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Srila Prabhupada and His Godbrothers
Comments are invitedSRILA PRABHUPADA AND THE GAUDIYA MATHBy Sridam sakha dasWhen SrilaPrabhupada originally started ISKCON, he was very willing toundertake his missionin co-operation with his godbrothers. However, theywere all envious of hissuccess, and neglected all of his requests forhelp. As if that were not enough, theyalso did their utmost to disrupt hisefforts in whatever way they could, forinstance, by poisoning the minds ofhis disciples against him and reinitiating them. That they acted in the waythey did is hardly surprising, in consideration of the factthat they haddirectly and deliberately disobeyed the instructions of SrilaBhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Against his wishes they elected an acarya afterhisdeparture. Not only that, but none of them ever followed hisinstructions to go andpreach in the west. Srila Prabhupada's finalinstructions to his disciples with regardto his Godbrothers was to havenothing further to do with any of them.Soundsfamiliar? During the time that I spent living in a temple, from whatI heard fromother devotees, this was, more or less, the impression that Ihad of SrilaPrabhupada's Godbrothers and the Gaudiya math. However, afterhaving donesome research on the subject, I began to recognise how complexan issue it was,and that my previous understanding had been simplistic andmisinformed.Thereader is no doubt familiar with many of the negative comments SrilaPrabhupadahad to make about his Godbrothers. However, he praised them onnumerousoccasions too:"I am very glad to know that Ananda prabhu is staying with you,pleaseoffer my dandavats. He is my old Godbrother, sincere Vaisnava. Pleasetreathim like your father. Do remain in full co-operation." (S.P. letter6/5/'73)"So if you are actually serious to take instructions from a siksa guru, Ican refer you toone who is most highly competent of all my god-brothers.This is B.R. SridharaMaharaja, whom I consider to be even my siksa guru,so what to speak of thebenefit that you can have from hisassociation...When I was in India, Acyutananda,Ramanuja, and myself, withothers, lived with Sridhara Maharaja, so Acyutanandaknows him very well.He spared a big house for us and if both of you go there now,it will bevery good for your spiritual benefit. Then I will feel that you are safe.Besides that, if you wish to live in India, you can make arrangements forthis houseso that other of your god-brothers may go there in the future." (Letter to Hrsikesa,69-01-09)Srila Prabhupada apparently intended his disciples' association with SrilaBhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja to be of a more long term variety.In thefollowing, Srila Prabhupada again makes the immense love and respectthat he feltfor his exalted godbrother very clear. More pointedly, he saysthat his associationwith Srila Sridhara Maharaja was arranged by SrilaBhaktisiddhanta and Krsna inorder to help prepare him for the greatmission he was later to undertake.However, perhaps most significantly ofall, he states that he wanted to make SrilaSridhara Maharaja the head ofISKCON:"So when we came back to Allahabad, soGanesa Babu, he introduced me, that"Here is a nice devotee." So Prabhupadaimmediately replied, "Yes, I havemarked him. He does not go away, he hears." This (indistinct), "Yes, I willaccept him as disciple." Then I was initiated. In this wayour relationshipwith Gaudiya Matha developed, and gradually as it developed, the
 
other sidediminished. Then, there are long history, it will take time, but I had theopportunity of associating with His Holiness. For several years I had theopportunity. Krsna and Prabhupada liked it to prepare me. Sridhara Maharajalivedas a...Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct)Prabhupada: (laughs) ...in my house, somemay say, a few years, sonaturally we had very intimate talks and he was my goodadviser. I took hisadvice, his instruction very seriously, because from the verybeginning Iknow he's a pure Vaisnava and devotee, and I wanted to associate withhim,and try to help him also in so many ways. He also tried to help me, so ourrelationship is very intimate. After the breakdown of the Gaudiya Matha, Iwantedto organize another organization, making Sridhara Maharaja head."(RoomConversation, Mayapur, March 17, 1973 Unfortunately, the above quoteis notincluded in some, if not all of the Prabhupada databases, but, ifthe reader isinterested, I will happily send them the whole conversation.)Speaking of hissannyasa guru, Srila Prabhupada says:"So I am feeling very much obliged to my,this godbrother, that he carriedout the wish of my spiritual master and forced meto accept the sannyasaorder. This godbrother, H.H. Kesava Maharaja is no more.He has enteredKrsna's abode So I wish to pass a resolution of bereavement andsend them.And I have composed one verse also in this connection inSanskrit.....so Idid not want to accept this sannyasa order, but this godbrotherforced me'you must.' apayayan mam, he forcefully made me drink thismedicine...theVaisnavas, the spiritual master, they forcefully say 'you drink thismedicine.' You see apayayan mam anabhipsu ardham Sri-Kesava-bhaktiprajana-nama. So this my Godbrother, his name is Kesava, BhaktiprajnanKesava.Krpambudhi. So he did this favour upon me because he was ocean ofmercy. So weoffer our obeisances to Vaisnava, krpambudhi.Vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca. The Vaisnavas, therepresentatives of the Lord, they are sokind. They bring the ocean ofmercy for distributing to the suffering humanity.Krpambudhir yas tam ahamprapadye. So I am offering my respectful obeisancesunto this His Holiness,because he forcefully made me adopt this sannyasa order.So he is no morein this world. He has entered Krsna's abode. So I am offering myrespectfulobeisances along with my disciples...We are writing like this, "Resolvedthat we the undersigned members and devotees of International Society forKrishna Consciousness Incorporated, in a condolence meeting under thepresidency of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, today the 21st of October, 1968, at our Seattle branch, express our profound bereavement onhearing the passing of His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Sri SrimadBhaktiprajnanKesava Gosvami Maharaja, the sannyasa guru, preceptor of ourspiritual master,and on October 6th, 1968, at his headquarter residence inNabadwip, West Bengal.We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotusfeet of Sri Srimad BhaktiPrajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja with thefollowing verse composed on thisoccasion by our spiritual master." Thisverse I have already explained to you. So Iwish that you all sign this andI'll send it tomorrow by air mail." (21st October '68,condolence lecture,Seattle)"The cult of Caitanya philosophy is richer than anyother, and it isadmitted to be the living religion of the day with the potency forspreading as visva-dharma, or universal religion. We are glad that thematter hasbeen taken up by some enthusiastic sages like BhaktisiddhantaSarasvati GosvamiMaharaja and his disciples. We shall eagerly wait for thehappy days of Bhagavata-dharma, or prema-dharma, inaugurated by the LordSri Caitanya Mahaprabhu."
 
(Srimad-Bhagavatam: Introduction)"In the same order as Kardama Muni, aboutone hundred years ago, ThakuraBhaktivinoda also wanted to beget a child whocould preach the philosophyand teachings of Lord Caitanya to the fullest extent.By his prayers to theLord he had as his child Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati GosvamiMaharaja, who atthe present moment is preaching the philosophy of LordCaitanya throughoutthe entire world through his bona fide disciples."Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 3: Chapter Twenty-two, Text 20Not only did Srila Prabhupadasometimes praise his godbrothers, but on oneoccasion even blessed one of hisharinama disciples to take diksa from oneof them:"Please accept my humbleobeisances at your lotus feet. I understand fromthe letter of Asita das that he hasgone to your place in Jagannatha Puri.He has asked permission from me for takinginitiation from you. I havegiven him my permission and you can initiate him if youlike so that he mayincrease his devotional service there."Letter to: SripadaMadhava Maharaja : 75-01-14 Bombay"If you want to take initiation from MadhavaGosvami Maharaja I have noobjection."Letter to: Asita das : 75-01-10 BombayNevertheless, despite praising individuals, Srila Prabhupada also made manynegative statements about his godbrothers too. In the following he states:"Weshall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is myinstruction toyou all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they arevery competent toharm our natural progress. So we must be very carefulabout them." (Letter toRupanuga Maharaja, 74-04-28, Tirupati)However, Srila Prabhupada's finalinstructions with regard to hisgodbrothers were very different. Literally daysbefore passing away, heformed the "Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust", one of the purposes ofwhich was to link up again with the Gaudiya Math devotees, and towork withthem on a co-operative basis. The statement of purpose for the Trust inthis regard, reads as follows:"In keeping with the spirit of the previous acarya'svision ofGaudiya-Madhva sampradaya, to cement relations with all the sistertemplesof Gaudiya-Madhva sampradaya under one banner, to solidify preachingthemessage of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as desired by His Divine Grace SrilaBhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada and Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda and alltheprevious acaryas in this line." (Room Conversation, Vrindaban, October29, 1977,771029RC.VRN)Srila Prabhupada did not stop at merely instructing his disciples,but hewent so far as to directly involve his own godbrothers, by appointing twoof them onto the Trust's five man governing board:Bhavananda: With bookstand.Prabhupada has formed a trust, theBhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust, and itspurpose is to developGauda-mandala-bhumi. Prabhupada's one idea is to buildthis darsana-mandapaat the yoga-pitha. And another is to finish SridharaMaharaja'sdarsana-mandapa at his..., like that, to develop the different..., toencourage co-operation between the different Godbrothers in the temples.Themembers of the trust are myself and Tamala Krsna Maharaja and Giriraja,SvarupaDamodara, myself, Madhava Maharaja and Madhusudana Maharaja.Prabhupadanamed those members.Prabhupada: How do you think the idea?Jayapataka: All of your ideas, Srila Prabhupada, are perfect. I am notsomeone to offer opinion. But if you ask, I think that actually, especiallythe yoga-pitha, natha-mandira, that's avery dynamic idea, and in generalit must do good.Prabhupada: We want co-operation.(Room conversation, Vrndavana, 6 November 1977)Srila Prabhupadawas also willing for ISKCON funds to be used to erectbuildings on the property of his godbrothers, and even for printing theirliterature:Tamala Krsna: Yes, I think the
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