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

3. Third Paragraph-Dheera's version

"After the breakdown of our spiritual master's institution I wanted to organize another institution making Sridhar Maharaja the head. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura told me that Sridhar Maharaja is one of the finest preachers of Krsna consciousness in the world, so I wanted to take him everywhere. This was my earnest desire. But since he could not go around the world and preach, at least the people of the world should come to hear from him."

Actual version from a conversation just before Prabhupada's passing:

Srila Prabhupada: "I very much want Maharaja, that you come and stay at Mayapur. Because Prabhupada always desired that you preach. He told me quite a few times, 'Why don't you pull him out?' (Both laugh.) You know, I also tried to some extent before, but somehow or other it did not work out. Now why don't you come and stay at Mayapur?

Sridhar Maharaja: "At last Prabhupada told me that, 'You are an ease lover' (laughter) the qualification, that you have.. ."

Srila Prabhupada: "Yes, it's true. He told me also that he (Sridhar Maharaja) is such a qualified person, one of the finest preachers. I want to take you everywhere. (No quotations made. Who is speaking this last sentence is unknown.) At least at the place we have in Mayapur people are coming from all over the world... (Ed. omission some talk of arrangements) This is my earnest desire. Since you could not go around the world and preach, at least stay there and people will come to you. I shall make that arrangement.

Note: According to sastra, the uttama-adhikari thinks that he is the most fallen and that everyone else is factually doing some service, save and except himself. We know that Srila Prabhupada is an uttama-adhikari and so this is a very likely explanation for the above praises. As far as Sridhar Maharaja being one of the best preachers "in the world," I beg to remind the readers that Srila Prabhupada also said some very encouraging things to some of his disciples-things that could not have been further from the actual fact as time has stood witness to. Prabhupada's saying the people of the world should come to hear from Sridhar is just good etiquette. As stated above, if Prabhupada had wanted the world to hear Sridhar's words, he could have easily printed them into books.

4. Fourth Paragraph: Dheera's version (from a letter to Acyutananda and Hrisikesha, 1969)

"For spiritual advancement of life we must go to someone who is actually practicing spiritual life. So if one is actually serious to take instructions from a siksa-guru, or B. R. Sridhar Maharaja. I consider Sridhar Maharaja to be even my siksa-guru, so what to speak of the benefit that others can have from his association." (This grammar error is in the book.)

This last paragraph has three sentences which seem to fit together all right but actually, as with all Dheera's work, they are pieced together without using (...). This is intentionally done since the missing sentences clearly reveal the actual purpose of this letter. Note the way Dheera misquotes it:

"So I cannot recommend him (Bon Maharaja) as siksa-guru. I think that he has no actual spiritual asset. For spiritual advancement of life, we must go to one who is actually practicing spiritual life; not to some head of a mundane institution. Not to one who has offended his Spiritual Master in so many ways. I do not wish to go into all details...but this Bon Maharaja may be considered as a black snake, and at the time of His Disappearance, my Guru Maharaja did not even wish to have him in his presence due to the character of this Bon Maharaja. So if you are actually serious to take instruction from a siksa-guru, I can refer you one who is most highly competent of all my Godbrothers, This is B. R. Sridhar Maharaja, who I consider to be even my siksa-guru, so what to speak of the benefit that you can have from his association."

This is of course the only part of the letter that Dheera was interested in, but later, in the same letter, Srila Prabhupada writes:

"So if you and Achyutananda are not lost to the poison of Bon Maharaja, and are still serious about advancement of your spiritual life, I will advise you to go to Sridhar Maharaja. Or else I do not know what will save you. So my advice to you both is that you immediately leave the unhealthy and envious association of Bon Maharaja and either proceed to Germany as I have instructed you or at least go to someone who will be competent to act as siksa-guru. This is Sridhar Maharaja."

On close analysis of the way in which Dheera has used this letter to further his cause is obvious. First of all, Srila Prabhupada would not have written such things about Sridhar Maharaja were it not for the fact that these devotees were insisting on disobeying Prabhupada and taking instruction from someone in India. Prabhupada really wanted them to go to Germany. Prabhupada's saying, "at least go..." clearly indicates the lesser of two evils. At least Sridhar wouldn't try to steal Prabhupada's disciples. Sridhar Maharaja frequently admits that to be the reason why Prabhupada trusted him. In any case, Prabhupada certainly was not enthusiastic about them going to Sridhar. This is confirmed in the letter to Rupanuga, 4/28/74, wherein Prabhupada says, "You are right about Sridhar Maharaja's genuineness... (replying to Rupanuga's statement that none of Prabhupada's Godbrothers were doing anything worthwhile)...but in my opinion he is the best of the lot. He is my old friend, at least he executes the regulative principles of devotional service." After the Mayapur temple was established, Prabhupada never again recommended anyone go to Sridhar Maharaja. Instead he wrote more and more letters like the following:

"If you are serious to be an important assistant in our society you should fully engage yourself in translation work, and do not mix yourself with my so-called Godbrothers. As there are in Vrindaban some residents like monkeys and hogs, similarly there are many rascals in the name of Vaishnavas, be careful of them. And do not dare to question impudently before your Spiritual Master." (Letter to Niranjan, 11/21/72)

Note: Were Prabhupada convinced that Sridhar Maharaja was so special and that he alone, amongst au of Prabhupada's Godbrothers, was a pure devotee, then why didn't Prabhupada single him out as such? In dozens of letters and passages from the books, Prabhupada condemns all his Godbrothers in one lump without mentioning that Sridhar Maharaja is an exception. If Sridhar Maharaja were indeed an exception, Prabhupada certainly would have said so. Otherwise it would be offensive to Sridhar Maharaja. Here in this preface, Dheera Krsna takes the few places where Prabhupada appears to glorify Sridhar Maharaja's, ignoring the many more places where he is condemned, and puts them all together to make it look as though Sridhar Maharaja is far superior to Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada also said one can "increase his devotional service" by taking initiation from Madhava Maharaja:

"I understand from the letter of Asita dasa that he has gone to your place in Jagannatha Puri. He has asked permission from me for taking initiation from you. I have given my permission and you can initiate him if you like so that he may increase his devotional service there." (Madhava Maharaja, 1/14/75)

Most of the devotees are aware of who this Madhava Maharaja is. He is one of the most envious Godbrothers of the lot. So why didn't Prabhupada just tell Asita this? Prabhupada also glorified Bon Maharaja in the earlier years, but the later caged him a black snake. So we have to use our discrimination and know that often times Prabhupada would say encouraging things, even if they couldn't be further from the truth. This will be made perfectly clear later in this chapter and also from the Kirtanananda expose. It is regrettable that we have had to bring all these distasteful points out so openly but the urgency demands we do this. We must defend our spiritual master at any cost.

Conclusion to Preface Analysis

This technique of mixing and matching quotes is not only here in this preface but throughout the entire book. Therefore what we are really reading is Dheera Krsna's interpretation of what he thinks Sridhar Maharaja wants to say, what he thinks will sound good to Prabhupada's disciples, and what he thinks he can get away with. Exactly what are Dheera's motives for rejecting Srila Prabhupada and running to Sridhar Maharaja are known to many. It has to do with becoming a guru. What many ISKCON preachers are not realizing is that becoming a bona fide guru is not a matter of being appointed by the "GBC" or Sridhar. It's simply a matter of repeating exactly what Prabhupada taught and following the regulative principles. That's all.