PADA: I actually had the great blessing of meeting Jayananda prabhu in 1971, and he recruited me to help him building the Ratha carts. I was engaged in painting little details on the support posts. I also helped Jayananda work on some of the temple vehicles, doing brake jobs and etc. He was always busy doing service and he was very dedicated to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna.
I believe he left the planet before Srila Prabhupada did, because Krishna saved him from the grief of seeing the false acharyas hi-jack ISKCON. Same feeling I have had for Vishnujana, they were both blessed to be free of seeing the post-1977 train wreck. And both of them were very special people to me personally.
Jayananda would sometimes sneak some sweet balls out of the temple and hand them out to some of us workers. He was very kind, compassionate and considerate. In other words -- he was a genuine Vaishnava.
In 1984 the Berkeley police told me, these Hansadutta people are all low lifes and criminals. What happened to all the nice devotees LIKE JAYANANDA.
Well they moved into another leela with Krishna, and I am sure they are going to be closer to Krishna whatever else happens. They are on the right road. Jayananda was always interested in vehicles, and perhaps he is now making some vehicles -- maybe even some types of Ratha carts -- as his service for Krishna in his current life.
It would not surprise me at all -- if that is what he is doing now. He was always very friendly with me, and that helped me get jump started on my own path to Krishna. For that I will be grateful eternally.
ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com
Sri Jayananda Prabhu (1939-1977)
After the series of previous notes on various aspects of the Jagannatha-lila and the Ratha-yatra celebrated at this time, I considered it fair to publish something in homage to our esteemed spiritual brother Sri Jayananda Thakur, a beloved disciple of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. With his admirable pioneering effort, he contributed greatly to the celebration of the Ratha-yatra festivals, being loved by all devotees and recognized by Srila Prabhupada.
The translations that follow, after my introduction of this document, of some biographical fragments about Jayananda Prabhu, are part of a couple of books dedicated to his life of service and other references cited within the context. As a graphic complement of this note in his tribute, they accompany several special photos that will serve as a visual complement for readers to appreciate justly, the spiritual dimension of life and the service rendered by Jayananda Thakur, "the king of Ratha-yatra".
Jayananda Prabhu (Jim Kohr) was a very dedicated disciple of Srila Prabhupada who helped to introduce the festival of Ratha-yatra (festival of the floats of Lord Jagannatha) in the West, beginning in the USA. He pioneered the construction of the Ratha-yatra wagons, whose first festival was held in San Francisco in 1967 and Jayananda was the one who built the carriages with a group of devotees who worked under his expert guidance. Although at that time he was not sannyasi, he was highly respected in Srila Prabhupada's mission. For his pioneering effort in the Ratha-yatra festivals in several cities of U.S.A. Jayananda was known as "Mr. Ratha-yatra. "
His humility was exceptional and even after being recognized by all and by Srila Prabhupada, he continued to clean the pots and the kitchen for the other devotees, taking out the garbage, and doing whatever was necessary. Although he had an engineer degree, he gave up that to be a taxi driver because he could not relate to materialistic society. He was very sober and mature. And with his work as a taxi driver he maintained the San Francisco temple, being the president of the temple while working as a taxi driver.
He was tireless, working up to twenty hours a day when necessary. And he knew how to direct people and occupy them practically. His humility was exceptional. On one occasion, a devotee (called Sankarsana) saw Jayananda on the street and offered his obeisances. And Jayananda right there on the street, prostrated himself and returned his reverences without even knowing him.
Even after being recognized by all and by Srila Prabhupada as a great example, Jayananda continued to clean the pots and the kitchen for the other devotees, taking out the garbage and doing everything he could do. To know more about this great saint, it is recommended to read the book Radha-Damodara Vilasa, written by P. Vaiyasaki Dasa (at the moment, available only in English). Another book is A day in the life of Jayanada Thakur, from Vishoka dasa.
Although among the disciples of Srila Prabhupada there are many other non-praised saints and heroes, the great personality of Jayananda Thakur stands out as an exemplary disciple, as a pioneer of the Ratha-yatra, for his dedication to Prabhupada, for his austerity, his humility, for his spiritual accomplishments and to be loved by all. His place of honor, recognized by Prabhupada, occupies a very prominent place among his other disciples, some of whom left this world to meet Srila Prabhupada in his eternal pastimes.
By establishing Krishna consciousness everywhere, Srila Prabhupada realized that prophecy of Mahaprabhu and also the desire predicted by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, when he said that the day would come when the devotees of the West and the Bengali devotees would gather in the land of Lord Chaitanya and everywhere to dance ecstatically and sing together "Hari Bol! Hari Bol! " This has already been miraculously fulfilled in the manifested pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, and with unprecedented success, beyond what his own spiritual brothers and Vaisnavas from all over the world could have assumed.
By masterfully fulfilling the order given to him by his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, establishing the international mission of Krishna consciousness in only twelve years of uninterrupted pure service around the globe, Srila Prabhupada consolidated the message of the previous Vaisnava acharyas that he represented genuinely. Jayananda Prabhu and many other notable disciples were great factors in establishing that divine mission of sankirtana.
As Srila Prabhupada said, the Sri Jagannatha is not only Purinatha, the Lord worshiped in Puri-dhama, but the Lord of the entire Universe, where he is now known and worshiped by millions of devotees. Despite this desire of Jagannatha-deva himself to leave Puri for the celebration of His Ratha-yatra around the world, as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati wanted, in his original temple of Puri, entry to those who are not "Hindus", despite being devotees of Jagannatha.
On May 19, 1934, in the ancient temple of Lord Alalanatha near Puri, in Orissa, which we visited, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, made the following prophetic statement:
We must take Lord Jagannatha on a plane to Eastbourne, London. There Alalanatha, Gaudiyanatha and Gopinatha will appear. We must install the Deity of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in all parts of the world, otherwise there will be nothing auspicious for the human race. "
This other prophetic vision was fulfilled by his disciple Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master and Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). By order of his guru, Srila Prabhupada went in 1965 to preach to the West, and arrived in New York to establish his mission. Two years later, he instituted the first Ratha-yatra festival in San Francisco, following what he had done early in Calcutta during his childhood. And Jayananda Prabhu was an essential pillar for the celebration of all the Ratha-yatra. From the first festival that was held in San Francisco in 1967, until his last days already prostrate in bed and sick with Leukemia, Jayananda Thakur was the fundamental axis for the realization of this great service, until it disappeared on May 1, 1977 .
Jayananda also exemplified that, in order to attain spiritual perfection, what matters is the sincerity of a disciple and the intensity of his surrender to the spiritual master. In just 10 years of pure devotional service serving Prabhupada's instructions without deviation (vani-seva), Jayananda achieved the success aspired by all devotees. Bhakti is the cradle of bhakti and, obviously, it must be understood that besides having undoubtedly received the causeless mercy of the spiritual master (guru-kripa), such mahatmas are very rare and surely come from the practice of bhakti in previous lives, or by the Lord's desire, to assist the mission and pastimes of Sri Gurudeva.
Beyond the limiting bodily concept, alien to the true teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, who wished to flood the entire world in Kali-yuga with the prema-sankirtana, which began in Srivas-angam, the full understanding of the Krishna consciousness is beyond all consideration relative to the body, caste, social condition, color, material status, creed or religious affiliation, because the Bhagavata-dharma which is the creed of the Vaisnavas followers of Mahaprabhu, is the eternal occupation (sanatana -dharma) of the living entities (jivas) as eternal servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Sri Jagannatha, the Lord of the universe.
That is why Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura clearly expressed in his book Jaiva-dharma, that the eternal occupation of the jiva is the Vaisnava-dharma, which is above material considerations relating to the particular body, nation and / or India, because the Absolute sense of devotional service does not depend on bodily conceptions. That is the essential message that must be understood in the transcendental teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
By initiating disciples from all over the world and turning them into sincere devotees of the Lord, such as Jayananda Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada showed his great mercy without cause to the most fallen conditioned souls, both in the West and everywhere, because even in India, earth of the dharma, from the time of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and his father, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, many of his natives were confused by the influences of the British Empire, which, despite the efforts of our great acharyas of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to counteract such It continued to happen even after India won its "independence," freeing itself from the imperialist yoke by the efforts of Gandhi and a united people.
Sri Jayananda Prabhu (1939-1977)
After the series of previous notes on various aspects of the Jagannatha-lila and the Ratha-yatra celebrated at this time, I considered it fair to publish something in homage to our esteemed spiritual brother Sri Jayananda Thakur, a beloved disciple of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. With his admirable pioneering effort, he contributed greatly to the celebration of the Ratha-yatra festivals, being loved by all devotees and recognized by Srila Prabhupada.
The translations that follow, after my introduction of this document, of some biographical fragments about Jayananda Prabhu, are part of a couple of books dedicated to his life of service and other references cited within the context. As a graphic complement of this note in his tribute, they accompany several special photos that will serve as a visual complement for readers to appreciate justly, the spiritual dimension of life and the service rendered by Jayananda Thakur, "the king of Ratha-yatra".
Jayananda Prabhu (Jim Kohr) was a very dedicated disciple of Srila Prabhupada who helped to introduce the festival of Ratha-yatra (festival of the floats of Lord Jagannatha) in the West, beginning in the USA. He pioneered the construction of the Ratha-yatra wagons, whose first festival was held in San Francisco in 1967 and Jayananda was the one who built the carriages with a group of devotees who worked under his expert guidance. Although at that time he was not sannyasi, he was highly respected in Srila Prabhupada's mission. For his pioneering effort in the Ratha-yatra festivals in several cities of U.S.A. Jayananda was known as "Mr. Ratha-yatra. "
His humility was exceptional and even after being recognized by all and by Srila Prabhupada, he continued to clean the pots and the kitchen for the other devotees, taking out the garbage, and doing whatever was necessary. Although he had an engineer degree, he gave up that to be a taxi driver because he could not relate to materialistic society. He was very sober and mature. And with his work as a taxi driver he maintained the San Francisco temple, being the president of the temple while working as a taxi driver.
He was tireless, working up to twenty hours a day when necessary. And he knew how to direct people and occupy them practically. His humility was exceptional. On one occasion, a devotee (called Sankarsana) saw Jayananda on the street and offered his obeisances. And Jayananda right there on the street, prostrated himself and returned his reverences without even knowing him.
Even after being recognized by all and by Srila Prabhupada as a great example, Jayananda continued to clean the pots and the kitchen for the other devotees, taking out the garbage and doing everything he could do. To know more about this great saint, it is recommended to read the book Radha-Damodara Vilasa, written by P. Vaiyasaki Dasa (at the moment, available only in English). Another book is A day in the life of Jayanada Thakur, from Vishoka dasa.
Although among the disciples of Srila Prabhupada there are many other non-praised saints and heroes, the great personality of Jayananda Thakur stands out as an exemplary disciple, as a pioneer of the Ratha-yatra, for his dedication to Prabhupada, for his austerity, his humility, for his spiritual accomplishments and to be loved by all. His place of honor, recognized by Prabhupada, occupies a very prominent place among his other disciples, some of whom left this world to meet Srila Prabhupada in his eternal pastimes.
By establishing Krishna consciousness everywhere, Srila Prabhupada realized that prophecy of Mahaprabhu and also the desire predicted by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, when he said that the day would come when the devotees of the West and the Bengali devotees would gather in the land of Lord Chaitanya and everywhere to dance ecstatically and sing together "Hari Bol! Hari Bol! " This has already been miraculously fulfilled in the manifested pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, and with unprecedented success, beyond what his own spiritual brothers and Vaisnavas from all over the world could have assumed.
By masterfully fulfilling the order given to him by his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, establishing the international mission of Krishna consciousness in only twelve years of uninterrupted pure service around the globe, Srila Prabhupada consolidated the message of the previous Vaisnava acharyas that he represented genuinely. Jayananda Prabhu and many other notable disciples were great factors in establishing that divine mission of sankirtana.
As Srila Prabhupada said, the Sri Jagannatha is not only Purinatha, the Lord worshiped in Puri-dhama, but the Lord of the entire Universe, where he is now known and worshiped by millions of devotees. Despite this desire of Jagannatha-deva himself to leave Puri for the celebration of His Ratha-yatra around the world, as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati wanted, in his original temple of Puri, entry to those who are not "Hindus", despite being devotees of Jagannatha.
On May 19, 1934, in the ancient temple of Lord Alalanatha near Puri, in Orissa, which we visited, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, made the following prophetic statement:
We must take Lord Jagannatha on a plane to Eastbourne, London. There Alalanatha, Gaudiyanatha and Gopinatha will appear. We must install the Deity of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in all parts of the world, otherwise there will be nothing auspicious for the human race. "
This other prophetic vision was fulfilled by his disciple Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master and Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). By order of his guru, Srila Prabhupada went in 1965 to preach to the West, and arrived in New York to establish his mission. Two years later, he instituted the first Ratha-yatra festival in San Francisco, following what he had done early in Calcutta during his childhood. And Jayananda Prabhu was an essential pillar for the celebration of all the Ratha-yatra. From the first festival that was held in San Francisco in 1967, until his last days already prostrate in bed and sick with Leukemia, Jayananda Thakur was the fundamental axis for the realization of this great service, until it disappeared on May 1, 1977 .
Jayananda also exemplified that, in order to attain spiritual perfection, what matters is the sincerity of a disciple and the intensity of his surrender to the spiritual master. In just 10 years of pure devotional service serving Prabhupada's instructions without deviation (vani-seva), Jayananda achieved the success aspired by all devotees. Bhakti is the cradle of bhakti and, obviously, it must be understood that besides having undoubtedly received the causeless mercy of the spiritual master (guru-kripa), such mahatmas are very rare and surely come from the practice of bhakti in previous lives, or by the Lord's desire, to assist the mission and pastimes of Sri Gurudeva.
Beyond the limiting bodily concept, alien to the true teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, who wished to flood the entire world in Kali-yuga with the prema-sankirtana, which began in Srivas-angam, the full understanding of the Krishna consciousness is beyond all consideration relative to the body, caste, social condition, color, material status, creed or religious affiliation, because the Bhagavata-dharma which is the creed of the Vaisnavas followers of Mahaprabhu, is the eternal occupation (sanatana -dharma) of the living entities (jivas) as eternal servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Sri Jagannatha, the Lord of the universe.
That is why Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura clearly expressed in his book Jaiva-dharma, that the eternal occupation of the jiva is the Vaisnava-dharma, which is above material considerations relating to the particular body, nation and / or India, because the Absolute sense of devotional service does not depend on bodily conceptions. That is the essential message that must be understood in the transcendental teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
By initiating disciples from all over the world and turning them into sincere devotees of the Lord, such as Jayananda Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada showed his great mercy without cause to the most fallen conditioned souls, both in the West and everywhere, because even in India, earth of the dharma, from the time of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and his father, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, many of his natives were confused by the influences of the British Empire, which, despite the efforts of our great acharyas of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to counteract such It continued to happen even after India won its "independence," freeing itself from the imperialist yoke by the efforts of Gandhi and a united people.
However, true independence is the release of attachments, desires, material conceptions, and relative considerations based on the temporal notions of "patriotism," "religion," "socio-economic policies and approaches," etc., which they are all factors of material order, which have nothing to do with the true emancipation of the being or the liberation of the yoke of the illusory energy.
In pursuing the great work undertaken by predecessor Vaisnava preceptors, our guru Maharaj, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was an exemplary and revolutionary acharya who was able to adapt without deviations the Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta, according to the time, place and historical circumstances that he had. face to consolidate its divine mission of preaching at an international level.
If it had not been for that titanic, incomparable and magnanimous effort of Srila Prabhupada, no one would currently know Krishna consciousness so well, nor could he participate in the wonderful Ratha-yatra festivals in many parts of the world. And it must also be understood that all respectable senior devotees of India (sannyasis and / or leaders of other missions of the Gaudiya Math), who have been able to come to the West to preach after Srila Prabhupada's departure, would not have had the reception nor the the acceptance of his preaching, if not for the consolidated work of our guru maharaja.
By establishing Krishna consciousness everywhere and sowing in the hearts of his disciples the seed of bhakti-siddhanta, none of the Vaisnavas who have traveled outside India, where they only had a few temples, few local followers, and relatively timid missions and without experience in a great international preaching, he would have had the acceptance and relative success that has allowed them to extend some branches in certain parts, publish certain works and bring together new people attracted by his presence.
In pursuing the great work undertaken by predecessor Vaisnava preceptors, our guru Maharaj, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was an exemplary and revolutionary acharya who was able to adapt without deviations the Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta, according to the time, place and historical circumstances that he had. face to consolidate its divine mission of preaching at an international level.
If it had not been for that titanic, incomparable and magnanimous effort of Srila Prabhupada, no one would currently know Krishna consciousness so well, nor could he participate in the wonderful Ratha-yatra festivals in many parts of the world. And it must also be understood that all respectable senior devotees of India (sannyasis and / or leaders of other missions of the Gaudiya Math), who have been able to come to the West to preach after Srila Prabhupada's departure, would not have had the reception nor the the acceptance of his preaching, if not for the consolidated work of our guru maharaja.
By establishing Krishna consciousness everywhere and sowing in the hearts of his disciples the seed of bhakti-siddhanta, none of the Vaisnavas who have traveled outside India, where they only had a few temples, few local followers, and relatively timid missions and without experience in a great international preaching, he would have had the acceptance and relative success that has allowed them to extend some branches in certain parts, publish certain works and bring together new people attracted by his presence.
Although we are all part of the tree of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which has different branches, and we are devotees of the Rupanuga-Vaisnava family, without the incomparable pioneering work of our Srila Prabhupada, who knew how to expertly adjust Krishna consciousness in the Western countries full of souls falls, no one could have been able to collect the fruits sown by his divine mission and his transcendental preaching.
It is my duty as your faithful disciple, to point out all of the above, so that Srila Prabhupada's position as Visva-acharya (jagad-guru) and pativa-pavana, the savior of the fallen ones, is sometimes recognized by those who are not relativized. they know the spiritual indifference of their divine mission or the transcendental character of Prabhupada as a great acharya, eternal pure devotee of the Lord. I say this with all respect for other sincere Vaisnavas.
By arrangements of the Lord, since Prabhupada left India in 1965 to fulfill the instruction of his spiritual master, until he left this world in Vrindavana in 1977, in those twelve years of international preaching we joined his Divine Grace many disciples we received his mercy without cause. We all humbly helped in spreading their mission while Prabhupada was present among us.
That is still happening through the survivors that we still have, as magnanimous extensions of his great mercy without cause. It also manifests itself through the new generations of devotees, prabhupananugas linked in some way to their direct disciples, or new followers enlightened by their works and the preaching of their devotees throughout the world. All this has benefited even large-scale Vaisnavas, who have left India to continue the preaching of the sankirtan movement of Sri Chaitanya deva, finding fertile ground thanks to the mercy of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Jayananda Thakur was depositary of that kripa, and in translating these the following biographical fragments, I wanted to pay a humble tribute to this great disciple, sometimes called "Mr. Ratha-yatra. "
Due to Srila Prabhupada's mercy, Lord Jagannatha is now famous throughout the world. The Ratha-yatra has become a popular celebration in almost every major city such as London, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Rome, Zurich, Sydney, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Denver, Washington, New Jersey, Detroit, Seattle, Calcutta, Delhi, Mexico, Rio de Janeiro, Budapest, Guadalajara, Durban, Melbourne, Moscow, et cetera.
Jayananda Thakur was a factor chosen by Krishna to consolidate the Ratha-yatra festivals in several North American cities. Our debt to him is great. I consider that, whatever the Vaisnava mission held in the West the Ratha-yatra, not only in ISKCON, should carry in the car of Lord Jagannatha an appropriate image of Jayananda Takhur.
It is my duty as your faithful disciple, to point out all of the above, so that Srila Prabhupada's position as Visva-acharya (jagad-guru) and pativa-pavana, the savior of the fallen ones, is sometimes recognized by those who are not relativized. they know the spiritual indifference of their divine mission or the transcendental character of Prabhupada as a great acharya, eternal pure devotee of the Lord. I say this with all respect for other sincere Vaisnavas.
By arrangements of the Lord, since Prabhupada left India in 1965 to fulfill the instruction of his spiritual master, until he left this world in Vrindavana in 1977, in those twelve years of international preaching we joined his Divine Grace many disciples we received his mercy without cause. We all humbly helped in spreading their mission while Prabhupada was present among us.
That is still happening through the survivors that we still have, as magnanimous extensions of his great mercy without cause. It also manifests itself through the new generations of devotees, prabhupananugas linked in some way to their direct disciples, or new followers enlightened by their works and the preaching of their devotees throughout the world. All this has benefited even large-scale Vaisnavas, who have left India to continue the preaching of the sankirtan movement of Sri Chaitanya deva, finding fertile ground thanks to the mercy of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Jayananda Thakur was depositary of that kripa, and in translating these the following biographical fragments, I wanted to pay a humble tribute to this great disciple, sometimes called "Mr. Ratha-yatra. "
Due to Srila Prabhupada's mercy, Lord Jagannatha is now famous throughout the world. The Ratha-yatra has become a popular celebration in almost every major city such as London, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Rome, Zurich, Sydney, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Denver, Washington, New Jersey, Detroit, Seattle, Calcutta, Delhi, Mexico, Rio de Janeiro, Budapest, Guadalajara, Durban, Melbourne, Moscow, et cetera.
Jayananda Thakur was a factor chosen by Krishna to consolidate the Ratha-yatra festivals in several North American cities. Our debt to him is great. I consider that, whatever the Vaisnava mission held in the West the Ratha-yatra, not only in ISKCON, should carry in the car of Lord Jagannatha an appropriate image of Jayananda Takhur.
As a token of appreciation, the nobility of all envy-free Vaisnava forces us to recognize the pioneering service of our beloved spiritual brother Sri Jayananda Thakur. That will be good for everyone and will surely please Lord Jagannatha, because as the Visnu Purana says, "whoever claims to be My devotee, is not really my devotee. To one who considers himself a devotee of my devotee, I really recognize him as My devotee. "
Sri Jagannatha is not only Puri-natha, the Lord of Puri-dhama, his sacred place, but the Lord (natha) of the entire Universe (jagat). That sectarian view led Srila Prabhupada to say that if his Western disciples were not allowed the dharsan of the deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra in the Jagannatha-Puri temple, he would not enter there either. By the desire of His pure devotees, Jagannatha left that temple to be worshiped and celebrate his Ratha-yatra festival throughout the planet Earth.
======
In a letter of Srila Prabhupada of May 11, 1977 addressed to Rameshvara, he expresses the following about his beloved disciple Jayananda:
"Jayananda's death is glorious. It is very good what he said, what is the use of a useless body, it is better to abandon it. He has left his body very beautifully and has been transferred to Vaikuntha. I have already sent a letter of condolence to be published in Back to Godhead. Everyone should follow Jayananda's example. I am very proud to have had such a good disciple. The image of Jayananda should be placed in the Ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in all the temples it should be placed to celebrate a festival in his honor, just as we do on the day of the disappearance of other great Vaisnavas ... ".
After suffering the painful leukemia disease that prostrated him and diminished the great strength of his body, finally being in a wheelchair, Jayananda disappeared glossingly on May 1, 1977. He joined the Krishna consciousness movement in 1967, just in its beginnings, and left the planet a few months before Srila Prabhupada, who departed from Vrindavana to his eternal pastimes, on November 14, 1977.
As we will see in the following biographical compilations that I have translated for the knowledge of the Hispanic devotees, that Jayananda left before Srila Prabhupada, was an arrangement of Krishna so that our beloved spiritual master could recognize in life his deep gratitude and affection for his disciple exemplary Jayananda, "the king of the Ratha-yatra," who in just ten years of untiring dedication to the service of Sri Guru and Sri Krishna-Jagannatha, attained spiritual perfection, because as Prabhupada said, Jayananda went to the spiritual world of Vaikuntha and its appearance and disappearance should be celebrated in the devotional calendar as it is done with other great Vaisnava saints. In addition, Prabhupada said that Jayananda's photo should be placed in Jagannatha's car in all the ISKCON Ratha-yatras to be celebrated anywhere in the world.
DISAPPEARANCE OF SRILA JAYANANDA DASA THAKURA, MAY 3
Srila Jayananda Dasa Thakura, ISKCON’s First Saint.
After the disappearance of Jayananda Das on May 1, 1977, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada instructed devotees all over the world to commemorate the event every year as they would any great Vaishnava's disappearance day.
Photo: Sri Jayananda Dasa Thakura building Ratha Yatra Cart.
Sri Jagannatha is not only Puri-natha, the Lord of Puri-dhama, his sacred place, but the Lord (natha) of the entire Universe (jagat). That sectarian view led Srila Prabhupada to say that if his Western disciples were not allowed the dharsan of the deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra in the Jagannatha-Puri temple, he would not enter there either. By the desire of His pure devotees, Jagannatha left that temple to be worshiped and celebrate his Ratha-yatra festival throughout the planet Earth.
======
In a letter of Srila Prabhupada of May 11, 1977 addressed to Rameshvara, he expresses the following about his beloved disciple Jayananda:
"Jayananda's death is glorious. It is very good what he said, what is the use of a useless body, it is better to abandon it. He has left his body very beautifully and has been transferred to Vaikuntha. I have already sent a letter of condolence to be published in Back to Godhead. Everyone should follow Jayananda's example. I am very proud to have had such a good disciple. The image of Jayananda should be placed in the Ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in all the temples it should be placed to celebrate a festival in his honor, just as we do on the day of the disappearance of other great Vaisnavas ... ".
After suffering the painful leukemia disease that prostrated him and diminished the great strength of his body, finally being in a wheelchair, Jayananda disappeared glossingly on May 1, 1977. He joined the Krishna consciousness movement in 1967, just in its beginnings, and left the planet a few months before Srila Prabhupada, who departed from Vrindavana to his eternal pastimes, on November 14, 1977.
As we will see in the following biographical compilations that I have translated for the knowledge of the Hispanic devotees, that Jayananda left before Srila Prabhupada, was an arrangement of Krishna so that our beloved spiritual master could recognize in life his deep gratitude and affection for his disciple exemplary Jayananda, "the king of the Ratha-yatra," who in just ten years of untiring dedication to the service of Sri Guru and Sri Krishna-Jagannatha, attained spiritual perfection, because as Prabhupada said, Jayananda went to the spiritual world of Vaikuntha and its appearance and disappearance should be celebrated in the devotional calendar as it is done with other great Vaisnava saints. In addition, Prabhupada said that Jayananda's photo should be placed in Jagannatha's car in all the ISKCON Ratha-yatras to be celebrated anywhere in the world.
DISAPPEARANCE OF SRILA JAYANANDA DASA THAKURA, MAY 3
Srila Jayananda Dasa Thakura, ISKCON’s First Saint.
After the disappearance of Jayananda Das on May 1, 1977, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada instructed devotees all over the world to commemorate the event every year as they would any great Vaishnava's disappearance day.
Photo: Sri Jayananda Dasa Thakura building Ratha Yatra Cart.
“My Dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings.
I am feeling very intensely your separation. In 1967 you joined me in San Francisco. You were driving my car and chanting Hare Krsna. You were the first man to give me some contribution ($5000) for printing my Bhagavad-gita. After that, you have rendered very favorable service to Krsna in different ways. I so hope at the time of your death you were remembering Krsna and as such, you have been promoted to the eternal association of Krsna…as you were hearing Krsna-kirtana, I am sure that you were directly promoted to Krsna-loka.
janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janmanaiti man eti so’ rjuna
janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janmanaiti man eti so’ rjuna
(BG 4.9)
Krsna has done a great favor to you, not to continue your diseased body, and has given you a suitable place for your service. Thank you very much.
Your ever well-wisher,
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
JAYANANDA'S DEATH IS GLORIOUS
Srila Prabhupada: "Jayananda's death is glorious. It is very good that he had stated, what is the use of such a useless body, better to give it up. He has left his body very wonderfully, and he has been transferred to Vaikuntha. I have already sent a condolence letter for publication in Back To Godhead. Everyone should follow the example of Jayananda. I am very proud that I had such a nice disciple. If possible Jayananda's picture should be hung in the Ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in all of our temples a day may be set aside for holding a festival in his honor, just as we do on the disappearance day of the other great Vaisnavas."
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