Vraja Has Left Us

10/29/06

Dear Vaninatha prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

It was a pleasure to read your letters, your history, and realizations. We were so happy to have Vraja adopted by you. But, there is some very sad news to tell you.

Yes, Vraja is the same ox you saw at the Washington DC Rathayatra in 1992. He and his brother Gita led many Rathayatra parades across the country. The potency of their preaching was beyond the preaching most of us devotees are able to offer to Srila Prabhupada. Vraja was so extremely handsome and noble that he attracted so many people to him.

If you look at our blog you will read how Vraja had arthritis for the last 2 years. Being old for an ox, they rarely live to 16 years, the arthritis was not a surprise. We treated it with some alternative medicines, as allopathic medicines really had nothing to offer. However, in the last month he was struggling to overcome it and was becoming weaker. We hoped he would make a comeback like he had so many times in the last 2 years.

We kept him separate from the herd because he had fallen and was having trouble keeping up with them. He was in the loafing shed (geriatric barn) with the gate open and could roam the adjacent lawn. Radharani was also there with him as company. She is an old cow, 22 to 25 years old, but she is in good shape. The way the barns are laid out, Vraja had daily association with the rest of the herd.

A week ago, he lost his footing and fell flat on his side. Chaitanya Bhagavat, trained by Balabhadra, is taking care of the cows in Balabhadra's absence. (Since we do not take funds from ISCOWP for our personal income, Balabhadra is in a mall for the winter season generating funds for ourselves. We do not collect enough to cover the cow projects and pay ourselves.) Chaitanya Bhagavat found him. Chaitanya talked to him and soon Vraja got up. However, Chaitanya noticed that he was walking less steadily than before.

When Vraja fell, all the cows came down the hill to see if he was okay. Ujala was moaning. Vraja got up and Ujala stopped moaning. The next day when Chaitanya went to feed Vraja, the herd came down the hill at a trot to see how he was feeling. They were stretching their necks over the fence to talk to him. He seemed to be assuring them that he was okay. Shelda Bloomingdale, a volunteer, was there and wrote about it. (You can find this story on page 3 of this newsletter.)

At this time, the weather was glorious, some cold nights but also some warm days. There were no flies or bugs, etc. Vraja was enjoying himself. He loved to be near the apple tree that was close to the house and ate almost all the apples. The night before last, Vraja must have fallen and could not get up. When we woke up in the morning, Chaitanya heard Ujala moaning and quickly got out of his cabin and ran in the direction of the moaning. Vraja was down near the apple tree. He was by the fence line and all the cows were around him. He had struggled in the night to get up, but could not. His face was looking up at the herd. He was very weak. Chaitanya chanted the Maha Mantra and two names of Krsna (Govinda, Gopala) in his ear. He then told Vraja he would be right back. Then he left to get me to see if there was something we could do. When we got back to him, he had left his body. The herd was still there. It was Sunday, 10/29/06.

We are very much missing him. He was such a noble soul. To the last days he remained majestic and noble and we are happy that he did not have to linger in the barn for a long time. We are thankful that his last days were spent pasturing with the herd nearby. We are thankful that he heard the names of Krishna right before his death. We are also thankful that he obtained you as his adopter in his last days, that he wasn't forgotten by his admiring public while in his retirement.

We are most sorry to give you this news, as we have been to experience it. We will eventually have a memorial to him on the ISCOWP web page, blog, and newsletter.

10/30/06
Today we buried Vraja in the field. Ray tried to do it while the herd wasn’t looking, but near the end when Vraja was being covered with dirt, they figured it out and ran over to the spot bellowing. That bright moon evening they returned to the spot where he was buried. Bhima, Nanda, Gita, Surabhi, Vishaka, and Kalki sat in a circle around the spot where Vraja was buried. They were mooing and crying in memory of Vraja. It was as if they were holding a memorial service. Chaitanya Bhagavat joined them and the memorial service went on for several hours. The next morning Ujala was bellowing and Chaitanya Bhagavat found her kicking the dirt at the highest point of Vraja’s mound and rubbing her face in the dirt. Then she looked up and joined the herd moving past Vraja’s burial place and onto the barn.

Vraja was their lead cow. He was like their father or grandfather. Since they were babies, he was the big protector and decided where the herd would go and who could do what. When anyone would come into the field, Vraja would approach first and analyze whether they were friend or foe. If a stranger came into the field not accompanied by one of us, he would chase them out of the field. When another cow went down, he would be right there supervising our rescue efforts. He would stand over all of us (he was 7 feet to the tip of his horns), watching.

Now Gita has taken up the position as King of the Herd. In fact, he had already taken up this responsibility when Vraja was not with the herd. However, Vraja still had the respect of the herd. He was sure to maintain a proud and noble stance, holding his head up high even when arthritic and at the time of death.

The pain of his separation will take awhile to pass after having protected and loved him for the last 16 years. We welcome any remembrance writings about Vraja to include in his memorial tribute.

Your servant,
Chayadevi

I am so deeply saddened about the passing away of grandfather Vraja. What a wonderful being he was! Such a wise and kindhearted soul. I’m glad that I was able to spend time with him just two years ago.

I will never forget when Vraja and Gita stopped by my house for a few days for some R & R between the Los Angeles and San Francisco Rathayatras. They were just young kids then and just as cute as can be. You had saved them from within one day I believe, of being sold. I loved giving them my front yard as their home. How they caused quite a commotion when sighted by the cars that drove by! Many people came over to pet them, and they learned about your wonderful program of cow protection, a vegetarian diet, and how the oxen love to use their tremendous strength to work. That year I went to both Rathayatras and I could just see that they enjoyed being in the parades and getting so much attention and admiration from the crowds.

I also remember the previous year when you brought the fully-grown oxen Burfy and Lee (short for Lilananda) for an R & R stay. One evening after dark I was out sitting and talking with them and giving them big hugs and affection as they laid in my front yard, both of them over 1,000 pounds each. With

Balabhadra’s encouragement, I laid on one of their sides. To this day I can still feel his warmth, and the sounds of his deep inhale and exhale with the up and down movement of his chest as he laid there in complete trust and contentment.

I don’t think people realize just how gentle, considerate, and intelligent these huge beasts are. They need our protection and our love and in return, they will give their very life, their total dedication in service to us. Can anyone say that about a tractor? Does a tractor soften our hearts or teach us lessons of life? Can a tractor show us the interconnectedness of all living creatures on the deepest spiritual and emotional level? From these great animals we can learn all there is to know about relationships and our own false ego and hang ups that keep us from surrendering fully to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and being in harmony with all that is around us.

Prabhujis, all glories to your most important service to the people of planet Earth, and Earth itself. You have dedicated your lives so fully to bringing this to the attention of the masses. I wish for you all facility for your expanding service. I know that your hearts are heavy with the loss of Vraja and it will take time for both you and the animals to grieve his loss. My love and prayers go out to you.

All glories to Srila Prabhupad. Thank you so much for that glorious story about the departure of the great Ox Vraja. I too am sitting in a mall for Christmas, but by hearing this pastime I was immediately transferred to the woods of Gita Nagari bringing in wood with Balabadra and the oxen. All glories to the oxen!

I just wanted to express my most sincere condolences on the passing away of Vraja. He is now in the spiritual world with Srila Prabhupada, Radha and Krsna.

Dear Balabhadra, Chayadevi, & Laksmi,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

We were so sad to hear of the passing away of Vraja. What a glorious servant of Krsna. We will sadly miss him. We think of you often and look forward to our next visit. Hare Krishna.

Your humble servants,
Srutadeva das and Deanna Rose

Please just know that my heart and love as always is with all of you in this very stressful time, but also know that Vraj is home now and happy and young again, and able to move pain free and enjoy his life with Krishna. He had such a wonderful life and home with all of you. The work that he and Gita did over the years and the lives that they touched has been many, and he will always be in many hearts all over the world. Loved and treasured by so many humans, he knew that all his herd mates loved and respected him and wished him well and a speedy transition to the waiting arms of Krishna.

Please give my love to Chaitanya also as I know that he is going through a very difficult time with this. He had developed such a wonderful relationship with Vraj and loved him very much. You could see when the two of them were together that Vraj loved him as well and appreciated what he was doing for him.

I know that this is going to be such a loss for Balabhadra and my heart goes out to him. I realize that it is a void that can never be filled, but I know that in his heart he will always be alive and with him every second till they are reunited again.

I know that it is going to be difficult for everyone because he was family and so many years together will never be forgotten but treasured in rich and happy memories.

I didn't know him very long, but loved him very much just the same. I went to the barn a couple of times when he was lying down, and he let me give him a massage. I never did that unless he let me know that it was ok to give him a good rub. He would turn his massive head around and those big eyes would say "Ah thank you, that felt so good." Then he would let you know when that was enough and he just wanted to rest. I am so glad that I got to give him his peanut butter cookies because you could see the smile in his eyes when he got them. Of course, I never did get them made big enough for him, but he liked them just the same.

Please stay in touch and know that I am always here for everyone and I treasure your friendship and want to be able to help anytime that I can and in any small way that I can.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please accept my humble obeisances. I am so sad to hear about Vraja. I'm sure all the prabhus there must be feeling a great loss. If my adoption came through before he passed, then I am happy to know he was remembering me from so long ago. It is for certain, that Vraja networked with me when I first saw him in D.C. in '92, even though I was not fully aware of it then. That is the power of Krishna's cows. Now we have come full circle and we will continue to grow in understanding even more as the years go by, by grace of guru and Gouranga.

I thought you would enjoy seeing this from a friend of mine. She had come over to my house to see the oxen and also had brought her grandchildren to see them while they were at the Govinda’s restaurant. Her grandchildren still speak of the experience.

Thank you for sharing this with me. I am very sad to learn of Vraja's passing. He served his time well on earth as he opened many people to a deeper perspective of these gentle beings. Thank you for bringing them to Ojai.

I'm very sorry/happy to hear the sad/wonderful news of Vraja's glorious passing.

I am so saddened by this news as I was very attached to Vraja. I thank Krishna he was able to reunite me with my old friends before he would leave his body. In a way I am happy because I know he won’t suffer from pain anymore. But it will take some time as you said to let go of such a wonderful and sacred soul. He

served Krishna very well and I am sure Krishna wanted him back since he was away from him for quite many years fulfilling his service. I loved him very much and will continue to hold him in my heart and in my memories. If you and your family need anything please let me know. I can imagine how you feel. Not an easy situation to be in. I know how much your pita was attached to them. Please send my condolences to both him and your mata. My love to you and cookies for Gita. I know it must be very hard for Gita after so many years attached to his brother. I will write more to see how things are and how you are coping with everything. If I could be of service in anyway please let me know. With all my heart and soul, Loving Vraja now and always.

Vraja was a long term resident of New Vrindavan. Read the story of his passing and remembrances of him at Life With The Land and the Cows.

One day I was working in our garage when this pickup truck came flying out the lane from Balabhadra's and stopped in a cloud of dust.

"Yes", I replied, and he said "I just spent the last hour in a tree with my friend. A big bull chased us and we had to climb it to escape. He finally moved away a little and I was able to get down and make a run for the fence, but my friend is still up in the tree!"

I looked at him for a while, then asked, "Were you carrying a 5 gallon plastic bucket?"

His jaw dropped and he looked at me in surprise. "How did you know that?" he asked.

The reason I knew was that I had had similar experiences, and had guessed he had been carrying tools in a bucket. I forget why he was out in Balabhadra's pasture, but it was some legitimate thing, working on a phone line or something, and he needed small hand tools.

While I was still healthy and doing Farmer's Markets, and Balabhadra was still getting established, we used to clean out his barn in exchange for keeping the manure. I would back down into the barn and Tulasi and I would load 5 gallon buckets with the black gold. Having it in buckets made unloading and applying to the garden easier.

Vraja would come into the barn and be a real annoyance. He would get in the way. He would poke his horns in the buckets of manure and then toss his head. I tried to keep chasing him away but he was very persistent. I actually scheduled runs to the barn at the times I knew he would be out on the pasture where he couldn't see us. It wasn't that he was mean, but the chance he would step on your foot inadvertently or swing his head to chase flies and catch you with one of his long horns was a consideration. Mainly though, was being in the way.

Turns out it wasn't that he necessarily liked hanging out with us; some curiosity was there, but mostly it was the buckets. Balabhadra fed him grain out of one, so he was conditioned to expect some goodies whenever he saw one and would crowd in so he didn't miss anything. Hence, seeing someone in the pasture with a bucket, he naturally followed them and his enthusiasm for an expected treat had been misinterpreted as aggression. I still laugh visualizing those guys up a tree with Vraja waiting patiently below.

In his own way, Vraja was a great preacher of Krishna consciousness and has now left his limiting material body to continue his devotional service in another sphere. It's sad to see him go, but wonderful to contemplate his life.

I've been meaning to email you for some time now, and Vraja's passing was the impetus to finally contact you.

Vraja was a special soul and dearly beloved by the other cows and devotees, so I wanted to offer my respects to this soul in a cow's body.

You know I love the cows, and in my small way, I try to help them by using my artistic abilities. Have you seen my website? www.saradiya.com

Jaya Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Lord Damodhara, all glories to all the devotees and all glories to all the beautiful cows!

Dear Chaya

pamho agtSP

Sorry to hear of the passing of the noble paragon of ox power, Vraja. He is a great symbol of inspiration. It is glorious that he has lived his full life with you fully protected and died a natural death surrounded by his friends, both cows and devotees. He is a great soul under the care of Lord Krsna.

Labangalatika dasi

Vraja stood by the gate to greet me as I came out in the morning. He recognized I was endeavoring to give him association. Morning and evening he was there. He would see me coming and lower his head for me to rub him behind his horns. Then I wiped his eyes. He patiently let me. He loved to be groomed.

The other night after sunset, I approached the gate and he raised his head high as I let him lick my hand. His tongue was like rough sand paper. Rougher than his brother’s

He stopped after awhile, maybe 10 minutes or so. I arrogantly begin to walk away; thinking I pleased him by rubbing his nose and letting him lick my hands. He leaned into me with his neck and I realized he was waiting for reciprocation. He wanted a massage. He did something for me and it was time for me to reciprocate.

I daily noticed that it became harder for Vraja to walk. But still he had his sense of humor. He either liked to lick you or bully you. Janaka Mahajan daily experienced this as he had the service of filling 5 gallon water containers for the temple devotees.

As I made my way to the barn one morning, I saw Janaka trying to fill what appeared to be the last of the water containers. Vraja was standing next to the frostless hydrant, horns swinging in the breeze—not making it easy for old Janaka to fill the container.

I picked up my pace, not knowing how I’d help the situation but determined to try. (I am a very inexperienced cow man. But the only one around at the moment.) I took the container and begin to fill it for Janaka. Successfully I do so and Vraja walks away, disinterested but ever so graceful. Does our hero play favorites? Who’s to say.

The Lord gives us charge of helpless beasts to protect them. But we are not their masters, we are their servants. To serve His bulls and cows is to give them pleasure which is to give Krishna pleasure. Vraja was the most excellent teacher in maters of false ego and surrender. He quieted my mind so I could see beyond my concepts of preference into active service.

The plentiful rains had changed all the pastures to a luscious, mint green. It was a hot spring day, but the air was fresh and clean. As we drove through the fertile, rural back roads of North Carolina, we anticipated meeting 2 twin bull calves, our future ox team.

Their owner wasn’t going to keep them much longer and would sell them at the auction where veal and beef farmers buy their animals. We wanted to tell him he could forget the trip because we would be glad to buy them instead. Anxiously we looked for the silo where we were to turn in at the left.

It is not common for a cow to have twin bull calves. They would make a perfect team since they were the same age, size, and already have an emotional bond between them. Certainly this was a God sent arrangement.

12/15/07