Raktak Das

TODAY, 2016 Nov 25, at 6.30AM, we got the news that our first disciple, Raktaka Das just left his body in Vrndavana, India. He was an elevated soul by any usage of the word and loved Vrndavana Dhama and the Vrjabasis loved him. He had come to India with his good wife, Acyuta-priya Devi Dasi and the children, attended the wedding of his niece, Silky, in the Panjab, and then come to Vraja for two days. In the morning of Ekadasi vrata for Katyayani month in front of Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna-Balarama Deities he had his first heart attack. He went to see a doctor immediately.

The doctor told him that he had just had a heart-attack and that it was very serious and that he could have another more major one in even a moment. He scoffed at the idea and then had another one and left his body, in Vrndavana, on Ekadasi day, in the Month of Katyayani vrata.

Of course, he has gone up. Most likely we will see him in Vrndavana again. Ths is just the beginning. If he was a dutiful householder, taking care of his wife, children, relatives and church before, Then how much better will he be able to do it now? Temple President, Temple Barber, people from all over the world know him and love him, and he loved them. His cremation will be as big as Genghis Kahn’s in Manchuria.

How did you meet him, what was he like?

As we remember we first met His Grace in Vrndavana about 1992 As we remember we first met His Grace in Vrndavana about 1992. He had met devotees from taking Prasadam at the Punjabi-bhag Temple and then come to live as a Brahmacari in Brndavana. He was like Sargent for the clean-up crew in the evening and in general a natural leader. He had been in the Indian army. He would come with us when we would take charge of the odd Gurukula kids in the afternoon. We corresponded continuously and he got a letter of request for initiation from a Temple in Australia. So we initiated him about 1994. Whenever in India he was our constant companion. He was always enthusiastic to administrate tours of our friends and disciples.

Although sometimes his arrangements were a little tough.

Your disciple translates simply, but so nicely. He took us through the interior of Punjab. We met so many of his family members. Really, he showed us a wonderful India that to this day is conscious of Krsna. He was continuously translating for us. Your disciple translates simply, but so nicely.

He lived as a Brahmacari for many years in the Krsna-Balarama Temple, for a season with us in the Kolkata Temple.

Then he worked for so many years with Pranaba Das in the development of the Ghaziabad Temple and many, many preaching programs for children et al.

He and Achyuta-priya Devi Dasi were married and moved to Australia where he dedicated his life to Temple work, and making extra money with other Indian boys directing parking at giant events. He has been a wonderful disciple, son, brother, uncle, ISKCON member, Australian, Indian.

As far as we are concerned his devotional, family, career is just starting. Leaving this gross body is just a normal step-up to another more effective body. I expect we will all feel his presence in even more practical fashions. We certainly thank him for the profound gifts he has given us so far and hope that we have offered something in exchange.