Champaka lata Devi Dasi surrounded by the children she serves.

Champaka lata Devi Dasi has been a guiding force for visually impaired souls in Pune and Hyderabad for over a decade, impacting the lives of 400 blind students in the past 12 years. She was instrumental in creating the most comprehensive English Braille edition of भगवद्गीता यथारूप—a monumental 10-volume work spanning 1,740 Braille pages that includes the Sanskrit shloka in Braille (English), along with the word-for-word meaning, translation, and purport. 

Born in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, Champaka lata Devi Dasi moved to Hyderabad at age 10. Drawn to life’s dualities—rich and poor, joy and sorrow, health and suffering—she sought answers from her spiritually inclined uncle. His recitations of भागवद गीता left a lasting impression, marking her first encounter with its wisdom, even if she didn’t fully comprehend it then.

Married at 19, she witnessed many people losing their lives in the 1999 Kargil War due to her husband’s active duty as an Officer in the Indian Air Force. A friend’s fatal accident and an air crash killing 30 personnel intensified her introspection. Amidst the grief, she turned to the भागवद गीता, a gift from her brother, Dr.Venugopal. Opening it randomly, she found Krishna’s words to Arjuna: “For one who has taken birth, death is certain; and for one who has died, birth is certain. Therefore, do not lament” (गीता, 2.27). It felt as if Krishna Himself was soothing her heart. This reciprocation from the Lord drew her deeper into the भागवद गीता. Though unfamiliar with japa beads or formal association, she began chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra whenever it came to her mind.

As her desire to understand Krishna Consciousness increased, she prayed to have the shelter of a spiritual master. Her search led her to the devotees at the Secunderabad ISKCON temple and by Krishna’s mercy, she connected with her spiritual master, Bhakti Raghava Swami, who began answering her questions and guiding her. Over time, she started chanting on beads, following the four regulative principles, and received Harinam initiation.

However, Champaka lata Devi Dasi still felt something was missing. “In 2012, I shared with Maharaj that I was chanting and following the four regulative principles, but I still felt there was something missing that I was unable to fill. That is when Maharaj said that if I want to be really satisfied and content, I also need to do some seva,” recalled Champaka lata.

With her husband frequently away on duty and her children under her care, she began teaching Krishna Consciousness to children and women at home. Over time, she expanded her outreach to a private school, where a devotee teaching mathematics invited her to preach at a blind school. This opportunity marked the beginning of her amazing journey in Braille seva —a service that would nourish and satisfy her heart. 

After much prayer and persistence, she published the most elaborate Braille edition of Srila Prabhupada’s भागवद गीता As It Is with a team of devotees. Despite challenges and discouragement, she knew it was her duty to make Prabhupada’s teachings accessible to all, especially blind people. “I used to cry in front of Prabhupada’s picture almost every day from 2014 to 2021 when the BBT published the book. I really felt that since Prabhupada and Krishna have put me in this kind of service, I must really do justice by bringing out these books. I felt very responsible, actually,” expressed Champaka lata Devi Dasi.

Over the years, her connection with visually impaired devotees deepened even farther. Many of the children she began serving grew into working adults. One particularly moving moment was when a visually impaired young man expressed to her, “When I read the Braille भागवद गीता, it feels as though I am touching the Lotus Feet of the Lord. That sparsha (touch) fills me with shelter and bliss.” His words moved her to tears and reinforced the importance of this service. She realized that we are very fortunate to be able to simply pick up Srila Prabhupada’s books and read them, volumes that Prabhupada was merciful to painstakingly write for us. She thought it was important for devotees to consider the challenges faced by people with disabilities and provide Prabhupada’s writings in a format accessible to them. Such experiences made her resolve stronger to make a library of Srila Prabhupada’s books for blinds all over the world.

In addition to the भागवद गीता, she authored Braille storybooks such as Gopala: The Protector of Cows, Dashavatar, और Lord Jagannath’s Pastimes. She also compiled a Vaishnava Songbook with selected bhajans and kirtans. These books provide spiritual nourishment to visually impaired children and adults alike.

Looking ahead, she aspires to create a self-sustainable farm community for visually and physically impaired individuals. In this place, they can engage in devotional service, live harmoniously with nature, and experience Krishna’s shelter. The community will center around a temple, ensuring spiritual and material sustenance for all residents. A group of 80 blind children is sincerely and intensely practicing Krishna consciousness under her care, and she is grateful to the Lord for their association. She also wishes to produce audiobooks in Telugu for the local blind community, having preached to them for over 12 years.

Champaka lata Devi Dasi expressed immense gratitude to Srila Prabhupada, her spiritual master, and all the devotees who have guided her in Krishna Consciousness, shaping her understanding and practice of Bhakti, including Neel Madhav Das, Balgovind Das, Satyavati Devi Dasi, Radheshyam Das, and Balaram Shakti Das,

She also thanked her late mother, Vrajabhumi Devi Dasi; her father, Anandmaya Das; her husband, Wing Commander Vivek Ji; her sons Vishwak and Advait; siblings Venugopal and Shyam Sundar; many family members, and devotee friends. Their unwavering support has been the foundation of her service to visually impaired devotees, making the Braille books a reality.

“Each one of us has a role to play in the Lord’s creation, and I found my purpose and service in His design. There is a lot of noise in the form of self-help books on the market today. These short video clips offer instant solutions and quick fixes to the miseries of the world, but only Krishna consciousness can heal and soothe the inner core to reinstate the jiva in its original constitutional position. These braille books are the chakshu (eyes) and their sparsha (touch) will help accomplish the prayojana (Krishna Prema) by the mercy of Guru and Krishna,” concluded Champaka lata Devi Dasi.

For more information, contact Champaka lata Devi Dasi via ईमेल. You can also follow her on Instagram और यूट्यूब.