Tamal Krsna Goswami Passed Away

[makhanmisri 0]

All glories to Srila Tamala Krsna Gosvami Maharaja!

 

Dandavats, vaishnavas.

 

Jaya 108 nitya-lila-pravista Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!

Jaya 108 nitya-lila-pravista Sri Srimat Tamala Krsna Gosvami Maharaja Gurudeva!

 

I thought of Mayapura shortly after hearing of the accident, and the following line by the Braj poet Suradasa came to mind (he sang in the voice of the gopis who so acutely

felt Krsna's absence): binu gopala bairini bhai kunjai--i.e., "Without Gopala, even the forest of Vrndavana has now become our enemy."

 

I feel like we've lost at least three-fourths of ISKCON itself, though maybe not everyone will see why. What's undeniable is that ISKCON from now on will never be quite the same; we can only hope that things get better than worse. To vouchsafe the former, we will all have to work as hard as Tamala Krsna Maharaja would push us if he were personally still giving his inimitable directions. However, none of us can ever really replace H.H. Tamala Krsna Gosvami, and frankly I'm not sure even all of us together can do so either.

 

I don't know anyone whom Srila Prabhupada trusted as much as Tamala Krsna Gosvami Maharaja, nor anyone else who was so closely associated, and so often associated, with Srila Prabhupada. His followers may rightly feel lost now without the personal guidance of such a fitting master, someone from whom even so many GBCs and other senior devotees regularly sought guidance themselves. H.H. Rtadhvaja Maharaja, who several years ago literally moved into Tamala Krsna Gosvami's hospital room while the latter underwent major surgery, and served Gosvami maharaja menially, round the clock--like Isvarapuri served his guru Madhavendrapuri, even though he is a godbrother. He told me that he experienced that many times a week various GBCs and sannyasis would always call up Tamala Krsna Gosvami to find out what Srila Prabhupada did in this or that circumstance, or what his Divine grace's policy was on this or that issue. Of all of these great souls, only Tamala Krsna Gosvami knew such things beyond doubt. Perhaps this gives some idea of the lacuna we now have.

 

However, this painful occurance repeats itself with every generation. For those who similarly felt like they had lost the captain of their ship, or their "guru-karnadhara" (Bhagavata, 11.20.17), Srila Prabhupada said this, upon his own guru's disappearance in 1936 (SSR chapter 2):

 

"Gentlemen, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this evening to the acaryadeva is not a sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva, or acaryadeva, we speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any question of discriminating my guru from yours or anyone else's. There is only one

guru, who appears in an infinity of forms to teach you, me, and all others."

 

". . . The Vedas enjoin us to seek out a guru; actually, they say to seek out the guru, not just a guru. The guru is one because he comes in disciplic succession. What Vyasadeva and Krsna taught five thousand years ago is also being taught now. There is no difference between the two

instructions. Although hundreds and thousands of acaryas have come and

gone, the message is one. The real guru cannot be two, for the real guru does

not speak differently from his predecessors. . . . The guru may be this person or that, but the message is the same; therefore it is said that guru is one."

 

Actually, any and all gurus merely represent Krsna, who appears in some form whenever there is a decline in religion or a rise in irreligion. As Krsna says in Gita (4.11, 10.10, etc.), He always helps those who seek Him, one way or another (cf. Srimad Bhagavatam 11.26.32). Those who have been

scrupulous enough to assimilate the teachings of Srila Prabhupada's books and

their instructions received from Srila Tamala Krsna Gosvami, now have to utilize this god-given discrimination in order to recognize the further guidance they receive from his Divine grace, even though it may come through any potential number of

diverse agents. An example of this principle has been given regarding

Aurobindo Ghosh, the erstwhile freedom fighter and mystic. Aurobindo used to

write inflammatory political essays in Calcutta during India's independence

struggle, which resulted in his being arrested and eventually forced

underground. However, he continued writing under so many pen names, though

his followers (and even the British) could nevertheless understand from

the content and style of these articles that it was none other than Aurobindo writing them. His audience had internalized his message to that extent. So it is with the disciples in the physical absence of their

bonafide guru.

 

I've recently heard many realizations regarding this tragedy, from senior devotees and admirers of H.H. Tamala Krsna Gosvami. Such atma-tattva can help those suffering the tremendous pain of separation from their guru. I was recently in Houston, where most of the devotees are H.H. Tamala Krsna Gosvami's disciples. There, H.H. Rtadhvaja Maharaja, Gosvami Maharaja's godbrother and intimate associate, related this personal experience. At a Houston temple program shortly after the news broke, a guest who had never even been to the temple before

asked why everyone was crying. Maharaja explained to him that we had all just lost one of the greatest devotees of Srila Prabhupada, one whose preaching made many other senior devotees and who was very, very dear to Srila Prabhupada--one of his most dependable servants. The boy then told

Maharaja, "We should actually all be joyous, because now, while dutifully serving, he has gloriously gone on to the supreme goal, beyond all suffering." Maharaja said he felt this was the voice of guru-vani.

 

Those who were in touch with Tamala Krsna Gosvami in recent times know that he also encouraged his many, many disciples to take shelter of other siksa-gurus who inspired them, almost as if he knew he was leaving

soon (which in fact something he said he felt, even several years ago). Those who

faithfully represent him are another way by which his vani is still available.

 

Here are some statements from Srila Prabhupada that may also help ease some of the separation H.H. Tamala Krsna Gosvami's disciples are now feeling:

 

Letter to: Uddhava

Los Angeles

5 March, 1968

68-03-05

 

My Dear Uddhava,

Please accept my blessings. I am just in receipt of your letter forwarded

from New York. Please be happy in separation. I am separated from my Guru

Maharaja since 1936 but I am always with him so long I work according to his direction. So we should all work together for satisfying Lord Krishna and in that way the feeling of separation will transform into

transcendental bliss. . . .

 

Your ever well wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

 

Letter to: Syamasundara

Los Angeles

19 July, 1970

70-07-19

 

"So let us meet by Sankirtana. I also do not feel separation from my Guru Maharaja. When I am engaged in His service His pictures give me sufficient strength. To serve the Spiritual Master's word is more important than to serve him physically. Please try to open as many branches as possible in European countries."

 

Your ever well wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

Similarly, this was said on a morning walk (on July 21, 1975) in San Francisco:

 

Narayana: "Guru-krpa only comes by pleasing the spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada?"

Prabhupada: "Otherwise how?"

Narayana: "Excuse me?"

Prabhupada: "Otherwise how it can come?"

Narayana: "So those disciples who don't have opportunity to see you or speak with you..."

Prabhupada: "That he was speaking, vani and vapu. Even if you don't see his body, you take his word, vani."

Narayana: "But how do they know they're pleasing you, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: "If you actually follow the words of guru, that means he is pleased. And if you do not follow, how he can be pleased?"

Sudama: "Not only that, but your mercy is spread everywhere, and if we take advantage, you told us once, then we will feel the result."

Prabhupada: "Yes."

Jayadvaita: "And if we have faith in what the guru says, then automatically we'll do that."

Prabhupada: "Yes. My Guru Maharaja passed in 1936, and I started this movement in 1965, thirty years after. Then? I am getting the mercy of guru. This is vani. Even the guru is not physically present, if you follow the vani, then you are getting help."

Sudama: "So there's no question of ever separation as long as the disciple follows the instruction of guru."

Prabhupada: "No. Cakhu-dan dilo jei... What is that, next one?"

Sudama: "Cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei."

Prabhupada: "Janme janme prabhu sei. So where there is separation? Who has opened your eyes, he is birth after birth your prabhu."

 

These quotes seem fairly representative of Srila Prabhupada's position on this topic.

Actually, I can't find any references in which Srila Prabhupada expresses separation from his guru maharaja. Vani-seva is an eternal connection. Another dear godbrother of Tamala Krsna Gosvami, H.H. Hrdayananda Gosvami, wrote the following purport (Bhagavatam 11.18.39):

". . . A devotee who has been blessed by his guru with spiritual

knowledge becomes qualified to directly engage in the mission of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead. Srila Prabhupada always emphasized that service to the spiritual master in separation, pushing on the mission of the guru, is the highest form of devotional service. The word paricaret in this verse indicates waiting upon one's master by rendering personal service. In

other words, one who has not clearly realized the teachings of his spiritual master should remain very close to the guru to avoid falling down into illusion, but one who has acquired realized knowledge by the

mercy of his spiritual master may expand the spiritual master's mission by traveling around the world to preach Krsna consciousness."

 

Those who knew H.H. Tamala Krsna Gosvami also know that this absorption in the mission of Srila Prabhupada is definitely what he would now expect, or even demand, of his followers. I remember that after Srila Prabhupada's physical demise in 1977, H.H. Tamala Krsna Gosvami immediately focused his

entire attention (and any of Tamala Krsna Gosvami's attention was always considerable) on helping the devotees of ISKCON and on his own responsibility to it as one of Srila Prabhupada's foremost representatives; this spirit is reflected in his 1978 Vyasa-puja homage to Srila Prabhupada, which is well worth reading.

 

I regret that because of also being his godbrother, Tamala Krsna Gosvami's depth and glory was never before so clear to me, as it is now that we are all forced to compare others to him. As they say, we too rarely appreciate what we have until it's gone. Recognition of this misfortune really stings now.

 

Unbelievable determination and ambition were two major characteristics of Tamala Krsna Gosvami; he was simply never content with anything less than superexcellence. In

Houston recently, H.H. Guruprasada Maharaja also emphasized the point that as determined leadership was one of Tamala Krsna Gosvami's

hallmarks, it is only meet that those who follow him will emulate that qualification along with all his others. He added that Krsna will arrange to bring about such full surrender in all of us.

 

H.H. Guruprasada Maharaja also appreciated that--as Srila Prabhupada said about Krsna consciousness itself--H.H. Tamala Krsna Gosvami could often be "too hot to bear, yet too sweet to resist." He was nothing if

not a controller; however, he was never inconsiderate, nor incompetent, nor was he irresponsible. In his own unique and inscrutably contradictory way, he was also profoundly humble and amazingly sensitive, though it took me decades to appreciate this. The following verse depicts him perfectly (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 7.73):

 

"The hearts of those above the common people are sometimes harder than a thunderbolt and sometimes softer than a flower. What controller can accommodate such contradictions?"

 

Like Srila Prabhupada--perhaps even because of Srila Prabhupada--Tamala Krsna Gosvami was unquestionably intense. However, a selfless, compassionate, powerful, and in general, genuinely qualified authority are always needed (if not always appreciated) in this world; Tamala Krsna Gosvami was one of these rare souls. Those who would now

follow in his footsteps have a lot of work to do. However, with his vani, they also have the means to do it (Bhagavata 10.2.31):

 

"O Lord, who resemble the shining sun, You are always ready to fulfill the desire of Your devotee, and therefore You are known as a desire tree [vancha-kalpataru]. When acaryas completely take shelter under Your

lotus feet in order to cross the fierce ocean of nescience, they leave behind

on earth the method by which they cross, and because You are very merciful to Your other devotees, You accept this method to help them."

 

There are personal memories and many offerings of praise and appreciation by various devotees, available through:

 

http://www.mayapur.info/remembrance_letters.html

http://www.chakra.org/mainpages/obituaries/tkg.htm

 

http://www.goswami.com/

 

Hare Krsna.

 

His holiness Srila Tamala Krsna Gosvami Maharaja Gurudeva ki jaya!

 

Your humble servant,

 

MDd