Drakpa Gyaltsen (1619-1656), who was the fake fourth reincarnation of Penchen Sonam Drakpa (1478-1554)*, was born at Ge Khasa in Tolung in 1619 to his mother Lak Agyal and father Namsey Norbu. He was the third of five children of his parents. His ancestral estate at Ge Khasa was one of the largest estates in Tolung. His father held the post of a border night watchman at Nangso (Nang means inner and So refers to ‘SOKPO’ Mongolia). His father’s nephew Tag Gowa, son-in-law of Depa Gona Shakpa of Phenyul, served as senior minister of Depa Tsangpa**. Due to his connection with political powers, he manipulated and managed to place his son in the list of candidates for reincarnation of the fourth Dalai Lama, Yonten Gyatso (1589-1616). Nevertheless, his rival candidate, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682), was recognized as the true reincarnation of the fourth Dalai Lama. Drakpa Gyaltsen’s mother Lak Agyal therefore forcibly proclaimed her son to be the reincarnation of the Trulku Gelek Palsang, and he thus got the name Trulku Drakpa Gyaltsen.

Although rumor had it that Drakpa Gyaltsen and the fifth Dalai Lama were on bad terms, there was no any actual frictions between them, as is evident from the biographies of Penchen Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen, the Fifth Dalai Lama and Trulku Drakpa Gyaltsen. In his autobiography, Drakpa Gyaltsen mentions that he received many teachings from the great Fifth Dalai Lama, and also invited him to his residence and had excellent opportunity to attend on him with high reverence and spent the whole day in conversation with him.