Dearest Devotee's and Well wishers:Srimate Rasajna devi dasi quietly departed for the Lotus Feet of Srila Prabhupada Monday afternoon in Austin, Texas. Yesterday, Sumati devi dasi, her care taker, feeling the end was immanent, called a god-brothers who lived locally for kirtan. Rasa had indicated her pleasure with the kirtan of the local devotees. They arrived this morning & together with Sumati, they kirtan began around 10:45 central time and continued until around 2 pm when they broke for prasad, which lasted one hour approximately. Rasa was somewhat propped up to aid her breathing, which occured with difficulty. When they returned, Sumati noticed a dramatic difference in Rasa's composure. She lifted the blanket and saw that in that one hour space of time, her hands, fingers, feet, elbows, etc were purplish blue and she was breathing very very slowly, with spaces in between each labored breath. They resumed kirtan, loudly this time. Greg, Rasa's husband also joined in the kirtan, so now they were four in number, intensely chanting the holy name with great feeling. Sumati recalled recent instructions from Sangita dd regarding careing for Vaishnave's at the time of departure. She already had tulasi, sacred waters and dust from Vrindavan dham ready. She put that holy dust in her mouth and then glanced to the near by window ledge where she had left Tulasi leaf along with sacred waters. She recalled the housekeeper had been there the day before and thought that she may have removed the leaf, unaware of it's value and significance. It was gone! Sumati rushed to Rasa's altar and took the sacred tulasi leaf from the lotus foot of Sri Shyam and rushed back to Rasa's room to find that she had just departed. Sumati place the tulasi prasad into her mouth,along with the water from Radha Kunde and Shyama Kunde and the kirtan continued. Rasa's sister and another devotee friend arrived, and together with Sumati, they performed the final bathing rites, smearing her body with Narshima oil from Mayapur, marking her body with prominent tilak, and writing KRSNA on her chest with tilak. She was dressed in a yellow (her favorite color) saree. Sumati reported that she looked very beautiful, even radiant, in her final repose. There will be a Memorial Service in her home on Friday @ 3 pm.Please forgive the many short comings in this brief announcement. I did not want to delay this news from reaching the 'Vaishnave's. I am sure more will be said later. Please continue your prayers for Rasa and offer thanks to Krishna from empowering and inspiring Sumati devi das to serve in such a magnanimous, selfless manner. She is a glorious soul.yr servant, malati dasi
Hare Krishna,
All Glories to Sri Guru & Gauranga. All Glories to Srimate Rasajna Mata ji, She must be in the association of Srila Prabhupada at the movement. She was empowered Vaishnavi. I do not know her personally. but what ever i have heard from vaishnava community is that she was very enthusiast preacher & ever won the heart of Srila Prabhupada too. Prabhupada once said that her skits/play/dramatic presentation are even more powerful than his books. Many many dandvats & pranams. All Glories to Rasajna Mata ji.
Hari Hari Bol.
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All Glories to Sri Guru & Gauranga. All Glories to Srimate Rasajna Mata ji, She must be in the association of Srila Prabhupada at the movement. She was empowered Vaishnavi. I do not know her personally. but what ever i have heard from vaishnava community is that she was very enthusiast preacher & ever won the heart of Srila Prabhupada too. Prabhupada once said that her skits/play/dramatic presentation are even more powerful than his books. Many many dandvats & pranams. All Glories to Rasajna Mata ji.
Hari Hari Bol.
Prayers for Mataji s departed soul....
hare krishna