Our dear Madana-mohana-mohini dasi has left this world at 5:11 pm today evening, 12 March 2023.
She left very peacefully while listening to her favorite kirtan in her room, and surrounded by devotees and her favorite maha paraphernalia.

Please pray for her onward journey.
Thank you so much. Hare Krishna.

Your aspiring servants,
Parasurama das, Shyamangi Radhika dasi, and Audarya Radhika dasi

From Kamala Radha devi dasi – Managing Editor for ISKCON News

I was lucky enough to know Madana-mohana-mohini dasi  and worked with her and her sister, Audarya Radhika Dasi, on different ISKCON projects. When I first came on to serve here at ISKCON News, I wanted to enlist Mohini as a writer and give her a column to share her thoughts and reflections. It never materialized in the way I first conceived because I was truly impressed and in awe of the preaching she was doing on her own. I did not want to divert the momentum she was producing with her preaching. One may simply take a quick glance at her Facebook page, or her YouTube page to see the number of lives she touched in her short time on this planet.

From Mohini’s World YouTube Page

To say that Mohini was an inspiration does not seem to convey enough how I felt about this soul. I still have WhatsApp voice memos from her and her sister and I will treasure the memories I made with both of them, forever. Mohini recently wrote on her YouTube page… “one of my biggest recent discoveries has been that there’s nothing more important in life than to “live” it, and my purpose right now is to be “happy” doing that…This is me sharing pieces of my journey trying to find beauty in life living with a chronic and terminal illness—muscular dystrophy and spending time achieving my spiritual quest of reconnecting with God, Krishna. And just having fun!”

May we all be so centered and peaceful in this life. Madana-mohana-mohini dasi ki jaya!

Hare Krishna

Twice as Bright

In December 2022, Madana-mohana-mohini dasi released her memoir, Twice as Bright: A Young Girl’s Journal of Devotion. It is a collection of a 19-year-old ‘s diaries from September 2019 to October 2020 where she shares day-to-day reflections and realizations from her life. She shares her health struggles living with a neuromuscular condition (Muscular Dystrophy), her desire to serve the Lord and the devotees, and her desire to experience the fullness and goodness of an expectedly short life despite the limitations of her body. The pages of her diary are full of little details from her life. She shares her experiences, learnings, dreams, longings, doubts, thoughts, and imaginations in a real and honest way. The book unfolds her heart’s journey, her introspection through the good and bad, the highs and lows, and the strengths and vulnerabilities that she faces regularly.

HH Giriraj Swami with Madana-mohana-mohini dasi

It shows Mohini’s resilience, kindness, enthusiasm, and urgent compassion. One can experience through this book Mohini’s belief in the simplicity and inclusive nature of bhakti, the beauty and magic of prayers and mercy, and the power of love and surrender. The pages show her gratitude towards and acceptance of Krishna’s plans. In many places, you will find her being too hard upon herself because she feels a strong urge to serve and preach and make her life meaningful, her actions purposeful, and her contribution valuable for Srila Prabhupada’s movement—our movement. Her words, “Devotional service is our life,” and “Let life be a part of your service—not service a part of your life,” express that well. She often reflects on the struggles of a sadhaka, and the plight of the world, and ends the book with an urgent prayer to all the devotees to take up the responsibility to preach, quoting John E. Lewis, “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”