Pusta Krishna das: On February 1, 2010, our Godbrother and friend Chidananda das passed on after a battle with metastatic cancer. Chidananda Prabhu was one of the first disciples of Srila Prabhupad, joining in San Francisco in 1967.
He was a very dear friend of Jayananda Prabhu. They were best friends, so if one is known by the company they keep, it may give you an indication of the quality of Chidananda Prabhu. He was always a very humble devotee, and never sought privilege or position for himself. He was as happy cleaning an ashram as he was preaching, doing everything in the service of the vaishnavas. His cancer started as a small squamous cell cancer of the lower lip and despite 3 operations, and radiation therapy, his disease was not arrested. Eventually, due to the massive swelling in his face and throat, he was unable to breath or eat, thus he required tracheotomy and gastric feeding tube. He was surrounded by many beautiful devotees of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Santa Cruz who cared for his physical needs until the end.
I was reminded of Srila Prabhupad’s illness and how he instructed us with his condition that this can happen to us as well. We must, therefore, take our moment to moment life seriously. He was encouraged to take Sanyas from Srila Govinda Maharaj a number of years ago, and was known as Sripad Bhakti Premik Siddhanti Maharaj. He was a very beautiful and kind-hearted devotee. He always spoke of Srila Prabhupad, and never deviated from Srila Prabhupad’s inspiration and guidance, although he found service in his later years through the Math.
His cremation took place today in Santa Cruz, California, accompanied by kirtan and the tears of many who loved him. Tomorrow, in accordance with his wishes, his ashes will be spread in the ocean off the Santa Cruz coastline, remembering that Sriman Mahaprabhu bathed in the ocean of Jagannath Puri so many thousands of miles away. I believe that His Grace has gone back to Godhead, for the humble and dedicated life of service which he lived must attract Sri Krishna, and his well-wishers in Goloka Vrindaban. Hare Krishna.
I want to add a few comments today, February 8, 2010, my 60th. birthday, about Sriman Chidananda Prabhu, one day after a large memorial and feast in his honor yesterday. It was a beautiful service, punctuated by heartfelt comment after comment about how Chidananda (Siddhanti Maharaj) was always serving the vaishnavas, never expecting honor for himself. Although I knew him to be an introspective and quiet man, he was actively extroverted when it came to speaking about Krishna, and especially in tending to the service needs of old and new devotees alike.
Everyone agreed that their lives were greatly enriched by having had his association. Everyone felt that their Krishna consciousness was enhanced by recalling his example of service to others. He loved kirtan and always complained that “there isn’t enough chanting!”
While we sometimes may exaggerate the qualities of devotees after they have passed on, in order to be fair to them and give value to their lives, the life of this bhakta, in our glorification, is actually understated. He has received the blessings of our Guru Parampara, and sanctified all of us by his humility, tolerance, and his giving honor to others, not just in word, but in deed through his active serving life. I cannot go into each of the examples, as simple as they may be, without recognizing how his presence and influence has touched so many all around the world.
I want to thank the Dandavats.com staff for including his obituary in these pages, as his love, and service, and respect, crosses beyond any one community of bhaktas. He will be sorely missed, yet we are happy and confident of his having reached his final destination, without doubt.
Pusta Krishna das