Суд над Бхагавад-гитой / Attempt to ban Bhagavad-gita

tagged: charlatan, cheater, new age guru, Radhanath

Radhanath Swami: Charlatan or Saint?

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Govinda Dasa – USA: I am writing in response to Rocana prabhu’s article about Radhanath Swami (Richard Slavin), son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald and Idelle Slavin, a middle class Jewish family from Chicago. As he grew into a teenager, Richie did what many young Jewish teenagers did – he migrated into the Hippie counter-culture and made his way to India. Even to this very day, thousands of young Jewish teenagers head to India in search of drugs, sex and pseudo-spirituality. It was the sixties, and so young Richie followed the old Hippie trail that led so many other social misfits into the Himalayas, to places such as Hrisikesh, Varanasi, Kullu Manali and of course Goa. All of them playing at being renounced, wearing the uniform of a Hippie, experimenting in drugs, sex and pseudo-spiritualism. Nothing has changed, really.

In the 60′s, the idea of a Hippie was to renounce worldly possessions and to dress in threadbare attire, have dreadlocks, take drugs and stuff like that, but they were also interested in getting high on mystical spiritualism. In this way young Richie was no different than other young Jewish Hippies who had renounced mainstream society. Still to this very day, Richie, now known as Radhanatha Swami, although donning the garb of a Sannyasi, has a very similar counter-culture mentality about clothes and possessions. Old Hippies never die.

I was amazed at how he set the stage for his Television interview with an appeal for sympathy at an alleged act of discrimination levelled against him for being a child of Jewish extraction. For many years now, being Jewish does not put a person on the top of the list of people being discriminated against. From my experience growing up in the states, Jewish people have much more opportunity and status than most minorities, what to speak of run of the mill majorities.

That fact that he was not able to remember the age in which this incident occurred also casts some doubt into my mind if he was telling the truth. Perhaps he was nervous and so he forgot his well rehearsed lines…

Richard Slavin joined in 1971 and was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1972, and had his second initiation officiated by Kirtanananda. Radhanath’s belief and faith in Kirtanananda was signed sealed and delivered when he later took Sannyasa initiation from Kirtanananda.

Most of his early life as a devotee, Radhanath, was dedicated to and served under Kirtanananda and was independent of ISKCON. Up to as late as 1990 we are all aware that he was still glorifying Kirtanananda, even though he was one of the most offensive and perverted individuals to ever have taken advantage of Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.

The quality of loyalty is good in a person, but this depends on who your loyalty resides with. Radhanath’s loyalty was to the infamous and perverted Kirtanananda. It was unshakeable even after Kirtanananda and his throng of ISKCON philosophically deviant malcontents were unceremoniously kicked out of ISKCON in 1987.

In trying to understand who Radhanath is, as a devotee and follower of Srila Prabhupada, we need to look back on his early history, especially at the time when he first laid eyes on Srila Prabhupada. It is here that we can see his true intentions more clearly. In his Wikipedia advertisement, Richie, Radhanath, is stated to have ‘observed’ Srila Prabhupada in 1971. The term ‘observed’ is very important here in understanding Radhanatha’s mentality towards Srila Prabhupada.

Radhanatha didn’t sit in awe and reverence or anything like that, he simply ‘observed’ Srila Prabhupada. The result of his observations was that he had finally found a guru who could really launch his career as a Spiritualist/Mystic Guru.

Seizing on Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, which in ordinary circumstances is a good thing, Richie apparently forgot about all the other unsubstantiated ‘offers’ (he really believes that he was a good catch for some yogi or guru) that he claims were coming in from various yogis/gurus. These people were obviously nonstarters, but Richie, being a very attentive opportunist, saw his lucky break with Srila Prabhupada. So he headed back to the States, to New Vrindavan, and right into the waiting arms of the pervert Kirtanananda. Like a fly to stool, it seems. Why New Vrindavan? Why did he set his ambitious sights on New Vrindavan?

The New Vrindavan Temple, which was meant to be Srila Prabhupada’s residence but was instead turned into Kirtanananda’s private den of iniquity, was also the temple about which Srila Prabhupada instructed in 1970: “It is a fact however that the great sinister movement is within our Society”. Funny hey… I wonder why Srila Prabhupada mentioned that the great sinister movement is within our society when talking about the activities at New Vrindavan?

Being a part of some very sinister movement aside, who would believe that such a great seeker of anything mystical and spiritual would find themselves in such a hotbed of perversion and depravity, what to speak of philosophical deviation? Who would believe that such a pure soul would find themselves in the middle of scandal and murder conspiracies? Who would believe that such a discriminating soul would find themselves taking side with and being the right hand man of such a demoniac personality as Kirtanananda, the very centre of the rebellion against Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON?

Surely this could not happen to the ‘little Jewish kid’ from Chicago? The one who boldly claims he is a seeker of the truth. Surely not the one who ended up not really wanting a guru, but, wanting a ‘ticket’ to fame and glory? The same one who really only ‘observed’ Srila Prabhupada while he was shopping around, trying to find the best ‘guru’ springboard to use so he could fast track it to becoming a world famous spiritualist new age mystic guru.

Mr. Richard Slavin, being the consummate actor that he is, very quickly developed his on-stage persona known as Radhanath Swami, and began to masquerade as a Sannyasi Guru with a sentimentalist flavour and just enough flare to capture the ‘sentimentalist’. Radhanatha had made good use of not only what he mimicked as an understudy of many Indian gurus and yogis, which included Srila Prabhupada, but also obviously took some tips from his Jewish past as he put to good use Jewish Hora dance movements in his now fully fledged repertoire. You only have to ‘observe’ Radhanath’s dance routine to see this…

But when the chips were down and the turncoat crew from New Vrindavan were being discovered for the murderous, perverted, corrupt bunch of scallywags that they were, he ended up fleeing the country as fast as he could. Funny how he ended up taking shelter of his perverted mentor Kirtanananda’s temple in Bombay. Very cunning indeed, for this clever opportunistic person! Bombay, where many of Kirtanananda’s disciples, who had full and deep pockets, resided. Yes, Radhanath is certainly the clever little fellow.

Gotta give him full credit, somehow or other Radhanath’s bread always ends up butter-side-up, and he was very quick to be ‘reinstated’ back into ISKCON by the similarly corrupted GBC — the ISKCON he only months before preached heavily against, the Society of his so-called guru Srila Prabhupada. Then, again by the blessings of the corrupted GBC, Radhanath meteorically rose to the highest positions in ISKCON, seemingly as a reward for his traitorous and deceitful devotional service to the pure devotee, his guru, his mentor, Srila Prabhupada.

He did not come alone, though. Most of the Sannyasi initiated disciples of Kirtanananda rose with him as well. This included Malati, whose degraded and reprehensible history leaves nothing to the imagination. You can imagine the state of mind of Kirtanananda was in to give Sannyasi initiation to such a debauched person. This displays the decadence of the man.

That is not the full story though. Radhanath’s true intention and plan is being revealed, as he now is openly promoting himself as a Guru in his own right. Making the big time, he no longer has need for Srila Prabhupada. It is he now that is quoted and gives his pearls of wisdom instead of his alleged Guru, Srila Prabhupada, who hardly ranks a mention in Richie’s spiritual journey and in his now high profile Spiritualist Mystic Guru persona.

I wondered at why Radhanath rarely if ever speaks of Srila Prabhupada or ISKCON in his interviews. Out of all the people that he values in his most fantastical spiritual journey of self-discovery, Srila Prabhupada hardly ranks a mention. How many photos are there of Srila Prabhupada in his website? How much does this Radhanatha glorify Srila Prabhupada in his book websites or interviews? It seems to me that he became famous by his own endeavour, which has about as much to do with Srila Prabhupada as the other personalities that he glorifies in his book or websites.

If you were to read his websites, you would hardly find mention of Srila Prabhupada. Here are some excerpts taken from his website, www.RadhanathSwami.com:

“My spiritual teacher Srila Prabhupada and many of the great teachers throughout history have taught us…

I met His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. And in him I found a connection and an inspiration. In his teachings I found a wisdom that included all that I had learned from these other teachers.

I am still trying to share the precious gifts that he gave me and all of these other great saints, what they have given me…”

Out of approximately six of seven mentions in his website about Srila Prabhupada, Radhanath’s supposed guru, almost half of them place Srila Prabhupada as only one of his teachers… Teacher? Teacher is a generic term really, and it does not indicate one’s surrender to that personality. Radhanath has never alluded to or proven in his life that he has surrendered to anyone except to his self-centred desires, deceit and the pursuit of fame and glory.

Here are his “Teachers”, and it is certainly nice to see him glorify the pure devotee AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in this collection… Please make note of the placement of Srila Prabhupada in this line up. You may notice that Srila Prabhupada is rather insignificant, and does not even rank main attraction, which is Swami Ram…

It seems to me that Richard Slavin, AKA Radhanath Swami, the discriminated against little Jewish kid from America, made the big time by riding on the back of Srila Prabhupada. But he neglects to give him much credit for his ‘journey home.’ By downplaying Srila Prabhupada’s role in his so-called spiritual journey, he is elevating himself as a self-made spiritualist. No different, really, from the other ragtag band of gurus that have inflicted themselves upon mankind since time immemorial. Cheap trickster comes to mind when I read or hear anything about the man.

He no longer even makes any attempt at glorifying his alleged guru, Srila Prabhupada. If you were to read the introduction to his book you will not see mention of Srila Prabhupada.

What amazes me more is how some long-term devotees are so easily fooled by this man? I can see how neophytes can be fooled into thinking that this man has an ounce of spiritual shakti, but senior Prabhupada disciples?

In truth, how many of us can say that they can trust such a man? All of his private projects are not in ISKCON’s name. He has controlling interest in many ISKCON Temples throughout the world via his disciples. He has independent ashrams in most of these zones where the Brahmacaris are being trained up to be ‘nice devotees’, but are instructed not to associate with the ISKCON devotees in the Temples they are connected to.

Even though he flaunts his independent and offensive program right in front of our faces, still many so-called senior men and women of ISKCON want to be fooled by his thespianship as opposed to his reality. The old adage of “Hiding in plain sight” is very significant with Radhanatha’s persona. Even though it is glaringly obvious and he makes no bones about how Srila Prabhupada hardly ranks a mention in his so-called spiritual life, so many stupid people find him to be a genuine and sincere devotee.

This self-styled/new age/ex Hippie/Mystic Guru/Hora dancing/charlatan is now setting his sights on taking his travelling act onto the world stage of public society life, and launching his career as a stand-up Guru in his own right.

Apart from having gone ‘professional’, Radhanatha is still working his illusionist act all over the world of ISKCON, as he is giving more of his disciples sannyas and encouraging them to take over more and more of ISKCON’s Temples. You can still see his brahmacari Hari nama parties marching in the street as they exit from their secluded bhakta training program ashrams. What are they being trained for? What is the need of being separate from ISKCON Temple programs? What are they waiting for????

Mark my words, Radhanath has a plan, and whatever it is you can bet your bottom dollar it is something megalomaniacal.

New Vrindaban: The Black Sheep of ISKCON
Copyright 2002-2010 by Henry Doktorski
Introduction



Note: This site is not affiliated with ISKCON, New Vrindaban, or Prabhupada's Palace of Gold.
For directions to the Palace of Gold and New Vrindaban ISKCON, visit Directions.





Disclaimer: Please understand that this is a historical document; my pages refer to the past history of the New Vrindaban Community and not the present. Many abuses occurred when Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada was the ultimate authority. Since 1994, however, New Vrindaban has been under new management and in 1998 they returned to ISKCON as a member in good standing.

I still have friends who live and work at New Vrindaban and I do not want these pages of mine to detract from their present endeavors to attempt to create a Krishna conscious community and holy place of pilgrimage as envisioned by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON.

The idea for the title of this page--"New Vrindaban: The Black Sheep of ISKCON"--was given to me by the General Manager of the community, who told me during a 2003 conversation, "New Vrindaban has always been the black sheep of ISKCON." However, I take pains to point out that is not applicable today. I wish all my New Vrindaban friends the best and I encourage everyone to support them in their noble quest.

Please visit the website of the New Vrindaban Community, the website of Prabhupada's Palace of Gold, and the

online journal of the New Vrindaban Community: Brijabasi Spirit.

Sincerely,

Henry Doktorski (Hrishikesh dasa)
September 16, 2011


The following pages are from a forthcoming history of the New Vrindaban Community by the former New Vrindaban resident, Henry Doktorski (Hrishikesh dasa). For more information please contact the author at .

Part I. The humble origins of ISKCON's first farm community and its dramatic expansion into the largest ISKCON temple in North America (1968-1985).

1. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977)
A short biography of the founder of the Hare Krishna Movement, who brought Gaudiya-Vaishnavism from India to the United States in 1965, and attracted his first followers among the hippies of Manhattan's Lower East Side.

2. Gaudiya-Vaishnava Theology
A summary of the ancient Hare Krishna philosophy, beliefs, practices, and scriptural basis.

3. Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada (b. 1937)
A biography (from 1937 to 1967) of one of Swami Prabhupada's first American disciples, the son of a Baptist minister, and the founder of the New Vrindaban Community.

4. "Kirtanananda Is A Crazy Man"
Kirtanananda's foiled attempt to take over ISKCON from Prabhupada in 1967 and "Westernize" the preaching style and dress of the devotees. Prabhupada's condemnation of Kirtanananda's unauthorized actions and the banishment of Kirtanananda from the New York City ISKCON temple

5. New Vrindaban
A history of the early years of the New Vrindaban Community (from 1968 to 1972), including Kirtanananda's return to Prabhupada's flock and the establishment of the rural West Virginia commune as ISKCON's first farm community.

6. Prabhupada's Palace of Gold
Building the marble and gold memorial shrine for Swami Prabhupada, the first of eight proposed temples at New Vrindaban. The dedication of the Palace in 1979 propelled the New Vrindaban Community onto the front pages of newspapers and magazines across the country.

7. ISKCON's North American Place of Pilgrimage
The Palace rose garden, fine arts, bathing ghat excavated, Gaura-Nitai statues erected, swan boat, tourism, book distribution, Palace marketing, Palace restaurant, Bhaktipada's radio show, fire brigade, Camp Gopal, Vrindaban Village Estates, Goshalla, Palace Publishing, Palace Charities, Malini the elephant, Jharikhanda Wildlife Sanctuary, gurukula, the proposed Temple of Understanding, Land of Krishna.




Part II: The Christianization of the style of worship, New Vrindaban as an interfaith "City of God." (1986-1994)

7. Music of the Gaudiya-Vaishnavas
The traditional music of the Hare Krishnas and its scriptural basis in theory and practice.

8. Grand Plans
Bhaktipada's early attempts to "Christianize" Gaudiya-Vaishnavism at the New Vrindaban Community: Prabhupada's crown, his landmark book Christ and Krishna, and the philosophical rationale of using Western classical music in Vaishnava rituals.

9. The Krishna Chorale
The New Vrindaban choir, its origin, development, performances, recordings, and tours; the installation of the murti (statue) of Jesus Christ in the temple, and performances with the Wheeling Symphony Chorus.

10. City of God Children's Choir
The children's choir, its origin, directors, repertoire, and tours.

11. City of God Accordion Ensemble
The origin of the accordion ensemble, performances, tours, media publicity and awards.

12. Music At The Palace
The recital series at the palace, three seasons of classical music concerts open to the general public, publicity and reviews.

13. The Organs
The three organs at New Vrindaban, and Bhaktipada's dream to build "the largest pipe organ in the world."

14. The Temple Orchestra
The development of the temple orchestra, which performed at the daily worship services for nearly eight years.

15. Music Theater
Journey to the City of God, New Vrindaban's attempt to create an "Oberammergau" in West Virginia, including performances and reviews.

16. The Liturgies
The evolution and culmination of the worship services; the cynosure of Bhaktipada's liturgical reformation which brought members of the community together thrice daily for chanting, singing, meditating, and (during the noon and evening services) dancing.

17. Ideational Music
Music in the style of Gregorian chant which, according to Bhaktipada, sublimates the base desires of passion and ignorance and fosters the development of holiness, and his efforts to introduce this musical style in the community and wean the residents away from "sinful" styles of music.

18. Rock and Rap
The development of rock and rap music bands at New Vrindaban, and Bhaktipada's condemnation of same.

19. Gospel, Country and New Age Music
New Vrindaban musicians "Krishna-ize" various styles of popular music and present performances during festivals.

20. The Bell Tower
The bells of New Vrindaban: the planning and erection of the bell tower and installation of 16,800 pounds of bells.

21. Culmination of an Era
Other innovations by Bhaktipada:
A. Krishna-ized literature, books
B. Christian-style robes
C. Women's sannyas
D. Silent meditation
E. Interfaith preaching and living
F. Cathedral of the Holy Name, planning and construction
G. The Cities of God
H. Bhaktipada's Rule
I. Arranged interracial marriages



Part III: The fall of the "City of God," the dissolution of the Christian-style worship, and return to the traditional ISKCON-style worship (ca. 1985-1996)
22. The End of an Era
Rumblings of discontent; devotees begin to doubt and then rebel against Bhaktipada's liturgical reforms.

23. Trials and Tribulations
Bhaktipada assaulted and nearly killed by deranged visiting devotee; his disciples attempt to protect their spiritual master by murdering a former resident dissident who threatened to "destroy Kirtanananda." This event was the "turning point" for the community and the end of the "Golden Age" of New Vrindaban, as subsequent court cases severely deplete the community's resources.

24. The Exodus
Nine reasons why residents left the community:
A. ISKCON founder Prabhupada minimized
B. Bhaktipada excommunicated from ISKCON
C. Court cases
D. Indians alienated
E. Child abuse and molestation
F. Neglect of cows
G. Interfaith members defrauded
H. Bhaktipada's controversial reforms
I. Dissenters fear reprisals of beatings, murder

25. Pushed Out Completely
Bhaktipada is accused of molesting boys; his followers lose faith, and eventually reject him and his liturgical reforms.

26. Picking Up the Pieces
Bhaktipada pleads guilty in 1996, is sent to prison, and the devastated community attempts to rebuild under new management, eventually returning to ISKCON.



I was a resident of the New Vrindaban Community for nearly sixteen years: from August 1978 until April 1994, and since that time have continued to visit the community on a regular basis. I witnessed firsthand all three stages of the history of the community: (1) the construction of Prabhupada's Palace of Gold and the rise of New Vrindaban as an important ISKCON temple, (2) Bhaktipada (1987) and New Vrindaban's (1988) expulsion from ISKCON and the "City of God" Interfaith era, and (3) the community's gradual but eventually wholesale rejection of Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada's leadership and return to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

I joined ISKCON a scant nine months after Shrila Prabhupada's disappearance. I helped build Prabhupada's Palace of Gold and accepted first and second initiations from Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada. I briefly taught at the gurukula. I served for several months as the president of the Pittsburgh ISKCON temple, and I raised funds for the community on full-time traveling sankirtan as a party leader for 5 Ѕ consecutive years. I was instrumental in revolutionizing the "pick" by introducing and developing the "citation line" and became New Vrindaban's top men's collector. In 1985 I helped establish the first office for the publication and distribution for Bhaktipada's books. I traveled to India four times to represent New Vrindaban, including the 1986 quint-centennial Mayapura Festival.

Later I served as the Minister of Music (principal organist, choirmaster, orchestra director and composer-in-residence) during the "City of God" era from 1986 until September 1993, after which I resigned after concluding that my spiritual master's authority and character had become seriously deficient. I also participated in the grassroots movement which questioned Bhaktipada's qualifications for leadership, and eventually recommended returning New Vrindaban to the temple worship style as advocated by the ISKCON founder and acharya, Shrila Prabhupada.

I believe the tale of the New Vrindaban Community must be told. Despite New Vrindaban's return to ISKCON in 2000, many ISKCON devotees, even some in high positions of leadership, may still have mistaken beliefs about Kirtanananda Swami and the community. I hope that this authoritative history can dispel some of the myths which have evolved through the years and shed light on the factual and unembellished story of ISKCON's first farm community and holy tirtha in the West.

I cannot present a complete and comprehensive history of the New Vrindaban Community; such an endeavor could remain incomplete after many dozens of volumes. Yet a journey of a million miles must necessarily begin with a single step, and I consider this treatise to be such a first step: the first history of New Vrindaban. I cordially invite and even challenge other former and current New Vrindaban residents to write about their experiences at the community and share with the world their memories of the fascinating, exciting and sometimes painful story of New Vrindaban. I believe such literature, however imperfectly composed, which describes the glorious successes (and humiliating failures) of the Vaishnava servants of the Lord will benefit devotees throughout the world for many generations to come.

Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada

Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada at Prabhupada's Palace (1981)



Precious little can be found in print about Kirtanananda Swami's life, especially during the early days of ISKCON in the mid- to late-1960s. Satsvarupa Das Goswami wrote quite a bit about him in his comprehensive six-volume biography of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, titled Shrila Prabhupada-lilamrita, especially in volume 2, "Planting the Seed," but Satsvarupa neglected to mention one important period of Kirtanananda Swami's life: the time he left Prabhupada's movement for almost a year. This was not an insignificant episode to gloss over, because during this period Kirtanananda Swami first heard about and went to live at to the rundown farm in West Virginia which Prabhupada later dubbed "New Vrindaban."

Hayagriva Das also included a great deal about Kirtanananda Swami's life in his fascinating account of the early days of Prabhupada's movement, Hare Krishna Explosion: The Birth of Krishna Consciousness in America (1966-1969). Although Hayagriva described in detail the early days of the New Vrindaban community, he also omitted writing about Kirtanananda Swami's defection from ISKCON in September 1967 and his subsequent joyful and emotional reunion with Prabhupada in July 1968. Neither Satsvarupa, nor Hayagriva, although they were both aware of the 1967-1968 fall down of Kirtanananda Swami, wrote about this embarrassing period of his life, because, I believe, they did not want to tarnish his image as a self-realized soul, transcendental to material nature, befitting his exalted position as an ISKCON guru, a saintly representative of God transmitting purely the teachings of the previous acharyas.

This unknown chapter in Kirtanananda Swami's life was described in some detail by John Hubner and Lindsey Gruson in Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas, but their account cannot be trusted one hundred percent as the authors did not present an accurate and scholarly historical document, but a sensationalized and partly-fictionalized version in order to support their hypothesis that Bhaktipada, among all the ISKCON gurus, was "the most ambitious and cruelest of them all," who "erected America's Taj Mahal, the lavish Palace of Gold in West Virginia, which became headquarters for a drug ring and 'enforcers' who punished and, in some cases, even murdered disloyal devotees."

About Monkey on a Stick, Professor Larry Shinn wrote, "The book is, at best, a docu-drama which creates dialogue that was never recorded nor ever overheard but, rather, projected back into the mouths of the murder victims by the book's authors. While it has some factual material at its basis, the book is essentially a sensationalised exaggeration that, if taken seriously, would lead any reader to believe that the Krishnas throughout America condone murder and are violent to their very core." (1)

Unlike the above-mentioned authors, Satsvarupa, Hayagriva, Hubner and Gruson, I have attempted to present a factual historical portrayal of Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada, a man whom many devotees, including myself, proclaimed as the "King of New Vrindaban." Prabhupada affirmed this in a letter to Kirtanananda dated July 27, 1973, "You are Maharaj -- Great King. Like Yudhisthir Maharaj and Parikshit Maharaj -- Emperor. Actually you are doing something very, very big -- so you are Maharaj." In this book, I have tried to present both the divine and human qualities of a man who was (and still is by many) worshipped as good as God.

Kirtanananda Swami, along with his friend and godbrother Hayagriva Das, started the fledgling New Vrindaban Hare Krishna community in 1968 on a ramshackle farm house on 130 acres of hills and valleys in the Northern panhandle of West Virginia. From its beginning the community motto was "Plain Living, High Thinking." During most of my sixteen years there, Bhaktipada projected the persona of a powerful, charismatic, articulate, wise, magnanimous and renounced leader, who inspired hundreds (if not thousands through the years) of materially frustrated souls (drop outs from mainstream society) to live, work and pray together harmoniously for the express purposes of 1. establishing a self-sufficient Krishna conscious farm community based on agriculture and cow protection, and 2. building New Vrindaban into a holy tirtha: a "transcendental place of pilgrimage where Krishna's pastimes are displayed in the West." (2)

During its peak in the early- to mid-1980s, New Vrindaban was undoubtedly the most successful ISKCON community in America. At a time when ISKCON membership recruitment in United States city temples had been declining for years (according to one source, as early as 1975), (3) the New Vrindaban community continued to grow in membership and expand to nearly 5000 acres. New Vrindaban publications claimed that nearly 700 full time residents lived at or near the community (this number included children and employees). (4)

The mangal-aroti pre-sunrise worship service was normally attended daily by over one hundred devotees, hundreds -- and sometimes thousands -- of ISKCON devotees regularly visited during major festivals, (5) and up to 500,000 tourists visited the Palace annually. (6)

My journey from college to Krishna.


The author as portrayed in a 1982 Brijabasi Spirit article.



As I briefly explained above, I lived at the New Vrindaban Hare Krishna community from August 1978 until April 1994. When I joined the community I had just received three months earlier a Bachelor of Arts degree in music. I had studied music for most of my life. In 1963, as a seven-year-old child, I showed some musical talent so my parents enrolled me in the studio of one local New Jersey accordion teacher.

In high school I discovered classical music after joining the school choir. Shortly after, I began serious piano studies and later was awarded a scholarship as a piano major at a small Midwestern liberal arts college. There, along with music, I developed a keen interest in Indian spirituality and the counterculture. I grew my hair long; I heard the former Harvard University Professor-turned-yogi, Baba Ram Das, lecture at the University of Kansas; I was initiated into Transcendental Meditation for a $35 fee and silently chanted my secret mantra twice a day; I decided to become a vegetarian and even told my piano Professor, much to his chagrin, that after finishing graduate school I would join a spiritual commune somewhere and devote my life to the search for the Absolute Truth. I acquired a packet of LSD from a friend and kept it in the kitchen freezer, intending to expand my consciousness, but never used it because I feared, as a pianist, that it might permanently damage my motor control and coordination.

After graduating from college in May 1978, I briefly visited the Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa, to check out the scene, but was sorely disappointed; the students there dressed in conservative shirts and ties and wore short hair cuts. I thought they looked a little like fundamentalist Christians. I was looking for something more radical; something less mainstream; something more austere. By chance or by the design of a higher power, on the way home from Kansas City to New Jersey, I visited a former high school buddy who that year happened to have a summer job in Wheeling, West Virginia. While sitting in his barren, hot and stuffy apartment with nothing to do, he suggested, "Why don't we visit the nearby Hare Krishna community; they're building a palace for their founder. I've been there before; it's really cool!"

We spent the afternoon touring New Vrindaban and I was impressed. I found a community of spiritual seekers who seemed to practice what they preached: renunciation. They slept for only six hours each night in sleeping bags on the floor of an ashram with twenty or thirty others; they took ice cold baths (there was no hot water) -- without even using soap -- in the communal bath house. The toilets were only holes in the concrete floor (Indian style) without even doors on the front of the stalls! (7)

They chanted Sanskrit mantras for two hours daily, usually attended two temple services daily (and sometimes three on Sundays), worked at least eight hours daily for Krishna without remuneration, ate only vegetarian food offered to Krishna, and spoke nothing except topics about Krishna or Krishna's service.

One of the devotees (8) remained perpetually silent except for the words "Hare Krishna" which he would sometimes shout at the top of his lungs. Another devotee (9) stubbornly refused to wear socks or shoes, even in winter. His feet were heavily calloused and pitted with deep cracks which reminded me of the canals on the surface of Mars. These people obviously were serious about minimizing bodily needs. They were tough; like the Marines. Hare Krishna seemed to me to be the elite "Green Berets" of all the Indian spiritual movements. And the philosophy was undefeatable. This is what I wanted: a challenge.

About a month later, I visited the community again during a drive out West and met Kirtanananda Swami for the first time. I was immediately drawn to the warmth and kindness which seemed to radiate from him. He appeared to express genuine concern for me and I listened to him speak as a respectful son listens to a wise and compassionate father. During our first conversation he convinced me (not an easy task) to set aside my music studies and join the commune as a full time devotee to develop my spiritual life. As I had sacrificed a great deal (a potentially promising career in music) to live at New Vrindaban, I decided to give the process a fair chance: I faithfully chanted sixteen rounds daily, strictly followed the four regulative principles, scrupulously attended all the required spiritual programs, resided with similarly-minded godbrothers at the remote Old Vrindaban brahmachari [celibate male student] ashram, and worked to the best of my abilities to help build a ornate memorial shrine for the late founder and acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) who had passed away only nine months earlier.

Going "cold turkey."

My first months at New Vrindaban were incredibly difficult, due in large part to withdrawal from the object of my affections: classical music. During college I had performed with symphony orchestras, sang Handel's Messiah with a huge 280-voice choir, and even performed a leading role in a concert performance of Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly. I had composed original music for musical theater productions and directed pit orchestras. But that was all over now. Finis.

From hearing Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad-bhagavatam classes I technically understood that most music was simply sense gratification: a highly pleasurable activity which distracted the soul from God and entrapped the living entity in maya's illusory energy. But God! how difficult it was for me to shed my addiction to classical music! My intellect insisted that I should stay at New Vrindaban, shed my material desires and develop my dormant love for God, but my heart sorely missed the thrill of composing, performing and listening to classical music; the excitement, the glamour, the acclaim, the intellectual satisfaction and the rapturous beauty of the passionate melodies, harmonies and rhythms which had captivated my consciousness for so many years.

Building Prabhupada a palace.

The author working on the Palace dome (summer 1979)



I clearly remember working at Prabhupada's Palace-under-construction, probably in October 1978, doing some solitary gold leafing in the central kirtan hall, crying out in despair from the pain of my mental and emotional anguish and mournfully singing in a loud voice the mahamantra (great chant for deliverance): "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare; Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare" to the tune of the plaintive Jaya Radha Madhava melody which was sung every morning before the daily Bhagavatam class. I put my entire heart and soul into that chanting; I was suffering so much. I begged Krishna, "Please help me! Please save me! Tear out my material desires from my tortured heart and heal it with unconditional ecstatic love for you!"

Sometime shortly after, by the grace of guru and Krishna, I acquired a taste for devotional service -- seemingly overnight -- and my mental tempest dissipated like the thick New Vrindaban early-morning fog which is burned off by the rising sun. I requested initiation from Kirtanananda Maharaj: "I would like to become your disciple and spend the rest of my life serving Krishna here at New Vrindaban." Maharaj beamed joyfully and exclaimed, "Jaya! That's what I like: someone who comes and does not run away." ("Jaya" or "Jai" is a Sanskrit exclamation designating approval, often translated as "victory.") I was initiated on March 13 (Gaura Purnima), 1979, and received the name Hrishikesh Das (servant of Krishna, who is the master of the senses).

The "pick."

After an intensive six-month construction marathon, the Palace was formally dedicated in September 1979, and soon after I was ordered to go out on the "pick," (10) disguised in a wig and conventional clothes, to solicit funds for the community in parking lots and malls across the country. My temperament was not at all conducive to this life of fraudulent panhandling: passing out a stick of incense, a button, a record, a candle, a flower or a bumper sticker to a passerby, sweet talking him or her into giving a donation (usually under the pretense of a charity for needy kids or Vietnam veterans), sneaking around and running from security guards and police, occasionally spending a few hours (one time three days) in a small-town jail, before being released usually uncharged with any crime but admonished to get out and stay out of town. (11)

Damn! I suffered so much out on the road. Hardly anybody gave me any money. I was a big failure. The rejection I received from dozens and dozens of potential donors one after another in the parking lots was a greater austerity than taking ice cold showers. (I still had to take a cold shower every morning: after spending the night in a sleeping bag on the floor of a cargo van, I bathed, as did my companions, by stepping outside nearly naked -- in summer or winter -- and pouring the contents of a one-gallon jug of water over my head.)

One time, after six months of quietly suffering on the "pick," I returned to New Vrindaban, along with my traveling sankirtan buddies, for one of our monthly three-day visits. We used to hang out at Bhaktipada's house and sleep at night on the floor in his basement. Once he asked me, "How's life on the road?" I glumly replied, "Horrible. I can't make any money. I feel useless. This service is very difficult for me." He smiled and said, "That's all right. I never was much good at it either!" I thought this was very funny, as I had read that a pure devotee was expert in everything. Then he quietly suggested, "Perhaps you should return to the farm."

I remained silent for a moment, turning it over in my mind. His proposal was tempting, but I clearly understood from hearing his classes and darshans (conversations, usually in question and answer format) that he considered traveling sankirtan to be the highest service: "The money is the honey." I wanted to become a dear confidential disciple. Finally, hoping to please him, I said, "No. I'll stick it out. Maybe I'll get the hang of it someday." Bhaktipada was indeed pleased and affectionately rubbed my shaved head. I was in total bliss.

After much austerity, finally success on the road.

Somehow, after returning to the "pick," I acquired rather suddenly the ability to get people to stop and listen to me, reach in their wallet and hand me some money. At the time I attributed this breakthrough to be the mercy of guru and Krishna: a result of my dogged determination to please my spiritual master.

Today however, I wonder if this breakthrough occurred because my natural sense of honesty had finally been sufficiently numbed by untold repetitions of hearing how, if a karmi (fruitive worker, essentially a non-devotee) is tricked into rendering some small service for Krishna, he will make spiritual advancement. We believed we weren't really stealing from them; we were saving them from hell and blessing them with the priceless treasure of devotional service. We were liberating Lakshmi (Lord Vishnu's consort, the goddess of fortune, a.k.a. money) from people who had stolen her from Krishna. We were taking their money, not to use on our own sense gratification, but to return to Krishna, to glorify God, to help build New Vrindaban. Only when I believed this transcendental trickery from the core of my heart could I look a suspicious potential donor in the eyes and say with complete conviction, "No, I'm NOT with the Hare Krishnas! This money is going to help needy children." (12)

Quickly I learned how to do big on the "pick" and eventually became a maharati, a big gun, a respected party leader for the New Vrindaban men's traveling sankirtan soldiers. I began collecting $2000 per week, then $3000. Devamrita Swami dubbed me the "Prince of the Pick." One of my sankirtan buddies (13) christened me "The Professor," perhaps for my skill in training up new pickers.

I was invited to Los Angeles and San Diego expressly for this reason. My visit was a landmark event for New Vrindaban sankirtan; in the past California devotees had slashed our tires when they caught us working their zone. But now things were different; we had something they desperately wanted: a quick and easy way for uneducated and unskilled laborers to make hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Bhaktipada and devotees alongside Palace wall, c. 1981.
1st row: unidentified devotee, the author, Dasarath; 2nd row: Krishna Chandra, Jaya Nitai; 3rd row: Jagannath Mishra, Nityodita.



At the Los Angeles ISKCON temple, Rameshvar Maharaj, the guru for Southern California, even sought me out to converse with me. He was especially enamored of the term I used when referring to the low-class human beings sunk in the modes of passion and ignorance, addicted to sex and intoxication, who frequented heavy metal rock concerts: "the dregs of human society." He chuckled and repeated that term several times "the dregs of human society" and even used it once during one of his lectures. (14)

After I had learned the tricks of the trade, the necessary detachment from results (it is amazing how much money a person can make if they act as if they can walk away from it all) and oral skills (flattery was a great tool, especially with women), I really started to enjoy life on the road. One year I collected $150,000. I didn't keep a penny for myself; the money belonged to Krishna.

One pleasant byproduct of my sankirtan success was the attention I received from my spiritual master. Of course, I felt he had always given me whatever attention I needed, but now the relationship became even sweeter. I was the top collector for the New Vrindaban men's parties during the 1981 Christmas marathon and was honored with the "Golden Van Award." Consequently I was invited to travel with Bhaktipada in March 1982 to India for the Mayapur festival. I enjoyed serving him, massaging his feet and running menial errands for him. I had developed, by gradual increments, a very deep and sincere love for my spiritual master. I loved him so much that I think I would have done almost anything for him. And Bhaktipada reciprocated by his sweet words and affectionate smiles. He rarely chastised me, but more often he simply encouraged me to do my best, to be all that I could be, to grow and mature in Krishna consciousness.

The BBT revises Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita.

One thing I admired about Bhaktipada was his determination to follow Shrila Prabhupada's orders strictly. In 1983 the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) published a new revision of Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is, supposedly to correct errors of grammar and style and make the book more acceptable to the academic community. Bhaktipada adamantly opposed changing the books of the previous acharyas without their permission. It might be acceptable if Prabhupada's original text was included in the new edition as footnotes, perhaps, but this was not done. The words and sometimes meanings of his translations and purports were changed.

Bhaktipada expressed concern that tampering with Prabhupada's words would set a precedent for changing everything. He believed that, after Prabhupada's disappearance, no changes at all should ever be made to his books, in order to preserve the purity and potency of his message and to safeguard the permanence of his legacy. Totally reediting the Bhagavad-gita without Prabhupada's permission was irresponsible and offensive since it violated Shrila Prabhupada's oral instruction to his disciples to follow the age-old tradition of Vaishnava etiquette that prohibits whimsically changing what he had given them. Prabhupada explained the rule of "arsa prayoga," that whatever the acharya had given should be accepted. The tendency to think oneself sufficiently qualified to correct one's spiritual authority is not only a breach of Vaishnava etiquette, but is an offense in the service of the spiritual master.

Bhaktipada exclaimed, "In a few years then, they'll want to change even more, and soon it could become like the Bible -- devoid of any clear understanding of the message of God." (15)

Bhaktipada was extremely critical of the BBT decision to allow this sacrilege of changing the acharya's sacred words. We thought that ISKCON was heading down the road to hell; we felt fortunate to have a spiritual master who held tightly to the previous acharya's teachings. Once during a darshan I heard Bhaktipada raise his voice and thunder, "I want to become known as the acharya who didn't change anything!"

My days on the "pick" are numbered.

I excelled at this service of "picking" for perhaps five years, but, beginning in 1983 or '84, I began to develop some physical weaknesses which greatly reduced my stamina and collections. I was unable to regularly do big on the "pick" anymore because my body had lost much strength, I believe, partly from the stress of the service itself as well as our customary abuse of and disregard for the body's needs. We never took a day off and hardly rested. Seven days a week, from 11 a.m. or noon until 9 or 10 p.m. we were out collecting money to help build a new temple for Radha-Vrindaban Chandra (the presiding deities of the New Vrindaban community), which, coincidentally, was never built. On big days when there was a football game or car race we would often start picking at 8 or 9 a.m. and finish late at night, sometimes after midnight. I permanently damaged my voice by working deafening car races which were so loud from the earsplitting roars of the racing engines that I had to shout into a potential donor's ear before they could hear me. I think my diet was also inadequate; I lost ten or fifteen pounds since moving to New Vrindaban and fell ill more frequently.

Books, marriage, music.

Finally in September of 1985 Bhaktipada, perhaps realizing that my days as a big collector were over, asked me to move back to New Vrindaban and help set up an office for the publication and distribution of his books: Palace Publishing. In late February 1986, I traveled to India for the 500th anniversary of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance (March 26) and actually shipped twenty-two cases of books (probably weighing a half-ton) for free on an Air-India jetliner by asking Indian passengers in the ticket line if they would kindly check a case of Hare Krishna books for me on their ticket. When the jet arrived in Calcutta I had to rent a pickup truck to get the books to Mayapur, where nearly all of them were sold.

When I returned to New Vrindaban in April, Bhaktipada had a surprise for me: a wife! He didn't ask me to marry the particular girl he had in mind; he ordered me. (16)

When I refused, saying "she's not my type," (17) he gleefully sent me back on the road on traveling sankirtan. After a month or two, the daily grind of the "pick" got to me again and I begrudgingly surrendered, "OK, Bhaktipada. I give up. I'll marry her." I was actually inspired to do this by my grand-guru Shrila Prabhupada, whose father had arranged for him to marry a girl who did not appeal to him. "But father," Abhay protested, "I am more attracted by the beauty of another girl. Why must I marry this one?" His father philosophically replied, "If you marry a girl who is too beautiful, you will not be able to leave her later in life to take up spiritual practices." (18)

However, after getting married on June 4, 1986, I still had to go back out on the "pick" full time! Bhaktipada got me married and had my sankirtan collections also. Yet by this time there was already a hint of change in the air at New Vrindaban, radical changes which would eventually result in a complete restructuring of the fundamental temple worship services and the predominant dress and appearance of the community. Bhaktipada had begun his most controversial mission: the de-Indianization of Krishna consciousness.


Chant and be happy! New Vrindaban outdoor kirtan, ca. 1989.

Left to right: Truthful, Mahati Mataji, Peaceful Swami (with guitar), Dhananjaya, Vishvamurti, Dhruva (with recorder), Murti Swami, the author (with accordion), Bhaktirasa Swami, Bhakta Steve, Bhaktisiddhanta Swami, Sarvabhauma Das from Pakistan, Dhirodatta (with guitar), True Peace, Madhava Ghosh


In October of 1986, Bhaktipada once again called me back to the farm; this time to start a choir which would sing great classics by Bach, Handel, Mozart, etc. with Krishna-ized texts: lyrics which had been rewritten to express the philosophy and emotional sentiments of the Vaishnava's unique perspective on God.

Soon other projects followed and I was asked to lead, at various times, the children's choir, the accordion ensemble, the gospel choir and band, the temple orchestra, the Music at the Palace recital series, and to compose music for the three daily temple worship services. Music was a very important part of Bhaktipada's vision for preaching Krishna consciousness and I became an important part of his mission. He even wrote in one of his books, "Krishna clearly says in the Gita that one with a vision for preaching is most dear to Him, and I think that the vision He has given me in regard to preaching with music is best understood by Hrishikesh. So please, just follow his direction and be united in love for one another, because that is what pleases Krishna and Guru." (19)


New Vrindaban City of God Temple Orchestra, January 1991.

Accordions: Bhaktijoy, Dutiful Rama, Chakravarti Swami, Dhruva; Organ: Radha-Vrindaban Chandra Swami; Violins: Yamuna, Good Hope; Double bass: Herapanchami; Harps: Bhavisya, Brihan Naradiya Purana; Trumpets: Vishvatamukha, Sudanu; Percussion: Harikirtan, Wonderful Love.

Bhaktipada and I enjoyed dozens of pleasant and stimulating hours together in his house or on the road in his Cadillac limousine listening to and discussing music, writing and rewriting texts for hymns, and traveling to various cities to listen to pipe organs and purchase instruments for the temple orchestra. However, all things must pass, and so did the glorious era of Western classical music at New Vrindaban. But I am getting ahead of myself.

How this book began.

I never intended to write a history of the New Vrindaban Community until August 2002, when I visited the community and happened to meet an old acquaintance and orchestra member who had served as principle violist in our temple orchestra for several weeks in 1990 and again in 1991: Satyavrata Das from Toronto. During our brief conversation, he reminisced about many shared old times of creating glorious music for the presiding deities of New Vrindaban, Radha-Vrindaban Chandra, which I had completely forgotten during the passing of the previous twelve years. At that moment, I decided that I must write a short article about music at New Vrindaban, so that the memory of these events would not be lost forever. I did not expect that my article would be published; I began writing simply for my own edification and pleasure.

However, as I pored through my extensive archive of New Vrindaban publications and corresponded with devotees I had not seen for a decade or more, my paper became longer and longer and longer and longer. After a while, I had to divide it into individual chapters, and after three months, I had a 150-page book. After one year it had grown to over 400 pages. After two years I had written over 1000 pages, not simply about the music at the community, but a fairly extensive general history of New Vrindaban which had to be divided into three parts.

What began as a short article had developed a life of its own and had grown into a massive undertaking. Despite the volume of work, I could not give it up; I had already spent so much time on it that I was forced to see it to its ultimate publication. I wanted to provide an accurate historical record and documentation of these glorious and notorious musical activities at a radical Krishna community for posterity, while the memory of those events was still fresh in my mind.

I believe this book is an honest and factual historical account of what happened at the New Vrindaban community. I have taken great pains to insure that the information within this book is accurate. It was not always easy finding reliable sources of information, as the New Vrindaban Temple Library was "purged" soon after Bhaktipada's rule was terminated. Devotees who wished to "cleanse the temple of heretical writings" and to forget the suffering of the past, emptied the library of "deviant" books and magazines and angrily threw them into the trash dumpster behind the temple, which later ended up being buried at the town dump.

In addition, another extensive collection, the New Vrindaban Archives, consisting of New Vrindaban publications as well as Bhaktipada's personal correspondence, meticulously organized and maintained by librarian Radha Vrindaban Chandra Swami and locked and protected by steel bars in the basement of Bhaktipada's house, was broken into and ransacked by some disgruntled former gurukula students during one reunion at New Vrindaban around 1996 or 1997. Parts of this archive were recovered, but much of it was lost.

I also contacted many former New Vrindaban devotees to get their own eyewitness accounts. This was not easy, as some refused to be interviewed, and others, who graciously granted me interviews, didn't (I suspect) tell me absolutely everything they knew. Some testimonies and sources I did not cite at all in this book, because I believed they exaggerated or distorted the truth. I have attempted to present the opinions of both sides of controversial topics as to present a broader picture. I have tried not to pronounce judgment, but only to tell what happened. If the reader wishes to judge, that is their business.

I believe Shrila Prabhupada would agree that truth should be spoken (or written) even when it might be unpalatable to some. One should call a spade a spade. Truthfulness is the last religious quality left in Kali-yuga. If we cannot be truthful, what can we be?

In Bhagavad-gita As It Is (10.4-5, purport), Prabhupada explained, "Satyam, truthfulness, means that facts should be presented as they are for the benefit of others. Facts should not be misrepresented. According to social conventions, it is said that one can speak the truth only when it is palatable to others. But that is not truthfulness. The truth should be spoken in a straight and forward way, so that others will understand actually what the facts are. If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he is a thief, that is truth. Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one should not refrain from speaking it. Truthfulness demands that the facts be presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is the definition of truth."

Your letters of comment, criticism and correction are welcome and may be sent to

Hare Krishna!

Hrishikesh Das
(Henry Doktorski)


The following indented paragraphs were added by the author on April 28, 2007.

This introduction was probably written in 2004, when I was still enthusiastic about researching and writing and publishing a history of the New Vrindaban Community. Today I am not so enthusiastic. Certainly I was discouraged during the last few years by my inability to find a publisher for such a specialized book. I have also realized some of my own limitations as an author. However, recently I have become especially discouraged because of all the dirt I have uncovered. Once upon a time I thought that the New Vrindaban Community was basically a good place; a spiritual community where wonderful things were accomplished despite the mistakes of some leaders. The leaders reformed and there would be a happy ending.

However, the more research I undertake, the more horror stories I discover, until now I am not sure whether the New Vrindaban Community was more a spiritual community or more a criminal enterprise operating under the guise of a religious community. Truly I have become disheartened.

And I cannot in most cases ascertain whether my interviewees are (1) speaking honestly, truthfully and factually, or (2) making up sensational horror stories and fabricated fantasies for their own perverted pleasure, or (3) attempting to cover up their own sins and crimes with sanitized versions of actual events. I am not a detective; I really don't have the time or inclination to spend the rest of my life trying to find out what really happened at New Vrindaban. How many murders were authorized by community leaders and who authorized them (this might come as a surprise to some); how much money to build Prabhupada's Palace was generated from selling illegal recreational drugs; how much homosex and pedophilia by the top men occurred behind the scenes for decades beginning in the late 1960s; including even alleged recreational drug and alchohol use.

I am tired of this never-ending process. Each new lead unearths a plethora of unbelievable atrocities, which in most cases I cannot positively confirm, as when I attempt to interview persons who were implicated in alleged activities they either refuse to speak about it to me, or deny such events ever occurred. And then some others become angry at me for repeating what I have heard which defames the "great souls" who built the community, and then they utter threats to me. Do I really need this?

Perhaps some day this story may be written and published, but I do not see it at this moment. If Krishna sends a qualified and unbiased editor free from attachment to the ISKCON political powers that be, and then provides generous donors to provide funding for continued research and eventual book production, it might be accomplished.


The following indented paragraphs were added by the author on April 12, 2008.

Some devotee friends have recently inquired from me about the progress of my forthcoming book about the history of New Vrindaban. I am pleased to report that, after a period of inactivity and reflection, I have begun working on it again in earnest. For the pleasure of the Vaishnavas, and especially the Brijabasis (former and current), I have uploaded one chapter to the Internet. You can read it here if you like.

The work is still in progress and unfinished, so I welcome your thoughts and impressions about how I can improve it. I apppreciate your input.



The following indented paragraphs were added by the author on April 18, 2009.

Well, once again, I am receiving inquiries about the progress of my book and letters of encouragement from well wishers, including the popular & scholarly Vaishnava author Steven Rosen. I haven't worked on the book since last September. During the entire summer I worked diligently on the four chapters regarding the murder of devotee Steve Bryant (Sulochan). I was able to fit together many pieces of the puzzle, which has remained hidden for 20 years. However, it was discouraging to me, and even painful, and I lost my momentum. However, now I believe I have recovered from that shock, and have decided to continue researching & writing. I believe it is nearing completion. Thank you for your patience.



End Notes

1. Larry Shinn, "The Maturation of the Hare Krishnas in America," ISKCON Communications Journal, vol. 2, no. 1 (January 1994).

2. lila ksetram param-dhamam sthapitam yena pascime, from the Bhaktipada pranams. The former goal of creating a self sufficient community based on cow protection and agriculture was supplanted in the mid-1970s by the latter: erecting a transcendental place of pilgrimage where Krishna's pastimes are displayed in the West. In 1987 the goal was further revised: to create a "City of God" where all God's devotees, of any faith, could live in harmony.

3. E. Burke Rochford, Jr., claimed in Hare Krishna in America (Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey: 1985), (175-76, 295) that: "Literature distribution doubled each year between 1974 and 1976, then declined modestly until 1979, when it began to fall off significantly. Economically, the growth in book distribution resulted in a financial boom for the movement. . . . As a result of the financial prosperity brought about by this growth in book distribution, ISKCON purchased half a dozen new and larger temples in 1975 and 1976. The decision to acquire larger temples was based on the assumption that the movement's ranks would continue to grow and that book distribution would continue to expand as it had in these years. By 1975, however, ISKCON's recruitment numbers had already begun to decline, and in 1977 book distribution began to level off as well. . . . One source suggests that recruitment in America peaked in 1973 and 1974. By 1976, ISKCON's yearly number of recruits had declined by approximately one-third from its 1973 high. Thereafter, the number of new recruits joining the movement each year leveled off."

However this decline of enrollment during the mid-1970s is contested by figures published in the Bhakta Program Newsletter which claimed that worldwide recruitment increased until 1979, which was recorded as the highest year (1922 new devotees, and 1335 graduates of the Bhakta Program; an increase of 50% from 1978). Although a large percentage of this recruitment undoubtedly occurred overseases, Danavir Swami nonetheless claimed, "Recruitment, both worldwide and in America, rose steadily from 1970 thorugh 1979." (e-mail to the author, September 4, 2005)

4. The author examined fifteen census reports in the New Vrindaban archives dating from September 1976 to July 1991 and found that the October 1986 report listed the high point of the community's population at 377 adults (213 men and 164 women). If we add 136 children and 187 employees to this number we arrive at 700.

5. The October 1982 Brijabasi Spirit proclaimed on its cover, "30,000 Receive the Mercy at Prabhupada's Festival." The author believes this was a great exaggeration.

6. "Prabhupada's Palace of Gold," Brijabasi Spirit, vol. 10, no. 1 (March 1983), 18. Mahabudhi Das, the former manager of the Palace, believes that possibly 500,000 visitors came to the Palace in 1985.

7. At the Vrindaban brahmachari farmhouse, like most nineteenth-century farmhouses, there were NO toilets; there was not even an outhouse. We did our morning duties in the rural Indian style by squatting in a field outside. Before passing stool, we stripped to our kaupins (brahmin underwear) in the bathhouse in the basement, donned a special set of rubber boots and coat (designated the "stool coat"), walked outside to a nearby hill sloping down away from the building (and the hand-pumped well), dug a little hole with a shovel, did our duty, rinsed our backside with water from a plastic bottle (designated "the stool jug"), covered the hole with earth, and returned to the bathhouse where we bathed using one of four large plastic 55-gallon drums which were filled with water from the well. We reached into the barrels with an empty plastic milk jug with the top cut off and poured the contents over our heads. In the winter, we did not dig through the snow-covered frozen earth, but just left our "remnants," which quickly froze solid, on top of the snow. During the spring thaw, we had to be very careful where we stepped, since an entire winter's worth of stool from 20-30 brahmacharis lay scattered on the muddy ground.

This arrangement was approved by Prabhupada, who wrote, "Concerning the outhouses, if they are not approved, then you can have a septic tank, or pass stool in the open field. I was doing that. I never liked to go to the nonsense toilet so I was going in the field."

Prabhupada, from a letter to Kirtanananda dated March 23, 1976 from Letters from Shrila Prabhupada, vol. 5, (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Los Angeles: 1987), 3101.

8. Rantidev Das.

9. Chaidyashatru Das. Actually, now that I think about it, he did wear rubber boots when he went outside, but no socks.

10. The pick: devotee jargon for going out in conventional clothes to public places like supermarket, shopping mall, concert and sporting event parking lots and "hitting people up" (approaching individuals or groups for a donation). Normally a piece of merchandise like a bumper sticker or baseball cap was offered in exchange.

11. Such deceptive fundraising practices were not limited to the New Vrindaban community but were common throughout ISKCON, in flagrant violation to the Vaishnava principle of satya, truthfulness. Bhakti Ananda Goswami, who received harinam initiation from Prabhupada at Detroit (1973) and sannyasa initiation from Radhanath Swami at New Vrindaban (1992), wrote, "These sinful activities rationalized by some ISKCON leaders are not traditionally approved behaviors for Vaishnavas, nor were all ISKCON devotees involved in dishonest or deceptive donation collections. I myself spent many hours on the streets and in mall parking lots distributing Back to Godhead magazines and Shrila Prabhupada's books and never used any deceptions. I also never collected hardly any donations either! When I found out that the brahmacharis [celibate male students] were taking my son out on the 'pick' when he was supposed to be in school and were teaching him to lie, I was shocked and removed him from that 'gurukula.' I knew many other devotees who did not cheat people. And of course, the deviations of Bhaktipada in these picking schemes were common in ISKCON, but certainly not representative of Vaishnavism, which promotes sattvic behavior, including truthfulness. It is important to make this distinction: the duplicitous, sinful and criminal behaviors sanctioned or indulged in by members of ISKCON and the Hare Krishna movement do not in any way represent the venerable tradition of Vaishnavism."

Bhakti Ananda Goswami, from an e-mail letter to the author dated February 21, 2003.

12. Bhaktipada disliked the term "deception," and preferred, like Prabhupada, to compare the rationale of "transcendental trickery" to that of a parent who persuades a child to take a foul-tasting medicine by lacing it with sugar. He said, "Even if it is a little tricky, that isn't bad."

Bhaktipada, quoted by Russell Chandler and Evan Maxwell in "Krishna: Earthly Kingdom of Movement Evidences Disarray," Los Angeles Times (February 15, 1981), 15.

Later Bhaktipada explained, "Even if a devotee, due to over-enthusiasm or lack of discretion, does something that is questionable to get someone to make a donation, that actually is not harmful to the person [giving the donation]; it is to their good that they are engaged in God's service. In Sanskrit it's called ajnata sukrti, to unknowingly perform pious activity. This is what's behind our sankirtan activities: going out and begging from the public to engage them in God's service, in God's work. This is actually the highest form of welfare work, because it's doing what is ultimately good for everyone. If a man gives just a penny, he benefits eternally; his path back to Godhead has begun."

Bhaktipada, quoted from Gordon Jacob's video, Holy Cow! Swami (West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority: 1996).

13. My dear friend Dasarath Das and I spent nearly one year together on the road. We were a great team. He was a natural salesman and I was a natural party leader. In the beginning when I was still learning the tricks of the trade, whenever I was having trouble getting donations, I would walk over to Das and listen to what he was telling people. Then I would use his line and people would start giving money. Each town sometimes needed a slightly different mantra. What would work in one town would not necessarily work in another. Even at different times of the day, certain mantras wouldn't work unless they were subtly changed. Das was a genius at reading the people and finding the exact mantra to use. In fact, Das and I discovered/invented the "citation line," an innovative fundraising technique which allowed many devotees to triple or even quadruple their collections. Today (February 2003), Das and his good wife (also a former sankirtan maharani) live only a few miles from me. Although he no longer lives at a temple, he still goes out on the "pick" to provide for his wife and family.

14. dregs: 1. the particles of solid matter that settle at the bottom in a liquid, such as beer, 2. the most worthless part.

15. Kirtanananda Swami, cited by Nityodita Das, "On Tour with Shrila Bhaktipada," Brijabasi Spirit (c. May 1983), 27.

16. Bhaktipada explained how the disciple should obey the spiritual master: "The spiritual master is the representative of Krishna. If the spiritual master tells me to stand on my head, I stand on my head. If he tells me to marry this girl, I marry this girl. If he tells me to do this work, I do this work."

"Shrila Bhaktipada Darshan: Noon, September 26, 1990," The City of God Examiner, no. 37 (October 3, 1990), 2.

In the early days of his American mission, Prabhupada sometimes also arranged marriages for his disciples. Like Bhaktipada after him, he simply was concerned that his disciples care only to please himself as a representative of Krishna. He said, "And you know our Jagattarini, wife of Bhurijana. She was a theatrical girl and earning millions of dollars. But she has given up everything. She is a nice girl, educated and qualified. But she is satisfied. I asked her to go and marry Bhurijana. She never saw him and did not know what kind of husband she would be accepting. But simply on my word, she came from Los Angeles [to Hong Kong] and got married. The only consideration is how to please Krishna and His representative."

Prabhupada, cited by Bhurijana Das, My Glorious Master (Vaishnava Institute for Higher Education, New Delhi: 1996), 89.

Bhurijana, however, is a better man than I, as he was able to remain married to his wife for over two decades.

17. The spouses of New Vrindaban arranged marriages were often mismatched. Vrajeshvari Dasi wrote, "Marriages are arranged by a genius at arranging materially hellish situations (I won't say who). I mean obviously (it has been said) if it wasn't for the mahamantra, we wouldn't, or better couldn't, be within 50 miles of each other."

Vrajeshvari Dasi, "Spiritual Awakening," Brijabasi Spirit, vol. 3, no. 2 (April 1976), 23.

Mahamaya Devi Dasi described her New Vrindaban marriage, "I felt upset when I learned that Kirtanananda Swami wanted me to marry Tribanga Das, a Spiritual Sky salesman working Indiana, lured to New Vrindaban by promises of a wife, house, maha-prasadam [special foodstuffs offer directly to the deity] and whatever he wanted. . . . Although especially not wanting to marry him, I could see no way out. The next Sunday we were married at a New Vrindaban 'flower ceremony,' in which we exchanged flowers on the temple porch at Bahulaban [the devotee farm community on Limestone Road closest to route 250]. Everyone cheered and considered us married. We were given the Deities' maha-prasadam afterward. The marriage went downhill from that point. . . . It was embarrassing to be married to this man. My unforgiving feelings are most accurately described by a crude expression I learned while growing up: I hated his guts. . . . After eight months of hell, married to Tribanga, I decided to leave him."

Mahamaya Devi Dasi, Shrila Prabhupada Is Coming! (Holy Cow Books, Alachua, Florida: 2000), 97, 103.

18. Conversation between Abhay and his father, Gour Mohan De, quoted by Satsvarupa Das Goswami in The Life Story of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Bala Books, Brooklyn: 1983), 4.

19. Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada, How to Love God, (Palace Publishing, New Vrindaban WV: 1992), 115.


The following letters and articles by the author, or recommended by the author, have been published online:

2005/11/15: “Vrindaban’s Woods and Groves”

2006/12/17: A Reply to Umapati Swami, Asked & Answered

2006/12/21: Reply to Bhaktipada or Bhaktifraud?

2007/01/03: Sulocana's Murder - For the Record, Part 1

2007/01/09: Hrishikesh Replies to Chaitanya Mangala

2007/03/20: Faith Is Blind And Ignorance Is Bliss

2007/03/22: In Memory of Hayagriva

2007/04/01: Prayers For Muktakesh

2007/04/11: The Passing Away Of Muktakesh

2007/04/12: Reply to "Checks and Balances"

2007/04/17: New Vrindaban's Giant Prabhupada Statue

2008/02/12: Child Abuse in India

2008/03/07: Kirtanananda Swami leaves U.S., Moves to India Permanently

2008/03/29: When Is The Actual Birthday of New Vrindaban?

2008/04/12: Chapter Preview, History of New Vrindaban

2008/06/28: A Reply to "New Vrindaban Body Count"

2008/07/24: Confronting the Demons-in-disguise

2008/07/31: Response to "A letter to the Sampradaya Sun"

2008/09/13: The Saga of Sulochan, Part 1

2008/10/20: The Saga of Sulochan, Part 2

2009/07/24: Kirtanananda's Return

2009/09/08: Prayers to Lord Damodar

2009/09/12: Noble Qualities

2009/12/16: Krishna Christmas Carols

2009/12/18: We Wish you a Hare Krishna, and a Jai Prabhupada!

2010/01/21: A 'Grand Aparadha'?

2010/02/22: Thoughts about Bhaktipada in Karachi and Those who "prop up" Pretenders

2010/08/16: Radhanath Swami's Alleged Involvement in Sulochan's Murder

2011/08/10: Saint or Psychopath?

2011/08/22: Interfaith Preaching Is Not Garbage

2011/10/24: Sampradaya Sun Obituary: Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada: September 6, 1937—October 24, 2011

2011/10/24: The Wall Street Journal Obituary: Former W.Va. Krishna leader dies in India at 74

2011/10/25: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Obituary: Swami Bhaktipada / Disgraced leader of Hare Krishnas in W.Va. Died Oct. 24, 2011

2011/10/25: New York Times Obituary: Swami Bhaktipada, Ex-Hare Krishna Leader, Dies at 74 (Part 1)

2011/10/25: New York Times Obituary: Swami Bhaktipada, Ex-Hare Krishna Leader, Dies at 74 (Part 2)

2011/11/14: A History of Neglect: The Cows of New Vrindaban under the Leadership of Kirtanananda Swami

2011/12/02: New Vrindaban Cows Are Doing Fine, Thank You

2011/12/12: A Chronology of Swami Bhaktipada's Life

2011/12/14: The Jaladhir, Not the Jaladhuta

2011/12/18: Why I Use the Name "Bhaktipada"


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Radhanath Swami's Alleged Involvement in Sulochan's Murder

BY: HRISHIKESH DASA (HENRY DOKTORSKI)

Aug 16, 2010 — PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, USA (SUN) — In his recent article, Dinanath Carana das asks why so many of Radhanath Swami's programs are outside of ISKCON. I cannot claim to know Radhanath Swami's mind, but as a former resident of New Vrindaban, I guess one factor might be his alleged knowledge of and involvement in Sulochan dasa's brutal murder nearly 25 years ago.


If most ISKCON devotees believed that Radhanath Swami participated prominently in Sulochan's murder, he would probably have some explaining to do, and might be stripped of his high standing in ISKCON. If such a scenario transpired, it is probable that many of his loving disciples would not believe the allegations and would continue to worship him as guru. I expect his disciples who manage his temples would prefer to formally leave ISKCON and create their own society rather than abandon their guru, just as Kirtanananda Swami's disciples did in 1987 when their guru was excommunicated from ISKCON. This is to be expected when the guru commands great powers of charisma, as Radhanath does.


Regarding Radhanath's alleged involvement in Sulochan's murder, we know that Tirtha dasa pulled the trigger, but not everyone knows the extent of the New Vrindaban support group which provided Tirtha with the intelligence, funding, and "spiritual" inspiration to remain steady in his "service for guru and Krishna".


Kuladri dasa, the New Vrindaban Temple President, performed a number of important managerial duties to facilitate the murder, one of which was to provide Tirtha with the latest information from various surveillance sources. Tirtha said that he phoned Kuladri every day, "I called Kuladri . . . to get an update . . . every day."


(Tirtha Swami, cited in Thomas Drescher Before the Federal Grand Jury for the Northern District of West Virginia Investigative Grand Jury, August 11, 1994, Wheeling, West Virginia, 55.)


Kuladri, New Vrindaban's chief manager, was certainly aware of the other devotees who assisted and inspired Tirtha in his mission. Kuladri indirectly implicated Radhanath when he said: "I know Tapahpunja, along with other swamis, were saying that the community had to do whatever is necessary to protect the Swami [Kirtanananda]." At this time there were only three swamis at New Vrindaban: Kirtanananda, Tapahpunja and Radhanath.


(Kuladri dasa, cited by Halasz & Halasz, court reporters, "United States of America, Plaintiff, v. CR 90-87 Keith Gordon Ham, Terry Sheldon, Steven Fitzpatrick, New Vrindaban Community, Inc., Govardhan, Inc., Cathedral of Healing, Inc., Defendants, Before: Honorable Robert R. Merhige, Jr., United States District Judge and a Jury," Day III (March 13, 1991), Martinsburg, West Virginia, 475.)


Kuladri claimed that Radhanath was one of the key actors in this sordid drama: "Radhanath, Hayagriva and Tapahpunja were pushing like crazy for this [murder] to happen."


(Kuladri, cited by Dharmatma, from Trial transcript, cited by Halasz & Halasz, court reporters, "United States of America, Plaintiff, v. CR 90-87 Keith Gordon Ham, Terry Sheldon, Steven Fitzpatrick, New Vrindaban Community, Inc., Govardhan, Inc., Cathedral of Healing, Inc., Defendants, Before: Honorable Robert R. Merhige, Jr., United States District Judge and a Jury," Day IV (March 14, 1991), Martinsburg, West Virginia, 832-837, 941.)


Dharmatma claimed that Radhanath was involved to some degree: "he [Radhanath] was involved to some degree or had knowledge of Sulochan's murder. I know this for a fact."


(Dharmatma dasa, letter to Hansadutta (August 26, 1994).)


Janmastami dasa, who traveled with and assisted Tirtha while conducting surveillance on Sulochan in California, explained how he was recruited to assist in the elimination of Sulochan: "In January of 1986, on my return to New Vrindaban [after the Christmas marathon], I was ordered by Radhanath . . . not by Kirtanananda Swami, to terminate Sulochan. This happened with Tapahpunja Swami and Tirtha in November and December of 1985. I was on traveling sankirtan until Christmas and didn't get back to the farm until New Years. Immediately on our arrival at New Vrindaban, Radhanath sought me out and made arrangements for us to meet in his van, where he went through a prepared speech that he had delivered to Tirtha, Tapahpunja Swami and Kuladri many times before. Later talks with Tirtha confirmed this."


(Janmastami dasa, "New Vrindaban History, for the Record", The Sampradaya Sun (December 22, 2006).


Radhanath flattered Janmastami: "You are one of those rare few that Krishna has endowed with the ksatriya spirit and the courage enough to do what has to be done."


(Radhanath Swami, cited by Janmastami dasa, "Chapter Seven: Knowledge of the Absolute is not Absolute Knowledge," accessed from http://www.harekrsna.org/pada/ks/nv/7.htm (November 4, 2008).)


Janmastami remembered in more detail:


Radhanath was saying to those he was giving marching orders to: "Sulochan poses a life threat to both Kuladri and to Kirtanananda Swami. He has written that in his diary, and for that reason alone, this guy must be transmigrated to his next body."


Radhanath was clear in his meaning beyond any shadow of a doubt. "Now that Srila Prabhupada has left us, the entire fate of this movement—OUR movement, Lord Caitanya's movement—rests in Kirtanananda Swami's hands, and according to our nature, it is up to us to do whatever we can to help the movement in that regard." . . .


Radhanath had made his pitch to at least a half a dozen sets of sympathetic ears before someone raised these Gita related questions:


"How have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life."
"The words existent and non-existent refer only to spirit and matter. Why worry?"
"How can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal, and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?"


Tough questions, but from a submissive audience. Radhanath was undaunted. He quoted Krishna in his response to a potentially explosive volley of inquiry: "Everything has its proper utility, and a man situated in complete knowledge knows how and where to apply a thing, so there is no possibility of sinful reaction. Also, considering your specific duty as a ksatriya..."


That settled it. The order was there from your bona-fide spiritual authority and it was based on scripture, directly from Krishna. Either you followed those instructions or you were going to hell!


(Janmastami dasa, "Chapter 2: Contents of the Palace, Itemized," accessed from http://liberatedyogi.tripod.com.)


Janmastami's story was collaborated by two eyewitnesses. Bhaktipada's chauffeur confirmed: "I was privy to much behind-the-scenes action, and I was there when Radhanath told Janmastami to ‘destroy the demon.'"


(Priyavenu dasa, conversation with the author (September 14, 2003).)


A teenage gurukula boy who served under Janmastami also claimed he overheard Radhanath order Janmastami to "destroy the demon."


(Harivrata dasa, conversation with the author (January 9, 2007).)


On Thursday, May 22, 1986, at approximately one a.m. Pacific time (4 a.m. Eastern time) during the early-morning of Lord Nrsimhadev's Appearance day, the 33-year-old Sulochan sat rolling a joint in his rusted 1976 Dodge van parked at the intersection of Flint Avenue and Cardiff Street, a half-mile from the Los Angeles ISKCON temple. Within a few short seconds his brains were blown apart by two bullets from a hand gun fired through the driver's side window at close range.


The news of Sulochan's murder traveled fast. Lightning fast. Tirtha made a speedy getaway from the Los Angeles temple environs to the LAX airport, where he dumped his rented car and made a quick telephone call to New Vrindaban while waiting for the next flight back east. He said, "I went to the airport, dropped off the vehicle, took the first flight out of Los Angeles . . . It just happened to be going to Dallas."


(Swami, cited in Thomas Drescher Before the Federal Grand Jury for the Northern District of West Virginia Investigative Grand Jury, August 11, 1994, Wheeling, West Virginia, 67.)


During the japa period preceding the mangal-aroti morning program at New Vrindaban, hushed whispers of the news of Sulochan's death brought great excitement to the devotees in attendance. The news couldn't have taken longer than thirty minutes to reach them after the murder was committed. Dharmatma remembered:


"It was the morning of Lord Nrsimhadev's appearance day. Nrsimha is a form of Krishna that protects the devotees. He is half-man, half-lion. When I came in [the temple room] in the morning everyone was very excited and jubilant and the whole temple was buzzing. Everyone was talking in little circles. It seemed to be a very upbeat mood in the morning. I asked someone what is going on because it was like a festive atmosphere. The devotee told me, "Haven't you heard? Sulochan was killed in California last night!"


During the question and answer period after class, a devotee asked Bhaktipada "how should we understand it when a demon is killed?" Bhaktipada responded that "A devotee isn't disturbed when a snake is killed."


(Dharmatma, from Trial transcript, cited by Halasz & Halasz, court reporters, "United States of America, Plaintiff, v. CR 90-87 Keith Gordon Ham, Terry Sheldon, Steven Fitzpatrick, New Vrindaban Community, Inc., Govardhan, Inc., Cathedral of Healing, Inc., Defendants, Before: Honorable Robert R. Merhige, Jr., United States District Judge and a Jury," Day IV (March 14, 1991), Martinsburg, West Virginia, 832-837, 941.)


When Ramachandra dasa, a New Vrindaban sankirtan picker, asked Radhanath Swami: "Do you know who killed Sulochan?" Radhanath replied: "I don't know, but whoever it was, he was doing devotional service to Krishna."


(Ramachandra dasa, from a conversation with the author on April 10, 2007.)


Dharmatma continued his recollection of the day of the murder and remembered how Kuladri named three instigators who "were pushing like crazy for this to happen."


"Later on after the morning functions, I had a discussion with Kuladri. He was quite disturbed. He mentioned . . . how it shouldn't have been done like that. And that how Radhanath, Hayagriva and Tapahpunja were pushing like crazy for this to happen, and how he had told them not to do it."


(Dharmatma, from Trial transcript, cited by Halasz & Halasz, court reporters, "United States of America, Plaintiff, v. CR 90-87 Keith Gordon Ham, Terry Sheldon, Steven Fitzpatrick, New Vrindaban Community, Inc., Govardhan, Inc., Cathedral of Healing, Inc., Defendants, Before: Honorable Robert R. Merhige, Jr., United States District Judge and a Jury," Day IV (March 14, 1991), Martinsburg, West Virginia, 832-837, 941.)


Janmastami collaborated: "Kuladri was VERY, VERY frightened by the time it was coming to ‘reaction time' because he knew that he and Radhanath were in very deep doo-doo."


(Janmastami, e-mail letter to the author (August 1, 2008).)


Although Tirtha successfully flew from California to Ohio, he was still in dire straits; New Vrindaban hadn't paid him what they promised, and he needed money to purchase plane tickets to get out of the country—fast. Dharmatma described how Bhaktipada and Radhanath came to him to pick up the escape money at the sankirtan house:


"The next day Bhaktipada, along with Radhanath, drove up in my driveway in Bhaktipada's vehicle and tooted the horn for me to come outside. When I came to the car we engaged in some small talk, I don't remember what. And then Bhaktipada asked me if I had six thousand dollars cash in the house. And I said, "I don't know. I will see if you want." He told me to go in and see if I had six thousand dollars.


I went in the house and went into my safe and . . . I counted out six thousand dollars and brought it out to him, and handed it in through the window. I don't remember if I gave it to Radhanath and he passed it to Bhaktipada, or I gave it directly to Bhaktipada. The mood was a little bit strained, and I said, "What is this? So they [Tirtha and Tapahpunja] can get out of the country?" And Bhaktipada and Radhanath smiled and nodded their heads: "Yes." And then they said, "Hey, we've got to go," and they left.


(Dharmatma, from Trial transcript, cited by Halasz & Halasz, court reporters, "United States of America, Plaintiff, v. CR 90-87 Keith Gordon Ham, Terry Sheldon, Steven Fitzpatrick, New Vrindaban Community, Inc., Govardhan, Inc., Cathedral of Healing, Inc., Defendants, Before: Honorable Robert R. Merhige, Jr., United States District Judge and a Jury," Day IV (March 14, 1991), Martinsburg, West Virginia, 832-837, 941.)


The money was delivered to Tirtha and Tapahpunja, but before the two could get on a jet to India, they were apprehended by police and incarcerated. Tapahpunja was released after three days, but Tirtha is still under lock and key for more than 24 years. Tirtha spoke about the first person who visited him in jail, the "most kind and compassionate" Radhanath Swami:


"When I was first arrested and put in jail, it was Radhanath Swami who first came to see me. He spoke to me in a most kind and compassionate manner, explaining that my life was now completely in Krishna's hands. Speaking with him through the thick security glass, I was ashamed and embarrassed to be in such a predicament. He told me to concentrate on Krishna and nothing else. Only Krishna could help me now. Before leaving he gave me copies of the all-in-one Srimad-bhagavatam, Caitanya-caritamrta, and Bhagavad-gita. Reading these books anew would mark the beginning of my new life in prison, and a new era of consciousness, not as a convict, but as a devotee. . . .


When I next spoke with Radhanath Swami he said that I was most fortunate, for Krishna was showing me great mercy by ripping everything away so abruptly. Perhaps if it didn't kill me it would make me much stronger. Die before you die. Surely this is what death is like for the soul too attached to home and hearth. Indeed, it surely felt like death, with everything I held so dearly, now gone in an instant."


(Tirtha dasa, "The Twenty-Six Qualities," part 12: "Exile," which was published on Tirtha's website (tirthainprison.com) but later removed.)


One may ask: how can a humble and renounced devotee who would never hurt a fly help instigate a murder of a devotee godbrother? Prabhupada explained that even the most humble devotee "should be as angry as fire" "if there is blasphemy against one's guru."


In Caitanya-caritamrita (Adi 7.50), Prabhupada wrote: "One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly."


Nevertheless, the author of these instructions, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, did not tolerate the misbehavior of Jagai and Madhai. When they harmed Lord Nityananda Prabhu, He immediately became angry and wanted to kill them, and it was only by the mercy of Lord Nityananda Prabhu that they were saved. One should be very meek and humble in his personal transactions, and if insulted a Vaishnava should be tolerant and not angry. But if there is blasphemy against one's guru or another Vaishnava, one should be as angry as fire. This was exhibited by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.


When a great demon, or snake or scorpion, is destroyed, everyone becomes happy. Prabhupada explained in Srimad-bhagavatam (7.9.14, purport):


Translation: [Hiranyakasipu's son, Prahlada, speaking] My Lord Nrsimhadeva, please, therefore, cease Your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiranyakasipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.


Purport: The most important point in this verse is that although saintly persons never desire the killing of any living entity, they take pleasure in the killing of envious living entities like snakes and scorpions. Hiranyakasipu was killed because he was worse than a snake or a scorpion, and therefore everyone was happy.


"Such demon, who simply troubles the devotees, such demon, a very dangerous demon. So when such demon is killed, even saintly persons are satisfied."


A sadhu, a saintly person never approves that one should be killed. Never. Even an animal. A sadhu does not approve. Why animal should be killed? That is sadhu's business. But Prahlada Maharaja says: modeta sadhur api. A sadhu, a saintly person, is also pleased... When? When a scorpion or a snake is killed. They're also living entity. A sadhu is never satisfied seeing another living entity being killed, but Prahlada Maharaja says "Even a sadhu is pleased when a snake is killed or a scorpion is killed. So my father is just like snake and scorpion. So he's killed. Therefore everyone is happy." Everyone was... Such demon, who simply troubles the devotees, such demon, a very dangerous demon. So when such demon is killed, even saintly persons are satisfied. Although saintly persons, they do not want anyone should be killed.


(A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srimad-bhagavatam 1.8.27, lecture, Los Angeles (April 19, 1973).)


"So there are these snakelike persons. They are envious about our movement, and they are opposing. That is the nature."


A sadhu, a saintly person, never likes killing of any living being. They are not happy... Even a small ant is killed, they are not happy: "Why ant should be killed?" What to speak of others, even a small ant. Para-duhkha-duhkhi. It may be an ant, insignificant, but at the time of death he has suffered. A Vaishnava is unhappy: "Why an ant should be killed?" This is para duhkha-duhkhi. But such Vaishnava is happy when a snake and a scorpion is killed. Modeta sadhur api vrscika-sarpa-hatya. So everyone is happy when a snake or scorpion is killed because they are very, very dangerous. Without any fault they bite and create havoc. So there are these snake-like persons. They are envious about our movement, and they are opposing. That is the nature.


(A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srimad-bhagavatam 7.9.8, lecture, Mayapur (February 28, 1977).)


It was very simple: Sulochan was a demon, period. Killing him was good for him, good for the devotees, and good for the entire world. That was the prevailing belief at New Vrindaban at the time and the devotees involved in the planning, support and execution of Sulochan's murder quoted these verses to justify in their minds their unusual "devotional service."


Even if the New Vrindaban ksatriyas failed in their attempt to assassinate Sulochan, they believed that their lives would still be successful, for if somehow they were to die performing their prescribed duty, or if they were executed by the state after being convicted in a murder trial, they would ascend to the heavenly planets. Krishna promised Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita (2.32): "O Partha, happy are the ksatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets." Prabhupada elaborated: "If he [Arjuna] should conquer his enemies, he would enjoy the kingdom; and if he should die in the battle, he would be elevated to the heavenly planets, whose doors were wide open to him. Fighting would be for his benefit in either case."


Clearly, Sulochan was one "who blasphemed the devotees of the Lord" and carried a "deadly weapon" "with an intent to kill." He deserved to be "killed in self-defense" "with no punishment awarded to the executioner." Even a "very meek and humble" devotee should become "angry like fire, wanting to kill" the offender, "when there is blasphemy committed against superiors." "When such demon is killed, even saintly persons are satisfied."


Those involved in the plot to destroy Sulochan were confident that their actions were sanctioned by guru (Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada), sadhu (Radhanath Swami and Tapahpunja Swami) and shastra (Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrita), and would be pleasing to Prabhupada and Krishna. Even a normally kind and humble devotee who would never harm an ant could take part in this noble mission with enthusiasm. Some may have even felt special honor to be called by Krishna to perform such a glorious task: to render valuable service by protecting the saintly pure devotee of the Lord. What sincere disciple could ask for more?


However, sanity came a little too late to those devotees who conspired in Sulochan's murder. After Tirtha was arrested and the government began a serious investigation of the community, Tapahpunja fled to Ireland and Janmastami fled to India. Within a year Kuladri resigned his post at New Vrindaban and moved to Arizona, and Radhanath Swami began spending more and more time in India, far from the scene of the crime, only to return to New Vrindaban a few times a year.


In conclusion, if there is any lesson to be learned by this sad story, perhaps it is that we should beware of the dangerous mindless cult mentality which can develop between disciples and a charismatic guru whom they believe can do no wrong. I sincerely hope that we have learned a lesson from these unfortunate events which occurred at New Vrindaban in the past and that we keep a vigilant eye on potential similar situations in the society of Vaishnavas today.








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Preface by the Author
Dearest Vaishnavas,
As some of you may know, I have been working on a history of the New Vrindaban Community for the last six years. In January 2007 I submitted an article to the Sampradaya Sun: “Sulochan’s Murder: For the Record, Part One,” and promised at that time to continue the installments. It has taken me a year and a half to fulfill that promise. Much has happened in the interim which has made this possible. Most helpful was the opportunity to search through the public records: newspaper clippings, volumes of trial transcripts numbering over two thousand pages, and other sources such as hundreds of pages from Sulochan’s voluminous writings. After poring through this considerable material, I believe I can now present the results of my research for the scrutiny of members of the devotee community who might be interested in this chapter of New Vrindaban history.
I believe the story of Sulochan’s murder is very important because Sulochan, in retrospect, turned out to be an extremely important figure in the history of the community. In my opinion, he—by his life and death—affected the community more profoundly than nearly anyone else, with the obvious exceptions of such powerful personalities as Srila Prabhupada, Hayagriva and Kirtanananda Swami, and maybe a few others.
These particular chapters were extremely difficult to write, because it was nearly impossible to get completely accurate and unbiased information. While reading through the materials, I discovered that everyone involved had a different slant, a different perspective. It was like the tale of the six blind men and the elephant. The story was so complex that it seemed that no one person could comprehend it in its entirety. And if such persons existed, they were not willing to talk about it.
In addition, another almost insurmountable obstacle I encountered as a researcher was that many of the eyewitness reports were not completely truthful; one devotee’s story contradicted another’s story. This happened frequently, and was especially obvious when reading the trial transcripts. Everyone—and I mean practically everyone—who testified under oath tried to minimize their involvement in any illegal activities. They tried to present themselves in the best possible light. Some appeared desperate to save their own skins. Truth, quite frankly, went right out the window. It was all partial truth, or distorted truth.
I suppose that is just human nature. Any judge in a court of law understands this and sees it all the time. It is very difficult to get anyone to speak the truth, to admit their own guilt, to confess their involvement in criminal activities. They are afraid of punishment. The prosecuting attorney had to practically trick the witnesses into revealing the truth, or somehow try to drag it out of them. Naturally those involved in the plot were worried about potential prison terms and even the death penalty, and did their damned best to make themselves look as good as possible. Sometimes a witness might point the finger of blame at others, and sometimes, as in Tirtha’s case, a witness might attempt to protect others.
I confess I do not know the complete truth about the murder of Sulochan. I was not there. I was not involved. I don’t remember ever meeting or even seeing Sulochan during his years of sporadic service at New Vrindaban. At that time I was always out on the pick, and when I returned for three days each month, I mostly only hung out with my sankirtan brahmachari buddies at Bhaktipada’s house. I did not associate with many of the other NV residents, especially householders or those who might have been less strict about attending the temple functions or following the regulative principles.
Some NV residents called me a “Bliss Boy,” a term which could be used positively with affection or negatively in a mocking spirit, depending on the speaker’s point of view. During those days I just liked to chant, dance and take prasadam. I was for the most part blissfully ignorant of the great dramas at New Vrindaban. I was happy in my service to guru and Krishna. I don’t even remember the morning Sulochan’s death was announced during the japa period before mangal aroti; I was out on the pick. But this ignorance was a good thing. If I had been involved in the plot I most certainly would not be writing about it today. Because I have nothing to hide, I can investigate and report about these things without fear. Krishna protected me then, and I trust he will continue to protect me today.
Regardless of the great difficulties in getting the facts straight amid the conflicting eyewitness reports, we can nonetheless get a very good sense of what happened by hearing the testimony and remembrances of those who were involved. The details about certain events may not be entirely accurate, and there are conflicting stories, as you will discover in the following installments, but I believe we can still put together a fairly complete story which most probably gets as close as we can get to the actual series of events which led to Sulochan’s murder.
Times have changed. Twenty years ago at New Vrindaban, Sulochan was considered a demon. Today, he is considered by some to be a martyr. One thing I can say for sure, he was no saint. In some respects, he might be regarded as a madman. But the same could be said for Kirtanananda Swami. Certainly those two great personalities had some nasty karma between them to work out. They could have been brothers—or mortal enemies—in a previous life.
Whatever Sulochan’s sins, and he had many, Krishna used him as an instrument to uncover many of Kirtanananda’s secret sins, and after he had followed through on his mission against Kirtanananda as far as he could, he was murdered. Of course Krishna could have protected him, but Sulochan appeared to be part of Krishna’s master plan to purify New Vrindaban and begin the long process of ridding the community of serious anomalies. Sulochan’s death was not for naught; for it blew the lid off the pot, so to speak, and heralded the onslaught of Kirtanananda’s eventual destruction. The saga of Sulochan has drama and excitement and political intrigue and espionage and death threats and a manhunt to the bitter end. And it begins with a failed romance and spousal rejection, which generated a hatred which grew into an all-consuming fire which devoured Sulochan from within. He became obsessed with Kirtanananda. “How can I find more about Kirtanananda’s immoral and criminal activities? How can I destroy Kirtanananda?”
The saga of Sulochan reminds me a little of the battle between the sons of Pandu and the sons of Dhrtarastra. Advanced devotees like Bhisma and Drona were forced by fate to fight against Krishna and the Pandavas at Kuruksetre. Similarly, at New Vrindaban, some other—perhaps not so advanced—devotees were bewildered also into fighting for the wrong side, the side of Kirtanananda and the ISKCON zonal acharya system. Their eyes were covered by illusion and they saw (1) a great self-realized pure devotee uttama-adhikari saint where there stood only a pretender-guru i with an immense gift of charisma, and (2) a dangerous and blasphemous demon where there stood only a loud-mouth disgruntled devotee who had stumbled upon some well-kept secrets. Yes, Sulochan might have been foolish for advocating violence in his letters and words, but ultimately he did not have the qualities of a ksatriya, such as physical strength, fighting prowess, heroism in the face of death, or determination to kill. He only carried a gun for his own protection, probably as a bluff. I think the danger he posed to Kirtanananda was not through any threatened physical violence, but through his sharp-edged words which cut deep into his adversary’s heart.
After over a year of mostly frustrated attempts, Sulochan gave up his impossible dream to dethrone his arch nemesis. He was no longer a threat to Kirtanananda and the other ISKCON gurus; he had given up his quest and found another woman with whom he wanted to marry and settle down. It was then he was ironically murdered. But in death Sulochan was able to do what he could not do in life: bring down the mighty Kirtanananda. The subsequent prolonged legal battles drained the seemingly all-powerful guru of men and money, the criminal allegations facilitated his speedy expulsion from ISKCON, and then seven years later his house of cards was smashed completely when the last straw was added to the already-heaping haystack of alleged sexual molestations of boys and young men: the Winnebago Incident of September 1993, which split the community in half and soon after effectively ended his 26-year reign as the sole uncontested authority and “King” of New Vrindaban.
Some well-meaning friends have admonished me: “Why are you writing about stool instead of nectar?” I humbly respond that I am not writing a book of flowery praises. I am writing a book of history. The history of New Vrindaban is not simply one-sided; it is many-sided, and my book will also be many-sided. The nectar is there, but so is the stool. Look at the Vedic histories: they are not simply about the nectarean loving pastimes of Krishna and his devotees. They also tell many stories of deceit and treachery and murder and fallen devotees. The Vedic histories teaches us by positive and also by negative examples. I hope to do the same in my telling of the tale of New Vrindaban.
If anyone wishes to add their own two cents to this monumental literary project, there is still some months before the book finally appears in print. Until that time you may reach me at henrydoktorski at g mail dot com. And if you wish to assist by providing much-needed funding for production work, I will not refuse your generosity.
Yours in the Service of the Truth,
Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)
September 2008


The Saga of Sulochan, Part 1
By Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)
One chapter from my forthcoming book—Gold, Guns and God: A History of the Hare Krishnas in West Virginia
As described previously, the community had been riding a seven-year wave of good fortune since the opening of Prabhupada’s Palace in September 1979. That year Bhaktipada announced plans to build the largest Radha-Krishna temple in the world at New Vrindaban, the Sri Sri Radha-Vrindaban Chandra Temple of Understanding and the adjacent Land of Krishna theme park: a spiritual Disneyland. In 1983, a “temporary” temple was built for the deities which dwarfed most temples in ISKCON in beauty, size and craftsmanship. In 1984 and 1985, Bhaktipada’s first three books were published: Song of God, Christ and Krishna and Eternal Love. Also in 1985 was the groundbreaking ceremony for the Temple of Understanding, which was attended by local and state politicians, and a United States Congressman from West Virginia. These accomplishments propelled the New Vrindaban community into a new and challenging era of rapid growth and expansion. The Hare Krishna Movement in America would never be the same again. The sun of good luck shined on New Vrindaban and residents basked in its glow.
Sulochan: a thorn in Bhaktipada’s side.
Soon however, Bhaktipada’s luck would take a turn for the worse. One New Vrindaban resident had developed irreconcilable marital problems with his wife, who had accepted initiation from Bhaktipada without his knowledge or permission. Sulochan (Steven Bryant) had been initiated by Prabhupada in Detroit during July 1974. He visited New Vrindaban briefly during 1975, and worked at the BBT in Los Angeles for a time indexing Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam. During 1982 at New Vrindaban he worked at the mold shop, and in 1984 became one of the top tour guides at the Palace. ii
While living in London in 1979, Sulochan met a young and attractive hippy aspiring to become a devotee, Jane Rangeley, who had a two-year-old son from a previous marriage. With the help of a friend, he persuaded Jane that she should marry him. Marriage to him, he insisted, would help her advance in Krishna consciousness. Jane agreed and they were married within two weeks.
Sulochan’s attitude toward marriage was patriarchal; he believed a wife had to be completely subordinate to her husband. The wife’s entire goal of life should be simply to please her husband, who she should worship as a god. His view was supported by the Vedic literature:
A woman should think of her husband as the Supreme Lord. iii
A husband is the supreme demigod for a woman. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vasudeva, the husband of the goddess of fortune, is situated in everyone’s heart and is worshiped through the various names and forms of the demigods by fruitive workers. Similarly, a husband represents the Lord as the object of worship for a woman. iv
A chaste woman must dress nicely and decorate herself with golden ornaments for the pleasure of her husband. Always wearing clean and attractive garments, she should sweep and clean the household with water and other liquids so that the entire house is always pure and clean. She should collect the household paraphernalia and keep the house always aromatic with incense and flowers and must be ready to execute the desires of her husband. Being modest and truthful, controlling her senses, and speaking in sweet words, a chaste woman should engage in the service of her husband with love, according to time and circumstances. v
Even if a husband had an irritable temperament and always wanted to be in a superior position, Prabhupada insisted that his chaste wife “must try to understand her husband’s temperament and please him.” vi
This is an indication of the relationship between husband and wife. A great personality like Cyavana Muni has the temperament of always wanting to be in a superior position. Such a person cannot submit to anyone. Therefore, Cyavana Muni had an irritable temperament. His wife, Sukanya, could understand his attitude, and under the circumstances she treated him accordingly. If any wife wants to be happy with her husband, she must try to understand her husband’s temperament and please him. This is victory for a woman. Even in the dealings of Lord Krishna with His different queens, it has been seen that although the queens were the daughters of great kings, they placed themselves before Lord Krishna as His maidservants. However great a woman may be, she must place herself before her husband in this way; that is to say, she must be ready to carry out her husband’s orders and please him in all circumstances. Then her life will be successful. When the wife becomes as irritable as the husband, their life at home is sure to be disturbed or ultimately completely broken. In the modern day, the wife is never submissive, and therefore home life is broken even by slight incidents. . . .
A woman must be trained to be submissive to the will of her husband. Westerners contend that this is a slave mentality for the wife, but factually it is not; it is the tactic by which a woman can conquer the heart of her husband, however irritable or cruel he may be.
Yet the relationship between husband and wife is not one-sided. The husband also has duties to his wife: primarily he must protect her.
It is the duty of husband to protect wife in every way from the onslaught of material nature, and he must act always as her spiritual guide by being perfect example of devotee. vii
Husband means who takes charge of the girl for life, and wife means the girl who has the resolution to serve the husband throughout life. That is husband and wife. And when the wife is in danger, the husband’s duty is to give protection, at any cost. That is husband-wife relationship. viii
The husband gives the topmost protection to the wife. This is the example. Just like Lord Ramachandra. Lord Ramachandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Ravana took Sita from His protection. Ramachandra could marry many millions of Sitas, or He could create many millions of Sita, but He’s showing the example that it is the husband’s duty to give protection to the wife at any cost. And He did it. For one woman He killed the whole Ravana’s dynasty. This is husband’s duty. So protection, not slave. It is protection. The husband should give to the wife the topmost protection, and the wife should be so faithful to the husband. ix
Prabhupada also indicated that if a husband is able to protect his wife, but does not do so, “he is considered already dead, although he is supposedly breathing.” x
If, after growing up, a son does not try to satisfy his parents by his actions or by an endowment of riches, he is surely punished after death by the superintendent of death and made to eat his own flesh. If a person is able to care for or give protection to old parents, a chaste wife, children, the spiritual master, brahmanas and other dependents but does not do so, he is considered already dead, although he is supposedly breathing.
Unfortunately, Sulochan was not a model husband for Jane; she claimed he did not protect her, but daily insulted and slapped her for reasons only known to him: “He would often slap me in the face. He either thought it was fun or it was his way of being affectionate. It caused me a lot of embarrassment, especially if he did it in public. It definitely was humiliating, and that was probably the intention on his part, supposedly to keep me submissive.” xi
Sulochan was also abusive toward Jane’s two-year-old son. One source claimed: “He began per-secuting her two-year old son, denying him food because he could not enunciate a word properly, and separating him from his mother because he deemed the boy ‘too attached’ to her. Steve forced Yamuna to discontinue breast feeding her child abruptly, although weaning a child is harmful if not done gradually. Needless to say, the poor child was often in total hysterics due to such maltreatment. On one occasion, Steve insisted upon cutting part of the child’s tongue, thinking this a cure for a speech impediment which Steve imagined the child to possess. Fortunately Steve was dissuaded by the boy’s mother and desisted from the heinous act. Today the child speaks normally.” xii
Sulochan’s conduct only succeeded in alienating himself from his newly-wedded wife. She later indicated that impulsively marrying a man she didn’t know was a great mistake: “We were ill matched. Definitely no attraction on my side of the equation. It is quite possible that with someone else Sulochan could have been happily married.” xiii
Jane moves to New Vrindaban, accepts initiation.
Sulochan manufactured and sold pendants to support himself. During the latter half of 1980, he decided to go to India on business and that Jane should go to live at New Vrindaban; however, she would have to earn the passage money for her and her young son. xiv
In the fall of 1980, as Sulochan prepared to go to India for a second time that year, it was agreed upon that she should go to New Vrindaban to live. Leaving her with £20 and a bag full of pendants to sell, he left for India. Before leaving, he also gave her a letter of introduction which said, in effect, “Here is my wife, she is coming here to live and possibly to take initiation. I shall be coming there in about four or five months.”
Jane was pregnant at the time, and was caring for her three-year-old son Krishna Das. Still, unassisted, she traveled to France where she managed to sell enough pendants to purchase passage to America for herself and her small boy. Finally, in late 1980, Jane arrived in New Vrindaban.
“My first impression of New Vrindaban was that I immediately fell in love with everything. I thought, ‘This is just like Vrindaban.’ I thought that living here was the closest thing to living in Vrindaban.”
Jane arrived at New Vrindaban a few weeks before Christmas 1980. She was at once caught up in the intense engagement of the Christmas marathon. She enjoyed living there, she made many friends, and performed various services. An initiation ceremony was planned for Christmas Day, and Kuladri suggested Jane take initiation from Bhaktipada. This was unusual, as normally a prospective disciple had to wait six months before receiving initiation.
Jane recalled: “I was very surprised when Kuladri suggested that I should take initiation. I was not opposed to the idea, and was quite impressed with Kirtanananda Swami, however I was not expecting to be approached regarding initiation so soon. I had only been at New Vrindaban for three weeks, and I was unsure how Sulochan would respond to the idea. The temple authorities were pressing for the initiation.” xv
At that fire sacrifice she accepted Bhaktipada formally as her spiritual master and was awarded the name “Yamuna Dasi.” In England, Sulochan had told her that of all the ISKCON gurus, he liked Bhaktipada best, but he never explicitly gave her permission to take initiation.
Yamuna explained: “Sulochan had very traditional views regarding women and really did not believe in women taking initiation, which is the reason that he had always avoided the topic. Now that the issue had come to a head and there was some social pressure he conceded that my being initiated by Kirtanananda would probably be okay as long as Kirtanananda was serving Prabhupada and Sulochan was happy in the service of Kirtanananda. This made sense and worked up until the point that the two had a disagreement.” xvi
Sulochan considered it a personal insult that Kirtanananda had initiated his wife without his knowledge or permission. Kirtanananda was not Sulochan’s spiritual master, he was his godbrother. It was a breach of etiquette for a guru to initiate a godbrother’s wife without even consulting the godbrother husband. But since the deed was already done, he tried to accept it.
Sulochan came to live with his wife at New Vrindaban early in 1981, and appeared to be serious in his attempt to become a faithful Brijabasi. However by early winter he was drinking beer and watching television nightly. He rarely chanted sixteen rounds anymore and his sadhana consisted of going to the temple once a week. xvii
Jane explained: “When were living in London he was chanting his rounds. It was not until we were in NV that he became slack.” xviii
Yamuna, on the other hand, was more serious about following the rules and regulations, and she was disturbed by her husband’s backsliding. She regularly attended the morning program, read from Prabhupada’s books, and chanted her rounds. Sulochan worked in the mold shop; a physically demanding service which was especially difficult for him. When his best friend suggested he move to California, he decided to accept the invitation.
“Sulochan had been working in the mold shop for a year. It was physically grueling work and he was not very well suited to physical labor. Therefore when his best friend suggested a life of ease in California it was not a hard choice.” xix
Although she loved living at New Vrindaban, her husband told her to pack her bags and move with him to California. She unwillingly complied. xx
They arrived in Redding, California, in December 1982. . . . Yamuna was extremely upset and cried for days. “I was totally flipped out for two months after we left,” Yamuna recalls. . . .
His association in this locale was with persons who were very much opposed to ISKCON and the new gurus. Also, at this time, he forbade Yamuna from having a picture of Srila Bhaktipada in the house. Yamuna was forced to put her son in a karmi school, and Sulochan’s warped obsessions became even more ingrained. At one point he told her that he would divorce her if she did not adjust her mentality to his. . . .
In Spring of 1983 he began growing a small crop of marijuana in the back of the house. “At first he claimed that he was growing it strictly to sell, but he ended up smoking the whole crop himself,” she recalls. . . .
For the most part, Sulochan would sit around the house watching television, while he made Yamuna work, making pendants for his business, and in whatever balance of time she had left, she had to do all the housework, cooking, and caring for the three children. “I was so miserable that I would plan how to leave without his knowing,” she remembers, “but we were in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest bus station, I had three kids, and I couldn’t drive so what could I do?” . . . .
Sulochan’s maltreatment of Yamuna was so atrocious that it sparked a major dissention with a neighboring devotee, Puranjana. Although they were good friends, Puranjana could not tolerate the way Sulochan treated her. . . .
In June 1983, Sulochan . . . decided to build a motor home and travel around the country. He bought an old van, and built a wooden frame to increase the size. In October 1983, the motor home completed, he packed everything into it and headed east. . . .
The family returned to New Vrindaban in December, 1983. Although Sulochan intended only to visit for a short time, Yamuna was fully determined not to leave again. Sulochan left almost at once on another trip to India, and Yamuna again took up residence in New Vrindaban, doing service at the nursery. Sulochan returned in April 1984, but soon began having various disagreements with management, especially concerning his service. He began writing critical letters to Bhaktipada, presenting his own ideas about how New Vrindaban should be run.
It appears that for a time Sulochan had tried to adopt the Brijabasi spirit like his wife: unconditional surrender to Kirtanananda Swami, but he was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempt. He had even submitted an offering to Bhaktipada which was published in Sri Vyasa-Puja: The Most Blessed Event (September 3, 1984), in which he honestly admitted that he was unsteady and a “veteran fault finder.”
He also expressed what appeared to be genuine appreciation for the New Vrindaban residents, whom he considered “advanced devotees.” He implied that he was having problems and wanted to leave. He admitted that he hadn’t “sufficient intelligence” to stay at New Vrindaban; but he begged the devotees to preach to him and even tie him up with ropes or put sugar in his gas tank if necessary—anything to make him remain at New Vrindaban and adopt the Brijabasi spirit. xxi
Dear Srila Bhaktipada,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Ever since I came and left New Vrindaban back in 1975, I haven’t been too steady in my service to Srila Prabhupada. So much has happened within ISKCON over those years that it’s been very easy to rationalize moving from one place to another, even leaving ISKCON. It’s easy to find fault here and there, and use that as an excuse to avoid serving ISKCON, which is, after all, Prabhupada’s body. Even now I find myself complaining about all the mud and holes in the road. . . . Look at me now. My heart is devoid of life, and I’m simply the servant of my tongue, belly and genitals—literally a dead body flapping.
Then, look at the many wonderful devotees here, who have stuck it out with you all these years. They are actually advanced devotees, not just by dint of their hard work, but by their good qualities, especially humility, which I’ve witnessed. Further proof of your potency is that New Vrindaban has blossomed so beautifully, even a veteran fault-finder as myself can no longer find any fault. Therefore, I’m humbly begging you and all the Brijabasis to let me stay here. I haven’t sufficient intelligence on my own to stay, so I need your help. I know I try to look independent, but actually I need to be preached to. Not only preached to, but if you catch me trying to leave, please tie me with ropes. Put sugar in my gas tank—anything, but please just make me stay so I can also see Krishna in this life, and join the rest of you in Goloka Vrindaban, at my death.
Thank you, sincerely,
Your fallen servant,
Sulochan Das
But Sulochan did not fit in; he had an independent streak—he liked to do things his way. This was completely opposite to the mood at New Vrindaban: complete submission and surrender to the guru. He became convinced he had better ideas about running the community, and when management ignored his ideas, he became angry, and was not afraid to express his anger to the authorities. There was talk about allowing Sulochan to be in charge of running the guest lodge, but when the position was given to someone else, he became furious.
Bhaktipada recognized his independence and told him on occasion: “Sulochan, you’re just not my man.” Sulochan finally decided that he had had enough; he must leave New Vrindaban for good. He ordered his wife to join him in exile, but she refused.
Yamuna said: “I was really trying to be the ideal ‘Vedic’ wife for a very long time. At a certain point I just snapped and couldn’t take it any more. It was too far removed from who I was.” xxii
She continued: “When I first caught wind that Sulochan was thinking of leaving New Vrindaban I went to Bhaktipada and asked him if I could stay. He gave his permission and actively encouraged me to stay every step along the way. I really appreciated him supporting me in this way. Of course I had no idea what a fiasco it would turn into.” xxiii
However not all her friends thought she should stay. Some advised her to be a chaste wife and follow her husband. “There were mixed opinions on this from the devotees. I was being advised both ways.” xxiv
Sulochan took all of her belongings and also took his two sons. Leaving on June 24th, 1984, he stopped briefly at a supermarket in Martins Ferry, Ohio, to purchase diapers. When he returned to his van, he discovered that a posse of six armed New Vrindaban enforcers had already taken his children and returned them to their mother, who sat in the community vehicle. He was outnumbered and out-gunned, and had to accept defeat.
Yamuna explained: “I was standing in the hallway holding [my son] Nimai, and Sulochan just took him from my arms and walked to the motor home along with Sarva who was three years old at the time. He sat in the motor home with the children for some time, probably hoping that I would follow him. Then he slowly circled the temple building several times, again, probably hoping that I would run to join him. Finally he drove off. Obviously I did not want to be separated from my children, but I had to make a stand for what I wanted, and I definitely did not want to live in a van traveling around the country with three kids for the rest of my life. I was quite surprised when Bhaktipada arranged for a group of men to ‘retrieve’ the children. I went along in the van and my children were delivered back into my arms. I was very relieved and grateful, although somewhat alarmed at the methodology, not really wanting to fan the spark of an already growing conflict.” xxv
Sulochan talked to Bhaktipada on the phone and tried to get him to send his wife and children to him. Bhaktipada said that he couldn’t do that, she wanted to stay and he wouldn’t force her to leave New Vrindaban. Sulochan said: “Ham directly told me that if I wanted my wife back, I would have to surrender to him.” xxvi
“Besides,” Bhaktipada continued, “the relationship of the husband and wife is on the material platform, but the relationship between spiritual master and disciple is on the spiritual platform. My relationship with her is eternal, your relationship is temporary.”
Sulochan explained: “Ham stated to me on several occasions that he has an eternal relationship with my wife and that my relationship with her is temporary. My wife accepted his statement. That statement is absolutely unfounded in sastra. Prabhupada has stated in numerous places that the wife shares everything with her devotee husband and together they go back to Godhead. Prabhupada never said that the wife should worship any man other than her husband and Krishna, at least I have not found any statement to that effect and I have been carefully going through all the books and letters now for several months.” xxvii
I had heard this philosophy at New Vrindaban: the relationship between husband and wife (and children)—based on the material body—was temporary, but the relationship between spiritual master and disciple—based on the spirit—was eternal. Therefore the wife’s guru must take precedence over the wife’s husband if there is a conflict or disagreement.
Sulochan called his wife a few days later, and threatened to do everything in his power to destroy New Vrindaban and Kirtanananda Swami. Yamuna later explained: xxviii
Because he was continually threatening to kidnap the children, I decided to get legal custody of them by applying for a legal divorce. That divorce was granted in November of 1984, giving me full legal custody of the children. . . .
This man is insane, selfish and violent. He is unbalanced. Srila Bhaktipada, on the other hand, has always been a kind and loving father to me and is worthy of all respect. Steve’s groundless criticism of such a wonderful person is simply another indication of Steve’s insanity. I am sorry that I ever had anything to do with this crazy person.
In one sense, Sulochan was blind: he could not see that he was such a terrible husband. Rather than accept responsibility for the consequences of mistreating his wife and creating an emotionally distant spouse, he blamed Bhaktipada for ruining his marriage. He thought Bhaktipada had captured her heart and now she had abandoned serving her lawful husband to serve her guru: “I had been living a rather disheartened married life. My wife had been devoting her heart to another man, and so, naturally, this killed any chance of our having a meaningful relationship.” xxix
Yamuna was divorced on November 30, 1984 on grounds of irreconcilable differences, and was remarried to one of Bhaktipada’s loyal followers: Raghunath Das. She soon became pregnant with his child. Yamuna explained: “As far as my marriage to Raghu, Bhaktipada tried to discourage Raghu from seeing me, he basically told him to wait. When we did eventually get married Bhaktipada did not actively approve or disapprove.” xxx
Some testimonies suggest that Yamuna reportedly began her relationship with Raghunath while her husband was still living at the community. Apparently Sulochan knew about his wife’s affair and reported it to Bhaktipada, who dismissed his complaints.
One former gurukula boy told me: “One of the gurukulis accidentally observed Raghu and Yamuna together while Sulochan was still at New Vrindaban, and told it to me. Later while I was sitting in Bhaktipada’s blazer, Sulochan walked up to the driver’s window and I heard him complain to Bhaktipada about this, but Bhaktipada was not interested in doing anything about it, in disciplining Yamuna and Raghu. Bhaktipada said something like: ‘Sulochan, you’re just not my man.’ Another time at Bahulaban I saw Sulochan wearing a pistol around his neck and I asked him why he was wearing it. He replied: ‘To kill faggots.’” xxxi
Sulochan wrote: “Jane had been secretly associating with this person [Raghunath] for some time.” xxxii
Yamuna denied having an affair: “You mentioned that Raghu and I were already having an amorous affair while Sulochan was still living in the community. That is not true. My son, Krishna Das was in Raghu’s ashram and on one occasion I traveled to the dentist with Raghu and all the boys, and that was when I first got to know Raghu. After that we probably spoke on a couple of occasions but there was no relationship or physical contact until months after Sulochan left the community. If the ashram boy saw anything it would have been at a much later time. While I was married to Sulochan I never in my mind ever considered divorce. I just simply liked New Vrindaban and wanted to stay here.” xxxiii
Searching for dirt on Kirtanananda.
Sulochan decided to learn more about Kirtanananda by searching through the BBT archives. If he found anything suspicious, he would inform his wife and perhaps she would join him in Los Angeles. If he found nothing unusual, he would return to New Vrindaban and try to fit in: xxxiv
Finally, in June of 1984, with plenty of encouragement from the “guru” she had been devoting herself to, namely one Kirtanananda “Swami,” my wife decided to leave me to devote her life to him, even though I have two baby boys by her. At the time, I knew very little about Kirtanananda, so I was a little cautious about openly criticizing him for his interference in my marriage. The fact that his “disciples” have more weapons than brains also discouraged me from openly challenging him. My wife also knew very little about him, except for the hype that’s drilled into all the gullible guru-pies at his camp, such as, “He’s the oldest and first sannyas disciple of Prabhupada” or, “He built Prabhupada’s Palace, so he must be a pure saint.” That kind of stuff. In effect, neither of us really knew anything about him at all, so she agreed that I would go to Los Angeles and do some research, and if I found out anything suspicious, I would let her know. She said she would then join me if that was the case. I agreed to rejoin her at Kirtanananda’s camp if his slate was clean.
After returning to Los Angeles, Sulochan acquired, with much difficulty, a pirated microfiche set of copies of the complete letters of Prabhupada (the original letters were carefully guarded at the Los Angeles-based Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) from a sympathetic devotee, which gave him the inside story of the history of ISKCON, a revealing perspective which had been hidden from nearly all the rank-and-file devotees by the leaders of ISKCON.
Sulochan’s best friend, Puranjana dasa, remembered: xxxv
Sulochan was also very excited because just before he had left Los Angeles he had purchased a “pirated microfiche copy” of all of Srila Prabhupada's letters. He said, “We are going to bring the GBC’s gurus down with these letters.” That is because the letters offer a stark view of how Srila Prabhupada had wanted the GBC to manage; how he distrusted some key GBC members who were now allegedly gurus; how he did not want the GBC to consult with the Gaudiya Matha’s homosexual guru project, and so on and so forth. When we read some of the letters it was very much evident why the GBC had wanted them to be suppressed and hidden.
A few days later Sulochan informed me, “Ramesvara found out where I am staying and he called me to threaten me. He wants me to return the letter's microfiche and not publish any of these letters—or else.” “Or else what?” I asked. “Or else I will be dead meat on the hook,” Sulochan replied. We looked at each other and started to laugh hysterically for five minutes. We knew immediately that these letters must therefore be very, very important and they must contain information that the GBC is trying to hide.
And we also knew that we were going to publish the letters anyway. We just could not stop laughing for quite awhile either. We both agreed, the GBCs must have lost their minds if they thought that they “owned” Srila Prabhupada, and that they could hide his light under their dark cloud. In short, the GBC was making it a law, “It is forbidden to quote from Srila Prabhupada—or else you will be dead meat.” Of course, if you want to quote from the GBC’s homosexual pedophile gurus, that is fine! And the GBC says further that these homosexuals are gurus who are as pure as God. And they have some violent ex-convicts who will beat your head in with an aluminum baseball bat if you disagree with their homosexual worship project. That is what we were going up against and we joked about it.
Sulochan wrote: “As I started to read through Srila Prabhupada’s personal letters to his disciples, I was primarily looking for quotes on marriage. At the time I was desperate to try and save my own marriage. Although that was my main motive, I also knew it was my moral duty to try and save my wife and children from possible danger. In this way, I began my research with the blessings of the Lord of Morality, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Since I was approaching His topmost representative, Srila Prabhupada, for guidance and inspiration, I knew the outcome would be auspicious, whatever it was. I had no idea where my research would lead me. I only knew that something was going to burst, and I didn’t want it to be me. I was not especially concerned with the broader ‘guru-issue’ facing ISKCON’s ‘leaders’ today. Mainly, I wanted to save my own family, hoping that was part of the Lord’s plan.” xxxvi
Sulochan began meticulously studying the voluminous archive of Prabhupada’s letters to see if he could find anything about Kirtanananda Swami which might convince his wife to lose her faith in him, leave New Vrindaban and return to him. He wrote:
Knowing that Kirtanananda had attacked Srila Prabhupada in the late sixties in his first attempt to take over the movement, I figured that if I could get all the letters dealing with that incident, then I would have something tangible to show my wife about the real character of her new “protector.” . . The letters contained all the secrets I had been hoping for—and more. I knew then that it would be my assigned duty to make the truth in these letters known to all. . . .
As I began my search through the letters, I discovered something higher than my personal marital problems that I knew I should share that with everyone. I discovered that Srila Prabhupada is no ordinary man. . . . I could see in Prabhupada’s letters how a real saint deals with people on a personal day-to-day level. . . . Reading the letters became like an intriguing mystery to me. I took careful notice of little comments Prabhupada would make about the leaders, specifically the Governing Body Commissioners (GBC). For instance, Prabhupada’s whole strategy changed dramatically in July of 1970. He freely started giving sannyas (celibate renounced order) to his male followers instead of encouraging them to marry. He stopped encouraging devotees to open temples and instead encouraged them to distribute books. And he began writing very heavy letters indicating that the character of many of his leading disciples was way below the mark. They clearly show why Prabhupada became disgusted with these “top men” of the Society and ultimately why he decided to leave the planet early. . . .
So, on October 11th, 1984, I mailed a letter to all ISKCON centers openly declaring war against Kirtanananda and the entire Society if my family was not returned to me intact. The Society ignored me. Hardly did I get one response. Since silence automatically means acceptance, I knew that my accusations were correct, and that it was just a matter of time before the truth would triumph. From that point onwards I was doomed to live in constant hiding from Kirtanananda’s worshipers, who would have killed me in an instant if they knew where I was parked in my motor home, typing away. . . .
When Sulochan began showing these letters from Prabhupada to his friends, he discovered that many former New Vrindaban residents had their own horror stories to tell about abuse, child molestation, drug dealing and even murder. “You’ve got to understand, Kirtanananda is considered to be like a God. Infallible. Above reproach. Nobody questions him. People are in awe of his power. But when I started showing this stuff to other devotees I found out everybody had their own story to tell. Everybody had some dirt on Kirtanananda. It’s just that they were either too scared or worshipped him too much to talk about it before. Drugs, people getting killed, kids getting molested.” xxxvii
Sulochan’s attorney, David Gold, remembered him: “There was definitely something different about him. I had talked with a lot of disgruntled Krishna devotees over the years, all of whom had tossed out various insults and accusations about the Swami. But regardless of how angry or disillusioned they were, they still referred to Kirtanananda in tones of respect, even awe. In contrast, Bryant spoke without fear or reservation.” xxxviii
David Gold examined the letters from former New Vrindaban devotees which Sulochan had collected: “I picked up the first letter and began reading. It testified to Bryant’s good character, then it went on to say that the writer was aware of numerous women who had been beaten at the commune. The next letter contained similar testaments to Steve’s sound mind and strong moral character, then the author, a woman, told how Kirtanananda had intentionally destroyed a number of families so that he could use the women for the street begging operation. The next letter was from a man whose daughter was molested at the ashram school. Another man said Kirtanananda had encouraged him to beat his wife. Another writer, who remained anonymous, said he was ordered to smuggle heroin from Thailand and turn over the proceeds to Kirtanananda. Someone else reported that they knew who the killer was in an unsolved murder at New Vrindaban.” xxxix
“The Kirtanananda Exposé: A Crazy Man.”
Sulochan compiled his research into a book, The Guru Business: How the Leaders of the Hare Krishna Movement Deviated from the Pure Path as Taught and Exemplified by its Founder: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder/Acharya ISKCON. This book, essentially consisting of Sulochan’s candid (and sometimes inaccurate) commentary on excerpts from Prabhupada’s letters, was intended to expose the corrupt activities of the ISKCON gurus, whom, he believed, had usurped their positions of power within ISKCON. It was the first real hard-hitting collection of essays exposing the corruption within the movement. One devotee accurately assessed: “The Guru Business ranged from goofy to manic, from paranoid to deadly accurate.” xl
Puranjana explained: “Sulochana’s writings were a bit strident, to say the least. He would just blurt out things like: ‘Kirtanananda is not a guru but a demon who needs to be corrected with violence.’ I tried to say that this was not going to be effective writing, could we please use [my own book:] Our Living Guru’s style of commentary? But he always refused. He wanted his hard copy to be as hard as nails, and it was.” xli
Sulochan wrote about his mortal enemy in chapter ten: “The Kirtanananda Exposé: A Crazy Man.”
This chapter is an exposé on one of the new “gurus” in ISKCON. It is the first, but it most likely will not be the only one we will have to compile. Kirtanananda “Swami” deserves first recognition. He was among the first initiated devotees. He was the first to be given “sannyas.” A week later, he was the first to attack Srila Prabhupada trying to usurp the ISKCON movement for himself. Shortly thereafter he was the first to sit on a throne and accept worship of himself even during Srila Prabhupada’s physical presence and of course he was the first to jump on a throne right after Srila Prabhupada’s departure. He was the first to begin a drug dealing operation (the KSS: Krishna’s Secret Service) and later to set up a counterfeiting operation. He was the first to organize a women’s sexploitation party and encourage the leader of that party, Dharmatma, to keep the women satisfied as their gigolo. To our knowledge, he is the first “guru” to authorize an abortion of the gigolo’s child in an underage girl. He was the first to be utterly condemned by Srila Prabhupada. To this day, there are more letters of condemnation written about him than all the other bogus gurus combined. He was the first (and hopefully the last) to put a crown on Srila Prabhupada’s murti (marble statue) denoting him as a mere monarch, although Srila Prabhupada was not sent by the Lord for that service. He was the first, and maybe only, “disciple,” to be so envious as to directly challenge his guru’s authority by calling him “a tyrant.” He was the first “disciple” to be incarcerated in a mental institution (Bellevue). He was the first to treat Krishna’s cows in such a way that dozens of them died of starvation, disease, and exposure (the local courts could not even bear these atrocities of Kirtanananda and prosecuted him for cruelty to animals.) These are just a few of his “firsts.” He is number one in many other ways. Besides being the oldest “devotee” physically, he was/is the first full-blown homosexual in the movement and he even bragged of this to Acyutananda Swami in Mayapur, 1971, when he said, “I was sucking (word for male genital) before you were born.” Therefore, in observing his stressed seniority, we believe that he should be given the first chance to try and clear himself of the charges we level against him, and the other bogus gurus as well, which clearly state one thing: absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Sulochan accurately predicted the eventual downfall of Kirtanananda: his ruse would be exposed and he would lose nearly all his followers:
Kirtanananda is claiming 500 residents at New Vrindaban and some persons consider this an impressive figure. On close analysis however we see differently. That figure includes the 100 hired outside workers on the payroll and the 100 fringe devotees who have little to no sadhana and receive a salary under minimum wage. At least two-thirds of the remaining members are women and children mostly from broken families. There are always at least 30-50 floaters who will stay a few months to a year at most. Most of the steady men who remain there have never studied the philosophy seriously and are there primarily because they get room and board and some work they like doing. Only half a dozen men devotees in the entire community know enough philosophy to give a lecture. Out of 80 men Prabhupada disciples reported for the 1984 Vyasa Puja book, eleven left before the book went to print. Most of the remaining “Prabhupada disciples” were worshipping Kirtanananda even before Prabhupada left the planet. So we can safely say that he does not have “thousands of Americans following him.” But those who do follow, we must admit, see him as “king.” In this connection Prabhupada says, “There is a Bengali saying that a jackal is king in a small forest. The story is that a jackal became king in the forest by fooling the other animals for some time, but he remained always a jackal and his ruse was at last exposed.” (Rupanuga, 11/13/70)
. . . . To the gross materialists, he has kept up a good front and has fooled most of the devotees thus far. But just as Bhavananda was finally caught, so also Kirtanananda will eventually be caught.
Sulochan made some incorrect and vicious accusations.
Although Sulochan had stumbled upon many secrets of abuse and molestation at New Vrindaban, not all his sources were accurate. In The Guru Business he sometimes makes false accusations and draws incorrect conclusions.
(1) His primary thesis—that Bhaktipada had stolen his wife—was incorrect. Bhaktipada may have given his wife shelter when she requested asylum, but he did not steal her affections. Whatever affection Yamuna might have had for her husband had evaporated years earlier.
(2) Sulochan claimed that Prabhupada was not pleased by his Palace, as he could only find one letter in the BBT archives in which Prabhupada mentioned it. However, Prabhupada many times glorified his Palace and even promised to come and live there. He said: “One would have to be a great fool not to like it.” xlii
(3) Sulochan believed that Kirtanananda was rotten to the core, and, although Kirtanananda certainly had a dark side, he also had a noble side: he treated many devotees kindly. He could be a cruel tyrant and sense enjoyer, but he could also be a loving father and sincere spiritual guide. He had an exceedingly complex personality. Even today some New Vrindaban residents and former residents still have affection for him, despite his multitude of sins and history of duplicity.
(4) Sulochan believed Kirtanananda to be unschooled in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, yet Kirtanananda had been one of Prabhupada’s most respected preachers practically from the beginning of the movement. Back to Godhead had published eighteen of his articles and poems between 1966 and 1986, including a series of eight essays on the first eight chapters of the Bhagavad-gita. xliii
In 1984, Bhaktipada’s first book: Song of God: A Summary Study of Bhagavad-gita As It Is was published. It was a transcription of a series of lectures he delivered in Bombay during March 1984. I don’t believe he was ignorant of the philosophy, he always stressed the conclusion of Bhagavad-gita: surrender to Krishna. However some might disagree with his interpretation of the scriptures. Later during the Interfaith era he appeared to deviate, but at this time he was basically still following Prabhupada’s program.
(5) Sulochan heard reports that Kirtanananda may have molested Hayagriva’s son, Samba, but these rumors were denied many times by Samba, including once under oath in a court of law. Kirtanananda had the greatest respect and lofty aspirations for Hayagriva’s son. He treated him like a prince, and personally trained him to become a conscientious devotee; one who followed the principles strictly.
Once around 1979, during the morning program, some of the gurukula boys skipped out of Bhagavatam class and were hiding and hanging out in the guest reception room at Bahulaban. The conversation turned to sex (a frequent topic during Bhagavatam class in those days), and some of the older boys demonstrated how they could get an erection. Samba, who was only about nine years old, happened to be with them. Suddenly and unexpectedly Kuladri walked in and immediately reported their activities to Kirtanananda. Most of the boys received light to medium reprimands, but Samba was very severely punished personally by Kirtanananda, who instructed the youngster to select a whipping switch from the bushes behind the grey house by the Palace, which Kirtanananda used to beat the boy. The chastisement was swift and painful. Kirtanananda obviously had very high aspirations for Samba and he disciplined him strictly. He intended to raise the boy to become a great brahmachari, and to fulfill Prabhupada’s prophesy that Samba would mature into a powerful preacher who would “defeat all the mayavadis.” xliv
Samba said: “I lived at the New Vrindaban Community from the age of six until about sixteen. My father and mother were separated when I was five years old [1975]. Bhaktipada was more of a stepfather to me, took care of me, because my regular father . . . wasn’t there. I didn’t have a father. My father wasn’t around much. Bhaktipada treated me like a father. He never molested me. Nothing close.” xlv
One devotee affirmed: “The relationship between Kirtanananda Swami and Samba was like that of an affectionate father. They slept in the same room. Sometimes in the same sleeping bag.”
Kuladri clarified: “Kirtanananda had a rubber mat on the floor, and he had open sleeping bags as quilts on those mats. They didn’t sleep IN the same sleeping bag. It was a sleeping bag opened up on the mat.” xlvi
Kirtanananda would sometimes publicly tickle the boy, even in the crotch: “Kirtanananda had a habit of tickling the boy, and not really making an effort of concealing from people around him that he would tickle him sometimes in the ribs and armpits, sometimes on the bottom of the feet, behind the knees, and it was my observation that more often than not he would end up tickling him in the crotch.” xlvii
Some considered this evidence that Kirtanananda molested Samba: (1) they sometimes slept under the same sleeping bag, and (2) sometimes Kirtanananda tickled the boy in the crotch. But the former is hardly proof of child molestation. Many children like to sleep with their parents. When my own son was little he liked to sleep in the same bed with me. He appreciated the security of being close to a loving and protective parent. And tickling in public? I witnessed this tickling at least once and there were certainly no erotic overtones. It was just plain fun in my opinion. Samba certainly enjoyed it, and so did I. Actually I was a little jealous of Samba, getting all that attention from Kirtanananda Swami.
Kirtanananda certainly molested other boys, but I am convinced he did not touch Hayagriva’s son. I am sorry to report that Sulochan’s allegations have caused much distress to Samba, and the resultant stigma from this rumor unfortunately persists even today after more than two decades. However many of Sulochan’s other allegations have been proven in time.
Sulochan concludes Kirtanananda is a “rogue,” “a pseudo-religionist,” and “nothing but a sense gratifier.”
Sulochan concluded his chapter about Kirtanananda:
So the conclusion is that Kirtanananda has not been purified by his career in Krishna consciousness. This is because his motive was not to serve Prabhupada, but to use Prabhupada’s legacy to further his own guru business. One cannot make spiritual advancement by such thinking. Krishna is no fool. He knows everyone’s heart perfectly. Eventually everyone has got to pay. Prabhupada sums up the position of these “gurus” very lucidly as follows:
“By a false display of religious sentiments, they present a show of devotional service while indulging in all sorts of immoral activities. (1) In this way they pass as spiritual master (2) and devotees of God. Such violators of religious principles (3) have no respect (4) for the authoritative acaryas, the holy teachers in the strict disciplic succession. To mislead the people in general, they themselves become so-called acaryas, but they do not even follow the principles of the acaryas (5).
“These rogues are the most dangerous elements (6) in human society. Because there is no religious government, they escape punishment (7) by the law of the state. They cannot, however, escape the law of the Supreme, who has clearly declared in Bhagavad-gita (16.19-20) that envious demons (8) in the garb of religious propagandists shall be thrown into the darkest regions of hell. Sri Isopanisad confirms that these pseudo-religionists are heading toward the most obnoxious place in the universe after completion of their spiritual master business (9), which they conduct simply for sense gratification (10).” (Sri Isopanisad 12)
From reading the early letters about the character of Kirtanananda, and interviewing several dozen devotees who have been burned by him, we can easily see that this above description is actually a description of Kirtanananda. Here are some of the reasons why this is so:
1. Kirtanananda is a drug dealer. He passes women around amongst his workers as though they were all whores. He does not recognize anyone as a Godbrother and has no respect for the rights of others. He directly tries to break up marriages if it furthers his own profit, adoration and distinction. Whether or not he is still engaged in homosexual activities will all come out in due course of time. There is strong indication that he is.
2. He always wanted to be a spiritual master. Even before joining ISKCON he was the guru in his local clique of friends, most of whom were also homosexual. He was into black magic. This combination earned him the title “Weird Keith.” After meeting Prabhupada he only waited one year before trying to usurp Prabhupada’s movement. He actually attempted to legally keep Prabhupada from entering the country. Even after he so-called came back, there are numerous instances where he was exposed as attempting to surpass Prabhupada. Now he is fully engrossed in posing as a spiritual master. Prabhupada directly stated in one letter that “he wants to be a spiritual master by disobeying his spiritual master.”
3. For a sannyasi, the first regulative principle is to not have any connection with women. Kirtanananda violates that principle constantly. He goes so far as to say that all women have an eternal relationship with him, but that their husbands are not important. This preaching is not only a violation, but it is Ravana philosophy. Actually it is worse. At least Ravana wanted to enjoy the women himself. Kirtanananda thinks women smell like fish. He steals women for the money they bring in and to pass around amongst his workers. A sannyasi is supposed to know sastra. Kirtanananda does not know sastra at all which is why he seldom quotes it. It is even rumored that he has not read all of Prabhupada’s books. But he constantly concocts statements and policies such as putting a crown on Prabhupada, authorizing women to have sex with the sankirtana leader, authorizing an abortion in an underage girl (because of the previous policy), etc. (Appendix 12)
4. Prabhupada stated that Kirtanananda thinks guru and sastra are tyranny. That means no respect. Why should we think that he changed?
5. Prabhupada set certain standards of moral behavior, compassion, honesty, etc. Kirtanananda does not follow those standards. For example Prabhupada was very compassionate and thoughtful not to interfere in marriages. He always told the women to be fully devoted to their husbands. Kirtanananda openly tells the women to fully devote themselves to himself, even if it means totally neglecting the husband and children. In this way he controls the women and so naturally the husbands have to stay there also.
6. There are many dangerous elements in society. Thieves, rapists, murderers, etc. But here Prabhupada says that the most dangerous are those who exploit others in the name of religion. They are the most dangerous because they hurt people in the deepest way possible—their souls. This world has only one purpose; to teach people to surrender to God. When society is infested with rogues posing as saints, that stops the progress of human life. Thus most people are not inclined to trust anyone.
7. Since the government is demoniac, the demoniac “gurus” also escape punishment. But even the GBC falls in the category of a Godless government. They have allowed these “rogues” to remain in their positions even after having been exposed. For example the GBC determined that Kirtanananda interfered with, and destroyed the marriage of Sulochan dasa. But because the GBC is essentially a Godless body, the GBC had no potency to rectify Kirtanananda and return Sulochan’s sons to him. Thus he escaped punishment.
8. Here Prabhupada uses terminology that scares the sentimentalists who permeate ISKCON half to death. We have hardly met a devotee who has the guts to call a spade a spade. But the fact is, the current gurus, and especially Kirtanananda are nothing but envious demons as described above. If they were ever sincere, that remains to be seen.
9. The guru business is certainly lucrative. There is no need to go into the details of how the “gurus” have stuffed their pockets with money and luxuries. It is all too well known. Not a single one of them has even the slightest concept of simple living or austerity anymore. They claim they are beyond all that.
10. As of this writing it is unknown what different kinds of sense gratification Kirtanananda enjoys aside from the profit, adoration, and distinction. For some reason, the GBC always waits for the sense gratification to hit the lower levels before they recognize that the “guru” is actually nothing but a sense-gratifier.
Abuses of power by gurus common in ISKCON.
Sulochan was not the only ISKCON devotee who believed that Kirtanananda Swami and the other initiating gurus were unauthorized pretenders. Many hundreds of Prabhupada’s disciples left ISKCON between 1978 and 1985 because they felt that Prabhupada’s pure mission had become corrupted by the eleven new gurus. E. Burke Rochford, Jr., wrote: xlviii
An unknown but significant number of Prabhupada devotees left ISKCON because they believed ISKCON’s leaders had forsaken the mission of their spiritual master to preach Krishna Consciousness. . . . The ideological work of the leaders could be understood as no more than self-serving rationalizations. . . . Other devotees began to organize themselves to protest the movement’s reorganizational policies—in particular the guru system. Instead of simply questioning the spiritual and organizational abilities of specific gurus, however, the dissident elements

The Saga of Sulochan, Part 2
By Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)
One chapter from my forthcoming book—Gold, Guns and God:
A History of the Hare Krishnas in West Virginia

To read the previous installment of this four-part narrative, go to: http://henrydoktorski.com/nv/Saga_of_Sulochan_1.doc.

Bhaktipada assaulted and nearly murdered
Triyogi dasa had been initiated by Prabhupada in September 1973 in Detroit, and had come to New Vrindaban in September 1985 to attend the much publicized Prabhupada Disciple Meetings. After the conference concluded, he decided to stay at New Vrindaban for a time. His services at New Vrindaban were menial; he assisted in the kitchen and picked up litter around the Palace. He appeared to have some prominent personality dysfunctions, he was sometimes observed muttering under his breath to himself, and the New Vrindaban residents who had occasion to associate with him considered him mentally unstable.
Tulsi dasa, director of New Vrindaban Public Affairs, said that Triyogi had lived in temples in Denver, New York City, and Columbus, Ohio, but had been asked to leave each because of conflicts with temple leaders. “In each place, he had argued with the leaders about the way things were done. I guess he thought he should be the leader. But he had been no trouble since coming here [to New Vrindaban].” i
During the guru reform meetings, 32-year-old Triyogi had heard that the GBC was now considering authorizing the appointment of new ISKCON gurus. As he understood it, anyone could apply for the coveted position; a prospective guru only needed the stamp of approved by the GBC. Despite his formidable mental handicaps, Triyogi had lofty and unrealistic ambitions; he wanted to become an ISKCON spiritual master himself and initiate disciples.
But Triyogi knew that he was practically unknown in ISKCON, despite twelve years of sporadic service in various temples. He would not be recommended in his current position. However, he thought that the GBC might possibly consider him as a candidate for guru if he became a sannyasi and had the endorsement of one of the original ISKCON gurus, so he asked Bhaktipada to initiate him into the order of sannyas, to better support his bid for guruship. Bhaktipada refused, and explained that he must first “prove himself” as a preacher. Bhaktipada said: “I told him I didn’t feel I could do it. I didn’t know him well enough. I told him to stay here at New Vrindaban for six months to a year first, and he became disturbed about that.” ii
Triyogi was visibly upset, and confided in another New Vrindaban devotee that “he felt he had to either kill himself, kill Bhaktipada, or leave.” Later he told that same devotee that he would not kill anyone; he would simply leave. iii
But before Triyogi left New Vrindaban, he approached Bhaktipada once more and “demanded” to receive the sannyas initiation. Bhaktipada refused again and the two exchanged heated words. This was apparently too much for the disturbed Triyogi to bear.
At 5:50 p.m. on October 27th, 1985, Triyogi—in the midst of dozens of devotees—quietly approached Bhaktipada (who was supervising an outdoor bricklaying marathon near the temple) from behind, and struck him once in the head and twice on the back with a three-foot-long iron bar, a brick-prying tool. iv
Bhaktipada lost consciousness due to severe head trauma, and fell to the ground. Kuladri subdued the crazed attacker and instructed devotees to call the local police. Immediately the wounded and bleeding Bhaktipada was put in a vehicle by Kuladri and others and transported to the hospital. He was unresponsive, although it was reported that during moments of semi-consciousness he periodically uttered the names of “Prabhupada” and “Krishna.” v
Tulsi dasa explained: “The assailant wound up and hit him, and then he [Bhaktipada] fell face down on the concrete.” vi
Kuladri exhibited the exemplary qualities of a leader when he instantly assessed the situation, disarmed and restrained Triyogi, and transported Bhaktipada to the hospital, against the wishes of some others who apparently thought Bhaktipada’s injuries were fatal. They wanted instead to take the unconscious spiritual master into the temple where he could leave his body in the presence of Sri Sri Radha-Vrindaban Chandra with the sound of Krishna’s holy name in his ears, but Kuladri overruled their objections. His quick thinking and decisive action ultimately saved Bhaktipada’s life. Kuladri explained: vii
We had this system of roads and parking lots that were put in by bricks, so every evening, after people did their work . . . the community would come together and lay bricks every evening to finish over. It was a community project. Men, women and children came up to lay bricks in this parking lot to finish it.
At that time I was there with my son laying bricks, and I heard a scream and turned around to see Kirtanananda Swami hitting the ground falling over, and Triyogi running away with a pipe in his hand. I immediately ran after Triyogi, tackled him on the grass part of the parking lot, took the pipe away from him, and asked the devotees to call the police. viii
I then ran over to Bhaktipada, found him surrounded by a number of devotees who were chanting and praying, and basically told them I was going to take him to the hospital. It seemed like some of them wanted to keep him there and bring him into the temple and pray over him, but I backed up his car and rushed him to the hospital with a couple other people.
Sheriff Bordenkircher arrived within ten minutes and found an angry crowd surrounding Triyogi. “We had to pry him loose from the group for his safety,” he said. ix
Marshall County sheriff’s deputies first took Triyogi to Reynolds Memorial Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries, and then took him to the Marshall County Jail where he was held in protective custody and placed under a suicide watch. He was charged with malicious wounding, arraigned before Marshall County Magistrate David Buzzard on November 4 th, and returned to jail after failing to post $50,000 bail.
Bordenkircher said he had a general discussion with Triyogi but nothing specific was brought out that explained the reasons for the attack. “It was a philosophical discussion. I got the feeling that he believes whatever occurred, occurred for the good of Krishna and to cleanse the church.” x
Triyogi attempted to escape from the county jail on April 19 th, 1986, but was apprehended by a correctional officer. On May 29 th, in the Marshall County circuit court, Judge Richard A. Warmuth sentenced Triyogi to a fifteen-month term in the county jail for unlawful assault and jail escape charges. The original charge of malicious assault had been reduced to unlawful assault under a plea bargain, and he was given a one-year term for the offense. Triyogi also received a one-to-five year term in the West Virginia Penitentiary for a felony charge of jail escape. Warmuth suspended the sentence under the agreement and placed Triyogi on three years’ probation with a 90-day jail sentence. xi
Bhaktipada thought Triyogi got off too easily, and bitterly complained that Triyogi was not charged with “attempted murder.” Bhaktipada said Triyogi “was not even charged with attempted murder. And his sentence for that crime, plus the crime of attempting to break out of jail was fourteen months. Now it could appear here that there was some kind of deal here.” xii
Two years after the assault, on September 10 th, 1987, Triyogi sent a letter of apology to Bhaktipada and asked for forgiveness. Bhaktipada replied: “Dear Triyogi dasa, Hare Krishna. I am in due receipt of your letter of September 10 th. Yes, I forgive you. Please be very careful never to do anything to harm the spiritual master again, as he is representing Krishna.” xiii
Bhaktipada rushed to hospital
Bhaktipada was critically injured by Triyogi’s assault and was rushed to the hospital, accompanied by Kuladri, who refused to leave his master’s side. One New Vrindaban article described the attack in great detail: xiv
Srila Bhaktipada is directing all the young gurukula boys to move the broken bricks. Walking through the crowd of working devotees, he encourages everyone. It’s 6:00 Sunday night, and all the devotees are working hard to finish the brick marathon so Bhaktipada can begin the Rama Vijaya Mahotsava celebration by piercing Ravana with an arrow. The 15-foot demon scowls at the devotees as the time draws near.
The parking lot is a beehive of activity, everyone running around doing their various little tasks. A dozen gurukula boys are buzzing around Bhaktipada, following his instructions. Michael Shockman approaches him from behind, carrying a 20-pound steel spike used for anchoring the forms and prying bricks. But he is not interested in service. His purpose is demoniac.
He approaches Bhaktipada from behind, lifts the spike well over his head, and sends the spike deep into the top of Bhaktipada’s head. Blood showers the gurukula boys around him as they scream in terror. He then pulls the steel rod back like a bat and takes two shots at the base of Bhaktipada’s head, throwing Bhaktipada face down on the bricks. Blood pours from the back of Bhaktipada’s head. Devotees scream in agony: “Bhaktipada’s dead! He’s killed him! Oh, Krishna!” As the screams resound, the other devotees look up from their tasks, and Michael Shockman turns and runs across the parking lot with the spike.
At the first scream, Kuladri looks up and sees Bhaktipada on the ground. He chases Michael Shockman across the parking lot. They race 100 feet, and Kuladri catches up with him. Shockman turns to face Kuladri, swinging the bar at his head. Kuladri is grazed as he tackles the assailant and throws him to the ground. Kuladri pulls the bar away from him and puts it against his neck. He turns him over to the other devotees. Then he jumps up, runs over to Bhaktipada’s car, backs it up to Bhaktipada, and tells the devotees, “Put him in. We’re going to the hospital.” The parking lot is filled with terror and fright. The devotees are weeping hysterically, stunned at the unbelievable, inconceivable, demoniac act that has just occurred.
“Call the hospital, call the police. Have the police come and pick him up. Tell the hospital we’re coming in with Bhaktipada and he’s dying of head injuries.” The car flies up the hill towards town. We’re passing everyone, lights flashing, as Bhaktipada is convulsing in the back of his car, sometimes pushing the devotees away, sometimes calling out “Krishna” or ”Prabhupada.” xv
Bhaktipada was taken to Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale, but when the emergency room doctor saw the severity of his injuries, he ordered an ambulance to take him to Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, where an emergency craniotomy was performed to relieve hemorrhaging on the brain. Kuladri said: “There [at the hospital] I stayed at his side for one month making all medical decisions. That night the doctor asked my opinion of operating on him. I don’t know if they couldn’t get a hold of his parents or not, but based on my bringing him there and my decision they operated on him, and the doctor said he had saved his life that night.” xvi
Four days later Bhaktipada was transferred by helicopter to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where a second operation was performed to remove a blood clot in his brain. New Vrindaban residents imagined that they saw in his brain scan the image of the protector of the devotees, the fierce half-man half-lion incarnation, Lord Nrisimhadev, and took this to be an auspicious sign that Krishna would protect their master. Bhaktipada lay helpless in a coma for ten days and was listed on the critical list for almost three weeks. xvii
Brijabasis devastated
I believe I speak for all New Vrindaban residents when I say our love for Bhaktipada increased tremendously during that extremely trying period while he lay for ten days in critical condition in intensive care unconscious in a coma. We did not know whether he would live or die. Because of our intense love for him, we became heartbroken, overwhelmed with grief, and we identified with the residents of Vrindaban when their beloved Krishna was captured in the coils of the gigantic Kaliya serpent and threatened with death: xviii
Seeing the incredible way in which Krishna was enveloped in the coils of the serpent, the affectionate cowherd boys and inhabitants of Vrindaban immediately became stunned out of fear. They had dedicated everything to Krishna, their lives, property, affection, activities—everything was for Krishna—and when they saw Him in that condition, they became overwhelmed with fear and fell down on the ground. . . . Out of fear they could only cry in agony and stand erect on the bank, unable to help their beloved Krishna. . . .
Out of their great affection for Krishna, unaware of the extent of Krishna’s potencies, they became overwhelmed with grief and anxiety because they had nothing dearer than Krishna and because they dedicated their everything—life, property, affection, mind and activities—to Krishna. Because of their great attachment to Krishna, they thought, “Today Krishna is surely going to be vanquished!” . . All the cows and boys were weeping to behold Krishna enwrapped in the coils of the black serpent. Then they became still more overwhelmed with grief. . . .
All the inhabitants of Vrindaban merged into the ocean of grief because they thought that Krishna was finished. . . . Their love for Him was beyond comparison. As soon as they saw that Krishna was in the River Yamuna enveloped by the serpent Kaliya and that all the boys and cows were lamenting, they simply began to think of Krishna’s friendship, His smiling face, His sweet words and His dealings with them. Thinking of all these and believing that their Krishna was now within the clutches of Kaliya, they at once felt that the three worlds had become vacant. Lord Caitanya also said that He was seeing the three worlds vacant for want of Krishna. This is the highest stage of Krishna consciousness. Almost all of the inhabitants of Vrindaban had the highest ecstasy, love for Krishna.
We, like the residents of Vrindaban, also felt vacant on account of Bhaktipada’s absence. We thought of his smiling face, his sweet words and his past affectionate dealings with us and we petitioned Lord Nrisimhadev: “If it is your will, please return Srila Bhaktipada to us.” At New Vrindaban, and at other ISKCON temples throughout the world, devotees performed twenty-four-hour kirtan for Bhaktipada’s recovery.
It was during this time while leading a kirtan in the temple that I began chanting jaya jagad-guru srila bhaktipada. I had always considered Bhaktipada to be a “jagad-guru,” a world-class spiritual master, but I never was bold enough to chant that refrain during kirtans until he was nearly taken away from us. Because of the extenuating circumstances, none of my senior god-uncles protested the heartfelt glorification by a disciple for his master; in fact, some of them joined in the chanting. It is said that one doesn’t appreciate the object of one’s love until it is taken away. Our love for our spiritual father became stronger and stronger due to the fire of separation. For all we knew, we might never see him again.
I had the privilege of spending four hours with my unconscious spiritual master at Allegheny General Hospital; I was on duty with him from 1 a.m. until about 5 a.m., at which time Umapati dasa xix relieved me. When I first saw Bhaktipada’s condition—his bandaged head was swollen, his face was blackened with bruises, and various tubes were inserted through his mouth and nose—I became dazed and had to sit down. Although he was comatose, I thought there might have been a chance that he might be conscious and could still hear. Therefore, I spent the early morning hours reading to him, telling him stories, and singing the entire morning program. I wrote about my experience in a paper titled Forever By His Side. xx
Radhanath Swami, one of New Vrindaban’s most-respected preachers who joined the community in 1972 and was initiated into the sannyas order by Kirtanananda Swami ten years later, shared his thoughts about Bhaktipada’s “painful condition” with the assembled Vaishnavas during Srimad-bhagavatam class: xxi
Spiritual life is sat-cid-ananda, eternal, full knowledge and bliss. So why does Krishna sometimes put such great souls in apparently painful conditions?
The Pandavas were in a painful condition. Haridasa Thakur was in a painful condition from being beaten in twenty-two market places. When Lord Jesus was being crucified, he was put into a painful condition. Srila Prabhupada was suffering a painful condition when he was suffering heart attacks, severe cold and physical abuse. Nobody came to help him in this foreign land. It was a painful condition. . . .
So now we are all very personally suffering due to the recent incident which has caused Srila Bhaktipada to accept a painful condition. How are we to understand this? How are we to react to this situation? There is a very divine purpose. In the end there is no doubt that Srila Bhaktipada’s glories will be hundreds of millions of times more manifested in this world. We have unflinching faith that this is Krishna’s arrangement. . . .
Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, in the Caitanya-caritamrita, explains: “I am crippled. Due to my attachment for this material world, I’m an invalid, and my feet are always slipping, and I’m always falling while trying to traverse this path of bhakti. Therefore, my only shelter is to pray for and grab on to the stick of the mercy of the great souls to support me.”
So at this time when Srila Bhaktipada is in a very critical condition, many of us are realizing how much we need him, how much we need the stick of his transcendental mercy to support us—to support our crippled legs so that we can go on in Krishna consciousness. How much this worlds needs his vision, his sacrifice, his guidance, his example. Srila Bhaktipada does not need this world, but this world needs him. Therefore, let us pray very fervently to Krishna and express to His lotus feet how much we need Srila Bhaktipada’s association, how much we are depending on his guidance.
ISKCON leaders offer support
After Bhaktipada’s assault, ISKCON leaders from around the world visited New Vrindaban, or sent letters and faxes to offer support. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami Gurupada—one of ISKCON’s most-senior elders who joined in 1966 xxii and became one of the original eleven gurus—and a few of his associates flew to Pittsburgh International Airport and took a taxi to Allegheny General Hospital to see Bhaktipada. The cab driver recognized his passengers as Hare Krishna devotees by their attire, and inquired about Bhaktipada’s welfare. It seemed that everyone, even non-devotees, had heard the news about Bhaktipada’s attack. Satsvarupa said: xxiii
On the way to the hospital, we took a taxi from the airport, and had an interesting talk with the taxi driver. . . .
The taxi driver was a simple man. He wore a baseball cap with the words “Vietnam Veteran” stamped on it. . . .
When we told him we wanted to go to the Allegheny General Hospital, he said: “How’s your man?”
I didn’t know whether he knew anything about Bhaktipada, so I said, “The leader of our community is in the hospital.”
“I know. How’s he doing?”
“Well, I don’t know. I think he’s in a very grave condition,” I said. . . .
And he said, “He’ll be all right. You just gotta have faith.”
Satsvarupa came to New Vrindaban and during his morning lecture explained how he saw a similarity between Bhaktipada’s recent assault and Prabhupada’s 1967 stroke: both events caused the devotees to intensely pray to Krishna to “please let our master stay with us and finish his work.” Satsvarupa suggested that the Brijabasis pray to Krishna to “let Bhaktipada do his nice service, instead of going back to Godhead.” xxiv
Devotees are not supposed to ask Krishna for anything, but when you become helpless and don’t know what to do, then you have to ask Krishna: “Our master has not finished his work. Please allow him to come back.”
Prabhupada said that because so many devotees prayed for him, he stayed in the world, although he was supposed to leave. According to the medical report, he was hit with a stroke that would have killed a man. He said he lived because all the devotees were praying for him. . . . So let Bhaktipada do his nice service, instead of going to Godhead. It’s too soon; there’s too much to do. Let him do his service.
Satsvarupa also wrote an article published in Back to Godhead magazine titled “Tribute to a Pure Devotee” in which he compared Bhaktipada to other saintly devotees who had been unjustly per-secuted: Haridasa Thakur, Prahlada Maharaj, the five Pandava brothers, and Jesus Christ. Satsvarupa wrote: “We should take care lest we forget how rare Vaishnavas like Srila Kirtanananda Swami are. . . . Srila Bhaktipada is a truly outstanding leader and teacher of Krishna consciousness. . . . New Vrindaban is quickly becoming one of the most prominent and important places of religious pilgrimage in the world. New Vrindaban . . . is a hallmark of Srila Bhaktipada’s pure God-conscious vision.” xxv
Bhakti Tirtha Swami Krishnapada, one of Bhaktipada’s sannyas disciples who had eight months earlier been approved by the GBC to initiate disciples, flew in from South Africa to lend support and offer encouragement: “We see that Srila Bhaktipada is not just a great spiritual teacher, he is not just guru, but we see he is the senior-most guru in our society. . . . Srila Bhaktipada is the major hope, the major guiding force on this planet at this time. . . . Sometimes it is very difficult to understand why the pure devotee often suffers. . . . Srila Bhaktipada is . . . the major nucleus of ISKCON’s future. Serious devotees will take this as a time to take inventory in their own devotional life, and they will also see and feel that they are responsible.” xxvi
Devotees in Atlanta, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia, France and South America put Bhaktipada’s picture on the altar or vyasasan and read daily from Christ and Krishna and his Vyasa-puja book, or chanted Nrsimha prayers or held 24-hour kirtans for his recovery. In Los Angeles Mukunda Swami encouraged all ISKCON devotees to pray for Bhaktipada’s recovery. xxvii
Sampat Bhattacarya, head priest for the Tirupati temple in India, whose son was the priest for the Venkateshvar temple in Pittsburgh, offered special homas (oblations) for Bhaktipada. xxviii
The New Vrindaban Fund Raising Department prepared a special letter to be sent to all New Vrindaban Life Members and Friends “requesting members to write prayers and the mahamantra to help speed Srila Bhaktipada’s recovery. . . . Mr. Kumar Podar, a fund-raising consultant for the department, has volunteered to pay the entire cost for the mailer—$15,000.” xxix
Even some Wheeling residents prayed for Bhaktipada’s well-being. Radha Govinda dasa heard many sympathetic comments from elderly Wheeling residents as he delivered free vegetarian meals on the Palace Charities route: “Practically at every stop, people asked me how Srila Bhaktipada was doing, and said they were praying for him. At one of my last stops, a very favorable lady took me by the hand and told me that she’d heard the news on the radio Sunday night, and that she had prayed all night for Bhaktipada.” xxx
Bhaktipada later claimed, however, that local government officials prayed for him to die. During a conversation with a reporter from the Dan Rather CBS evening news program at Prabhupada’s Palace, Bhaktipada said: “When I was attacked, and I was in the hospital in a coma, one local official told us they were praying for me to die . . . because they’re trying to get rid of this community.” xxxi
Bhaktipada returns home
Despite his severe injuries, Bhaktipada woke from his coma, and began the long and gradual road toward recovery. When he returned home, nearly a month after the attack, he could barely walk or talk as he was in a partially paralyzed condition as a result of brain trauma, and his left vocal chord was paralyzed. He also suffered permanent hearing loss in his right ear and had difficulty with his vision and memory. By regular therapy he regained the use of his arms and legs, although he was hampered because of the polio he suffered in his youth.
Bhaktipada returned to New Vrindaban on Friday, November 22nd, after four long weeks in the hospital. Tears flooded our eyes, and the eyes of our beloved master, during our emotional reunion; we became joyful when our very life and soul had returned.
Again, we felt something like the residents of Vrindaban when Krishna escaped the coils of the Kaliya serpent and returned to his parents, friends and relatives. “When Krishna finally came out of Kaliya’s lake, He was seen by all His friends and relatives on the bank of Yamuna. . . . The inhabitants of Vrindaban, cowherd boys and men, mother Yasoda, Maharaj Nanda and all the cows and calves, saw Krishna coming from the Yamuna, and it was as though they had recovered their very life. When a person regains his life, naturally he becomes absorbed in pleasure and joyfulness. They each in turn pressed Krishna to their chests, and thus they felt a great relief. Mother Yasoda, Rohini, Maharaj Nanda and the cowherd men became so happy that they embraced Krishna and thought they had achieved their ultimate goal of life. . . . Mother Yasoda simply embraced Krishna and made Him sit on her lap while she shed tears continually.” xxxii
The Brijabasi Spirit described Bhaktipada’s return to New Vrindaban and the emotional ecstasy of the Brijabasis, who also shed tears continually like the residents of Vrindaban: xxxiii
He’s coming home soon. We’ve been waiting so long, feeling almost dead. We can hardly believe it—he’s finally coming home at last! . . . The waiting, the anticipation, and the meditation on Bhaktipada builds and builds, and finally, just a few minutes later a silver van rounds the bend, its lights on, slowly moving. A tidal wave of affection crashes, and the devotees go wild—Srila Bhaktipada has returned home!
Everyone runs to the van. It seems like thousands of devotees are jumping and dancing around it. . . . Bhaktipada is looking out at all the devotees, who are now waving and screaming, “Bhaktipada! Bhaktipada!” Bhaktipada is sitting up, so beautiful, radiant, dressed in saffron. . . . He’s beaming and smiling like a thousand suns.
As the van turns into Bhaktipada’s driveway, Hayagriva stands alongside the garden, his hands grasped around a large conch shell, blowing tunes imported from Goloka Vrindaban. Waves of devotees are swarming all around Bhaktipada. The expression on Bhaktipada’s face is indescribable—as if he is experiencing the agony of separation, but also great ecstasy. Bhaktipada and everyone are simply crying like crazy. Sudhanu, Kumar, Kuladri, and Umapati wheel Bhaktipada inside, and the doors are shut, although many devotees manage to get in.
They wheel Bhaktipada before his Deities, Radha-Vrindaban Chandra, xxxiv beautifully dressed on Their decorated silver srngasana. Bhaktipada is still crying. . . . He bends over, trying to pay full dandavats. But he has to compromise and bends over a little to offer his obeisances. . . .
After a short darshan with the Deities, Bhaktipada is wheeled into his bedroom, and everyone follows, practically tripping over one another. As Sudhanu and others lift him into his bed, Bhaktipada says in a barely audible voice . . . “Now I am aware of what real separation is,” and he begins to cry as they gently lift him onto the bed. They atmosphere is so intense; sweet waves of affection sweep up everyone. . . .
The devotees are overwhelmed with relief and happiness. Srila Bhaktipada is so warm, so rich, so loving. . . . Hladini comes in and kneels a few feet from the bed. . . . She starts comparing Bhaktipada’s return to the Mahaprakash of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. . . . “You’re the king, Srila Bhaktipada. You’re the king!” Bhaktipada shakes his head: “I’m not the king of anything. I’m the servant of the king.” . . .
Hladini tells how Dhruva Maharaj affected the whole universe: “By his austerities, the three worlds trembled. And now, by your great austerities, you’re shaking the whole planet. Everyone is chanting your glories.” Bhaktipada begins to cry softly. The exchange of emotions is intense. . . . Umapati stands next to Bhaktipada and occasionally hands him tissues to wipe his mouth. . . .
Bhaktipada asks for Hayagriva, and when he comes in Bhaktipada’s eyes light up more than ever. “I heard you trumpeting.” “Well,” Hayagriva says in his deep voice, “it’s a special occasion.” . . .
Kasyapa, who’s standing near the door, realizes that Bhaktipada wants to talk to him and goes over to him, kneels down, puts his head in Bhaktipada’s hand and begins sobbing. “Bhaktipada,” Kasyapa manages to say, “your leaving us was just like when Visvarupa, who was the greatest devotee, left Navadvipa. They still had the Lord there, but in the absence of the perfect devotee, Visvarupa, the abode of Jagannath Misra was turned into the abode of mourning and tears. Actually the whole of Navadvipa was devastated by the separation from Visvarupa. Similarly, when you left New Vrindaban, it was the same condition here. I know you’re not bound by our desires or needs, but out of your causeless mercy, you’ve come back and answered our prayers, because we were praying for you twenty-four hours a day.”
The joy of reunion
I was away on traveling sankirtan during the weekend when Bhaktipada returned from the hospital. Monday morning, when I returned to New Vrindaban, I quickly walked up the steps behind his house and entered the back door. xxxv
I expected the worst: Would you be able to walk or talk? Would your mind be able to function properly after brain injury? Would you even be able to recognize me?
My godbrother Kumar greeted me quietly: “Bhaktipada is taking rest now.” I sat down patiently on the floor and began chanting japa. Kumar disappeared and presently reappeared: “Srila Bhaktipada is up. You can go in. But,” he cautioned me, “don’t excite him.”
I tiptoed to the door and peeked in, chanting Hare Krishna in my mind, not sure what to expect. I remembered my heartbreak a week or two earlier seeing Bhaktipada during his coma in the hospital; his swollen head was wrapped in bandages, blackened with bruises, punctured with needles and inserted with tubes.
To my surprise, he didn’t look so bad. He was laying on his bed, propped up with several pillows, incredibly weak and thin, but alive! I stood there silently, waiting. Bhaktipada detected my presence and whispered hoarsely: “Hrishikesh?”
“Bhaktipada!” I shouted in joy, bounding over to his bedside. He extended his arms and I embraced him affectionately, resting my head on his chest. My soul’s ecstasy knew no limit to see him alive and well.
“Bhaktipada! Bhaktipada!” I sobbed, kneeling on the floor besides him. I raised my head, wiped my eyes and looked intently into his eyes: “You scared us too much! We thought we might never see you again!”
Bhaktipada started chuckling and then explained: “You and I can never be separated. You know that I’m not this body, and you’re not yours!”
We both started laughing and I quipped: “Yes, that’s true, Bhaktipada. But it sure is lonely back here without you!”
He concluded: “Yes, that’s how I feel about Srila Prabhupada. But still, you must never forget the philosophy; on the spiritual platform we cannot be separated.”
We loved Bhaktipada and he loved us. How many times, during my telephone conversations with Bhaktipada during those many years while I served in separation out on the road, he reminded me: “And don’t forget, Hrishikesh—I love you!”
Toshan Krishna dasa, a senior devotee at New Vrindaban who served as the manager of the Palace, shared our communal feelings when he expressed his heartfelt feelings for his elder godbrother: “Dear Srila Bhaktipada. . . . You have returned to us. This special gift of Krishna’s mercy, a response to our desperate prayers, gives sign of your compassion to us. You, free to leave us at your time, are welcome in Krishna’s land, your natural place. With this attack all the lights in my universe went out, seeing the vast world condemned. A soothing dream of mine then pictured your triumphant return complete with banners, marching gurukula bands, and decorated floats with joyous crowds of devotees and flower petal showers. It was a transcendental ticker tape parade all to give a hero’s welcome. Relieved, I tried to think of how to do some service, if only a little extra.” xxxvi
Yes, during this trying time we all became extremely diligent to perform our service attentively, to the best of our abilities. We, like Toshan Krishna, attempted to increase our service to the spiritual master. Most of us served Bhaktipada because we loved him. We experienced a feeling of satisfaction, of pleasure, of bliss by helping him serve Prabhupada and Krishna. We wanted to serve a perfect master, and he was happy to accept our service on behalf of Prabhupada and Krishna. Some of our Marshall County neighbors called us “Swami’s white slaves,” but we were happy to be slaves: Krishna’s slaves, Bhaktipada’s slaves. We thought that was the perfection of our lives.
Hridayananda Goswami Acharyadeva, one of the original eleven ISKCON gurus, came to visit, as did Bhaktipada’s 82-year-old mother Marjorie Ham (her first visit to New Vrindaban). Hridayananda flattered Bhaktipada: “I just heard some of your new tape, Eternal Love, when I was down in Key West. You’ve become very prolific—so many books. This is the symptom of a self-realized person, a surrendered soul. . . . Bhaktipada, actually you are a brilliant scholar. We all knew you were quite a scholar before you came to the movement, but then you got involved in building such a big project [as New Vrindaban]. But now, you are manifesting that scholarly opulence. . . . New Vrindaban is actually a great pillar to our preaching all over the world.” xxxvii
Bhaktipada afflicted with anterograde amnesia
However, Bhaktipada was not quite himself after his return to New Vrindaban. Although we did not know it at the time, he had suffered considerable brain damage which significantly affected his memory and personality. He could not remember recent conversations only a few days apart, and he sometimes acted in impulsive ways.
Anterograde amnesia is a condition in which new events contained in the immediate memory are not transferred to the permanent as long-term memory. The disorder is usually acquired in one of two ways: it is either drug-induced, or it follows a traumatic brain injury in which there is usually damage to the hippocampus or surrounding cortices. Patients who suffer from anterograde amnesic syndromes are afflicted with widely varying degrees of forgetfulness, and lose declarative memory or the recollection of facts.
Bhaktipada’s personal servant confirmed: xxxviii
I was Bhaktipada’s personal servant and secretary for nearly a year, from December 1985 until November 1986. During this period I spent a great deal of time with him. In fact, Bhaktipada would hardly let me out of his sight.
This was the time immediately following his head injury. I noticed that he had serious problems with his memory as well as his ability to control his actions and emotions. He just couldn’t remember things. For example, one time a devotee came into his room to speak with him. I was massaging Bhaktipada’s head, as he often had severe headaches at that time. The devotee asked for advice, and Bhaktipada gave it. A few days later, the same devotee returned and asked him to clarify what he had previously said. This time Bhaktipada told him something completely different. The devotee left visibly shaken and confused.
After the devotee left, Bhaktipada asked me why the devotee seemed so shocked. I explained that just a few days earlier, he had spoken with the same devotee and that he had given a completely different set of instructions. Bhaktipada said that he had no memory of the previous conversation and asked me to remind him of what he said. I repeated the original instructions and Bhaktipada said, “Hmmm.... that makes more sense than what I just told him.”
Because of this, Bhaktipada and I devised a system of signals we would use to help him in his conversations with people. When devotees came to him for instructions, and when Bhaktipada became confused or forgetful of previous discussions, he would look at me and I would either give him some nonverbal signals by making expressions with my face or I would gently butt into the conversation to offer enough information for Bhaktipada to know what he had previously said. In this way, Bhaktipada was able to continue to give advice and relatively few people realized how badly his memory was affected. This went on for many months. When I left this service in November 1986, he still had significant problems with his memory. Little by little his memory improved, but it never returned to the levels from before his head injury.
Most of the New Vrindaban Community leaders of that time understood that Bhaktipada had problems with his memory and with his ability to make rational decisions. I recall that other leaders in ISKCON and India also suspected serious problems, but didn’t know for sure. Most ignored or didn’t want to believe that their perfect and pure leader had somehow become damaged or imperfect. Bhaktipada wanted everything to be okay just as much as followers wanted him to be okay. All engaged in mutual denial.
Bhaktipada was in no shape to care for himself, physically or mentally, much less lead a community of hundreds of devotees or a world-wide movement. Many times he felt such extreme pressure in his skull that he suffered incredible agony. Several times he told me he wished he was dead because the pain was so unbearable. One time, on an airplane to India, he told me he could see the Yamaduttas (agents of death) surrounding him.
In retrospect, New Vrindaban Community and ISKCON leaders should have at least temporarily stepped in and relieved Bhaktipada of his duties. Yet no one really gave him a break; individuals continually came to him for advice and instruction. I think one of the main reasons was because they wanted to believe so badly that everything was going to be okay, that nothing had changed. They continued to prop him up even as he continued on his downward slide. I admit that even though I was only seventeen years old at the time I was part of that attempt. All Bhaktipada’s close associates who knew that he was incapable of leading and did not work to remedy the situation were also responsible for propping him up, all in the name of keeping up appearances. In the end, it was a disservice to everyone involved.
It appears obvious from the previous testimony that Bhaktipada was unwilling to (1) admit his inability to function normally and provide competent leadership, (2) get professional help from a qualified therapist for his memory problems, and (3) temporarily delegate important decision-making responsibilities to senior New Vrindaban managers. With the help of his teenage personal servant he used deceitful means to try to keep up the appearance of being in control of his faculties and keep his followers in the dark about his actual debilitated mental and physical condition.
Bhaktipada understood the mechanics of the guru/disciple relationship; a disciple would only surrender completely to a completely perfect spiritual master. If the guru began showing symptoms of weakness or uncertainty, his disciples would lose faith and eventually abandon him. Therefore, in order to maintain his power and position it was essential that he try to continue as the ultimate authority as if nothing had happened. Bhaktipada was not selfless, he was self-centered; he was attached to being the guru and he was not about to give up the post and the benefits he had enjoyed for so many years.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Bhaktipada had exhibited symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)—defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy”—since childhood xxxix, but after his head injury the symptoms appeared to intensify. Some psychologists believe that NPD functions to compensate for an extremely low sense of self-esteem.
A person is considered affected with NPD if they exhibit symptoms beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following: xl
* has a grandiose sense of self-importance
* is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
* believes that he is “special” and unique
* requires excessive admiration
* has a sense of entitlement
* is interpersonally exploitative
* lacks empathy
* is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him
* shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
Bhaktipada exhibited all nine symptoms of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder at different times in varying degrees. Certainly he could be kind and affectionate to a surrendered disciple (and why not?—the disciple was providing the excessive admiration necessary to justify his grandiose sense of self-importance), but he could also be callous and cruel if someone did not constantly bend over backwards to please him. Such persons—even long-time dedicated servants like Kanka and Kuladri who eventually recognized he had a problem and disagreed with or challenged him—were more-often-than-not thrown out of the community and labeled as “envious.”
In and of itself, there is no harm in having NPD. Most leaders of human societies have narcissistic tendencies: they believe in themselves, they tend to try to control others, they have grandiose fantasies which function as motivators and guidelines for achievements and goals, and they have a realistic sense of self-entitlement. However, there are varying degrees of NPD: (1) Healthy, (2) Extraordinary, (3) Arrogant, and (4) Psychopathic. xli
An Arrogant Narcissist may exhibit: “Inflated and vulnerable self-esteem with inner sense of superiority and uniqueness. Strong reactions to criticism, defeats or other threats to the self-esteem. Grandiose fantasies support and enhance self-esteem. . . . Mood variations including depression, irritability, elation or hypomania reflect shifting levels of self-esteem. Interpersonal relations serve to protect and enhance self-esteem: arrogant and haughty attitude, seeking admiring attention, and entitled and controlling and hostile behavior. Impaired empathic processing. . . . Compromised or inconsistent superego functioning ranging from temporary extreme moral perfectionism to corruptive consciousness, deceitful manipulative behavior.” A Psychopathic Narcissist may also exhibit an extreme “lack of remorse or guilt.” xlii
As the degree of NPD becomes more severe, it becomes more and more difficult for the narcissist to function in society. Certainly, an Arrogant or Psychopathic Narcissist would have great difficulty in nearly all occupations, except perhaps in the occupation of guru. The guru has absolute authority over his disciples’ lives, and the disciple expects to receive chastisement on occasion, but if the guru’s narcissism is Arrogant or Psychopathic, then he will abuse his disciples to further his own agenda, which is always self-aggrandizement. It appeared that Bhaktipada’s head injury caused his NPD to intensify, and eventually this resulted in unsound decisions being made which negatively affected the community.
Gurus can become addicted to adulation
A person who accepts the post of guru must be extremely careful not to become puffed up with false pride. Bhaktipada liked to preach about this, and he often quoted Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goeth before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” The spiritual master should not be proud of his position; he should preach the chanting of Hare Krishna with all humility. However in this regard, there is reasonable doubt whether Bhaktipada actually practiced what he preached.
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained the importance of humility in His Siksastakam Prayers: “One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others, can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”
Prabhupada commented on this verse and insisted that the spiritual master must be humbler than everyone else: “The grass is specifically mentioned in this verse because everyone tramples upon it yet the grass never protests. This example indicates that a spiritual master or leader should not be proud of his position; being always humbler than an ordinary common man, he should go on preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.” xliii
It is very dangerous to be a guru, as the guru is constantly admired, glorified and worshiped by adoring disciples. If one has the slightest tinge of material desire, this adoration will eventually go to his head, and he will become addicted to adulation, with disastrous results. xliv
Most people enjoy feeling special. . . . Adulation, the ultimate form of special treatment, has an addictive quality difficult to resist. Being the focus of such attention would activate the excitation levels of any sentient being on the receiving end of it. Whether for a guru or a rock star, this can be a more powerful experience than the strongest drug. It is also one of the great seductions of power.
Successful gurus, rock stars, charismatic leaders of any sort, experience the intensity of adulation amplified beyond most people’s ken. . . . Being the recipient of such adulation and devotion is exceedingly addictive. . . . Since adulation is totally a function of image, should the images crack, adulation disappears, demonstrating that it is essentially empty of real care.
Psychoanalytic theory would say that adulation is the emotional experience a narcissist most craves. What better profession for a narcissist than being a guru? . . . For a guru, adulation and power are intricately connected since the disciples’ surrender is the ultimate source of his power, and adulation is the prerequisite for surrender. A guru is made to feel he is the center of the universe by his disciples.
If the guru becomes addicted to adoration and position, the weeds of desire within his heart will eventually choke the tender bhakti creeper, xlv and he will certainly abuse his power and create havoc for both himself and his disciples. This type of guru, one who imitates the stage of uttama-adhikari, is a pretender, and is sure to fall down and become degraded. Srila Prabhupada explained: “One should not imitate the behavior of an advanced devotee or maha-bhagavata without being self-realized, for by such imitation one will eventually become degraded.” xlvi
Ramesvara Maharja, one of the eleven original ISKCON gurus, appeared to recognize the actual status of the ISKCON acharyas as madhyama gurus, and tried to point this out in a paper presented to the GBC in 1980: “If the madhyama guru presents himself as, or allows himself to be presented or worshiped as an uttama guru, then he is simply cheating his disciples. He is making a false and artificial show, and thus is inspiring cheap, superficial faith and devotion. Rather than true and appropriate glorification, such cheap adoration is actually an insult.” xlvii
The greatest disease: tasting absolute power.
One devotee diagnosed the disease which infected Bhaktipada and some other gurus: “There is no greater disease known to man than that which inflicts those who have tasted absolute power. It is an experience they can never free themselves from. In fact, they are cursed, in this lifetime and probably many lifetimes to come.” xlviii
Hansadutta dasa, a former ISKCON sannyasi guru who fell down from his vows, concurred: “When most conditioned souls are exposed to immense wealth, unlimited prestige, adoration from women and devoted disciples, we go crazy. We can’t help it. Our constitutional position is not lord and master of all we survey, our position is servant of the servant: dasa dasa anudasa. We go crazy. Nearly any conditioned soul would.” xlix
Disciples refuse to admit Bhaktipada unfit to lead
Bhaktipada’s disciples and followers who were aware of his discrepancies were unable to admit that their guru had become flawed. They pretended everything was fine or they tried to rationalize his behavior. They would do practically anything except acknowledge that something had gone terribly wrong, probably because they had a huge emotional investment in his sanctity. l
People justify and rationalize in gurus what in others would be considered unacceptable because they have a huge emotional investment in believing their guru is both pure and right. Why? Why do people need images of perfection and omniscience? This goes back to the whole guru/disciple relationship being predicated on surrender. Surrender of great magnitude requires correspondingly great images of perfection. It would be difficult to surrender to one whose motives were not thought to be pure, which has come to mean untainted by self-centeredness. How can one surrender to a person who might put his self-interest first? Also it is difficult to surrender to someone who can make mistakes, especially mistakes that could have significant impact on one’s life. Consequently, the guru can never be wrong, make mistakes, be self-centered, or lose emotional control. He doesn’t get angry, he “uses” anger to teach. . . .
Disciples usually become more attached to the psychological state that surrender brings than to the guru, whom they never really get to know as a person. Repudiation of the guru (or even doubt and questioning) means a return to earlier conflict, confusion, and meaninglessness. The deeper the surrender, and the more energy and commitment they put into the guru, the greater their emotional investment is. Disciples will thus put up with a great deal of contradictory and aberrant behavior on the guru’s part, for doubting him literally means having their world fall apart. . . .
The deeper one surrenders to an authoritarian structure, the harder it is to detach from it because one’s very identity becomes wrapped around that context—one’s emotions, beliefs, images, worldview, relationships, etc. In fact, the group, with the authority figure at the center, becomes the foundation of all meaning, intimacy, and even possibility for the future. Those in the inner circle or high on the organization’s rungs have an even more difficult time unhooking. Most have achieved more power and feelings of specialness than they ever had before or could on their own.
Bhaktipada’s personality changed
Some devotees began to suspect that Bhaktipada’s head injury also changed his personality; it seemed to make him less compassionate and more callous—one symptom of Arrogant or Pathological NPD. One long-time associate even thought he appeared to become “possessed” by an evil disembodied entity. Kanka devi dasi described her relationship with Bhaktipada and how he changed after his head injury: li
Kirtanananda Swami and I go way back, to 1971, when I lived at the New York temple; my service was sewing outfits for Radha-Govinda. When he visited New York, I would take him out shopping to purchase jewelry and things for the deities at New Vrindaban. He was always so nice to me. Then during the summer of 1972 he invited me to come to New Vrindaban. The Radha-Vrindaban Chandra deities needed outfits. So I came and sewed a beautiful outfit for Their Lordships. Kirtanananda would come and see me every day in the sewing room. After Prabhupada’s visit [during the summer of 1974], I returned to New York.
In 1978, when my marriage was falling apart, he invited me to come back to New Vrindaban with my three kids. The community had just purchased a house; the first on the ridge coming in from highway 250. It was a nice house, with wood paneling. I trusted him; I knew he would take care of me.
The house burned down three weeks later; I believe the fire was set by our neighbors. I was lucky to get out with my children. Within five minutes flames shot out the front doors. The fire engine came after ten minutes, but by then it was too late. Since then, the place was called “Agni-dhama.” I lost everything I had, except for an inheritance; I had $11,000 left.
When my house burned down, Kirtanananda was in India and I was freaking out. My sister had sent me a plane ticket to come and live with her in California. My bags were packed and I was leaving the community when Kirtanananda unexpectedly pulled up in his vehicle and begged, “Don’t leave.” He wasn’t scheduled to return from India for several more days. He said that he had heard about the fire and cut his trip short to come back and see if I was okay. He invited me to stay in the guest house, and he visited me nearly every day. That’s when I gave him the $11,000. I felt useless, like a burden. I could only do a half-day of service, on account of my three children. Yet I was very close to him; we were friends. He would come visit me and we’d sit and talk about stuff.
During the summer of 1979, I worked really hard helping to gold leaf the Palace. I slept only four hours a night for that entire summer. Then I’d go out on the “pick” with Lajjavati, Krishnabhava and Premamanjari. We were weekend girls; we were such loving and supportive friends. Sometimes I had some friction with Kirtanananda when I occasionally refused to go out on sankirtan, but overall we had a good relationship. He loved me.
But after he got hit on the head, everything changed. He was not the same person. He got hard and calloused. It seemed that there was another entity in his body; like he was possessed. He lost his pious side. Dark energy came out. We didn’t have the same relationship anymore. He became abusive to the sankirtan mothers. I was freaking out, “Who IS this man?” I never saw him chant anymore. I decided I had to get out of there and so I left the community.
Kuladri also noticed a change in Bhaktipada after his head injury: “After the attack, he was never the same. I didn’t want to face it at first, but after a while I could not ignore it. Even the local politicians noticed something was different. At that time, we had been making friends amongst the leaders of local and state government; we were the second largest employer in Marshall County; we were contributing a lot to the local economy. After Kirtanananda returned from the hospital, our politician friends came to visit him. But they saw that he was not the same person; they became uncomfortable and gradually retreated and pulled away from us. They saw that something had gone amiss.” lii
Narada Muni dasa, who had served under Bhaktipada as president of the Columbus ISKCON temple and later as director of New Vrindaban Village Estates, said: “I left in December 1985, soon after Bhaktipada returned to New Vrindaban from the hospital after his attack. The community had become a personality cult, not an authorized religion. I could see what was down the road: complete fanaticism.” liii
As one of the senior leaders at New Vrindaban, Narada Muni may have been notified of the plot to assassinate Sulochan and invited to participate. However, unlike others, he undoubtedly perceived the premeditated murder of a godbrother, even one as vociferous as Sulochan, as “complete fanaticism.” Since he realized that he was powerless to stop it—New Vrindaban had become a “personality cult” and he was outnumbered by fanatics—he and his family left the community at the first opportunity.
“Foolish consistency”
Some close associates certainly recognized Bhaktipada’s failing memory and personality change, but most of us who only rarely had close contact with him were ignorant of this condition. Yes, we may have noticed time to time that Bhaktipada seemed perhaps a little absent-minded, and that he sometimes acted in impulsive ways which appeared bewildering or paradoxical to us. Yet we still loved him so much that we instinctively followed him submissively like a small child obediently follows a parent, even if the parent might behave inconsistently.
Periodically when Bhaktipada was informed that he had contradicted himself, he quoted the American poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), who wrote in his essay, Self-Reliance: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” In other words, if we couldn’t understand Bhaktipada it was because our minds were too small. The guru is always right, even when he’s wrong.
Bhaktipada also liked to quote Walt Whitman (1819-1892), who wrote: liv
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
When asked why he changed his mind so often, Bhaktipada replied: “If Krishna changes, I change. What can I do?” lv
Bhaktipada told us that Krishna was inconceivable, and because guru was the perfect servant of Krishna, he also was inconceivable. Our duty was simply to surrender to Krishna through guru. Bhaktipada always hammered home Krishna’s conclusion of Bhagavad-gita: “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (18.66) We didn’t challenge Bhaktipada; after all, Krishna demanded surrender from Arjuna and Bhaktipada demanded it from us. We were following in Arjuna’s footsteps. And besides, our eyes had been tinged with the salve of love. We would do anything to protect our beloved spiritual father. Absolutely anything.
New Vrindaban Security intensifies
On December 4th, Bhaktipada held a press conference in which he called Triyogi a “crazy fanatic” who had been “influenced” by Sulochan. lvi
Bhaktipada said that he was not surprised by the attack: “A person who is a servant of God has to live with these things. I think whenever you have a spiritual force, you have a counter force. The assailant was a crazy madman.” lvii
Sthayibhava dasa, the head of New Vrindaban Security, held an open meeting and participants suggested various methods to protect Srila Bhaktipada, such as: “screening devotees through the police computers for criminal records and running checks to ascertain those who may have an unstable mental history, or disturbed records from previous temples. . . Two bodyguards are proposed to accompany Srila Bhaktipada at all times. One will act as a driver for Srila Bhaktipada.” lviii
Bhaktipada said: “Someone suggested that I should have bodyguards. I had them for a week, and I wouldn’t tolerate it. I told them: ‘If you want to do something, get me a dog. I think I can live with a dog.’” lix
To help insure his safety, Bhaktipada acquired two guard dogs, a 120-pound German shepherd which he named Gudakesh and a schnauzer which he named Gurudas. Kuladri explained: “Bhaktipada said he didn’t want people [bodyguards] hanging around him. He wanted his privacy, and he spent ten or fifteen thousand dollars on police dogs instead.” lx
Sulochan praised Triyogi’s assault
Sulochan couldn’t resist writing his own commentary about Triyogi’s attack, and wrote a fifteen-page document claiming that Bhaktipada lived by violence and that if Triyogi recognized the offenses Bhaktipada was committing against Prabhupada, that would have been a noble motivation for killing him. The document also said the ISKCON “gurus” had more or less declared open season on themselves and they had no one else to blame. Sulochan predicted it was only a matter of time before each “guru” was dead or wished they were. lxi
Regarding the recent attack on Kirtanananda, many devotees simply don’t know what to think. Whatever Triyogi’s immediate motivation may have been, personal or otherwise, we know that the remote or original cause was the false platform of these “gurus.” Had they been honest and sincere from the beginning, then this, and all the other acts of violence over the years, would not have been possible. . . .
Kirtanananda lived by violence. He personally authorized so much physical violence against his godbrothers and godsisters that it was no surprise to us that his punishment also came by violence. . . . By failing to rectify themselves at New Vrindaban on September 16 th, these “gurus” more or less declared open season on themselves and they have no one else to blame. It is only a matter of time before each “guru” is dead or wishes he were. This is just a fact of life. Their fate is sealed by their own actions.
Regarding the guilt or innocence of Triyogi dasa, that can be looked at in several ways. Kirtanananda certainly deserved to be executed but whether or not Triyogi had the right to do it is the question. . . . . Triyogi is also a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and if he had recognized the offenses Kirtanananda was committing to Prabhupada, that would have been a noble motivation for killing him. . . .
He can also expect a reward for performing a deed that will save others from spiritual ruin at the hands of Kirtanananda. It is said in the story of Narada Muni that even if one unknowingly serves a pure devotee he gets the same benefit. So it makes logical sense that if one unknowingly kills an offender to a pure devotee, then he will also get the benefit.
Sulochan allegedly said: “The mistake Triyogi made was that he should have used a high-powered rifle with a scope. . . and that he should have laid in the woods and blown his brains out. . . from five hundred yards away. He could have done a better job and gotten away easier.” lxii
New Vrindaban authorities suspected that Triyogi had been influenced by Sulochan, although no evidence existed to prove their assumption. Bhaktipada later claimed that Triyogi and Sulochan had plotted together. They “held the same opinions. They were in the same temple, they were from the same places. Who wouldn’t conclude that they were working in concert?” lxiii
Tirtha dasa, a Viet Nam war veteran and a Bhaktipada disciple initiated during April 1978 in Columbus, Ohio, explained: “Sulochan foolishly intimated that he had a hand in coaching Triyogi’s attack. That was akin to signing his own death warrant. Sulochan was already greatly disliked at New Vrindaban due to his rambling exposé, The Guru Business. Plus he openly advocated the use of violence against all of the ISKCON gurus. Quite naturally, Sulochan became a prime target for New Vrindaban’s frustration and anger.” lxiv
Sheriff Bordenkircher said investigators had dismissed any likelihood that Triyogi’s attack on Bhaktipada involved a conspiracy: “There’s no evidence of that. In the beginning, there was a concern—and I think the concern was reasonable, but we found nothing to indicate that.” lxv
Bordenkircher continued: “When it comes down to the act of one person—being Shockman—assaulting the Swami. . . the crime itself; it is clear to us after a thorough investigation that there was no conspiracy. It appears to be that Shockman may well share some of the philosophical differences that Bryant has with the nation of Krishna.” lxvi
Sulochan’s best friend, Puranjana dasa, explained why Sulochan and Triyogi could not possibly have been cohorts: lxvii
So the rumor was started that Sulochan was good friends with Triyogi and that they had planned the attack. This made no sense to the intelligent observer however. Triyogi wanted to get “voted in as a guru”

The Saga of Sulochan, Part 3
By Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)
One chapter from my forthcoming book—Gold, Guns and God: A History of the Hare Krishnas in West Virginia
Sulochan’s campaign loses steam
After nearly two months in jail, on April 3rd, 1986, Sulochan was found guilty by a Marshall County Magistrate court on a charge of carrying a deadly weapon. His attorney wrote: “I went to see Bryant in jail. He was crushed, truly defeated. The Sheriff had betrayed him, and everything had gone terribly wrong. He thought he was on a holy crusade, but now he’d been arrested and painted as a killer, not a savior. He said he didn’t want to live if this sort of thing could happen. He said he was going on a hunger strike, and for a few days he did.” i
Kirtanananda Swami said: “I remember that while Sulochan was in jail, he was trying to contact reporters and media people, and they wouldn’t come and talk to him. In other words, whatever credibility he had before being arrested he lost. Whatever threat he was—whatever motives there were to get rid of him before, didn’t exist anymore. No one was listening to him.” ii
When Sulochan was finally released, he made a motion to appeal the case, and left West Virginia for Royal Oak, Michigan, where he stayed with his parents from April 11th until April 30th. iii
Tirtha and Randall Gorby followed him, with Tirtha’s two children in tow. Gorby explained: “We were there approximately around the house three hours. The kids were in the car. There was a park down the street that we took them down there, and they played in the park. I took a Snoopy bumper sticker—“Are we having fun yet?”—from Tirtha’s vehicle and put it on the back bumper of Sulochan’s vehicle.” iv
Tirtha explained: “Gorby thought this would unnerve him [Sulochan].” v
Gorby continued: “After that we left the Detroit area and went to Kent, Ohio.” vi
Bhaktipada aware of plot
At first, Bhaktipada had been unaware of the plot to seek out and murder Sulochan, but eventually he was informed—perhaps as early as January 1986—and he did not oppose the proceedings. Hayagriva reportedly first spoke to Bhaktipada about it, who replied that “It would be better for New Vrindaban and me if Sulochan was not around.” vii
Tapahpunja Swami also spoke with Bhaktipada about the plot, as did Tirtha, who requested his spiritual master’s blessings before he executed the important “holy inquisition.” Tirtha said: “The final authority to kill Sulochan could only come from one person; that was Kirtanananda himself. For my own satisfaction, I had to hear Kirtanananda himself say the words. I asked him if he felt that it would be best for Sulochan to be killed. And his direct response was, ‘Yes. It would be best.’ I was acting in defense of my spiritual master’s life. I was given a rather gruesome task to perform. Had I not been given authorization personally by Kirtanananda, I would not have been in California to eliminate Sulochan.” viii
Bhaktipada’s servant noticed: “I was constantly around Bhaktipada, taking care of him, but a couple times I was asked to leave the room when high-ranking New Vrindaban leaders wanted to talk to Bhaktipada privately. I think this happened once at the end of December 1985 and then again in January 1986. At the time I did not know what was going on, but in retrospect, I think I was asked to leave because they were discussing sensitive and secret details regarding the surveillance of Sulochan.” ix
Tirtha receives $2,500
On April 30th Sulochan left Michigan in a van he had purchased a week before, and began his journey to California. Sulochan telephoned his mother on May 11th to wish her a happy Mother’s Day. That was the last time she heard her son’s voice. x
Around May 18, Tirtha received $2,500 dollars in expense money for his forthcoming trip to California. Kuladri explained: xi
Bhaktipada was going to India, and as was customary before leaving, he left final orders for different people. And I remember him authorizing a number of, amount of money to a number of different members. And there were a number of people. I think it was in the limousine, four or five people were in his house before going to the airport. And during that period he mentioned instructions on printing, some other things, and said Hayagriva could have twenty-five hundred dollars. He also said that if he could go to the office and get the money, I have authorized it. If the office doesn’t have money, you can go to Dharmatma if he needs cash. Bhaktipada left that date for India, and the next morning in the temple I went to the people that had been given authorization by Bhaktipada that their request had been okayed. And I told Hayagriva also. He said, “Okay, please be sure to tell Dharmatma that Bhaktipada has authorized money.”
Dharmatma confirmed: xii
Kuladri approached me during the morning program. We were walking around Tulasi Devi, an auspicious plant that we worship, and Kuladri came up to me during that time and told me that Hayagriva was going to come to me for twenty-five hundred dollars and to give it to him. I asked, “What is up?” He said, “It is for surveillance of Sulochan.” So I asked, “Is it cool to give it to him? Is it authorized by Bhaktipada?” and he said, “Yes. Go ahead.”
But Hayagriva never came to get the money; instead Tirtha personally appeared to get it. Dharmatma continued: xiii
I received a telephone call from Tirtha sometime after that. And during that conversation he asked me, basically told me, that Hayagriva says that you have got twenty-five hundred stickers for me, referring to the bumper stickers that we distribute on sankirtan. I immediately put two and two together, and said, “Yes. I have got twenty-five hundred stickers.” And he said, “I will be over to pick them up.”
Tirtha came over. I had people in my house, so he kind of stayed outside. And we went along, kind of alongside my house, and sat down on some logs or something that was there. And he started talking to me about how upset he was at the fact that Sulochan had been criticizing and blaspheming Bhaktipada and writing all of these horrible things and saying all of these horrible things about him. He was very vehement and angry at the fact and said he has to be taken care of and this can’t go on. And how it is really horrible that he is blaspheming a pure devotee. And he kept saying, “You know, we got to do something about him. He has to be taken care of.”
And then he showed me an article which Sulochan had written. I guess it was some of his writings. And in there, there was a large paragraph criticizing Bhaktipada. There was another paragraph criticizing Kuladri, and another paragraph criticizing myself. I had heard all of these things before, so I wasn’t very disturbed at what he was saying about me. And I proceeded to go in and get the money for him, give him the money.
Tirtha returns to California
Sulochan’s van was spotted near the Los Angeles temple by Krishna Katha, who immediately placed a telephone call to Janmastami: “Sulochan’s back in town!” “I first saw the van that fit the description in front of Nistraigunya’s house.” xiv
Tirtha confirmed: “I received information from Janmastami who was then staying in Philadelphia, that Krishna Katha (KK) had called him to say that Sulochan had arrived in the LA area and was living out of his van with Michigan license plates. Shortly thereafter I traveled to LA and met with KK.” xv
Tirtha caught the next plane to Los Angeles and rented a 1981 Chevy Caprice at the Ugly Duckling Rent-A-Car agency, Los Angeles airport branch. He put down a $300 cash deposit for the car. The receipt was dated May 20th. The time: 8:00 a.m. xvi
On the application form Tirtha indicated he was employed by ISKCON Cleveland at 15720 Euclid Avenue. He claimed he had been employed there for twelve years. He also listed three persons as references: Daruka (who had assisted him in murdering Chakradhari three years earlier) in Culver City, California, and Parambrahma and Kuladri in Moundsville, West Virginia.
Tirtha explained why he was in California: xvii
Sulochan had been targeted for death by the [New Vrindaban] community’s leaders. A few weeks later, Kuladri directed me to see Dharmatma to pick up additional expense money. Earlier, Kuladri had talked to me about taking another trip to California. He said he’d received a call that Sulochan was traveling between Berkeley and Los Angeles, rallying his forces again. Kuladri said that Sulochan had called him a few days earlier to tell him that he would “get even,” if it was the last thing he ever did. According to Kuladri, that could only mean one thing. Sulochan was determined to kill Bhaktipada.
“We have to finish this thing,” Kuladri said. “As long as that guy is walking around, he’s a threat to Bhaktipada. He won’t be thinking anyone’s after him out in California. At least no one from New Vrindaban. If something happens out there, there won’t be as much heat on us. In time the whole thing will blow over. If everything runs smoothly, they won’t be able to prove anything.”
Krishna Katha, who had found Sulochan’s van, followed him north on Interstate 5. When he passed the Bakersfield area, Krishna Katha assumed he was going on to San Francisco and turned back. When Tirtha arrived at the Los Angeles airport, he telephoned Krishna Katha, and asked “Where is the slime?” xviii
Krishna Katha told him that Sulochan was headed to San Francisco, some 400 miles distant, and so Tirtha turned north on the freeway to pursue his quarry. But Sulochan did not drive to San Francisco, he drove to the Three Rivers Hare Krishna farm in Tulare, County, some 200 miles north of Los Angeles, to see some friends, including his new girlfriend. After visiting for some time, Sulochan then returned to Los Angeles where he visited some other friends. When Tirtha learned of Sulochan’s whereabouts by telephone, he turned and headed back toward Los Angeles. In two days he put 1,082 miles on his rented car. xix
Sulochan’s last hours; visiting friends
Sulochan’s friend Nistraigunya dasa invited him over to his house near the Los Angeles temple during the evening of May 21st. Nistraigunya said: xx
On that evening Sulochan said he was more or less giving up on his crusade, and that he felt no one really believed him and he didn’t have much success with the press. He felt and it was like fighting the windmills. And he was interested in a young woman and wanted to get married. And he was more or less going to give it up to God, more or less, you know.
I asked him to stay overnight, but he felt that he was in danger. He felt he was in danger because of the work he was doing, and he didn’t want to jeopardize his friends by staying with them. He said: “I have decided to just depend on Krishna to protect me.”
When he declined to stay with me, he said he would drive in his van, drive a block or so away, and stay there. He left the house sometime after midnight, twelve-thirty, quarter to one, like that.
Sulochan had finally decided to give up once and for all his fanatical crusade against Bhaktipada and the other ISKCON gurus. He seemed to realize that his divorced and remarried and pregnant former wife would never return to him, and that he couldn’t save ISKCON if ISKCON didn’t want to be saved. He was disappointed that the Moundsville jurors took only twenty minutes to convict him. The whole time he was locked up, nobody called him. He decided that nobody cared. Why should he care? Sulochan thought his one-man crusade against Bhaktipada and the other gurus had become a “fight against windmills. He said he hadn’t had much success with the press. More or less, he was giving up the crusade.”
And Sulochan had recently met a woman who seemed to like him the way he was, with all his idiosyncrasies and bad habits; and best of all: she was not a brainwashed groupie for a bogus spiritual master, she was free to give her heart to him. Perhaps now he could settle down and have the wife and family he so much desired.
Sulochan had given up his fight; he was no longer a threat to Bhaktipada or the other ISKCON gurus. He decided not to protect himself with guns, but to simply “depend on Krishna.” But no one at New Vrindaban seemed to know this, only Sulochan’s closest friends. Tirtha was still on the prowl; he was tired of following Sulochan, and he wanted to get it over with.
Krishna Katha showed Tirtha where Sulochan was hanging out: xxi
Tirtha met me at my apartment. I told him that I would jump in my vehicle and for him to follow me and I would take him to where Sulochan’s van is at Nistraigunya’s house. But the van was not there. I had learned of another location that the van sometimes would be seen by another person at that time, the temple, and I had also checked on that and had seen the van there. So I said to Tirtha, “Drive your vehicle and follow me and I will take you to a second location. The van may be there.” As we drove down the street I went past Sulochan’s van, and I doubled around the block and Tirtha followed. I stopped along the curb and he pulled up in front of me, positioned his vehicle so that he could have a clear view of Sulochan’s van.
I went and sat in the passenger side of his vehicle. This would have been around the beginning of the afternoon just after noon on May 21st. We sat there a couple hours. Tirtha noticed that the van had just driven off slowly, and for me to get out and he wanted to follow. So I got out and got into my vehicle and followed him. When the van first made a stop at a gas station on Overland and Venice Boulevard. And I parked in a parking lot. I didn’t see Tirtha at that time, where he was. And then as the van pulled away, I continued following and it made its way to Nistraigunya’s house on National, and parked in front of his house.
I passed by the van and went around the block in my vehicle. And then I noticed Tirtha’s vehicle and again he pulled up in front of mine, positioned his vehicle on a side street so that he could get a clear view of the van. I got into Tirtha’s vehicle. He showed me a gun, a .45 caliber Star Model P. D. I saw him with a loaded magazine and I remember what bullets he had and I remember him loading the magazine into the gun. I recall him saying that he wanted to just storm the place and do everyone in there. He didn’t care, they were fringies anyway, and that none of them deserved to live.
I stayed there forty-five minutes, maximum an hour. After I left I went back to the temple on Watseka to do my service. . . . I was very scared. . . . But I did know that I felt at the time that I shouldn’t be there, so that is the reason I left.
Around one or two o’clock in the morning I received a phone call from Tirtha. I had to carry on my belt, two meter F. M. hand-held radio, that I had. One Star made it so that my telephone would ring, it would ring my radio and by pushing certain buttons would access through a phone patch the person calling. So it was like a phone, it was like a radio, it was both. But it wasn’t a cellular phone. They had not made those yet.
Tirtha said: “K.K., whatever you do, don’t come in the area. I repeat, don’t come in the area. I am going to disappear for a while. I will get a hold of you later.” And he hung up.
Nistraigunya continued: xxii
After he [Sulochan] left, I turned out the lights and went directly to bed. In the time when I laid down just nodding, not even long enough to drift off, I heard what I thought to be one gunshot, and then a second gunshot. The first one I didn’t react, though, and the second one, I did jump out of bed because I heard a car starting up, from what appeared to be the same direction. And I thought something is going on.
I ran out to my front step which was just ten or fifteen feet from my bed. A second vehicle seemed to come from the same area and did go past me while I was standing there. I listened and heard nothing [more] and went back to bed.
Sulochan murdered
At approximately one a.m. Pacific time (4 a.m. Eastern time) during the early-morning of Lord Nrsimhadev’s appearance day, Thursday, May 22, 1986, a decisive event occurred which inevitably and irrevocably changed the destiny of New Vrindaban: while the 33-year-old Sulochan sat rolling a joint xxiii in his rusted 1976 Dodge van parked at the intersection of Flint Avenue and Cardiff Street, a half-mile from the Los Angeles ISKCON temple, his brains were blown apart by two bullets from a hand gun fired through the driver’s-side window at close range.
The coroner reported: “Gunshot wound number one was to the left lower jaw region of the cheek, and it caused injury to the jaw bone, caused injury to a vessel of the carotid artery, and went through the cervical spine, that is, the spine in the neck region, and a bullet was recovered. There was injury to the spinal cord as a result of this gunshot wound. The second gunshot wound . . . also entered the face and the entrance was in a region just in front of the left ear. This gunshot wound went through the cheek region of the left side to a bone called the maxilla, went into the oral cavity and came out through the right maxilla, the cheek bone, and exited, that is came out, in the right cheek region. . . . The bullet was recovered from the musculature behind and lateral to the neck spine on the right side. . . . Surrounding the entrance of gunshot wound number one there were multiple abrasions or scrapes in which there was some glass pieces.” xxiv
The news of Sulochan’s murder traveled fast. Lightning fast. Tirtha made a speedy getaway from the Los Angeles temple to the airport, where he dumped the car and made a quick telephone call to New Vrindaban authorities while waiting for the next flight back east. During the japa period preceding the mangal-aroti morning program at New Vrindaban, hushed whispers of the news of Sulochan’s death brought great excitement to the devotees in attendance. The news couldn’t have taken longer than fifteen or twenty minutes to reach them after the murder was committed. Dharmatma remembered: xxv
It was the morning of Lord Nrsimhadev’s appearance day. Nrsimha is a form of Krishna that protects the devotees. He is half-man, half-lion. When I came in [the temple room] in the morning everyone was very excited and jubilant and the whole temple was buzzing. Everyone was talking in little circles. It seemed to be a very upbeat mood in the morning. I asked someone what is going on because it was like a festive atmosphere. The devotee told me, “Haven’t you heard? Sulochan was killed in California last night!”
During the question and answer period after class, a devotee asked Bhaktipada “how should we understand it when a demon is killed?” Bhaktipada responded that “A devotee isn’t disturbed when a snake is killed.”
When Ramachandra, a New Vrindaban sankirtan picker, asked Radhanath Swami: “Do you know who killed Sulochan?” Radhanath replied: “I don’t know, but whoever it was, he was doing devotional service to Krishna.” xxvi
Janmastami’s trip to California, scheduled for the next day, was cancelled, and Jaya Sri Krishna went back to Washington D.C., as he was not needed anymore to cover for Janmastami’s regular service in Philadelphia. xxvii
That morning at approximately seven thirty a.m. Pacific time, the Ugly Duckling Rent-A-Car agency received a telephone call from Tirtha informing them that “he had left the vehicle parked at one of the parking lots at Los Angeles International Airport, and that he had to leave unexpectedly and fly out.” An employee from the agency picked up the car about nine o’clock. xxviii
Dharmatma continued his recollection of the day of the murder: xxix
Later on after the morning functions, I had a discussion with Kuladri. He was quite disturbed. He mentioned . . . how it shouldn’t have been done like that. And that how Radhanath, Hayagriva and Tapahpunja were pushing like crazy for this to happen, and how he had told them not to do it.
Janmastami collaborated: “Kuladri was VERY, VERY frightened by the time it was coming to ‘reaction time’ because he knew that he and Radhanath were in very deep doo-doo.” xxx
Later that morning Randall Gorby received a phone call from Tirtha, stating: “I am in the Big ‘C’ xxxi and took care of everything in California and would like to talk to you.” The two friends met at the Dutch Pantry outside of Youngstown, Ohio, close to Kent State University. Gorby said: xxxii
We started to talking and Tirtha said that he had flown to California, rented a motel and a car, and that he had made contact with Sulochan within a matter of three hours after arriving; that he had a person with him from the temple in Los Angeles [Krishna Katha dasa] and that he had trailed Sulochan. He said that he and the other fellow were in the automobile sitting behind Sulochan’s van and that the other fellow had forgotten his weapon, or went away to get his weapon, and that Tirtha decided, “I might as well get this over with now.” And he climbed out of the car, walking up alongside of the van and shot Sulochan twice in the head. He said, “Randy, do you remember a scene in the Deer Hunter [movie] where they were playing Russian roulette? The brains come out identically that way in slow motion.”
Backlash
However, Sulochan’s murder prompted law enforcement agencies to treat his accusations against Bhaktipada seriously; perhaps, they suspected, Bhaktipada was responsible for Sulochan’s death. One police officer said: “Bryant was a martyr for his faith. He was one lone voice in the wilderness and he was killed because he talked about corruption. He went up against the heavyweights and he lost.” xxxiii
“Bryant’s murder was the beginning of a long downhill slide for Swami Kirtanananda, mainly because it happened in California, beyond the reach of his millions. The two investigators assigned to it, Paul ‘The Stump’ Tippin, and Leroy Orozco, were experienced Los Angeles detectives who had worked on several high-profile murders. There would be no cover-up.” xxxiv
Even ISKCON leaders who were aware of the plot to murder Sulochan began to distance themselves from New Vrindaban once the federal government became involved in the investigation. Janmastami confirmed: “Only after the murder had been committed did any of ISKCON’s leaders challenge the philosophy that prevailed at New Vrindaban at that time.” xxxv
Los Angeles ISKCON guru Srila Rameshvar claimed that Sulochan had no bad feelings toward him: “As far as I know, Sulochan didn’t have any bad feelings toward myself and similarly, I had no bad feeling toward him. He wasn’t disturbing us. He came and went very secretly. A number of our core members attended his funeral in Los Angeles; they wanted to show their sympathy and outrage.” xxxvi
Bhaktipada denied that he had anything to do with Sulochan’s murder and said that the fact that New Vrindaban was in the news did not concern him. He said: “I don’t care what they say about me as long as they say it. All I know is that more people than ever are coming to visit the Palace. Business is wonderful.” Regarding the murdered Sulochan, Bhaktipada said: “He had a lot of enemies. Mostly, he had the Lord as his enemy.” xxxvii
Bhaktipada attempted to discredit Sulochan: “Who is Bryant? Even his parents admitted he was unstable. For years he wandered around lost; he beat his wife, abused his children—he slowly became crazed, and his only objective in life was to tear down the authorities.” xxxviii
Bhaktipada insisted: “An investigation will only show that we are what we say we are—religious people who have no other business than to serve God.” xxxix
Devotees cautioned not to speak to media or police
Scarcely a week after Sulochan’s murder, one high-ranking ISKCON sannyasi who had just come to live at the community a few months earlier—Devamrita Swami, a powerful preacher who had worked behind the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe under the direction of his sannyasa guru Harikesh Swami—wrote a feature article for the New Vrindaban News titled “A Word To The Wise Is Sufficient” which warned devotees to keep their mouths shut if questioned by the media or police. If anyone knew of any criminal activities, he said, they should report it not to the police nor to the media, but to the temple authorities, who would, it was implied, take appropriate action: xl
Life in the material world is constantly full of upheavals, and a fruitive worker never ceases his efforts to squeeze out some sense gratification, regardless of whether the situation is one of so-called happiness or so-called distress. Right now the media and some law enforcement officials are amusing themselves by harassing the New Vrindaban Community about the death of one great Vaishnava-apradhi (offender) on the west coast.
The media and some police are clearly more interested in creating a sensationalistic atmosphere and profiting from it than in reporting truth or stopping violence. Therefore, if our devotees engage in wild rumors and gossip about the mundane affairs of LA street crime, they can actually help the karmis toward their sublime goal of an endless stream of “juicy” news to report and “suspicious” hearsay to interrogate innocent devotees about.
Naturally, if anyone ever has any factual knowledge of someone performing criminal acts, he should inform the temple authorities. Otherwise what is the use of exchanging who-dunit speculations about the illusory activities of the gross materialists? This is called gramya-katha, “town talk,” by Sri Jagadananda Pandit, who warns devotees against indulging in such stale topics
This is not the first time controversy has been stirred up against the community nor will it be the last. Whenever there is powerful preaching, maya always supplies resistance. Obviously, the best thing we can do both for ourselves and all other living entities is to absorb the consciousness in talks of devotional service, specifically how to sacrifice everything to build Srila Bhaktipada’s project.
Other articles warning devotees to keep quiet appeared again in New Vrindaban publications:
Maintain the purity. . . . Srila Bhaktipada has stated that he does not know of any illegal activities in New Vrindaban and he flatly disapproves of such things. Any devotee who may know of illegal activities in New Vrindaban is requested to report them to the community administration. Srila Bhaktipada has also requested that devotees refrain from indulging in idle gossip and rumor-mongering about individuals and issues, and that they maintain the purity of New Vrindaban by speaking of the nectarian pastimes Lord Krishna and His devotees. xli
Be Careful Who You Talk To, Prabhus—. . . This is a warning to devotees not to talk about these allegations with any unknown men or women who suddenly appear in our community. Although we have nothing to hide, there are those who will distort even the simplest truths. Also, remember that there is an organized conspiracy to destroy this community, and demons can come in many disguises. Putana came as a lovely lady and fooled the residents of Vrindaban, but she came to kill Krishna. The devotee has to be just as desirous to protect Krishna as the demons are to destroy Him. Then the devotee is always victorious. The U. S. Navy has a tagline: Loose lips sink ships. xlii
Escape money denied Tapahpunja and Tirtha
Tapahpunja and Tirtha had successfully orchestrated and accomplished their objective, but they still had to make their escape: they both desperately needed to leave the country until things cooled down. But they didn’t have enough money to purchase plane tickets. New Vrindaban still hadn’t delivered them in full the promised amount of $8,000. But for some reason, the community was dragging its feet; the money was not forthcoming.
Randall Gorby called the police and claimed that his “good friend” Tirtha had murdered Sulochan. With Gorby’s permission, State Police put a wiretap on his telephone and shortly after a call was received from Tirtha. xliii
Gorby: Do you have a place to go?
Tirtha: Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Gorby: Well, I’d really get on ‘em. I can’t understand them not coming through with it.
Tirtha: It’s just ridiculous because they’ve got a hundred thousand coming in every week.
Gorby: What agreement did you make with. . .
Tirtha: Well, it’s just that eight figure.
Gorby: Yeah.
Tirtha: I mean it was just like they, a . . . liked it. They actually thought that was a bargain basement price and they were all happy with it.
Gorby: Yeah.
Tirtha: It was a bargain fuckin’ basement. I mean you couldn’t go any lower than that. . . . But I don’t think he’s setting me up. I really don’t think Bhaktipada’s trying to set me up. That’s who Tapahpunja was with.
Gorby: Oh.
Tirtha: He was with him for ten straight hours.
Gorby: And Dharmatma gave him? Had the money?
Tirtha: No. He got it right out of his hand.
Gorby: Oh, from Bhaktipada?
Tirtha: That’s right. He counted it out personally.
Gorby: Well why the hell didn’t he give you the full amount, Tom?
Tirtha: I don’t know.
Dharmatma refused to give Tirtha any more money. He explained: xliv
Tirtha called me on the phone and asked me if I had any more money for him. I said, “No. I didn’t know anything about any more money.” He said, “Well, there is supposed to be some more money for me. Talk to Number One, and I will get back to you.”
When Tirtha called back, first of all, he asked if I had talked to Number One. And at this point I was really freaked out because the murder happened and I knew that I had given him twenty-five hundred dollars, so I realized somehow I was implicated and I was very frightened. So I told him, “Well, no. I looked for him but I couldn’t find him,” when in fact I had not really looked for him. I didn’t want to involve myself anymore.
Tirtha got very angry at that and said, “You both, you are bull shitting me.” I said, “No, no, you know how he is. He is hard to find. Sometimes I can’t find him.”
And then Tirtha got very angry and he started swearing, and saying this is just fucking me around, they are just screwing around with me. Bhaktipada always screws me around. I am supposed to have more money. I got to leave the country. I did the job, you know. I need my money.” He kept yelling and screaming. . . .
Tapahpunja arrives at New Vrindaban. Dharmatma explained: xlv
A few days after the murder, Tapahpunja arrived at my house, which was also the sankirtan department, and he was getting things out of my garage. In the garage there were lockers that a lot of the sankirtan devotees kept their personal belongings and different things. . . . He had camouflage pants on, an army shirt on, black boots. . . .
And we got into a discussion about the circumstances of the murder. He was saying “Wasn’t it neat that it happened on Lord Nrsimhadev’s appearance day! It was very auspicious, very wonderful that a demon was killed on this particular day!”
And then he went on to describe to me in detail how it happened. He said, “You should have heard how it happened. It was real neat.” And he proceeded to tell me how Tirtha approached the van from the driver’s side and came up to the window where Sulochan was sitting, and he told me that he was rolling a joint with his head down and Tirtha shot him twice with a .45. And he proceeded to say his brains were splattered all over the ceiling [of the van].
Then Tapahpunja said things were getting very hot; they had to leave the country. He said he was there [at New Vrindaban] to get money for himself and Tirtha to get out of the country. I told him he should talk to Number One [Bhaktipada] about the money.
Tapahpunja pleads with Bhaktipada for escape money
Tapahpunja Swami approached Bhaktipada for Tirtha’s traveling expenses: xlvi
I was in Columbus when suddenly Tirtha showed up and told me, “The tripe is gone.” I asked, “What are you gonna do?” Tirtha replied, “I dunno. Kirtanananda hasn’t finished paying me. He gave me some expense money, but he still owes me a lot. I’ve been calling New Vrindaban, Dharmatma, Kuladri and Dulal to get my money, but they just give me the run-around.”
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, I drove immediately to New Vrindaban and spoke personally to Kuladri and then with Bhaktipada. Kirtanananda said, “I don’t want to hear about it.” I countered, “I think you should listen to me; this has serious implications for New Vrindaban. Tirtha wants the rest of the money; he needs to leave the country immediately.”
But Bhaktipada didn’t want to pay up. He argued, “Tirtha still owes us $700 for his kid’s tuition at the gurukula.” So Bhaktipada gave me the title of a car supposedly worth $20,000.
Kuladri collaborated: “Bhaktipada and Tapahpunja were in Bhaktipada’s land cruiser, and they were speaking. And as I walked up to the land cruiser, I heard them talking, and I overheard two statements. Bhaktipada said, ‘Disciples should not ask their spiritual master for money,’ and ‘I am not going to give Tirtha any more money.’” xlvii
Tirtha couldn’t believe it, when he heard about it later. He explained: “The part about owing Kirtanananda some $700 for tuition is amazing. I remember his asserting that. My wife and I gave him $500 on one occasion and he said, ‘OK. That’s your donation as a disciple; now where’s the tuition?’ I was floored. I didn’t even have a kid gurukula age.” xlviii
Janmastami noted: “Their plan never went any further than doing the deed. They forgot about making the safe escape afterwards.” xlix
The dilemma of murderer Tirtha and conspirator Tapahpunja trying desperately to get sufficient cash to make their escape from the country when New Vrindaban sankirtan pickers were often collecting $100,000 each week defies the imagination. It is completely beyond belief. Why wasn’t the money forthcoming? Didn’t anyone realize the seriousness of the situation and the neccesity of quick action?
Although there are several possible reasons for this gross neglect, l the simplest explanation is that after Bhaktipada’s head injury his memory had degenerated to such an extent that he had actually promised the money, but later forgot all about it. Bhaktipada’s servant was unable to remind him of these previous commitments because he was usually asked to leave the room when confidential matters were discussed. Bhaktipada was on his own.
The escape money is delivered
Tapahpunja finally convinced Bhaktipada to pay Tirtha the rest of the promised “expense” money. li
I pleaded, “But Bhaktipada, Tirtha needs to leave the country right away. Give me the money so he can buy a plane ticket for him and his wife and son.”
So Bhaktipada called over his servant, Kumar, told him to open the safe and count out $3,000 in cash. Kumar pulled out bags of money and counted it out, mostly five and one dollar bills. Then Bhaktipada counted it also, note by note. He told me that Tirtha could stay with Nathjidas in Bombay. I wrote his instructions down in a little notebook I carried in my pocket. Then I returned to Kent, Ohio, to help Tirtha get out of the country.
Dharmatma described how Bhaktipada and Radhanath came to pick up the escape money: lii
The next day Bhaktipada, along with Radhanath, drove up in my driveway in Bhaktipada’s vehicle and tooted the horn for me to come outside. When I came to the car we engaged in some small talk, I don’t remember what. And then Bhaktipada asked me if I had six thousand dollars cash in the house. And I said, “I don’t know. I will see if you want.” He told me to go in and see if I had six thousand dollars.
I went in the house and went into my safe and . . . I counted out six thousand dollars and brought it out to him, and handed it in through the window. I don’t remember if I gave it to Radhanath and he passed it to Bhaktipada, or I gave it directly to Bhaktipada.
The mood was a little bit strained, and I said, “What is this? So they [Tirtha and Tapahpunja] can get out of the country?” And Bhaktipada and Radhanath smiled and nodded their heads: “Yes.” And then they said, “Hey, we’ve got to go,” and they left.
Bhaktipada said: “I remembered going with Radhanath to Dharmatma’s house. I don’t remember how much money we got. I remember Dharmatma came out with a bag of money. He gave it to Radhanath, and I never looked at it.” liii
Janmastami explained: liv
Tirtha flew back to Ohio from Los Angeles and Tapahpunja Swami picked him up at the airport and took him to Radhanath’s preaching center—his ‘loft’ in Kent, Ohio. After two days of muddled attempts, through Hayagriva, to get Dharmatma to turn over some cash it became necessary to inform Kirtanananda Swami that they needed getaway money. The rift between Dharmatma and Kuladri was so great that not even Radhanath could bridge it in Kirtanananda Swami’s absence. It became necessary to inform Kirtanananda Swami of the situation and the escape money needed. Kirtanananda Swami became aware, authorized the expenditure, and called Dharmatma to arrange for ‘a package’ that Radhanath would pick up. Radhanath delivered it to Kirtanananda Swami, who counted it, putting his fingerprints all over it, which later proved to be his downfall. Then Radhanath transported the money to the Kent temple, and then the FBI sprung their trap.
Police investigators indeed discovered that Bhaktipada’s fingerprints were on some of the bills. Kirtanananda presented his alibi in an interview published in the Brijabasi Spirit and titled “A Pure Devotee Faces A Fallen Nation.” lv
Dave Fitzgerald: But police say that Mr. Drescher [Tirtha], when arrested in Ohio, was found with $4,000 in cash, some of which had your fingerprints on it.
Bhaktipada: Yes, but there’s also a very logical explanation for it. The president of the Cleveland temple had just bought a vehicle from him, for which the Cleveland temple had borrowed $3,000 from me to purchase it. I did not know where they were buying the vehicle, but even if I had, I had no reason to think that it was not proper.
Radhanath later claimed that the purpose of this money was not to get Tirtha and Tapahpunja out of the country after the murder, nor to purchase a vehicle for the Cleveland temple, but to bail Tapahpunja out of jail. lvi
Tirtha arrested
Five days after Sulochan’s murder, at 11:55 a.m. on May 27th, Tirtha was arrested in Kent, Ohio. The warrant for Tirtha’s arrest, however, was issued by West Virginia authorities in connection with the unsolved disappearance in 1983 of another former New Vrindaban devotee, Chakradhari dasa. Kent Police Ronald Piatt and his partner said that when they arrested Tirtha, they found on him eleven “surveillance notes” describing Sulochan’s van, his physical appearance and his movements in Los Angeles. Tirtha also carried $4,261 in cash.
Tapahpunja Swami was with Tirtha when he was arrested, and had clippings from three newspapers about the death of Sulochan and written instructions of unknown origin saying that if Tirtha were ever wanted by the police, he should be sent to a temple in New York, then flown to India, where he should go to the Juhu temple and contact Nathji. At the time of his arrest, Tirtha’s car was packed with clothing and other goods, and his rented mobile home was found nearly empty. “We think he was in the process of activating those plans [to leave the country],” Piatt said. lvii
Tapahpunja Swami was held for three days on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon—a hooked-blade utility knife—but the charged was dismissed. Soon after, Tapahpunja disappeared for three years. He first flew to Ireland where he tried to hide at the ISKCON temple on Inis Rath Island, wearing a white dhoti and going by the name “Ganga dasa.” Eventually the temple president’s wife recognized him and her husband asked him if his presence there had anything to do with the murder of Sulochan. Tapahpunja admitted: “I engineered it.” lviii
The temple president told him to leave, and Tapahpunja went to Australia, and later to India and Malaysia, where he was finally apprehended on June 14th, 1990 by federal marshals from Hawaii in the capital of Kuala Lampur. lix
Tirtha spoke about the first person who visited him in jail, the “most kind and compassionate” Radhanath Swami: lx
When I was first arrested and put in jail, it was Radhanath Swami who first came to see me. He spoke to me in a most kind and compassionate manner, explaining that my life was now completely in Krishna’s hands. Speaking with him through the thick security glass, I was ashamed and embarrassed to be in such a predicament. He told me to concentrate on Krishna and nothing else. Only Krishna could help me now. Before leaving he gave me copies of the all-in-one Srimad-bhagavatam, Caitanya-caritamrta, and Bhagavad-gita. Reading these books anew would mark the beginning of my new life in prison, and a new era of consciousness, not as a convict, but as a devotee. . . .
When I next spoke with Radhanath Swami he said that I was most fortunate, for Krishna was showing me great mercy by ripping everything away so abruptly. Perhaps if it didn’t kill me it would make me much stronger. Die before you die. Surely this is what death is like for the soul too attached to home and hearth. Indeed, it surely felt like death, with everything I held so dearly, now gone in an instant.
Government’s principal witness nearly killed by gas explosion, later found dead
The day following Tirtha’s arrest, a huge explosion at Gorby’s house, allegedly caused by him illegally tapping into a gas line, nearly killed him. “Mr. Gorby had suffered some trauma and shock as a result of being blown through the roof of his house. He was in intensive care ward at Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling. He had first-, second- and third-degree burns over forty percent of his body. Doctors at that time did not expect him to live.” lxi
Gorby was to be the principal witness for the prosecution. “Authorities have listed no cause for the explosion, but said Tirtha helped lay the natural gas line into Gorby’s home.” lxii
Gaurashakti said: “On three different occasions, Gorby approached me because he wanted me to help him or actually do the work for him, of running a gas line into his house, tapping off the gas main around through his front yard, to get free gas.” lxiii
Gorby said: “On the 28th of May I was at home. That morning, I was going to go back to the West Virginia State barracks in Wellsburg where I was giving statements to them at the time, and Trooper Knight had called me and woke me at 9:00 in the morning. I got out of bed and started to light a cigarette and my home totally disappeared. It was leveled to the ground. I was in critical condition for seven weeks, in intensive care, and in a coma for the month of June up until the center of July.” lxiv
Gorby recovered from the blast, and was enrolled in the Federal Witness Protection Program, but four years later in July 1990 he was found dead in his pickup truck. Police authorities labeled it a suicide; they said that Gorby had killed himself by running a hose from the tailpipe to the cab of his truck.
Tirtha takes full rap
Tirtha insisted that he was innocent and claimed that authorities offered him possible leniency if he testified that Bhaktipada paid him to kill Sulochan: “I could have accepted a deal for ten years if I would have implicated the ‘Swami,’ but then I would have become the villain.” lxv
Tirtha protected Bhaktipada: “I’m not going to bear false witness against an exalted spiritual leader,” he said. “I have no knowledge of any illegal activity by the Swami.” lxvi
Tirtha protected other members of the murder conspiracy: “They’re trying to use me to attack New Vrindaban. They’re going to try to prove a conspiracy between myself and New Vrindaban to kill someone. They aren’t going to find it. I consider myself a political prisoner.” lxvii
But privately Tirtha wrote a personal letter to Bhaktipada apologizing for any inconvenience he might have caused the community. “Swami Bhaktipada said Tirtha wrote him from jail to apologize if he had caused the commune any difficulty. The guru said he responded with a short note advising Tirtha ‘to chant the name of God and to depend on God’s help and mercy.’” lxviii
ISKCON leaders were understandably concerned about the bad publicity. At a special meeting of the North American ISKCON leaders held on August 18-19 in San Diego, Bhaktipada agreed, by telephone, to resign if indicted by the grand jury “in order to clear ISKCON’s name.” lxix
During July, Bhaktipada traveled to India, spending most of his time in Bombay and Vrindaban. In Bombay he had an important confidential meeting with Radhanath Swami, Tapahpunja Swami, and Janmastami. Bhaktipada’s servant and chauffeur candidly spoke about their conversation: lxx
I was sitting in the passenger seat of a car; Bhaktipada sat in the driver’s seat. In the back seat was Janmastami, Tapahpunja, and Radhanath. They were trying to decide what story they should present to the authorities if they were subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury. They wanted to make sure that they all had the same story. It would be very bad for their alibi if they spoke different things, if they weren’t perfectly consistent.
At one point, Bhaktipada stopped and asked me, “Priyasrava, I understand you’re from a Mafia family. How would you have gotten this job done?”
I replied without hesitation, “I would have hired a professional; someone with experience; someone with credentials; someone discreet, who wouldn’t blab about it to everyone he met. Not someone like Tapahpunja.”
After I spoke, Bhaktipada scornfully glowered at Tapahpunja, who shrunk in the back seat like a naughty child getting scolded by an angry parent, and chastised him, saying: “You’re useless, Tapahpunja! You messed everything up! It’s all your fault! You’re to blame for all this!”
After this meeting, Radhanath began spending nearly all his time in India and rarely returned to the United States, except for brief visits. Janmastami remained in India for a long time hiding out in Kurukshetra. He explained: “After the whacking in LA I was picked up off the streets of Philly by the FBI. This was in mid-June 1986. I came back to the festival (July 4, 1986) and was ordered to go to India.” lxxi
Tapahpunja flew to Ireland, Australia, and then Malaysia, where he served at Bhaktipada’s temple in Penang. Other important New Vrindaban managers also left the community, some never to return: Kuladri moved to Arizona, Dharmatma and Parambrahma moved to Florida, Dulal Chandra moved to North Carolina, and Sundarakar moved to Vermont. Hayagriva may have also left the community at this time, but it seemed he was always coming and going from the United States to India and Mexico and back. Umapati Swami left New Vrindaban a few years later, in 1988. Even Bhaktipada stayed at New Vrindaban less frequently, spending perhaps half of his time in India. It appeared that among those New Vrindaban managers who might have been involved in the conspiracy to murder Sulochan, only Devamrita Swami and Bhaktipada remained.
Sulochan’s death effectively set off an avalanche of intensive government investigations by the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the Los Angeles Police, the West Virginia State Police and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, which resulted in formidable and continuous legal pressure against Bhaktipada and the New Vrindaban community which continued for a decade. Marshall County Sheriff Donald Bordenkircher was quoted in the newspapers saying: “This is the beginning of the end of New Vrindaban as we now know it.”
On September 11th, 1986, the New Vrindaban community announced the layoff of the entire 187-member work force of payroll employees in “an attempt to include the entire [non-devotee] community in the unfair, extravagant investigations of the community.” Toshan Krishna dasa, a community spokesman, said the layoffs were not based on economic necessity, but on principle: “We are doing very well financially. . . . This has been one of our best years yet. . . . [But] we are not separate entities out here. . . . The employees are part of the community and should feel the brunt of the problems we have also.” lxxii
On September 15th, a federal grand jury met to investigate a possible connection between New Vrindaban members and the death of Sulochan. Bhaktipada welcomed the investigation: “They are welcome to investigate as much as possible. It can’t hurt us. If we’ve done nothing wrong, there is nothing to hide. An investigation will only show that we are what we say we are—religious people who have no other business but to serve God.” lxxiii
Tirtha convicted of 1983 murder
Tirtha went on trial for the 1983 slaying of Chakradhari and was convicted on December 7, 1986, although the body had not been found. Jury foreman Timothy Shrout, county prosecutor Thomas White, and defense lawyer Robert McWilliam agreed that the key testimony came from four people who said Drescher bragged to them of how he had killed Saint Denis. The witnesses included two former senior aides at the commune, a police informer, and Nick Tsacrios, husband of St. Denis’ former lover, Deborah Gere. lxxiv
Chakradhari’s body was finally unearthed a month later on January 6th, when Daruka, who pleaded guilty in connection with the slaying, agreed to lead police to the body as part of a plea bargain arrangement. Daruka was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter because he was not “the principal killer,” said Marshall County Prosecutor Tom White. lxxv
At first, the community distanced itself from Tirtha, calling him a fringe devotee (one who lives outside the temple and does not follow strictly the four regulative principles), but later reconsidered after he proved his loyalty to Bhaktipada by refusing to “falsely” implicate his spiritual master in the murder, despite police harassment and cruel and inhumane treatment, such as being stripped to his shorts and left for days at a time in a cold cell with an open window in winter. He was considered a “hero” by the New Vrindaban devotees and his articles were published in the Brijabasi Spirit. He became the editor of the Brijabasi Spirit. He also wrote an account of his experiences in prison called Meditations on the American Gulag.
The FBI raid
Fifty Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, state and local police agents raided the community’s printing press building and administrative offices at 7 a.m. on January 5, 1987 and filled three semi trailer trucks with a dozen computers, financial records, filing cabinets, cash, and bumper stickers and baseball caps bearing the names and logos of professional and college sports teams.
An Associated Press Sports Writer, Kelly P. Kissel, reported:
Sports paraphernalia seized at a Hare Krishna community allegedly is part of a black market industry that drains millions of dollars from trademark owners, prosecutors and syndicators say. Sports caps, bumper stickers and other items bearing the logos of professional sports teams and colleges were taken during a day-long raid Monday at the New Vrindaban community in West Virginia’s northern panhandle. . . .
Major League Baseball lost millions of dollars to counterfeiters before it “finally awakened to the problem” six months ago, said MLB spokesman Rick Levin. [U.S. Attorney William] Kolibash said the alleged link to New Vrindaban was discovered three weeks ago when Krishna members selling items outside a New England Patriots game were stopped. Representatives of United Features Syndicate, Inc., which controls the rights to Peanuts and Garfield comic characters, seized stickers bearing the syndicate’s logos, and those selling the items were traced back to West Virginia, Kolibash said.
“I hesitate to give a figure (on United Feature losses), but licensing nationwide is a multi-million dollar program,” said Rachel Angeline, the contracts and approval administrator for the syndicate. . . .
Temple president Devamrita Swami said a member of the community “had some kind of business selling sports hats.”
Kolibash said the operation was run by Dharmatma dasa, who Krishna officials said was away from the community Tuesday. However, Phil Gere, a devotee who worked in the sports item business, said: “We buy the hats and put the stickers on here. Then we have about forty or fifty people that go to the different games and sell them. It’s a fairly substantial enterprise.” . . .
John Flood, the director of legal affairs for NFL Properties Inc., said, “We have a substantial problem with trademark infringement. Counterfeiters come out of the woodwork and sell your products without paying licensing fees,” Flood said, adding that he spends $1 million a year to fight black market goods.
I remember the raid, which occurred during a monthly sankirtan festival when all our pickers were back on the farm. All of the sankirtan devotees were concerned about hiding their sankirtan paraphernalia such as stickers and hats, and whenever we left the community, we went by the back road along Wheeling Creek past Richard Rose’s “goat farm” instead of the direct route past Bahulaban where the FBI raid was taking place. Bhaktipada said: “Obviously this was just a ploy to do something else. They just used this as an excuse to seize our records. If you ask me, I don’t think they’ll find a thing.” lxxvi
Bhaktipada continued: “The truth is they went fishing. . . . Our lawyers say we didn’t even break a civil law. Even if we did, it’s not criminal.” lxxvii
To protest the FBI raid, Bhaktipada threatened to close the New Vrindaban school and dump 150 children into the Marshall County public school system. The New Vrindaban school was closed, but only forty children enrolled in the public schools. Members of the community said they would seek welfare assistance because the community’s checks and cash were confiscated. Bhaktipada said: “I’m going to have to send women and children in for emergency relief.” lxxviii
Federal indictment
On May 24, 1990, a federal grand jury returned an eleven-count indictment charging Bhaktipada with racketeering: kidnapping, running a fraudulent charity scam, mail fraud, and conspiring to murder two devotees—Chakradhari and Sulochan. Bhaktipada was also charged with the kidnapping of Hayagriva’s son, Samba, in 1979. The indictment also included a separate count in which the government sought forfeiture of all of the property owned by the New Vrindaban community.
Bhaktipada prophesied: “When the facts come out in court, you’ll see that this whole thing is a scam. You’ll see that. I’m as sure of that as I am of anything. God has a great purpose for this.”
Bhaktipada indicated that a “political figure” wanted to use the case against him for personal gain, such as winning the election for West Virginia governorship. He refused to identify the person. “This has become some sort of a vendetta with him.” lxxix
Another time Bhaktipada said the federal government was trying to get rid of the cults.
Bhaktipada also said that the coal company that holds the mineral rights to much of New Vrindaban wants his devotees off the land so it can mine coal under the commune. “They can’t mine it as long as we are there.” lxxx
Bhaktipada also said that ISKCON wanted the land. ISKCON was cooperating with the federal government so that they could own and occupy the New Vrindaban land. Ravindra Swarupa denied any truth to the allegation: “All I know is that I haven’t been approached by the federal government on anything like that. This has been really hard for a lot of people. It’s almost like a civil war, brother against brother.” lxxxi
“Religious per-secution”
Despite the pointed accusations and legal tribulations, Bhaktipada was able to convince many of his followers that he was simply being per-secuted by religious bigots in government for his spiritual acumen and not because of any alleged illegal or immoral actions on his part. He said: “We can see that actually the whole thing is a matter of religious per-secution. Actually this is being called the ‘ARM’—the ‘Anti-Religious Movement.’ . . . There was a decision made on the federal level about eighteen months ago to get rid of the cults. . . . Actually, it’s a good sign. Jesus Christ says in the fifteenth chapter of St. John that ‘If you were of the world, the world would love you. But because you’re not of the world, because I’ve called you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.’ He said, ‘Be of good cheer. Before they per-secuted you, they per-secuted me.’ So to be per-secuted for one’s beliefs is not a bad thing. It puts us in very good company. After all, Socrates was made to drink the hemlock cup, reportedly on a charge of child molestation.” lxxxii
Bhaktipada continued: “Jesus Christ said to expect it. . . . Every real active devotee of God will be per-secuted—always has been, always will. That’s the way you know whether he’s doing his job. . . . Remember, not only was Christ crucified, but everyone of his disciples were put to death as well. Still, the message lived on.” lxxxiii
It appeared that those involved in the Sulochan murder became extremely concerned about their own skins. Several worked out deals with the government in return for important testimony. Some hired expensive lawyers to represent themselves. In the scramble for survival, Tirtha was neglected. No one hired an expensive lawyer for Tirtha; he had to depend on a public defender for his defense. Tirtha had performed the supreme sacrifice, and now he was practically forgotten and abandoned. He thought he would get the death penalty.
Tirtha wrote: “I thought we’d all stick together. But it’s true: the rats started to escape from the sinking ship. People were not as devoted and dedicated as I assumed. It showed to be a house of cards. . . . My point is: all these guys were up to their eyeballs in the plots and sub-plots. They were the ones promoting and encouraging all of it. They were giving the guidance and counseling for me. We were aspiring to be their servants. We were like putty in their hands. The people who disagreed were banished, ridiculed, spat upon, beat up or killed.” lxxxiv
Devotees believed allegations were “rumors and hearsay”
Despite the overwhelming and damning evidence against Bhaktipada, most New Vrindaban residents believed the charges were all fabricated. Bhaktipada was their beloved spiritual father, a pure devotee of Krishna, and no one could imagine that he could ever do any wrong. One observer wrote about the devotees’ blind allegiance to their master: “For the devotees, Bhaktipada’s every word was a source of childlike marvel and glee. Every dictum, no matter how capricious (or just plain wrong), was considered to be divinely inspired, therefore absolute. The devotees would say, ‘Even when he is wrong, he is right.’” lxxxv
Bhaktirasa Swami said: “I know personally that most of the charges that they brought against Bhaktipada were completely untrue. I know that because I’ve been with Bhaktipada all of this time.” lxxxvi
Sacimata dasi said: “The charges were really ridiculous. If you’ve been here and know all of the people and know what they said about him [Bhaktipada] you know there’s no way they could have been true.” lxxxvii
Murti Swami said: “In this country it’s become fashionable to assassinate the character of your opposition. And so he [Bhaktipada] was subjected to character assassination. That’s all.” lxxxviii
Ishani dasi said: “I’ve known Srila Bhaktipada for over twenty years and the one overwhelming desire in his life is to serve Krishna. It would be impossible for him to conceive of killing someone, or having someone killed. That’s not in his character.” lxxxix
Paramahamsa Krishna Swami said: “Our doors are open every day. We have people coming and going all the time and over the years, through twenty-five years of history, there have been some people who have committed some crimes. There’s no question about it. But it’s distressing to see this community branded. . . . It’s not fair.” xc
Narasimhaguru dasa, Bhaktipada’s gardener and former leader of the Athen’s Ohio preaching center, said: “I see it as a conspiracy. I feel I can trust my own intimate knowledge of the man more than I can trust the rumors and hearsay.” xci
Sankirtan dasa, the head of the community’s theater department said: “The per-secution is going on because of envy . . . of the success our community has had.” xcii
Jayamurari Swami, head of the community’s plumbing and heating systems, believed the court cases were a divine message of self-purification: “I think Krishna has waited too long to cleanse us. It got real loose around here. You could go into garbage and find remnants where people were eating meat.” xciii
Madhava Ghosh dasa described another rationale behind his staunch faith in Bhaktipada: “You are well aware of the many stories circulating about Srila Bhaktipada and New Vrindaban. Point by point arguments are useless just as when Krishna entered the wrestling arena of Kamsa, everyone perceived Him according to their consciousness. Facts can always be interpreted many ways. When Srila Prabhupada visited New Vrindaban, he told us to just do what Kirtanananda says. On that basis, I am simply trying to stay here and serve. I really haven’t an option. Wherever the twists of logic lead, I can only cling to Srila Prabhupada’s instruction.” xciv
Sister Piety said: “Bhaktipada is one of the most honest people I ever met in my life.” xcv
Bhaktipada concluded: “It’s per-secution; pure and simple.” xcvi

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts. i

Preface by the Author
After reading through this chapter, I fear that some readers who may not personally know the principal actors in this drama may draw conclusions about their characters based simply on their words and actions during this particular scene, and conclude, not having read the entire play, that they were morally deficient or even sociopaths or criminals. Yet just as no person—to my knowledge—is 100 percent in the mode of goodness or 100 percent in the mode of passion or ignorance, similarly no person—to my knowledge—is completely good or completely evil. We all have various mixtures of these qualities within us. In this preface I would like to share my own memories of the persons who play prominent roles in the three parts of this narrative, in order to show another perhaps lesser-known side of their personality.
Yamuna devi dasi was a dedicated and loving mother; her children were always the primary concern in her life, as we observed in Part 1 of this series. She wanted them to be happy and grow up in a stable and protected environment, and did the needful—such as rejecting an abusive husband—when she had to. She was also a talented violinist and regularly performed with our New Vrindaban orchestra during morning services for years. She was always mild-mannered and quiet. I was grateful for her association and glad to have her in the orchestra. Yamuna and her husband (still married today after more than two decades—a testament to their compatibility) manage the New Vrindaban health food store. I always enjoy speaking with them when I visit.
Hayagriva dasa was greatly respected in the community for his service to Prabhupada in the early days of the movement (he was one of Swamiji’s very first disciples), and for his writing abilities, which he always used solely for the glorification of Krishna and His devotees. I always looked forward to his latest articles in the Brijabasi Spirit about the early days of New Vrindaban. He made those days come alive through his considerable gifts as a writer.
When I saw him he always appeared to be a jolly fellow; laughing or joking. His deep voice resounded. He seemed to really enjoy life. I always liked him. Acyutananda Swami told the story about visiting him at his home at New Vrindaban. When Acyutananda approached the house, he heard loud Mexican Mariachi music. He opened the door and entered the house, and there was Hayagriva, wearing an enormous cowboy hat on his head, dancing alone on top of a table and smiling, with his record player turned up full blast. Hayagriva sometimes used to play his trumpet to add a festive flavor for special occasions.
I spent a fair amount of time with Hayagriva during his last days when he was stricken with cancer. Even at the bitter end, he was still fond of making joking comments, seeing the irony of his situation, and he always reminded me of Prabhupada and Krishna.
Kuladri dasa was such a great manager; he used his considerable abilities to keep the community going. Prabhupada ordered him to serve Kirtanananda Swami, who— for the most part— provided spiritual guidance and inspiration, but Kuladri did most of the dirty work. People used to call him “Cruel-adri,” but I never knew why. He was never cruel to me.
Sometimes when I was back from the pick I would hang out in his office at Bahulaban and just watch him deal with the never-ending problems of the community. He was constantly on the phone. Despite great difficulties, I never saw him get discouraged or resentful. I really enjoyed his Krishna conscious association. In the recent past he returned to New Vrindaban to serve as General Manager for the community.
Dharmatma dasa was my sankirtan leader for five or six years. During this time I always saw him serving the devotees humbly, and catering to our needs. From my perspective he truly appreciated us and understood the great austerities we performed out on the road. He was dedicated to his service and we could count on him to answer the phone at all hours of the day or night in case one of our sankirtan buddies had been arrested and we needed to find him and bail him out. We could always count on Dharmatma. After serving time in prison he now lives near the Alachua Florida Krishna Community.
Tapahpunja dasa trained me up on book distribution in the parking lots of Northeastern Ohio in 1979. He was an excellent teacher, and was very patient with me. Once I was arrested in the parking lot of the Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland while distributing books before a rock concert. I actually was arrested because I spoke truthfully to the security guard. The guard stopped me for distributing Easy Journey to Other Planets and said I could not do that on private property. I apologized, and then he asked: “Are you going to the concert?” I said: “No, I’m just here to distribute books.”
He then took me into the office and called local police who booked me for trespassing. When Tapahpunja bailed me out, he admonished me: “You should have said that you were going to go to the concert. Then they would have let you go free, instead of arresting you.” When Tapahpunja saw the pained expression on my face—I felt I had let him down, I was such a useless devotee, a failure—he kindly reassured me: “But that’s okay. You are a brahmin. A brahmin is always truthful.”
On occasion I traveled with him on the pick, but he always hankered to return to New Vrindaban. Once in a while he would sneak back, but as soon as Kirtanananda saw him, he would get whacked by Maharaj’s cane and kicked back out. Tapahpunja used to talk about the forthcoming World War III which Prabhupada reportedly predicted. And wherever we would go on the pick, in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, wherever, Tapahpunja would always study the map and memorize our position in relation to the Ohio River. He said, “When this American society is completely destroyed by nuclear bombs, we will have to find our way back to New Vrindaban on foot. The best way is to follow the Ohio River upstream.”
After serving time in prison, Tapahpunja returned to New Vrindaban, and has worked diligently to create a successful organic garden.
Janmastami dasa had a gruff exterior, but his heart was full of love for his spiritual master. He was a tough no-nonsense fellow, but could also be kind. I first met him in 1979 when I briefly taught at the Nandagram gurukula. I remember he was hauling wood for the school’s furnace. Seeing me—and perhaps thinking I was a greenhorn unfamiliar with the intricacies of country living—he stopped his labor and gave me some helpful advice. He showed me some poison ivy growing near the building. “See that?” he said. “In the Spring, if you pick one of the young leaves and eat it, and continue to do so every day, your body will gradually build up a tolerance for the poison and you’ll be immune for the rest of the Summer.”
Years later, I once worked for him in Washington D.C. helping to sell flowers at sidewalk tables during a Mother’s Day marathon. His shop, in a poor and run-down neighborhood where carjackings and drive-by shootings where not unknown, catered not to physical comforts, but existed only to maximize service to guru and Krishna. He lived very simply. I don’t even think he and his wife had a bed. I remember seeing his kid in a playpen practically buried by enormous stacks of boxes and boxes of roses; it was so cramped and crowded and filthy. The place had no material amenities, but the rent was cheap, and he willingly performed those austerities to increase profits for New Vrindaban.
Tirtha dasa was dedicated to serving the New Vrindaban devotees. I remember when he was the community bus driver, driving back and forth all day between Bahulaban and the Palace. He would go out of his way to assist the mothers who might have had baskets of laundry and small children. I heard many stories about him protecting the devotees from drunken trigger-happy rednecks who frequented the tavern on McCreary’s Ridge Road between Bahulaban and Prabhupada’s Palace.
Once, after the tavern drunks had a wild weekend harassing the devotees, Tirtha walked into the bar and explained to the owner: “Some of your patrons are creating a rather dangerous atmosphere for the peaceful people living along the ridge. Maybe you could ask the fellows to please desist from shooting their guns into our homes. And while you’re at it,” Tirtha continued, “ask them to please not run anyone over with their trucks.”
Then Tirtha showed him a few pictures he’d brought along from his Viet Nam scrapbook. I can only imagine what the photos revealed, probably images of Tirtha standing among the wreckage of devastated Viet Cong villages and piles of dead bodies, showing in graphic and gory detail what Tirtha could do if he was so inspired. The proprietor just looked at the photos in silence. As they say, one picture is worth a thousand words. After that, I heard the drive-bys and most other violent incidents dropped off almost to nothing.
Tirtha was a tough guy, but he didn’t glorify in his toughness like a bully; he only used his fighting abilities to serve the devotees and his guru. He only used his skills as ksatriya to protect the saintly devotees and rid the community of undesirable influences.
After he was arrested and just prior to his murder trial, he became convinced that he was going to get the death penalty, so he accepted the order of sannyas from Umapati Swami, on behalf of Kirtanananda. Recently he has renounced the formal title of “swami” in deference to the many ISKCON devotees who do not believe he deserves the honor.
During the last few years, Tirtha has written five books for prisoners to help them practice Krishna Consciousness which were published by the New Vrindaban Office of the ISKCON Prison Ministry, under the direction of the late NVPM Director Muktakesh dasa. Tirtha also has his own website at http://tirthainprison.com.
Devamrita Swami, who appears in Part 4 of this series, was an intellectual fellow and liked to give heavy lectures. He was famous at NV for his “Forest of Secretions and Emotions” lecture warning of the pitfalls of household life. I saw him get a lot of sauce from Bhaktipada, but he was humble, never challenging. The word “grovel” comes to mind. He became temple president when Kuladri left the community. Devamrita faithfully defended Bhaktipada against ISKCON when Bhaktipada was excommunicated. He even compiled a list of Bhaktipada quotations—nuggets of nectar—and published them as a book: Bhaktipada Bullets.
He served as Bhaktipada’s editor after Hayagriva passed away and wrote an erudite 15-page preface for Bhaktipada’s 1992 book: How to Love God. Devamrita explained in the preface: “Swami Bhaktipada’s How to Love God ascends the heights of God consciousness in a way that modern spiritual seekers—whatever their particular calling—will relish and ponder. . . . Read and you will see that Swami Bhaktipada has indeed entered the rapturous garden of pure love. . . . Let us cast our lot with Swami Bhaktipada. The pure religion his book elucidates will create the greatest heroes. Only bold spiritual champions can actually effect lasting beneficial change and teach us How to Love God.”
Devamrita had a curious laugh which I will never forget: “Har, har, har.” The sankirtan devotees especially were inspired by him and called him “The General,” comparing him to a great military leader who strategically plans and heroically leads great campaigns of battle to rescue lakshmi from the conditioned souls, especially in the Far East, where many of the NV sankirtan pickers relocated after the FBI raid at New Vrindaban.
However, for some reason the householders were not so much enamored of him, and called him “The Great Manipulator.”
My brahmachari buddy Siksastaka faithfully recorded and transcribed Devamrita’s classes, and then another big sankirtan devotee, Compassionate Swami (formerly Rasayatra dasi), arranged to have them published as a book: Cutting the Knot of Material Existence, with a really cute photo of Maharaj on the cover (yes, even Devamrita could be cute at times), dressed in his Far East Buddhist monk’s robe. (See http://henrydoktorski.com/images/nv/cutting_the_knot.jpg)
In Cutting the Knot we can read Maharaj’s candid commentary revealing that ISKCON had lost its potency because they had fallen into impersonalism by minimizing the all-important spiritual master-disciple relationship: “The organization is subordinate to the presence of the great saintly persons, without which, organizations, institutions, mean nothing.” Yes, Devamrita was one of Bhaktipada’s greatest defenders.
He was always kind to me, and called me the “Prince of the Pick.” One time I traveled with him and Siksastaka to a sankirtan event in Cincinnati, and he introduced me to the music of Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane (maybe it was Charles Mingus, I don’t recall), by playing cassette tapes of these great jazz musicians. Later, during the Interfaith Era, he acquired a large collection of cassette tapes of music by Bach, Handel, Brahms, Beethoven, etc. and when he upgraded his music library with new state-of-the-art compact discs, he gave me a big box of his obsolete classical music cassettes, to which I enjoyed listening.
Devamrita was also greatly concerned for my spiritual welfare. After I had accepted an arranged marriage, I was reluctant to fulfill my duties as a householder for more than a year, and—I am embarrassed to admit—had once flirted inappropriately with one of Devamrita’s unmarried sankirtan maharanis, who dutifully reported the incident to him. (To tell the truth, at the time I sorely wished I could take a second wife, one more to my liking, but I knew that Bhaktipada would never allow it.)
Soon after, Devamrita called me into his office, chastised me severely, and warned me that if I didn’t start procreating with my lawful wedded wife, I would probably start molesting boys. Although I had no attraction for children in that way, he really scared me and put doubts about myself in my mind, and as a result of this direct instruction about nine months later a new new-born Brijabasi appeared in the holy dhama.
In 1995 Devamrita Swami returned to ISKCON and has served in some important positions, such as the 2005 GBC Chairman. I saw him I think in 2003 at New Vrindaban and during conversation I mentioned in passing that some devotees thought that he should apologize for supporting Kirtanananda for so many years. He replied something to the effect: “I’ve already apologized many times. I was here in New Vrindaban in 199- [He named a year, but I don’t remember the exact year—HD] and apologized to devotees then, and then I apologized again later to others. It seems that some people want my entire life to be an apology.”
Radhanath Swami, who appears in Parts 2, 3 and 4, has always been the darling of the Brijabasis. Everybody loves Radhanath. I first met him in 1978 when I moved up to the brahmachari ashram at Old Vrindaban. He was living there permanently, caring for the deities. Kirtanananda ordered him never to leave. He was humble, yet passionate about Krishna consciousness.
He never liked to draw attention to himself. He never liked to be the center of attention. He always tried to stay in the background, behind the scenes, unless he received direct orders to the contrary from his superiors. This was confirmed by one Brijabasi who described in his personal diary how Radhanath was forced by Kirtanananda to participate in a play on Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Appearance Day:
Tuesday, May 23, 1978:
This morning we nailed Radhanath. Everyone wants him to play Prahlada [in the play] on Sunday, but in his usual way, he stubbornly refused to even hear about it. He was giving Bhagavatam class this morning and was saying, “If Krishna wants, we will be rich and famous. If Krishna wants, we will be poor, etc.”
So after class I asked, “If Krishna wants you to be in the play, should you do it?”
“Yes, if Krishna wants.”
“And you know what Krishna wants by what the spiritual master says?”
“Yes.”
So at breakfast we were talking to Maharaj about it when Radhanath walked in.
“Ah, Prahlada!” Maharaj said.
Radhanath meekly smiled and said, “You want me to do that?”
“Yes.”
So it’s settled.
For a long time Radhanath’s health was very poor. We thought he was slowly dying. If I remember correctly, he even went to the world-famous Mayo Clinic for a week-long battery of tests. The doctors and PhDs couldn’t find what was wrong with him. He returned to New Vrindaban as sick as ever. Finally Bhaktipada said, “You should fast from cooked foods. You should eat only raw fruits, salads and vegetables.” Within six months after adopting this diet, Radhanath was back on his feet and healthy again.
I remember when Kirtanananda ordered him to take sannyas. Radhanath was beside himself. I remember the expression on his face; such suffering, such pain. He did not want to accept sannyas, he did not think himself worthy, and did everything in his power to get out of it, but finally he accepted his fate. There is no doubt in my mind, that of all the dozens and dozens of devotees Bhaktipada awarded with sannyasa, Radhanath turned out to be the best of them all.
Radhanath was always gentle and mild, and averse to violence. One year there was a big infestation of gluttonous groundhogs who were devouring everything in the garden. Kirtanananda couldn’t spare a “useful” devotee to do groundhog guard duty, so he ordered Radhanath—Bhaktipada sometimes called him “useless”—to take a shotgun and sit in the garden, and if he saw a groundhog, to kill it. I heard that Radhanath sat in the garden all day like a scarecrow and saw many groundhogs, but he did not want to hurt them, so he fired the gun over their heads to scare them.
Although Radhanath may have been kind to animals, was not a pacifist. He clearly understood that anger could be used in Krishna’s service. Few people know this other side of Radhanath; his rarely-exhibited ferocity. Although he wouldn’t hurt even an ant, on occasion—if he heard blasphemy of another devotee—he could become angry as fire and fierce as Lord Nrsimhadeva. Prabhupada explained that a Vaishnava should become “as angry as fire” when one’s guru or another devotee is blasphemed: “One should be very meek and humble in his personal transactions, and if insulted a Vaishnava should be tolerant and not angry. But if there is blasphemy against one’s guru or another Vaishnava, one should be as angry as fire.” (Caitanya Charitamrita, Adi 7.50, purport)
Let me tell a story to illustrate one occasion when Radhanath exhibited this particular quality of anger. My godbrother Devavarsha dasa and I traveled with Bhaktipada to India for the 1982 Mayapur festival. Dharmatma was also there with some sankirtan mothers. We enjoyed hanging around Bhaktipada in his room in Mayapur, massaging his feet, serving him, running errands, etc. We thought this was the perfection of our lives.
During this trip Devavarsha was sitting alone once with Bhaktipada in his suite in the Guest Lodge. Bhaktipada was reading a Back to Godhead magazine. After a while Bhaktipada got tired of reading, and then suddenly and unexpectedly became playful. He rolled the BTG into a tube and thrust it under his dhoti by his crotch, making it look like he had a huge erection. Bhaktipada smiled and waited to see Devavarsha’s response. ii
This flirting conduct, although perhaps tolerable for a fringe devotee (one who does not follow the four regulative principles), was completely unexpected and intolerable from a sannyasi, one who has given up all sex activities, and especially Prabhupada first sannyasi who was one of the original eleven ISKCON gurus. Many, if not most, ISKCON devotees considered Kirtanananda to be a pure devotee. Prabhupada even once said Kirtanananda was a pure devotee. iii Pure devotee means one who is free from all material desires. It was inconceivable that Kirtanananda had fallen to mundane sexual life. A pure devotee was supposed to spit at the thought of sex, not delight in it.
Poor Devavarsha was completely bewildered, totally shocked and confused. He had no idea how to react. It was so unexpected. What was going on? Why was Bhaktipada acting that way? Was he dreaming? Devavarsha was such a mental guy anyway. So he just sat there dumfounded for a minute, and then silently left the room.
If Devavarsha had been homosexual and looking for some action, he might have opened his eyes wide and replied: “Oh master, what a large lingam you have!” to which Bhaktipada might have replied, “The better for you to worship, my dear.”
But Devavarsha was not gay and he was trying his utmost to strictly follow the four regulative principles, and he was neither a worldly man nor familiar with the pickup lines gay men use to sound-out prospective partners, so he decided he should consult with a senior Vaishnava, to help make sense of all of this strangeness. So he went to Radhanath to reveal his mind in confidence and ask him what was going on.
He told his story, and the poor fellow was again shocked and bewildered (twice in one day) this time by Radhanath’s reaction: Radhanath became terribly angry, like Nrisimhadev, and roared at him fiercely: “How can you say such blasphemy! You are completely mental and insane! You don’t deserve to be in this holy place. I cannot stand to look at you! You are so fallen and base! Don’t you ever speak like that again or I’ll have you thrown out on the street with the beggars and urchins!” iv
From this example, we can see that even a normally-humble devotee can become angry when he hears blasphemy of other devotees, especially pure saintly self-realized devotees like Bhaktipada. Who could possibly give credence to such an outlandish tale about a great spiritual master spoken by an unsteady disciple constantly on the mental platform?
Although Devavarsha could have spoken about this to others, he was rendered harmless by Radhanath’s severe scolding. He never spoke to anyone about this for twenty-five years. But, it would be seen, a few years after this incident, another devotee also began spouting nonsense about Srila Bhaktipada, and this devotee was convinced that Bhaktipada was a pretender and tried to prove it to others. New Vrindaban residents considered him an envious demon. Without any fault he was biting and creating havoc. He was a snake-like person; opposing ISKCON and New Vrindaban. His nature was demonic. He, like Devavarsha, would also have to be “rendered harmless,” but this madman was not so easily dissuaded by verbal chastisement alone. Stronger methods would have to be used.
Vaishnava scriptures sometimes refer to such envious persons who blaspheme the pure devotees of the Lord as snakes, scorpions or demons, and explain how a saintly person should regard them. For instance, a sadhu—although loath to harm even an ant—is happy when a snake or scorpion or envious demon is killed. “So everyone is happy when a snake or scorpion is killed because they are very, very dangerous. Without any fault they bite and create havoc. So there are these snake-like persons. They are envious about our movement, and they are opposing. That is the nature.” (Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-bhagavatam lecture, Mayapur, 2.28.77.)
According to some, Radhanath exhibited all the qualities of a true sadhu, not simply the qualities of meekness and gentleness, but also the qualities of anger when a fellow devotee was blasphemed, and pleasure when an envious demon who opposed the movement was killed. As we shall read in the following two chapters, it appeared that Radhanath, in his characteristic humble fashion, always tried to stay in the background, behind the scenes. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself, but he exerted his considerable spiritual influence none-the-less.
Today Radhanath is an incredibly successful preacher; and has become the darling of ISKCON. Thousands of devotees are inspired by his classes and association. I am also inspired by hearing and reading his classes. I think very highly of him. Whatever mistakes of judgment he might have made in the past under the influence of fanaticism are now forgotten by almost everyone.
I have heard that Radhanath, more than all the other ISKCON gurus, has attempted to teach his disciples how to love each other. Some have told me his disciples are very loving and very sweet, like their guru—even perhaps to others who might not reciprocate their affection. This is very different from the preaching I heard during my early days at New Vrindaban, and I heartily approve of this new development in ISKCON. I think perhaps some of us older devotees might have learned an important lesson from our mistakes made during our younger, more immature days.
In conclusion: Everyone, and I mean everyone, is made up of combinations of good and bad qualities. One shouldn’t draw hasty conclusions about a person after hearing only one side of a story. In Peter Brook’s memorable nine-hour play—The Mahabharata—Krishna speaks the following words to the Pandava brothers after the death of Duryodhana: “No good man is entirely good; no bad man is entirely bad.” I think these are words of wisdom, and I hope readers will consider that when reading the following account.

Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)
October, 2008


Author’s Disclaimer
Although I have obviously attempted to uncover the actual series of events of this narrative, I make absolutely no guarantee regarding the truthfulness and accuracy of the following account. Obviously there is much conflicting testimony in the record, and I have tried to avoid a biased presentation by allowing equal opportunity for opposing viewpoints.—HD

To read the previous installment of this four-part narrative, go to: http://henrydoktorski.com/nv/Saga_of_Sulochan_1.doc and http://henrydoktorski.com/nv/Saga_of_Sulochan_2.doc.


The Saga of Sulochan, Part 3
By Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)
One chapter from my forthcoming book—Gold, Guns and God:
A History of the Hare Krishnas in West Virginia

Tapahpunja Swami takes initiative to protect Bhaktipada
Tapahpunja Swami, the former New Vrindaban men’s sankirtan leader and president of the Cleveland ISKCON temple, was beside himself, and severely chastised Kuladri for allowing this to happen, for not protecting Bhaktipada from Triyogi’s attack, for not having an organized security program in place to protect their spiritual master. Kuladri explained: “Tapahpunja had expressed his concern that I was the president and the board were not doing what we should or could to see that Bhaktipada was protected, and that he offered, if any opportunity arose, that he would like to come down [from Cleveland], and help assist or take some project that would help insure the safety of Bhaktipada. He indicated that I had not done enough to protect Bhaktipada from getting hit on the head.” v
Tapahpunja came to New Vrindaban and discussed the formation of a security team with New Vrindaban management. They decided that Sulochan posed a clear danger to Bhaktipada. None thought that the community could continue without Bhaktipada’s leadership; they believed their lives depended on him. The top men concluded that, if push came down to shove, it would be better for Sulochan to leave his body rather than Bhaktipada.
Kuladri, however, claimed that he tried to calm everyone and work with local law enforcement. He didn’t want to incite distraught devotees to take the law into their own hands: “I know Tapahpunja, along with other swamis, vi were saying that the community had to do whatever is necessary to protect Bhaktipada. I felt that the type of preaching that should be done in the community was one to calm people, not incite people. And I think the language of doing whatever is necessary to protect the Swami would incite people to . . . go to extremes.” vii
Other sources claimed that Kuladri was indeed an instigator in the murder plot early on; at least until he realized the seriousness of the consequences which would ultimately descend upon the conspirators and the community. viii
Tirtha recruited as hit man
Hayagriva, among all the New Vrindaban elders, seemed to be especially outspoken about Bhaktipada’s well being. A crazy man attempted to kill his dear friend and Sulochan was suspect. How would they stop him from coming out to the community and attempting to assassinate Bhaktipada? One friend of the community, Russell C. (Randolph) Gorby (1923-1990), a 62-year-old retired steel worker who lived in St. Clairsville, Ohio, suggested to Hayagriva that Tirtha should eliminate Sulochan. Gorby insisted: “Let Tirtha take care of him. Tirtha’s the best man for the job.”
Hayagriva spoke to Kuladri and, on Gorby’s instigation, recommended that Tirtha should “deal with Sulochan.” Kuladri remembered: “This was outside the temple area in a parking lot. Hayagriva drove up in a pickup truck with Gorby. . . . He was very concerned . . . very concerned about the safety of Bhaktipada, and therefore said that we had to do whatever was necessary to protect Bhaktipada. And he said that he had spoken with Randall Gorby, and Gorby had suggested to him, and he agreed, that Tirtha should be asked to deal with Sulochan. And that for eight or ten thousand dollars he could be hired to deal with Sulochan.” ix
One member of the surveillance team remarked: “Gorby was more ‘fired up’ to destroy Sulochan than any of the devotees.” x
Tirtha explained: xi
One of the main figures involved in promoting the idea for a need to kill Sulochan was Randall Gorby. He was local figure who befriended Kirtanananda and the devotees in 1973 when New Vrindaban was attacked by thugs from a biker gang. Later Kirtanananda used him as a straw man to purchase properties for the community. He was also a friend of Hayagriva and myself. . . .
Gorby actively recruited me in the beginning, saying that the New Vrindaban devotees were sitting on their hands while Kirtanananda was in grave danger. He seemed to have a direct line to the police, which I found to be odd. Later I would learn he was a police informant for many years. He made some convincing arguments, which at the time seemed plausible, though we didn’t need a lot of convincing. . . .
An assessment was made for the worst case scenario. Which was worse, losing Kirtanananda, having him murdered by a lunatic fringie, or the fallout from having Sulochan killed? That’s why the decision was made to kill Sulochan somewhere away from New Vrindaban. It seemed to be an either/or situation. Gorby certainly fed into the situation, helped plan things, etc. He provided some technical advice, things of that sort.
Gorby: government informant
It is entirely plausible that Randall Gorby, even at this early date, was working in cooperation with the United States government. He kept in close contact with law enforcement authorities and his phone conversations were recorded by the State Police. It is not unreasonable to suspect that Gorby intentionally helped incite the murder of Sulochan so that the government would have a good reason to come down hard on Bhaktipada and the New Vrindaban Community.
During the 1960s and early 1970s the United States government sometimes sent FBI informants to observe close hand the activities of cults and new religious movements, but in most cases, did not interfere with their activities. However, after the November 1978 murder of California Congressman Leo Ryan and the cyanide poisoning deaths of 909 members of the Peoples Temple—a cult from California founded by Reverend Jim Jones—at the “Jonestown” farm in northwestern Guyana, the federal government became greatly concerned about the cult phenomenon and began aggressively investigating the largest cults. xii
Joint House-Senate hearings on “The Cult Phenomenon in the United States” were conducted during February 1979 at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington D.C. and chaired by Senator Bob Dole from Kansas. One speaker suggested that ISKCON was high on the government’s cult list. Jim Siegelman, a recipient of the Leo J. Ryan Award and a Fiske Fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge, and author of the anti-cult books Snapping, Holy Terror, and Dark Hero of the Information Age, testified: “We focused our investigations on the five largest cults: the Hare Krishna, Scientology, Divine Light Mission, Unification Church, the Way International and to smaller groups.” xiii
Another speaker, the attorney for the late Congressman Leo Ryan, specifically mentioned the New Vrindaban Community and petitioned Congress to “exercise leadership in the manner of cults and mind control.” xiv
Some religious cults with federal tax-exempt status as religious organizations are apparently stockpiling weapons according to reports in the Washington Post and other newspapers. One such report stated the West Virginia headquarters of the Hare Krishna organization has a vast arsenal of weaponry stockpiled. . . . Such hoarding of weapons must be questioned when it appears such collection goes beyond the scope of an individual’s Constitutional right to self-defense. . . . The Congress has a responsibility to the American people . . . . Equally, the Congress must exercise leadership in the manner of cults and mind control.
Janmastami, a Viet Nam war veteran and a Bhaktipada disciple initiated in August 1978, claimed that government agents had conducted surreptitious surveillance on ISKCON and New Vrindaban, and even covertly assisted in the murder of Sulochan: xv
First, the FBI had a list of “subversive organizations” that they were after. ISKCON New Vrindaban was number four on this list, after Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Lyndon LaRouche, and Reverend Sun Myung Moon. xvi
I know these things because a fellow who regularly visited the Philadelphia temple, a person who came to work for me for the entire time I was in Philly, came to me from the Sunday feast . . . and after working for me for some time eventually told me he was an operative for the government. He was a “snitch”—a paid informant—and nothing more, and they couldn’t care less if he was killed or not. The informants name was Joshua Kunkle, a low-life street urchin from Philly who used to sell drugs to then-up-to seven members of the devotee community in the Philly area.
In fact, this is where the plan to infiltrate “moved to the next level,” that is to say, this is a second point (Randall being one of the others that we know of) where the FBI started to try to steer the direction of the actions that New Vrindaban “was capable of” into the point where it was actions that New Vrindaban had perpetrated and was therefore responsible for.
Kunkle testified against us—the New Vrindaban Community and I—in the data collection for the trial, but his testimony (and my involvement in these events) was never entered into the court record because it took the blame away from K Swa, where they wanted it placed, and put it at the feet of his subordinates who actually did the planning of events that occurred. xvii
Tirtha begins searching for Sulochan
Tirtha became involved in surveillance sometime in October, probably only a few days after Triyogi’s attack, while Bhaktipada was still in a coma in the hospital. This was confirmed by Daruka dasa (Tirtha’s friend who had instigated and assisted in Chakradhari’s murder two years earlier) in Los Angeles, who remembered: “During October 1985, Tirtha called me and told me about Triyogi’s attack and said that he suspected that Sulochan was involved with that somehow. And he wanted to know whether if I had seen Sulochan anywhere around Los Angeles or anything. I said I had seen him around, yes. He wanted to know where he might be. And he also said, if he was involved, we should get him. My interpretation was he wanted to kill him if he was involved in the beating of Swami. I asked another friend if he had seen Sulochan, and he told me he moved up to the Visalia, which is another farm outside of Los Angeles that belongs to the Krishna organization. I relayed this information to Tirtha by telephone.” xviii
Tirtha recalled:
A key point was when Kirtanananda was attacked by Triyogi. That changed everything. It was no longer a war of words; it injected an element of violence. Naturally, as a good disciple, I couldn’t sit by idly and wait for the job to be finished. . . . xix
At several high-level management meetings, I was invited to attend. It was jointly agreed that Sulochan posed a clear and present danger to Kirtanananda (others also). The top men concluded that it was preferable to deal with the fallout of Sulochan’s death than Kirtanananda’s. No one thought they could continue on without Kirtanananda. He was that important to them. It was as if their lives depended on him. To a man they agreed they couldn’t imagine going on—as a community or as devotees—if Kirtanananda was killed. The only solution presented was that Sulochan be eliminated. And if somehow he slipped through [and killed Kirtanananda] because no one had the cajones [balls] or faith in Krishna to do the needful—well you’ll have to live with being a coward for the rest of your life. xx
Bhaktipada indicated he had been asked about surveillance, but he dismissed the idea: “During these months [when I returned from the hospital], I played no part in the management of anything. I do recall that the question of surveillance came up and I laughed at it. I said, ‘Why do you want to do that?’” xxi
Janmastami recruited
Janmastami explained how he was recruited to assist in the elimination of Sulochan: xxii
In January of 1986, on my return to New Vrindaban [after the Christmas marathon], I was ordered by Radhanath . . . not by Kirtanananda Swami, to terminate Sulochan. This happened with Tapahpunja Swami and Tirtha in November and December of 1985. I was on traveling sankirtan until Christmas and didn’t get back to the farm until New Years. Immediately on our arrival at New Vrindaban, Radhanath sought me out and made arrangements for us to meet in his van, where he went through a prepared speech that he had delivered to Tirtha, Tapahpunja Swami and Kuladri many times before. Later talks with Tirtha confirmed this.
Bhaktipada’s chauffeur confirmed: “I was privy to much behind-the-scenes action, and I there when Radhanath told Janmastami to ‘destroy the demon.’” xxiii
A teenage gurukula boy also claimed he overheard Radhanath order Janmastami to “destroy the demon.” xxiv
Kuladri indirectly implicated Radhanath when he said: “I know Tapahpunja, along with other swamis, were saying that the community had to do whatever is necessary to protect the Swami.” xxv At this time there were only three swamis at New Vrindaban: Kirtanananda, Tapahpunja and Radhanath.
Dharmatma claimed that Kuladri told him: “Radhanath, Hayagriva and Tapahpunja were pushing like crazy for this to happen.” xxvi
Dharmatma wrote years later: “With all due respect, as I do like him [Radhanath] as a person, and he is a sweet devotee, but still he was involved to some degree or had knowledge of Sulochan’s murder. I know this for a fact.” xxvii
However, Tirtha denied that Radhanath played any part in the murder: “Radhanath Swami never played any role in any criminal activity. No murder, theft, arson, etc. Kuladri I have shielded as far as possible, even after he betrayed me and reneged on his promise to take care of my family in case things went badly. . . . The government wasn’t interested in him anyway. They wanted Kirtanananda. . . . They really only wanted Kirtanananda. . . . Dozens of devotees previously approached me to please get rid of Sulochan, to prevent him from returning and killing Kirtanananda. Not one devotee ever said ‘Stop. Think it over.’ All urged me to do the needful.” xxviii
Tirtha explained in more detail why Radhanath Swami could not have recruited Janmastami: “Why would such an esteemed Vaishnava casually ask the New Vrindaban plumber’s helper to assassinate someone? To what end would that have benefited Radhanath Swami? Even on its face it takes an incredible leap to fathom why he or anyone would ask someone of Janmastami’s caliber to do this. More likely, ‘Here, go plunge out a stopped-up toilet, or go to Pittsburgh and sell scarves, or maybe flowers.’ That is reasonable for the plumber’s helper. xxix Everyone knows who Radhanath Swami is. Thousands of devotees can vouch for his character. The same can be said of Umapati xxx . . . and Kuladri. These devotees know only their service to Srila Prabhupada.” xxxi
Radhanath himself stated: “Every single allegation against me is totally false. I was not involved in any criminal activity.” xxxii
Qualifications of the three hit men
It is not difficult to imagine why these three particular men were recognized as the best candidates for the job: two had military training and combat experience in Viet Nam, and one had been a radical political activist in Berkeley, California.
Janmastami had served in Viet Nam, in the Army’s 11B20 Combat Infantry. He claimed he had fought in dozens of missions, received commendations and awards, including the Medal of Valor and several Air Medals, and was ultimately wounded in action. To this day he still has shrapnel in his body.
Tirtha had been a mean fighter since his early teenage years. xxxiii He later served in the United States Army in the 101st Airborne Division as a combat soldier in Viet Nam, and claimed to have received numerous decorations and awards for valor, including the Bronze Star, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Air Medal, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star, two Purple Heart Medals, and numerous division and brigade military campaign awards. xxxiv
Tirtha was New Vrindaban’s most trusted and experienced “enforcer.” During his devotional career he killed—with the assistance of Daruka—at least one devotee at New Vrindaban: Chakradhari, in 1983. He had also been requested by Bhaktipada to formulate a kidnapping/murder plot to get rid of Richard Rose (the owner of the original parcel of land leased to Hayagriva in 1968 which had become the Old Vrindaban Farm) after Rose attempted to void the 99-year lease through the Marshall County court system. Bhaktipada insisted that the murder be made to look like an accident. Later, the plot was called off when the courts sided in New Vrindaban’s favor. xxxv
Tapahpunja, although perhaps not an experienced killer, was the son of labor-union organizers, and had a fighting spirit. He had been a anti-Viet Nam war activist before coming to New Vrindaban, and had been incarcerated in jail a number of times. He wrote: “Berkeley was then in a constant state of warfare. Rallies, riots and rent strikes were common events. . . . Bucking the establishment began to grind on like a great battle of attrition.” xxxvi
After coming to the community he had become an expert sankirtan picker and leader, renowned for his ability to avoid detection by the police. Some affectionately called him “Mr. Scam-kirtan.” Tapahpunja would make the necessary arrangements, and Tirtha and Janmastami would do the dirty work. Others who sometimes assisted during the surveillance missions were Randall Gorby, Gaurashakti and Sthayibhava. xxxvii
Sulochan claims his life in danger
In a December 6, 1985 letter to United Press International, Sulochan wrote: “These . . . gurus are ruthless men and would not hesitate to kill anyone who threatens them. . . . There is nothing wrong with the religion, only leaders who have become absolutely corrupt.” In an interview with UPI in February 1986, Sulochan said: “They are constantly watching me. I know some morning I will go to sleep and not wake up.” xxxviii
One anonymous former resident of New Vrindaban formed a “Committee to Clear the Name of Steven Bryant.” She said: “Steve was trying to uncover a lot of stuff. I don’t feel safe myself. Every time a car pulls up, I shake. I’ve talked to the FBI. The situation is pretty much out of hand.” xxxix
Hit men in California
Tapahpunja and Tirtha traveled to California during January where they contacted a San Diego devotee known as a thug—Yudhisthira dasa—and attempted to hire him to kill Sulochan. “Tapahpunja Swami, Mr. Scam, as he was called on the sankirtan circuit, had tried to sub-contract out ‘his service’ and he contacted Yudhisthir (Jeff Cornia), a known gangster from the San Diego temple.” xl
Unsuccessful in their attempt, Tapahpunja and Tirtha followed Sulochan around for a few weeks but lost contact with him during mid-January of 1986, when Sulochan left Los Angeles and traveled to Royal Oak, Michigan, where he continued working on his book at his parents’ home.
Tapahpunja and Tirtha returned to New Vrindaban where Tapahpunja received the first of three payments for their expenses. The first installment was supposed to be $2,000, but Tirtha only received $1,700 in an envelope handed to him by Tapahpunja. Tirtha confided in his friend Randall Gorby: “Hey, they are jerking me around on what I was supposed to get for what I did in January. . . . Seventeen hundred? Why I was supposed to get two thousand!” xli
A few days later, Janmastami was dispatched to California, where Sulochan was still believed to be living, to keep an eye on him. On February 4th, Janmastami rented a 1977 Ford Granada from the Ugly Duckling Rent-A-Car agency at the Los Angeles Airport branch, and provided a cash deposit. xlii He also checked into the Trade Winds Motel. xliii
Janmastami explained: “Kuladri had called temple presidents on the left coast to boast that ‘I have hit men in California already!’” xliv
Sulochan threatens to destroy Kirtanananda and New Vrindaban
Sulochan sharpened his marksmanship skill on a target range by shooting a pistol at a picture of his arch nemesis. Puskar explained: xlv
When I returned to Los Angeles in October of 1984, Sulochan happened to be the first devotee I met. It seemed as if he wanted someone to hang out with him. I don’t think many devotees were friendly to him due to his criticisms of Rameshvara Maharaj. I had once heard that a pile of human stool was discovered on Rameshvara’s vyasasana, and Sulochan was the primary suspect.
I spent the day with Sulochan and we traveled to the Three Rivers Community near Sequoia National Park. One of the sights he showed me was his target practice range. He had a pistol and sharpened his skills by practicing with a target. He said: “Take a look at this!” The target was a picture of Kirtanananda Swami.
Sulochan spoke to me at length about his problems with his wife and children, and I suggested that I should call New Vrindaban. I got on the phone and spoke to Kuladri and Sudhanu and attempted to warn them that this fellow means business, perhaps they should consider his demands to get back his wife and children. Sulochan was sitting right there in the room listening to my end of the conversation. Kuladri and Sudhanu seemed concerned, but when they finally put Kirtanananda on the phone, he basically dismissed Sulochan and said: “Krishna will protect me.”
Sometime during January, Sulochan telephoned Kuladri and said he was coming to Moundsville to destroy Kirtanananda and the New Vrindaban Community “to finish the job” that Triyogi had started. Kuladri said: “During January I received a telephone call from Sulochan and he told me that he was coming to Moundsville to destroy Kirtanananda and the New Vrindaban Community.” xlvi
Tirtha explained: “Sulochan began telephoning New Vrindaban, threatening to kill Kuladri and his children from a sniper’s position in the woods. He threatened to kill his ex-wife Yamuna and her new husband. He declared war on New Vrindaban. His threats were taken very seriously.” xlvii
Years later, when Kuladri was asked, “Did Steven Bryant ever personally threaten you or your family?” Kuladri replied under oath: “I took his threats on the community as possible threats to my family, but his threats were only in connection to my support of Kirtanananda. He expressed to me that he had nothing against me or my family, but as a manager under Kirtanananda, he had disagreements with me.” xlviii
Sulochan’s mother denied that her son threatened to “kill everybody like some wild man.” “He was preparing an exposé stating all the things that he had uncovered. . . . And he was going to publish that . . . his mission was to destroy the community with his exposé. And he said he didn’t want to go and kill everybody like some wild man, but he wanted to destroy it by publishing all of these bad things he found out. And his thinking was that by doing this he would arouse everybody to leave the community or do something.” xlix
It appears, from the testimony of Kuladri and Mrs. Bryant, that Sulochan’s alleged threats to do bodily harm to members of New Vrindaban may have been greatly exaggerated. Years later, even Tirtha admitted: “The entire community was duped into thinking that Sulochan was a huge threat to the community. Bhaktipada could have defused everything at one point, but instead he chose to let it escalate, perhaps thinking it was a rallying point or the catalyst for something greater.” l
Sulochan returns to West Virginia
However, now that Sulochan was returning to West Virginia to continue his campaign, Kuladri appeared to have had second thoughts about the murder plot; perhaps they were getting in way over their heads. If Sulochan was murdered 2,400 miles away in California, law enforcement agents might place the blame on Rameshvar and the Los Angeles devotees, but if he was assassinated in their own back yard in Marshall County, authorities would certain suspect that New Vrindaban had a hand in the murder and begin a thorough investigation. Kuladri tried to diffuse the situation by inviting law enforcement authorities to become involved. Perhaps if the New Vrindaban “surveillance” team worked in tandem with the local police, they would be less likely to murder Sulochan outright near home.
Kuladri telephoned Sheriff Bordenkircher who agreed to help protect Bhaktipada and the community: “I felt that talking to the sheriff and speaking with the FBI was the proper way to defuse the situation, rather than trying to incite people to extremes. . . . I called the local sheriff, Sheriff Bordenkircher, and told him what Sulochan had told me on the phone, that he was coming to Moundsville to destroy Kirtanananda and the New Vrindaban Community. The sheriff at that time said that if he is coming into this area, can your people find him and let me know when he comes into the community so we can put him, if he is threatening you people, we can put him in jail. So then I contacted Tapahpunja.” li
On January 30th Sulochan left his parents’ home in Michigan and headed once again for Marshall County, West Virginia, this time with a gun, which he told friends he carried “for his own protection.” Attorney David Gold said: “Sulochan was very paranoid about his safety. He was jumping from place to place. Whenever he would go to a hotel, somebody would call and ask if he was registered, or if somebody who looked like him was there. He carried a fake mustache, a fake beard.” lii
Puskar confirmed: “When I saw Sulochan at the 1985 Los Angeles ratha-yatra festival at Venice Beach, he was wearing a fake beard and funny looking eye-glasses with fake plastic nose; the kind you purchase at a dime store.” liii
Tapahpunja—with characteristic expertise—called up Sulochan’s mother on the phone, pretended to be Sulochan’s buddy Puranjana, and tricked her into revealing her son’s location. Helga Bryant related: liv
My son left here on January 30th and went to West Virginia. He called me when he arrived and told me where he was and his phone number. He was at a motel in St. Clairsville, Ohio. He told me he registered under the name of Tim Lee. Tim Lee was a good friend of my son’s, and his Krishna name was Puranjana. Not long after, I received a phone call from a caller who identified himself as Puranjana. I had met Puranjana about three years before and I didn’t remember what the voice sounded like. It was only a brief meeting that we had.
The caller wanted to know where Steven was. He heard he had gone east and I guess he wanted to get in contact with him. And so he basically asked whether he had driven the van. I said, “No. He flew from California.” And then I guess I told him maybe that he picked up a used car that he drove down. My son’s van was in California.
I gave the caller some information. I told him the telephone number [of the motel], and I also told him that Steven—well, this was a fellow dissident, I might add—so I figured he would be interested in the fact that Steven had told me that he was going to the FBI on Monday with all of his evidence. I also told the caller the name Steven was registered under: Tim Lee—Puranjana’s Christian name. I thought at the time he would get a kick out of that, that he was using his name, but nothing was said and I got kind of suspicious.
After I hung up, I tried to contact Puranjana, but I couldn’t get hold of him right away. The next day Puranjana called us and said, “I never called you.” And this was very upsetting to me, because I knew they are pursuing Steven. So you better warn him that they have found out about him and warn him.
We knew Steven was going to be at the FBI that day, so we called the FBI in Wheeling, so we were able to tell him. He knew he was going to move. That was the point, he knew when they found him he better get out of there.
Randall Gorby, who lived in St. Clairsville, Ohio, explained how—with his assistance—the surveillance team found Sulochan at the Scott Motel and followed him to the FBI office at the Wheeling Federal Building: lv
I received a call from Tirtha. He said, “Randall, I have a telephone number in your area that I would like for you to check out for me and see what it is or where it is,” and I told him I could do that. So, I checked and discovered that the telephone number was of a motel across the river a short way from my home in St. Clairsville, the Scott Motel. I went there myself. Tirtha asked me to check the name of Tim Lee and I checked and there was a Tim Lee registered there. . . . I told him that I had checked the motel and that Tim Lee was registered there and that there was a car in the parking area from Michigan.
Tirtha called and said that he and Tapahpunja were either in East Liverpool or Steubenville, Ohio, and would I mind meeting them outside the motel and show them where it was located. They explained to me that they thought it was Sulochan that they were following, and they had been trailing him. He explained he had been following this individual that was in the motel room and that they were apprehensive that he was going to harm the Swami at the temple. That they were keeping him under surveillance at that time. We remained outside the motel up until probably 10:30 in the morning. At that time the individual who was in the motel came out and Tapahpunja had his binoculars. We were across the street. They identified him as Sulochan rather than Tim Lee.
Sulochan loaded some equipment into the car that was sitting out on the parking area and got into the car and started driving out of the motel complex. From there Tirtha asked me to follow him because he thought that he might be recognized; Sulochan would probably recognize Tirtha or Tapahpunja. So I followed him into the city of Wheeling, West Virginia. I stayed in contact with the car and followed him right up to where he parked outside of the Federal Court Building in Wheeling.
Tirtha and Tapahpunja were following behind me in their vehicles, and Sulochan did get out of his vehicle and taking some papers and went inside the Federal Building. Tirtha pulled up, parked behind me and got out of his car and walked up to me. Tirtha said, “That son of a bitch is going to the police and he is going to have to be killed, and I am the one that is going to do it.”
Sulochan arrested in West Virginia
After Sulochan left the Federal Building, Gorby claimed that he followed him to a rented house in the Washington Lands section of Moundsville, whereupon he telephoned Kuladri. On the other hand, Janmastami claimed that the surveillance team lost track of Sulochan after he left the FBI office, and then Gorby went to a phone booth, made a call, and came back with precise information revealing Sulochan exact whereabouts.
Janmastami said: “I didn’t trust Randall Gorby right from the start and Tirtha’s claims of his ‘impeccable credentials’ did not hold water with me. Plus, if Randall wanted it done as badly as he kept telling everyone (he was more ‘fired up’ than any of the devotees and that alone made me suspicious), he would have gone and done it. You should have seen this ‘surveillance’ operation. Hare Krishna’s do their Keystone Cops routine. Funny stuff. And then Randall runs off to a phone booth and comes back with information, VERY, VERY specific information that ‘a couple of friends of his’ gave him on Sulochan’s whereabouts.” lvi
Gorby continued: “He [Sulochan] went into a weekly rental facility and parked his car out front, picked up his bags, took them in and I knew that he was going to be there. I made a telephone call to the temple to Kuladri, and I told him where Sulochan was located and I would suggest they swear out a warrant they had talked about previously and get Sulochan arrested. He had made threats in the area so they swore out a warrant for having him for having made threats against members of the community.” lvii
Sulochan was arrested at a house he was renting on February 5, 1986 on charges of assault and carrying a deadly weapon in connection with threats made against members of the New Vrindaban Community. He was carrying a loaded automatic pistol when he was arrested. It was reported that Kuladri had met with Sulochan earlier during the week concerning a threatening letter Sulochan had mailed to him.
In the warrant, Kuladri stated: “Mr. Bryant has repeatedly threatened my life as well as the lives of members of New Vrindaban Community over the phone, in person, and through the mail. Mr. Bryant openly admits that we should be killed. Bryant publishes D.A.S. (Devotee Access Service) and takes full credit for the mailing of such literature (told me personally) in which he encourages the readers to kill the leaders of New Vrindaban and ISKCON. He also states he is taking the law in his own hands and carries a weapon.”
New Vrindaban legal counsel Tulsi dasa said: “The arrest of Steven Bryant is indicative of what we have been saying all along concerning the state of mind he has been in recently.” lviii
“Demon discredited”
New Vrindaban News featured an article titled “Demon Discredited: The Inside Story by Kuladri dasa”—an interview with Kuladri by the editor of the paper, Gargarsi—in which Kuladri was compared to J. Edgar Hoover, the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who built the FBI into a large and efficient crime-fighting agency. lix
All glories to Lord Ramachandra’s victory of the demons. When Steve Bryant, formerly Sulochan, called me, my stomach immediately knotted and I felt repulsed by the creature on the other end of the phone. He asked for my offer, thinking that we would buy him off from his previous threats to destroy the community and its individuals.
I quickly responded, “I just want to tell you that you cannot step foot on New Vrindaban property.”
“Oh, yeah, well, your whole community will be destroyed within two weeks,” he said. . . .
Srila Bhaktipada returns from India, and Bryant shows up in the area. This is no coincidence; our anxiety over Srila Bhaktipada swells.
Due to the danger of the immediate situation, one of New Vrindaban’s more exalted Vaishnavas—who is certainly a liberated soul and beyond any varnashram distinction—plays the part of a ksatriya, with some behind the scenes work [Tapahpunja Swami]. Soon, he turns us on to a hot lead: Bryant is in a motel near the mall.
During the next four days we keep a 24-hour watch on the demon. We sit quietly as he spends five hours with FBI agents in Wheeling. He leaves and then returns—another two hours. We can only imagine what trash he’s presenting to the Feds.
We alert the Sheriff’s department that Bryant is in town. They request us to notify them as soon as we spot him. We keep his location under our sikas for now. [Kuladri decided not to inform the Sheriff of Sulochan’s location until later.] Four devotees and a good friend [Gorby] work around the clock to keep track of his nefarious movements. . . .
Tuesday, Feb. 4: Bryant gives our men a temporary slip. That night we take some extra precautions on the farm, especially for Srila Bhaktipada. We wonder if Bryant suspects our stake-out. Maybe he’s headed back to the West Coast. [This was when Janmastami was sent to California.] . . .
Wednesday, Feb. 5: As the morning program finishes, I get a phone call in my room. Bryant is back! We begin the stake out. Later that day two Federal agents pick him up. Little do they know that they’re protecting the criminal. . . .
I finally finish up the complaint with the help of Magistrate Buzzard, who says he’ll send the warrant to the Sheriff as soon as he records it. “Thanks, Hare Krishna,” I say, and head back to the farm. . . . A few more calls from the stake-out. Bryant seems to have settled in for the night.
We’ve been up for five nights in a row, on and off the property, talking in phone booths, driving over the highways, keeping our eyes on this demon. Who knows what this night will bring.
At 9 p.m., just as I’m ready to lie down for the evening, I think, “Let me turn him in now, so he can sit in jail overnight.” I call the Sheriff and tell him I know where Bryant is, to go pick him up. The deputy says they’ll go down to get him as soon as they find the warrant. . . .
At 12:35 a.m., the Chief Deputy of the Sheriff’s Department sends down two of their crack detectives. They pull up to the steps of the boarding house and find Bryant descending the stairs. He has a fully-loaded .45 automatic strapped on his belt, and he’s intoxicated on a third of a bottle of Vodka.
The detectives grab him and take him to jail. The detectives obtain a search warrant, and after a quick search of his room, find a hash pipe and other assorted drugs. Bryant is charged with possession of a deadly weapon; assault, with drug charges to follow.
In one fell swoop, Krishna has discredited this man’s character and sent him to jail. All of our accusations are proven and his credibility destroyed. Who can understand the plan of the Lord? . . .
Wednesday morning, 8 a.m.: The Sheriff calls me bright and early and gives me the news. I’m jumping for joy on the phone, and the Sheriff sounds almost as excited as I am. I reflect what a difference it is working with the local Sheriff’s Department. . . . I offer my respects and thanks to the vigilant Vaishnavas who gave up their sleep and safety to help protect the devotees.
VICTORY TO RAMA!
P.S.—We’re still keeping a close eye on the demon. We don’t know if or when he’ll get out.
* New Vrindaban’s version of J. Edgar Hoover, Kuladri dasa, your servant.
Sulochan’s lawyer, David Gold, saw another perspective: lx
One key miscalculation was that Bryant thought the Sheriff was

Sulocana's Murder - For the Record


BY: HRISHIKESH DASA


Jan 3, PENNSYLVANIA, USA (SUN) [Revised]— Although I had originally intended the following information to be revealed only after my book " New Vrindaban: The Black Sheep of ISKCON" is published, I think--considering the current circumstances with new information being admitted by eyewitnesses practically daily to the Sampradaya Sun--interested Vaishnavas may appreciate reading the parts of my book dealing with Sulochan's murder in installments. To the best of my knowledge, the information below is not conjecture, but documented fact, and may shed some light on what actually transpired in New Vrindaban in the 1980s. Materials in quotation marks are actual quotations from published or unpublished writings or interviews, and reflect the opinions (accurate or inaccurate) of the individuals quoted.

Sincerely Your Servant,

Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)

Excerpt from New Vrindaban: The Black Sheep of ISKCON

by Henry Doktorski (Hrishikesh dasa) Copyright 2002-2007 by Henry Doktorski

Chapter 24: Trials and Tribulations


"Although Bhaktipada and the New Vrindaban Community had faced trials and tribulations since the community’s inception in 1968, nothing (with the exception perhaps of the gang attack and shooting on June 5, 1973) had remotely approached the magnitude of the difficulties which beset the community in the mid-1980s and early-1990s."

Glory days of New Vrindaban: seven-year wave of good fortune.


As described in Part One, the community had been riding a seven-year wave of good fortune since the opening of Prabhupada’s Palace in September 1979. In 1981, based on the number of bus tours, Prabhupada’s Palace was rated the fifth most popular tourist attraction in West Virginia. In 1982 it jumped to third, superseded only by the Wheeling Jamboree country music festival and the Ramada Inn in South Charleston. During the 1982 Labor Day festival, so many tourists came that the community hired two local policemen to direct traffic in front of the Palace. One year, some 500,000 tourists reportedly visited the Palace. (1)


Many ISKCON devotees, excited by the temple building projects and preaching opportunities, moved to New Vrindaban, until the population (including children and employees) approached 700. (2)


Several dozen full-time sankirtan fund-raisers (sometimes over one hundred devotees would be sent out during periodic sankirtan marathons) developed and utilized innovative and creative techniques to obtain donations which brought in up to five million dollars per year. (3)


The community employed 187 local Marshall County residents to work as secretaries, gardeners and construction workers. Because of the community’s rising political clout, New Vrindaban appeared as an unincorporated village on the official 1983-84 West Virginia state map, and the government actually re-paved the rutted access road.

Everyone loves a winner.


In April 1979, Bhaktipada announced plans to build the largest Radha-Krishna temple in the world at New Vrindaban, the Shri Shri Radha-Vrindaban Chandra Temple of Understanding and the adjacent Land of Krishna theme park: a spiritual Disneyland. In 1983, a “temporary” temple was built for the deities which dwarfed most temples in ISKCON in beauty, size and craftsmanship. In 1985, Bhaktipada finished writing his first three books: Song of God, Christ and Krishna and Eternal Love. Also in 1985 was the groundbreaking ceremeony for the Temple of Understanding, which was attended by local and state politicians, and a United States Congressman from West Viriginia.

Sulochan, a fanatical whistle blower.


Soon however, Bhaktipada’s luck would take a turn for the worse. One New Vrindaban resident, who was initiated by Prabhupada in Detroit during July 1974, and--according to the Palace Manager--happened to be one of the top tour guides at the Palace, (4) Sulochan Das (Steve Bryant), had serious disagreements with the community management as well as marital discord with his wife, Yamuna Dasi, who had taken initiation from Bhaktipada on December 25, 1980 without her husband’s permission. He blamed Bhaktipada for ruining his marriage, “I had been living a rather disheartened married life. My wife had been devoting her heart to another man (5) and so, naturally, this killed any chance of our having a meaningful relationship.” (6)


Sulochan’s attorney, David Gold, remembered him, “There was definitely something different about him. I had talked with a lot of disgruntled Krishna devotees over the years, all of whom had tossed out various insults and accusations about the Swami. But regardless of how angry or disillusioned they were, they still referred to Kirtanananda in tones of respect, even awe. In contrast, Bryant spoke without fear or reservation.” (7)

Sulochan leaves New Vrindaban; his wife and children remain


During June 1984, after heated arguments with Bhaktipada and community leaders, Sulochan decided to leave New Vrindaban for good. It was very difficult for him to live at the community as only devotees who professed (or pretended to profess) absolute allegiance to Bhaktipada were welcomed to live there. Sulochan ordered his wife to join him in exile. She refused and later explained: (8)


He . . . began having various disagreements with the management especially concerning his service. Although he was smoking marijuana steadily, he also began writing critical letters to Shrila Bhaktipada presenting his own ideas about how New Vrindaban should be run. He became especially upset because the New Vrindaban board of directors decided not to place him in charge of the guest house, and he had a heavy disagreement with Shrila Bhaktipada.


Thus, in late June, he decided to leave again. Steve [Sulochan] ordered me to accompany him and told me that I would not be allowed to come to New Vrindaban ever again, not even to visit [my son] Krishna Das, who we were planning to leave in the school there. I refused to accompany him, and although the decision was mine, Steve began at that time to falsely accuse Shrila Bhaktipada of stealing me from him. . . . He called me a few days later and threatened that if I still refused to go with him, then he would do everything in his power to destroy New Vrindaban and Shrila Bhaktipada. . . . Because he was continually threatening to kidnap the children, I decided to get legal custody of them by applying for a legal divorce. That divorce was granted in November of 1984, giving me full legal custody of the children. . . . This man is insane, selfish and violent. He is unbalanced. Shrila Bhaktipada, on the other hand, has always been a kind and loving father to me and is worthy of all respect. Steve’s groundless criticism of such a wonderful person is simply another indication of Steve’s insanity. I am sorry that I ever had anything to do with this crazy person.


Within a year or so, Yamuna had been remarried to one of Bhaktipada’s loyal followers (Raghunath Das), and became pregnant with his child. Sulochan told the story from his perspective, (9)


Finally, in June of 1984, with plenty of encouragement from the “guru” she had been devoting herself to, namely one Kirtanananda “Swami,” my wife decided to leave me to devote her life to him, even though I have two baby boys by her. At the time, I knew very little about Kirtanananda, so I was a little cautious about openly criticizing him for his interference in my marriage. The fact that his “disciples” have more weapons than brains also discouraged me from openly challenging him. My wife also knew very little about him, except for the hype that’s drilled into all the gullible guru-pies at his camp, such as, “He’s the oldest and first sannyas disciple of Prabhupada” or, “He built Prabhupada’s Palace, so he must be a pure saint.” That kind of stuff. In effect, neither of us really knew anything about him at all, so she agreed that I would go to LA and do some research, and if I found out anything suspicious, I would let her know. She said she would then join me if that was the case. I agreed to rejoin her at Kirtanananda’s camp if his slate was clean.

Searching for dirt on Kirtanananda.


After returning to Los Angeles, Sulochan acquired, with much difficulty, a pirated microfiche set of copies of the complete letters of Prabhupada (the original letters were carefully guarded at the Los Angeles-based Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) from a sympathetic devotee, which gave him the inside story of the history of ISKCON, a revealing perspective which had been hidden from nearly all the rank-and-file devotees by the leaders of ISKCON. Sulochan wrote, “As I started to read through Shrila Prabhupada’s personal letters to his disciples, I was primarily looking for quotes on marriage. At the time I was desperate to try and save my own marriage. Although that was my main motive, I also knew it was my moral duty to try and save my wife and children from possible danger [from Kirtanananda]. In this way, I began my research with the blessings of the Lord of morality, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Since I was approaching His topmost representative, Shrila Prabhupada, for guidance and inspiration, I knew the outcome would be auspicious, whatever it was. I had no idea where my research would lead me. I only knew that something was going to burst, and I didn’t want it to be me. I was not especially concerned with the broader ‘guru-issue’ facing ISKCON’s ‘leaders’ today. Mainly, I wanted to save my own family, hoping that was part of the Lord’s plan.” (10)


Sulochan began meticulously studying the voluminous archive of Prabhupada’s letters to see if he could find anything about Kirtanananda Swami which might convince his wife to lose her faith in him, leave New Vrindaban and return to him. He wrote:


Knowing that Kirtanananda had attacked Shrila Prabhupada in the late sixties in his first attempt to take over the movement, I figured that if I could get all the letters dealing with that incident, then I would have something tangible to show my wife about the real character of her new “protector.” . . The letters contained all the secrets I had been hoping for-and more. I knew then that it would be my assigned duty to make the truth in these letters known to all. . . .


So, on October 11th, 1984, I mailed a letter to all ISKCON centers openly declaring war against Kirtanananda and the entire Society if my family was not returned to me intact. The Society ignored me. Hardly did I get one response. Since silence automatically means acceptance, I knew that my accusations were correct, and that it was just a matter of time before the truth would triumph. From that point onwards I was doomed to live in constant hiding from Kirtanananda’s worshipers, who would have killed me in an instant if they knew where I was parked in my motor home, typing away. . . .


As I began my search through the letters, I discovered something higher than my personal marital problems that I knew I should share that with everyone. I discovered that Shrila Prabhupada is no ordinary man. . . . I could see in Prabhupada’s letters how a real saint deals with people on a personal day-to-day level. . . . Reading the letters became like an intriguing mystery to me. I took careful notice of little comments Prabhupada would make about the leaders, specifically the Governing Body Commissioners (GBC). For instance, Prabhupada’s whole strategy changed dramatically in July of 1970. He freely started giving sannyas (celibate renounced order) to his male followers instead of encouraging them to marry. He stopped encouraging devotees to open temples and instead encouraged them to distribute books. And he began writing very heavy letters indicating that the character of many of his leading disciples was way below the mark. They clearly show why Prabhupada became disgusted with these “top men” of the Society and ultimately why he decided to leave the planet early. . . .


When Sulochan began showing these letters from Prabhupada to his friends, he discovered that many former New Vrindaban residents had their own horror stories to tell about abuse, child molestation, drug dealing and even murder. “You’ve got to understand, Kirtanananda is considered to be like a God. Infallible. Above reproach. Nobody questions him. People are in awe of his power. But when I started showing this stuff to other devotees I found out everybody had their own story to tell. Everybody had some dirt on Kirtanananda. It’s just that they were either too scared or worshipped him too much to talk about it before. Drugs, people getting killed, kids getting molested.


David Gold examined the letters from disgruntled devotees which Sulochan had collected, “I picked up the first letter and began reading. It testified to Bryant’s good character, then it went on to say that the writer was aware of numerous women who had been beaten at the commune. The next letter contained similar testaments to Steve’s sound mind and strong moral character, then the author, a woman, told how Kirtanananda had intentionally destroyed a number of families so that he could use the women for the street begging operation. The next letter was from a man whose daughter was molested at the ashram school. Another man said Kirtanananda had encouraged him to beat his wife. Another writer, who remained anonymous, said he was ordered to smuggle heroin from Thailand and turn over the proceeds to Kirtanananda. Someone else reported that they knew who the killer was in an unsolved murder at New Vrindaban.” (12)

“The Kirtanananda Exposй: A Crazy Man”


Sulochan compiled his research into a book, The Guru Business: How the Leaders of the Hare Krishna Movement Deviated from the Pure Path as Taught and Exemplified by its Founder: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder/Acharya ISKCON. This book, essentially consisting of Sulochan Das’ candid (and sometimes inaccurate) commentary on excerpts from Prabhupada’s letters, was intended to expose the corrupt activities of the ISKCON gurus, whom, he believed, had usurped their positions of power within ISKCON. It was first real hard-hitting collection of essays exposing the corruption within the movement. One devotee accurately assessed it, “The Guru Business ranged from goofy to manic, from paranoid to deadly accurate.” (13)


Sulochan wrote about his mortal enemy in chapter ten: “The Kirtanananda Exposй: A Crazy Man”:


This chapter is an exposй on one of the new “gurus” in ISKCON. It is the first, but it most likely will not be the only one we will have to compile. Kirtanananda “Swami” deserves first recognition. He was among the first initiated devotees. He was the first to be given “sannyas.” A week later, he was the first to attack Shrila Prabhupada trying to usurp the ISKCON movement for himself. Shortly thereafter he was the first to sit on a throne and accept worship of himself even during Shrila Prabhupada’s physical presence and of course he was the first to jump on a throne right after Shrila Prabhupada’s departure. He was the first to begin a drug dealing operation (the KSS: Krishna’s Secret Service) and later to set up a counterfeiting operation. He was the first to organize a women’s sexploitation party and encourage the leader of that party, Dharmatma, to keep the women satisfied as their gigolo. To our knowledge, he is the first “guru” to authorize an abortion of the gigolo’s child in an underage girl. He was the first to be utterly condemned by Shrila Prabhupada. To this day, there are more letters of condemnation written about him than all the other bogus gurus combined. He was the first (and hopefully the last) to put a crown on Shrila Prabhupada’s murti (marble statue) denoting him as a mere monarch, although Shrila Prabhupada was not sent by the Lord for that service. He was the first, and maybe only, “disciple,” to be so envious as to directly challenge his guru’s authority by calling him “a tyrant.” He was the first “disciple” to be incarcerated in a mental institution (Bellevue). He was the first to treat Krishna’s cows in such a way that dozens of them died of starvation, disease, and exposure (the local courts could not even bear these atrocities of Kirtanananda and prosecuted him for cruelty to animals.) These are just a few of his “firsts.” He is number one in many other ways. Besides being the oldest “devotee” physically, he was/is the first full-blown homosexual in the movement and he even bragged of this to Acyutananda Swami in Mayapur, 1971, when he said, “I was sucking (word for male genital) before you were born.” Therefore, in observing his stressed seniority, we believe that he should be given the first chance to try and clear himself of the charges we level against him, and the other bogus gurus as well, which clearly state one thing: absolute power corrupts absolutely.


Sulochan made lots of allegations, but were they necessarily true? The answer to this question may come as a surprise to some.

. . . To be Continued

End Notes


1. Accurate figures of numbers of tourists are not available. The figure quoted in the Brijabasi Spirit article, “Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold,” which appeared in the March 1983 issue (p. 18) was certainly exaggerated, as nowhere near that number came in 1982. However, Mahabuddhi Das, the former Palace manager, thought that 500,000 people might have come in 1985, the busiest year for tourism.


The New Vrindaban Community Income Statement for the Year 1984 stated that Palace donations generated $745,315.21, or 18% of the total annual income of $4,012,224.02. For the record, membership subscriptions were $310,453.57 or 7.7%.


2. This figure of 700 was most certainly an exaggeration. The author examined fifteen census reports dated from September 1976 and July 1991 in the New Vrindaban archives and found that the October 1986 report listed the high point of the community’s population at 377 adults (213 men and 164 women). If we add 136 children and 187 employees to this number we arrive at 700.


3. The ISKCON New Vrindaban Community Financial Status Report for the week ending Sunday, December 8, 1985, stated that the community grossed $210,047.34 in income during that week. More than two thirds of that amount ($141,681.94) was from sankirtan pickers. The Palace gate earned only $2,536.50 that week (1.2%) as it was during the winter season. The 1985 Sankirtan Marathon Final Compilation stated that $971,160 was collected between November 21, 1985 and January 4, 1986. The New Vrindaban Community Income Statement for the Year 1984 stated that sankirtan devotees collected $2,853,899.94, or 71% of the total income that year.


William A. Kolibash, the United States prosecutor for Bhaktipada’s 1991 racketeering trial, claimed that New Vrindaban sankirtan revenues were substantially higher. According to his figures, the community collected $17,871,000 between 1981 and 1985.
1981 - $2,000,000 1982 - $2,436,000 1983 - $3,857,000 1984 - $4,106,000 1985 - $5,472,000

Total sankirtan revenue from 1981-85: $17,871,000.


4. The director of Palace operations and marketing from 1980 to 1985 wrote, “The top tour guides [at the Palace] were: Krishna Katha prabhu, Lajjavati Dasi, Jalakolahari prabhu, Rasavihari Devi Dasi, Damodar Das and Kanka Dasi, Sulochan Das along with Puru prabhu. There were others, but these were the best. They were given training and customer service training as well. Not just thrown out on the floor.” Mahabuddhi Das, from an e-mail letter to the author dated March 30, 2003.


5. In this sentence it is not exactly clear who Sulochan is referring to. The man who he believed stole his wife's heart could have been Bhaktipada, as evidenced by statements in subsequent paragraphs, or it could have been Raghunath, as Yamuna reportedly began her relationship with Raghunath while her husband was still living at the community. Sulochan knew about his wife's affair and reported it to Bhaktipada, who dismissed his complaints.

One former gurukula boy reported: "One of the gurukulis accidentally observed Raghu and Yamuna together while Sulochan was still at New Vrindaban, and told it to me. Later while I was sitting in Bhaktipada's blazer, Sulochan walked up to the driver's window and I heard him complain to Bhaktipada about this, but Bhaktipada was not interested in doing anything about it, in disciplining Yamuna and Raghu. Bhaktipada said something like: 'Sulochan, you're just not my man.' Another time at Bahulaban I saw Sulochan wearing a pistol around his neck and I asked him why he was wearing it. He replied: 'To kill faggots.'" --From conversation with former gurukuli and the author, January 9, 2007.


6. Sulochan Das, The Guru Business (unpublished manuscript: 1985), 1.


7. David Gold, After the Absolute: Real Life Adventures With a Backwoods Buddha (Writer’s Club Press: 2002), chapter 17.


8. Yamuna Dasi, The Story of a Cheater-The Real Facts on the Sulochan Story (unpublished manuscript: September 18, 1985), 5.


9. Sulochan Das, The Guru Business, 2, 3.


10. Sulochan was unsuccessful in his attempt to entice his family to rejoin him as New Vrindaban temple authorities had helped his wife get a divorce and simultaneously allowed her to marry a new husband, who was loyal to Bhaktipada. Later Sulochan’s three-year-old son Nimai drowned in a New Vrindaban lake while playing with other youths on November 23, 1986. Bhaktipada said, “From a philosophical point of view, we could say that there was some bad karma in the family.”


11. Sulochan Das, quoted by David Gold, After the Absolute, chapter 17.


12. David Gold, After the Absolute, chapter 17.


13. Nori Muster, Betrayal of the Spirit, (University of Illinois Press, Urbana: 1997), 124.







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