Vraja Rasa Bindu Tasting 1/10,000th part of a drop of Vraja nectar Remembrances of Hrsikesananda das (ACBSP: 1967) 1 Auspicious Invocations “Others hearts are their minds, but my mind is Vrndavana, I know my mind and Vrndavana to be one.” ---Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu “Of course anyone living in Vrndavana Dhama is fortunate, because the Dhama itself has it's own power.” ---Srila Prabhupada 13/11/72 Tape72-056/14/side B krsnam smaran janam casya prestham nija-samihitam tat-tat-katha-ratas casau kuryad vasam vraje sada “A devotee should always reside in the transcendental realm of Vraja and always engage in krsnam smaran janam casya prestham, the remembrance of Sri Krsna and His beloved associates. By following in the footsteps of such associates and by entering under their eternal guidance, one can acquire an intense desire to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”---Srila Rupa Goswami (B.r.s., 1.2.294) seva-sadhaka-rupena siddha-rupena catra hi tad-bhava-lipsuna karya vraja-lokanusaratah “In the transcendental realm of Vraja (Vraja-dhama) one should serve the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna, with a feeling similar to that of His associates, and one should place himself under the direct guidance of a particular associate of Krsna and should follow in his footsteps. This method is applicable both in the stage of sadhana (spiritual practices executed while in the stage of bondage) and in the stage of sadhya (God realization), when one is a siddha-purusa, or a spiritually perfect soul.”---Srila Rupa Goswami (B.r.s., 1.2.295) 2 Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Sri Sri Radha-Krsnabhyam Namah Sri Sri Guru-Gaurangau Jayatah Namo Om Visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale Srimate Bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine I offer my dandavat pranams to all the honey-bee-like devotees of H.D.G. Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. By the will of paramahamsa Srila Bhakti-siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada, our “Swamiji” earned the exalted title, “Prabhupada,” which none of his Godbrothers would dare to touch. 3 I dedicate this book to the sacred memory of Srila Prabhupada's “bhajan- anandi” Godbrother, Paramahamsa Akincana Krsnadas Babaji Maharaj He was the delight of all the associates of the great Sarasvati Thakur. He was the favorite of his Godbrothers and he gave them all his laughing “Hare Krsna!” In his exalted association I wandered all over the Land of Vraja for many years. Please excuse me if I mistakenly claim that once I even felt the glance of Srimati Radharani on my hidden soul. But again She has cast me out of the holy Vraja-dham and into the cesspool of material life and, which I must have desired. 4 Foreword Please bear with me as I explain how I came to be one of the first Western born mleccha (foreigner) to ever become a Vraja-vasi (i.e., to live penniless in Vraja-dham many years, long enough to be accepted by the Vraja-vasis). The truth is that I am now most fallen from Vraja- dham, and even my desire to taste 1/10,000th part of a drop of Vraja nectar is a selfish one. I first met devotees in Golden Gate Park during the “Summer of Love” 1967, the morning after I had deserted from the Army. I was already a vegetarian and something of a Buddhist. In Army training I was turned on to the Bhagavad-gita (Gita Press) by one deep soul. When the devotees finished chanting they all bowed down for a long time. I spoke to Hayagriva Prabhu and asked him “Do you meditate after chanting?” to which he replied, “the chant is the meditation!” Later that year H.H. Sri Mukunda Goswami took me to be initiated by Swamiji at Stinson Beach. When I first met Swamiji I was surprised at how small he was. I reached out my hand and Swamiji shook it. Later the same day, after finally bowing down, I was given “Hari-nam” initiation and named Hrsikesa das. In Mayapur, 1973, Srila Prabhupada lengthened my name to Hrsikesananda das (I think I'm the only one?). I told Swamiji about my fugitive status and he advised me to join him in Vrndavana. By the time I reached Old Delhi in Jan. 1968 Sri Swamiji had already returned to the West. But before learning about this, my first major ‘experience’ was finding “Chippiwada Kalan,” --- Swamiji’s Delhi address (printed inside the Bhagavatam which I carried). It was a needle in a haystack. What I finally found was dark, damp and very austere. There was an old lady praying before a Shiva-linga down- 5 stairs and a happy young Indian chap who informed me that, “Swamiji has gone to Vrndavana.” Arriving from Mathura by tonga, I finally reached the other address mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam: Sri Radha-Damodhar Mandir. An old goswami with thick glasses who spoke a little English said, “Swamiji has returned to America.” Wham! He advised me to take shelter of Swamiji’s Godbrother named Vana (Bon) Maharaj. When I arrived at the Vana ashram (Bhajan-kutir), he also was absent. But I was allowed to stay provided I was careful with all the rules. If I would step on any devotee’s shadow they would bathe. I was a mleccha, a sahib. When Swami Vana finally returned, I told him I was a disciple of Swamiji, and I also told him about my fugitive status. He said I was welcome to stay and practice Krsna consciousness, but I must learn all the vaisnavata (Vaisnava etiquette) and join all the ceremonies. I wrote a letter to America telling Swamiji about my situation. I never received a reply but was told by Vana Maharaj that news had come to him saying that I should stay with him and study. Thereafter, I never again heard any news from Swamiji. But within a few months I did receive a letter from the U.S. Embassy in Delhi addressed to my devotee name at Swami Vana’s ashram. The letter was an order for me to surrender for deportation to face US Army desertion charges. How they got my address is another story which is not important. With trembling hands I took the letter to Vana Maharaj, who advised me to burn it and then to do parikrama of Govardhana Hill. At that time, paramahamsa Akincana Krsnadas Babaji Maharaj was staying at the ashram, “bhajan kutir’ which he did every year (for 3-4 months at a time) during the hot season. In the winter he was in Navadvipa. We slept on the roof together many summer nights, and he never went to sleep. Prayers, quiet bhajans and chanting all night long, every night. He was constantly laughing, and he would always say “Hare Krsna!” with the greatest exuberance I have ever witnessed. He was the most “Goswami” alike character. He looked just like you would imagine Sanatana or Rupa Goswami in Vraja to look like. He was the first devotee I ever witnessed who would weep flowing tears while leading kirtan without losing his voice. And he was the greatest kirtana leader in the universe! All the devotees within the various Gaudiya Mathas everywhere agreed that Lord Caitanya would personally join Babaji Maharaj’s kirtans. As long as he stayed at the ashram he always led the 6 kirtans starting at 4:30 am. He always played the mrdanga either in kirtan or alone while singing prayers before the Deities. The Deities at bhajan-kutir were Lord Caitanya, Sri Govinda in the center, with Srimati Radharani on the other side. There were also Govardhana and Shalagram shilas worshipped daily with the central Deities. The puja standard was first-class. There were about 10-15 ashramites ranging in age from 18 – 80 years old. Everyone was either a brahmacari or sannyasi. Akincana Krsnadas was the only “Babaji” who ever stayed regularly at bhajan-kutir. In the daytime, after noon kirtana, Babaji Maharaj would go down into a cave room which Swami Vana had constructed. It was very cool in that room. So everyday Babaji Maharaj would spend the entire afternoon in the cave room chanting his mala; he also kept track of his rounds. Babaji Maharaj didn’t seem to have any teeth. He was an old Bengali disciple of Saraswati Thakura’s who (it is rumored) went to live in seclusion at Haridwar after the disappearance of his Gurudeva. In any case, that was many, many years ago. He was about 70 years old when I first received his merciful glance. Making disciples was the farthest thing from his mind; and he never, ever criticized anyone. His only concern was chanting constantly; either kirtan or rounds. He would answer with a laughing “Hare Krsna!” any time anyone would speak to him. All the devotees were so glad when Babaji Maharaj would come to stay. Time for the “uttama” kirtans! For “protection” I proceeded to Govardhana Mountain to perform circumambulation. By great good fortune I was accompanied by Babaji Maharaj who also wanted to visit Govardhana. On the way we stopped at Nandagram where we stayed for a week at Sanatana Goswami’s bhajan kutir (no electric, water, nor latrine). Begging “madhu-kari” from the local Vraja-vasis by proclaiming, “Radhe Syama!,” we passed our time in chanting and exploring the home of Nanda Maharaj. Babaji Maharaj didn’t speak anything (he only said “Hare Krsna!”), nor did I speak much Bengali, so our relationship was based on only saying “Hare Krsna!” to each other.