On a recent pilgrimage to India, I was often asked to speak about Yamuna devi. Those who associated with her even briefly appreciated her warmth, compassion and devotion to Srila Prabhupada. Yamuna had an uncanny ability to make whoever she met feel as though they were valued and understood. She deeply felt it both a duty and honor to propagate what she had assimilated from Srila Prabhupada, and tried to emulate his standards of excellence in culinary arts, cleanliness, deity worship and in her personal character throughout her life. She was charming, witty, charismatic, disarmingly honest, creative and loving. She showed her emotions readily, often crying during kirtans, and she was without guile or conceit and therefore relatable to everyone.
And yet, I was recently lamenting that in writing about Yamuna devi in her Unalloyed biography, I had neglected to speak about an important aspect of her character. Throughout the 37 years Yamuna devi was my companion in service, she never complained about her health issues. She was always stoic. Unless the issue was insurmountable, she simply soldiered on, rising each morning for mangal aratik and remaining busy in service throughout each day. During the last five years before her passing, she suffered many serious health problems and never complained until she was incapacitated and forced to address them. This stoicism was reflected in how she dealt with challenges and obstacles to her service as well.
In retrospect, I understand that in some way I took this aspect of Yamuna devi’s character for granted because she had been this way since I had known her. Yamuna was the very definition of humility. This quality was intrinsic to her nature. She did not like to hear glorification of herself, and she did not like to be distinguished from others. If she was honored in some way, she would try to exalt others instead. In respect to dealing with health and other challenges, she never wanted to feel she might be a burden to anyone. Once a doctor told us that Yamuna had previously suffered a heart attack, and yet she never mentioned any discomfort. To the very end of her sojourn here, she remained steadfast, devoted, full of gratitude and ever joyful for the mercy and blessings of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna Consciousness.
Because I did not sufficiently address these qualities of Yamuna devi’s stoicism in her Unalloyed biography, I highlight them here on the 13th anniversary of her departure. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.
Always with gratitude,
Dinatarini devi dasi
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