Question : Regarding the recent passing away of His Grace Tamal Krishna Maharaja, how should one interpret his leaving his body in an accident? Is this karma? Do pure devotees also have karma? What mental state would maharaja have been in? It has happened all of a sudden. Will he go back to Godhead? Why such a death? How does Krishna’s statement that my devotee will not perish fit in this? Lastly I am convinced Maharaja went back to Godhead but how to preach in a congregation if asked these questions? Please forgive me for any offences committed due to the nature of my questions. All glories to His Grace Tamal Krishna Gosvami ki, Jai!
Answer by Romapada Swami :
Tamal Krishna Gosvami’s exceptional dedication and devotion to Srila Prabhupada’s service is a well-known fact within ISKCON and he exhibited nothing but unswerving surrender to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna and unfailing service to the vaishnavas. He rendered incalculable volumes of service, with great resourcefulness, perseverance, and dynamism – all for the purpose of fulfilling Prabhupada’s desires. While making no claim that he was a flawless and perfect person, there can be no question of Tamal Krishna Goswami’s being completely protected by Krishna.
Those who have completely surrendered themselves to Krishna are no longer under the influence of the external energy of the Lord, the agent of karma, and that is Krishna’s solemn promise. Such devotees are acting under the internal potency of Krishna, and even where there is some difficulty coming from the material energy, it is to be taken as a direct reminder by Krishna of their past misdeeds, directly orchestrated by Krishna for their further advancement in their devotion. Such events are NOT to be seen as enactments of the external material energy.
We should not misunderstand Krishna’s protection as absolute material protection and this is indeed a point that devotees often tend to misunderstand in the initial excitement and idealism when coming in contact with Krishna consciousness philosophy. And this could be a wonderful opportunity for you to also address this point to congregation devotees! Does Krishna’s promise to protect His devotee mean that a devotee’s body will never dwindle or that it will never die? Or that devotees will never meet an accident or lose in a venture? No. Rather, a pure devotee is not affected by these external changes, being situated in their constitutional position and absorbed in their relationship with Krishna. Not that Srila Prabhupada’s departure from his body was in any manner equal TKG’s, yet one may similarly question the apparently depleted condition of Srila Prabhupada’s body towards the end of his physical presence with us or the physical ailments he apparently suffered. Quite to the contrary, instead of diminishing his disciple’s faith, these very symptoms enhanced their appreciation of the glories of a pure devotee, since Prabhupada’s consciousness always remained transcendental right until the last moment unaffected by the external.
We cannot ascertain what Maharaja’s mental state might have been, now why his departure happened precisely in the way it did. Krishna, being completely independent, has very special ways of dealing with His devotees, and whatever it may be, the devotee doesn’t complain. But Krishna’s promise for His devotee’s ultimate victory will never be made in vain. In one sense, Tamal Krishna Maharaja’s passing away was also glorious because it was within Navadvipa dhama, the holiest of dhams, in Puliya where Haridas Thakur performed many wonderful pastimes. As you may know, anyone who leaves their body in the Holy Dham is liberated. Also it was at a very auspicious hour during Brahma muhurta, and as Krishna says in Bg. Chapter 8, the yogis who leave their body at such auspicious moments are sure to reach Him. But factually even these are not important considerations in the case of an unalloyed bhakti yogi; wherever such a pure devotee is, that place is a holy dhama itself.
Also Prabhupada once assured his disciples: if a devotee gives his entire life to serve the mission of Lord Caitanya, then at the end of his life, even if by some adverse condition he is unable to remember Krishna, Prabhupada said, Lord Caitanya will personally appear in the mind of the devotee and take him back to Godhead.
We can conclude that Tamal Krishna Maharaja, much like Srila Prabhupada’s statement regarding Jayananda Prabhu, has either attained the highest auspicious destination, or is engaged in some manner in the eternal confidential service to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya.
This incident has, among many other realizations, given us an opportunity to appreciate that the association of such great souls is very rare and invaluable and we should take the association of the exalted devotees amidst our presence with very seriously.
