My beloved disciple Vrindavanesvari Dasi (Sylvia Ruth MacChambers) left her body in South Africa today at the age of 62. From the beginning, she was attracted to and attached to Srila Prabhupada, and I have no doubt that she will attain his lotus feet and blissfully continue her service to him.
Srila Prabhupada said that when a Vaishnava departs, we feel simultaneously happy and sad. We feel happy because we know the Vaishnava has gone to serve Krishna, but we feel sad because we will miss the Vaishnava’s association.
Below are two remembrances and appreciations of Vrindavanesvari Dasi—one from Damodar Das and one from Nikunja Vilasini Dasi.
Hare Krishna.
Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami
Meeting Vrindavanesvari Dasi
By Damodar Dasa
Sometime in 1987 on a warm sunny day in Pretoria, I was distributing books in a large paved plaza by the University. While deeply involved in a conversation with a student, I suddenly felt someone tugging at my book bag. Turning around, I saw a lady with her hands in my bookbag looking at the books. Somewhat surprised, I asked her to wait a minute so that I could finish talking to the person in front of me.
When I turned to the lady, she introduced herself as Sylvia and told me her story: She had been having dreams of this older effulgent gentleman with a shaved head and wearing saffron robes. Then one day she entered a secondhand bookshop with thousands of books displayed on the shelves. Somehow, one cover jumped out at her, and there was the man she had been dreaming about—it was Srila Prabhupada on the cover of The Science of Self-realization!
She had been reading the book and was desperate to find out if there were any people in South Africa like the man. When she saw me with my shaved head and saffron robes, she was eager to see if the man’s photo was on the books, and that’s why she was going through my book bag.
I was struck by this amazing tale and immediately invited her to our Sunday feast at the Muldersdrift ashram. She didn’t have a car, so I arranged for her to get a lift with a life member.
On Sunday she arrived at the ashram with her young son, Ernie. His Holiness Giriraj Swami happened to be in Muldersdrift at the time, and he gave the Sunday class. After the class, it was his habit to mingle with the guests while they were honoring the Sunday feast. After I related Sylvia’s story to him, however, instead of mingling with the guests, he sat down opposite her while she was taking prasada. They spoke for some time, and looking back on it, I am convinced she surrendered and accepted Giriraj Swami as her guru at that time.
Not long after, Sylvia was initiated by Giriraj Swami and given the name Vrindavanesvari devi dasi. Ernie grew up to be a nice devotee and now has the name Krishna Das.
What struck me deeply about these amazing events was that Srila Prabhupada is not only present in his books, talks, and disciples, but also that he is active in a very personal way in his ISKCON.
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Srila Giriraj Swami ki jaya!
Vrindavanesvari Prabhu ki jaya!
Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
My sister Yamuna and I were deeply saddened by the passing of Vrindavanesvari Prabhu.
We got very close to her when we all stayed in Mumbai together in the early ’90s, and we have such special memories with her there. We had some difficult times during our stay there, but she always brought light to any occasion and made us laugh about a situation. I can still remember her laugh and smile and how she would get us through the most difficult of circumstances. I know she would even say something funny about her passing—such was her way of dealing with calamities.
Even though we were separated for many years, whenever we met or spoke it was as if time had stood still and we hadn’t been apart. When, about a year ago, I heard about her cancer diagnosis, I called her immediately, and she was very positive. The conversation started very serious but ended up light and inspiring. She made me laugh at the material world—to see the obnoxiousness of it all yet appreciate the lessons it offered. She told me that she wanted to fight to live because of her strong desire to help further Srila Prabhupada’s mission. Everyone knew about her passion for the Hammanskraal project. She had donated a large sum of money and invested all her energies for that center, which was meant to inject Krishna consciousness in the hearts of the local people, something that Srila Prabhupada always desired.
And I still remember her tireless efforts in bringing up her beautiful son in Krishna consciousness, bringing him to Mumbai, then surrendering him to the Vrindavan gurukula, and nurturing his Krishna consciousness with such care and perfection. It’s no wonder that he ended up the way he did—strong and steadfast like his mum and a real contribution to Srila Prabhupada’s mission. That picture of five-year-old Krishna das, expertly playing his mridanga and chanting and dancing around Hare Krishna Land will forever be etched in my mind.
Such jewels are rare, and I believe that Vrindavanesvari Prabhu, despite her “heavy” no-nonsense nature (she wasn’t afraid to tell things as they were), was a true gem. A gem shines from within, and within her heart she had deep love for you and Srila Prabhupada. That’s what she spoke to me about that day—her intense desire to please you and Srila Prabhupada, and her determination to surrender more and more.
Yamuna and I genuinely cried during her funeral, seeing how glorious it was and what a legacy she had left behind. We were among the few with whom she really bonded and liked. We could never forget that laugh and voice—the way she would bring fun and laughter to any occasion and also be stern and hard about nonsense behaviors and things. She knew what she wanted, and she went all out to get it.
I realized that we cannot judge devotees by externals, since many such devotees are not on the front lines but are serving humbly from the back. It is these devotees who are holding up Srila Prabhupada’s movement with all their love and hard work.
Today I had a dream about her. You had passed away and we were at your memorial service Srila Prabhupada’s quarters in Mumbai, and we were crying bitterly. Just a few devotees were there—those who had served you in Mumbai during 1993 and 1994 (Hari Priya, Jayashri, and Vrajasundari, perhaps Prabodhananda in the background, Kunjabihari, Yamuna, and me, and, somehow, my mother—and each of us were glorifying you. I spoke first, then the others, and finally Vrindavanesvari. She looked young and beautiful and was lying on her back. She began to speak about how she had met you, and then tears started flowing from her eyes. She didn’t say much, but I felt that I had been so proud to speak first when this devotee had the deepest love for you.
When I awoke, I realized that this—our love for you—is what will keep us together forever. And your love and mercy for us unites all kinds of people in love and service. Your love brought us together in the first place, and I know it will bring us together again, one day, in your eternal association.
All glories to our beloved sister and friend Vrindavanesvari Prabhu.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
Your grateful servant,
Nikunja Vilasini dasi