January 16th - Vyasapuja Of Srila Harijan Maharaja

July 8, 2003

All Glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga! Dear Vaishnavas, please accept my humble dandavats pranams at your lotus feet.

We are overwhelmed dropped in an ocean of lamentation and separation because on January the 16th 1990, at 07:30 PM, His Divine Grace Bhakti Bhimala Harijan Maharaj Swami disappeared from this world to join with his Eternal Masters in the Spiritual Kingdom.

Maharaj left this world in the association of Camur Kumar, Prabhu Askalita, Prabhu Radha Kripa and some of his family members. Maharaj had been suffering from a kidney condition for several months. In spite of the many efforts that included the procedures of dialysis by an artificial kidney at the hospital, Krsna called him back to Him, leaving us orphans of his affectionate care, of his illuminated teachings, of his irreproachable example as a sannyasi, of his extraordinary devotion at the lotus feet of his Divine Masters and of his dedication to help his disciples to the liberate from the claws of illusion, without any consideration for himself, even to the extent of preaching when his health was so precarious.

Srila Harijan Maharaj is the jewel of devotion among Colombia's devotees and his burning desire is that everyone becomes a devotee of Lord Caitanya; his sweet and sincere nature won the love of his preceptors as well as his godbrothers. I do not know why Krsna called His dear servant so soon to His eternal kingdom, but I do have a firm faith in Srila Harijan Maharaja's wish for us to continue in this struggle, following his example to the last breath of air, as was done by our Eternal Masters Srila Prabhupada and Srila Sridhara Maharaj.

I regret very much being such a useless servant, and I am well aware that Srila Harijan Maharaj can not be simply substituted. But in his name, I beg you all to make Harijan Maharj's devotion alive in your own lives and that way we can continue with his loving mission.

On the 17th, the transportation of Harijan Maharaj's transcendental body takes place, it is taken from Sri Sri Gaur Nitai's Original Temple where he left this earth, to the Farm of Gauranga Radha Vrajesvara, his worshipped Deities. Here, close to Bogota, the devotees are going to make his Maha-Samadhi Mandir, offering the honors deserved by the first Colombian Vaishnava Acarya, the greatest disciple of Srila Prabhupada, The impeller of the Transcendental Literature and of the preaching in general throughout Colombia and South America.

I only have left to quote here, at the end, two teachings of our predecessor masters: "The Spiritual master does not die; he keeps on living in his instructions and his sincere followers will live with him Some think wrongly that Vaishnavas also die, but they keep living in the sound. Vaishnavas die to live eternally and living this way, they try to spread the Holy Name every where"

Srila Harijan Maharaj is one of these Vaishnavas and we will never stop missing him.

Your eternal servant

Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Swami