Padmapani & Tribhubanatha

My wife shared this post with me that she ran across on Facebook. The author is unknown, but this is a very nice memory of two courageous souls, and their desire to serve the mission of their spiritual master Srila Prabhupada.

Sriman Padmapani Prabhu passed away a short time ago. There is little doubt that he is now serving Srila Prabhupada’s ongoing pastimes, wherever that may be. There will be many sad devotees around the world when they learn that Padmapani has left his body.

My path first crossed Padmapani’s in 1974 or 75 in Winnipeg, Canada, and later again in Montreal. After departing Montreal, he eventually traveled to the Middle East to distribute Krishna consciousness. Upon his return, some years later, he resurfaced in the fledgling Iskcon rural community of Warkworth, Canada, and by my good luck lived in the apartment across the hall from me.

During the time spent together there, Padmapani recounted some of his experiences in Lebanon distributing books during the civil war.

He told me that Tribhuvanatha Prabhu invited him to come join him preaching in Lebanon. He did not tell him there was a civil war going on at that time.

Teaming up with the famed Tribhuvanatha Prabhu, he traveled to the Middle East. One country visited was Lebanon, a nation suffering a brutal civil war with scores slaughtered and injured.

Undaunted, my friend was soon out and about selling Bhagavad Gita As It Is door-to-door amongst the mayhem. Samkirtan Yajna, ki jaya!

He told me on one occiation, Tribhuvanatha prabhu was in a taxi to get the Bhagavad gita Ad It Is, translated by Ravanari Prabhu, published at a printers. A mortar shell went off near the taxi and the driver jumped out and ran away. So Tribhuvanatha prabhu started up the taxi and continued on to the printers!

On another occaision, suddenly, chaos erupted when a car bomb detonated killing a leading PLO general. His soldiers went ballistic and set off in all directions hoping to dole out revenge to the assassins. Instead, what they found were two devotees, stumbling through the rubble, joyfully selling Srila Prabhupada’s Arabic Bhagavad Gita As It Is door-to-door.

The soldiers examined the Bhagavad Gita and broke into a rage, interpreting the Sanskrit text to be Hebrew. Success, they had captured the Zionists! The two mahatmas* were hauled off to jail, which in reality, was a rancid, pitch-black cellar with a bucket in the center of the room improvising as a toilet.

One luckless man — a clerk from the same organization but suffering from a habit of arriving late to the office — had been thrown into the prison as punishment but soon forgotten. There he sat rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, his mind and spirit shattered by his helpless condition. Frighteningly, the fate of our devotional brothers didn’t look any better.

By chance, a Canada embassy worker attending a party, mentioned to another guest, a PLO leader, that they couldn’t find any trace of some Canadians, and could he have a look for them. By the grace of Allah, he found them amongst all the turmoil. There they were, leading Kirtan in total darkness with their fellow prisoners. The chanting was the inmates’ only distraction from their miserable dungeon and they sang along enthusiastically. Miraculously, our samkirtan maharathas were freed and released into Beiruts’s warm sunlight and echoing gunfire.

Shortly thereafter, our friend, Padmapaniji, passed by the same building where he had been imprisoned to the shocking sight that the apartment had been bombed and collapsed unto itself. All inside had perished. Fortunately, Krishna saved the day for our samkirtan heroes.

Later, Srila Prabhupada, stated that he would take the dust on his head from the feet of those devotees who preached in the Islamic countries. What greater reward and honor could these two humble preachers receive from their spiritual master?

After leaving the Middle East and returning to Canada, Padmapani Prabhu, a superb writer, started a magazine entitled The Vaisnava Journal, addressing the flood of issues encountered by the movement after Srila Prabhupada’s departure. Later, with the advent of the Internet, it morphed into the prabhupadaconnect.com website, beginning an unbroken 23-year legacy that still graces the Internet today. Please give it a look before the subscription runs out.

Padmapani Prabhu had horrible money and health karma throughout his life resulting in years of struggle; yet, he was always able to maintain his service to Srila Prabhupada. His Divine Grace must be full of pride to have a disciple so dedicated to him and Lord Chaitanya and there should be no doubt that he is continuing his eternal service to our beloved Srila Prabhupada.

Padmapani (l) & Tribhubanatha (r)