H.G. Aindra Prabhu Attains the Spiritual Realm
BY: RASAMRITA DAS
Jul 18, 2010 — VRINDAVAN, INDIA (SUN) —
He reasons ill who says that Vaisnavas die,
When thou art living still in sound!
The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the holy name around.
With extreme anguish we inform the devotees of the disappearance of His Grace Aindra Prabhu on the night of July 16, 2010. He was alone in his room worshiping His beloved Deities when apparently there was a gas leak from his cylinder. Some devotees heard a sound and there was some smell, but no one knew from where it came. Devotees knocked on Aindra's door, but there was no response all night. His door is very thick, and there is one trap door in it.
In the morning when Aindra prabhu didn't come to the temple to dress Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara, the devotees then could understand that something serious had happened. With difficulty they broke open the trap door, and only one devotee, Adi Kesava das, was small enough to enter the room. When he entered he saw that the entire room was black and there was disturbance everywhere. It appeared that Aindra might have lit a match in the room and that caused the gas in the air to ignite and burn the room. Aindra was behind the altar. It looked as if he had tried to open the window, but was unsuccessful, so he offered his obeisances behind Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, and left his body in that position. When Adi Kesava found him, Aindra was already long gone, and his body was still offering obeisances.
At this moment the formalities are under way to bring Aindra Prabhu in procession to Sri Yamunaji. The entire Vaisnava community will surely lament at the disappearance of such a stalwart kirtaniya who inspired the world with akhanda kirtana. His saintly guidance and example as a pure and devoted disciple of Srila Prabhupada has certainly qualified him for express entry into the eternal lila of his beloved Lords, Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara.
More information will be posted throughout the day. There are photos of Aindra Prabhu's altar and room (before the incident) at Salagram.net. Here is the official website of the 24-hour kirtan..
Krsna-Balaram Mandir 24 Hour Kirtan Mandal was inaugurated and is sustained by the express will of ISKCON's Founder-Acarya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It functions to help generate a pure, spiritually surcharged atmosphere conducive to the advancement of pure devotional life.
After the inception of 24 hour kirtana in 1975, the kirtana-yajna continued in a somewhat disorganized way for some diminutive period. In 1978, however, less than a year after the disappearance of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, 24 hour kirtana at the Krsna-Balaram Mandir was unfortunately ground to a halt.
Reinaguration commenced eight years later, during Kartika's eve on Vijaya Dasami 1986, by the determined efforts of His Grace Sriman Aindra prabhu, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, with the assistance and support of a few other soft-hearted devotees. Aindra prabhu, recognizing the common sense in organizing a core group of kirtana enthusiast to ensure its continuance, reconstituted ISKCON Vrndavana's 24 hour kirtana as a distinguished department of service. In the beginning, upon suggestion and sponsorship, hired singers and musicians formed part of the kirtana group. Within the first 6 months, however, Aindra prabhu, disgusted with the obvious escalation of material motivation amongst the kirtana party members, politely dismissed all the hired kirtaniyas, and since then till today, members of the Krsna-Balaram Mandir 24 Hour Kirtan Mandali receive no monetary remuneration. Pure sacrificial engagement intended to propagate a mood of cent percent selfless devotion to Krsna, that is the 24 hour kirtana ethic. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana. Our only real goal is vraja-krsna-prema. We keep body and soul together simply to facilitate this aim.
Anyone wishing to advantage kali-yuga-dharma hari-nama-sankirtana at Sri Vrndavana Dhama, is cordially invited to cooperate with us and assist in this effort to please His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and all the acaryas in disciplic succession from Lord Gauranga. Your association would be appreciated in terms of the mutual spiritual benefit. Hare Krsna!
Always chant
HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE
HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE
and be much happier.
Details about the Gas Leak
Posted on IskconDesireTree.net:
His Grace Aindra Prabhu used to stay awake whole night doing bhajan and for that he had made his room sound proof and also air proof, with A/C. Even the window had a glass which cannot be opened. This he had done even for his kirtan recordings. As per devotees, he had more than 1000 shilas, Radha-Krishna, Gaura-Nitai deities, with small kitchen from them in his room.
The day he left his body: He had gone to market to some buy things and he came around 10 pm. On the way to his room, he greeted so many devotees. He went in his room and locked it from inside. Somehow he could not come to know that gas is leaking from pipe. His gas stove was just next to the door. As soon as he lit up the matchstick for cooking, the fire just came on his face and his whole face got burned and the part of room was set on fire and unfortunately that side was the door. He could not open the door. So he started banging on the window, so that gas will go out and also other devotees can hear him but the glass was so thick, he couldn't break it. Some devotees say that he even used other things to break the glass. Lastly when all the means were not working and knowing that he is going to die. He went to his deties and paid obeisances (panchanga). Some devotees say that his one hand was on Radharani's lotus feet. And he left his body. He surrendered to Radharani.
Some devotees had heard the bang on the window and also some smoke coming out but nobody took seriously. Some thought that it is smoke of cooking.
Next day his deity dressing was there and when he didn't come for that, devotees went to his room. When there was no response coming from him, they broke the door and found Aindra Pr's body in paying obeisances appearance. The body had become so stiff that it was not becoming straight.
After that the body was taken for post mortem in Mathura, as his death was accidental. Then devotees took him around Vrindavan temple and in front of Prabhupada and then to Yamuna, where his body was burnt.
So many devotees were crying. Actually his kirtans were heart of Vrindavan temple. So many devotees used just rush at 6.30pm to attend his kirtan.
Nirharana and Funeral of Aindra Prabhu
Aindra prabhu's body was taken around Krishna Balaram Temple and Seven Goswami Temples. He was cremated on the banks of the Yamuna. The following photos (and above) are
courtesty of IskconDesireTree.net. For additional images, see their photo album.
