Brahmananda das Departs
We are sad to report the departure of Sriman Brahmananda Prabhu, on of the very first disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He was well loved by many.
The following is a report from the Sampradaya Sun News and a letter that arrived in my mailbox this morning from Aprakrita Dasa, reporting the news.
Jun 07, 2015 — CANADA (SUN) — We have received news of the departure of Brahmananda das (ACBSP), who left his body in Vrindavan-dham earlier today. Brahmananda Prabhu (Bruce Scharf) joined Srila Prabhupada in New York in September 1966, as one of Prabhupada’s first disciples in New York. He was ISKCON’s first temple president.
Brahmananda was involved in nearly all aspects of Srila Prabhupada’s early preaching mission, from Ratha yatra to harinam and book sankirtan, and publishing the first issues of Back to Godhead magazine. He also arranged many lectures and meetings for Srila Prabhupada.
Also:
Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
It is with great saddness that I wish to inform you all that our dear god-brother Brahmananda Prabhu passed away this afternoon at 3:31 pm IST in his room in Vrindavan Dham.
Gargamuni Prabhu, Mahadevi Mataji along with Dr. Ashu, Saranga Thakur Das, Dharmatma Das and few other devotees were present when he passed away.
Dharmatma Das, a devotee of the ISKCON Vrindavan temple, has been taking care of Brahmananda Prabhu for the past few years. Dharmatma called me yesterday to inform that Brahmanada Prabhu’s condition was serious and a local doctor was attending to him.
I then spoke to Brahmanada Prabhu on the phone and told him that I would be sending a doctor from Delhi to examine him. Dr. Ashu, who was sent from Delhi, conducted the initial examination and felt his condition was very serious and was of the opinion that he should be moved to the Apollo hospital in New Delhi. Meanwhile, Dr. Krishna Priya from the Delhi temple had spoken to his friend who is a senior doctor in the Apollo hospital for making the necessary arrangements.
This afternoon the local devotees in Vrindavan had called the ambulance and were getting ready to bring Brahmananda Prabhu to Delhi. But he collasped before they could take him out of his room and into the ambulance.
Last night when I was on the phone with Brahmananda Prabhu, I suggested that he come to Delhi to undergo medical tests. But he was very reluctant to the idea of leavining Vrindavan.
And Krishna fulfilled his desire to leave his body in Vrindavan Dham and that to on the most auspicious day of Srila Vakresvara Pandit’s appearance day.
Saranga Thakur of the Vrindavan temple is now working on obtaning the permissions from the police and US Embassy for his last rites which would probably be performed tomorrow morning.
Your servant,
Gopal Krishna Goswami
