Umapati is Kirtanananda's Ritvik Representative?

Books by Henry Doktorski

krishna1008: Second Letter to Tirtha In Jail

Bhaktipada claimed that Tirtha deserved to become a swami. United Press International reported, “Bhaktipada says Drescher went from a ‘fringie,’ one who strayed from Krishna tenets, to a ‘good devotee’ since being imprisoned a year ago, and deserved becoming a Swami.”

ISKCON leaders, on the other hand, bitterly criticized the awarding of the sannyasa ashram to a convicted murderer. ISKCON Public Affairs spokesman Mukunda Goswami said to a reporter from Hinduism Today that sannyasa is traditionally given to a person of “spotless reputation,” and giving sannyasa to a convicted murderer “tends to make a mockery of the institution of sannyasa.”

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Ravindra-Svarupa said, “We are all a little outraged. . . . It’s upsetting. It’s shocking.” During an October 2008 telephone conversation, Radhanath Swami laughed about Tirtha becoming a swami, “The whole thing was completely crazy (laughter). . . . I in no way support[ed] any of it.” 

Curiously, seventeen years later, when Tirtha renounced his Swami title, he explained, “I consulted with Radhanath Swami on it and he said I was still a sannyasi, just to defer from the external portion.”

In a letter to the author, Tirtha Swami explained, “I thought it [taking sannyasa] would be appropriate, since I was facing the death penalty in California and thought I would likely be executed. My intent at the time was to plead guilty and explain it was for a cause. So in my mind, I wanted to renounce and it was suggested that I take sannyasa, as my life was likely coming to an end.”

Killing For Krishna, Chapter 15: It’s Persecution, Pure and Simple. pp. 408-409.

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Bhaktipada, however, later regretted asking Umapati Swami to give Tirtha sannyasa, and said it was not his idea. He said Umapati Swami recommended him. Bhaktipada back-pedaled, “I really didn’t recommend his elevation to sannyasa. . . . But after he was incarcerated there was a big change in the man and he was now in a position of renunciation. . . . Giving up sinful activity, like meat eating, illicit sex, intoxication, gambling. 

He was not engaging in these things when he was in jail. And if he had had a change in heart, and / or if he demonstrated actually that he wanted to change his heart, it would be a worthwhile attempt. . . . Umapati Swami recommended to me this should be done. I said, ‘Very well, then you do it.’” [i]

Umapati Swami, on the other hand, claimed that initiating Tirtha into the order of sannyasa was Bhaktipada’s idea, not his. Umapati Swami explained, “Just the opposite. Kirtanananda wanted it. I had some reservations, but I decided to do it because if I didn’t do it he would get someone else to do it anyway. Maybe he testified in court that it was my idea, but it was his.” [ii]

Later, after Umapati Swami rejoined ISKCON, he felt “foolish” for giving Tirtha sannyasa. Umapati said, “When I left New Vrindaban and rejoined ISKCON, I did discover that it [awarding sannyasa to a convicted murderer] caused quite a bit of consternation and upset. I felt a little foolish. I was a little sorry that I had done something that had caused so much distress to so many devotees.” [iii]

[i] Keith Gordon Ham (Bhaktipada), Trial Transcript IV, Day 7 (March 19, 1991), 1743.

[ii] Wallace Sheffey (Umapati Swami), e-mail to the author (July 11, 2014).

[iii] Wallace Sheffey (Umapati Swami), Trial Transcript IV, Day 6 (March 18, 1991), 1580-1581.