Editors note: This article is response to an article published in Sun http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-13/editorials9607.htm.
Apropos of the recent judgmental article of Rochana on the Sun about Srila Prabhupada’s murti in a specific posture found in some temples where the July 9th 1977 letter of Srila Prabhupada is followed in toto, it is relevant to have a proper understanding of the situation. The article alleges that Srila Prabhupada has been shown to be seated “offering” a “mudra”. This “mudra” is alleged to be the kartari mudra popular amongst Buddhists. The article assumes, that whoever made (or whoever ordered) Srila Prabhupada’s murti, wanted this specific “mudra”, without really delving into whether there was any conscious attempt to follow a particular “mudra”. It is interesting that the article gives a verbal description of the alleged kartari mudra followed in the making of the murti, but strangely however, carefully avoids giving any pictorial representation of the kartari mudra. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Alongside is a depiction of the actual kartari mudra, which obviously, is dissimilar to Srila Prabhupada’s posture, where both his middle and ring fingers are closed. At most, the comparison of Srila Prabhupada’s murti to the kartari “mudra” appears to be a red herring, attempting to deviate the reader’s attention from the actual issue of ISKCON’s self appointed gurus sanctioning dressing of Radha Krishna deities as Santa Claus. The fact is, that Srila Prabhupada’s murti does not depict any “mudra” at all.
The second allegation that in thousands of photographs, Srila Prabhupada is never seen in this posture seems to indicate the ignorance of the author. However, in today’s world where all information is at one’s fingertips (or keyboard rather), a simple search for Srila Prabhupada’s pictures on Google Images throws up the picture alongside, of Srila Prabhupada seated in a class from a Vyasasana, in the very posture seen in the murti. Obviously, the murti is a simple copy of this photo of Srila Prabhupada in an instructive mood in a class. The murtis in the above temples are simply made to depict this instructive mood of Srila Prabhupada, since his
instructions are of paramount importance for his sincere disciples. As we sing every day, guru mukha padma vakya, citte te koriya aikya. This posture aptly reflects Srila Prabhupada giving transcendental knowledge of fine discrimination and the devotees’ desire to follow all his instructions implicitly (including the July 9th letter), and is nothing more than this.
The apparently feigned ignorance of the author of this not so rare picture of Srila Prabhupada’s and of other similar pictures of His Divine Grace, along with an attempt to attribute a motive to depict Srila Prabhupada in some vague and irrelevant “mudra” in his murtis, raises doubts about the intentions of the article and its methods. The intended biasing of the reader against the devotees dedicated to following His Divine Grace’s July 9th directive seems too glaring to ignore.
While Rochana’s article is in keeping with his long standing tirade against the devotees who follow the July 9th directive, it is indeed a let down on independent and unbiased “brahminical” reporting expectations. Irreverent references to Srila Prabhupada such as “Srila Prabhupada on display at the Bangalore satellite temple” are unbecoming of true devotees. Every neophyte bhakta understands that Srila Prabhupada is giving his compassionate darshan to his devotees in his temples. To reduce Srila Prabhupada’s compassion to something akin to a mannequin “on display” only reflects the addled thinking and inability of one unable to gratefully appreciate His Divine Grace’s benevolence. << — Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur in a somewhat similar posture The comparison of Srila Prabhupada’s murti to “satan”, “torturing bulls” etc., is truly endangering the author and the readers of vaisnava aparadha of the highest order. Instead of bringing up such unfounded, puerile and misleading accusations on the devotees, if Rochana had focused on the actual deviation of the ISKCON self appointed gurus in dressing the deities as the imaginary Santa Claus, it would have been laudable. Such biased tirades and captious articles can indeed encourage the discriminating reader to wonder about any possible unholy nexus underlying such attempts.