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B.V. Bhagavat Maharaja

57, Male
United States

Residing:

Houston, Texas

Initiated by:

Srila Swami Maharaja Prabhupada

Age:

57

Associated with Krsna Consciousness For (yrs):

38

Ashram:

Vanaprastha

About Me:

1950: Born to the Personal Secretary of the Ambassador to the United Nations from India. The Ambassadors name was Krishna Menon. My mother said she used to say the name Krishna all day long for the first few months of her pregnancy with me.
1966: I receive books by Edgar Caycee on reincarnation and clairvoyance. I believe!
1969: I start chanting Hare Krishna Maha Mantra with the Hair Album on a regular basis while voraciously reading everything, Hesse, Watts, Maharishi, “Book of the Dead”, etc. George and John are big influence in the chanting.
Earth Day 1970: I meet the devotees and move right into 61 Second Avenue temple in New York.
Early 1971: I have two dreams two nights in a row. The first is a dream of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur giving me a set of Japa beads and telling me that he is giving me the most valuable jewels. I vividly remember this dream to this day what the room looked like and what the area outside the house looked like when I left, more on this later. Second night I am falling through the universe and approaching the planet earth. While I am falling I am hearing a divine voice chant the Gopal Mantra.
1971: I won't get initiated by mail I wait to meet Srila Prabhupada first and get initiated in person. I get Hari Nam initiation from Him on the same day which is what I wanted.
January 1972: I alone get Diksha in a very private and personal inition fron Srila Prabhupada in Nairobi, Afirca on the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura.
1974: I get a lot of personal association of Srila Prabhupada in Mayapur, Vrndavan and Bombay throughout the year. I see the house of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur in Godruma when I enter I realize this is the room I saw in the dream three years earlier. In Vrindavan I am with Srila Prabhupada in His room thinking about this and if I should ask Him. Suddenly He turns to me and says "You and I have associated in the past and we are associating now and in the future". I had the answer to my question.
1975: More association with Srila Prabhupada in Bombay and in Mayapur. I receive my first order to go to Orissa and preach with Gour Gopal, later to be known as Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja. I fail miserably the first time leave and Srila Prabhupada does not give up on me he makes me president of Calcutta Temple.
1977: I organize the Festival site at Kumbha Mela in Allahabad for ISKCON I make a lot of mistakes. For the first time in our relationship Srila Prabhupada chastises me. I am at first frightened and then angry and then joyful as I realize I am finally getting the real mercy. I go to Bhubaneshwar where Srila Prabhupada is staying for fourteen days. I am ordered again to stay and preach in Orissa with Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja. I stay my life is transformed living intimately in the middle of the jungle in a mud hut with a MahaBhagavat. Srila Prabhupada Departs I spend a lot of time with Him in Vrndavan and witness the deep relationship between Him and Srila Narayana Maharaja. I am by His side when He leaves I witness the transcendental display of ecstatic symptoms just before His Departure.
1978: I meet Lalita Prasada Thakura and he tells me the glories of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur. He also glorifies Srila Prabhupada saying He believes that Srila Prabhupada fulfilled the prophecy of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur.
1979: In Mayapur I witness Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja display many of the ecstatic symptoms that I saw Srila Prabhupada display. I bring Krsna Das Babaji into the room to confirm or deny the symptoms. He assures me it is Bhava ecstatic love of God. I am Thunderstruck I now for the first time really realize who I have been living with for over two years.
1980: Due to my own lack of surrender and my failure to avoid ISKCON politics I lose the association of Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja and get married. Thus begins my 23 year struggle with my mind being a so called devotee before I surrender again and take shelter of a Sadhu.
2003 JAN: After visiting Srila Narayana Maharaja almost every year for 5 or 6 years I finally realize by his mercy the absolute necessity of a siksha guru and I surrender and start to take shelter.
2006 OCT: I finally break free of work and family and accept saffron cloth Vanaprastha. By the order of Srila Gurudeva I am presently engaged as the servant of the devotees in Houston trying to assist them in making a preaching center there for the benefit of all living entities.

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