Swami Mukund Hari Maharajji is one of the first Saints I met with Baba
Sripadji when I came to Vrindavan, in 1971 and I stayed in his Ashrama,
Sri Hari Nikunj. Totally Delightful and full of Loving kindness was he.
Radha Dasi, Asim Krsna Das and I would often have tea with him in the
afternoon and he would make us laugh with his stories and questions!!
Once on a Christmas Eve he asked us to sing Christmas Carols for him and
we did to his joy, and specially, ours! He was always full of bliss and blessings
whenever I met him!!
It was a little later that I was to attend his amazing Kirtanas in Delhi and
Chandigarh where hundreds joined, and I came to then understand why he
was known in India by the title of 'Sankirtan Samrat'.
Years later Asim K Das told me how he first met Swamiji. He said coming
to India then was a traveling adventure for him only and when he came across
the border into Bhatinda, for some reason further traveling was restricted and
he had to spend some unexpected time there. So he asked the crowd of people
around him, "What is there to do here in your city?" They said there is nothing
entertaining and special to do here and all shook their heads. Then one man
spoke up and said, "We do have something special here, we have a saint!"
And Asim said, "Oh, that's amazing! The only saints we have in the West are
dead saints!! Please take me to see him just now!"
At the end of that first meeting of Asim with Swamiji, after the evening
kirtana, and when all was ended in the wonderful nights at the Bhatinda
Ashrama; Swamiji gave Asim a note and said, " Now, when you go around
seeing India, see also this wonderful person in a place called Vrindavan."
There was written an address and Asim, from New York City, did go there
to meet Sri Krsna and ended spending most the rest of his life at the beloved
feet of the Lord. "Hare Bol!"
Sri Asim Krishna Das with Baba Sripadji at Vraj Acadamy in Vrindavan
