By Deena Bandhu Das
Today we celebrated the 10th Disappearance anniversary of my very dear Godbrother Vibhu Chaitanya Prabhu.
A real Vaishnava, but unknown to most devotees. He worked tirelessly from 2 am to 10pm in Krishna Balarama’s kitchen for many years singing all the while. In fact, Srila Prabhupada told him that he didn’t have to chant his rounds, just sing and cook. His kachoris were out of this world!! When he couldn’t cook anymore due to old age, he distributed caranamrita with incredible devotion! He would grab your hand and a surge of devotion would enter your body!
Kirtiraja Dasa: In the final weeks of his life, numerous devotees came to visit with this wonderful devotee, Vibhu Caitanya Dasa brahmacari. To every devotee who came to his room on the ground floor in the rear of the Krishna Balarama Guesthouse, Vibhu Caitanya prabhu gave a stainless steel bowl or cup. He gave me a cup. By giving a bowl or a cup, every time you used it, Vibhu Caitanya was continuing to serve you. This is how he thought. He continued serving till the end of his life and beyond. When he could no longer cook for the Deities, he served carinamrta to hundreds and hundreds of local devotees and pilgrims daily. I remember hearing probably no more than six words in English from Vibhu Caitanya. He didn’t speak English and I spoke VERY little Bengali but over the years we had wonderful “conversations” with each other, each of us speaking our mother tongue, talking about Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya and Radha and Krishna and Their unlimited mercy that They were showering upon us. They were ecstatic conversations. My brief visits with Vibhu Caitanya prabhu were always a highlight of my yearly trips to Vrindaban. I miss him and I’m sure many other devotees do too. Hare Krishna.
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