My saviour, my dear eternal father, Guru Mahārājā,
Please accept respectful obeisances of a fallen daughter at your lotus feet. All glories to our dearest grandfather, Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to your unlimited enthusiasm to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda and Lord Caitanya.
Once again, like many times in the past, you left the world dumbfounded by the entire pastime of ‘simultaneous double transplants’. Devotees from all around the world not only prayed for you but went through great anguish while you were passing through that phase. Interestingly, many who do not practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, also participated in this lila by praying for you and thus benefitted. But you gave all of us great relief and joy by proving yourself a Victor once again. Your victory flag flew higher than ever before.
So many people were purified in this process. You have converted Global hospital into a shrine. The staff who were mostly Christians offered ghee lamp to Mother Yasoda and Lord Damodara deities in the main reception during kartik. Stanley hospital made a history by allowing you to come there as the first patient to undergo simultaneous double transplants successfully. Out of your causeless mercy upon them, you brought them glories. Apollo was blessed too. All the jivas in Hirānandani got spiritual advancement simply by your sheer presence; especially those who had the great fortune of having your divine darsana. What to speak of the entire transplant team and the organ donor and his family? Lord Caitanya is taking care of them already. Chennai was indeed fortunate to have you stationed for over one year.
No matter what, your compassion was overflowing for the suffering jivas. In spite of all pain and discomfort, you gave initiation in chennai, gave class from the hospital room, looking into the administrative meetings of Māyāpur and so forth. Your physical ailments were difficult for us to watch. It was unbearable to see how every day you had a new ailment. But your tolerance, endurance outsmarted every thing else. World’s worst critics were overwhelmed with wonder. You were manifesting all the qualites that Caitanya Caritamrta talks about…krpalu, sthira, satya-sara, sarvopakaraka, krsanaika sarana, sama, apramatta and so on.
Your desire to serve the Lord is unbeatable. On Nityānanda trayodasi last year, the doctors didn’t allow you to go to the temple. So in the hospital room, you performed full abhiseka of little Doyal nitāi Sacinandana Gaura. People have never witnessed such commitment in the history.
The way you exhibited your qualities on the morning of the surgery is unprecedented and memorable. We, in the health forum were in frenzy, flapping. But you were calm and poised. Your internal bliss of your relationship with Prabhupāda and the Lord was exuding externally. And that gave us the strength to fight that moment. There was 50-50 chance of your coming back from the surgery. But that didn’t seem to be a concern for you. You were busy writing mails to the leaders of our society and different people about your remaining duties, TOVP, Navadvipa Dhāma development, preaching, book distribution and so on. Before fighting the battle, Arjuna didn’t think of himself. He was mostly worried about others. Likewise following in his footsteps, you were showing us how you made your janma sarthaka through para upakara even at the worst trying moment. You were absorbed in your service to Śrīla Prabhupāda and the fulfillment of the desires of our previous ācāryas.
Before going to the operation theatre, you accepted the mercy in the form of Tulasi, Mahagarland and everything that Lord Nrsimhadeva mysteriously sent for you from Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma and had darsana of the Deities of Śrī Śrī Gaura nitāi for a long moment with folded hands and prayerful mood. It moved my heart. And like a very obedient patient you did your pre operative duties that was expected before surgery. In a troubled water, small fishes flap around in anxiety but the big fishes swim in a regal and majestic way. I witnessed it on that day.
In that super painful post operative period, you were preaching to the doctors, nurses in spite of having the tracheostomy tube in your throat. You refused to take ‘Ensure’ which was your main nutrition at that time, on the day of ekadasi because it has grain. Similarly, you refused to take curd in the second month of caturmasya even though curd was essential for you at that time. Through these examples you taught us how to adhere to the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness given to us by our spiritual master and previous ācāryas.
The doctors there in Chennai were completely surprised to see your intelligence, sharpness, presence of mind and memory. They have never come across a patient like your divine self. Some of them discussed these qualities with me.
It is incredible how deeply you are compassionate to every individual. I remember one of the nurses misbehaved with you in the ICU, which physically caused you pain but despite insistence, you refused to disclose his name to protect him from any harm and infamy. Any VIP or any other patient, as a matter of fact, in your place, would have made a serious issue out of it. But you are para duhkhe dukhi. Your forgiveness to that jiva is still shining in our heart as the north star.
Nevermind, all’s well that ends well. By mercy of the Lord, the day you returned to Māyāpur on 20th February like a superstar, with a convoy, devotees got back their life.The Lord seemed to have responded to their prayers. Through the grand welcome, the jubilant devotees expressed their exuberance. The whole event was magnificent! I am sure, your joy had no bounds to be back home with your loved ones.
I guess this is a Vyāsa-pūjā homage and not a biography. Thus I have to stop here abruptly. But I wish to thank you for being who you are, setting more than extraordinary examples before us.
You are my worshipable deity and I intend to be your pūjāri eternally. Regardless of my inabilties, I aspire to embalm your unlimited glories in my heart life after life. Thank you for engaging me in your service with so much love, even though I do not deserve and am not qualified for it. Please instill a drop of gratitude in my rock-hard heart for the same. Thank you for reciprocating to my prayers. A special thanks for making me experience your unconditional love 24/7. Please forgive me for all the offenses and mistakes during my services at your lotus feet.
Praying for your COMPLETE recovery to Their Lordships and may you be in contentment of your service to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Happy Vyāsa-pūjā, my father!
Aspiring to love you with gratitude,
Ramya Vṛndāvana devī dāsī