Today we’d like to introduce you to Syamarani Dasi.
Syamarani, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It was 1966. I was an ordinary 19 year old in New York City with an interest in art and history. I often wondered, “who am I really? Where am I coming from? If I wasn’t born in my mothers womb, would I still exist?” All my questions were answered one day when I was walking to a friend’s house. I was walking through a park and heard the Hare Krsna mantra, and in the midst of all the chanters, I saw Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, clad in saffron and very effulgent. I followed the chanters back to their temple, called at that time, Matchless Gifts. I met Srila Prabhupada. In a nutshell, he told me that we are eternal and everything around us is temporary, and we can’t achieve spiritual happiness by mundane means.
Soon after that I was initiated by him and my name became Jadurani dasi. He had me paint for his temples and books on ancient Vedic wisdom. He taught me and so many others the philosophy of the soul and our relationship with the Supreme Soul, Sri Krsna. He turned me into an international teacher and a painter for his 100 books, published in 70 languages in half a billion copies.
Fifteen or so years, after Prabhupada’s disappearance from the world’s view, I met his spiritual successor, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja and he continued my journey in painting for translations of the Vedic literatures and teaching me more about the philosophy. Since then, I traveled around the world at least 30 times and then I became an initiating spiritual master on behalf of my two gurus.
Now I am based in Miami. We have a Sacred Vedic Arts Cultural Center/Gallery/Temple/Outlet for Distributing these Vedic books/Spiritual Food Distribution Outlet. I love seeing suffering people become happy by the teachings of this Krsna Consciousness philosophy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The struggle was did I really belive in God? Did I believe Krsna is God? Did I believe there is more than one life, there’s reincarnation?
I was struggling on the canvas in all my years. My Guru, Srila Prabhupada, requested me to paint oil paintings of God’s pastimes, Krsna’s pastimes that take place in the spiritual world, and for me a simple New York ex-hippie, even with descriptions, how could I understand and painting that realm? While I was painting, I had to do a lot of praying, listening to his cassette tapes about Krsna Consciousness to get on that platform. I had to chant a lot of Maha-mantra (Hare Krsna mantra). Srila Prabhupada said about me in 1976 to a large audience, “In the beginning she could not paint, yet by hearing, chanting and remembering Krsa, the talent came out.”
In 1967 when the 2nd artist joined Srila Prahbhupada and asked him how he could painting like me, Prabhupada told him, “I have taught her how to painting,” and then he proceeded to paint in the air big brush strokes, and he proceeded to chant, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in giving classes about the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness.
I am most known for my artwork because by Srila Prabhuapda’s mercy, I painted over 300 paintings and some more paintings as well along with a few other colleagues on our team. I painted for Prabhupada’s over 60 volumes ofVedic literatures.
I then painted 16 paintings for my 2nd guru, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja for his books and temples and they are being distributed widely.
Over half a billion books in about 70 different languages with my art in them have been distributed around the world.
Tens of thousands of prints of the paintings that I did for Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja have been distributed around the world.
I am most proud of my teachers and their lineage and I share their glories and their books and message everywhere I go.
What sets me apart from others is that I am a female Guru in my lineage which is rare.
I founded and run a Hare Krsna Center Temple called Sacred Vedic Arts. In addition to our regular spiritual programs, we feed the underserved, we distribute food and mantra meditation in prisons and womens shelters.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory was when I was about 15 years old and I prayed to God, “You know exactly what I want whether its bicycles or anything. So please give me whatever I want even what I don’t know what I want.” And, that’s what he did.
Pricing:
- Posters $5 and up
- Bhakti Art Illuminations: $150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bhaktiart.net
- Instagram: @syamaranidasi
- Facebook: @Syamarani dasi
- Youtube: Syamarani Dasi
