Bones Baba & Lamenting Flowers

By: Mahanidhi Swami

I. Bones Baba

There is an amazing story in the life of a Vraja siddha-baba named Vijaya Krishna Goswami. Once Baba was walking along the Yamuna with some disciples and they happened upon a dead body. The Vrajavasi dogs had feasted on it, leaving nothing but bare bones.

Attracted, Baba said to his disciples, “Let’s go there and look at those bones.” Much to everyone’s surprise, they found the maha-mantra etched all over those bones.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

At that time, Baba commented, “Just see, this is clear proof that this mahatma attained perfection in nama-bhajana. He became a perfect nama-siddha!”

From this we can appreciate how much that sadhaka was totally dedicated to chanting the Radha Govinda Yugala maha-mantra for the dark age of Kali. Day and night, week after week, and year after year of his spiritual life, he chanted so much, with such loving attention, that the words of the mantra were etched into his bones! Indeed a most extraordinary miracle!

Day to day while chanting Hare Krishna japa, we all struggle with inattention and our endlessly wandering minds. No not just wandering—but minds that are randomly and recklessly jumping from one branch to another on the endless labyrinth of the banyan tree of desires, wants, needs and “things to do today”.

ABSORPTION IN CHANTING is the lesson to learn from this story. Let us all sincerely pray to this siddha “Nama Bones Baba”.

‘O Baba, please bless us that one day, at least our minds and hearts, if not our bones, will become totally absorbed in relishing the all-encompassing, nectar sweet names of Radha and Krishna dancing together in maha Vraja-prema within the kunjas of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra!’

II. Lamenting Flowers

Upon hearing the fabulous story of “Bones Baba” one famous kundavasi sadhaka of devotion quipped, “After I die and the kunda dogs chomp up my body to their heart’s delight, can you please do me one favor? Go and inspect the bones of my remains. I hope and pray sincerely to Ishvari Radha that just like “Bones Baba”, you will see written on all my bones, each and every verse of Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswamipada’s masterpiece, Vilapa Kusumanjali!”

Without any shade of a doubt Vilapa Kusumanjali, “A Flower Bouquet of Lamentations”, is the most important and essential book for any serious sadhaka practicing raganuga-bhakti in manjari-bhava, craving to attain the nitya-seva of Srimati Radhika in the Vraja nikunjas.

Every word, every line and every verse is sheer nectar—full of hope, intimate sevas, tears of lamentation and practical guidance on how to meditate on Bhanunandini’s loving service while being “absorbed in chanting” the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, or while rapt in single-minded contemplation.

I beg those hankering for love divine in Swamini’s seva to daily read and remember, and to think and drink the sweet nectar within all the verses of Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswamipada’s chintamani grantha, Sri Vilapa Kusumanjali.

By this daily practice, flowers of beautiful intimate sevas at Srimati’s sweet lotus feet will blossom on the tree of your hearts! This is the SRI guarantee!!!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!