07/31/98 - 1946

Srila Prabhupada, a Vishnu Bhakta?

USA (VNN) - by Devarsirat das

Dear assembled Vaisnavas. Dandavats. Sri Sri Guru Gouranga jayatah.

I would like to help dispel a further widespread great misunderstanding in regard to Srila Narayana Maharaja apparently saying, that Srila Prabhupada was only a Visnu Bhakta. Recently Puranjana das asked the question if this was just another rumor, meant to character assassinate yet another vaisnava. I send him the following relevant excerpt from the lecture with Srila Narayana Maharaja's actual words. Unfortunately Puranjana Prabhu did not add this letter to his mail-shots, something I had hoped for. As this is just one of the rumors some persons are using to preach against Srila Narayana Maharaja I feel the need to clarify on this, because nothing is as harmful to a devotees spiritual life, then offenses against a pure devotee of the Lord.

In His lecture Srila Narayana Maharaja makes the point, that Lord Caitanya came to give manjari bhava to all the conditioned spirit souls. That He preached all over India and spread Harinama is secondary. That is the purpose of the Yuga avatar, and even if Mahaprabhu had not come personally (He only comes once in a day of Lord Brahma) then He would have done all these things anyway in the form of Visnu as the Yuga Avatar as He does in every Kali-yuga. However, Mahaprabhu's specialty is something very rare and precious.

Therefore, to only give stress and importance to the preaching activities of Srila Prabhupada, who, as a rupanuga Vaisnava is actually empowered to give madhurya rasa in manjari-bhava, is to imply that he is nothing more than a Visnu bhakta.

This is the actual lecture:

"When Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to this world He is same as Krsna. Svayam Bhagavan comes Vrajendranandana, Syamasundar comes in this world...Ramacandra, Dvarakadish Krsna, Mathuresa Krsna, even Narayana, even Karanodakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi and Ksirodakasayi...says...all are fractions of Krsna comes in Vrajendranandana Syamasundara Krsna. And Syamasundara Himself is Krsna...Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Not only Krsna...but whole Krsna...Vrajendranandana with Srimati Radhika combined...is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So, He is also special to Radhika and Krsna also when He becomes all fractions - Mathuresa Krsna, Dvarakesa Krsna, Narayana, Baladeva prabhu, Tripurusavatara, Karana-dakasayi, Garbhodakasayi Ksirodakasayi, Sadasiva, all the Mahavisnus...all will be in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Krsnadas Kaviraja Gosvami also explaining also that when Krsna was in Vrindavana, He killed Putana, Aghasura, Bakasura, Kamsa and all other demons. Krsna did not kill them. Who killed? Visnu killed...actually...Krsna only tasted rasa and from birth up to lila He stayed in Vrindavana...Vraja, in Radha Kunda, Shyama Kunda, Nandagram, Varsana...all everything. Krsna actually did. But all the demons were killed by not Krsna Himself...but by Mahavisnu, Garbhodakasayi, or Ksirodakasayi Visnu.

When Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to this world, He defeated Kesava Kashmiri...very strange thing. He was a very kisora bala...reading and teaching only vyakarana sastra...and He defeated the world famous Kesava Kashmiri. He was conquering whole world...and whole Navadvipa...and whole world coming to know this.

So they were all fearing from that Kesava Kashmiri and sent this little boy reading and teaching Vyakarana...and Mahaprabhu...no moment...at once defeated him. He could not speak one word. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also defeated Savabhauma Bhattacarya who was best learned person in the whole world at that time. He used to give...to sannyasi...what to speak of new persons. And he told Caitanya Mahaprabhu..."I will give you another sannyasa...but better quality of sannyasa name Bharati, Puri, Aranya, Giri, all these best qualities of sannyasa. But he was also defeated in a moment. So strange. He also defeated Prakasananda Sarasvati with sixteen thousand of his disciples. Again he went to South India and He instructed kusvyadi...leprosy person...Vasudeva and made him like devata...demigod...like Indra and all others...Very beautiful. He went to Puri and looked everywhere and preached the name everywhere. This is certainly a very strange fact. But who did it? Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself? Radha and Krsna jugal? Or anyone else did it. Who did? Mahavisnu did all these things. Understand?

This is not the real business of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You should understand this. His business was rasa-niryasa...and to give some sprinkles to all others. Not these...all other strange things. These are of Mahavisnu, because He is avatara. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is not yugavatara. But why He did? Because worldly persons, general persons, those who are not rasika Vaisnavas, they don't know tattva, they have not gone to association with any Vaisnava...they think that this is a very good thing. To preach whole world...the name of Krsna...and to give Gita sandesha...is the whole thing. This was done by...you should know. So I want to say that your Prabhupada has given these things...only these things...and not beyond these things. Then he was only the servant of Mahavisnu, not of Krsna.

A strange thing...fact...but for them who are ignorant. But those who are wise and have done initiation from any rasika vaisnava, bhava bhakta of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who like Raya Ramananda, like Svarupa Damodara, like Rupa Gosvami, like Raghunatha Gosvami, and their generations up to Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada and my Gurudeva. Those who have given their heart to them and have realized anything...very little...they can realize these things. Sometimes in ISKCON, or other places, I want to tell the whole world...our ISKCON leaders...that your Prabhupada has come from them, from Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And he has come to give the same thing what Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to give."

So there you have it. Never listen to bad mouthing and the like, as we take on these things we become conterminated And our spiritual life will suffer as a result.

Your servant Devarsirat das
p.w.w@diamond.co.uk