Hindu community in general has lost a stalwart

Jul 21, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

Our Guyanese community in New York and the Hindu community in general have lost a stalwart when Dharmacharya Ji, Pandit Beni Madho Misra aka Pandit Rishi Misir Ji passed away on July 18th 2022, at the age of 82 years.
He was the grandson of Sri Beni Madho Misra Ji of whom he was named after. Aji Ji went to British Guiana on December 21, 1889 on the ship Rohilla and took his Ramayan with him. This Ramayan was passed onto his son Pandit Kalika Misra Ji who was the father of Dharmacharya Ji. This very Ramayana is in New York City. Pandit Rishi Ji explained to me that with time and people at the registry not being familiar with Samskrit, names were changed and misspelt and thus Misra became Misir.

Dharmacharya Ji was the spiritual leader of the major Hindus groups in New York and he took his responsibilities to heart. Pandit Rishi Ji was bestowed with the title of Dharma Acharya for his contribution to Hinduism. Many are given titles and do not deserve or live up to them but not in the case of Dharmacharya Ji. He was an Acharya/teacher/mentor in its essence. He was teaching as recent as last October. I got introduced to Dharmacharya Ji, while working on a project about the Ramayana. Dharmacharya Ji was very happy to speak to me and took time out of his precious schedule to chat with me. He was teaching online via Zoom which I felt was remarkable for someone who was not born in the age of the internet.

What is striking when you talk with Dharmacharya Ji, is his honestly, sense of humour, straightforwardness in speaking his mind. He took his responsibilities towards the community very seriously and did not suffer fools easily. A soul like Dharmacharya Ji is very rare indeed and in these times, priceless!
Dharmachaya Ji told me that he admired that I am continuing the work and teachings of my own late father, Sri Mohanlal Sahadeo Ji.

He said that my father must have been a great soul to have raised a daughter like me…if you know Dharmacharya Ji, you would recognise that this is a great compliment as he does not offer word salad. I treasure these words and can tell you that great souls live on forever in our hearts and memories. Decades after my father has gone, strangers and people whose lives he touched, still remember and talk about him. Last week, another Hindu activist and I were talking about Dharmacharya Ji and both of us were admiring what he stood for and his amazing personality. I will remember and talk about Dharmacharya Ji for he has touched my life and the many, many other souls whose lives he touched; will also do same.

I am already missing you Dharmacharchya Ji. You never referred to yourself by your title and just called yourself Pandit Rishi. Such was your humility. I called his phone last Saturday and it went to voice mail. I waited for him to return my call as he always did. This time, he did not and then I learnt why. I will always treasure our conversations about Ramayana, your history, your advice on people that I must be wary of and your dry wit. Be with your Blessed Lord now, dear Pandit Rishi Ji.
Mrtyor twam Amritam gamaya.

Yours sincerely,
N. Sahadeo

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