one to notice that Madhava's eyes, which usually gaze towards the centre of the temple, were glancing down at Sridhara Maharaja, who stood at the front of the altar. Not the imagination of a few, but the loving glance of the Lord upon His dear devotee....

 

Maharaja was then taken to Nsringhadeva's altar, as Danavir Goswami led the Nsringha prayers; then around to take darshan of Sri Panca-tattva.

We don't know how long Maharaja will be with us, but he is asking that the devotees please pray that he may be witness to the installation of Sri Panca-tattva next week.

 

Your servant Braja Sevaki dd

[Haridham]

Hare Krsna fellow vaisnavas.

 

Sri Dhar Maharaj was one of the first devotees to join in vancouver. At our temple yesterday, we had his mother, sister and brothers at the temple where some nice words were said by fellow devotees and godbrothers.

 

I had the good fortune to associate this one last time with Sridhar Maharaj just before he left for Mayapur. True to his reputation even with his sickness he was the Jolly Swami.

 

Hare Krsna

[krsna]

H.H. Sridhara Swami Leaves His Body in Mayapur / March 14, 2004

 

 

Dear Devotees, Please accept my most humble obeisance's. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. With deep sorrow in our heart we announce to the vaishnava community the passing away of His Holiness Sridhar Swami at 6:10 am, on this most auspicious occasion of the Appearance day of Srivasa Pandit, in the Holiest of all places Sri Mayapur Dham. His Holiness was conscious and looking at all the Deities pictures and Srila Prabhupada's pictures while he left His body.

 

His Holiness was feeling not so well yesterday during the night. When I saw him a few days ago, speaking by phone with HH Radhanath Swami, he confirmed to me that he would like to go to the west again to preach since he is feeling better now. But Krsna Has other plans for His Holiness. Yesterday I posted the picture of Maharaja receiving the World Excellence award from the hands of HH Bhaktiswarup Damodara Swami for his preaching and service to his beloved Gurumaharaja Srila Prabhupada. I will be reporting the whole day all the incidents.

 

 

 

His Holiness is a very fortunate devotee since He could be in Mayapur during the Sri Panca Tattva Deities installation as Krsna fulfilled His desire to be with His Godbrothers and Godsisters and all the vaishnavas during this festival and the Gaurpurnima festival. Leaving the body in Mayapur is only for the most fortunate souls since they surely return back to serve the Lotus Feet of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and the Panca Tattva Bhagavan. A few days ago I gave one poster to Maharaja of Him garlanding Lord Nityananda during the installation ceremony after abhisheka. He said that it was the most astonishing and best picture of him doing any service for the Lord, as he especially wanted to bath Lord Nityananda. His Holiness also has an amazing and very beautiful deity of Lord Nrsimhadeva that I will send later on so that all of you can take darsan of His Deity, as He once told me that He wanted all the devotees to have pictures of this Narasimha Sila and have darsan of The Protector of the Devotees. May Lord Nityananda and Lord Narasimha deva shower their mercy and protection on His Holiness.

 

We hope devotees will chant extra rounds for this occasion which in fact is a very auspicious day since it is the appearance day of Srivasa Pandit.

 

I just received a call that HH Jayapataka Swami is giving instructions regarding ceremonies to perform and trying his best to come from Rajamandri which is 7 hours away from the nearest airport (since He is with the South India safari tour). We hope his desire to be here with His dear Godbrother will be realized in case flights and connections are problematic.

 

ys

Tusti Mohan Krsna das

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

MEMORIES OF HH SRIDHAR SWAMI

 

 

 

As a first lady disciple of HH Sridhar Swami, I would like to contribute few words about the memories I have, serving Maharaja from the December 1992, until January 1997.

 

 

 

Dear Sridhar Swami,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Mayapur's Sri Sri Radha Madhava and Sri Panca Tattva!

 

 

 

Joining Krishna consciousness movement in November 1992, I was serving in Govindas restaurant in Stockholm under the guidance of HG Manidhara prabhu – waiting for the spiritual master, praying to Srila Prabhupada. And you came a month later – marching like a general into the battle, pleasant to devotees like a mother, strict like a thunder. I approached you – «please take me to Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet». And six months later in Denmark, you have decided to accept me and see what would happen.

 

 

 

I came to India for karttik 1994, you allowed me to join Srila Prabhupada marathon soldiers in Juhu temple and, with nice guidance of Narttaka Gopal mataji, always knowing I can come to your office with questions – my life was sublime.

 

 

 

Later, after that marathon, you sent me to Kolkata temple, to serve under Adridharan prabhu and you allowed me to go to Nepal and extend the visa, to stay in India. Even then I had a hard time in Iskcon due to my explicite desire of service and meditation, so Srila Gaur Govinda Maharaja allowed me to serve him and stay for some time in his temple in Bhubaneswar. How fortunate I was!

 

 

 

For a short period of time, I had a mercy of being a member of Srila Prabhupada's Centennial House staff in Delhi, with disciples of HH Lokanatha Maharaja. Closer and closer to you. And you initiated me in 1996 in Mayapur, asking me to come to Juhu, Mumbai and cook for you.

 

 

 

It was sweet and sweaty. It was difficult, very different then any other life experience. Never being in charge of anything very important, suddenly I was bombarded with so much service I hardly slept – praying for more godsisters and godbrothers to become and help me, take over.

 

 

 

Some unfortunate things happened in the temple, some unfortunate things happened in the movement - I lost faith - and I decided to continue my spiritual path elsewhere so I left in January 1997.

 

 

 

In 1998 I came to Vrindaban and Mayapur for Gaura Purnima, first time I met Srila Bhaktivedanta Gosvami Narayana Maharaja and I found what I was looking, found the same path you have been showing me – Srila Prabhupada's path. Finally I found heart-melting, kind Vaisnava sisters and brothers I was longing for. And they mercifully accepted me.

 

 

 

Thank you very much, for letting me serve you, thank you for inviting me to come to India, my real home. Thank you for introducing me to Srila Prabhupada. I remember our first serious conversation in Ljubljana temple – ex. Bhakta Bobo was there and me, ex. bhaktin Jadranka – and you took Hari Sauri's Transcendental Diary and you said «I would like to start our relationship in the most wonderful way – introduce you to Srila Prabhupada as Hari Sauri prabhu wrote it» and you were reading and reading and reading. And tears in your eyes were telling me – «Hold his lotus feet, this is a 100% Srila Prabhupada’s devotee, you have never met anyone like him». I see you as a temple president in Juhu – kind to Life members, keeping brahmacaries strict, seating in front of the altar waiting for curtain to open for mangala aratik, chanting and dancing in London Ratha Yatra, Delhi Ratha Yatra, Mumbai Ratha Yatra, Croatian camps… merciful to new devotees, merciful to the temple guests, giving classes in Hindi, opening a new temple in Delhi, having sweet relationships with your godsisters and godbrothers, so humbly reading a first Vyasa-puja book I tried to edit, searching for my godsisters and godbrothers’ offers all around the globe. That day, Mayapur das was initited, my first temple godbrother. I see you preaching to your two Canadian brothers, lucky guys. I see you surrounded by your most newly-initiated and aspiring disciples, saying “Without them, I would be dead”. You hardly could walk those last days, but you stopped on your way to Sri Panca Tattva altar and said to your guests: “We came to India and left our families, left our countries as a service to Srila Prabhupada, fought with diseases and poverty, preaching the message of Vedic sastras so you Indians could recognize it and take it”. You are known as “Jolly swami” but your heart is always crying for Srila Prabhupada.

 

 

 

Reading on internet about your trip to Vancouver and back, my heart broke in two and I came to India in desire to beg for forgiveness for leaving (even then my harsh words did not stop) - and you let me come to see you, you forgave me, you asked me to help your disciples in making a breakfast for you, you told me to ask questions, to pray and to be humble. But, knowing I took spiritual shelter from a saint belonging to Gaudiya Math I was not appreciated, you asked me to leave. You told me to chant and continue serving my Sri Sri Radha Vinod Bihariji deities my Gurudev mercifully gave me to worship. I left Mayapur dham and came back to Sri Sri Rupa Sanatana math in Vrindaban. Foolishly I thought I would see you in some distant corner of the globe, again preaching and fighting for lost conditional souls against Mayadevi. Last day in India before coming back to Croatia, I phoned your doctor in Kolkata saying I heard about a very good medicine for purifying the blood from metals. Little we both knew you decided to leave the body few hours earlier.

 

 

 

I am proud of being your disciple even for one day, even for one moment. You initiated me into our Sampradaya, but I lost faith in Iskcon and in you at one point - and it took me years of chanting, with association of pure devotee’s disciples, to change. I learned to try to see Lord Krishna’s devotees according to their spiritual greed, not to the institution or religion they belong to. You told that last day we have met – not to open my heart easily but remembering you, I can not help it. Being protected by Gurudev and advanced Vaisnavas, I have no worry but one hope – that some day, in some other lifetime, I would meet you again, hopefully recognize and try again, with little more brain and little more humility and much more respect to you. It remains for me only to pray that in (lifes)time I have the same dedication to my Gurudevs.

 

 

 

Your servant, Yashoda devi dasi (Croatia)