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Someone Has Poisoned Me - BY: NITYANANDA DAS
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The Facts About Srila Prabhupada's Poisoning by Arsenic
"So as Krishna was attempted to be killed... And Lord Jesus Christ was killed.
So they may kill me also." (Srila Prabhupada, May 3, l976, Honolulu)
"my only request is , that at the last stage don't torture me, and put me to death"
(from SPC Vol. 36, November 3, 1977 tape recorded Room Conversation)
[PLEASE NOTE: ADDRESSES, EMAILS, PHONE NUMBERS ETC. MIGHT NO LONGER BE CORRECT!]
Tamal Krishna Goswami is a central figure in the history of Srila Prabhupada's pastimes and that of the Hare Krishna Movement. He received hundreds of letters from Srila Prabhupada, served as chairman of the GBC in 1975, headed the largest-ever book distribution operation in ISKCON, served as Srila Prabhupada's personal secretary for the entire year of 1977, and has always been at the prominent in the inner clique of GBC's who formulated ISKCON policy and institutional philosophy. Further, he himself has invariably been at the center of one serious controversy in ISKCON after another. TKG has certainly had a colorful history.
There is no doubt TKG has rendered much wonderful service to Srila Prabhupada, and this appendix is not meant to criticize or belittle anyone who has spent a lifetime in the service of the Lord. However, uncomfortable and tricky as it may be, it has become necessary to understand and examine TKG's role and activities in ISKCON since the 1970's in order to:
1. Appraise the honesty and authenticity of TKG's Diary and its accounts of Srila Prabhupada's illness and events in 1977, the information from which is vital to the poison investigation,
2. get to the bottom of his changing interpretations of the initiation system Srila Prabhupada wanted for the future of ISKCON,
3. ascertain whether anyone in or out of ISKCON might possibly have had a motive to poison Srila Prabhupada,
4. devise a list of questions for Tamal regarding the particulars and mysteries of Srila Prabhupada's illness in 1977.
"GO TO CHINA"
In TKG's book, A Hare Krishna at Southern Methodist University, there is a chapter entitled The Perils of Succession wherein many of the controversial episodes of ISKCON history are clinically described, usually omitting the true details of Tamal's own role in or orchestration of such controversies. One such event was the Radha Damodar travelling parties which Tamal controlled in 1976. Srila Prabhupada became so upset with Tamal's conduct of creating great disturbance in the USA ISKCON centers that His Divine Grace relieved Tamal of all services and responsibilities, ordering him to go to China. Tamal resisted and Srila Prabhupada became angry with him, and held fast to Tamal's "banishment" behind the Yellow Curtain. It was clear that by this event, Tamal was disgraced, humiliated, and severely chastised before the entire assemblage of devotees at the annual Mayapur festival, 1976. Adi Keshava agrees that the affair made Tamal very resentful towards Srila Prabhupada.
After the 1976 Mayapur festival, Tamal and Dristadyumna studied about China and prepared a report for Srila Prabhupada. In a meeting with Srila Prabhupada in Hawaii on May 4, 1976, Tamal submitted the bleak report and described how the only method of distributing books in China would be to throw sealed, floating bags of books into the ocean, hoping they would wash ashore and be found by coastal residents. Dristadyumna and Tamal attended a book publisher's convention undercover on mainland China for a few days. Tamal reported to Srila Prabhupada that there was absolutely no way to preach in China, "maybe in fifty years (from now)." Srila Prabhupada excused Tamal of the order to go to China, and returned Tamal to his former position as head of the Radha Damodar bus program. Tamal soon afterwards assumed the GBC position for New York zone as well. Adi Keshava described Tamal's return to New York as pompous and triumphant.
While in New York, Tamal wrote and supervised the production of a play done by Sudama Swami and the devotee actors. It was an obvious indulgence in TKG's personal and emotional history of banishment and chastisement by Srila Prabhupada. The play was entitled "The Emperor and His Chief Counselor." The counselor created havoc in the emperor's kingdom, is chastised, and realizing his mistake, repented and became re-situated properly in the service of the emperor once again. Adi Keshava, however, thought the play was frightening and bizarre, being all about court intrigue, pride, power, and how Tamal had been wrongly chastised because although he had overstepped his bounds with abuse of the counselor's position, he had done so with only good intentions.
Srila Prabhupada then came to Rathayatra in New York in July 1976, staying for about a week as Tamal Krishna Goswami's guest. At this time Srila Prabhupada's health began to decline, although Tamal claims it began earlier with a "cold" in New Vrindaban. His Divine Grace's strength and digestion decreased while in New York, to the point where many GBC's asked Srila Prabhupada to stay and wait for recovery before travelling to India. Srila Prabhupada left nevertheless; on the plane and upon arrival in London only hours after leaving New York, He experienced a severe "illness" with vomiting, weakness, mucus, and lack of energy. Unfortunately, the symptoms appear very similar to those during the severe illness of 1977. Coincidence? The detailed description of this illness, accompanied by heart palpitations, is contained in Volume 4 of Hari Sauri's Transcendental Diary.
OLD AND SENILE ?
Appendix 9 contains several unverified and alleged accounts of Tamal's past actions and statements, which may shed some light on how to accept the veracity of his diary's accounts of Srila Prabhupada's illness. Nara Narayan posted an essay on VNN on 12.3.97, in which he claimed the following: "I personally overheard a private conversation between Shyamasundar das and Tamal Krishna Goswami in the Colaba Post Office flat of Mr. Kartikkeya Mahadevia. Tamal was angrily blaming Srila Prabhupada for trying to keep the Juhu Beach land. He said, 'He is old. Old and senile. He is simply attached to that land! We will never be able to build on that land. He is simply old and attached.'" The known facts in this incident are that Tamal sold the Juhu land without permission, causing Srila Prabhupada to become extremely angry and to personally re-negotiate the land's purchase. The intent herein is not to discredit Tamal, but to try to understand who exactly was Srila Prabhupada's primary guardian, personal secretary, and foremost caretaker in 1977. It is unfortunately necessary to examine the suspects and their motives in a murder investigation. What can be done? We can try to maintain objectivity, if at all possible in such an emotionally disturbing challenge as to find out who's and why's of Srila Prabhupada's poisoning.
TAMAL'S GURU SYSTEM PHILOSOPHIES
The following re-worked and edited article was posted on VNN on January 7, 1999, called "Colorful History Of Tamal Krishna Goswami.":
This is an explanation of the different colorful and contradictory interpretations of Tamal Krishna Goswami on the instructions of Srila Prabhupada for an initiation system in ISKCON after 1977. It is pertinent for us to carefully examine whether his record on this issue is solid and reliable. TKG has offered only confusing and contradictory positions on what should have happened after Srila Prabhupada's departure:
1) 1978: TKG agrees with the rest of the new gurus that the 11 men listed in the July 9, 1977 letter had been exclusively chosen as the 'material and spiritual successors' to Srila Prabhupada. He enthusiastically participated in and supported this system, with the big vyasasanas etc. In a document he was party to issued at Mayapur, March 2, 1978, it stated:
"The GBC members met together in Vrndavana and prepared a few last questions to put before Srila Prabhupada. [...] Then he said that he would name the initiating gurus later. [...] Then one day in June he gave his secretary the names of eleven disciples who would be initiating the disciples. [...] A delicate situation may arise when in one ISKCON temple there are disciples of different gurus. The natural way to avoid this is for a guru to perform diksa in his own zone. Srila Prabhupada deliberately chose gurus in different parts of the world to arrange for this. [...] A second seat, however a little below Srila Prabhupada's vyasasana, should be given to the initiating guru. [...] Those who are already empowered to initiate will extend the number by their consideration. In this way it will have spiritual characteristics. The eleven picked by His Divine Grace will extend themselves. [...] Now these godbrother's are worshipped by their disciples as genuine spiritual masters. This means for example, that they are to be considered, as stated in the Guruvastakam, as nikunjo-yuno rati keli siddhyai - intimate assistants in the pastimes of Krishna."
(The Process For Carrying Out Srila Prabhupada's Desires For Future Initiations; A paper prepared by the GBC in consultation with higher authorities)
The Reader should note that out of the eleven "intimate associates of the gopis," seven have fallen down. The remaining four are Tamal, Hridayananda, Satsvarupa, and Jayapataka.
TKG wrote in a letter to Upananda on December 13, 1978:
"The argument that after the departure of the spiritual master anyone of his disciples can give initiation, cannot be applied in the case of Srila Prabhupada who specifically named 11 persons only at first to fulfill this function. These 11 persons were named by Srila Prabhupada in the beginning of July, 1977... These names were dictated to me as I was serving as his secretary , and now he had me write a letter to all the GBC's and Temple Presidents which he also signed as approved on the 9th of July listing their names and defining their function. [...] Thus, we can understand... that Srila Prabhupada clearly appointed 11 successors for initiation. Whatever process may have been followed by past acaryas, Prabhupada chose to appoint. [...] Even after having these facts clearly explained, if some one continues to blaspheme the 11 gurus, their legitimacy, then he blasphemes ISKCON, the spiritual vehicle created by Prabhupada to fulfill his will, and he blasphemes the GBC - the approved driver of the vehicle - [...] he is not a disciple at all. Rather he is the killer of gurudev and his spiritual whereabouts is unknown."
It is noted here that this understanding as described by TKG above has been refuted by the GBC themselves as false. Another point to note is that in 1998 TKG claimed in lectures given in Hongkong, etc, responding to the rtviks' use of the July 9th letter as evidence for a post-1977 rtvik system, that the July 9th letter was actually never authored or written by Srila Prabhupada. TKG now claims that the letter was written by him, and the contents of the letter were his creation, even though ritually signed by Srila Prabhupada. Thus according to the convenience of the situation and the particular climate of ISKCON, TKG again changed his position.
2) 1980: By this time TKG's understanding of Srila Prabhupada's desires for guru-succession had become so deviant that even the GBC, themselves following a deviated path, suspended him as GBC and guru, relieving him of his zone. TKG had become convinced, amongst other things, that even his godbrothers and godsisters could only reach Srila Prabhupada through him! Many devotees hold Tamal accountable for the suicide of a well-liked devotee named Gopijanaballabha Swami, who was thought to have become mortally depressed on account of Tamal's demands and philosophy.
"Tamala Krishna Goswami, the leader of a large number of sannyasa and brahmacari preachers, insisted that he was now their via media in relating to Prabhupada and expected that his godbrothers follow him absolutely." ('The Perils of Succession', 1996, by TKG)
3) Having been suspended, TKG then gave a new explanation at Topanga Canyon, California on December 3, 1980. He "admits" there that:
"Myself and the other GBC have done the greatest disservice to this movement the last three years because we interpreted the appointment of ritviks as the appointment of gurus. What actually happened I'll explain. I explained it but the interpretation is wrong."
Here TKG not only confirms that his understanding of the letter in 1978 was totally wrong, but also that now he has finally properly understood what Srila Prabhupada really wanted. Of course, within a very short time the GBC returned TKG to his zone as GBC and guru, fearful that he might upset the apple cart and their positions any further.
4) 1982: TKG has changed his mind again and goes back to the version of events that he had supported in 1978 and rejected in 1980, as seen in a letter to Gadai Prabhu on June 16, 1982:
"I do not think that there is any problem in accepting the spiritual masters who Srila Prabhupada appointed. The first qualification which you should have before you decide on this issue is to chant sixteen rounds and follow strictly Prabhupada's orders... The real proof is to see that they are acharya, not simply by appointment, but by actions. Our movement is progressing and growing more and more, at least as much as it was during Srila Prabhupada's time. [...] You have enclosed a clipping from Back To Godhead in which Srila Bhaktipada (Kirtanananda Swami) is advertised as 'Bonafide Spiritual Master'. You say 'this is something that seems a little strange to me'. Would you please explain to me what seems strange? "
Note: Kirtanananda is now serving a 26 year sentence in Federal prison for various criminal convictions. That is strange for an acharya.
5) 1984: This metamorphosis of TKG's version of what happened in 1977 is completed by the publication of his book in 1984, Servant of the Servant. On page 361 we find:
"Since the disappearance of our beloved spiritual master, we have seen such disenchanted persons come forward trying to cast doubt on the legacy left by Srila Prabhupada. When Srila Prabhupada appointed from among his senior disciples eleven persons to continue the process of initiation, and when after their spiritual master's departure those whom he selected assumed their duties by his command, the critics began to bark their discontent. Though they leveled their remarks against the successor gurus, in reality their criticism was aimed at Srila Prabhupada himself. Just as in 1970, the present dissatisfaction is being unabatedly fed by some of his Godbrothers in India. Doubt in Srila Prabhupada's successors is a thin veneer covering the same malicious attempt as was made in 1970 to minimize Prabhupada's position as the founder-acarya of ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada saw this attempt as the greatest danger to his disciples and the Society which he had created, and he acted at once to curb it. In the same light, we who are his faithful followers must defend Prabhupada's successors to protect their young disciples and to preserve the unity of ISKCON and the prestige of its founder-acarya. (COMMENT: It is this heavy mood which caused thousands to leave ISKCON)
By his letter of June 21, Srila Prabhupada did not merely confirm his own transcendental position as my spiritual master. As he stated, "Any living entity who is conditioned can achieve the perfectional stage of life by the above-mentioned processes and the vivid example is Narada Muni." The critics may argue that appointment alone is not a guarantee that one has actually achieved this perfectional stage of life; Prabhupada might have appointed disciples for lack of anyone better, or hoping that they might one day achieve the desired realization. To such irresponsible criticism we answer a decisive "No!" Srila Prabhupada chose them because they merited his confidence. How do we say so? - by their qualifications in regard to all categories as determined in Srila Prabhupada's own books, the spiritual law books for this age, i.e., that they repeat Krishna's words, received in disciplic succession. (Quote from Teachings of Lord Kapila)
Srila Prabhupada conferred his blessings upon these disciples, seeing that they had dedicated themselves heart and soul to assisting him in the preaching mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus he considered them to be uttama-adhikari, all highly advanced devotees worthy to be accepted as spiritual masters. (Quote from The Nectar of Instruction)
Critics may doubt whether our ISKCON acharyas are actually liberated. Do they know their rasa (liberated relationship) with Krishna, and will they be able to instruct their disciples similarly? But such questions bring one dangerously near the precipice of spiritual calamity. We have experience of one "liberation-seeking" Godbrother, impatient for his spiritual rasa, wandering into the arms of a so-called "rasa-guru." After being informed of his real identity as a peacock in Goloka, this foolish neophyte began imitating behind closed doors the movements and cooings of a peacock, preparing for his future role. Such behavior indicates little familiarity with Prabhupada's teachings. Srila Prabhupada did not encourage such discussions, did not reveal his relationship with Krishna, nor give anyone a special initiation into theirs. (COMMENT: Here TKG wants us to think we would be offensive to question his exalted stature) But to suggest that Srila Prabhupada was not therefore of the highest liberated realization, not qualified to fully guide his disciples, is preposterous. In a Bhagavatam purport Srila Prabhupada clearly defines how we should understand the spiritual master's liberated condition. (Quote from Bhagavatam)
Sometimes Prabhupada was asked, "Are you perfect?" Prabhupada's humble reply was, "I may not be perfect. But I have complete faith in the words of my spiritual master, and he is perfect." Perfection, or liberation, means to follow a perfect person. (Quote from Bhagavatam)
Ultimately, however, the greatest proof of the bonafidity of Srila Prabhupada's successor acaryas is their new disciples. It is said, phalena pariciyate: One is recognized by the results of his actions....A spiritual master is recognized as an actual guru when it is seen that he has changed the character of his disciples. As a tree is known by the fruit it produces, so we can know for certain that the fruit of our acaryas' preaching has unquestionably been grown on the tree of Lord Caitanya. The new devotees who are now joining the International Society for Krishna Consciousness bear every semblance of being true Gaudiya Vaisnavas. In fact, judging by the results they are achieving in the fields of book distribution, temple worship, etc., they are even surpassing the previous generation of devotees. Undoubtedly this is only possible through the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupada who, being greatly pleased, is continuing to shower his unlimited blessings upon the worldwide members of his ISKCON family."
This complete portion excerpted above from his 1984 book was subsequently and mysteriously deleted in the 1991 reprint edition.
6) Post 1987: TKG again changes his mind and whole-heartedly endorses the new guru "reforms" in ISKCON and agrees that what he and the other 11 had been doing and teaching for the last 10 years was wrong. He agrees that in new versions of his book 'Servant of the Servant' the above quoted passage would be omitted. In a December, 1987 letter to Gauridas Pandit TKG said that the guru issue was unresolved and that open discussion would be healthy.
7). At Mayapur in March 1990, TKG becomes very angry about the Vedic Village Review and its propagation of the rtvik philosophy, describing Nityananda das as ISKCON's "public enemy number one," and arranging for the excommunication from ISKCON of the three VVR editors in New Jaipur, Mississippi. With Rabindra Swarup, he produces the ISKCON Journal which attempted to defend the ISKCON system of guru selection and approval.
8) 1992-95: TKG's understanding of guru-tattva takes a further twist. He now leads the formation of a "gopi-bhava" club, preaching that Srila Prabhupada had not given us the 'highest understanding' and that we should consult with a 'rasika guru', such as Narayan Maharaj, whom Rabindra Svarupa, GBC chairman and close TKG associate, later characterized in much less than flattering terms. (Taking Srila Prabhupada Straight, 1998)
9) 1995: TKG, under intense pressure in a GBC showdown, relented, admitting the fault in thinking that Srila Prabhupada had not given us everything and that we should consult with the'rasika guru', as he had himself done and also persuaded many hundreds of others to do for the previous 4 years. It appeared that TKG had been ready to push Narayan Maharaj to be accepted as the next acharya for ISKCON, with himself being the right hand man. TKG was chastised and put on restriction and probation by the GBC. Since, ISKCON defections to Narayan Maharaj have snowballed and become a serious factor in the weakening of Srila Prabhupada's Mission.
10) No sooner was Tamal restricted from Vrindaban and the association of Narayan Maharaj than he enrolled in college and began working hard to become a religious scholar and academic authority on the Hare Krishna Movement. The ten lives of Tamal! He is presently working on his doctorate at Cambridge University in England and attends conferences of religious scholars around the world. In this way, perhaps he will finally be accorded due respect as a truly spiritual person and be able to transcend the many years of poor reputation he has earned while participating in various and numerous controversial and debilitating ISKCON incidences.
TAKES OVER SRILA PRABHUPADA'S QUARTERS
Another part of Tamal's history worth noting is that immediately after Srila Prabhupada's disappearance in November 1977, Tamal sent word to the Bombay temple to prepare Srila Prabhupada's quarters there for his arrival. Going to Bombay, Tamal moved into Srila Prabhupada's rooms and set himself up in charge of the huge just, opened complex. The Juhu Beach property was perhaps the premier ISKCON property, and Tamal then ordered a marble Vyasasana for himself. When the Vyasasana arrived and was being installed, Mahabuddhi noticed that it was higher than Srila Prabhupada's Vyasasana. Mahabuddhi instructed the workers to cut down the legs several feet, which was not pleasing to Tamal. Throughout 1978 Tamal solidified his hold on the Bombay project; at one meeting in the presence of Tamal, some of Srila Prabhupada's disciples were grilled and harassed, "Do you love Goswami?" Finally the situation became too radical for even Giriraj and Sridhar Swamis, and TKG was summarily ousted while he was visiting the USA, and informed not to return.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, upon reviewing the colorful history of Tamal, we are left in serious doubt as to how much credibility should be accorded to his diary, accounts of Srila Prabhupada's illness, or the various interpretations of Srila Prabhupada's instructions. This is certainly the feeling of many past and present participants in ISKCON. One who keeps changing their position cannot be counted on as understanding things rightly and is perceived as a dishonest politician. Further, we are left to wonder about the motives and ambitions of a person who has had almost 30 years of political and controversial involvements in ISKCON, all too often being found at the forefront of yet another serious challenge to the Hare Krishna Movement he now purports to represent as a scholar.
Tamal's drama production of The Final Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada in 1988 was widely viewed as Tamal's attempt to gain prominence and esteem from his role in 1977 as Srila Prabhupada's "intimate" associate. The two year long editing process by Garuda Prabhu prior to publication was arduous and difficult, with Tamal struggling to retain things such as references to Srila Prabhupada's shelter under the Vrindaban "tamal" tree. This book gives many a reader eerie and uncomfortable feelings of Srila Prabhupada being used to enhance Tamal's and Bhakticharu's reputations.
In light of all this, one cannot but help wonder how Tamal has managed to do such great damage to his spiritual master's Mission. A demon on the outside would have been less dangerous. It is not a matter of character assassination, but of character assessment, and that is required only in these unusual circumstances of a poison investigation. Otherwise these exercises are forbidden. Because Tamal is a suspect in Srila Prabhupada's poisoning, his history is very relevant, as it provides many clues as to possible motives, methods, and actions. This is the nature of a murder investigation.
Normally, matters such as these would not be proper to discuss publicly. However, there is no private forum in which to address these issues of Srila Prabhupada's poisoning and the suspected poisoners. ISKCON simply denies the very possibility of poisoning; there is no forum there. What to do but bring it to the public forum? It is an emergency. Sometimes the rules cannot be followed per se, but a creative route must be found to take.
Therefore it certainly seems justified in demanding Tamal Krishna Goswami to answer questions regarding Srila Prabhupada's disappearance, and other matters as well. He must be accountable for his actions, and, especially in matters of leadership, one must be prepared to answer to the followers when controversy and suspicion arises. Tamal Krishna Goswami is obliged to cooperate with the poison investigation. He is a suspect not by dint of his colorful history, but by dint of the evidence on hand. This author prays that he can be cleared of suspicion and we can look towards other suspects.
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Kaviraja: (speaks in Hindi)
Tamala Krsna: Put poison in different containers.
Unknown person: That's all right.
Audio Clip in WAV Format 
(2.4 MB) - [(((audio)))]
Please Note: whereas Tamal Krsna says: "Put the poison in different containers" - it is Srila Prabhupada who is receiving what is in the containers. Srila Prabhupada says, he is being given poison.
This is not a whisper - these words are clearly audible. It is interesting to note that even though the transcription of this section of the audio tape was transcribed into the BBT Folio, this sentence was omitted. Why was this sentence omitted? How will BBT / Bhaktivedanta Archives officials explain this mystery?
Srila Prabhupada left this mortal world on November 14, 1977.
But He lives forever in His instructions, and His followers will always live with Him.
"He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die
While thou art living still in sound!
The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the Holy Name around"
(Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thākura)
HARE KṚṢṆA HARE KṚṢṆA KṚṢṆA KṚṢṆA HARE HARE
HARE RĀMA HARE RĀMA RĀMA RĀMA HARE HARE