Reflections on the Departure of a Great Mother, part 1

oldchakra.com

Reflections on the Departure of a Great Mother,
Part 1, by Sankirtana dasa

The mother of H.H.Lokanath Swami Maharaja spent her whole life in a small village in Maharastra, a state in India. She was a simple and loving person, a devotee of Lord Vitthala-Rukmini, worshiped in Pandharpur Dhama. Every year some members of the family used to visit Pandharpur on foot, a walk of many days, to pay their respects to the Lord. Some family members walked that distance to have the dharshan of the Lord, whereas the rest of the family patiently waited at home for the return of the pilgrims to hear from them about the Lord and to honor the Prasadam they would bring.

Lokanath Swami's mother was a special mother. She gave birth to five children, and today four of them are initiated devotees, the fifthth about to be initiated. She met Srila Prabhupada personally on two occasions, once on a visit to Mumbai and in 1975 at the opening of Sri Sri Krishna-Balarama Mandir in Vrindavan. She also traveled to visit Mayapur Dhama.

Disciples and friends of Lokanath Swami have a great debt of gratitude to his great mother. They feel indebted to her for giving such a wonderful devotee to Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana Movement. The mother is the first guru, and she molds her child with her consciousness and care. If we had to assess her, we would realize that she has done an excellent job in raising her child.

Lokanath Swami's mother left her body in the company of devotees on the morning of Damanaka Ropana Dvadasi. May Lord Vitthala remember all the services rendered by his devotee.