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Dedication of an Russian devotee Mataji... Wake up call

Posted by KrsnaMitra Nitai Dasa on January 4, 2011 at 2:47pm in Book Distribution
Hare Krsna Devotees,Plesae accept my humble obeisances.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.Please read the each and every words... You will get inspiration...Volume 5, Chapter 27September 12 – 24, 2004, Russian Federation."My Chest Swells Up With Pride"On the way out, one of my disciples, Ragalekha dasi, approached me. She is a woman in her late 40s, and I remembered her as a faithful disciple who always made it a point to come to my programs when I visited Russia. So when she asked me to visit her apartment to see her Govardhan Sila, I agreed.The next day, I went there with Jananivasa. I had several other appointments that afternoon, so I was in a hurry. “We’ll have to make this quick,” I told Jananivasa. But I was soon to be reminded that a spiritual master must never be so busy that he cannot take the time to reciprocate with and acknowledge a disciple’s loving service.Ragalekha’s apartment was just one room in an old building in the center of the city. As I walked in, I was struck by the spiritual atmosphere. There were few possessions – a chair, an old wooden bookshelf, an altar for her Deity – but the mood was rich with devotion. Her Govardhan-Sila, named Lala, was sitting on a little cushion, beautifully decorated with flowers and simple ornaments. A variety of sweets were on a plate before Him.Ragalekha, dressed in an old sari, sat shyly in the corner. The whole situation reminded me of a small, bhajan kutir in Vrindavan.“Do you live here alone?” I asked her. “I’m a guest here,” she said looking downwards. “This is Lala’s home.” “Oh I see,” I said. “That’s a nice realization,” I thought. Then I looked anxiously at my watch. My next appointment was in 30 minutes.“Well what do you do each day?” I asked.”I distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books,” she said. “Do you do anything else?” I asked. “No,” she said. “That’s the instruction you gave me 13 years ago.”I stopped looking at my watch. I could hardly believe my ears. “You’ve been distributing books for 13 years?” I asked. Jananivasa spoke up. “Srila Gurudeva,” he said, “all the devotees in Yekaterinburg know that Ragalekha’s been going out eight hours a day, six days a week, for thirteen years, distributing books, except when she’s sick.”Ragalekha was looking at Lala. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked her. “She’s too shy and humble,” said Jananivasa.I felt tears coming into my eyes. I sat there looking at her. “Thirteen years,” I thought, “every day on the streets of Yekaterinburg, distributing my spiritual master’s books. What austerities this woman must have endured!”I suddenly thought of the previous day and how I had complained to Jananivasa about the inconvenience on the flight. I felt ashamed of myself. “She’s well known among the people in this city,” Jananivasa continued. You can just imagine, so many years on the street, in the heat, the rain, the wind, and the snow. She’s out there when it’s 20 below zero.” My tears started running down my face.“And she doesn’t keep a ruble for herself,” he continued. “I’ve heard she keeps all the profit for you.”Ragalekha reached under the altar, took out an old worn-out envelope, and shyly handed it to me. I opened it and saw US dollars inside. I handed it to Jananivasa.Jananivasa took the money out of the envelope. His eyes started turning red and moist. “There’s 1,500 dollars here,” he said in a quivering voice. “It’s the equivalent of two years of wages for a working man in this country.”I looked around at the chair and the simple bookshelf and into the small kitchen. Inside there was an old stove – and one pot. “She only has that one sari she’s wearing,” Jananivasa said. “I’ve never seen her dressed in anything else.”I handed the laksmi back to Ragalekha. “Here,” I said. “You use this money for buying a ticket to India this fall. I will be taking devotees on parikrama in Vrindavan for the month of Kartika. I want you to join us.”Her body tensed up. “No, Srila Gurudeva!” she said and pushed the envelope back. “Please! The people who gave that money will get much more benefit if it’s used in your service than mine. Think of their welfare.” I was speechless.“Who is this woman?” I thought. “Living so simply, serving the sankirtan mission of Lord Caitanya faithfully for so many years, desiring no fame or recognition, and showing such concern for the conditioned souls!” I thought of something Tamal Krishna Goswami had once written.“Although some of us begin as gurus for our disciples, it seems that these disciples are sometimes more fortunate than we are … Actually many of them are elevated personalities.”[from Vraja Lila]“Srila Gurudeva,” said Jananivasa, “this morning she admitted to me that she took a break from her book distribution for the first time since you gave her that instruction 13 years ago. For two weeks she repaired her apartment, hoping you would visit.“She had also taken the advice of the security guards at the open market where she often distributes. For years, those big burly men used to throw her out of the market whenever they caught her distributing books. Finally they relented. They began to appreciate her determination and purity. Two weeks ago one of them said, ‘Please take a break. You’re here every single day. We’re afraid you’ll get worn down and influenced by the bad character of those around you. Please!“She took it that the Lord was speaking through them, and she took the time off. Gurudeva, we, your disciples, will arrange for her ticket to India. Don’t worry. Already devotess here in Yekaterinburg have arranged things so she doesn’t have to pay for the books she takes. They even pay the BBT for the books she distributes. When necessary they also help pay her rent, electricity, and water. She lives in another world. She just distributes books day in and day out and spends a little on the worship of her Govardhan Sila. She puts the rest of the money under the altar for you.By now, the tears were pouring from my eyes. Ragalekha came forward, with folded hands and tears in her own eyes.”Srila Gurudeva,” she said, “please bless me that I may distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books until the day I die and that I will always be a faithful follower of you and my Lala.”She started to pay full dandavats on the floor. Since women don’t generally pay full dandavats, Jananivasa reached forward to stop her. I caught his hand. “There’s no harm,” I said. “This woman is transcendental.”As Jananivasa and I walked out of the apartment, Ragalekha was packing her book bag. I turned to Jananivasa. “It was worth it,” I said. “Meeting her was worth all the austerities, inconveniences, and dangers I’ll ever encounter in your country.”I thought about the words of Srila Prabhupada. “These news are giving me new life … In my horoscope just done, they have described although this is a critical period, if I pass through, I will live 100 years. Then I shall surely come to visit your farm … The project is very nice. When I hear this report my chest swells up, being so proud of my disciples’ achievements.”[Srila Prabhupada commenting on Tulasi das’s service, quoted by Srila Prabhupada’s secretary, Tamal Krsna Goswami, in a letter to Ramesvara dasa, August 22, 1977)

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Replies

  • vijaysinh vitthalrao yadav January 22, 2011 at 11:23am
    Hari bol! there is no words to say about dedication of mataji. Sastang Damdawat Pranam mataji.
  • KrsnaMitra Nitai Dasa January 20, 2011 at 3:06pm
    Hare Krsna Devotees,

    Please accept my humble obeisances.

    All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    You can also do that pr (according your capacity)... We have so many ways of distributing Srila Prabhupada books.. Like Collecting Shastra dhan, distributing in office, Malls, Railway Platforms, house to house, in buses...etc...

    The best sacrifice is to please the pure devotee. Fortunately for us, we’ve been given that chance. Srila Prabhupada has left us with as much service as we like – if we like. It is entirely up to us.

    Let us be bold in his service.

    Think big.

    Don’t hold back.

    Hare Krsna...

    With Gratitude,

    Your humble servant,
    KrsnaMitra Nitai dasa
  • Raghupati Raghav Das January 20, 2011 at 2:57pm

    Hare Krsna mata ji 
    Dandvat Pranam


    Plesae accept my humble obeisances.

              So divine mata ji  ,  how her surrender , i am speechless , i never heard this type of devotion 

          we have to learn from it how to follow such a  disciples .. 

          hari bol  

  • champakalata devi dasi January 20, 2011 at 1:50pm
    Hare krishna ,Dandavat pranam ,so much touching,just tears come out,can't stop to cry,thank you very much for sharing nectering momment,jai ,

     

    How great, surrendered mataji ,jai vaishnava,jai srila prabupada and jai guru dev,thank you very much,hari bol.

     

     

     

  • Divyesh Ranjan Dalai January 18, 2011 at 12:21am

    My eyes are filled with tears...

    I want to have the darshan of mataji.

    No words.

    In todays poisonous world veryyy less are blessed to be imbued with such pure feelings.

    She is like Meera Bai.

    Jai Radhekrsna.

     

  • jay narayan akolkar January 5, 2011 at 1:52pm

    .

  • nimmi January 5, 2011 at 12:57pm

    wow.......

    hare krishna hari bol.......

    mere rongte khade ho gaye.............

     

  • Man January 5, 2011 at 12:03am

    Jai Shri Krishna..

    My  obeisance to the humble mataji.. Here is The perfect condition of Vaishnav Jan..



     

    How wonderful to hear of such liberated souls!! The following is the Mataji's condition:

     

    Song Name: Vraje Prasiddham Navanita

    Official Name: Sri Sri Corastakam

    Author: Bilvamangala Thakura

    (1)

    vraje prasiddhaṁ navanīta-cauraṁ

    gopāńganānāṁ ca dukūla-cauram

    aneka-janmārjita-pāpa-cauraṁ

    caurāgragaṇyaṁ puruṣaṁ namāmi

    (2)

    śrī rādhikāyā hṛdayasya cauraṁ

    navāmbuda-śyāmala-kānti-cauram

    padāśritānāṁ ca samasta-cauraṁ

    caurāgragaṇyaṁ puruṣaṁ namāmi

    (3)

    akiñcanī-kṛtya padāśritaṁ yaḥ

    karoti bhikṣuṁ pathi geha-hīnam

    kenāpy aho bhīṣaṇa-caura īdṛg

    dṛṣṭaḥ-śruto vā na jagat-traye ’pi

    (4)

    yadīya nāmāpi haraty aśeṣaṁ

    giri-prasārān api pāpa-rāśīn

    āścarya-rūpo nanu caura īdṛg

    dṛṣṭaḥ śruto vā na mayā kadāpi

    (5)

    dhanaṁ ca mānaṁ ca tathendriyāṇi

    prāṇāṁś ca hṛtvā mama sarvam eva

    palāyase kutra dhṛto ’dya caura

    tvaṁ bhakti-dāmnāsi mayā niruddhaḥ

    (6)

    chinatsi ghoraṁ yama-pāśa-bandhaṁ

    bhinatsi bhīmaṁ bhava-pāśa-bandham

    chinatsi sarvasya samasta-bandhaṁ

    naivātmano bhakta-kṛtaṁ tu bandham

    (7)

    man-mānase tāmasa-rāśi-ghore

    kārāgṛhe duḥkha-maye nibaddhaḥ

    labhasva he caura! hare! cirāya

    sva-caurya-doṣocitam eva daṇḍam

    (8)

    kārāgṛhe vasa sadā hṛdaye madīye

    mad-bhakti-pāśa-dṛḍha-bandhana-niścalaḥ san

    tvāṁ kṛṣṇa he! pralaya-koṭi-śatāntare ’pi

    sarvasva-caura! hṛdayān na hi mocayāmi

    TRANSLATION

    1) I offer pranama to that foremost of thieves – who is famous in Vraja as the butter-thief and He who steals the gopis’ clothes, and who, for those who take shelter of Him, steals the sins which have accrued over many lifetimes.

    2) I offer pranama to the foremost of thieves – who steals Srimati Radhika’s heart, who steals the dark luster of a fresh raincloud, and who steals all the sins and sufferings of those who take shelter of His feet.

    3) He turns His surrendered devotees into paupers and wandering, homeless beggars – aho! such a fearsome thief has never been seen or heard of in all the three worlds.

    4) Mere utterance of His name purges one of a mountain of sins – such an astonishingly wonderful thief I have never seen or heard of anywhere!

    5) O Thief! Having stolen my wealth, my honour, my senses, my life and my everything, where can You run to? I have caught You with the rope of my devotion.

    6) You cut the terrible noose of Yamaraja, You sever the dreadful noose of material existence, and You slash everyone’s material bondage, but You are unable to cut the knot fastened by Your own loving devotees.

    7) O stealer of my everything! O Thief! Today I have imprisoned You in the miserable prison-house of my heart which is very fearful due to the terrible darkness of my ignorance, and there for a very long time You will remain, receiving appropriate punishment for Your crimes of thievery!

    8) O Krsna, thief of my everything! The noose of my devotion remaining forever tight, You will continue to reside in the prison-house of my heart because I will not release You for millions of eons.

     

     

     

     

  • Sourabh Khuteta January 4, 2011 at 8:11pm

    Hari Bole..

    Theres a lot to be learnt from Mataji ...

    Ragalekha Mataji ki jai jai jai ...

    • vinay babber > Sourabh Khuteta January 4, 2011 at 10:27pm
      hari bol . ragalekha mataji ki jai. hare krishna
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