By Nartaka Gopala dasi
Our godsister Mitravinda devi dasi passed away in Alachua on April 22, 2008 of stomach cancer. She was a much-loved member of the community and performed many years of seva to the Deities, mainly sewing, making jewelry and garlands, and dressing the Deities with much devotion, and practically non-stop. She was married to Ram Vigraha Prabhu for over 30 years and they raised 3 wonderful Vaishnava children: Samba, Ragu & Nandini.
For the last month of her life she was staying in a hospice, with devotees near her 24 hours. Mitravinda was barely eating or drinking, and she astonished everyone by telling them a few weeks before she departed: “I am going to leave my body on the 22nd.” And she did.
It made me recall last year when she drove with me from Alachua to Miami ISKCON so she could dress Radha Vraja Bihari for ten days. At that time she told me “Everything in my life happens on the 22nd. My birthday, I was initiated, my marriage…” and she went on and on with more examples. So I related to her why 22 is a very auspicious number. About twenty years ago we were distributing books in Miami Intl. Airport and a man was walking around our distribution area saying over and over in an animated voice: “Number 22, love, Lord Chaitanya!” After several minutes of this I asked him what he was talking about. He had a Bhagavad-gita As It Is in his hand (another devotee had sold it to him) and he explained that in numerology number 22 is the most auspicious number, it stands for love, and in the introduction of the Bhagavad-gita Srila Prabhupada lists the disciplic succession, the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya, and Lord Chaitanya is number 22.
Just a few months ago Mitravinda first found out that she had stomach cancer, at stage four, the most advanced stage, and that it had spread to her other organs. At that time I was talking with her and I said “Pobrecita!” (you poor thing.) She turned to me and said: “Why poor? I am lucky! I get to go back to Godhead, and I am going to beat you there!”
It is the general consensus among the Alachua devotees that after all of her years of sincere loving service she has indeed reached her goal, and is now most likely making garlands for her beloved Lords, Sri Sri Krishna and Balaram.
Mataji,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Mitravinda Mataji.
Yours servant,
Vidya Sagar Das.
Thank you Mother Nartaka Gopal for informing us of this sad news.
I’m sorry to hear about her departure, but also happy to hear that when she left she was surrounded by devotees. I remember Mother Mitravinda and her family from Alachua in the early 90s. She was always dedicated to the deities and to her family. They also came to Jagannath Puri a few years ago and we showed them around and had a wonderful time together. She was very saintly, and like her life, her departure is exemplary and inspiring. My heart goes out to Samba, Ragu and Nandini at this painful time. Let me know if there is ever anything I can do for the three of you. Please visit us sometime here in Orissa.
Vaishnava kripa prarthi,
Madhavananda Das