Tribute to Aindra Prabhu
BY: SHYAMASUNDARA DASA
Jul 20, 2010 — BANGALORE (SUN) — I have been disturbed ever since hearing of Aindra Prabhu's untimely disappearance yesterday morning. As one God-nephew pointed out regarding Aindra Prabhu's pure influence:
"I'm amazed at how much influence he had on the world of ISKCON, more so than many initiating gurus put together. And yet he didn't initiate anyone…"
Purity really is the force.
I have spent hours at a time listening to his kirtans and bhajanas since 1991. Every time I went to Vraj I relished spending time listening to the 24 hour kirtan. Srila Prabhupada was right, there is actually no need to leave our compound when there is 24 hour kirtan.
The last time I was in Vraj an incident took place that indicated the impact of Aindra Prabhu's 24 hour kirtan. I was sitting in Srila Prabhupada's samdhi chanting japa when a South Indian brahmana from the Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya came in. On enquiry I found out that he was from the Ahobilam Matha Asrama in Hyderabad. He said he had visited the temple several times. I asked him if he liked it. He said he did, and with tears welling up in his eyes he told me "I especially love the kirtan, it is so beautiful." He said it all.
Sriman Aindra Prabhu displayed Vaisnava humility in the true sense of the word, as explained in the following quotation from Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava, Volume 2, section entitled "Compassionate Belligerence and Genuine Humility" by Bhakti Vikasa Swami:
"Among Bengali Vaisnavas, humility was ranked as the prime symptom of the saintliness so much esteemed in the highly religious culture of India—hence the curious phenomenon of persons quite lacking genuine humility deliberately mimicking meekness to attract praise and respect. Typically, prakrta-sahajiyas were well practiced in making shows of treacly humility, and deemed such displays the main lineaments of a Vaisnava, even if the performer's personal habits were abominable. Srila Sarasvati Thakura declared as outright deception these sanctimonious caricatures of piety, maintaining that such religious impostors were concealing huge mountains of pride within their hearts. He described prakrta-sahajiyas as "hellish living incarnations of cheating humility." He noted that "a mere show of humility will not work, for only after duplicity has been given up can there be bhakti," and that "bhajana actually begins when one's outside and inside are the same."
Continued…
"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura offered a uniquely meaningful definition of Vaisnava humility:
"The transcendental conception of thinking "I am dust at the lotus feet of my spiritual master; I am the servant of guru and Krsna" is what is meant by trnad api sunicata (becoming lower than grass). Jive daya (compassion toward all living entities), name ruci (taste for the holy names), and Vaisnavaseva—these are Mahaprabhu's three teachings. The meaning of trnad api sunicata is not disingenuousness, merely flaunting a show of humility; it means actual eligibility for kirtana by name ruci and considering oneself a servant of the holy name. Service is the gateway to name ruci; service to guru and Vaisnavas is trnad api sunicata. We should not become subordinate (nicata to nondevotees, but to devotees, from whom we should beg mercy and show respect. The mahajanas instructed us not to display humility before everyone. To show humility toward envious atheists like Ravana and the pretentious brahmana is not Vaisnava-seva or trnad api sunicata. If we transgress this instruction we will never become qualified to chant the holy name or attain name ruci; rather, our actions will result in becoming envious of others. Rama-bhakta Hanuman's burning of Lanka is real trnad api sunicata…"
…"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati would respond that real humility is inseparable from adherence to truth, and that it is the duty of Vaisnavas to state the truth and caution truthseekers that epigones are not and could never be actual Vaisnavas."
It was by Aindra Prabhu's courage in proclaiming the truth that Srila Prabhupada's desire for there to be 24 hour kirtan in Vrndavana against all opposition became a reality.
I trust that at this time, Aindra Prabhu is relishing ecstatic kirtans with the Panca Tattva and Their associates. May he be kind enough to bless me to join him.
Your humble servant,
Shyamasundara dasa
krsne matir astu
www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com
