Archive for February, 2001

Bhaktivedanta Hospital - Bombay I

Dhanurdhara Swami February 18th, 2001

Bhaktivedanta Hospital - Bombay

I saw an interesting article in the newspaper. A muftir?a muslim priest?blames the earthquake in Gujarat to the degradation of the youth caused by television, which has angered Allah. The article reports that after hearing the muftir’s judgment, Muslim youth from all over Gujarat have been pouring out into the streets by the hundreds smashing their families? television sets.

His analysis is a bit simplistic, but there is also truth to it. The ultimate cause of suffering is turning the turning the consciousness from God and there is no medium more powerful in absorbing and diverting the consciousness to the external energy than TV. A devotee home is usually much better with out it.

Bhaktivedanata Hospital - Bombay The

Dhanurdhara Swami February 17th, 2001

Bhaktivedanata Hospital - Bombay

The body is naturally traumatized and doesn’t work normally. Sometimes pain, but just general discomfort. I can live with it, but I’m not at all productive.

Srila Prabhupada?s soothing voice plays day and night in my room. My condition forces me to be dependent. It creates the proper mood to hear. My body pains, but my heart is soothed and soothed by the shelter of Srila Prabhupada’s deep, melodic, and tonic voice.

An unexpected fruit of my hospital stay: increased attachment to the refuge of Srila Prabhupada?s lotus feet.

Bhaktivedanta Hospital - Bombay I?ve

Dhanurdhara Swami February 16th, 2001

Bhaktivedanta Hospital - Bombay

I?ve never been in an operation theatre before. At least the doctor wears tilak and Srila Prabhupada’s soothing voice is in the background. The anaesthesiologist gives me a spinal tap. From the waste down I am complete numb to the extent that I have no awareness of where my legs are. I try to move them, but there’s absolutely no trace of a connection between my will and my kinesis. It is humbling. I am not even the controller of my basic functions.

I am conscious during the whole operation, but feel nothing. I didn’t know what to expect but I’m reasonably relaxed and able to chant. Toward the end, I hear the doctor singing along with Srila Prabhupada’s tape?a sure sign that things went well.

Post operation room: Sensation returns to my legs and so does the pain. It’s barely tolerable, but the thought of living like this for a day seems tortuous. No choice but to take shelter of the holy name.

The nurses wheel me to my room, then intravenous injections are administered and I am pumped with drugs. Pain is gone, but I must lie with my legs up without drinking or eating for the rest of the day. I don’t know what they gave me, but it must be quite powerful, because I lie on my back reading Bhakti-sandarbha for several hours, and don’t even sleep for the rest of the day.

Bhaktivedanata Hospital - Bombay When

Dhanurdhara Swami February 15th, 2001

Bhaktivedanata Hospital - Bombay

When I met Malati Mataji in Vrindaban and told her that I was going to Bombay for a minor surgery she remarked casually that the Bhaktivedanta Hospital has become a favorite pit stop for many devotees. I like the analogy: a few wheels changed, a screw turned, a part removed and fixed, some gas in the tank, and back out to race as normal.

I am trying to remain detached, being happy with Krishna’s will. I don’t like when my world moves so antithetical to my plans, but I’ve had plenty of practice in the last five years, so I’m fairly resigned to my fate.

Krishna Prema, my surgeon, meets me at 10 in the morning and informs me that he will operate tomorrow at 7am. He also arranges for a few pre-operative procedures today.

Bhaktivedanta Hospital - Bombay I

Dhanurdhara Swami February 14th, 2001

Bhaktivedanta Hospital - Bombay

I rise early on the train and chant with a determination to carry the spirit of the dhama with me. For each round, I systematically recall a place of pilgrimage we visited and the sentiments of devotion that inspired me there. It makes for good train chanting and I am able to chant most of the time until our destination. But can I maintain my zeal without the facility of the dhama to nourish my enthusiasm for chanting?

I stop at the Radha-Gopinatha Mandir for prasadam, and then it?s on to the hospital for check in.

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