HH Bhaktisavarupa Damodar Swami (right), Jivanmukta Prabhu(left) and Bhojadev Prabhu (center).
By Sacirani Devi Dasi
Posted on August 19, 2006 From Imphal, Manipur, India.
This is an earnest request for all the devotees to pray for safe recovery of His Grace Bhojadeva Prabhu, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, who was severely injured in the tragic terror attack during the Janmastami celebrations at ISKCON Manipur. A hand grenade was thrown into the middle of the Pandal (a temporary hall built for cultural performances during the festival) where the Manipur traditional Rasalila performance was being held. Near to the performance, His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja was seated along with important guests. Bhojdeva Prabhu was sitting next to His Holiness. It appeared that the grenade was targeted to His Holiness but landed near to Bhojdeva Prabhu. A total of five devotees left their bodies till now. Bhojadeva Prabhu took most of the explosion in the direction where they were sitting and thus severely injured. He saved His Holiness and few other devotees from being severely injured. I was also saved by Bhojadeva Prabhu as I was sitting just behind him.
When the explosion occurred Bhojadeva Prabhu was chanting with both his hands crossed near the chest and that saved him as well as his stomach and chest were protected by the hands by the blessings of the Lord’s Holy Name. However, he sustained severe injuries in his face and left arm. He was operated on 17th. His eyes were damaged and still swollen. He is able to open and see thru his right eye. Unfortunately he is not able to open the left eye and he is not responding to the light. His nose was also damaged and broken. His nasal cavity is open up to the sinus. Along with the blood from the damaged area, there is also fluid coming from his brain. Doctors say it takes few days before the opening of the nasal cavity is closed but they are worried that there may develop some infection that could go up into the brain.
Today he is fully conscious and speaking. Doctors say that he is recovering quickly. He is stable and completely Krishna Conscious and thanking the Lord for saving him by giving him less than that is deserved by him by his Karma. We have given him the water. Tomorrow, if possible we will give some fluid or solid prasadam according to the situation. Day after tomorrow we are hoping to take him to Calcutta for better treatment. After few days if he is able to walk and is fit, he will be taken to his residence in Bangkok. Meanwhile, we are all very much worried about his left eye and possible infection that may develop in the brain. Bhojadeva Prabhu is one of very rare devotees of the Lord. As an example of intensity of his devotion and faith in the Lord, he was chanting even while he was on the floor with severe injuries after the blast. Please sincerely pray to the Lord to protect Bhojadeva Prabhu to give us his valuable association, guidance and inspiration to serve the Lord. Hare Krishna!
Note: This article is being forwarded from Forum_BSDS_Disciples@yahoogroups.com
I have attached a photo which I took in the Orlando International Airport on 02/06/2006 as HH Bhaktisavarupa Damodar Swami (right) was returning to India with Jivanmukta Prabhu(left) and Bhojadev Prabhu (center).
Thank you for your consideration in publishing this article on Dandavats.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Sincerely,
Gaja Hanta Das ACBSP
Gary R Shonyo
My hopes and prayers for all that they are worth are now being offered for my friend Bhojadeva das. I was moved to tears at this story. May Lord Krsna bless him.
your friend,
Gaura Keshava das
I have always remembered Bhojadeva das as a sweet and friendly devotee. I was so sorry to hear of his injuries and wholeheartely pray that his suffering is minimized and that his Krishna Consciousness remains as strong as it is.
It is amazing about the qualities of devotees and how much they do for others. Just hearing about Bhojadeva and how he is dealing with this trauma has chipped away another layer of my bodily consciousness.
Your servant, Madhusudan das (ACBSP)
I have known Bhojadeva for many years and he has always been a very kindhearted vaisnava. First I knew him as a great cook in Laguna Beach and in later years he was always very helpful to me when I was in various Asian countries where he was living. Recentely I have known him for his great love for HH Bhakti Swarupa Damodara Goswami.
I was shocked to hear of the insane attack on the Manipur temple, but we should be expecting these things since througout history such madness has gone on. In any case I know that Bhojadeva Prabhu must be happy that he was able to save HH Bhaktiswarupa Damodara Maharaja from the blast. I have been trying to get a report on his condition and was happy to see this. Bhojadeva is loved by everyone who knows him. I was in Singapore, where he used to live, when we got the report and the devotees there were very much concerned and we all prayed for his welfare..
How much is a devotee’s life worth? The KYKL had made reduced demands of what amounts to $250 from ISKCON Manipur and when the temple refused to pay even that they were bombed.
Knowing the violent history of KYKL, and how they frequently use hand grenades and guns to make local organizations pay them, couldn’t ISKCON Manipur have provided more security on Janmastami, or gotten the local authorities involved in protecting the temple, as was done in New Delhi?
If this was impossible, at least a warning should have been publisized alerting devotees that there was an extreme threat of danger in that area, like the U.S. State Department does to warn U.S. Citizens of countries that are too dangerous to visit.
Dear Bhojadeva prabhu,
PAMHO AGTSP
I am praying for your full recovery. I want to help you. Please allow me to send some laksmi if you need it to help you in this time of need. Perhaps you would like a SPDVD Library set? or some KC movies? Please advise.
YS, Nrsimhananda das
ITV
All our prayers and thoughts are with Bhojadeva prabhu and the other devotees who were injured, and for the devotees whose relatives were killed, in this senseless attack on our Manipur temple.
Bhojadeva prabhu is known to us all as a gentle, affable and sincere devotee. He is one of those devotees whom noone has anything bad to say about. May Lord Nrsimhadeva give His complete protection and bring him a speedy recovery. “padam padam yad vipadam…”
i joined iskcon in laguna beach around the same time as bhojadeva in 1973. we got initiated on the same day. svarup damodar maharaja was a brahmachari at that time in laguna beach. i think he was working on a phd or somthing.
maharaja taught me how to cook every milk sweet, how to make chapatis and dal.
when i was 16 years old, bhoja dev, maharaj, and i cooked the gaura purnima feast.
sweet memories,
i pray that bhojadeva will be healed. may sri krsna bless him ….