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At this stage of life, the physical instability of our existence becomes more apparent and the exit from our field of activity of our near and dear ones becomes accelerated. Already this year we have seen

Sriman Grahila Prabhu

Sriman Padmalocan Prabhu

and Srimati Amekhala dasi

complete their transits, and three days ago we just saw Sriman Vicitravirya Prabhu do likewise. We have to expect it, disease is part and parcel of material existence.

Yet sometimes even devotees become bewildered when a great or prominent devotee is suddenly taken from our sight. Such is the case with our beloved Sriman Aindra Prabhu, who unexpectedly departed on Friday July 16 night, around 10.30 PM.

Like everyone else, I was quite shocked to hear the news yesterday morning, after his body was discovered in his room atKrsna Balaram Mandir in Vrndavana. Apparently his gas cylinder blew up and he died as a result of that a very short time after. Devotees missed him in the early morning when he always dressed the Deities, and on knocking on his door got no reply. They had to break in and saw the room blackened and burnt by the blast. Aindra prabhu’s body was found behind his altar,kneeling in the obeisances pose. The supposition is that he lit his gas cylinder and it blew. He then went behind the altar to where there was a window but left just after, offering his obeisances to his Deities from behind.

A lot of devotees are in shock. How could a great kirtaniya like Aindra prabhu, still healthy and enthusiastic, with apparently many more years ahead of him for chanting the glories of the Holy Name, make such a violent and dramatic exit?

I received a letter from one of my FaceBook friends Sukavaka prabhu, asking for some way to understand this:

“pamho pr ji.sorry but i hv another question,if u would like to answer it. seeing the sudden death of our very dear aindra prabhu ji,a question arises why does such pure devotees (even srila prabhupada) also have to undergo such tragic and painful end, if krishna wants they can die a peaceful death?

Here’s my reply:

Just because someone becomes a devotee it does not mean that physically everything will be perfect. In fact, the glory of a devotee is that despite the physical unreliability of having a material body, he remains fully absorbed in his devotion to the Lord.

Srila Prabhupada explains this in SB 3.16.37:

PURPORT

“When something is arranged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should not be disturbed by it, even if it appears to be a reverse according to one’s calculations. For example, sometimes we see that a powerful preacher is killed, or sometimes he is put into difficulty, just as Haridasa Thakura was. He was a great devotee who came into this material world to execute the will of the Lord by preaching the Lord’s glories. But Haridasa was punished at the hands of the Kazi by being beaten in twenty-two marketplaces.

“Similarly, Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, and Prahlada Maharaja was put through so many tribulations. The Pandavas, who were direct friends of Krsna, lost their kingdom, their wife was insulted, and they had to undergo many severe tribulations. Seeing all these reverses affect devotees, one should not be disturbed; one should simply understand that in these matters there must be some plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhagavatam’s conclusion is that a devotee is never disturbed by such reverses. He accepts even reverse conditions as the grace of the Lord. One who continues to serve the Lord even in reverse conditions is assured that he will go back to Godhead, back to the Vaikuntha planets.” [end]

From this we can understand that a devotee is always protected by the Lord and whatever happens to them is directly under the control of the Lord.

Why did Srila Prabhupada have two heart attacks on the boat just when he set out for America? When I traveled with him, he constantly suffered from a variety of diseases — kidney malfunction, heart palpitations, severe toothache, high blood pressure etc. Why didn’t Krsna arrange for him to go there when he was healthy and fit?

We can ask these questions, but then, the glory of what Srila Prabhupada did was magnified because he did it despite the physical ailments he had.

Aindra prabhu’s body was found in the kneeling position, offering obeisances to his Deities which shows that despite the explosion his heart and consciousness was clear and fixed on the Lord.

We cannot second guess why a devotee leaves. It may be to our eyes sudden and without rationale. But that is because we are not seeing the interaction of that devotee with Krsna.

In Vrndavana everything is under the control of Yoga Maya, and fully surrendered devotees are directly under Srimati Radharani’s control. Aindra prabhu dedicated himself to the service of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara for many years. He would dress Them with great love and devotion and then during the greeting of the Deities he would join the eager throng of devotees crowding forward to have Their Lordships darshana, a glint in his eye and huge smile on his face as he gazed lovingly at the cynosure of his life.

In the afternoons he would sit before Them with his harmonium and his band of fellow chanters, leading everyone into increasing levels of ecstatic revelry.

His name became synonymous with the chanting of the Holy Name, so that is not a small achievement. To have oneself always associated with the Lord in the minds of others means he achieved the status of a great devotee, by the mercy of the Lord. There is therefore nothing inauspicious.

While we lament his passing, Aindra prabhu and his 24-hour kirtana companions have left us with many hours of transcendental sound vibration in the form of recorded kirtanas. We are still fortunate that in this day and age such recordings remain. At least modern technology has some good to offer us. So let us hear them with pleasure and gratitude, remembering the wonderful service performed by this great devotee and disciple of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.\