In 1973, I was staying in Mayapur. Srila Prabhupada came there with his secretary and a small group of devotees. Somehow, one of his disciples, a Sanskrit editor, decided to go to the Chaitanya Math to discuss something with the pandits there. It was an innocent mistake, as it turned out, because he felt that he needed some further understanding of Bengali language to round out his service as an editor. I was not part of the subsequent meeting with His Divine Grace, but heard it second-hand from the devotees who were present. Srila Prabhupada was extremely upset about his meeting with the local Gaudiya Math Godbrothers. For 45 minutes, Srila Prabhupada chastised this disciple very heavily. The description of that meeting and the tense mood was like a bomb had gone off. It was not often that Srila Prabhupada became angry, but this was one of those times. I was not inclined to visit the local temples, except during Parikrama, but I vowed I would never even dream of going there on my own, what to speak of taking initiation from any of Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrothers. I’m sure there are readers of this website who have similar stories of Srila Prabhupada’s disapproval of association with his Godbrothers. For those who weren’t present when His Divine Grace was manifest, there were times of very heavy chastisement meant to guide and protect us from danger. The danger in this case was that his Godbrothers were envious, and took every opportunity to minimize the importance of their Godbrother, Srila Prabhupada. He didn’t want us to be subjected to their criticism of ISKCON, and took it upon himself to warn us in no uncertain terms that we were never to go to any of his Godbrother’s temples for any reason whatsoever. Of course, there were times when His Divine Grace visited the temple of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and with the attendance of His Divine Grace, we all visited his Math. But, to visit on one’s own initiative was strictly forbidden. Now, so many years later, if someone says that things are different now, that it’s ok to go and associate with any of Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrothers, take initiation, live there, and still consider themselves a follower of Srila Prabhupada, what can I say. I just wouldn’t want to be in the room when His Divine Grace learned that we had disobeyed his order not to go there.
Please accept my humble obeisances. I am in due receipt of your letter dated on November 24, 1970. Perhaps you are my only Godbrother who has appreciated my humble service to the cause of Guru Gauranga. All my other Godbrothers are very much envious, as I can understand from their behavior.
In your letter dated November 10, 1970, you have written to say that I should inaugurate the installation ceremony. So I am very much obliged to you for your kind invitation, and my program will be as follows: Tomorrow I am going to Indore; from Indore I shall come to Surat. From there I shall go
to Gorakpur. From Gorakpur I shall go to Allahabad, and most probably from Allahabad I may go to Vrndavana.
So far as Mayapur is concerned, I do not think I shall be able to attend the Gaura Jayanti celebrations at there. The reason is that I have no place on my own, and certainly there will be too much crowd during the occasion. Therefore, I want to avoid this occasion. Sometimes after we may visit.
I shall go to your place from Vrndavana or from Allahabad, and we have to arrange in that way. We are thirty men and women all together. Whether you want us all to visit? Perhaps if we go from Vrindaban we shall have to take advantages of the Grand Trunk Express. Of course there is sufficient time now, and I shall be in regular correspondence with you on my tour, but I accept to visit all the places mentioned by you when I go by that side.
In 1973, I was staying in Mayapur. Srila Prabhupada came there with his secretary and a small group of devotees. Somehow, one of his disciples, a Sanskrit editor, decided to go to the Chaitanya Math to discuss something with the pandits there. It was an innocent mistake, as it turned out, because he felt that he needed some further understanding of Bengali language to round out his service as an editor. I was not part of the subsequent meeting with His Divine Grace, but heard it second-hand from the devotees who were present. Srila Prabhupada was extremely upset about his meeting with the local Gaudiya Math Godbrothers. For 45 minutes, Srila Prabhupada chastised this disciple very heavily. The description of that meeting and the tense mood was like a bomb had gone off. It was not often that Srila Prabhupada became angry, but this was one of those times. I was not inclined to visit the local temples, except during Parikrama, but I vowed I would never even dream of going there on my own, what to speak of taking initiation from any of Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrothers. I’m sure there are readers of this website who have similar stories of Srila Prabhupada’s disapproval of association with his Godbrothers. For those who weren’t present when His Divine Grace was manifest, there were times of very heavy chastisement meant to guide and protect us from danger. The danger in this case was that his Godbrothers were envious, and took every opportunity to minimize the importance of their Godbrother, Srila Prabhupada. He didn’t want us to be subjected to their criticism of ISKCON, and took it upon himself to warn us in no uncertain terms that we were never to go to any of his Godbrother’s temples for any reason whatsoever. Of course, there were times when His Divine Grace visited the temple of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and with the attendance of His Divine Grace, we all visited his Math. But, to visit on one’s own initiative was strictly forbidden. Now, so many years later, if someone says that things are different now, that it’s ok to go and associate with any of Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrothers, take initiation, live there, and still consider themselves a follower of Srila Prabhupada, what can I say. I just wouldn’t want to be in the room when His Divine Grace learned that we had disobeyed his order not to go there.
Bombay
2 December, 1970
70-12-02
My Dear Puri Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. I am in due receipt of your letter dated on November 24, 1970. Perhaps you are my only Godbrother who has appreciated my humble service to the cause of Guru Gauranga. All my other Godbrothers are very much envious, as I can understand from their behavior.
In your letter dated November 10, 1970, you have written to say that I should inaugurate the installation ceremony. So I am very much obliged to you for your kind invitation, and my program will be as follows: Tomorrow I am going to Indore; from Indore I shall come to Surat. From there I shall go
to Gorakpur. From Gorakpur I shall go to Allahabad, and most probably from Allahabad I may go to Vrndavana.
So far as Mayapur is concerned, I do not think I shall be able to attend the Gaura Jayanti celebrations at there. The reason is that I have no place on my own, and certainly there will be too much crowd during the occasion. Therefore, I want to avoid this occasion. Sometimes after we may visit.
I shall go to your place from Vrndavana or from Allahabad, and we have to arrange in that way. We are thirty men and women all together. Whether you want us all to visit? Perhaps if we go from Vrindaban we shall have to take advantages of the Grand Trunk Express. Of course there is sufficient time now, and I shall be in regular correspondence with you on my tour, but I accept to visit all the places mentioned by you when I go by that side.
Hope this will meet you in good health.
Yours affectionately,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami