Srila Prabhupada Speaks about his Gaudiya Math Godbrothers

Pratyatosa dasa (04-23-07)

I can understand someone getting a little bewildered about our relationship with Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers before his letters and conversations were published, but what excuse does anyone have now? Any of Srila Prabhupada's so-called disciples who still insist on associating with Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers or godnephews after reading the quotes below are obviously not very sincere or very serious about following Srila Prabhupada's instructions.

Dear Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Please keep in mind, while reading the quotes below, that Srila Prabhupada has never retracted any of them. Some extremely self motivated people might say that he apologized to his godbrothers on his death bed, but how can this be considered any more than just polite talk, or setting an example for his disciples of how to try and make amends before leaving this material realm?

Also, I have never heard of any tape recording which documents this supposed apology, and it's not in the VedaBase. Where is the proof?

Even if Srila Prabhupada did apologize to some of his godbrothers, how could this be considered a retraction, especially for the April, 1974 letter to Rupanuga, which is a signed document, and which contains the instruction to all of his disciples, "This is my instruction to you all." No contradictory instruction that even comes close to this direct, authoritative, signed document has ever been produced.

I can understand someone getting a little bewildered about our relationship with Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers before his letters and conversations were published, but what excuse does anyone have now? Any of Srila Prabhupada's so-called disciples who still insist on associating with Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers or godnephews after reading the quotes below is obviously not very sincere or very serious about following Srila Prabhupada's instructions.

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY INTIMATE CONNECTION WITH THEM

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Pradyumna 02/17/68:
"Regarding Bhakti Puri Tirtha Maharaja, they are my God-brothers and should be shown respect. But you should not have any intimate connection with them as they have gone against the orders of my Guru Maharaja."

NO POSSIBILITY OF COMPROMISE

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Narayana Maharaja 9/30/69:
"Regarding the 92 section case against the Gaudiya Math, I don't think there is any possibility of compromise. Both the Bhagbazar Party [Sridhar Maharaja's group] and Mayapur party [Tirtha Maharaja's group] have unlawfully usurped the missionary institution of Srila Prabhupada, and whenever they will talk of a compromise, it means another complication."

MY FOURTH-CLASS GODBROTHERS

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Hayagriva 9/14/70:
"Disturbance is caused by ignorance; where there is no ignorance, there is no disturbance. The four Sannyasis may bark, but still the caravan will pass. There is every evidence that they are influenced by some of my fourth-class Godbrothers."

THEY WILL BE ENVIOUS

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Yamuna 11/18/70:
"Regarding the Gaudiya Math, our position has nothing to do with them. They cannot do anything and if somebody does something, they will be envious. That is the nature of third class men."

MY GODBROTHERS GAVE ME ONLY DEPRESSION

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Gurudasa 8/29/72:
"Do not be depressed. All along my godbrothers gave me only depression, repression, compression--but I continued strong in my duty. So never mind there is some discouragement, continue with your work in full enthusiastic Krishna Consciousness attitude of service."

THEY HAVE ALL BECOME SUDRAS

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Niranjana 5/21/73:
"Our big, big godbrothers in India, they could not preach Lord Gauranga's name all over India. They are simply inclined to criticize me, that my students call me Prabhupada. They could not do anything practical and tangible. They are satisfied with a temple and a few disciples begging alms for the maintenance of the temple.

"So, we can understand that they have all become sudras. How can they have interest in Bhagavad-gita. Although some of them have been born in brahmana families, but by quality are all sudras."

GAUDIYA MATH BOOKS SHOULD NOT BE CIRCULATED IN OUR SOCIETY

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Sukadeva 11/14/73:
"Regarding the Gaudiya Math books being circulated there, who is distributing? Who is sending these books? The Gaudiya Math does not sell our books, why we should sell their books. Who has introduced these books? Let me know. These books should not at all be circulated in our Society. Bhakti Vilas Tirtha is very much antagonistic to our society and he has no clear conception of devotional service. He is contaminated. Anyway, who has introduced these books? You say that you would read only one book if that was all that I had written, so you teach others to do like that. You have very good determination."

THIS IS MY INSTRUCTION TO YOU ALL

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Rupanuga 4/28/74:
"In the latter days of my Guru Maharaja he was very disgusted. Actually, he left this world earlier, otherwise he would have continued to live for more years. Still he requested his disciples to form a strong Governing body for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He never recommended anyone to be acarya of the Gaudiya Math. But Sridhara Maharaja is responsible for disobeying this order of Guru Maharaja, and he and others who are already dead unnecessarily thought that there must be one acarya. If Guru Maharaja could have seen someone who was qualified at that time to be acarya he would have mentioned. Because on the night before he passed away he talked of so many things, but never mentioned an acarya. His idea was talked of so many things, but never mentioned an acarya. His idea was acarya was not to be nominated amongst the governing body. He said openly you make a GBC and conduct the mission. So his idea was amongst the members of GBC who would come out successful and self effulgent acarya would be automatically selected. So Sridhara Maharaja and his two associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acarya and later it proved a failure. The result is now everyone is claiming to be acarya even though they may be kanistha adhikari with no ability to preach. In some of the camps the acarya is being changed three times a year. Therefore we may not commit the same mistake in our ISKCON camp. Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya. So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or other I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful about them."

THEIR PROPOSAL FOR COOPERATION IS A MYTH

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to aCUTANANDA 6/8/74:
"You should not write anything to Madhava Maharaja's camp. You may have talked many things with Mangala Niloy but why write him in black and white. The letter must not be sent. Their policy has been all along to suppress me and take credit for himself. Their proposal for cooperation is a myth. They haven't done anything which is cooperative. You know in a recent article they managed to write in such a way that Madhava is doing the world movement and we are his subordinate. From the beginning that has been their mentality. So there is no possibility of cooperation with them. Rather you should avoid strictly meeting with them. They are not after preaching but material gain and reputation and adoration. Otherwise why they are non cooperating with me? So no cooperation is possible. Do not think or indulge in loose talks. Be careful always. Let us do the duty of propagation sincerely and seriously on our own principles. Krsna and Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura are our only hope and they and helping us. If anything thing has to be done it is to be talked on the higher level between Madhava Maharaja and myself, but I know his mentality is different and there is no possibility of cooperation."

SMASHED...ON ACCOUNT OF PERSONAL AMBITIONS

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Karandhara 10/8/74:
"In India some of the important members they have collected huge amounts in the name of the Society and spent it luxuriously. I wanted you all my experienced disciples should manage the whole institution very cleverly without any personal ambition like ordinary materialistic men. The Gaudiya Math institution has become smashed, at least stopped its program of preaching work on account of personal ambitions."

MY GODBROTHERS ARE CONCERNED WITH POLITICS

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Subala 10/15/74:
"My other godbrothers they are concerned with litigations, politics, and diplomacy, so what is the pracara? As far as I am concerned I have the blessings of my guru maharaj. I do not need anything else. That is how I went to your country, just to try to carry out his order. By his blessings it has come out successful."

THEY ARE NOT EVEN ORDINARY HUMAN BEING

Srila Prabhupada's Room Conversation with a Reporter in Johannesburg 10/16/75:
"Krsna sakti vina nahe krsna name pracara: 'Without Krsna's special power of attorney, nobody can preach His name.' Caitanya-caritamrta. So these rascals, Godbrothers, they are envious that... What he has written? Bon Maharaja. Just see what kind of men they are. They are not even ordinary human being. They are envious of me, and what to speak of make a judgment by estimation? They're envious. Enviousness is immediately disqualification of Vaisnava, immediate. He is not a human being. Paramo nirmatsaranam satam. This Bhagavatam is meant for the person who is completely not envious. That is the beginning. Why a Vaisnava should be envious for anyone? Everyone is working according to his karma. He is trying to rectify him, that 'Be out of these clutches of karma. You come to bhakti.' Why he should be envious? Vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca. A Vaisnava should be like ocean of mercy to reclaim the fallen souls. That is Vaisnava's qualification. So Vaisnava should be envious? Just see. So these persons, they are not even human being, what to speak of Vaisnava. Vaisnava cannot be envious. Vaisnava should be: 'Oh, my Lord's name is being broadcast. He is getting, giving so much service to make Krsna known.' That man has appreciated, that 'All these spiritual leaders, they are deriding. You are the only man... You are... It enthuses us, give us more encouragement, that you are keeping intact, love of Krsna.' This is an appreciation. Why he should be envious? He should be, rather, very much enthused that 'This single man is keeping Krsna all over the world.' And everyone is deriding. Even Gandhi is killing Krsna. Dr. Radhakrishnan is killing. Their only business is to kill Krsna. He is also doing that, our, this Bon Maharaja. He never speaks of Krsna. His rascal, that Institute of Indian Philosophy, nobody goes to [pass] urine there. We see practically. And our temple is always filled up, five hundred men. And he is trying for the last forty years. He is simply planning: 'This will be playground. This will be this ground. This will be this ground.' And it is becoming jungle. Still, he is so envious, black snake. So one circular letter should be issued to all our center, that 'Any Bon Maharaja or anyone, his representative, should not be received.' They are envious. Yes. Quoting that. We have got several complaints like that. Satsvarupa also complained. Sometimes our order was cancelled by Bon Maharaja's propaganda."

IN THE GAUDIYA MATH POLITICS IS STILL GOING ON

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Gurukrpa, 9/30/75:
"Why is there this politics? This is not good. If politics come, then the preaching will be stopped. That is the difficulty. As soon as politics come, everything is spoiled. In the Gaudiya Math the politics is still going on. My Guru Maharaja left in 1936, and now it is 1976, so after 40 years the litigation is still going on. Do not come to this."

PLEASE AVOID MY GODBROTHERS

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Visvakarma, 11/9/75:
"So I have now issued orders that all my disciples should avoid all of my godbrothers. They should not have any dealings with them nor even correspondence, nor should they give them any of my books or should they purchase any of their books, neither should you visit any of their temples. Please avoid them."

THEY ARE DRESSING LIKE VAISNAVA, AND THEY ARE SO ENVIOUS

Srila Prabhupada's Room Conversation in Bombay 1/8/77:
"There are similarly men also. Unnecessarily they are envious, offensive, unnecessary. They cannot tolerate others' opulence. Just like our Godbrothers. They are envious. What I have done to them? I am doing my business, trying to serve my Guru Maharaja. But they are envious because I am so opulent. I have got so much fame, so many influence, so much influence all over the world. Everyone is praising me about... That is ignorance. And this is regrettable because they are posing themselves as Vaisnava. Ordinary man can do that, but they are dressing like Vaisnava, and they are so envious. That Tirtha Maharaja, unnecessarily he was envious, whole life fighting, fighting, fighting in the court and died. Simply planning."

THESE PEOPLE ARE ENVIOUS

Srila Prabhupada's Room Conversation in Vrindaban 5/24/77:
"If somebody thinks, 'Oh, here is a snake with jewel. Let me embrace him, no, no, no, it is very ferocious. Even it is jewel there, it is ferocious. Similarly, these people are envious. Although they have become so-called Vaisnava, they are ferocious. They have not acquired the qualification of Vaisnava. Simply vesopidin(?), by dress."

"[Krishna consciousness] is simple for the simple, but it is very hard for the crooked." (Initiation lecture by Srila Prabhupada, Boston 12/26/69)

The "simple" disciple of Srila Prabhupada will simply follow his or her spiritual master's instructions, and refuse to associate with any of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers or godnephews. The "crooked" disciple, on the other hand, finds so many excuses to try and rationalize such forbidden association.

Your servant, Pratyatosa Dasa