{"id":4422,"date":"2018-06-16T10:10:23","date_gmt":"2018-06-16T10:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/?p=4422"},"modified":"2023-04-21T19:50:31","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T14:20:31","slug":"big-fish-in-a-small-pond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/writings\/krishna-talk-articles\/srila-bhakti-gaurava-narasingha-maharaja\/big-fish-in-a-small-pond\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Fish in a Small Pond"},"content":{"rendered":"

Question: <\/strong> A sanny\u0101s\u012b<\/em>\/guru\/GBC of ISKCON, ________Gosv\u0101m\u012b says in an interview on 24th June, 2017 that \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da had invited all his godbrothers to join with him in his preaching in western countries, even offering to give them everything \u2013 free flights around the world to preach, a nice car \u2013 anything they wanted, but \u201cthey all refused, all the time.\u201d __________Gosv\u0101m\u012b says that their reply to \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was that:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to give up our positions. Like in my own ma\u1e6dha, I am the \u0101c\u0101rya and I\u2019d rather, basically be a \u2018big fish in a little pond\u2019 and not a \u2018little fish in a big pond.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

________Gosv\u0101m\u012b says that \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da told him like that many times. Is this really cent-per-cent true?
\n                             <\/strong><\/p>\n

Swami Narasi\u1e45gha:<\/strong> Hearing this kind of bigoted statement towards \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s godbrothers, I don\u2019t know whether to laugh or cry. There is, of course, some truth in __________Gosv\u0101m\u012b\u2019s statement, but it runs along the lines of a half-truth, a half-baked potato, rather than an accurate representation of the facts.<\/p>\n

Make no mistake about it, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da did request some of his godbrothers to join him in his preaching mission in the west, even inviting them to be in charge of the temples, which would have become branches of the \u015ar\u012b M\u0101y\u0101pura Caitanya (Gau\u1e0d\u012bya) Ma\u1e6dha.<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da wrote to his godbrother, \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Vil\u0101sa T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, offering respects at his lotus feet and offering him the charge of the future temples in America. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da wrote to \u015ar\u012bla T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja on October 8th 1965, scarcely one month after his having arrived in the USA.<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da made it clear in his letter that he did not wish to be in charge. He wanted only to preach for the satisfaction of their spiritual master, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b Thakura, and to that end alone, he invited his godbrother. Here are some relevant excerpts from that letter as follows:<\/p>\n

\u201cP\u016bjan\u012by\u0101 \u015ar\u012bla T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, Kindly accept respectful obeisances at your lotus feet\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think for establishing ma\u1e6dha<\/em> and temples here (America) you may take the charge and I shall be able to make them self-independent. \u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you agree then take it for granted that I am one of the workers of the \u015ar\u012b M\u0101y\u0101pura Caitanya Ma\u1e6dha. I have no ambition for becoming the proprietor of any ma\u1e6dha<\/em> or mandira<\/em>, but I want working facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

It may also be noted that in that letter to \u015ar\u012bla T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da requested him to send ten lakhs of rupees via foreign exchange to start the New York temple \u2013 which was $150,000 in those days, or the equivalent of 1.5 million dollars by today\u2019s standard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Calcutta Marwaris are in your hand by the Grace of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da. If you like you can immediately raise a fund of Rs 10,00,000\/- ten lacs to open a centre in New York. One centre started, I shall be able to start many others also. So here is a chance of cooperation between us and I shall be glad to know if you are ready for this cooperation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Now can you imagine what the response would be if I, Swami Narasi\u1e45gha, were to write such a letter to the GBC at M\u0101y\u0101pura\/Kolkata requesting co-operation, asking them to send me 1.5 million dollars so that I could open a preaching centre in Mexico City?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Calcutta Marwaris are in your hand by the Grace of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da. If you like you can immediately raise a fund of 1.5 million dollars to open a centre in Mexico City. One centre started, I shall be able to start many others also. So here is a chance of cooperation between us and I shall be glad to know if you are ready for this cooperation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

I think the response to such a request is obvious \u2013 in fact, I doubt that I would even receive a reply. More likely than not, it would simply raise one hell-of-a-laugh! Factually, let us imagine if \u015ar\u012bla T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja had actually accepted our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s request back in 1965, then there would be no ISKCON! There would simply be no ISKCON! Can you imagine? Yes, that is what would have happened. All the centres in America and around the world would all be branches of \u015ar\u012b M\u0101y\u0101pura Caitanya (Gau\u1e0d\u012bya) Matha and we would all have become disciples of \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Vil\u0101sa T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and not disciples of \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Swami Prabhup\u0101da.<\/p>\n

These generous offers that \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da made to his godbrothers were indeed declined, but when ________Gosv\u0101m\u012b says that the godbrothers responded by saying, \u201cWe don\u2019t want to give up our positions. Like in my own ma\u1e6dha<\/em>, I am the \u0101c\u0101rya<\/em> and I\u2019d rather, basically be a \u2018big fish in a little pond\u2019 and not a \u2018little fish in a big pond,\u201d he is simply putting words in the mouths of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s godbrothers that they never said.<\/p>\n

In fact, the phrase \u2018big fish in a small pond and little fish in a big pond\u2019 was not actually in the vocabulary of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da or his godbrothers. It is purely an American phrase that first came into use in the late 19th century. I doubt that even one of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s godbrothers, or anyone in Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha, ever used that phrase \u2013 especially in reply to \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s offer of preaching in the west.<\/p>\n

So rather than fault \u015ar\u012bla T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja for not accepting our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s invitation, I think the proper understanding would be to see it as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s arrangement. Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wanted all the glory of spreading Lord Caitanya\u2019s sa\u1e45k\u012brtana<\/em> movement throughout the world in every town and village to go to His empowered devotee, our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Svami Prabhup\u0101da. We should thank our lucky stars for that and not criticise the divine arrangement of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.<\/p>\n

Another example of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da requesting a godbrother is that of \u015ar\u012bla B.R. \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. On numerous occasions \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da wanted to arrange for \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s preaching.<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da:<\/strong> \u201cHe (\u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja) lived in my house as a sanny\u0101s\u012b<\/em> for a few years. So naturally we had very intimate talks and he was my good advisor. I took his advice and instruction very seriously because from the very beginning I know he is a pure Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava devotee and I wanted to associate with him, and tried to help him. And he also tried to help me \u2013 so our relationship is very intimate. After the breakdown of the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha, I wanted to organise another organisation making \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja the head.\u201d (Opening Ceremony of ISKCON M\u0101y\u0101pura Candrodaya Mandira, 17th March 1973, while \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da and \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja were sitting together on the vy\u0101s\u0101sana<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Another occasion occurred when \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da went to Navadv\u012bpa to visit \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja:<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da:<\/strong> \u201cI very much want, Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, that you come and stay at M\u0101y\u0101pura. Because Prabhup\u0101da (Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta) always desired that you preach. He told me quite a few times, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you pull him out?\u201d You know, I also tried to some extent before, but somehow or other it did not work out. Now, why don\u2019t you come and stay at M\u0101y\u0101pura?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja:<\/strong> \u201cAt last Prabhup\u0101da told me that, \u2018You are an ease lover.\u2019 The qualifications that you have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da:<\/strong> \u201cYes, that\u2019s true. He (Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) told me also, \u2018He is such a qualified person. \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is one of the finest preachers.\u2019 I want to take you everywhere. At least at the place we have in M\u0101y\u0101pura, people are coming from all over the world. Why don\u2019t you come and stay there? What is your objection to staying in M\u0101y\u0101pura? If you just agree, then whatever kind of building you want, I will arrange it for you. They are trying to build a house for me, so both of us will stay there. And whenever you want, you can come here (to your ma\u1e6dha<\/em>).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja:<\/strong> \u201cYes, as long as I am alive to fulfil Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s (Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta\u2019s) desire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da:<\/strong> \u201cThis 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. If you stay, then it will be very helpful to me also. Sometimes I need to consult with someone but there is no one. There is no one that I can consult. I feel this deficiency very greatly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devotee:<\/strong> \u201cIf he stays in M\u0101y\u0101pura, then, all kinds of people will get to hear from him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da:<\/strong> \u201cYes, that\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja:<\/strong> \u201cYes, people from all kinds of cultural backgrounds will come there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da:<\/strong> \u201cYes, they are already coming. And in that house I will make arrangements for an elevator so that you won\u2019t have to go through the difficulty of walking up and down the stairs. You won\u2019t even have to move a step yourself. I\u2019ll make arrangements for a car and a lift. Jayapat\u0101ka Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is telling me that he will build a house for me. So, both of us will stay in that house. Most of the time I am just traveling around, so if you are there, then they can get some guidance. So, Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, please, give me the order and I will make all the arrangements for you.\u201d (Room Conversation in Bengali, Navadv\u012bpa, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya S\u0101rasvata Ma\u1e6dha, 10th February 1977)<\/p>\n

Only days after this room conversation between \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da and \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja in 1977, our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja began to manifest his illness and disappearance pastimes. Had \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja come to stay on ISKCON property during those times and during the days of the \u2018Magnificent Eleven\u2019 who usurped the position of the \u0101c\u0101rya<\/em> of ISKCON after the departure of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, it is unimaginable to think what horrendous offenses the leaders of ISKCON would have made to \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. As it was, even while staying in his own matha, ISKCON leaders mortified \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja by their uncivilised and un-Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava like behaviour \u2013<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja:<\/strong> \u201cI am an old man, I am tired, excited, I am very, very sorry, (crying) really I say with folded palms that you are ill-treating me. I am very sorry. Swami Mah\u0101r\u0101ja (\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da) was so affectionate, I also treated with such affection to him. And rudely you are behaving towards me. I am very much mortified for that, but what can I do? I am a small man\u2026. If you give so much stress to his (\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da) words, then he wanted to make me president. Of course, I remember that. Once, he came and proposed to me, requested me to become president of ISKCON. That he did. But it is very deplorable to me to think that the so-called ISKCON committee is so eager to go away from me. In other words, I see that they are digging their own grave.\u201d (Conversation with ISKCON GBCs, Navadv\u012bpa, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya S\u0101rasvata Ma\u1e6dha, 5th March, 1982)<\/p>\n

Again I will mention that if \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s godbrothers had accepted his offer, beginning with \u015ar\u012bla T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja in 1965 and \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja in 1973 and 1977, or even before when \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da wanted to start another organisation after the breakup of Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha, making \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja the head, then there may have never been an ISKCON or even disciples of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da.<\/p>\n

From my perspective, it appears that the statement of _______Gosv\u0101m\u012b and others of a similar mentality echoes the Judeo-Christian way of thinking. It is \u2018judeo\u2019 in the sense that ISKCON leaders are, step by step, turning \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s ISKCON into a messianic personality cult. Christians accept that Jesus was crucified to die for their sins, resurrected on the third day and ascended to heaven to sit on the right hand of God, but they reveal their hypocrisy by condemning the Jews for the death of Jesus \u2013 without who\u2019s death there could never have been salvation for Christians. Similarly, ISKCON\u2019s present leaders like _________Gosv\u0101m\u012b glorify \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da as a pure devotee from birth who singlehandedly, by the desire of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, spread K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness around the world, yet at the same time condemn \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s godbrothers for not accepting his offer to be the \u0101c\u0101rya<\/em> or president, for not accepting the preaching to be done under \u015ar\u012b M\u0101y\u0101pura Caitanya (Gau\u1e0d\u012bya) Ma\u1e6dha, and for not cooperating with \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da.<\/p>\n

The fact is that some godbrothers did cooperate with \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da \u2013 especially \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. A small, but significant example of the cooperation between \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da and \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, and the high esteem in which \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da held \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, can be shown in the following incident.<\/p>\n

During the foundation laying at M\u0101y\u0101pura Candrodaya Mandira in 1972, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da invited \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja to attend. When \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja arrived, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da came out to greet him and holding \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s hand, took him to his room and sat him down on his bed. Prabhup\u0101da then arranged for some tender coconuts and the two talked briefly. Then, leaving \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja sitting on the bed, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da went down to the field to attend the function. Having completed the bh\u016bmi-p\u016bj\u0101<\/em>, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da returned to his room. At that time, Govinda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, a disciple of \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, asked, \u201cYou invited \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja to the function, but you left him in your room and went to the field to do everything yourself? What is the meaning?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da replied, \u201c\u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja should not be bothered with such details. The fact is that simply by his presence here at our temple, everything is auspicious, by his grace! There is no need for him to walk down to the field.\u201d After this, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da and \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja sat together on Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s veranda and honoured pras\u0101dam<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It is a fact that \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da went many times to see \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s disciples (such as Acyut\u0101nanda Prabhu) were sent to \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s \u0101\u015brama<\/em> to learn from him. There they learned how to perform guru-puja and they also learned how to perform Vy\u0101sa-P\u016bj\u0101 when \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da and his disciples attended the Vy\u0101sa-P\u016bj\u0101 of \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja in 1967:<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday we have all come to Navadv\u012bpa. This place is another establishment of one of my godbrothers. It is very nice and extensive place and my godbrother, B.R. \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja has spared one entire nice house for my stay. He has also agreed to cooperate with our society. We shall observe his birthday ceremony tomorrow and the brahmac\u0101r\u012bs<\/em> shall learn how to celebrate the spiritual master\u2019s birthday.\u201d (26th October, 1967 \u2013 Letter to Satsvar\u016bpa D\u0101sa)<\/p>\n

By faulting \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s godbrothers in the way that ________Gosv\u0101m\u012b has done, many of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s disciples fail to see the arrangement of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Thus, they reveal themselves to be hypocrites and remain kani\u1e63\u1e6dha<\/em> devotees, or worse still, apar\u0101dh\u012bs<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, a consideration that these devotees are self-condemned kani\u1e63\u1e6dha-adhik\u0101r\u012bs<\/em> is the fact that anyone, after fifty years of devotional service, who continues to think that all the living entities in the material world, in countless numbers of universes, were once pure devotees of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a absorbed in love of God eternally in Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana one day were overcome by lust and became envious of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and were thus cast down to the worlds of birth, death, old age and disease is clearly a kani\u1e63\u1e6dha<\/em>, despite their having achieved a PhD in Sanskrit and risen to the heights of leadership in ISKCON.<\/p>\n

Yes, you heard me correctly! They cannot understand, due to their Vaisnava apar\u0101dha<\/em> and kani\u1e63\u1e6dha<\/em> mentality, where the soul comes from. It is similar to what Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/em> regarding the nature of consciousness:<\/p>\n

\u0101\u015bcarya-vat pa\u015byati ka\u015bcid enam <\/em>\u0101\u015bcarya-vad vadati tathaiva c\u0101nya\u1e25
\n<\/em>\u0101\u015bcarya-vac cainam anya\u1e25 \u015b\u1e5b\u1e47oti <\/em>\u015brutv\u0101py ena\u1e41 veda na caiva ka\u015bcit<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSome look at the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.\u201d (Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/em> 2.29)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Related Articles<\/h2><\/div>