Brief Bio of Richard Shaw Brown

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article below. Are you connected to the ISKON Movement started by Srila

Prabhupada?. If yes, can U be kind enough to give ur humble introduction, out

of curiosity> > Harry> > ---Hi Harry, yes, I was initiated by Srila

Prabhupada in 1967, and lived in Vrindavan from 1968-1973. The stories below

are about Srila Prabhupada's Gurudev and his godbrothers.> I am not connected

to the Iskcon movement. Rgds, Richard> > > Richard Shaw Brown <rsbj66

wrote:> Wonderful Anecdotes Of Sarasvati Prabhupada> > By Richard Shaw Brown>

> > Vande gurun isha bhaktan> > From Jan. 1968 I lived continuously for 6.5

years with the 3rd direct> sannyasi disciple and very close intimate servitor

of Srila Sarasvati> Prabhupada, named Tridandi Swami Bhakti Hridaya Vana

Maharaj. He was> also Prabhupada's most

famous preacher and he dedicated his entire> celibate life to the personal

service and mission of his Gurudev.> Sripad Vana Maharaj spent LOTS of private

time with Saraswati> Prabhupada and he remembered many personal incidents in

the life of> Prabhupada, some of which he described to me over my years at his

feet> in Sridham Vrindavan. All of the stories were unique and I would like> to

relate four of them here.> > ---On one occasion Sripad Vana Maharaj was alone

with Saraswati Thakura> on the roof of the Calcutta Gaudiya Math during a

cloudy night. Vana> Maharaj noticed that Prabhupada remained silent and was

looking up at> the night sky for a very long period. Swami Vana was worried

that his> Gurudev would strain his neck so he asked his Guru why he continued

to> look at the night sky? The great Prabhupada replied that he had looked> up

and seen a star and that he must find

and see another star before> looking down. With his head up he explained to Vana

Maharaj that if you> see the Moon or any single star in the sky it is important

that you> must see another star before looking down again. To fail to do so

would> bring ill-fortune.> > ---Another similar example. Srila Sarasvati

Prabhupada believed that to> see the Moon on the 4th day after Purnima would

bring blame and> accusations against anyone who did so. He personally told Vana

Maharaj> that Lord Krishna had once seen the 4th day waning Moon while residing>

in Dvaraka and this was the real reason why Krishna got falsely accused> of

stealing the Syamantaka ruby.> > ---Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura was unpopular

with the Smarta Brahmins> and other Sanskrit scholars who he ridiculed for

their mundane ideas.> So a plot was hatched to humiliate Prabhupada. Although

Prabhupada was> a

great scholar, still he was not specifically a Sanskrit expert in the> academic

sense. So an assembly of Sanskrit experts was planned and> Srila Sarasvati

Prabhupada was invited to debate his philosophy with> them IN SANSKRIT

LANGUAGE. At the appointed time Prabhupada arrived> with a large number of his

disciples and they took their seats> together. Among his disciples was an

exceptionally gifted Sanskrit> expert holding a Ph.D. with honors, although

none of the Smartas was> aware of this. The sabha was convenied and a powerful

Smarta leader> stood up and addressed Prabhupada, in very advanced extempore

Sanskrit,> and after offering his arguments for almost one hour he

triumphantly> took his seat, sure that he had stumped the controversial

Acharya.> > A silence then fell over the learned assembly and all eyes (and

ears)> were on the grave looking Sarasvati Thakura who simply cast an

almost> imperceptible glance at his expert Sanskrit disciple. This junior>

disciple, then a brahmacari, immediately stood up, and in the greatest> display

of Sanskrit scholarship, which Swami Vana Maharaj said was> inspired by Lord

Hari Himself, he completely astonished the entire> assemble with his

philosophical counter arguments in unparalleled> extempore Sanskrit. Then,

after Prabhupada's disciple had devastated> the antagonists and refuted all

their arguments from memory, a great> hush hung over the Sabha as Prabhupada,

followed by his devotees> (including Sripad Vana Maharaj), simply walked out in

complete victory.> Such was the power of Prabhupada that he was victorious

without even> opening his lotus-like mouth.> > ---Once while residing in the

Calcutta Gaudiya Matha, Srila Sarasvati> Thakura was deathly ill and

bed-ridden. In the room serving him were> some of

his leading sannyasi's including Srila Vana Maharaj. The> devotees were at their

wits end how to help, and so they finally> pleaded with their Gurudeva asking

him what to do to relieve his> suffering. Finally the great Prabhupada opened

his eyes and begged them> in a choked voice to please bring Kunja Dha (Kunja

Vihari Dasa was> later named Tridandi Swami Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj). At

that time> Kunja Dha was working at the Calcutta post office to help raise

money> for his Gurudeva's preaching. (In fact, it was Kunja Dha who met Srila>

Saraswati Thakura while he was a bhajan-anandi and helped him to come> out and

start preaching. He also helped Srila Saraswati Thakura carry> the corpse of

Srila Gaura Kishore Das Babaji Maharaj to the current> samadhi in Mayapura). A

devotee was sent to bring Kunja Dha, who> immediately left his duties at the

post office and returned to the> Math.

As soon as Kunja Dha entered the sick room of Srila Saraswati> Thakura, the

great Acarya sat up with opened arms. Kunja Dha ran into> the arms of his

Gurudeva who embraced him tightly. The other devotees> (including Vana Maharaj)

were astounded to see the face of their Lion> Guru resting on the shoulder of

Kunja Dha with profuse tears pouring> from his eyes onto the body of Kunja

Vihari Das. And Kunja Vihari> Prabhu was also weeping and trembling as he

hugged his great master.> This tearful embrace lasted what seemed like a long

time. And after> that Srila Saraswati Thakura was better. > > Ref.

http://www.richardshawbrown.com/mysticarticles/anecdotes.html> > Send instant

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> > > > > >

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