The Hare Krishna Movement

In Glorification of His Grace Tribhuvannatha Prabhu
by Locanananda dasa 2001

At the 1970 London Rathayatra, more than thirty years ago, I met a young bhakta who, like myself, was trying to absorb the transcendental gift of Krishna consciousness. He was bright-faced, innocent, full of energy and obviously very dedicated to pleasing his spiritual master. I knew him as Tom, and I thought that if I could do just as he was doing— always joyfully chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra and studying Srila Prabhupada’s books — then everything about my life would turn out all right.

We remained friends all of those years, but our service rarely brought us together. Still, I always felt a close connection with His Grace Tribhuvannatha Prabhu. In 1976, we spent some time associating in the holy land of Vrndavana Dhama and I can still recall the kirtana he led after Srila Prabhupada performed a fire yajna in the courtyard of the Krishna-Balarama Mandira. There was great potency in his chanting, the potency that comes from being totally surrendered to the will of a pure devotee of Krishna. Tribhuvannatha Prabhu’s chanting sounded like a call to every jiva soul to rise up and begin to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in the hearts of all.

I saw my good friend most recently at the New York Rathayatra on Fifth Avenue. He still looked young and full of energy but now he was a seasoned preacher, with decades of experience in devotional service. He seemed even more dedicated and resolute in purpose than before, yet his humble and peaceful nature had not disappeared. My impression was that he had placed his life in Krishna’s hands.

After our last meeting, I made a firm decision that when I retired, I would join His Grace Tribhuvannatha Prabhu and travel with his festival program. I felt that I needed to be with my friend and preach Krishna consciousness with him, side by side. When I heard he was sick, I wrote to him in Brazil and asked him to save me a seat in his sankirtana bus so we could travel together, and he agreed!

The world is now bereft of one of the great warriors of Lord Caitanya’s army, a leader of the world sankirtana party, and a source of inspiration for devotees everywhere. Tribhuvannatha Prabhu’s example of devotion to Srila Prabhupada’s mission cannot be surpassed. His life is proof of how a devotee can remain fixed in the determination to please his spiritual master with every word and every action. He has shown how one can become Krishna conscious in this lifetime and in the end, return back home, back to Godhead by taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord.

We lament the passing of this wonderful Vaisnava devotee because we will have to live out our remaining days without the benefit of his exalted association. We also rejoice because Krishna has relieved our brother of the burden of a diseased body and given him new life. Our very special friend Tribhuvannatha Prabhu has gone to serve Krishna in a better place, a place beyond this world of repeated birth and death. We can take comfort in knowing that those who chant the glories of the Lord can only be separated from each other superficially. Even the death of the material body does not break the connection between us because the bond godbrothers share is not of this world. The sankirtana movement is eternal, and we are eternally connected through our service to the Holy Name.

All glories to His Grace Tribhuvannatha Prabhu! All glories to his service! All glories to our most merciful master, Srila Prabhupada, and all of his sincere followers! And all glories to the Sankirtana Movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! May the entire world be inundated with the sound of the Holy Name and a flood of love of Godhead!

© CHAKRA 20 October 2001