To The Fans Of Xena's Krishna

July 5, 2003

Recently, the press secretary of the WVA formally protested against a fictionalized portrayal of Krishna in an episode of Xena, a sex-goddess-warrior-lesbian media icon. Why can't this be appreciated as a sincere attempt to preach the glories and dignity of the real Krishna through the media? Why are immature devotees, or worse, allowed to stand up to the microphone and take sides with faithless atheists who could care less about how they portray a Krishna that they don't believe in anyway?

Some are hoping for the best. Give a monkey a typewriter and, sooner or later, he's bound to spell a word. Maybe it will be sympathetic, maybe not, but one thing is for sure; it will be bogus. You may as well tune in and see for yourself, because the show is going to run anyway, in most places, inspite of the protest. Maybe you should get educated on how these things work when there is no research or collaboration with real Vaisnavas.

Recently, Dreamworks released a full-length animation called The Prince of Egypt'. It was well researched with Jewish scholars and there was some attempt at presenting Moses and some biblical stories in a dignified way. Why can't Krishna, and other vedic icons of India, be dealt with respectfully in the same way? Partially the blame must come to the western devotees, who obviously have not educated the media on the dignity of religious icons they supposedly hold sacred. Why can't this education begin now? Maybe down the road, someone in the movie industry will be inspired to contact a Vaisnava before he portrays Krishna or Ram in a future production. It is quite possible and probable.

One person objected that we are stopping the Holy Name' of Krishna from reaching the masses. Well, the protest is a timely opportunity for a mass media audience to hear something about the real Krishna. Also, Krishna's name will be heard MORE, not less, due to the protest. Maybe it will go mainstream and millions will hear the name of Krishna on National Television news. Maybe 20/20 or 60 minutes will pick up the story and do an interview. Many things can come out of this. It is quite possible and probable.

Why allow the media to disseminate ignorance unchecked? Michael Freeman, a free-lance writer showed up on the front page of the LA Times newspaper some years ago, during the Ayodhya crisis, calling Rama a demigod'. Mr. Freeman also lamented the desecration of a 16th century Mosque' in Ayodhya and berated the 'intolerant' Hindus in the article.

So, he insults hundreds of millions of followers of a world religion, calling Vishnu a demigod. And Mr. Freeman had obviously never been to Ayodhya, where a few Hindu priests stand by some pictures of Ram, in a dilapidated structure, while pilgrims pass by on their visit to the traditional birthplace of Ram. The mosque' is really a disfigured temple with domes stuck on it, because the Moslem who destroyed the original temple to Ram, compromised due to the outrage of the local population and left some of the original pillars standing. The Moslem conqueror didn't even bother digging the traditional well or erecting the minarettes. There was nothing ornamental and the structure was so dilapidated in 1989 that trees were growing out the mortar on the domes. The gov't in Delhi had held the court case up for 40 years, hopelessly delaying a temple to be rebuilt on the traditional birthsite, which was only sacred to the Hindus. This is because the Delhi politicians were afraid of the powerful muslim voting block. There was so much ignorance and distortion in the article, I cannot begin to do it justice.

So, we should all lie down and do nothing? No, we should preach. We should educate the masses as much as possible. We should also educate the media, that dramatically impacts the mass consciousness around the world. And most importantly, we should become educated ourselves, by studying Srila Prabhupada's sterling presentation of Krishna through his books and by associating with sincere and more self-realized devotees.

More recently in the Philippines, Acharya das protested a bogus and offensive Ramayana drama that portrayed Seeta, Ram and Laksman in a love triangle. The drama troupe responded to the protest, recognizing they had done something wrong. This is preaching. Maybe next time they will get it right.

Srila Bhaktivinode and Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Prabhupada spent a tremendous amount of energy re-establishing the dignity of Krishna Bhakti that had been taken to the sewer by sahajiya musicians, entertainers and debauches. Saraswati Thakura lived and breathed to establish the dignity of the real Brajendranandana Krishna in the face of all other conceptions, even religious conceptions. And he was not popular in his own time. Smarta Bramins threw bricks at him.

So, if Krishna's name gets repeated MORE in the media due to this protest, why does someone have a problem with that? That means, MORE KRISHNA NAM for millions of jivas to hear, but this time, from Vaisnavas. Why do you want to criticize VAISNAVAS that want to promote THAT? Is it because you are envious of other Vaisnavas? Do you have some other agenda? In your media world, you give cart blanche' for atheists to disseminate any offensive nonsense about Krishna for the benefit' of the ignorant TV masses and then criticize Vaisnavas that want take the opportunity to make a positive statement about the divinity of Krishna? Are you serious? Establishing the dignity of religious icons in a climate of irreligion is not always going to be popular. High devotional saints, that I have met, are not interested in being popular'. They are unflinchingly interested in the Truth. The voice of the people is not the voice of God.' The last time I checked, it was Kali Yuga.

Someone was heard to complain that less than pure Hindus are involved in the protest. Well, maybe some westernized Hindus might even get inspired, as well, to reclaim some of their devotional culture due to the service of defending the dignity of Krishna in the company of Vaisnavas. Anything is possible. Right now, Krishna is being dragged through the mud of misconception. Who wants to identify with or promote that? We are not interested in some backwards fanaticized or artistically imagined conception of Krishna by some atheists. We are interested in the infinitely more attractive and beautiful conception of Brajendranandana according to sadhu, shastra and guru. And if we get the opportunity to use the media to get that across, that will be real preaching, rather than some weak pandering to some whimsical script where Krishna serves Xena's cause.

If you have a desire to criticize, direct that energy towards the envious demons that want nothing to do with the real Krishna(as Tusta Krishna das is doing). If you want to argue, pick a fight with a meateater. If you want to end your spiritual life, for the time being, commit offenses to higher vaisnavas(and it doesn't matter whether you can recognize them or not). I hope meets you well, serving your spiritual master with a sincere heart and busy spreading the name and glories of Krishna throughout the world.

Vidagdha Madhava das

WVA Publishing Committe