Back To Prabhupada, Issue 32, Summer 2011
In BTP 28, we exposed ISKCON producing and distributing the “Little Krishna” cartoon, wherein Lord Krishna is depicted as a mythical cartoon caricature, against Srila Prabhupada’s specific instructions. Following our exposé, though an apology admitting their error was issued by those involved in producing the cartoon, as reported in BTP 30, the cartoon is still promoted and distributed by ISKCON.
This minimisation of Lord Krishna seems to be part of a pattern for those involved with ISKCON. The official news agency of ISKCON, ISKCON News, is run by Krishna-lila Dasi, who is its Managing Editor. She is also an official media spokesperson for ISKCON and has been a disciple of HH Sivarama Swami for 20 years, about whom she made a documentary. She has also made a documentary titled “Krishna The Playful God”, which she has advertised on her film company’s website as follows:
“There are many cultures in human civilization that have the notion of a playful god or gods in their concepts. Among these figures is one of the most prominent: the Hindu god Krishna, whose mischievous, wily or celebratory activities have been preserved in thousands of literary works, paintings and sculptures throughout the millennia.”
This depiction of Krishna as a “Hindu god” is condemned by Srila Prabhupada:
“[...] just like they describe in the dictionary that Krishna, a Hindu God—that is nonsense. Krishna is for everyone. Krishna does not say that “I am a Hindu god.’’ But these rascals say Krishna is Hindu god.”
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 29/7/1971)
“Krishna is one of the Hindu gods’. But that is not the fact. Krishna is God. God is God. God cannot be Hindu God, cannot be Muslim God, cannot be Christian God. God is God.”
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 2/2/1975)
“Either in the Hindu community, or Muslim community, gold is gold. Because gold is there in some Hindu community, nobody says “Hindu gold.” Does anybody say, “It is Hindu gold” or “It is Christian gold”? No. Gold is gold. Similarly, God is one. There is no “Hindu God” or “Muslim God” or “Christian God.” This is mistake. “We believe God in this way...,” that is nonsense. No. God is one [...].”
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 26/6/1975)
So according to Srila Prabhupada, anyone who describes Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as a “Hindu god”, is a “rascal”, not speaking “fact”, and speaking “nonsense”.
We have to wonder why ISKCON’s own official mouthpiece is run by someone with such deviant and offensive views regarding Lord Krishna.
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