Excerpts from the realization of H.G. Ganga Devi Dasi, Vrindavana

As an ordinary person, I find it very difficult to speak about a special soul like Nandarani. After she had left her body, I had the occasion to speak to many people, and all that they remembered of this child was that she would lead the other children into doing spiritual activities, which meant that she was a born leader, and was a soul inspiring everybody. She is making so many people Krishna conscious even after her departure. Whenever I see her parents or her grandmothers, I just wonder as to how these people have taken such a terrible toll in their lives. What is it that is making them go on? Definitely, it is some spiritual mercy that this child has left behind.

I recollect what H.H. Radhanatha Svami used to quote very often, “Good fruits come from good trees” and this was the proof. Whatever fruits the parents had given their child, the child will now return to the parents. Now we have to understand who is the parent and who is the child. There is a story about this in the Chaitanya-Charitamrita of Raghunandana and Mukunda. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked Mukunda who is the father and who is the son and Mukunda laughed and said, “Raghunandana is like my father.” In the same way, when I am thinking of Nandarani, I am wondering who is the father and who is the child? Who is training whom?

When the parents bring out this memory book, it is definitely going to inspire them as parents, children, new bhaktas, college preaching and everyone in this movement. Can you imagine how this one child is going to influence the lives of so many human beings?

Excerpts from the realization of H.G. Siddhi-lalasa Dasi, Mumbai

Nandarani became interested to contribute articles for the newsletters. I was really impressed by her writing. She was only eleven years old, but her maturity of thought and even her language was that of an adult.

One time, H.G. Bhaktivinoda Das, temple president of the Chandigarh temple invited Vrndavanesvari and me to conduct some seminar for the congregation devotees of his temple. Nandarani had designed a whole teaching program for the younger kids of Chandigarh. She planned to introduce the Krishna conscious philosophy to the children. She had so many good qualities. She was obedient and helpful and had a proper service attitude.

The seminar I conducted for the congregation was on the book ‘The Vedic Philosophy for Students.’ This book is a compilation of articles and essays by different ISKCON authors on the basic philosophy of Krishna consciousness. Most of the students were initiated devotees and were adults.

I suggested to Nandarani that she attend the class. To my surprise, she readily agreed and in class she seated herself in the front row. I was actually not taking her presence seriously. But after some time, I had to. One day I picked up her notebook and I saw that, so neatly and concisely, she had noted the various points that were being discussed in class. Some of the other students, adults and professionals, even took her notebook to copy her points. It was surely not a child that I had in my class. When we had to write the points from the group discussions on the flipcharts, she would eagerly come forward and insist that she was given the chance to write on the board. I could have no objections because she was so good at it. She was able to catch the points I was drawing from the students and write them properly on the board. When we came back to Mumbai, I had completely changed my view of her. I no longer saw a small girl but a devotee advanced from previous births.