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Vishnujana Swami took birth on June 2, 1948, in San Jose, California. At the age of seventeen he moved to San Francisco along with his long-term girlfriend, who he married in 1966. It was also in 1966 that Vishnujana first came into contact with the Hare Krishnas, and by 1968 he had received initiation from Srila Prabhupada and was a full-time member of the movement. By July 20, 1970, Srila Prabhupada had awarded Vishnujana the order of sannyasa. Vishnujana was especially well known within ISKCON for his singing voice, and skill at playing instruments, such as the Mridangam (drum). Musical recordings of Vishnujana would later be released in 1995 and are still popularly sold within ISKCON today. In 1976, during the Mayapur festival, Vishnujana disappeared. It is commonly believed that he committed suicide, throwing himself from a bridge at the confluence of several sacred rivers including the Ganges. During a walk some days earlier it is believed he had mis-heard a general statement by Prabhupada
