Today I received the sad news that my seniormost Guru-sister Krishnā Dās has passed away, on Tuesday, August 8th, 2006 at 5.25 a.m. local time due to diabetes. Her cremation took place on August 11th. She was born as the first of 7 children of Śrīpād Niranjan Prasād Dās in East Bengal, around the time it was partitioned from India and ceded to Pakistan, in 1947. Around 1960 the family moved to West Bengal, where they settled in Navadvīpa dhāma. Krishnā dās studied Sanskrit in Calcutta when her father met Srī Sādhu Bābā. She gave up her career prospects and joined Bābā in his then very austere āshram, becoming his first ever disciple in 1971. She started with menial services like washing pots, but gradually became Bābā's most trusted confidante, to the extent that Bābā authorised her to give dīkṣā on his behalf after his departure. She has faithfully done that for the last 20 years of her life. As a single woman she bore the heavy responsibility of managing Sādhu Bābā's āshram, organising all the festivals that are held there singlehandedly. As a life-long nun she is survived only by her 94-year old father (!)Thursday, August 31, 2006
In memoriam: Krishnā Dās
Today I received the sad news that my seniormost Guru-sister Krishnā Dās has passed away, on Tuesday, August 8th, 2006 at 5.25 a.m. local time due to diabetes. Her cremation took place on August 11th. She was born as the first of 7 children of Śrīpād Niranjan Prasād Dās in East Bengal, around the time it was partitioned from India and ceded to Pakistan, in 1947. Around 1960 the family moved to West Bengal, where they settled in Navadvīpa dhāma. Krishnā dās studied Sanskrit in Calcutta when her father met Srī Sādhu Bābā. She gave up her career prospects and joined Bābā in his then very austere āshram, becoming his first ever disciple in 1971. She started with menial services like washing pots, but gradually became Bābā's most trusted confidante, to the extent that Bābā authorised her to give dīkṣā on his behalf after his departure. She has faithfully done that for the last 20 years of her life. As a single woman she bore the heavy responsibility of managing Sādhu Bābā's āshram, organising all the festivals that are held there singlehandedly. As a life-long nun she is survived only by her 94-year old father (!)
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Thank you Madhava.
ReplyDeleteOriginally India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Pakistan had two parts, 2500 km distance from each other: West Pakistan - which is now just Pakistan - and East Pakistan - which declared independence from Pakistan after a bloody war in 1971 and named itself Bangladesh.
mijn condoléances met je verlies van zo'n grote bhaktin-zuster.
ReplyDeletePlease accept my humble best wishes on this occasion.
ReplyDeleteJai Vaishnavi Guru Mataji!
Please accept my humble condolences also.
ReplyDeleteI took note, Advaita das that your Guru ,Sadha Baba and your guru-sister Krishna das, did not go into the Grihasta stage, which is a common thing in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.
ReplyDeleteThat is a feat: I mean what a renunciation !!!!
My unlimited pranams to them both.