In Memoriam HG JAGANNATHA MISRA DAS
Hare Krishna
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the sudden unexpected passing of HG Jagannatha Misra das, on the early morning of Saturday, July 30th, 2022 in Alachua. He was going through some health challenges.
Jagannatha prabhu was a big book distributor and collector for New Vrindavana in the early days. He also worked on the construction projects there and took care of cows. He spent a period of time in France as a married man. He was deeply affected by the passing of his best friend Jagadisvara dasa a few months ago. Both of them served together in New Vrindavana for a number of years.
Jagannatha das moved to Alachua in the early 2000’s. He worked for devotees caring for horses, cows, and gardening. He often ate lunch at the temple with his cohort of temple devotees.
He will be missed. We pray that his journey takes him to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
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The letter below is written by HG Radha Krishna das
Dear Jagganatha Misra Prabhu. You where a kind and generous friend. Always thinking of others while living a life of austerity. I will miss your association and your words of encouragement. You did huge service for Srila Prabhupada through book distribution. In 1976 you were the biggest distributor in New Vrndavan if not the world. Lord Krishna never forgets and I will always remember you as a dear friend. Thank you for your association. Your friend Radha Krishna das.
Memories of my godbrother Jagannath Misra
Hare Krishna. I am saddened by the death of my friend and godbrother, Jagannath Misra dasa (James Bulsa). I would like to share some of my memories of my godbrother. Please forgive me, but I must correct a few errors I find above.
Jagannath Misra was a disciple of Kirtanananda Swami, initiated on Christmas Day 1978 at New Vrindaban (I was initiated three months later on Gaura-Purnima 1979). He worked in the gardens at New Vrindaban for a time. Within a year or so he was sent to Columbus ISKCON and was trained to distribute paperback books, such as “Easy Journey to Other Planets,” in supermarket parking lots. Soon, however, New Vrindaban focused entirely on picking, or giving out paraphernalia, such as bumper stickers, and asking donations for charities such as Nandagram Boys School. Mish excelled at picking. He was my traveling picking partner for several years in the early 1980s. We won the “Golden Van Award” at the 1981 Christmas Marathon party for being the top men’s collectors for the year.
We had a great time and traveled through many states making money for our spiritual master’s projects and eventually worked our way to California, where we (until 1985) hid out from the California devotees, who would have slashed our tires if they caught us. Mish and I worked California for a couple years and especially relished the time (three days) we spent with our spiritual master during Bhaktipada’s April 1985 trip to California to visit San Francisco, Berkeley, Atreya Rishi’s proposed Gaura Mandala Giri farm project in the Pacific Coast Range, and Mount Kailasa. Mish left NV around 1987 or so. We lost contact, but around 2005 got back in touch. I visited him when he was living in his car in Fort Lauderdale and working odd construction jobs. He had no concept of saving money. He also worked for a Satsvarupa disciple in Alachua, Krishna Bhakta dasa, taking care of his cows and garden in return for a place to live and a stipend.
Around this time he used to call me once a month on the phone and complain that his employer was slow in paying him. Later he moved in with his wealthy brother, an oil well driller, in Eastern Kentucky. He complained that his brother got drunk every night on a case of beer. As Mish was a devotee at heart, this was a difficult time for him. Eventually I stopped receiving calls from him, and called his number many times, but no one ever picked up. Now I heard he committed suicide after moving back to Alachua. Mish will always be in my heart and I fondly remember all the service we performed collecting money for New Vrindaban.
Regarding Radha Krishna dasa’s recollection above, Mish was not in NV in 1976. At that time he was twenty years old (we’re about the same age) and was living in a hollow tree in the Redwood forest in the mountains northwest from Santa Cruz. He was friends with Chakradhari, a Prabhupada disciple who also lived in Santa Cruz. Chakradhari told him, “You should move to New Vrindaban. It’s a wonderful place, and a pure devotee lives there, Kirtanananda Swami. Prabhupada said so!” Also, I never heard that Mish was a big book distributor. We were Lakshmi collectors. But he was known in New Vrindaban as a maharati collector.
Sincerely,
Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)
former New Vrindaban resident, friend and godbrother of Jagannath Misra, and former disciple of Kirtanananda Swami.
Jagannath Misra das was from Parma, Ohio (near Cleveland). He was the son of a Polish bartender.
Jagannatha had a strong taste for hearing and chanting. He memorized ‘Divinity and Divine Service’ from Bhagavatam and could quote it verbatim. When he led Bhajan it would make others spontaneously want to chant, he chanted so nicely.
He was very frank and forward about the fact that his attraction to women constantly rattled his brain. When his first wife left him he became suicidal. He described to me the herbs he took to battle depression.
Jagannatha Misra learned a great deal in this life. We wish only the best in the next life.