By Madhavendra Puri Das
When I read the article of Mother Nrsimha passing away, I was remembering her wonderful services to Srila Prabhupada in His Quarters. As a resident of Vrindavan Temple, I was given a regular service to clean Srila Prabhupada’s quarters when I was a new devotee. I got the unique opportunity to associate with Mother Nrsimha and see her pure devotion and selfless desire to serve Srila Prabhupada by taking an excellent care of His Rooms. She would offer Sandhya Arati everyday to Srila Prabhupada during the Arati in the temple, not only offer the Arati, but she would also sing as well.
I was amazed to see her pure love for Srila Prabhupada by witnessing her services like changing Srila Prabhupada’s letter everyday, changing His dress, offering bead bag for chanting, waking up and putting Srila Prabhupada to rest, would offer a fresh flower garlands to Srila Prabhupada murti and to Srila Prabhupada’s picture placed on His bed, making sure no visitor make any noise, making sure nobody stretch their legs towards Srila Prabhupada, making sure nobody leans their backs towards Srila Prabhupada’s bed, making sure that nobody sleeps in the rooms. She would greet every visitor by saying “Hare Krishna, Please take darshan of Srila Prabhupada” and when they are about leave the rooms she would show them Srila Prabhupada’s books, explain about Srila Prabhupada and ask them to take some books with them to know more about Krishna Consciousness. When there are no visitors she would sit and chant the holy names at the book table in the entrance.
Srila Prabhupada’s rooms were my favorite place to chant my rounds in the morning like many other devotees. Everyday, I would see Mother Nrsimha opening the Srila Prabhupada’s Rooms for devotees to chant their rounds in the morning after Mangala Arati. I was fortunate to assist her some times in her services to Srila Prabhupada, when she was not feeling well, or when she would visit the temples, or when she went out of town for personal reasons. She would tell me to be very focus and perform the services on time since Srila Prabhupada eternally resides in His Vrindavan Quarters.
Mother Nrsimha would inspire everyone by her impeccable sadhana of attending the morning program, chanting her rounds with other Mataji in darshan room, do Vrindavan Dham parikrama’s on Ekadasi days, she would listen to the daily evening Bhagavad Gita class that takes place in Srila Prabhupada’s darshan room and inspire the visitors to listen the Gita class.
Mother Nrsimha would arrange very beautiful decorations for Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day celebration every year. She would replace the new room mats with the old ones for the occasion and keep the place very neat and clean. She would also arrange flower garlands, sandalwood pulp and prasadam for all Srila Prabhupada disciples and grand disciples.
Every year, Mother Nrsimha would arrange H. H. Tamal Krishna Goswami’s Vyasa Puja celebration. She is a Srila Prabhupada’s disciple who later took second initiation from H. H. Tamal Krishna Maharaja. I would assist her in organizing a nice festival for the pleasure of devotees in what ever possible way I can. One of the things that I noticed is that Mother Nrsimha has utmost repects for all guru’s who would visit Srila Prabhupada’s Quarters.
Mother Nrsimha knows my family very closely. She would share her Krishna Consciousness realizations with my mother Lalitha Sakhi Mataji and father Narahari Prabhu and give her association whenever they visited Srila Prabhupada’s Quarters. She would say, “You both parents are very fortunate, for having two devotee sons
(Madhavendra Puri das and Sacisuta das) and living in Vrindavan Dham. Not only my family but she would preach every devotee in the community that came in touch with her, following Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to preach to whomever you see or meet to talk about Krishna.
I just want to take a moment to offer our heart felt obeisances and thanks to Mother Nrsimha for all her mercy that she showered on me and my family. As Dina Bandhu Prabhu wrote about the auspicious signs of cows grazing by, during her last rites. I am very sure that Mother Nrsimha went back home, back to Godhead to take shelter of Srila Prabhupada and His eternal associates to continue her devotional services in Goloka Vrindavan.
“He reasons ill who says that Vaishnavas die when thou art living still in sound. The Vaishnavas die to live and living try to spread the holy name around.”
Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Ki Jay! Srila Prabhupada Ki Jay! Mother Nrsimha Ki Jay!
Aspiring to be a humble servant of the Vaishnavas. Madhavendra Puri Das