Reply to Rocana dasa's speculation about chanting mantras and preaching in South India

Rocana das

Dear Sri Mukunda dasa. Please accept my obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

With regards to the article posted on the Sampradaya Sun and the comments of the editor, concerning Acyutananda Maharaja and my preaching in South India, enclosed please find a few observations. There are substantial and misleading misrepresentation of facts in that article. There are several issues which should be considered:

1. First of all the Editor was not there, I doubt he really knows what really went on in the South Indian preaching specifically between 1974-1976. His comments are based on speculation, not facts.

2. You may note that the way we chanted mantras and slokas was fully approved by Srila Prabhupada. Specific examples will follow.

3. Personally, I say that no one can truly imitate and duplicate the way that Srila Prabhupada chanted mantras and slokas. That was unique and very special, straight from Goloka Vrindavana. For the record, it should be carefully noted that Srila Prabhupada chanted certain Slokas such as the 1966 Vande ' Ham with mrdangas and kartalas in a Kirtana/Bhajana style, and at other times, he chanted the Vande' ham and the mangala carana prayers in a unique sloka melody style.

4. On several occasions, I chanted slokas and mantras directly in front of Srila Prabhupada's physical, living, breathing, manifested presence and everytime, he liked it and approved it.

5. Mantras such as Brahma-Samhita, Bhagavad-Gita, and Srimad-Bhagavatam Slokas were also chanted and quoted in front of Srila Prabhupada and he liked it and approved of it.

6. Vedic mantras such as the Purusa Sukta, Sri Sukta, and other Vedic mantras were also chanted during Abhisekas in front of Srila Prabhupada and he approved of it. In the Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada states that all devotees should chant the Purusa Sukta while doing deity worship.

7. In 1974 on a morning walk in Vrindavana, Srila Prabhupada heard the Suprabatham coming from the loudspeaker of the Ranganatha temple. At one point, he directly turned and told me to learn to chant Brahma Samhita like that. I tried.

8. For the Mayapur festival of 1976, a Sanskrit scholar and Vaishnava Pandita named Ananta Rama Sastri, came to Mayapur dhama, met with Srila Prabhupada and composed a string of 23 Sanskrit prayers named Bhaktivedanta Stotram. Directly in front of Srila Prabhupada, before Srimad-Bhagavatam class, he would chant three of four slokas from this hymn, in a unique North Indian style melody. On several occasions, I chanted some of these hymns in front of Srila Prabhupada. He approved of it and liked it. Later in the fall of 1976, after Srila Prabhupada told me to stay in Vrindavana and teach children in the Gurukula, I trained the children to chant these slokas with that melody. He liked it and approved.

9. In August of 1976, for the opening of the Radha Madan Mohana temple at Janma Astami in Hyderabad, South India, Srila Prabhupada had requested us to arrange for Ramanuja South Indian Vaisnava brahmanas to come and perfom the opening ceremonies. We did, and Srila Prabhupada was pleased with their service and chanting. He personally told me to continue to learn mantras from the Ramanuja Vaishnava brahmanas.

10. In the early fall of 1976, Srila Prabhupada heard me chant the Brahma Samhita, South Indian style in Vrindavana. He then called me to his room and told me that I should stay in Vrindavana and teach the Gurukula children how to chant like that.

11. In the late fall of 1976, there was an assembly of dignitaries and devotees in the Vrindavana temple, Srila Prabhupada asked me to speak and to begin by quoting a few slokas. I did. He liked it and approved of it. The tune I used was a South Indian style tune.

12. In August of 1977, Srila Prabhupada personally called me to his room and requested me to go to Fiji to conduct a 4-day temple opening ceremony of the Sri Radha Krishna temple in Fiji, and chant the Vedic mantras I had learned in South India etc... I did and when I came back to Vrindavana he approved and was pleased with it.

13. Neither Acyutananda and I have ever said anywhere that the way we chanted slokas and mantras was the best way or the only way. Because Srila Prabhupada liked it and approved, we chanted like that. As for the point of chanting differently than Srila Prabhupada, it may be noted that for Vedic mantras, they are supposed to be chanted with specific meters, intonations etc., we learned a few to the best of our limited abilities and used for Srila Prabhupada's service. For non-Vedic Mantras, such as slokas from Bhagavad-Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and other hymns, as previously stated we chanted and Srila Prabhupada liked it and approved.

14. As for the issue of preaching differently than Srila Prabhupada. "They also began to preach differently from the way Srila Prabhupada preached". As previously stated: (i) the Editor never directly heard; (ii) or witnessed our preaching; (iii) he does not give any actual specific examples of what he is referring to. So I do not know what he means. However, the fact is that Srila Prabhupada directly heard our South Indian preaching on several occasions and he was pleased with it.

15. With regards to allegations from the Editor that the lecture given by Srila Prabhupada in Nellore, India on January 8, 1976, may have been referring to, or implying that Srila Prabhupada "that this lecture may well have been a subtle warning to Yasodanandana and Achyutananda Swamis to be very careful of who they associated with in South India. They had taken on a lot of the characteristics of the Ramanujacarya Vaisnavas, who are not in our Sampradaya, in the way they chanted the mantras, etc"

I fail to grasp the Editor's logic. What subtle warning? Srila Prabhupada's preaching is for the whole world, and for all of his disciples. Everyone of his lectures is for all of us to correct, improve and become purified. Srila Prabhupada gave individual guidance and chastisement in his letters and private conversations

Regarding our preaching methods. Here are a few facts for the Editor's edification. (i) We simply preached about Lord Krishna being the Supreme Personality of Godhead; (ii) Lord Caitanya as the yuga avatara; (iii) Hari Nama Sankirtana as the actual method of self realization in this age; (iv) we consistently requested everyone to chant Hare Krishna and hear Srimad-Bhagavatam; (v) we repeatedly presented Srila Prabhupada as the bona fide representative of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; (vi) explained the wonderful activities of ISKCON all over the world; (vii) made life members as per Srila Prabhupada's programs and directions; (viii) solicited and obtained large donations for the building of the Madan Mohana temple in Hyderabad from well wishers; (ix) everytime we held a program, we had a special session where we presented Srila Prabhupada 's books and requested everyone to buy them. We distributed thousands of Srila Prabhupada's books and made life members and raised money given to Srila Prabhupada for his temples in India.

As for the alleged deviation in style, (i) we profusely quoted from Srila Prabhupada's books; (11) gave consistent references from Bhagavad-Gita; (iii) Srimad Bhagavatam; (iii) Sri Caitanya Caritamrta; (iv) and numerous quotations from Srila Prabhupada books and unrevised purports. Srila Prabhupada was aware of our preaching method and our style because be personally witnessed it several times. He approved of it and encouraged it. We had not taken on characteristics of Ramanujacaya Vaishnavas. That is another speculation.

As for the issue of preaching trends being different than the way Srila Prabhupada preached continuing in ISKCON today, I cannot speak for what is being preached in ISKCON today. Acyutananda and myself had nothing to do with the post 1977 ISKCON style of preaching. An entire book could be written about many of the "different styles of preaching of the post 1977 ISKCON." That is a different topic altogether.

We did our service to Srila Prabhupada as best as we could, under difficult circumstances and someway or other Srila Prabhupada was pleased with it.

Yasya prasadad bhagavat prasado.

Yours in Srila Prabhupada's service.
Ys Yasoda nandana dasa

Rocana's replies
From PADA Newsletter angel108b@yahoo.com - 30. July, 2007

3) ROCANA replies: ... In closing, I'd just like to say that I still admire Yasoda nandana for staying dedicated and attached to Srila Prabhupada. I know that he's sincere in this regard. My only humble suggestion to him is that as soon as he can, he should get free from the mood that he adopted back then, which is reflected in his recent article ("let me tell you how it is, let me give you the absolute truth, my assertions are undebatable, I speak only the absolute facts, "Srila Prabhupada liked it and approved of it", etc.), the better off he'll be to himself and to the rest of us.

[PADA: Rocana, why are you still saying that "Srila Prabhupada approved" of your homosexual pedophile guru lineage / regime (and your "reformed" "diksha guru" pals like Bhakti Marga) as you have supported since 1977? Then you wonder why the ex-gurukulis think "Srila Prabhupada wanted" the post-1977 bogus gurus? And what in heaven's name do the South Indian brahmanas you mention above, whom Srila Prabhupada says are bona fide devotees, have to do with your lineage of debauched "gurus" who are voted in at pedophile guru recoronations? Why are you guys always changing the subject? How come you do never post our replies or Yasodanandana's replies, where for example Srila Prabhupada encouraged Yasodananadana to preach to these South India brahmanas, and to associate with them? And why are you tossing in the topic of bona fide brahmanas into your pedophile lineage of "diksha gurus"? And Yasodanandana was kicked out of ISKCON, what does he have to do with the current mess?

Anyway yes, it is an absolute fact, your pedophile guru lineage has destroyed ISKCON, why is this not an absolute fact? And you still insist that your deviant guru process is "an absolute fact" -- as you have since 1977? And your grand diksha guru pals like Bhakti Marga swami are still defending the molesters and poisoners regime leaders. Bhakti Marga swami's disciples told us that "the poison issue is a waste of time" Srila Prabhupada poison case is "a waste of time"? Srila Prabhupada is a waste of time, and this is the idea of "your best friends"?

"Someone says that I've been poisoned." http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QrYNDdcBKDg/
Poison whispers: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OzyT98NLIUk

Why are you supporting Tamal's defenders? Have you no idea what is the karma of defending the poisoners of your guru? Another one of Bhakti Marga's pals is Radhanatha, another person who is in denial about the molesting he caused by his support of Kirtanananda, and there is more holocaust denial over the kicking out of the devotees, more denial on the poison case, and since you support that regime, that proves you are in denial. That means you are not only wrong, but absolutely wrong! Did we forget to mention that many of us consider that the heads of your "diksha guru" lineage -- poisoned Srila Prabhupada? Yes it is wonderful, Bhakti Marga has these fellows guru rubber stamp, but hardly any one approves of this rubber stamp of guru from deviants, who are the same people we think poisoned our guru. You are among the very rarefied few who are still pounding the drum for this lineage.

Worse, in 1986 you were part of your absolutely oxymoronic process called: "guru reform." The guru is absolute and yet -- he needs to be reformed, and by Rocana? Rocana the "absolute" does not need to be "reformed" from criminal actions? You are making the absolute truth into the relative truth, and the criminal truth to boot, the main theme of the mayavadis, all bogus guru cults, the sahajiyas, and many other deviants. Has no one ever told you that absolute gurus are not in need of reform?

And what was the result of your "guru reform": (a) You excommunicated Sulochana (and those of us complaining about the molesting) which resulted in Sulochana's and other dissenters being murdered -- and in this way you defended, protected and continued the child molesting; (b) You then "voted in" as gurus your pals like Bhakti Marga swami, but your next wave of bogus gurus has been deviating just as badly as the first wave; (c) Your team re-instated the worship of a known homosexual pedophile as "Vishnupada" -- furthering the molesting process, and insulting Vishnu all in one sweep etc. Let us not forget, the result of your grand "guru reform" was and is; (d) The child molesting continued without cessation, punctuated with murders of dissenters, and eventually your "diksha guru" policy bankrupted of the whole institution.

To your credit you at least now say that Srila Prabhupada is the current sampradaya guru, fine, but so does Badrinarayana and Giriraja swamis, but then in the same breath you say your bogus guru pals ARE ALSO diksha gurus. You are lumping in Srila Prabhupada with your pedophile guru regime as you have since 1977. Why do you attack Srila Prabhupada every day of your life? No, your perverted messiah's program does not contain ANY diksha gurus, it contains people who are a hazard to children. Srila Prabhupada is a diksha guru, your perverted lineage pals are deviants, plain and simple. Worse, you attack Srila Prabhupada as "not in the tradition" because he refuses to accept your "perverts are gurus" lineage / pals?]

[** RD: For now, he just repeats these mantras over and over again, which has long been his preaching style - that, and pasting out copious quotes >from Srila Prabhupada, but providing little of his own realization.]

[PADA: Rocana, sorry to report this but your "perverts are gurus" mantra regime molested almost all the kids, and yet you keep saying this regime contains "diksha gurus"! You keep repeating your mantra that these deviants are, were, could be, diksha gurus? Why, because we need to worship the boot lickers of perverts posing as messiahs and toss our children into their awaiting jaws to be gobbled up wholesale? Your idea that Bhakti Marga is a diksha guru is wrong, he is "a compromised link" in a guru lineage of molesters, poisoners and murderers. The actual bona fide links are pure, not voted in by pedophiles as your alleged "links."]

[** RD: Personally, I find this approach somewhat condescending. While he opens with the disclaimer that he's a humble conditioned soul, he's always so absolutely sure on the issues, and his opponent is absolutely wrong. This, of course, is the same mood he expresses in concluding what Srila Prabhupada's last wishes were in regards to initiation. There's no debate, even though he champions himself as the great debater.]

[PADA: Not only have you lost the debate, your child buggery messiah project has bankrupted ISKCON. You keep repeating that your buggery lineage pals are diksha gurus, that Srila Prabhupada is a deviant because he did not authorize any deviants as your diksha gurus, you have no remorse for the chaos you created, including the suicides of children. You are a heartless person. All of you "reformers" have blood on your hands, including Sulochana's whom you "reformers" excommunicated (so your child molester pooja could go on), you cannot wash your hands for the next ten kalpas, you cannot wash off the blood of devotees and the children victims of your policy from your hands. You need to make a public statement that you are fully disassociated from this lineage, that you no longer endorse your ersatz messiahs, and that Srila Prabhupada is the only diksha guru for ISKCON. thanks pd]

please also see:

ROCANA WRITES WRONGS
Deconstructing Rocana by PADA
Rocana's Masquerade - The Sampradaya Sun Exposé
Rocana's and Iskcons bogus philosophy - PADA DEBATES ROCANA
ROCANA says: Srila Prabhupada does not speak clearly, only Rocana does?
Rocana's Posthumous Church - The Church Of Ritvik

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!