Who is Visnujana Swami?

[Guest guest]

????

[gHari 0]

This early disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada shared his enthusiasm with many devotees throughout the early years. His kirtanas were famous and are preserved for us here: Powerful Hari Nama

 

Mystery surrounds his disappearance from this world in the mid-seventies. He was very close to Srila Prabhupada.

[Guest guest]

Mystery surrounds his disappearance from this world in the mid-seventies.

 

 

 

Visnujana disappeared from ISKCON, not from "this world." A few devotees close to his family are aware of what he did, and where he went, after Tamal Krishna's vicious politicking pressured him to leave ISKCON.

 

 

 

As of early 1999, Visnujana was said to be alive and well and living under an assumed name, far away from institutional ISKCON.

[gHari 0]

 

I am Visnujana Swami. Now it's out in the open for the world to see. I feel somehow relieved after all these years.

 

[Guest guest]

I think you should keep your secret, gHari, because they are stiill out there. Thanks for all you have done for me, bro, remember when yer car broke down, and that wild hipster stopped in the middle of the freeway to give you a ride? That was me. I was late for work, but the extra miles I drove to get you to the old woodland drive - laguna temple was well worth it.

 

My favorite picture of you is the one in front of Subhadras Cart, Prabhupada looking so lovingly at you and other disappeared devotees, Sudama and Bahudaka. You three were the best song and dance men of the whole movement. Thank you for teaching me about the fact that there is no difference between disappearance and appearance when it comes to the glorious Vaisnava, because such sweet understanding is nothing other than Dhruva Maharaja utilizing the head of Death to step up into your eternal vehicle going to SAMKIRTANA, Subhadras Cart. Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[gHari 0]

 

And still you are here by my side.

 

Indeed, dancing in front of Lady Subhadra is where I belong. It's where I'll always be.

 

[Guest guest]

Many Photos here

 

 

 

http://www.vishnujana.com/

 

http://www.vishnujana.com/2.htm

[Guest guest]

tears and tears, but not cold ones of sadness at loss, rather warm ones knowing that Srila Prabhupada successfully made devotees of Krsna all over the world.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[Guest guest]

Is GHari really Visnujana Swami????

[Guest guest]

All Glories to Visnujana Swami!

[Guest guest]

Can you post something to substantiate the claims you've made?

[Guest guest]

Now its time to "Tell the Truth"!

Will the real Visnujana Swami Please stand up!

Dorothy Kilgalan: Oh no! It's number one.

Number 2, What is your real name and what do you do?

Number 2: "My name is Advaita and I am an impersonalist."

Number 3, What is your real name and what do you do?

Number 3, "My name is Bhakta Rich and I blooped in 1976...from the Radha Damodara Pary".

[Guest guest]

If Visnujana Swami Maharaja is indeed still in this world, how did this all transpire? Where di the rumors come from that he is indeed still alive? What are the facts behind his disappearence? What is this politicking against him? I'm unaware of all of this. From everything I've seen he was saintly. How could this happen to him?

[Guest guest]

The devotee previously known as Revatianandana Swami and usually known as Shambu is Visnujana Swami's first cousin. He told me in 1979 that as of that time no one in their family had heard from Visnujana and they asumed that he was deceased. I asked him again about 1983 and he said that they still had heard nothing. It would be quite difficult to go underground and remain a Gaudiya Vaisnava and not at least run into somebody from ISKCON, Gaudiya Maths or Babaji's etc. The Gaudiya world is rather small and there are ex-ISKCON members from Srila Prabhupada's time dispersed throughout all the camps. Somebody would recognize him. I just find it hard to believe that he is still around on this planet.

[gHari 0]

 

I am not Visnujana Swami.

 

Or am I?

 

[stonehearted 0]

I think someone asked Shambhu about Visnujana in the last couple of years, and as far as he knows, Maharaja is no longer among us. I do remember hearing in the late '80s, though, that someone was said to have spotted him at the Govinda's Restaurant in the North Park area of San Diego. I don't remember who made that claim, and it was certainly never confirmed.

[Kulapavana 0]

yes, people run into Elvis from time to time as well /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

for me, the real question is WHY? was this a reaction to an internal turmoil (his own "fall down" as a sannyasi), or was it a depression caused (or greatly influenced) by the politics and pressures from Iskcon's top elite? or both?

[Guest guest]

Vishnujana taught me how to drive a bus...on Venice Blvd during rush hour! He made Krishna consciousness alive and exciting. I'm very privilaged to have gotten his association.

Why he left? Maybe he saw what was comming down the road.

See vishnujana.com for more nectar.

[Guest guest]

Vishnujana Maharaja played the mrdanga in a very unique and non-traditional way. His mrdanga playing was as sweet as his chanting and made everyone dance. There was one devotee who was junior to him, Vishnu datta Prabhu who learned Maharaja's style. Many others tried but no one else could do it.

[suchandra 1]

 

If Visnujana Swami Maharaja is indeed still in this world, how did this all transpire? Where di the rumors come from that he is indeed still alive? What are the facts behind his disappearence? What is this politicking against him? I'm unaware of all of this. From everything I've seen he was saintly. How could this happen to him?

 

"Visnujana's Disappearance"

This is the story of Visnujana Swami's disappearance from this material world, back to Godhead. I have talked to witnesses that heard and saw some of the things that led up to Visnujana's alleged suicide. Visnujana Maharaja was a very advanced sanyasi and he enlivened living entities moving and non-moving all over America and beyond. Before Visnujana joined the Hare Krishna Movement back in the 60's he had separated from his wife and daughter. He talked to them at the 1975 San Francisco Rathayatra for about an hour. Visnujana heard that it was considered a 'falldown' for him to talk to his ex-wife since he was a sanyasi. Although I'm sure Visnujana was pure in his intentions; he still felt guilty as charged. This bothered him for quite some time. He came to India for the 1976 Goura-pournima festival. Visnujana Swami approached Srila Prabhupada who was walking on his rooftop and asked him what a sanyasi should do if he 'falls down'. Srila Prabhupada answered that like Chota Haridas he should commit suicide. There were quite a few devotees crowded around Srila Prabhupada as he walked. Srila Prabhupada hesitated for a moment and continued; but in this age the atonement is to just re-engage in devotional service. Visnujana Swami didn't hear this part. He thought Srila Prabhupada had already answered his question and he faded to the back of the crowd. That night Visnujana disappeared. He went to where Chota Haridas, from Chaitanya lila, committed suicide at Prayag and paid a few sadhus to help him with the ultimate sacrifice. They chanted special mantras so that he would not talk a 'ghost body.' Then rocks were tied to his cloth and he jumped off the boat into the Holy Waters. The Sadhus went to the New Delhi temple and told them about the 'white sanyasi' and what had happened. As the news spread around the world we were/are all deeply saddened by the event.

 

"Srila Prabhupada's Reaction"

Srila Prabhupada was sitting in his new quarters in Bombay when Tamal Krsna Maharaja entered. He began to tell Srila Prabhupada about the disappearance of Visnujana Maharaja. TKG said that Visnujana had not applied for a new passport to leave India and he was sure the 'white sanyasi' that the sadhus who went to the Delhi temple, talked about was Visnujana Maharaja. At this point Srila Prabhupada appeared to weep. He turned his head and gazed out the window. He said, "He did not have to do that". TKG asked if Srila Prabhupada knew where Visnujana was. Srila Prabhupada said, "Visnujana was very advanced; he's still chanting Hare Krishna. He's very advanced"! It was obvious that Srila Prabhupada did not want to talk about it anymore as he tearfully gazed out the window. About two weeks later Srila Prabhupada told us that Visnujana was chanting to him in his dreams. (Just like Chota Haridas who chanted for Lord Chaitanya.) I felt good hearing this from Srila Prabhupada. Later I also had a dream about Visnujana. I was following him up a mountain trail when he stopped and turned to me and told me to wait. He said I was not ready to go yet. I stood and watched as my first spiritual mentor disappeared up the trail like Maharaja Yudthistira.

For Visnujana; Jayananda and then Srila Prabhupada to leave the planet was a great loss for all of us. We can only remember their great pastimes and gain inspiration from that. Hopefully when it's time we'll be fortunate enough to join them again.

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and all of his devotees!

 

[Vanguard 0]

I heard he's in a secret vacation house and he makes prasadam for Elvis Presley and the Shah of Iran every day without fail.

 

Wherever he is, I hope Krsna keeps him close.

[nimbo pani 0]

Thankyou Suchandra prabhu. This account of his disappearance is exactly as I had remembered it. Ironically, I had the good fortune of his association just a month or two before he left for Mayapura. He was in the U.S. at the time. The Radha Damodara busses were doing heavy book distribution, and Maharaja would often stay back and serve the book distributors by being "on call" at the telephone, whenever any devotees were in "maya" or simply needing encouragement. (He would also cook a daily feast for them, for when they returned in the evening.) I recall one instance when the phone rang for Maharaja, and he promptly brought his harmonium to the phone and began to sing an absolutely beautiful bhajana (I think it was "Chintamani") over the phone, which could be heard throughout the Temple. About 9 or 10 years later, I mentioned this to a devotee who used to be on that party, (Damodara dasa), and we were both amazed, as he said that it was he who had phoned Maharaja and became enlivened upon hearing that sweet bhajana over the phone.

 

What a great soul Vishnujana Maharaja was. I mean, how many of us would actually consider, let alone, commit suicide over a falldown. And a relatively minor falldown at that (simply speaking for 1 hour with his ex-wife, which was forbidden being that he was a sannyasi.) I have other sweet memories of Maharaja, as he was the first sannyasi I met when I joined the Movement. He was genuinely advanced. One could feel the ecstasy when he performed harinama on the streets, on college campuses, (with Hasyagrami and MahaMantra prabhus), as well as his blissful kirtans in the Temples.

 

A special, special devotee.

[Guest guest]

<i>TKG said that Visnujana had not applied for a new passport to leave India and he was sure the 'white sanyasi' that the sadhus who went to the Delhi temple, talked about was Visnujana Maharaja.</i>

 

<p>This doesn't make sense. Think about it: Surely, Vishnujana would not have decided to commit suicide until <b>after</b> hearing the first part of Prabhupada's answer.

 

<p>Yet, if you consider the relatively short timeline involved, Tamal's statement (if true) would indicate that Vishnujana must have <b>already</b> decided to disappear <b>before</b> hearing Prabhupada's answer.

 

<p>This story would seem to lend credence either to the idea that Vishnujana had already decided to break with ISKCON and assume a new identity, or to the idea that Tamal knew more about the disappearance than he was letting on.

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

I find it odd that a westerner who didn't know Hindi would be able to tell some brahmana pandits that he planned to drown himself in the Ganga, that they should help him, and that they should chant mantras while he did it. No one would go along with that. Even today, with English much more prominent in India, I believe this would likely be impossible.

[suchandra 1]

 

I find it odd that a westerner who didn't know Hindi would be able to tell some brahmana pandits that he planned to drown himself in the Ganga, that they should help him, and that they should chant mantras while he did it. No one would go along with that. Even today, with English much more prominent in India, I believe this would likely be impossible.

This story how Srila Prabhupada didnt want to hear more details cant be true either. When a sannyasi would ask what to do when fallen down, Srila Prabhupada wouldnt have him left without listening to everything what he said: "re-engage in devotional service is enough for atonement". Btw, did they leave Visnujana's body in the Ganga? Is this possible, that those sadhus left a dead body of a devotee in the Ganga?