All Glories to His Holiness Tamal Krishna Gosvami

[Guest guest]

"He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die

When thou art living still in sound!

The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try

To spread the holy name around!"

 

- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

 

Please accept my humble obeisances.

 

To say that the recent tragic events of March 15-16th were shocking

is an understatement. A great Vaishnava has permanently left our

association, after decades of steady service to Srila Prabhupada and

Sri-Sri Radha-Krishna. I can appreciate that many of us are

speechless, unable to find proper words to fully grasp this event.

While many of us find comfort that His Holiness Tamal Krishna

Gosvami is reunited with Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna, the

pangs of separation are undeniably real and powerful.

 

I myself never had much association with His Holiness. I took

instruction from him on exactly two separate occasions. The most

important one that I remembered, was that I should always read the

Krishna book for at least 15 minutes (if not more) before I go to

sleep every night. For some reason, I find myself treasuring those

precious few instructions, and that prescription in particular.

 

On another occasion (December 1998), His Holiness Tamal Krishna

Gosvami, accompanied by two other senior ISKCON devotees, actually

came to my parents' house and spoke before a gathering of devotees

and Indian Hindus. I remember that on his way out of our house,

after delivering a discourse meant to refute many scholarly

misconceptions about the Vedas, he smiled at me and offered some

sort of praise of me before my parents. I was definitely unworthy of

it then, as I am now. I am sure he must have known this, too. But I

couldn't help but appreciate his gentle, fatherly nature, a side of

him I had seen so rarely compared to his usually grave and serious

demeanor.

 

I remember him offering similar praise of me on another occasion in

1995, when I had the opportunity to help serve him lunch in the home

of some Dallas ISKCON devotees. Actually, I had this opportunity on

two different occasions, in two different homes in the ISKCON Dallas

community. The first time was when I was a freshman in medical

school. At that time, I did not even think for a moment that he was

paying attention to me, and I was quite content to be meek and

unnoticed. Yet Srila Gurudeva called me out of the kitchen, quite

spontaneously, and demanded very gravely that I go to Kalachandji's

restaurant and make him a salad. My heart skipped a beat when my

mind registered the request. I did as I was requested, very

nervously and hoping it would satisfy him. In fact, I didn't do a

very good job of it. But after the lunch, His Holiness smiled and

thanked me for serving him. I had no idea what to say, still being

nervous and rather more aware of my insignificance at that point, so

I responded by thanking him for allowing me to serve him. Then he

smiled and again praised me for my "humility," which I knew to be

completely false. He must have known that too, and must have

realized that I was too immature to take the chastisement that I

probably deserved.

 

I saw another example of his gentle, Vaishanva mood when I again had

the opportunity to serve him lunch. This time, it was in the home of

a Tamil disciple, who was well known in the community for her

excellent cooking. As befitting her talents, she prepared a multi-

course feast for H.H. Tamal Krishna Gosvami and his disciples who

were eating there that day. One of the disciples was sick, as it

turned out, and so His Holiness began instructing him on which of

the delicious prasaadam dishes he should not eat (based on Ayurvedic

principles, I assumed). Then His Holiness said that because his

disciple could not eat those dishes, that therefore he too would

abstain from eating those particular dishes, tasty though they were.

 

Yet despite his gentle dealings with disciples, he could be grave

and stern as well. When he lectured at a Sunday class or

congregational member's home program, it was with the utmost

seriousness and sincerity. His manner spoke of integrity, in all

aspects of his daily life. When he attended undergraduate classes in

SMU, he refused to wear karmi clothes. He kept his saffron sannyaasi

robes instead, and did so quite naturally, all the while teaching us

by his own personal example. Not only that, but he brought his

university professors with him back to the temple, showing them

Krishna-consciousness As It Is. His gravity always prevailed when he

had to cut through impersonalist misconceptions like a hot knife

through butter. But with that gravity, His Holiness also displayed

integrity, erudition, compassion, and a host of other Vaishnava

qualities too numerous to mention.

 

I am neither an initiated disciple of His Holiness Tamal Krishna

Gosvami, nor a devotee in any real sense of the word. Yet I feel

much regret that I will never again see this lion of a Vaishnava

preaching in his various capacities and moods.

 

I would like to request that other devotees/list members also step

forward and glorify His Holiness Tamal Krishna Gosvami Maharaja,

look at his example, and try always to follow in his footsteps.

Please share with us whatever experiences you may have with His

Holiness, and keep these memories alive, so that we may all learn

from them and be better for it.

 

I thank all of you in advance for whatever nectar you can share

here, and beg your forgiveness if you think me too verbose or

sentimental.

 

your servant,

 

H. Krishna Susarla

[Guest guest]

Dandavats, vaishnavas.

Jaya Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!

Jaya Srila Tamala Krsna Gosvami Maharaja!

 

 

On Sat, 23 Mar 2002, krishnasusarla wrote:

> I would like to request that other devotees/list members also step

> forward and glorify His Holiness Tamal Krishna Gosvami Maharaja,

> look at his example, and try always to follow in his footsteps.

> Please share with us whatever experiences you may have with His

> Holiness, and keep these memories alive, so that we may all learn

> from them and be better for it.

 

I think personal anecdotes might be painful now for those who

have had extensive association with his holiness. I thought of Mayapura

shortly after 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 two-thirds of ISKCON itself, though

not everyone will know 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 he

would push us if he were personally still giving his 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 close, so often, to 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. 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, or

those of 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, which I'll try

to share. 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 he said he felt, 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 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.

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

worth reading.

 

Unbelievable determination and ambition were key characteristics

of Tamala Krsna Gosvami; he was simply never content with anything less than

unique superexcellence. In Houston, 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. Krsna will arrange to bring about

such full surrender.

 

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, never incompetent,

and never 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. How can one

accommodate such contradictions in these controllers?"

 

Like Srila Prabhupada, perhaps because of Srila Prabhupada, he was intense.

Such selfless, compassionate, powerful, and in general genuinely qualified

authorities are always needed (if not always appreciated) in this world, and

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 ki jaya!

 

MDd