BY GURUDAS

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: DANDAVATS.COM

I am saddened by my feeling of separation from you, that I will not see you again on this planet, yet I still feel close to you. Our relationship transcends material boundaries and You are in my, and many peoples hearts. Let us all pray for your continued spiritual journey, which makes me happy, as you are not in pain anymore, and with our beloved Spiritual Master, and Radha and Krishna.


I fell in love with you upon viewing your powerful presence
I fell in love with you, little did I know what A great path you carved out and offered to me, for you introduced me to Prabhupad.

 

I noted your great qualities, spiritual beauty, perseverance, a great confidant and friend. Steadfast, curious, sweet, meticulous, detail oriented, and expert in anything you were interested in. Your smile lit up many rooms and hearts.


You showed love for Prabhupad from the very beginning.

 

We were both interested in paths to God and how to be compassionate to others.We were a good team.


We laughed, cooked, sang, read to each other and shared 9 wonderful married years together.


We both literally saved each other more then once. We travelled to Bend Oregon to Aunt Edna’s dance class, which I photographed at Graduation. I met your dad also.
Yamuna you saved me from being paralyzed in Rockport Ca.
When I had Typhoid fever, You moved right into the hospital and hut hutted the big dog sleeping under my bed, which I thought was an hallucination, from 3 weeks of fasting and fever.

You moved right into the hospital room, cooked specially for me, which healed me, whilst you slept on the floor.

 

We set out for Rockport, Ca. with all our belongings in a borrowed car, not knowing where we would end up, with faith in Krishna.


We found a nice 7 room cottage in the redwoods for $33. 00 a month. untill the San Francisco devotees kidnapped us back.

We shared great Kirtans, the first west coast Hari Nam, with, Vishnujana Jayananda, Mukunda, and Tamal, etc.

 

You taught me how to cook and exemplary deity worship.

You were the first to learn the prayers.

We lived on Ashbury Street, Willard Street, in the Bowling alley temple. We shared places like Herne Hill, Clampham, Brixton (music and sounds all night), Betterton Street, Bury Place. We chanted at Conway Hall, The Hindu Center, Acacia house, singing with Sri Keshavji, and Shyama Mataji, Swami Sat Chid Ananda, Et al.
We lived, at the Radha Damodar Mandir, in straw huts on the site of Krishna Balaram Temple site, and then we went to Saurat, Amritsar Delhi and many many places together.

As the movement grew we did not have a normal ? Grihastra life, as you were put in charge of the woman ashrams and me in charge of the men etc.
Prabhupad found more and more services and abilities in us, and gave us more and more service. “Krishna will help you” Prabhupad told me when I said I don’t know anything about construction.
We Yamuna travelled on foot, taxis, bicycles, Rickshaws, trains, cars, boats, skis, hydrofoils, and airplanes.
We consulted and then parted to serve others. We were one and different simultainously.
We resided at Radha Damodar temple,as we were building the Krishna Balaram Temple.

 


I remember how you planned the temple and the diety rooms. They were planned by myself, Jai Tirtha and you who led the planning.
You contributed the most by designing wide doors, hooks on walls, separate kitchens,etc. You exuded artistic tendencies in everything you touched.
You are pukka, first class, applying your intelligence and intuition, Like the time Prabhupad sent Madhuvisa and You to Jaipur to obtain new deities.
Madhuvisa describes I was a new sanyassi. “I wasn’t supposed to look on woman or be alone with a woman, what to speak of traveling with a woman. When we rode in the rickshaws, I put my dunda in between us, but rickshaws were small and she was a little large, so finally, I stopped trying to not touch. It was impossible with the rickshaw joggling around.
After spending 3-4 days with her I saw what a great devotee she was.
Chanting, talking of Swamiji, and her intuition was wonderful via Chaitya Guru in her heart. She found a Radha at one Murti Wallah and Krishna at another Murti Wallah.”

 


We never argued she was a great team with me and others. I can say that we had a functional marriage and many came to us both for advice in their grihastra and even brahmachary lives.

She had a tough time in India. People don’t know I know. She told me she needed a rest after 5 years of sometimes, harsh living circumstances, sacrifice and some sicknesses, etc.
We went west to collect for Vrindavan Temple. She and Dina Tarine, left me and the movement in Florida temporarily. The next week my Father died.

I went to Atlanta and wrote and asked Prabhupad what to do. At first he told me to try and get her back, but she was adamant, wanted a break, and uncommunicative.
I ended up becoming Sanyassi under the circumstances, and she went to Oregon and then re entered devotional life, and founded Sharanagati.

 


I had the good fortune to reunite with her recently also in Florida and we shared 3 hours of reminiscing and chanting together. She sang to the flowers and birds in her sweetest voice.
Especially we remembered how together we would feed Krishna Prasadam to an asthmatic dog on the Krishna Balaram property.
We named the dog “Dogwood” and he would come at first to us excited wheezing and then after our care came to us breathing clearly
I remember how diplomatic and charming you were with Tom Driberg, S.S Dhawan, Sri Dhar, Shyama Mata, the Maharaja of Bhartpur, and countless others.

 


Even George Harrison could not help flirting with you one day. I had to tell him “Get away from my woman” We all laughed.

Everyone you touched fell in love with you and hence Radha Krishna and Prabhupad. You told people constantly of Prabhupad as I do. The Indian community took to you and you syphoned their cooking recipes and techniques. Prabhupad said you were the best cook.

 


Prabhupad also joked that you were better then Janaki to tease her.

 


I could always rely on you in our service together you anticipated things that needed to be done and we both offered that to Prabhupad. He asked you to speak, lead kirtans, to learn the prayers, make the first signs in Calligraphy, Create 2 covers of Hare Krishna Mantras in Sanskrit. You lead the Hare Krishna Mantra and Govindham (brahma Samhita) recordings. Of course that is known all over the world in every town and village, as it is played every morning. Prabhupad cried when he heard it. Prabhupad also asked you the first woman to become G.B.C. You declined because as you told me and showed me “You were more interested in loving Krishna by cooking and diety worship. ”
You added to me, “I don’t care for administration and politics”

 

Yamuna you are unique and a special devotee, who always inspired me and everyone to become a better Bhakta, and I thank Prabhupad and Radha Krishna for giving me so many shared and loving moments with our Yamuna Devi.
I still hear your Hari Hari Bol! Permeating the temple room, concert hall, recording or television studios, every town and village, our world, the whole universe, and in my heart forever.

 

You passed with bead bag in your hand with Hare Krishna Hare Rama on your lips.
All glories to her great service.

 

I am certain, and as many have agreed, that you are with Prabhupad, cooking and singing, so happily and peacefully again.

Govindham Adi Purasham Tamaham Bajami

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Comments

  • thanks prabhuji..Indeed a magnificent devotee! hari bol

  • Hare Krishna

    My eyes are choked up, no words...... a great devotee yamuna mathaji ki jai.

    your servant

    rameswar kanai das

This reply was deleted.