hare krsna maharaj,
Pamho, agtsp
according to this post
https://www.facebook.com/drew.danaher/posts/1561252760568159
"Please join us in prayers for a very dear young friend of mine, Raktak Das who just left his body in Vrindavan on Ekadasi! Was only 44, but apparently had a heart attack, leaving his wife and 3 children behind! "
I am actually shocked. I just read his letter to you.
@ritu raj prabhu can you confirm this
harsh
HpS - Yes, Dhanesvari Dasi and Dhruva Das called us from Australia to tell us and then we called Param Das in Vrndavana who had all the news and was helping with all the arrangements. We then Tweeted the news and Tweeted a link to a pptx show that we put in our Archives about him. It is named "raktak-das.pptx" as I remember. Thank you for posting this. You could have called us also if you wanted.
Of course, it is sad, shocking that we will not have his direct association. It is like going to see your father, husband, brother, brother-in-law off on a boat for China from San Francisco where he will work for 18-months before the time of air travel. You are very sad not to see him for the time, but you know you will see him again, there will be letters, little presents, telegrams, long distance phone calls once a month, and then a big reunion with big news, gifts after 20-months.
On the other hand it is one of the most glorious departures of which I have ever heard. He had just come from the Panjab where he attened the wedding of his niece, Silky, so he and his good wife and children had finished his responsibity as an uncle in this life. They were only staying in Vraja for two nights. He arrived, next morning went to see Krsna-Balarama and then had some dizziness. He asked to go see a Doctor. He was with his nephew Chunky and a very, very intense, life long, Brijabasi friend, Jaga-mohan.
They took him to see the doctor, and the doctor told him that it was not a minor thing, that he had just had a heart attack, and could have another more severe one at any moment. He apparently laughed it off, had another heart attack and died, leaving his body in Vrndavana on Ekadasi, during the month of Katyayani vrata. We were doing Nir-jal ekadasi, which we haven't done in maybe 15-years.
He loved the Vraja-vasis, they loved him. All the ISKCON devotees knew him and loved him. His real home was Vraja, not Australia or Fazilka, Panjab. When the cremation takes place the Temple President, the Temple Barber and half of Rama-reti may be there.
Of course, Priya, his good wife, can be classified as one of the most fortunate mortals on the face of the earth to have such a husband, but of course, she also has the right to go half-mad with grief, but I don't think she should worry about who will love her and take care of her and the children now. While she is in Vraja she will be surrounded by and ocean of people, then when she goes home there is her sister, mother, brother-in-law and there must be so many of her and Raktaka's friends. If Krsna took him in this way then Krsna will take personal responsibility for his family responsibilities.
In our Guru Disciple relationship he had been expressing a lot of frustration that he had not been advancing as much as he wanted for many years and that he felt he was cheating his family and the devotees by not becoming more austere. In such a state we sometimes pray repeatedly to Krsna and Balarama to FORCIBLY drag us forward. Maybe that is what has happened.
We see an incredibly auspicious, glorious, aspect to this event (trying to avoid our feelings of separation now) and expect that bigger things are yet to come from Raktaka Das. Maybe we will see an excellent street dog lounging at Jag-mohan's house after a few months taking lots of Maha-prasada with a humorous glint in his eye.
How many days after the passing due we have the "Sraddha ceremony". His picture can be by the altar in his Temple, any Temple, any ISKCON altar, and first Maha-prasada offered, and nice recollection of his Vaisnava qualties, at the Sunday feast, no? We will cook for him. He once said that our cooking was very simple but completely satisfying. Purnima festival.
He has not left us, he is leading us, lets go!!!
