Mathura: Religious leaders and saints in Mathura-Vrindavan have come out in support of Bageshwar Dham seer Dhirendra Krishna Shastri over his controversial remarks on Lord Krishna’s physical posture, describing his comments as an expression of the traditional devotional culture of Braj.
The development comes amid a criminal defamation complaint filed against Shastri in an Agra court over his remarks, which hurt the religious sentiments of Lord Krishna’s descendants.
A large gathering of saints, religious scholars and followers of Sanatan Dharma was organised at the historic Shri Radhakant Temple in Vrindavan under the joint aegis of the Braj Teerth Devlay Nyas and Dharma Raksha Sangh. The meeting was chaired by Mahant Phooldol Bihari Das Maharaj.
Addressing the gathering, Bhagwat exponent Mridul Kant Shastri said Lord Krishna’s Tribhangi posture was an integral part of the ancient Sanatan tradition and had been described by devotional poets and religious scholars for centuries.
Mahant Harishankar Das Naga, president of the Akhara Parishad in Vrindavan, said descriptions of Lord Krishna’s distinctive posture and graceful appearance had long been part of the devotional tradition and should be understood in that context rather than turned into a controversy.
Dharma Raksha Sangh national president Saurabh Gaur also defended Shastri, saying the preacher was working towards awakening the Sanatan community and that statements should not be taken out of context to create unnecessary disputes.
Braj Teerth Devlay Nyas general secretary R.K. Pandey said Lord Krishna was present in every particle of Braj, adding that the name Banke Bihari was associated with his Tribhangi form. Presiding over the meeting, Mahant Phooldol Bihari Das Maharaj said remarks should not become controversial unless they were made with malicious intent.
Meanwhile, advocate Ajay Pratap Singh has filed a criminal defamation complaint against Shastri before the Agra Civil Court. The complainant alleged that Shastri made derogatory remarks about Lord Krishna during a Ram Katha programme in Karera, in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district.
According to the complaint, Shastri remarked that Lord Krishna was ‘crooked’ and stood bent at three places, referring to his Tribhangi posture.
Singh claimed to be a descendant of Lord Krishna through his maternal side and argued that the remarks had hurt the religious sentiments and damaged the social reputation of Krishna’s descendants. He cited communities such as the Jadoons, Jadejas and Bhatis in support of his claim.
The complaint came up for preliminary hearing before Civil Judge Kanchan Kumar, who registered the case and fixed December 14 for the next hearing.
The controversy also triggered a political exchange, with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav urging organisers and sponsors of religious programmes to avoid inviting controversial preachers. BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary responded by quoting a couplet from the Ramcharitmanas.
