By Dharmatma Das
(1) JUNE 5, 1973 NEW VRINDAVAN
New Vrindavan was attacked by a gang of Bikers from Louisville, Kentucky, where we had been
doing book distribution, Harinam and also remodeling one of the old Road Show buses we bought from Kirtanananda Swami that we would use for travelling Sankirtan.
We arrived in NV along with many other devotees. Srila Prabhupada was scheduled to attend but cancelled at the last moment due to sickness. It was a wonderful three day festival. On Monday morning during Srimad Bhagavatam class, cries of “Demons are coming” were heard as one of them fired a shotgun into a side window wounding three devotees and four others armed with rifles, pistols and knives held all of us captive in the temple room.
At this point we began chanting Nrisimha prayers, as devotees were terrified. Their leader asked who was the leader and Kirtanananda responded that he was and then he asked who was in Louisville. I put my hand up and immediately he put a pistol to my head and kept asking, “Where is my daughter?”
She had attended the Sunday programs we held while in Louisville and he thought we took her with us to NV. I full believed it was my time and I chanted the Holy Names while hearing the devotees chanting prayers to Lord Narasimha.
The full story is there in Radha Damodar Vilas by Vaiyasaki prabhu Vol 2.
(2) EARLY 1980 COLUMBUS, OHIO
Two Mataji’s from New Vrindavan had an apartment and were distributing books at the Columbus
Airport. I would come monthly to supply them with books, paraphernalia and NV Prasadam and to pick up what they had collected.
One night after we had unloaded the boxes from the van into the apartment, I was sitting in the front seat waiting for them to bring the Laksmi, out and I’d be off . All of a sudden a masked assailant jumped into the open side door and immediately put a gun to my head. I began chanting and he became very agitated and violently kept pressing the gun while yelling, “Give me your money, I’ll kill you! give me your wallet!” I said, “I’m a monk, I don’t have a wallet, no pockets, i’m wearing a robe.” I reached down and handed him a small bag of change and bills that I had for gas money. By Lord Narasimha’s mercy he then ran off into the night.
Not five minutes later the Mataji’s came to the van with a substantial amount of Lord Krishna’s Laksmi! Whew!
(3) 1980-1982 COLUMBUS, OHIO STATE FAIR
The nearby State Fair was a great opportunity for Sankirtan. Thousands of people came from
all over and gladly gave donations for books, incense and other items. Five of us travelled from
NV in an old red beat-up Valiant farm car. Every few days I’d make a trip to the bank to deposit
the collections in bags provided by the bank.
One morning on the way I was happily chanting when all hell broke loose. 5-6 police cars came
out of no where, lights blazing and sirens screaming. I screeched to a stop and was immediately surrounded by armed police all yelling, “Get out of the car! Get on the ground! Hands up!
The had me handcuffed and lying on the pavement and they began searching the car. Meanwhile
I’m chanting and saying I’m a Hare Krishna!
In the back seat of the car were 3-4 big bags of coins and bank envelopes with thousands of dollars.
When asked i told them where it came from and what we were doing.
By then I noticed some ot the many police lightening up and actually laughing and saying, “He’s just a
Hare krishna!
They proceeded to tell me that a bank had been robbed nearby that morning by a bald guy driving
a red car. We all had a big laugh!
Ito nrisimhah parato nrisimho
yato yato yami tato nrisimhah
bahir nrisimho hridaye nrisimho
nrisimham adim sharanam prapadye
“Lord Nrisimha is here and also there. Wherever I go Lord Nrisimha is there. He is in the heart and is outside as well. I surrender to Lord Nrisimha, the origin of all things and the supreme refuge.”