The parting of H.G. Rohini Tanya Prabhuji
I have no appreciation for the holy name and am not qualified to write anything about a devotee.
But even so with all my inattentive chanting and this mind challenging me time and again I prayed to the lord to give me some words to write about this special person.
What if you know that there is only little time left with this body because you have a terminal illness (cancer)? Will you be scared? What would you most desire? What will be your consciousness?
I also asked this to myself but I will tell you about the answer that this very special devotee gave when he knew that he would leave his body soon.
“No, I am not afraid. I just want to be at my GOVIND DHAM with the devotees, for me Mayapur, Vrindavan all the holy places are at Govind Dham. I want to watch the deities’ installation & serve them. ” As I hear this my eyes start to water and I miss this very best friend who was a best friend to so many.
I am talking about H.G. Rohinitanya das who has just left his body on the 2nd of March at 8pm, in front of the Gaur Nitai deities amongst the flood of devotees surrounded by the transcendental vibrations of the holy name “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishan Hare Hare, HareRama, Hare Rama,Rama Rama Hare Hare.”
I have known H.G. Rohinitanya das for 2 years now, we were nearly of the same age but he was far brighter with his saffron & smile than the stone hearted me. It was a shock when I heard about his Osteogenic sarcoma which is a fatal cancer & one of the most malignant tumours.
He was on treatment since a year, but visited Nigidi - Govind Dham whenever there was the slightest improvement in his health. “Please pray for me, so that I can become more serious and serve Gaur Nitai.” He would request. I eagerly waited to meet him every time he was there at Nigidi and on every meeting felt a greater loving bond, as discussions with him always helped me alleviate my on-going anxieties through the eye of the scriptures.
He had so many devotee friends of various ages and I think each one of them as me would have thought he is their very special friend.
I was constantly in touch him on regular intervals and every time the duration of our talk which would last about 15 min decreased because he was finding it even talking too stressful for his condition.
I knew I had to meet him and by lords mercy I happen to be at Mumbai on the 17thof February. So I visited him at Bhakti Vedant hospital room no. 16, his body had was emaciated just like skin on stick but his face glowed and the saffron on his body radiating like twilight. He smiled on seeing me. There was period of silence as we looked at each other because he was gathering strength to speak and at the same time I was speechless on seeing his condition. Finally he spoke “How are you both doing and how’s chanting going on?”
As he spoke with all his effort, I just sat there silently holding his right hand in mine. “I am very lazy.” He said “I had all the time and health but still I wasn’t serious, I understand now how important chanting is, so please make the most of the time, chant and serve. With this weak body and pain I find is so difficult to chant.” He was speaking his heart’s desire.
It was more of silence and less of talk but in that moment I felt, “What has a stone hearted & materialistic person like me done to deserve the companies of Vaishnavas. Krishna is causelessly kind to have given me this most precious & wonderful gift of Krishna Consciousness, still I have no appreciation and take it so lightly.”
His eagerness to offer Prasad was an expression of his love and like always on departing he made sure I had some sugarcane cakes. Moreover in the hurry of meeting HG Rohini Tanya Prabhuji, I did not take the darshan of ‘Radha Girdhari’ temple deities at the Mira Road, he enquired from me about the same and on hearing that I had not taken the darshan of the lord he made sure I went back and took darshan.“Would I think of the lord in such a situation and consider serving Him or rather would be eager to receive sympathy for my pity full condition.” I thought again to myself.
I returned to Pune the very same evening but in time I was updated on the status of his health which was headed for a downhill course. Then on the 28th of February I received a message saying “H.G.Rohinitanya Prabhuji can depart any time please pray.”
Devotees from all over came to the temple and constantly prayed doing kirtan for H.G. Rohinitanya Prabhuji. Some devotees even managed to go to Mumbai to be with him but it was his desire to be at GOVIND DHAM – Nigidi.
So in spite of all odds he improved and mercifully was brought from Mumbai to Govind dham. Devotees were eagerly waiting for his arrival constantly praying to the lord for his wellbeing.
I had never seen such large crowd gather in spite of it not being a festival. He arrived and was taken immediately to the temple hall, where people were both happy and sad but chanted & sang the holy names of the lord “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishan Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.”
I was late and after offering my obeisance’s to Prabhupada & the deities immediately rushed to Prabhuji and just then I saw his eyes slowly close. He had left his body. I had so much desired to be with him and serve him at that time but there were so many devotees and I was just one among the so many who desired the same.
His body was then brought out in the shelter of Tulsi Maharani and we sat doing kirtan with him. Many devotees left and many came and I felt so lonely and bad that I could not be with him personally and never got a chance to serve him. The kirtan would go all night so at 11 pm they decided to clean him, he had been catheterised and had a single lumen IV line which was sutured and little did I know that I happen to be the only doctor there and would be requested to do the needful.
So I did get the chance to be near and very close to H.G. Rohini Tanya prabhuji. Krishna had just heard me and given me this service for his very dear devotee.
He was cremated on the 3rd of March in presence of large gathering of devotees and chanting of the Holyname of the Lord with all his cherished KC desires fulfilled, even Kings would not receive this kind of genuine love while parting with their body.
I offer my humble obeisances to H.G. Rohini Tanya prabhuji and his memories will always be very close to my heart.
