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show them special mercy, I, dwelling in
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"To
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A Tribute to Goloka Prabhu Posted March 30, 2004 Dear Vaisnavis and Vaisnavas, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. On Wednesday evening, March 24, the head pujari of the German Radha-Madana-Mohana temple, Sriman Goloka Prabhu, left his body in a car accident, to proceed to an auspicious new life in the service of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. Goloka Prabhu was a disciple of His Holiness Bhakti-bhusana Maharaja. For many years he tirelessly served Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana in an exemplary and unparalleled way, together with his dedicated wife Srimati Manjulali Dasi, a disciple of His Holiness Sacinandana Maharaja. Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana are the principal Radha-Krsna Deities for Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, and many devotees from the neighboring countries regularly visit Them, attracted by Their incomparable beauty and sweetness. This supreme attraction of Their Lordships has been mainly to the credit of Goloka and Manjulali Prabhus' selfless and dedicated service. They actually called Them to manifest Their full sweetness by their loving care and devotion. Goloka Prabhu would incessantly act and meditate with the sole aim of pleasing Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana and of improving the puja and the standard of Their worship. Anyone who sees pictures of these Deities from now and from ten years ago is amazed to observe how They have manifested a sweet and lovely effulgence. It is actually hard to believe that They are the same Deities. This is the external proof of Goloka Prabhu's love for and dedication to his service. He was an example of steadiness and punctuality. His standard service schedule covered 10 hours daily, without fail or complaint. Indeed, he often worked 14 hours, or even more if necessary, and never ever did any devotee hear him complain about an excess of service. Rather, he would always be friendly and balanced, expressing his eagerness to serve more and do whatever would be needed to satisfy Their Lordships, even at the cost of his health and bodily comfort. In spite of severe pain and stiffness in his legs, he would rise at 2 a.m., chant his rounds, and then start his long day of service. At the same time, he was always there for the devotees— friendly, non-political, a loving distributor of Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana's maha-prasada, an example and inspiration for all the devotees that were living with him. We are deeply aggrieved by his loss. His death was glorious. On his way back to the temple, he was driving on a slight left-bend curve in his small car when suddenly a Mercedes car appeared before him, trying to pass over four cars at this blind curve. Goloka Prabhu had no chance to dodge the blow or to survive. As he tried, his car got into a skid and turned itself to the right, and the Mercedes car hid him with full impact from the left side. The car was completely smashed. Up to the middle part, not one piece of metal remained whole. He died immediately. He had time to react, he could face his death openly, and he was able to chant at his last breath. Plus, he died in a holy dhama. It is said in the scriptures that a place where 12 Salagrama-silas are worshiped daily is purified over a radius of 50 kilometers. Goloka Prabhu died about 10 kilometers away from Goloka-Dhama, our temple, and here he worshiped our 18 Salagrama-silas on the altar with utmost care and devotion, offering Them abhiseka and a fire yajna every morning. And on his last journey in his mundane service, he listened to a lecture of Srila Prabhupada, as he always would while driving.
I am serving in Goloka-Dhama as a member of the temple board. Because I am a close friend of Goloka Prabhu and share the responsibility for this place with him, his wife, Manjulali Dasi, allowed me to go to the dead body together with our Indian brahmana priest Kunjabihari Prabhu to perform the last rites for him. I feel very blessed by this last service for my friend. Indeed, as soon as I looked at his face, all my grief and lamentation were almost vanquished. He looked so peaceful, relaxed, and extremely satisfied! At that moment the sincere hope and confidence arose in me that Krsna has personally taken him to His lotus feet. Also, when we visited the place where the accident happened, it became very clear to us that this was a conscious and planned arrangement by the Lord. As the policeman said, "Well once in his life, this man was at the wrong place in the wrong second, and that's it." Yes, he happened to appear on this spot exactly at the very moment when a car passed over in a curve where actually no sane person would do so, since before and after this curve, the road goes straight on and offers a clear overview. Krsna used this unfortunate person as an instrument to end the material life of His dear devotee. Why? How can we try to ponder about the inconceivable plan of the Lord? It was His desire and we have to accept it, with a heart simultaneously broken by grief and elated by the glorious event. In spite of the completely smashed and torn car, his body was almost without any external injury. It was the body of a pure Vaisnava— no open wound, dirt, or excrement disfigured it, as would be expected normally by such an accident. Also, his kantha-mala [neck beads] and his brahmana thread remained intact. Krsna protected his body even at his last moment. We bathed the body with water from all the holy rivers. Then we dressed him in a new silk dhoti and chaddar that he had just received from a friend coming from Mayapur. We applied tilak on all places together with the required mantras, and Kunjabihari recited the Garuda Purana. Then he performed a Vaisnava homa, whereby he installed a small copper yantra of Sri Sudarsana Cakra. We decorated Goloka Prabhu with his beadbag (a helper miraculously found it in the dark field outside of the car and placed it on his body, clearly recognizing it as a sacred item), the Sudarsana yantra, flowers offered to Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana, and other items. We put some holy water, morsels of maha-prasada, and a Tulasi leaf in his mouth. Then we circumambulated him seven times, praying for his safe journey back to Krsna and also for forgiveness for our offenses toward him. Then we bowed down chanting the vancha-kalpa prayers, and finally we put him into the coffin that will bring him to the crematorium in the state that we left him in. Following his personal desire, his mother, Nityananda-priya Dasi— who is also a very dedicated and sweet Vaisnavi, a disciple of His Holiness Sacinandana Maharaja— and his wife, Manjulali Dasi, will bring the ashes to Mayapur and pour them into the Ganga, offering him last rites there. Today all the devotees from Goloka-Dhama and from other temples will visit Goloka Prabhu to offer him a last homage and to bring some spiritual gifts. Goloka Prabhu leaves behind him a mother, two brothers, and a spotlessly chaste and loving wife. He had no children, but all of us feel like his sons and daughters. Indeed, his leaving is plunging us not only into deep grief, but also into great sorrow, asking ourselves who should replace this dedicated head pujari in his unparalleled service. Of course, we should have faith that if Krsna takes away the devotee who maintained Him in His arca-vigraha, He will take personal care for a proper replacement. Still, we are now in a precarious situation, in need of pujaris who would volunteer at least for some time to continue Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana's worship and assist Manjulali Dasi, who will now take the responsibility on her shoulders. If any of the readers hears the call of Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana in his or her heart to come and serve Them, please don't hesitate to write me. My email address is gaura-siromani.sns@pamho.net. This Sunday we will celebrate the tirobhava-mahotsava in honor of Sriman Goloka Prabhu, thus observing the required four-day period of taking leave of him. If you want to participate and cannot come personally to Goloka-Dhama, please write me and I will send you a picture of Goloka Prabhu that you can worship at your own place accordingly. With aggrieved and pitiful hearts, and with great confidence in His causeless mercy, we pray to Bhagavan Sri Krsna that He may accept this wonderful Vaisnava at His lotus feet and allow him to return to his nitya-seva of the Divine Couple in Goloka Vrndavana. Sriman Goloka Prabhu Tirobhava Ki Jaya! Your servant, © dipika.org March 30, 2004 |
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