Rupa Sanatana Prabhu at Bhaktivedanta Hospice in Vrindavan
by HH Giriraj Swami
Yesterdayat 7:45 p.m. Rupa Sanatana dasa, a disciple of Romapada Swami and a former temple president of ISKCON St. Louis, left his body at Bhaktivedanta Hospice in Vrindavan, surrounded by devotees chanting Lord Krishna’s holy names. The kirtana, which was being led by Panchagauda Prabhu, had been going on for several hours.
Two weeks ago, Rupa Sanatana came to the hospice with advanced, terminal cancer. Romapada Swami phoned him soon thereafter to give him a final message, and four days ago,I spent about twenty-five minutes with him by phone, speaking to him, chanting japa, and singing prayers. He responded but was too weak to actually speak. He was such a special, fortunate soul, I saw a most auspicious future for him, in eternal service to Srila Prabhupada, our parampara, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When Rupa Sanatana came from America to be admitted in the hospice, I informed Bhima Prabhu, who also had been a temple president in St. Louis, and Bhima wrote me about this wonderful devotee:
“Actually, Rupa Sanatana is about our age. He met devotees when he was younger, but he didn’t join then. He married and had a daughter and worked as an architect. At some point he met devotees in Kansas, where he was staying, and began to associate with them.
“Rupa Sanatana would come to St. Louis for festivals and to meet Romapada Swami. It came to be known that Rupa Sanatana was not only an architect but also a carpenter. So Jalatala, my wife, asked him to make a bed for Radha-Syamasundara. He agreed and put together a nice bed in no time. Jalatala then asked him to stay in St. Louis and take care of the temple, and soon he became the temple president.
“Over the seven or eight years he was president, he did some amazing service. I would come yearly to visit St. Louis, and it was always a joy to see him so enthusiastic in his service. Even though managing the temple was a difficult task with only a few devotees at hand, still he was positive and enlivened. One of the great things he did was to convince one member to donate thirty-five acres of land just outside St. Louis. Certainly, Krishna and Balaram and Nitai–Gaura-nataraja have recognized his service.
“It is fitting and wonderful that he will be in Vrindavan getting the care he needs till he leaves this world. Thank you for keeping this service available to the devotees.”
Hare Krishna.
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