Brahmananda prabhu in Vrndavana

Today is the celebrated Appearance Day of Sri Vakresvara Pandit, 🙏one of Lord Caitanya’s special dancers at the annual Puri Rathyatra. On that auspicious day in 2015, Srila Prabhupada’s beloved Brahmananda das prabhu departed from this world on his preaching chair in his room in Vrndavana..🙏

Brahmananda pr was iconic in the way he described Prabhupada Pastimes. We all felt Prabhupada’s Presence in the room. He rarely spoke of himself while glorifying Prabhupada yet there are 181 letters from Prabhupada to Brahmananda Das pr (more than anyone) n hundreds of photos with Prabhupada all over the world.

Gargamuni prabhu n i are compiling a book of all these letters where Prabhupada reveals so much of his heart and vision to Brahmananda pr, esp from 1967-71. I get to read the letters n interview Gargamuni pr, who will give us what was going on during these letters. We are constantly reading how tolerant, kind and all-knowing Srila Prabhupada is and his mastery of all practical matters, all the while teaching us Krsna consciousness. Inconceivable at age 70plus!
(Plz give us your blessings.)

For the last 15yrs of Brahmananda prabhu’s life here in Vrndavana, he was always engaged in various projects glorifying Prabhupada. He really liked giving Bhagavad Gita Class n his Gita is loaded w yellow posties of other references Prabhupada would give in the purport.

Brahmananda taught us to look up each reference in a purport, read that reference n then continue reading Prabhupada’s purport, so we get a deeper understanding of what Prabhupada is saying in his sacred purports. ( I was given Brahmananda’s Gita n i read everyday. Will pass on before i die :)

For the last 5yrs of Brahmananda pr life here in Vrndavana, i was blessed w the great fortune of serving him as caregiver, Godsister, friend, special Prasad provider 😂 n errand girl. He wd call me or i wd call him to discuss what service for that day ..Taking him to Drs n bringing Drs to him; they were all drawn to his wise, childlike ways n sometimes no charge.

Got to organize programs for him in Balarama Hall and in his room for more intimate groups. (See in so many unseen rare photos that i posted)
The unplugged “room conversations” :) that many of us remember. Deva Fixler Sandamini Devi (TP of ISKCON Tucson) Mukhya Devi Dasi (TP of ISKCON Alachua) Gurukrupa pr, 16 Chinese devotees, visitors from everywhere, QnA for Kulis several times and always with Prasad. He also shared his great sense of humor and told us how much Prabhupada smiled n laughed…joyful Process, despite the difficulties.

I’m remembering when Brahmananda pr like a big, giant, gentle caregiver insisted on giving Mukhya her cough syrup (see photo) Deva n BigB always sharing early NY stories and everything was about Prabhupada…..n how he always was stealing Gargamuni’s piece of Govinda’s famous fruit cake (now called the Brahmananda cake) Govinda dasi used to make that cake regularly for Brahmananda pr.

Getting Brahmananda’s medical visa was quite a comical event. I had secured the NOT FIT TO TRAVEL doc from US EMBASSY n now i had to present Dr reports n photos to 3 CMOs (Chief Medical Officers) in Mathura.

By Prabhupada n Krsna’s Arrangement, all 3 were in the same office that day! When the secretery looked the other way, i sneaked into their office n immediately got their attention with the close up photos of Brahmananda n his 300lbs!

I told them, “There is no way Mr Scharf can travel to America on a plane for new visa as he cant fit in the seats, bathroom or aisle for such a long journey. He’s 74 n can barely move. He’s a great Vaisnava.🙏 Plz come with me n see for yourself ”
They were intrigued by the photos of such a huge foreigner… 🙂….. They “miraculously” agreed but we know Who was arranging🙏

So they followed me in their car while i led the way in an auto. I called Brahmananda in a dramatic voice….”We are on our way. Turn out the light. Get in the bed n put the apnia machine on with your oxygen mask. It’s showtime!😊” He was so into it!
(Of course his 6medical issues were all real, documented by Drs in a thick folder )

We arrive n i knocked… “Brahmanandaaaaaa, we’re here.”
The 3 thin CMOs came in behind me n stood at the door while i turned on the light. They all gasped at the same time!!!!
I saw 3 pairs of brown n white eyes so wide open, completely stunned!!!😊

There on the bed lay 300lbs of Brahmananda’s body, lying on his back, wheezing into his oxygen mask with a stomach the size of Mt Meru!
I motioned them over to the small couch where the 3of them sat closely together on one side, as if the huge white massive body might move.
And then it did!🙏🌺🤗

I helped Brahmananda sit up, while he was huffing n puffing n making struggling noises to sit up. That was so real. All 3mouths of the 3 CMOs were wide open!😊

” Mr Schraff, can you hear me?”
“Yesssssss.”
“Do you know why we are here?”
“You want to help me.”

“So you see, my dear sirs…he cannot fit in the airline seat, fit in the aisle or go to bathroom.. His life is not so long n he’s struggling so much. He’s a great Vaisnava, one of Srila Prabhupadas 1st Western disciples…i happened to mention …”He was a champion wrestler in college”..We all had a chuckle along with Bramananda pr, who verrrry slowly said..
“In my younger years…NOW,
I’m in this old and dying body.”

“You please give him medical visa so he can live his last days in Vrndavana…”.

On the spot, all 3 signed off on a certified medical visa!!! We gave them 3ROPs n MahaPrasad n they were looking happy to have helped a great Vaisnava🙏3months later, our Brahmananda pr left us…

On that KRSNA planned day, Gargamuni pr called me at around 3am…”Brahmananda got dizzy and there was a loud crash..he fell into the tv screen, so much glass n blood. Plz come now!” It took me 15 min to get it together n run, no ricksas at 3am from MVT to Ananda Krsna Van…

Gargamuni pr was in a bit of shock. I began talking gently to him, to soothe him, “we have to clean this mess up.Get your wife’s helper. We have to clean up the glass..” which was everywhere. Brahmananda was half lying n sitting in a daze.

I started washing all the blood off his face, heavy gash on his head from crashing into corner of TV… Speaking to Brahmananda pr about how much Prabhupada loves him, depends on him, n kind of joking to get his attention revived. He smiled a few x so it was slow n sure.

Hour later, i called 6men from the Temple to lift him up into his preaching chair. He was wheezing but coherent; some devotees thought he’d b ok. Gargamuni pr n i thought Prabhupada has a plan.

Just 2werks ago, Brahmananda had told us, “No matter what condition i may b in, DO NOT LET THEM take me out of Vrndavana!”

We thought it was Krsna’s humor when an ambulance arrived n 2skinny guys w a skinny cot came into the room n stopped in shock….When we said “no need”…they looked so relieved n ran out!!!🙂

Brahmananda pr left us at 3:20pm later that day, just closed his eyes, breathed his last breath n slid off his preaching chair…..as if was helping us to lie him out on the floor ….so the men could bathe n dress him nicely. Hundreds of devotees all night long, coming for last darshan, crying n praying n such nice melodious KirtanS 🙏He was so loved in Vrndavana!

It was a Sunday. Police had noticed the gash on his head.. Indian law states that if suspicious looking death on bodies of foreigners, they have to go for post mortem. They wanted to take him to morgue…U dont ever want to see post mortem in Mathura😱

Prabhupada n Krsna used Ravi n me to convince the top gun police man SSP… “He’s old man, he fell down, that’s all…So let us honor this great Vaisnava’s body and let us take him to Yamuna.” As if Krsna waved His flute over him, he stamped the release paper to Vrndavana police ON A SUNDAY! Unheard of to get paperwork done so fast on a Sunday!

We drove back to Vrndavana, marvelling at how Prabhupada n Krsna doing the needful for Brahmananda pr n we got to be used 🙏🌿

So all night Kirtans. Ananda Krsna Van owners prepared such a nice, clean simple place in the rotunda for his body to lie,huge slabs of ice n coolers. A steady stream of devotees coming from all over came to honor Prabhupada’s dear Brahmananda pr.
In the early morning, a beautifully decorated bullock cart came to take Brahmananda prabhu’s body to Yamuna, as he had already gone Back Home to Prabhupada🙏
(You can see the Temple and cremation footage on youtube)

Glories to Srila Prabhupada.🙏
Glories to Brahmananda pr🙏
Sri Goura Bhakta Vrnda🙏

Ys
Mahadevi dasi (ACBSP)

Source: His Grace Brahmananda Prabhu’s disappearance | Balaram Hall