The Auspicious Passing of Jayo Das ACBSP

Pranaballabha das: My dear Vaishanava’s,

All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada

Please accept my dandavat pranams.

I will try to narrate a brief summary of Jayo Das’s service to Srila Prabhupada although I cannot adequately glorify the true nature of his service. I request those that also knew him to add to, or correct what I am recalling.

He joined ISKCON in Los Angeles, served on the Nam Hatta Party under Gurukripa Swami and Yashodanandana Swami collecting in Japan for Srila Prabhupada’s Mayapur Vrndavan Projects.He served in India on the BBT Library Indian party, distributing books to the colleges and library’s in India. He distributed the most Krishna book trilogy’s ever distributed in one day while wearing a Santa Claus suit outside of Macy;s on Fifth Ave, while in the Manhattan West 55th St temple, Prabhupada’s “Hare Krishna skyscraper building”.He carried Srila Prabhupada’s on a palaquin barefoot through Vrndavan on parikrama after Prabhupada’s departure.

He served HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami collecting for the Manipur temple and the Bhaktivedanta Institute. During those years we ran a old Alamo Motel together in Oklahoma City in the 1980’s. When the property was sold, Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami took his portion of the profit, $30,000 dollars, and went to India and used the money collected for the Manipur temple, to settle a law suit against the Hydrabhad Temple, by a contractor who was ready to foreclose on the temple in court, for the two and a half lacks of rupees that was owed to him by ISKCON, for constructing the bathroom complex that was never paid.

Jayo Das continued to serve BSDS Maharaja over the years to the best of his capacity living simply as a poverty stricken brahmachari, and never married. He would visit my family often, while we were both going to school in Oklahoma City and was always very affectionate to our children.We would often invite Indian graduate students for home programs with chanting and prasadam. Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami would come and we would arrange for University professors to come to the program as well.

With the help of his brother he eventually moved to Denver. As his health began to fail, he never complained was always jolly,and always recalled his ISKCON days with great affection.He had the opportunity to visit the Manipur temple project with Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami. He continued to visit me and my family in Florida and attended the installation ceremony of Radha Shyamasundar in Alachua. I am honored to have served Srila Prabhupada together with him and call him my dear friend and Godbrother.

Due to the prayers and well wishes of all of the devotees and especially by the sincere heartfelt endeavor
by Pranaballava das ACBSP and Padmalochana Das BSDS in Denver to serve Srila Prabhupada’s devotee,
I am happy to report that Jayo das ACBS has left this world in a very auspicious manner.

He fasted from water and all food on the auspicious occasion of Saphala ekadasi while being absorbed in hearing the Holy Name from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada constantly.

In the narration of the glories of Pausha-Krshna Ekadasi Sri Krishna states to Yudhistira “I do not become as pleased by sacrifice or charity as I do by My devotees observance of a full fast on Ekadasi. To the best of one’s ability,therefore, one should fast on Ekadasi, the day of Lord Hari” and “Indeed, anyone who properly observes this glorious Saphalaa Ekadasi – even unknowingly, like Lumpaka – will become famous in this world. He will become perfectly liberated at death and return to the spiritual abode of Vaikuntha. Of this there is no doubt.”

hari-namadmoksara-yuktom bhale gopl-mrddnkitam tulasi-mdlikoraskarh sprseyur na yamodbhatah

“Those whose body is adorned with tilaka or gopi-candana, and marked all
over with the Holy Names of the Lord, and whose neck and chest are adorned
with tulasi-mala, will never be approached by the Yamadutas.”
(Skanda Parana)

I am submitting these pictures and the following email from our devotees in Denver Pranaballava das ACBSP and Padmalochana Das BSDS.

Dear Gaja Hanta das Prabhu,

Please accept my koti, koti dandavat pranams. All glories to our most merciful spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada.

I would like to relate to you some of the events that occurred today, the passing from this world of Jayo das Prabhu. Today is Saturday December 12, 2009. Pradmalocana das Prabhu and I arrived at the St. John’s Hospice center at around 12:45 pm. We went immediately to Jayo’s room where we found him still breathing but not externally conscious. We adjusted his head phones (Srila Prabhupada chanting japa) so that he could hear clearly. Next we discussed Jayo’s condition and we decided that we would have the nursing staff bath his body as well as change his cloth to fresh clothing.

We then left the room while the nursing staff attended to his body.

Then we went back into his room and proceeded to mark his body with Tilak, and Gopichandana. Then we placed a new Brahmin thread over his shoulder, and decorated his body with flower garlands from the Deities. I then placed Tulsi leaves in his mouth and around his head. Then we poured Ganga water in his mouth while chanting the Maha Mantra. We then noticed that his breathing had all but stopped. The time was approximately 1:20 pm, Mountain Standard Time. We called for the Head nurse to come to attend to Jayo. She pronounced that his heart had stopped and that he had passed away.

Then we asked if we could have a private room so that we could perform the last funeral rights for our dear departed Godbrother. Jayo’s body was moved into a very nice room where we chanted the required mantras and said our heartfelt goodbyes.

The Funeral Home director arrived shortly after this to take the body to the crematorium. He discussed with us that the cremation will probably take place once all of the legalities and paperwork are completed (Tuesday or Wednesday of next week).

Padmalocana and I will attend the cremation next week.

Hoping this finds you well,

Pranaballabha das