This is the first of two articles that will be offered in order to enlighten our readers on yet another of ISKCON's prodigal old-timers. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of his tainted past, Giriraj Swami is gradually recreating his ISKCON image. By doing so he is inviting media scrutiny and critical commentary. Here in the Sun, the reader can search out many previous articles regarding Giriraj's active involvement in scandalous periods of ISKCON's history, such as the Gopi Bhava Club and the Zonal Acarya system. In a follow-up article, I'll attempt to analyze the philosophical deviations perpetrated by the founders and supporters of these dark episodes. In this article, I'll do my best to give a "reader's digest" glimpse into my Godbrother's ISKCON history.
Like all the ISKCON gurus, Giriraj paints a rosy perspective of his glorious past on his website. Understandably, he omits all the unflattering, troublesome and traumatic periods of his devotional history. One of the most significant aspects of Giriraj Swami's character that the reader needs to know in order to understand his present profile, lifestyle and position within ISKCON is that, from very early on in his involvement with ISKCON , he took shelter of his good friend, Tamal Krishna Goswami.
I've written several segments in a series of articles in the Sun under the title, "Princes of the Zonal Acaryas", and Giriraj certainly qualifies as a Prince of the Zonal King, Tamal Krishna Goswami. I also wrote a recent article in regards to Radhanatha Swami, in which I made the point that many of these modern ISKCON leaders, at a very early impressionable stage of their ISKCON career, accepted a siksa guru, and later close associate whom they took shelter of, and naturally mirrored or emulated. Each of these Zonal Kings and their Princes could be envisioned as a branch on the ISKCON tree. To the degree they have deviated from the Founder-Acarya's mood and mission, they in fact are in another sampradaya. It is my perspective that Giriraj Swami is firmly situated in the Tamal Krishna Goswami sampradaya.
Despite playing a minor supporting role in early ISKCON history, Giriraj Swami's pastimes are centered around his prominent Temple President position at the Juhu Beach ISKCON Bombay temple. He entertains audiences with many stories of the time when Juhu was being built, when both he and Tamal Krishna Goswami were playing a part in this aspect of Srila Prabhupada's lila. Giriraj Swami's senior administrative position in the temple was procured and protected due to his good friend Tamal Krishna Goswami.
Giriraj Swami and Tamal Krishna Goswami Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
It is common knowledge that Tamal Krishna Goswami was an extremely dominant and aggressive leader. Giriraj Swami was far more effeminate and lacking in good managerial qualities. Tamal Krishna felt it was personally advantageous to establish his loyal buddy as the Temple President at Juhu, and the finished temple offered opulent living facilities for the higher-up authorities, including Giriraj. Giriraj Swami was at home in this type of environment. From that time forward he enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, surrounding himself with a competent support staff who adequately handled the management, leaving him free to comfortably exist with little or no pressure. One of the eyebrow rising aspects of this arrangement was the presence of his long-standing, dedicated female personal secretary.
As with all the disciples, Srila Prabhupada's unexpected departure impacted Giriraj Swami's fate in ISKCON. Tamal Krishna's significant role in the introduction of the Zonal Acarya system required calling in a favor from his junior associate, Giriraj, who he gave sannyasa. Back then, Bombay Temple was a great plum in Srila Prabhupada's worldwide empire. Tamal Krishna, from the pre-conceptual stage of the Zonal Acarya system, wished to insure his dominance at the Bombay Temple. Prior to taking over the position as Srila Prabhupada's secretary, Tamal Krishna had been in charge of the famous Radha Damodara Party, which Srila Prabhupada's had to dismantle due to Tamal Krishna's controversial management style. These circumstance left Tamal Krishna at a disadvantage when it came to negotiating with the other conspirators for his fair share of the world.
Tamal Krishna's personal priority was to be enshrined as the Zonal Acarya of Juhu Bombay. With the help of his good friend Giriraj Swami, and with a great deal of politicking, they managed to minimize the power of the GBC, Gopal Krishna Goswami, who was managing the BBT for India out of the Bombay temple. Gopal Krishna didn't stand a chance against Tamal Krishna the Zonal Acarya, and his inside friend Giriraj, the Temple President. Giriraj Swami fully supported Tamal as the local Zonal Acarya, and saw to it that everyone at Bombay worshipped Tamal Krishna as the resident Acarya. He orchestrated the creation of a huge vyasasana for his siksa guru along with an elaborate daily worship program. Throughout the 10 years of the "dark ages" of Zonal Acarya-ism, Giriraj Swami remained Tamal Krishna's chum chum on all levels and under all circumstances.
Giriraj Swami had neglected, or was unable to re-establish his permanent residency in India, and his situation worsened when the Indian government insisted that he leave. By the mid-1980's, Giriraj had become a permanent fixture in Bombay, and was by then a GBC, so Tamal Krishna and his allies on the GBC found a new position for their friend Giriraj Swami. South Africa, East Africa and Mauritius had first been given to the Zonal Acarya Jayatirtha, but he fell away in the early 1980's. Bhagavan took over his zone until the mid-80's, when Giriraj Swami took over as the African GBC/acarya for the fallen ex-everything, Bhagavan. This appointment was Giriraj's first 'flying solo' test in an isolated part of planet ISKCON. Soon after his arrival, Giriraj created complete havoc. As a Tamal Krishna protégée, he applied the same Machiavellian style Zonal Acarya techniques.
Giriraj Swami externally appeared to have a very sweet nature, but he was best described as a dagger in a soft sheath. Whimsically, he set about totally transforming basic programs in the South Africa yatra. For all his faults, Bhagavan had encouraged and supported this grihasta Godbrothers, who had established many business programs that were the primary funding all the projects. Bhakta das, Pranaballabha das, Kamsahanta das, Ankota das and other prabhus can enlighten the readers as to their personal experiences with Giriraj Swami, and I encourage them to write their side of the Swami's explosion story. The end results were that Giriraj Swami drove out all the Prabhupada disciples. He wanted only disciples and subservient Godbrothers and sisters in his zone… so reminiscent of the Zonal Acarya system established by Tamal Krishna Goswami.
Giriraj Swami re-initiated many ex-Bhagavan disciples. Raghubhir das, a brahmachari from England (originally from New Zealand) with a similar mood and personality, became a close ally of Giriraj's. After been given sannyasa by Giriraj he became known as Bhakti Chaitanya Swami, and remains the present GBC for South Africa.
Giriraj's zone also consisted of the island of Mauritius. Hindus have maintained political control in this country for many years. Mauritius is also a resort destination for rich South Africans. Around this time, the GBC had been obliged to abandon their Zonal Acarya system by the Reform Movement, which meant opening up exclusive territories to other approved and appointed gurus. Giriraj Swami, however, had been one of the early approved-guru compromises made by the original Zonal Acaryas prior to the Reform upheaval.
Giriraj Swami and his disciples put a great deal of undue pressure on new recruits to surrender to become initiated by him. He was essentially very Colonial in protecting his absolute position in South Africa and Mauritius, but in the end, his controversial dictatorial mood wasn't what cause his inglorious departure.
Even in Bombay, Giriraj Swami showed an infatuation for select subservient women. This tendency took on a whole new dimension in his zone. In Bombay, the Swami was surrounded by senior Godbrothers who essentially prevented him from going too overboard with respect to the opposite sex. But in the South African zone, his infatuation with ladies went to higher levels. In both Mauritius and South Africa he introduced a concocted program for his young, attractive women disciples. In order for these women to be awarded brahminical initiation from the so-called Spiritual Master, they were obliged to take a lifelong vow of celibacy. A majority of these victims were of Indian origin, but two of the participants were of European ancestry. The principle surviving member is Kuntidevi dasi, who still "serves" the Maharaja in Santa Barbara, California. The other wifely consort, just recently departed this world in her ashram in Vrindavan, was Arca-Vigraha dasi, a highly recognized and wealthy artist.
Out of the Swami's dozen or so celibate women disciples of Indian origin in Mauritius, one of the wiser ones wrote an in-depth report to the GBC authorities about Giriraj's insane program. She also reported that the Swami was spending many hours with individual women, behind locked doors. We don't know if the encounters went beyond intimately talking, in other words, if they were just subtle sex, but as a result of the report revealing this scandalous situation, Giriraj Swami was forced to leave his zone.
Arca-Vigraha built a nice ashrama in Vrindavan near the Krsna-Balarama Mandir. An opulent suite was created on the top floor for Giriraj Swami, and many of the female associates resided on the bottom floor, where Kuntidevi, Arca-Vigraha and all the others lived, served and worshipped their Lord and Master, Giriraj Swami. The GBC were fully aware of the scandalous background to this arrangement, but apparently they ignored the warning signs and allowed the situation to exist.
From the late 1980's until 1995, Giriraj Swami was living a very easy, idle life above the women's ashrama in Vrindabin. But out of boredom, he began traveling to nearby Mathura to intimately associate with B.V. Narayana Swami. Over the course of time, Giriraj Swami adopted Narayana's philosophical outlook, and this mentality gradually took form and became known as the Gopi Bhava Club. Giriraj enthusiastically shared his pseudo-enlightenment with all his old-boys club buddies, beginning with Tamal Krishna Goswami. As a team, they soon influenced local personalities such as Bhurijana and Dhanurdhara. This Gopi Bhava Club contamination spread throughout the movement's senior leaders, infecting Satsvarupa, Sivarama and other sannyasis. The exclusive members of this raganuga-bhakti cult were chosen by the Swamis (Giriraj and Tamal Krishna) to enter into a raganuga-bhakti siksa relationship with Narayana Maharaja. There are many papers published here on the Sampradaya Sun that will give the reader a clear understanding of what the Gopi Bhava Club was about, and several are linked below.
For a few years, this deviation existed in full view of all the GBC. Finally, on account of many complaints from senior ISKCON members, the GBC body had to take action in the mid-90's, at their annual GBC meetings. The details of the behind-doors meetings of the GBC remain private to this very day. What we know is that the GBC publicly set down rules that essentially put an end to the Gopi Bhava Club.
For the founder Giriraj Swami, who for many years had associated with B.V. Narayana and politicked to have him become the Acarya of ISKCON, this decree was too much to swallow. "Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still." Therefore, in September of the same year, the dynamic duo of Giriraj and Tamal Krishna accepted an invitation from Narayana Maharaja to be the guests of honor at Narayana's Spiritual Master Kesava's Math for a celebration of the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada taking sannyasa.
Giriraj Swami had authored many articles supporting the Gopi Bhava Club position and their need for association with Narayana. Disregarding the GBC mandate, he and Tamal Krishna both presented dissertations to the Mathura assembly. The recorded lectures were transcribed by Kurma Rupa dasa and distributed through the COM site.
This transcript caused the already concerned GBC to finally come to grips with the reality that they had a much more serious problem than first understood. They convened an emergency istaghosti on November 5, 1994, a transcript of which can be found here. By reading the transcripts, everyone can get a true and accurate understanding of what was going in the mind of Giriraj Swami.
The GBC's final decree stated that Giriraj Swami was banned from living and visiting in Vrindavan. Suddenly, he had to renounce his "family" ashrama and his siksa guru, B.V. Narayana. Giriraj Swami Gopi, the founder of the Bhava Club movement, had been living like a sahija in an ashrama full of women, and he didn't voluntarily renounce his condemnable relationship with women simply because he was banned from the Holy Dham.
Of course, the GBC covered up this elephant in the living room… that throughout this period, Giriraj Swami was living the life of a sahajiya. I repeat that to this day, no women who have confessed to any gross sexual relationships with Giriraj Swami, but the absolute satiric conclusions concerning the actions, mind and words of genuine Vaisnava sannyasis were clearly disregarded by Giriraj Swami.
The Divine And Demoniac Natures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 16.1-3
"There are so many rules and regulations to be followed in the renounced order of life. Most important of all, a sannyasi is strictly forbidden to have any intimate relationship with a woman. He is even forbidden to talk with a woman in a secluded place. Lord Caitanya was an ideal sannyasi, and when He was at Puri His feminine devotees could not even come near to offer their respects. They were advised to bow down from a distant place. This is not a sign of hatred for women as a class, but it is a stricture imposed on the sannyasi not to have close connections with women. One has to follow the rules and regulations of a particular status of life in order to purify his existence. For a sannyasi, intimate relations with women and possession of wealth for sense gratification are strictly forbidden."
It's said that Giriraj Swami left Vrindavan a very bitter man. The GBC also banned him from initiating disciples for a number of years. Leaving the Holy Dham, he returned to California, where he lived with one of his Mauritius disciples in Laguna Beach. He kept in contact with the women, and the GBC directive didn't specify that the Swami had to renounce his disciples.
Giriraj "Swami's" Mansion
As fate would have it, Giriraj Swami's prayers were answered; he inherited his parents' beautiful home in Santa Barbara, where he now resides. His inheritance also included money that allows him to enjoy a carefree life of luxury. Tamal Krishna Goswami's untimely demise meant more willed assets came into Giriraj's bank account, and recently Arca-Vigraha dasi left everything she owned to her beloved Giriraj Swami. Predictably, Kuntidevi dasi moved into Giriraj's Santa Barbara mansion and at first, some of the celibate Mauritian women disciples also came along.
Also not surprisingly, Giriraj Swami has placed Tamal Krishna's picture on his altar, and he hosted a recent Vyasapuja ceremony for Tamal at his multi-million dollar Santa Barbara palace. The Swami's house is not signposted as an ISKCON/Hare Krishna temple. In fact, you have to know the security code in order gain access through the front gates, so visitors come by invitation only. If you live next door to Giriraj Swami in Santa Barbara, you'd never guess your neighbor is a Hare Krishna Swami, or that the woman with the lapdog is anyone other than his wife.
Srimati Kuntidevi dasi (at harmonium)
The Swami occasionally hosts an annual boat festival for his invited guests. His Multi-million Dollar Swami Country Club boasts several platinum members, including Radhanatha Swami, Indradyumna Swami, BB Govinda Swami and other pre-screened notaries. Some regularly stay for months. Giriraj has renovated one of his main buildings into a luxury 5-star apartment suitable for jet-set Swamis. While staying at Hotel Giriraj, the guests can take advantage of also being dutifully served by his consort, Kuntidevi.
By all accounts, Kuntidevi is a very nice person. She loves devotees, Giriraj Swami and her little dog. In the picture below, we see Kuntidevi on the devotee cruise, apparently accepting some new saffron cloth for the Swami.
A few years back, Giriraj Swami began hearing criticism about his questionable relationship with Srimati Kuntidevi dasi, so he came up with a plan to have Kuntidevi marry one of his male disciples, despite the fact he was much younger than her. The deal was that they would reside at the Swami's estate, which would tone down the impression that she was in reality the Swami's girl. Not surprisingly, this bogus marriage façade was short-lived. It didn't take long for the imitation husband to uncover the plot. Currently living in New Zealand, we will spare him the embarrassment of naming him here, given that he's just another victim caught up in the tangled webs of this bogus Swami. But we do hope that he will come forward one day and publicly tell the story about how Giriraj sent him packing with considerable cash and a one-way ticket to the other side of the planet.
Kunti is now legally a divorcee, living in blissful harmony with her very own semi-retired Swami, who sports the GBC-bestowed title of "Emeritus". The other Indian women disciples, some of whom even followed Giriraj to Santa Barbara, have mostly called it quits, after decades of being entangled in the Swami's sham. These poor souls are left to pickup the pieces of their lost lives. Some found husbands, and others just peace of mind.
After all this, Giriraj was put on a GBC committee, along with Malati devi dasi, to oversee his old Zonal Acarya ex-guru friend, the fallen sannyasa Emeritus, Satsvarupa. How bizarre is that arrangement?
Emeritus Swamis, Giriraj and Satsvarupa
Now that the worst of his suspicion period is over, Giriraj Swami is back in the guru business, and harvesting disciples in Tamal Krishna's old hometown of Houston, Texas. He kicked-off his ISKCON comeback by authoring a book, "Watering the Seed", and he now submits articles regularly to Dandavats.com. By these activities, he is attempting to re-create and polish up his past profile.
As the reader can see by this brief outline of the history of Giriraj Swami, there is much more to be revealed by the innumerable victims of this unsannyasa-like pastimes. In my next article, I'll be examining Giriraj Swami's many siddhantic deviations, discussing how his mood has negatively impacted Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON. Meanwhile, I invite the reader to examine the words spoken by this character on the following YouTube videos:
Tamal Krishna Goswami's Vyasapuja Lecture
Lecture by Giriraj Swami on Srimad Bhagavatam 9.4.29 'Marriage in Spiritual Life'
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
