A report by Abhijit Toley from www.dandavats.com
Applause. The kind that bursts out from the hearts of the audience after a
moment of stunned silence. The kind that seems to last forever. The kind
that no one wants to ever end. The kind that follows a moment that everyone
wants to etch into their memories for all time to come. The kind that
typically follows an awesome performance that touches the hearts of the
audience very deeply. Today, I was part of one such applause.
I am writing this while watching His Holiness Jayapataka Swami who is
sitting in a wheelchair about twenty-five feet from me. It’s the 22nd annual
Pune Yatra, in the bungalow of H. G. Krishna Chandra Prabhu in Pune, India.
It’s as if the celestial giants have descended upon earth. What else would
you say if you are amidst HH Radhanath Swami, HH Bhakticharu Swami, HH
Jayapataka Swami, HH Chandramouli Swami, and HH Bhakti Vishwambhar Madhava
Swami? A couple of days ago, on the first evening of this four-day Yatra, HH
Radhanath Swami Maharaja indicated at the possibility that perhaps HH
Bhakticharu Maharaja might join us all. This news was received very
enthusiastically. But when he also told us that perhaps HH Jayapataka Swami
Maharaja might also join us, the cheers were uproarious.
And why not? HH Jayapataka Maharaj is a darling of all the Vaishnavas. Srila
Prabhupada declared that he is an eternal associate of Lord Chaitanya.
Prabhupada gave him Sanyaas when he was just 21. He took up, and continues
to execute, major responsibilities in Srila Prabhupada’s mission, including
the Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir and many others. He is pretty much the
spiritual master of the whole Navadwip Dham! One can’t think of Sri Mayapur
Dham without thinking of Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja. His glories are
unlimited. Not for nothing did Srila Prabhupada give him the name Jayapataka
– the victory flag – signifying the victory of Lord Chaitanya’s Sankirtan
Movement. Param Vijayate Sri Krishna Sankirtanam.
But recently, by the inconceivable will of the Lord, this glorious and
extraordinarily brave soldier of Lord Chaitanya was put into a precarious
situation. In the Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Temple of ISKCON Juhu, Maharaja
had a severe stroke of brain hemorrhage. Doctors said he had no chance. And
even if he did survive, he would be no better than a vegetable. Devotees all
over the world were shocked! The whole Vaishnava community of ISKCON united
in their prayers to the Lord to let Maharaja stay longer on this earth and
shower upon everyone his matchless association and mercy. Kirtans roared all
over the world. HH Radhanath Swami Maharaja dedicated the Karthik Vrindavan
Yatra to HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja, where all devotees prayed fervently
to the Lord for Jayapataka Swami Maharaja’s recovery. Thus there was hope,
but the situation was still critical, and tense.
Over the next few weeks, I kept myself updated about Maharaja’s health by
visiting www. jpsoffice. com. His condition has been steadily improving.
According to the doctors, that’s a miracle. But for Krishna nothing is
impossible. And how could it be, because He is the cause of all causes. Just
before the Pune Yatra, only once, this thought had struck my mind: How nice
will it be to have HH Jayapataka Maharaja with us in the Yatra? Surely, due
to these recent events, devotees all over the world remembered the glories
of Maharaja and thus got purified.
Maharaja is still recuperating, but things look in control now. He traveled
for around four hours in an ambulance from Bombay to Pune just to give us
his divine association. This is an example of his unlimited mercy. He
addressed us briefly yesterday evening. He told us how grateful he was for
all the devotees for praying for him. We were all touched. And then again,
today while HH Radhanath Maharaja was showering us with the lotus words from
his lotus mouth during the Srimad Bhagavatam class, entered the scene HH
Jayapataka Swami Maharaja. As was planned, HH Radhanatha Swami Maharaja
stopped his class and handed over the Vyasasana to HH Jayapataka Maharaja.
Maharaja’s speech is not completely back yet. So he had a devotee repeat his
words, although one could understand quite a bit of what he spoke directly.
Just his presence was electrifying. He spoke about his last year’s
Bangladesh trip, his various helicopter rides, and also he spoke very fondly
about his recent stay at the Bhakti Vedanta Hospital in Bombay. His every
word was nectar for all the devotees. He informed us that every month around
twenty-five patients become devotees in the Bhakti Vedanta Hospital. And
then, out of his natural humility, he said that now that he had also been a
patient in that hospital, he might also become a devotee.
More than once, my eyes were moistened by his words. He spoke for about an
hour. The devotee who had made tens of thousands of devotees was all the
while exhibiting his natural humility. Who can fathom the glories and
sweetness of a true Vaishnava?
But what was it that was touching everyone’s heart? I had not been able to
put it in words. That thought was there somewhere in my sub-consciousness,
but I had not yet expressed it in words. HH Radhanath Maharaja had hinted at
it more than once. This was a historic event, he said. But exactly what was
historic? After enthralling the devotees by his humility, love, and humor,
even in his far-from-perfect medical condition, he ended with: “It’s good to
be back in the preaching field.”
That was it! That was the historic event. This great general of Lord
Chaitanya’s army was back. Back from the dead. There was no chance for him,
but here he was. Inspiring devotees, distributing Krishna Prem. Once again!
“It’s good to be back in the preaching field”, he said.
Stunned silence. Applause!