Disappearances -

I just received a letter from Gadadhar Pranji that our beloved godbrother Sri Sachinandana Das left his body in Radha Kund recently. This was expected, as Sachinandana Da was over 85 and not particularly well when I saw him in January. The situation was a little sad because of inheritance issues which often come to trouble people's last days.

He was born in Hoogly district in West Bengal in a delightful small village that he once took me to. He told me that his father had been a bhajananandi in Radha Kund for many years and even taken vesh, but once he came home to his village and his parents insisted that he get married. Even so, he kept his devotional practices up and brought his only son up as a Vaishnava.

I remember Sachinandan ji in his glory days in West Bengal. He was the most charismatic of my gurudeva's disciples. His way of leading kirtan influenced Iskcon to some extent, as Gurukripa and Yashodanandan befriended him when they were staying in India. Sachinandana worked as a post office manager in Calcutta, but he went with shaved head and Radha Kund tilak. He could not manage his householder life well because he was always running around having nagar kirtan and utsavas in godbrothers' and disciples' homes. He kept Bhaktivinoda Thakur's order to do Nama Tahal every day--doing Harinam at 6 or 7 in the morning, visiting at least three houses to beg the gift that Mahaprabhu told Haridas Thakur and Nityananda to ask for--bhaja krishna bala krishna koro krishna siksha.

He probably had several thousand householder disciples in the end.

What I will remember more than anything else about Sachinandan is his huge smile. He had big, perfect teeth, which is rare for a Bengali, and his smile won people over in moments. He was also tall for a Bengali, probably six feet. He wasn't a big philosopher, a little dogmatic, not a great manager, but his enthusiasm for uddanda kirtan was his most winning quality.

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Another godsister of mine has also left the world. Bhakta Ma, who was the real successor of Lalita Prasad Thakur at the Dvadasa Mandir in Birnagar, Bhaktivinoda Thakur's birthplace. Bhakta Ma was ill for a long time, her health had never been particularly good.

I am sure both these devotees have joined Mahaprabhu in the nitya lila. Jai Guru!

Jagat,

I am really, really sad to hear that.My family and myself knew him personally, and he send his obeisances to you over me back in 2002.

He was great person to talk with and a real gentleman, above all true Gaudiya Vaishnava.

My family is really sad after these news.

Shachinandan Das was an eminent grand (literally and figuratively) old man who always affectionately addressed me in Bengali when I met him on the street at Radhakund. He lived a long and fruitful life of bhakti. We wish him a good journey.
A good journey also to Bhakta Ma, whom I met twice, in Birnagar and Radhakund...
Jay Radhe.

Dear Jagadananda,

My condolences for your loss.


I am right that it was Bhakta Ma who was the guardian of the literary material left by Lalita Prasada and Bhaktivinoda? What will happen to this material now?

Sincerely,
Elpis

Good question. Gadadhar and I went there last February and had a rather unconclusive meeting. They would not even let us see inside Bhakta Ma's famous almira. We Western disciples were unfortunately treated as outsiders in Birnagar, at least by Bhakta Ma and Masi Ma. The situation there is fairly pathetic, to be honest. Who knows what will happen to the manuscripts or the temple. The Gaudiya Math is hovering like a bunch of vultures.

Maybe it is because both of you are SAHAJIYAS?

Yes, probably that's it. Funny how things go. Thank you for your helpful insight.

Sundarananda would do well to tone it down a bit, across the board. Thank you.

I always wondered why such intellectual prejudice was going on when there is a possibility of the Thakur's unpublished works seeing the light of day. It seems sad.

Also sad to hear about Sri Sacinanda Babaji's passing.

Well, is it not true? Do you want me to lie?