Krsna Balarama Swami's Departure

BY: B. RADHA-GOVINDA 

Jul 10, 2014 — USA (SUN) — On July 8, 2014, Sayana Ekadasi, His Holiness Krsna-Balaram Swami (from USA) departed his body at 2:47 pm.

Having been on dialysis for a number of years, Maharaj decided to give up the dialysis and prepare himself for whatever would be Krsna's arrangement, Maharaj's going to stay in the hospice down the street from the Long Island temple where he had been residing.

Although the last time I physically saw and spoke with Maharaj was in August or September 2005, and on some very rare occasions over the years we would speak over the phone, I called the Long Island temple at around 3:30 pm on July 8, with intent to speak to Krsna-Balaram Swami to see how he was doing. Raja Vidya prabhu answered the telephone and immediately informed me that Maharaj had just left his body approximately one hour ago, saying that he was going to call me to tell me, (though Raja Vidya prabhu didn't know that I was out of station and would not have been able to have received his call).

Raja Vidya prabhu explained that Krsna-Balaram Swami had left his body in the hospice which was "down the street" from the (Freeport) Long Island temple, that he was with Maharaj when Krsna-Balaram Swami departed, that Maharaj left peacefully with a kirtan of Srila Prabhupada playing and local devotees present chanting.

His Holiness Krsna-Balaram Swami was a very amiable person who was open in his preaching to anyone who wanted to hear and would very enthusiastically chant the Hare Krsna Mahamantra, leading very simple but wonderfully ecstatic kirtans. Maharaj had preached for some time in Mainland China, and had learned to speak fluent Chinese.

Krsna-Balaram Swami lived in simplicity rendering his service to Srila Prabhupada, separated himself from the ISKCON politics and "prominence," and left without the "stardom fanfare" that often accompanies some of the "big" ISKCON sannyasis.

May His Holiness Krsna-Balaram Swami remain eternally engaged in service to Srila Prabhupada and the Divine Couple, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, and may we be safely situated under the shelter of Srila Prabhupada's Lotus Feet, Those of our Guru Varga, the Vaisnavas, and Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. 

 http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/news/07-14/news5479.htm