Jashomatinandan Das

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I am really glad the poison controversy is dying its natural death. From the very beginning, there were only two possibilities by which it could lead to any other direction.
1. If Srila Prabhupada directly named or indicated who the poison giver was.
2. If the poison giver himself came forward and confessed he did it.

Srila Prabhupada eliminated the first possibility by not naming anyone. Surely Srila Prabhupada wasn't going to leave Lord Caitanya's sankirtana movement in the hands of a poison giver. If he suspected anyone, he would have surely told us. He would have revealed it to someone. Even though it is a fact he was fairly disturbed over the idea that he had the symptom of someone poisoned, we have to accept this statement very seriously: "I look like I am poisoned, not that I am poisoned." I did hear the tape containing some of the most significant Hindi statements he made. When the kaviraj asked who said he was poisoned, he said, "Yei sab friend," meaning "Oh, some friend [said it]." Some people have foolishly interpreted this to say, "Oh, these friends have poisoned me." But I heard the Hindi conversation clearly. The question was, How did he know he was poisoned? And the answer was, "Some friend told me." Another Hindi conversation was after Bhavananda suggested that Srila Prabhupada was disturbed. (In the conversation book, it is reported as a conversation after the above statement - Not
that I am poisoned.) Then Kaviraj asked why he felt disturbed. When everyone asked several times, Srila Prabhupada said, "Ei ye poison wali baat" ("This thing about the poison.") Now indeed if this conversation took place after the above statement, that means even after saying "Not that I am poisoned," he still felt very disturbed. And it supercedes "I am not poisoned."

But even then there is no indication that any devotee or devotees were ever doubted by Srila Prabhupada. In the absence of a clearcut proof, it would be very unfair, in fact heinous, to accuse someone of the most heinous activity of poisoning the most powerful saintly mahabhagavat spiritual master. It would be very unfair to even think that way. No one is admitting it, so it is just one more mystery underlining the limitation of human existence. I tried to hear whispers, but couldn't hear the word "poison" anywhere. Maybe my mind is prejudiced because I never believed in the conspiracy theory. My real concern is that if it is declared that the world's greatest preacher of sanatan dharma, the most saintly, pure devotee of the Lord was killed by poisoning, it would add a grossly mundane element to his brilliant and effulgent character. From the preaching point of view, it would certainly create a negative effect. Srila Prabhupada said there was a possibility of his Guru Maharaj's having been poisoned. But he never went out of his way to investigate anything. He depended on Krishna. So we should follow in his footsteps and go on with our service. Hari Hari bol.

Your servant, Jashomatinandan Das

HOME