In reply to Srimati Suluxmona's letter, I am sending herewith one letter for her which may be delivered to her. I came here to improve my lot but I see that my bad luck is impossible to be improved. For the last two years approximately I have met expenses from this business to the extent of Rs 600/- month. Calcutta, Allahabad, Ranchi High-Court & Ry Journey altogether five different items of expenses have been so far met. But all of a sudden my sister opponent firms have designed to remove me from this place. By their trick the Drug Controller has suspended my business for the last one and a half month with the result that about Rs 1000/- has been locked up & sealed and I have been put to shame by my servants. I require immediately Rs 300/- to meet the establishment charges without which I am much humiliated.
Calcutta (Letters 1952 - 1969)
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated the 14th instant and I have noted the contents very carefully. I am glad that you have come back to Calcutta from the inundated area of Orissa and am more glad to learn that your holiness is trying to return to Delhi for creating a peaceful atmosphere here.
The suggestion made by some friend that the paper may be printed from Calcutta is alright. But my suggestion is that either in Calcutta or in Delhi we must have our own press with good equipments so that we may be able to broadcast the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in all the important languages specially in Hindi and in English. Hindi is meant for all India propaganda while English is meant for world wide propaganda.
Hope you are well. Vrindaban wanted to live with me and so he has come here from Calcutta just a few days before. Where is Madhusudana Maharaja? Please convey my dandabats to all the Vaisnavas. With my regards for you all.
I am in due receipt of your letter of the __ __ while you're staying at Howrah Gaudiya Math. I hope by the time this letter reaches your hand you might have come back to calcutta. I was anxiously awaiting your articles for October. Today is the 5th and I thought that by the 15th of this month the paper might be be out. So please send the articles per return of post and oblige. I have noted your instruction for reviewing Netaidas Brahmacari's book. The other book is not available from Sri Kesavanadaji.
So my idea of preaching in the foreign countries means that they are rather fed up with material advancement of knowledge. They are seeking the message guidance of the Vedanta Sutra or for the matter of the Bhagavad-gita in an authorized way. And I am sure that India will again go back to the Vedantic life when the principle is accepted by the Europeans, Americans etc because the Indian people are now in the habit of begging, after neglecting their own property. That was my view point. But all the same we must take only the opportunity of service without any limitation of time and space. More when we meet.
Hope, now you may have returned from Calcutta.
You have requested to send you my photograph and personal history and thank you for this. I am sending herewith some cuttings of photograph (Present) which appeared in the press. If these are not suitable for your purpose, then you can get a fresh promo-copy from the original negative which also is being sent herewith. Regarding my personal history I beg to state it shortly as follows: I was born 1st September 1896 in Calcutta as the third son of my father Late Gaura Mohon Dev and mother late Rajani Devi in the family of one of very respectable Gold merchant aristocracy of Calcutta. I was educated in the Scottish Churches College (B.A. 1920) and Netaji Subhas Candra was my college mate. I left education influenced by Mahatma Gandhi in 1921 and joined for some time in the national liberation and other social service movements. I was secretary of the Social Union movement of which Late Mr. J. Choudhury Bar-at-law was the president. In this movement there was a great stir for intercaste marriage in favor of Patel's (Vithalbhai) bill. I was married during my student life in 1918 with Radharani Devi and she is in Calcutta with her sons and daughters five children and a few grand children also. After my education I was appointed (1921) as the Asst. Manager of Dr. Bose's Laboratory Ltd of Calcutta and then engaged myself in my personal business in the chemical line. I was a research student in chemical and medicinal composition and for the first time in India, I introduced Gadine preparation in the medical profession. I met my spiritual master Late Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami in 1922 and he desired me to preach in the foreign countries the spiritual movement started by Lord Caitanya for enlightenment of all materialistic men all over the world. He gradually turned my mind from matter to spirit and I was accepted as his disciple in 1933 after full association of ten years.
Tomorrow I am going to Calcutta to catch my ship M.V. Jaladuta and I am starting for U.S.A. by the 10th of August, 1965 reaching New York after a month. And I have sent you one M.O. for Rs 25/-day before yesterday which I hope you have received in the meantime. I may return to India by November next.
Since I have come to the United States of America I had several correspondence with Sripada Govinda Maharaja. While I was in Calcutta at that time as well as in our different exchange of letters there was some hint from Sripada Govinda Maharaja, I should work in cooperation with your holiness and in my last letter I have already expressed my readiness to cooperate with your holiness and I had to ask from Govinda Maharaja as to the basic principle of that cooperation. Before I took Sannyasa perhaps you will remember it that I proposed to join you if my publications were taken up. But some how or other it was not possible and we missed the chance.
The Calcutta Marwaris are in your hand by the Grace of Srila Prabhupada. If you like you can immediately raise a fund of Rs 10,00,000/- ten lacs to open a centre in New Work. One centre started, I shall be able to start many others also. So here is a chance of cooperation between us and I shall be glad to know if you are ready for this cooperation. I came here to study the situation and I find it very nice and if you are also agreeable to cooperate with it will be all very nice by the will Srila Prabhupada. So I am writing you directly this letter to elicit your opinion. If you agree then take it for granted that I am one of the worker of the Sri Mayapur Caitanya Matha. I have no ambition for becoming the proprietor of any Matha or Mandir but I want working facilities. I am working day and night for my Bhagavatam publication and I need centres in the western countries.
1966 Correspondence
As I told you before the matter was entrusted to two responsible gentlemen in India. One is my godbrother Sripada B.V. Tirtha Maharaja the President of Caitanya Research Institute Calcutta and the other is one influential officer in the All India Congress Committee in New Delhi. Both of them are very responsible men and they are trying very sincerely to their best capacity to get the exchange sanctioned. But till now there is no hopeful signal from both of them.
I have already asked one of my devotees in Calcutta to send two mrdangas for Sankirtana and I have advised him to deposit the same with your manager in Calcutta for carriage to New York by any one of your ships. Kindly issue instructions to your Managers in Calcutta and Cochin to carry my things as abovementioned free and oblige.
You will be glad to learn that Sir Padampat Singhania of Kanpur was approached by me in correspondence, as he was known to me before, to erect a Radhakrishna Temple in New York and he has agreed to take up the work very nicely provided there is sanction of Indian exchange. Srila Tirtha Maharaja promised me all help to get this exchange sanctioned by seeing the President and the Finance Minister as he is supposed to have some influence over them. This correspondence is going on since January 1966 with Sripada Tirtha Maharaja but his last letter appears to me very disappointing. Now He asks me to go back to India and try for the sanction with his joint effort from the Deputy Controller of Exchange in Calcutta. Srila Tirtha Maharaja has definitely assured me that the exchange will be sanctioned on submission of plans and expenditure of the proposed temple. But I am not very much encouraged to have this information. I therefore beg to request you to enquire immediately from the Deputy Controller of Exchange, Control Depart. Reserve Bank of India Calcutta. Please take definite information about this and if the information is correct as per statement of Srila Tirtha Maharaja then let me know the procedure to be followed in this connection.
I have received one letter from Srimati Sumatiji Baisaheba dated the 11th April 1966 in which she writes amongst other things as follows: ". . . Regarding free passage to be provided to your men from India to New York on our ships, kindly note that these gentlemen will have to obtain permission from the Reserve Bank of India and therefore I suggest that you please request them to complete the P form formalities and thereafter please ask them to contact Sri I.N. Wankawala of our Calcutta Office whom I am advising suitably."
"As regards equipment for the temple such as Mrdanga for Sankirtana, also I am advising Sri Wankawala to allow freight free shipment on our vessels. You may therefore advise those concerned to contact him for this purpose. I may add that for shipment from Cochin also Sri Wankawala of our Calcutta office should be contacted and he will do the needful."
I hope you have duly received instruction from your Bombay office regarding the instructions of Baisaheba and I am arranging my men (Sankirtana Party) to come here by the end of July with Mrdanga etc for advancing the missionary work here. Some of my goods are lying in Delhi and I wish to get them here. Please let me know where the goods should be sent either to Cochin or to Calcutta. Of course from Delhi Calcutta is nearer than Cochin. Kindly therefore reply this letter per return of post and I will do the needful regarding the above.
In your first letter dated June 3, 1966 you had to inform me that you had already advised Sri Jagamohon Prabhu to see the Deputy Controller of Exchange Calcutta but I have not heard anything about it. Please note that this work is very important and I have already submitted my application to the Finance Ministry of the Government of India through the Indian Embassy here in America. The Indian Embassy at Washington has acknowledged receipt of my application as follows:
My future activities will now depend on the reply of the Indian Embassy whom I have asked for permission to raise funds from the American people. On hearing from them I shall let you know the result.
Hope you are well. When you are coming back to Calcutta?
Kindly refer to your letter dated 27th June, 1966. Now, immediately, some foods are to be dispatched from Delhi and Calcutta on my account to New York. You have written to say that the goods should be cleared and passed by the customs under a certain bill. But I do not know who will take charge of clearing these goods and getting them passed by the customs house. If you will, therefore, let me know the name of your clearing agent in Calcutta then I can send the railway receipt to him so that he can clear the goods from railway station and forward to your boat or your ship, and I'm prepared to pay for clearing and forwarding charges. In the meantime, Swami Bhakti Vilas Tirtha of Caitanya Research Institute of 71 B Rash Behari Avenue may send you some goods for forwarding. Please arrange to receive the goods and forward to New York by any one of your freighters. And also let me know by return of post your authorized clearing and forwarding agent. Also let me know whether the goods sent from Delhi may be booked for Calcutta or Cochin port. You can let me know whichever is convenient so that I shall advise my man in Delhi to follow your instruction. You can send a copy of reply of this letter to my agent at Mathura. His address is as follows, Swami B. V. Narayana Maharaja, Kesabji Gaudiya Matha, Kanstila, P. O. Mathura, India.
1967 Correspondence
While coming San Francisco I advised both Kirtanananda and Gargamuni to dispatch one tape reel to India. It was duly packed and addressed as follows:
Sri Radharamana Das Brahmacari
Sri Gaudiya Sanghasram
23 Doctor Lane Calcutta-14 India.
I am very much anxious to know if this reel has already been dispatched by air mail. If not please immediately do it and let me know that you have done so. I have received letter from the above Brahmacari that he has not as yet received the same. Please treat this as very urgent.
Tomorrow we are going to see Dr. Haridasa Chowdhury one Calcutta man who has a similar institution under the name of Self Realization Organization of San Francisco. An American gentleman Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) will take me there by engagement. And in the evening tomorrow a couple will be married and two students will initiated prior to their marriage. And the same Kirtana function will be performed at California college on the 14th instant Tuesday. I think our popularity in this part of the country is increasing. I think in New York also you should arrange for such Kirtana programs in different churches and societies on off days like Tuesday, Thursday, Saturdays. Wherever we get opportunities we must perform such Kirtana.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 20, 1967. Although I am passing through critical stages of my health, still good reports from San Francisco, Montreal, and New York are giving me life. I understand that the certificate which you were to receive by registered post was dispatched from Calcutta on 2 May by ordinary mail, and it might be missing; so I have asked Tirtha Maharaja to send another to your address. The copy of the letter addressed to Tirtha Maharaja is enclosed. Please look for the mail. I hope the certificates which you have already are sufficient; but still, this certificate from Tirtha Maharaja will be more valuable.
Anyone's special talent should be engaged in the service of the Lord, and thereby becomes successful in his life. I think that you can go on playing on your guitar and make it successful for Krishna kirtana. You do not require to learn freshly about sitar. We are not meant for learning something new for the service of the Lord; but we have to engage whatever talents we have already got. Our life is short but any type of education is great and long; so the best part of valor is to utilize properly whatever qualifications we have got for the service of the Lord. If you think still that you want a sitar, I will request you to make correspondence with Messrs Dwarkin and Sons, Esplanade Calcutta.
I have not heard from you since a long time. I hope everything is going on nicely. I think the MacMillan transaction is not successful. Please therefore send one copy of the Gitopanisad MSS as instructed above. Let me begin the printing immediately as we have waited so much time. I am now fit to return back but I shall be glad to return with permanent Visa. I am going to Calcutta to visit Lord Caitanya's birthplace and next letter may be addressed
C/o Madan Dutta, 76 Durgacharan Doctor Road, Calcutta-14
If you have collected the contribution from different centers, you can pay Acyutananda's mother $88.00. This amount was taken from him on a/c of Kirtanananda's ticket. Kirtanananda should return to you $20.00 which he took from me on the plea of stopping at London. I am feeling too much for his disobedience. ACB
I'm in due receipt of your letter dated Sept. 21. I understand from your letter that you received one consignment of pictures from Brijbasi of Bombay. Did you order these pictures or were they sent of their own accord? From New York we placed an order last April, to their Delhi office the Delhi branch says that the order is forwarded to Bombay for execution. Please inform N.Y. that you have received the pictures. I think the picture you have must belong to the N.Y. branch. So far as musical instruments are concerned I don't think it is worthwhile. Shipping charges and packing and duty come to more than that one could purchase in the states. To send one tamboura by air the total price would come to $163 and by ship 110. If you wish to purchase 20 items at a time then you can get trade shipping rates. Please send my blessings to all the boys and girls in San Francisco.
Your ever wellwisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
N.B. I am going to Calcutta next week and I may see there how the business is possible.
I am very glad that your wife Mona is gradually understanding Krishna Consciousness. Women are generally less intelligent. Give her time & scope & she will turn out a very good assistant for your life. Convey my blessings for her.
Your ever well-wisher
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
*Send him this:
1. Copy of your speech and letter to me of 28 Aug. 1967.
2. Clippings of newspaper or hand bills announcing Miss Uma Sharmas' dance in the Temple.
3. Full name & designation of Mr. Dayala of EXPO.
4. List of people present. Addresses.
5. Copy of letter of regret by Miss Sharma.
6. Limited information on I.S.K.C.O.N.
7. Addresses & names of officers and temple members in Montreal.
Reply to this letter may be addressed to me in Calcutta.
ACB
N.B. I am going to Calcutta on 9/10/67 with Acyutananda & Ramanuja. My address is overleaf. Swami Kirtanananda has given me a great shock. I advised him to go to London with introduction letter and money but he flew away to N. Y. without my knowledge. His first action after taking sannyasa is a great shock to me which please note. ACB
Since I've come to India, I've not received a single copy of BTG. There is no stationery nor prospectus either. I asked for these as well. But I've received nothing. I am starting for Calcutta on Oct. 9, You may send some stationary, BTG, and Prospectus to my Calcutta address by Air Mail. My Calcutta address is:
c/o Madan Dutta
76 Durgha Charan Dr. Rd.
Calcutta, 14.
In my last letter to Brahmananda, Hayagriva I've already requested that Rayarama take the introductory letter from Kirtanananda & as previously settled Rayarama may go to London in Nov. In London there is one Miss. D.C. Bowtell, 27 Cranhurst Rd., Crickle cod, London. NW. 2. This old lady was given Hari Nama while my Guru Maharaja was on earth. Since then she is maintaining one apartment & may be doing some preaching work. So Rayarama may open some correspondence with her before going there.
Regarding my return. I may inform you that I am now 90% cured & I can immediately return but I want to return with permanent visa. Please therefore consult Mukunda, Brahmananda & Co. & do all the necessary action. I shall expect your reply touching all the points made herein to my Calcutta Address. Hope you are well.
As to my returning to U.S., I wish to get a permanent visa this time so that I may work without being checked as to my moving. Please therefore consult Mukunda (S.F.), Brahmananda (N.Y.) Janardana (Montreal), Rayarama (Boston) & send me either immigration papers or permanent visa on the strength of becoming minister of the society. I am now 90% fit to go to your country. I am starting for Calcutta on the 9th and my address there is on the front of envelope.
I am glad that you are training Jagadananda to become my personal secretary as well as you are training Mr. Phil to translate our thoughts to German. Please keep this boy with great care because Krishna has sent him to help us. It is a good combination. Janardana is well acquainted with French, Hayagriva & you with English & Mr. Phil is well acquainted with German. So combinedly you can perform great blitz for bombarding the Western World with Krishna philosophy. This I wanted & Krishna is sending my good lieutenants. I was under the impression that you were in Boston so I have sent you some letters there. Anyway please send to my Calcutta address by air mail some Prospectus, BTG & stationery. I am going to Calcutta on the 9th. The address is on the envelope.
I am going to Calcutta with Acyutananda and Ramanuja to visit Lord Caitanya's birthsite at Mayapur. So until further information, you can address my letters to the abovementioned Calcutta address.
I may inform you in this connection that photo offset copies of the following testimonials are lying in my apartment in New York. Namely
1. Certificate from Sri Caitanya Matha Mayapur,
2. Certificate Institute of Oriental Philosophy Vrindaban
3. Certificate Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha, Mathura.
4. Certificate Gaudiya Samghasram, Calcutta.
5. Certificate New York University
If it is possible to get an official or provisional appointment letter through the influence of Mr. Ross and on the strength of the above certificates, it will be easier to get the permanent visa.
I think I have several times asked you for arranging my Permanent Visa or immigration Visa. This will settle myself in your country and I can move freely. While I was in the States you told that my certificates are sufficient to give me permanent Visa on the basis of being the Minister of the Society. Why not try for this and get me a permanent Visa. I am starting for Calcutta with Ramanuja and Acyutananda (9/10/67) who I think have already written to you about your Tanbura etc. Tanbura from Delhi by Air Mail is very costly. When I go to Calcutta on the 9th October 1967 I shall personally try for the Tanbura Harmoniums etc and settle the terms with Dwarkin and Sons. My address in Calcutta is mentioned above.
The record player which you gave me at the Stinson Beach is lost. It is stolen by somebody from my room while I was alone sleeping. I can take some police action but I do not wish to implicate myself in such a way because I am going to Calcutta. Is it possible to send me another to my Calcutta address by air mail. If it is too costly do not send. But such portable record players are not available in India. What happened to your cymbals. Now as I am going to Calcutta, I shall personally try for all kinds of supply. Please let me know in details all the goods that you may require from India to execute regular transaction for which you have already started a partnership establishment.
I have not heard for a long time from you. Previously I received so many letters from you and your sister but nowadays I am not receiving but I am always thinking of you and your good husband. I hope you are all doing well. I have received one letter from Haridasa from Santa Fe. He is willing now to marry and you may arrange for that. Please do remain in Krishna consciousness fully and you will always be happy. I am now almost cured & I wish to return back as soon as I am in receipt of a permanent Visa or immigration Visa which is in the hands of your good husband. I am starting for Calcutta on Monday morning and I shall be glad to hear from you at my Calcutta address. Please convey my blessing to all the boys and girls and I hope to meet them very soon.
Yours
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
N.B. I am negotiating with a local medal manufacturer. The cost will be about 15 ps per dollar. If you want please send money at least for 15 oz medals for $100.00. The size of the medal will be like the Radha Krishna picture on the Prospectus. One side the picture and the other side the Society's name and the word MEMBER The idea is anyone who will become a member will have this aluminium nice medal glittering like Silver. Please let me know your decision in Calcutta.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct. 2. It is noted that you are trying to appoint some public engagements as soon as I arrive. My program is that I am going to Calcutta tomorrow. The address is on the letter. From Calcutta I will let you know when I shall arrive there. Probably by the time indicated in your letter. I am very anxious to see you again. I am very much pleased with you & your wife's service to Krishna Consciousness.
I am leaving for Calcutta today as it was already settled. You promised to come and see me yesterday at 2 P.M. but you didn't come; When I was at Vrindaban you several times asked me to come to Delhi for several times and I came and remained here for a month but you did not do anything about the room, I would not have come to Delhi at least my Gramophone machine wouldn't have been stolen, now you can definitely let me know your decision to my Calcutta address as it is on the overleaf.
(1) If you want to transfer the Trust to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Society will do everything for the improvement of the Temple and also engage you as paid whole time manager on behalf of the Society. You asked Rs 300/- per month and this is agreed herewith.
(2) If not I am prepared to advise my banker to pay you Rs 25/- per month without fail but the key of the room will be with me.
(3) I have not begun my printing works because you have not said anything about the room. If you therefore settle about the room in either of the above mentioned (1) & (2) (proposed) __ I shall come __ from Calcutta, do the needful & then I shall go back to U.S.A. If you are not settling anything __ room, then I may not come back to Delhi any more. I will go to U.S.A. directly from Calcutta via Pacific (route ?) for which Sri Dalmia Seth has already promised for the ticket Rs. 5,500/-. So kindly reply this letter forthwith to my Calcutta address & __ Hope this will find you well.
On my arrival in Calcutta I have duly received your two letters dated __ & 5th instant. Regarding change of dress, I beg to inform you that every Krishna conscious person must be clean shaved, must have Tilakas on the forehead and other eleven places and must have the Sikha on the top of the head besides beads on the neck as usual. Rarely one can continue to keep beard but it is better not to keep it to distinguish oneself from the Hippies. We must let the public know that we are not Hippies. Do not try to follow the unauthorized advice of Kirtanananda. Nobody cares for the dress; every sane man follows the philosophy and practical talks. Let Kirtanananda Swami do something practically. Let him do whatever he likes and let us see that thousands of American are following him. Unless he does so do not accept his principle. I think all of you except a Sannyasi may dress yourself just like a fine up to date American gentleman but one must have the Tilakas etc as I have mentioned above. Kirtanananda is the first man in our society who cleanly shaved and kept the Sikha on the top of the head and now he has begun to keep beard again. This is not good.
I am in due receipt of your letter. Yes you try to make successful BTG as you have recently planned and then you may proceed to London. And because you are so engaged I asked Kirtanananda to go to London on his way back but he did not like the idea and has gone back to New York directly without any reason. Please send me some stationery and copies of Back to Godhead to my Calcutta address by Air mail immediately.
Your letter dated Oct. 3rd, sent to my Delhi address is redirected to Calcutta & therefore I have delayed in replying. We are again leaving this place for Navadvipa & you can reply there, the address you will find on the envelope. It is so nice to read your letter & the reply as to how you are always thinking for Krishna. When you write to say that "I would like very much to be teaching them Krishna Conscience instead of English" it reminds me of Lord Caitanya. For some time Lord Caitanya was conducting a Catuspati, which is a small tutorial village class run by a learned Brahmin. When Lord Caitanya was teaching grammar to his students he was explaining Krishna. There is a chapter in Sanskrit grammar which is called Dahtu, it is verbal denominations.
I am in due receipt of your letter of Oct 16 with great pleasure. Now I feel certain that you will get my immigration visa, in the meantime as I have already informed you I've gotten a visitors visa immediately on presenting passport. So please let me know whether I should wait for the immigration visa as you intend to send me or should I start on the strength of the visitors visa. On the whole now I can start any day I like but if you think I should wait I shall wait. You must write me immediately. I'm leaving Calcutta the day after tomorrow for Navadvipa, the birth place of Lord Caitanya and my address is given on the overleaf (please find). You will reply this letter to my Navadvipa address and on hearing from you I will do the needful.
N.B. I have purchased one Tambura for you costing Rs 106/- from Dwarkin & Sons. They have allowed me 20% discount (special) on the price. This Tambura is going to be booked by air cargo tomorrow by Ramanuja. The charges will be too much. But hence forward you can order directly to M/S Dwarkin & son, 8/2 Esplanade East, Calcutta-1. The price is Rs 125/- Less 20% and there will be no sale tax charges if you send the amount by Bank draft in dollar direct to the firm. The will pack & ship the instruments by surface which will be very cheap. Always order in the ISKCON Stationery which are printed with my name.
The editing of Gita Upanisad is already much delayed. I think it was in this month of November last year my compilation of Gita Upanisad was finished. The editing work was first entrusted with Rayarama, but as he could not finish it the work was transferred to Hayagriva. In this way even within one year the editing work could not be finished. This is not very encouraging. Now it must be finished within three weeks and hand it over to MacMillan Co. Today I shall go to the travel agent's office for booking my seat and may start by next Monday or Tuesday. In my next letter I shall let you and Mukunda know of my journey from Calcutta to San Francisco, via Bangkok, Hong Kong etc. Hope you are well.
I am so glad to receive your letter dated 15th Nov. 1967. You're very anxious to see me back in New York and I may inform you that I had settled to be in San Francisco on the 24 of Nov. but due to a petty revolution in Calcutta I am not able to leave. Future arrangements are pending. I wish to go from San Francisco to the other two new branches and then return to New York. I am so glad to learn that you are now getting the fruit of chanting Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna is so nice that it clears the dirty things from the mind of the devotee and the more one is used to chant the Holy Name offenselessly, the more one develops love of God, forgetting the whole material nonsense. (It is my duty to deliver you the right thing in right earnestness and it is the duty of the receiver to act in the standard spiritual regulation. When you left us I simply prayed to Krishna for your return to Krishna Consciousness because that was my duty. Any good soul who approaches me once for spiritual enlightenment is supposed to be depending on my responsibility to get him back to Krishna, back to home. The disciple may misunderstand a bona fide spiritual master being obliged to do so under pressure of Maya's influence. But a bona fide spiritual master never lets go a devotee once accepted. When a disciple misunderstands a bona fide spiritual master, the master regrets for his inability to protect the disciple and sometimes he cries with tears in the eyes. We had an experience while my Guru Maharaja was alive. One of His disciples who accepted sannyasa was one day forcibly dragged by his wife. My Guru Maharaja lamented with tears in His eyes saying that He could not save the soul.)
I am so glad to receive your letter dated Nov. 16, 1967. I was as much anxious to return to San Francisco and then to your place Los Angeles. It was almost finalized that I should start on the 23rd Nov. but due to the political strikes in Calcutta things have taken a different turn. I am just waiting for the opportune moment. Most probably everything will be alright by the end of this week and I am start for your country by Monday next via Japan. Anyway, I am reaching your place as soon as possible. In the meantime have some patience till my arrival. I am very sorry that Subala das has assumed such air of importance. We should always remember that we are on the path of perfection, but we are not perfect.
You will be glad to know that after the petty trouble in Calcutta and the city being normal, I have today booked my ticket for San Francisco via Tokyo. I am starting on Wednesday morning (Dec. 13) reaching Tokyo the same day. I shall rest there for 24 hours and then start for San Francisco arriving at 12:45 p.m. on Dec. 14 by flight PAA 846. I have got one general introduction letter from the mayor of Calcutta and it may be that I shall be meeting important people there.
You will be glad to know that I have arranged with Messrs. Dwarkin & Son, 8/2 Esplanade East, Calcutta-1, to supply all kinds of musical instruments to our society at a special discount of 20%. Ramanuja has already written you about this thing. There is one company, the "American Mail Line" Navigation Service from Calcutta to San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc. They have got their office in San Francisco at #601 California Street. You can see the manager there and try to get free or concessional freight service for our temple goods. The only thing is that you have to impress upon them that Krishna Consciousness is an international organization for invoking man's dormant spiritual life. You can show him our other literatures, records and activities to convince him in this regard. You can also inform them that on the other side (Calcutta to New York) the Scindia Steam Navigation Co. has already given us facilities. We have also arranged for incense supply with a nice factory in Calcutta. I am carrying with me some varieties of samples. On the whole I have fixed up the carrying co., the musical co., the incense supply co., the cloth supply co., and all other things which you might require from India. You have no difficulty in getting things and you can chalk out your own program. Hope you are well.
I was so much happy to receive your letter Nov. 21, 1967, on my arrival. I hope in the meantime you have received my letter from Calcutta. I also hope you might have received some pictures which were sent from Calcutta. If you can, send one offset copy of the horses and chariot of Arjuna. Govinda dasi may draw a small picture of the same chariot for printing on the front page of Back to Godhead.
When you go to India, you let me know and I shall give you some introductory letters to Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Navadvipa, Jaipur, Kanpur, etc. Perhaps you have to visit Udaipur also. But in Europe wherever you will go, you must arrange for opening a centre. May Krishna give you more and more strength my dear child. I am very poor but Krishna is very rich. I can simply pray to Krishna. But Krishna is very great and magnanimous; He can do everything for you and for us all. Thanking you once more. Hope you are well.
I hope you have received all my letters and the purports of Gita which I sent you from Calcutta.
1968 Correspondence
So far your coming here I think at the present moment it is impossible for the reason that the government of India will not allow anyone to go to foreign countries by spending Indian money. This time when I was coming back to the U.S. I had a great deal of trouble. Though when I went to the U.S. Consul General my visa was granted in 1/2 hours. The gentleman in charge was an Indian and as soon as he saw me he told me, "Swamiji, I'll give you your visa; simply wait here for half an hour." So it was Lord Krishna's Grace. My granting of the P-form was also delayed. My travelling agents had so many difficulties in getting my P-form. The form was sent to the chief controller in Bombay and returned after a month after several telephone conversations from Calcutta to Bombay. Then he sent instructions that if I had money from America I could go. So with great difficulty I had to convince him.
Today I have received one urgent letter from Acyutananda Brahmacari. He is doing very nicely with preaching work at Kanpur. He has held many seminars, at different places, and the educated circle (lawyers, teachers, etc.) are taking part in his preaching work. Kanpur is the next important city after Calcutta and Bombay. Therefore his decision to start immediately one center at Kanpur is acceptable. As proposed previously, $10 from each center should be contributed for the Indian American House. Now, you can immediately sent him at the following address $100 from the book account. And for the next month we shall arrange to send him $60, collected from each center $10. He is requesting me to send you, Rayarama, and Rupanuga for sometime there for preaching work. Rayarama has already sent him a note that he may be going there, latest by April 1968. You had the program to go to India for some time, now you can arrange for your starting there. Kanpur is very important center, and there are many big business magnets, and 4 or 5 Brahmacaris staying there for sometime and preaching this mission will carry good effect. The bank should be advised to transfer $100 by air mail to the following address; Acyutananda das Brahmacari, c/o N. Banerjea, 114 Elliot Road, Kanpur 4, India.
You wanted to write me after sending the picture at the following address.: Syamasundara, Mullick, 155/A Mahatma Gandhi Road, Calcutta-7, India,. Hope you are well. Please let me know if you have sent the picture in India as above mentioned.
N.B. Because they are so desperate for peace in the East, it may be a good idea to expand on the point that we have very widespread influence all over the Eastern world, and we can spread much good peace-propaganda for the U.N. there.
P.S. I am enclosing herewith some of the certificates of Godbrothers in Gaudiya math institutions. I think in my apartment there are photostat copies of them. If they are there please submit those photostat copies them, the typed ones. Also please let me know if Brahmananda has received shipping documents from the United Shipping Corporation of Calcutta. Also from S. S. Brijbasi Co.
I am enclosing herewith one copy of the letter received from United Shipping Corp. of Calcutta in respect of our goods shipped via s.s. "Flying Enterprise". The ship is expected to arrive by this time in N.Y. port so necessary action should immediately be taken. At last I beg to inform you that unless you receive definite letter from Acyutananda you may not be in hurry to go to India taking so much risk. Hope you are well.
Regarding Purusottama Brahmacari's letter from Vrindaban: if you think you are able to purchase 340 copies at 40% discount, then you can send one letter to Narayana Maharaja asking if he will take the responsibility of receiving the books from him, and pack them and send to Calcutta to our shipping agent. If he wants to take the responsibility and the trouble to do this, then you can send him bank draft being the price of the books, and he will do the needful. In the meantime, I am surprised you have not received the documents from United Shipping Corporation. I have sent you copy of their last letter in which it is said the goods have been shipped by S.S. Flying Enterprise on the 14th of January, 1968. As such, the ship should have reached by now New York, so please take information immediately whether the ship has arrived and also send immediately one letter to the United Shipping Corp. I think nowadays it takes a long time to arrive in New York from Calcutta on account of the Suez Canal being closed. Anyway, you should find out the list of arriving ships from the port information and do the needful. If the ship is arrived recently, send them a telegram why the documents not received.
Kindly refer to your letter number 153, dated at Vrindaban, Feb. 19th, 1968, addressed to United Shipping Corp, 14/2 Old China Bazar Street, Room No. 18, Calcutta, regarding shipment of 15 cases of books to New York per S.S. "Flying Enterprise" a/c A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. With reference to the above, I beg to inform you that the remittance of more than Rs 13,000 as was received by you for credit of my account on 5/8/67 includes the price of the books shipment, by S. S. "Flying Enterprise." This was already declared by me to the shipping agent as it was needed by the exchange authorities. As such you can forward the documents immediately to me as it is needed that the documents should come through you. I hope you will kindly do the needful without delay.
Also, please send me a statement of account of $500 sent by us, and the balance which is still with you. Please also let me know, besides the books sent by the Institute of Oriental Philosophy for shipping, whether some loose Bhagavatams are still lying there. When I was in Calcutta, I sent some loose Bhagavatams. I do not know whether you have sent them or not. Please enlighten me.
I hope in the meantime you have received the reply of your letter dated 27th March, 1968. Since I wrote you last I have come to New York. Regarding Business: if you send goods on our order then just on presentation of the shipping documents and your bill, my banker, the Bank of America, will pay for it at once. The copy of the bank's letter is enclosed herewith; please find it. If you agree to do business in that way, you can send immediately 20 first class kholes, and immediately ship 10 kholes to New York, and 10 to San Francisco. There is a shipping line, American Mail Service, or there are many shipping lines regularly coming from Calcutta to San Francisco and New York, and you can take advantage of them. We have got some money, about 3000/ Rs., lying with United Shipping Corporation, at 14/2, Old China Bazar Street, Room No. 18, Calcutta. I have sent them several letters for statement of account and they are silent since a long time. I am also enclosing herewith the copy of their letter as enclosed herein.
On one side, we shall be able to distribute our Hare Krishna chanting, and the other side, we shall have 20 pairs of Deities for installing at least in 20 places. I think you can do this service conjointly, Acyutananda, and Jaya Govinda and yourself. And then gradually you can develop two or three centers in India, one in Vrindaban, one in Hrsikesa, and one in Bombay. I do not bother about Calcutta because there are many centers of my God-brothers there. Recently I have received one letter from one of our senior God-brothers, he is living in Bombay. I have suggested him to open a branch of our society and if he agrees then I shall ask some of you to go there. Many other students are ready to go to India, and if you work conjointly, without quarreling amongst yourselves, a tremendous service can be done towards the expansion of our mission. Please therefore try to execute this program peacefully for the sake of Lord Krishna, to Whom you have all dedicated your lives.
In your Order of Denial, you have clearly mentioned in paragraph 4 that your denial order was not on the basis of my qualification of Religious Minister, but on your discretion for the reason that I submitted my application just after a fortnight of my arrival in USA, and as such, I was not a bona fide non-immigrant. I did not know what was the technical mistake on my part in this connection, but I honestly submitted the application after consulting your Calcutta American Consulate and our Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. and I have their letters of confirmation with me.
Now you can consult with Mr. Kallman and send him some trial order on the above basis. His address is as follows:
Ranjit Mullick
7, Kalikrishna Tagore Street
Calcutta-7
INDIA
I am sending a copy of this letter for Ranjit Mullick, for information, and you can now open correspondence with him by asking quotation for the goods you may require presently. And in receipt of the quotation, you can send him the order if you approve the prices. I think you should give him a trial order, and if the transaction is successful, then you can increase the volume of the business.
Regarding visa: I am not prohibited like that, that I cannot enter USA, but the permanent visa ws denied only on some technical ground. There is no impediment about my bona fides. But they have raised an objection because I submitted my application just after a fortnight of my arrival, and they say that I entered USA not as a bona fide non-immigrant. But I submitted my application, after consulting the Indian Embassy, as well as the American Embassy in Calcutta, but I see a different decision at the end. It is very difficult to take the words of government servants straightly. Canakya Pandit has advised not to trust a politician and a woman, so practically I consulted all these politicians and they have given a different decision. I do not know what is their intention, but for the time being I have not gotten the visa.
Regarding gramophone records: When I was in India, Acyutananda knows that my record player was stolen. But when we went to Calcutta, one gentleman loaned us his record player machine, and it was nicely played. This is known to Acyutananda. This means that our record was played in another gentleman's machine. So there is no difficulty to play the records in Indian machine.
Your statement "within the month I hope to have some students chanting" is very encouraging for me. Sanskrit is the mother of all languages; there is no doubt about it. In our childhood, we read one grammar made by two English professors, Mr. Rowe and Webb, in Calcutta, Presidential College, and they have given their statement that Sanskrit is the mother of all languages. Besides that, we understand from reliable resources, that Sanskrit is the spoken by the higher planetary denizens. It is therefore called Devanagari. Devanagari means the cities of the demigods. This language is spoken there. And so far, AUM is concerned, actually, the AU, the alphabet A, is the basic principle of all languages. And Krishna says, Aksaranan Akarasmi the A amongst all alphabets, is Krishna. Because A is the beginning of all language. A or Au. So your representation that Sanskrit is the origin of Indo-European languages, is quite right, but our main concern is how we can impress people about the importance of Krishna Consciousness, and your scholarly presentation of the Anglo-Saxon language is very much pleasing to me; I hope in future you have to move amongst the scholars, representing our Krishna Consciousness movement, so I am glad that you are thinking in that way for our future program.
I am asking also Acyutananda and Jaya Govinda to come and join with you immediately, and if Syamasundara. also comes, you can all learn German language very nicely with the help of Syamasundara and Uttama Sloka, and preach vigorously this Krishna Consciousness movement in Germany. Our Bhagavad-gita as it is, is now published, and I have got copies of it here. It will sell very nicely, and it is very attractive. So you can ask Brahmananda to send you copies. If you want mrdanga and harmonium, you can immediately order directly from Mssrs. Dwarkin and Son, and refer to our society's name, and they will allow 20% discount. Their address is as follows: Dwarkin & Son Private Ltd.; 8/2 Esplanade East; Calcutta-1, INDIA. I think you can order Dulcetina, model number 30501. This is very nice, and I am using this kind personally. And it is very handy also.
Last year in July I went back to India and from Vrindaban, I wrote you a letter, asking your appointment to see you, but I never received any reply. Several times I reminded you, but I did not receive any reply. Then again, according to your letter dated 11th April, 1966, I contacted your Calcutta manager, Sri I.N. Wankawala, but he refused to carry your order as per your letter dated 11th April, 1966. He refused to carry my goods, or carry my men, and I did not receive any reply from you, so I was helpless, and came back to New York again. At present, I am in Canada. I hope you are receiving my paper "Back To Godhead" regularly; by the Grace of Krishna, the preaching work in this part of the world about Krishna Consciousness is improving.
Regarding free passage to be provided to your men from India to New York on our ships, kindly note that these gentlemen will have to obtain permission from the Reserve Bank of India and therefore I suggest that you please request them to complete the P form formalities and thereafter please ask them to contact Sri I.N. Wankawala of our Calcutta office whom I am advising suitably.
As regards equipments for the temple such as Mrdangam for Sankirtana, also I am advising Sri Wankawala to allow freight-free shipment on our vessels. You may therefore advise those concerned to contact him for this purpose. I may add that for shipment from Cochin also Sri Wankawala of our Calcutta office should be contacted and he will do the needful.
I could not understand why your manager, Mr. Wankawala, refused to carry out the orders of your letter under reference. Anyway, my fervent request to you is that you continue to help me as per your above letter. It will be good to you and to your business. I am trying to open several Radha Krishna Temples as I have already done in several places, in USA and Canada, and next I am going to open in Europe also. So please ask your Calcutta manager to carry my goods free of freight charges as per your letter under reference, dated 11th April, 1966.
Some of my Indian friends are ready to donate Sri Sri Radha Krishna Vigraha for installation in the temples. Formerly, also, one Mr. Bhargava of Agra, he donated one Pair of Radha Krishna Vigraha, with dress, and it was sent to Calcutta, and your Calcutta office was kind enough to carry it free of freight charges. Now they have denied. I have to import at least 20 Pairs of such Vigraha, and if you at least carry the Vigrahas, freight charges free, it will be a great help to my cause. Besides that, I am getting Mrdangas, Khole, from Navadvipa, Karatalas. So there are many paraphernalia I require for my temples. It is not meant for business; and I did not know why Mr. Wankawala refused.
1969 Correspondence
I hope by this time you have safely reached your home and everything is going well. When you were here I requested you to connect with me some of your tenants at Natoon Bazar selling brass utensils. I want many pairs of Navadvipa-made karatalas, so please introduce to me some of your very reliable tenants, and I shall send you the money for purchase. The supplier should pack it nicely in a gunny bag. We have got our own shipping agents: Msgrs United Shipping Corporation, 14/2 Old China Bazar Street, Room #18, Calcutta-1), and they will take care of the shipping. I have already shown you samples of karatalas while you were sitting in my room, and I hope you will help me in this connection.
I do not know if you were able to visit our Hawaii, Honolulu temple. Perhaps you were unable. Anyway, I shall be glad to hear from you about your pleasant journey from Los Angeles to Calcutta by Japan.
What you have to do is to purchase the deities, pack Them in nice wooden boxes securely, and dispatch to Calcutta to our shipping agents. We have arrangements with Scindia Steam Navigation Co. to carry our temple goods free of charge.
My sister from Calcutta has addressed me one letter that she has heard by some source that I am coming to Mayapur during the great festival. This means that some of our godbrothers and sisters may be expecting me during the ensuing festival there. But till now I have heard no news from Tirtha Maharaja.
Five thousand (5,000) copies of Back To Godhead Magazine are being published monthly now, and since the demand is increasing, we are arranging to print twenty thousand (20,000) copies starting from next April. You are regularly receiving these copies both in Calcutta and Madras, and I have also instructed to send copies to Sri Caitanya Math for Sraman Maharaja. My books are being published by MacMillan Company, and the first publication is Bhagavad-gita As It Is. I am sending a copy of this book for your personal reading by separate mail. Please let me know of your opinion. Dr. Haridasa Chaudhuri, the President of the Asiatic Studies Institute in San Francisco has opined as follows: "The book is without doubt the best presentation so far to the western public of the teachings of Lord Krishna from the standpoint of the Vaisnava tradition in India—the standpoint of devotional Hindu Mysticism."
Regarding your books, the editorial assistants and myself do agree there is no difference of our Sampradaya Siddhanta. Now we have only to see how these books will be sellable in this country. The best thing will be if you can kindly send more copies of each book, and we can try to sell them in our different centers. If there is good response, we can think of republishing them. Certainly to send the books by air mail is prohibitive, but you can send them by surface mail in different batches to our different centers of which a list of addresses is found in the copy of the letter addressed to Tirtha Maharaja. The next alternative is to pack up all of the books and send them to Calcutta to our shipping agents, namely; United Shipping Corporation, 14/2 Old China Bazar Street (Room #18), Calcutta-1, INDIA. Upon hearing from you I will advise them to take care of the packages to New York by sea-way. We shall try to sell the books in our different centers, and the sales proceeds will be kept separately. If the books are to be published, from here the sales proceeds will be utilized for this purpose. Or else, the proceeds shall be sent to you after a deduction of 40% discount as we get from others. We are selling books of many of our godbrothers, just like Bon Maharaja, Nitai dasa Brahmacari, Prof. Sannyal, Bhakti Pradip Tirtha, Raga Caitanya Prabhu, etc. I think this arrangement will be practical. If you will give us your permission then we can immediately arrange to publish some of the best portions as articles in Back To Godhead with your good name therein.
I thank you very much for your letter (F-54/103) dated February 6, 1969. Regarding the letter of credit, I beg to inform you that I have got good accounts in some of the very respectable banks in America in which there are branches in Calcutta. I am sending herewith one letter of declaration from the Bank of America as well as from the First National City Bank of America for your kind perusal. So, for experimental sake, if you immediately dispatch the following goods and ship them to Los Angeles, your bills with bill of lading will be presented to the Bank of America and will at once be honored. For the time being you can ship the goods by any suitable steamer company to Los Angeles.
If somebody does not accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu for want of archeological evidence, it will not hamper our movement. There is sufficient archeological evidence in this connection, and it can be supplied from various sources which are in India. There is even archeological evidence of Vyasadeva which was recently propounded by one Dr. Cakravarti. I personally saw this in a monthly magazine of Calcutta of the name Mother in which I was giving my articles. If you like, you can inquire from them or such institutes as Caitanya Research Institute, started by my godbrother, Tirtha Maharaja. That is not a very difficult task.
I am so pleased to receive your letter dated Feb. 20th, 1969, Swami B. D. Madhava of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math has kindly requested you to contact me so I am so much thankful to both of you. He is my God-brother. The books mentioned by you can exactly be had from Gaudiya Math, Kali Prasad Cakravarti Lane, Bagh Bazar, Calcutta-3, India. Some of the books mentioned by you are sometimes imported by my New York center, and the manager in charge is Sriman Brahmananda Brahmacari, ISKCON Temple, 61 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10003.
Please accept my blessings. I have received one letter from United Shipping Corporation, and the copy of the proforma invoice is as follow:
1 pce. First Class Harmonium @$22.00 = $22.00
2 pcs. First Class Mrdangas @$6.75 = $13.50
5 prs. Big Navadvipa Karatalas @$2.12 = $10.60
1 pce. "Panchapradip" for Arati @$2.00 = 2.00
1 pce. Jahanjh @$3.35 = $3.35
1 pce. Round "Ghari" @$9.95 = $9.95
3 pces. Water conch shells @$1.50 = $4.50
2 pcs. Blowing conch shells @$2.00 = $4.00
1 pce. Bengali New Year (1376) Panjika @$ .50 = $ .50
Subtotal = $70.40
Packing, Forwarding & Insurance charges = $27.55
Total = $97.95
C & I Calcutta
(U.S. Dollars Ninety seven and cents ninety five only.)
I have advised the bank to retire the bill immediately on presentation. The copy of the letter of instructions to the bank is also enclosed herewith. Please therefore immediately deposit $100 in my account number 03081-61625, with the Bank of America; Pico-La Cienega Branch; 8501 West Pico Boulevard; Los Angeles, Cal.
I thank you for your letter of March 17, 1969, and I have received the bank receipt for the money deposited there. I have received one letter from Atma Ram and Sons that they have already dispatched the books to Calcutta and handed over the R.R. receipt to you. but you have not mentioned anything about this. I hope you have the matter handled nicely.
Your very strong desire to return to Germany is already approved by me, and Krishna das is very much eager to receive you there. In his letter of March 2nd, he writes to say "we may send Jaya Govinda his ticket via AE immediately; hopefully he will arrive here by the week's end." Therefore I hope you might have already received the ticket for returning to Germany. But before your leaving Delhi, either for Bombay or for Europe, please book the unsold goods taken delivery from Atma Rama and Sons and send to our shipping agent in Calcutta, so they may ship them to N.Y. Your sympathetic expression about my magnitude of work with which I am pressed here is undoubtedly very much encouraging to me, and certainly I am pressed with heavy work.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated March 29, 1969, with enclosures. I am glad that you have received the consignment from Calcutta, and when I go to New York, I shall see what is the quality of the khole. Then if it is nice, we shall have to order many kholes like that.
Advaita and his press contemporaries have agreed to pay me 10,000 per year for the printing of my books. So you can print at least two books, 5,000 copies each by that money. I hope you have by now settled something with Dai Nippon, and if they have agreed, you can hand over the Second Canto, Srimad-Bhagavatam immediately. There is one copy of Caitanya Caritamrta (No. 18) which is received from Calcutta with Bengali titles. This may immediately be sent to Gaurasundara by mail. You will find it on the shelf in my room. It is understood that MacMillan Company was to pay some hundreds of dollars to Gaurasundara for his design, so I do not know whether they have already paid or not. Anyway, you can immediately send him the above-mentioned book, and the price may be paid from his pay from MacMillan. I am awaiting your letter describing your progress with Dai Nippon.
I am very much thankful for your promise to help me in my missionary activities, and I shall be glad to know about your press, whether you can print first class books in art paper and linotype composition. If so, we can give you so much work. We have got many books to be printed yet. If it is cheaper than in Japan, we can immediately give you some business. From Calcutta we may purchase many articles for being dispatched to our various centers. I do not know whether you can help us in that respect. We are importing many mrdangas and other musical instruments, Navadvipa karatalas also, so please tell me if you can help us in this respect. You can make some profit in this also.
NB: Enclosed is one letter received from Cidananda, which you may read and do the needful.
P.S. The Los Angeles consignment from Calcutta is dispatched on 10th May 1969. Take delivery of the documents from Bank of America by the 10th of June 1969 or inquire. ACB
P.S. My dear Jaya Govinda will you let me know the list of goods that you have sent to Calcutta for dispatch by the United Shipping Corporation. ACB
Please ask Acyutananda to serve our society at least in this capacity because he is in India. Regarding United Shipping Corporation, I understand that there was some death of a senior partner, so they were busy in ceremonies, but apparently they are also not very prompt. If Acyutananda is serious about purchasing goods and dispatching from Calcutta or Bombay, he may also find out some good shipping agents in these places. If he would do some work for our society, surely he would be happy. Regarding the electric typewriter, if you are going to purchase, you should purchase an IBM Composer. That would be very nice for us, without paying it all at once. So you may look into this.
Your idea of using the Moose Hall is also very nice. During the Rathayatra Ceremony, you invite Mrs. Sumitra Sarkar, who last year reported our Rathayatra Ceremony to India. She is the daughter of the editor of Jugantar, an important paper in Calcutta. I think you should invite her in some Los Angeles Festival also. Her present address is: Barnes 3/G, Escondido Village, Standford, California 94305. If you keep good relationship with this lady, she can help us reporting nicely about our activities. If our Los Angeles people see her for reviewing our books in their Indian papers, that will be also nice. Her great-grandfather, Mahatma Sisir Kumar Ghosh was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, and their whole family is in favor of Sankirtana Movement. So if you can establish a little intimacy with this lady, she can help us in many ways.
I beg to hand you herewith one Bank Draft in your favor for Rs 825.00 for credit of my above a/c. The purpose of sending this money is to purchase Brass Deities from Vrindaban. Arrangement has been mad that Sri Ramnath Mukutwala of Lohi Bazar, Vrindaban, will supply Radha-Krishna Brass Murtis, 24" high, at Rs 825.00 per pair. So please call him and pay him in advance Rs 100.00. After manufacturing the Murtis, he will securely pack and book the parcel to Calcutta by Ry Parcel. On delivery of the Ry receipt to you, along with the invoice you will pay him the balance Rs 725.00, including packing and forwarding charge. This Ry receipt, his invoice along with your certificate to the Reserve Bank of Calcutta that money paid to Ramanath Mukutwala is American Exchange received by you on such and such date, all the documents may be forwarded by Regd. Post with asked due to M/s United Shipping Corporation, 14/2 Old China Bazar Street, Calcutta-1, and they will take care of shipping the package to the U.S.A. The money paid to Ramanath Mukutwala and your commission for this transaction may be charged against my above a/c.
I beg to inform you that on August 5th, 1967 you received American Exchange for Rupees 33,705.86 for credit of my account. Out of this amount, books amounting to Rupees 13,000.00 were dispatched from Calcutta on November 20th, 1967, and again another consignment of books as per invoice enclosed is being dispatched from Calcutta through m/s United Shipping Corporation (14/2 Old China Bazar Street, Room No. 18; Calcutta-1, INDIA). Please address one letter to the United Shipping Corporation about this extra change, receipt on such and such date.
I beg to thank you for your letter (F-235) dated June 26, 1969, and I have noted the contents. That some people in India wish to donate Murtis and musical instruments but the Indian government has no provisions for such donation is most surprising. Hindustan has become independent, but while she was under foreign government she had the liberty to preach her culture and religion in foreign countries. During my Guru Maharaja's days, thousands of Rupees were being dispatched from Calcutta to London, but the new Indian government being independent, they are prohibiting to send some Murtis and mrdangas. So it is all our bad luck that these things are happening. Anyway, for the future I have arranged like this: Sriman Acyutananda Brahmacari is collecting some mrdangas and karatalas in exchange for our magazine, Back To Godhead. The price of one year subscription to Back To Godhead is $5.00, and in exchange of such one year subscription he is accepting a mrdanga and a few pair of karatalas. He has already collected a few mrdangas, and very soon he will have to dispatch them to our various centers. So please let me know whether or not you shall be able to get sanction from the Reserve Bank of India for this exchange policy of accepting goods of the value of one year's subscription. I hope the above is clear and you will do the needful.
Regarding land in India, I am corresponding with Acyutananda in this connection, and let us see how things develop. There is no need of you corresponding with him directly in this connection. Gargamuni has arrived here safely yesterday, and already he and Tamala Krishna are making plans to open 108 centers within a three year period. So I very much appreciate how my disciples are taking this movement to their heart of hearts, and are working very sincerely to propagate it. Another thing is, you may negotiate with the First National City Bank where I have got my account as to how we may start an account in their Calcutta Branch in the name of our International Society for Krishna Consciousness. We are doing so much business with India now, so if we can manage payment in American dollars, it will prevent all difficulties with the Reserve Bank. So please do this and inform me of your activities in this connection.
Regarding your future settlement in India, You can work in any big city like Bombay or Delhi, because without living in a big city you cannot have a good job. You can also try Calcutta. Calcutta is also a very big industrial city, and if you are posted there, it will be easier for you to look after the Mayapur-contemplated temple. But it does not matter whether you are situated in Bombay, Calcutta or Delhi; wherever is suitable you can accept.
Just today I learned that in about one month Sudama and Bali Mardan will be leaving to begin this Japanese center, and Sudama has already arranged for free tickets for them both. So you may open correspondence to discuss this with Tamala Krishna. My idea is that you may not divert your attention to Tokyo at this time. Your responsibility in Hawaii is very great, so make it well-established first of all. Then you may try for another center. For your selling BTGs there is no reason for you to be strained. Whatever you can do conveniently is all right. I have received information from the United Shipping Corporation that the Murtis are coming from Calcutta to Honolulu.
Regarding mango recipe directions, it may be done as follows: first of all collect the juice, then boil it on fire until it is a thick pulp. And while boiling, add a little salt also. That will act as a preservative; but don't make it salty. Then spread the boiled pulp in thin layers on dishes or suitable pots and dry it in the sunshine. I think it will come out successful. Regarding Sadhana Ausadhalaya, you can write to him c/o Kaviraja Rajani Candra Shastri, 227 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Calcutta-7. Let him know the symptoms of your ailment, and ask him to send some good medicines. But the difficulty will be for the vehicles. In the Ayurvedic medicine there are vehicles which are very difficult to obtain in this country. So you should advise them to send medicine and suitable vehicles which can't be obtained in this country. But if the medicine is only mixed with honey, as they usually do, then there is no difficulty. You can refer my name also to this physician. Then he will be more careful.
I thank you very much for inviting me to your head office in Calcutta for heart-to-heart talk and discussion. I shall be always glad to abide by this suggestion, but the thing is if I go to India, it will cost me at least Rs. 25,000 to go and come back. In this old age, wherever I go I take with me one personal assistant. This means if I go to India, I will have to take my secretary, and that means two return tickets also, as well as other expenses. But if something is tangibly understood on the line of cooperation, it will be not difficult for me to go and see the acharya of the Mission for the final decision.
I am going to Germany the day after tomorrow via New York, and therefore my next address will be c/o Internationale Gesellschaft fur Krishna Bewusstein, 2 Hamburg 19, Eppendorfer Weg 11, West Germany. In the meantime I shall request you to cooperate with my missionary activities to supply me 10 mrdangas (kholes), first class and 50 pairs of karatalas, Navadvipa made, first class, every month to our different centers like New York, Los Angeles, London, Hamburg and Tokyo. Also I would request you to arrange for supplying Radha-Krishna Deities made in Vrindaban or Calcutta, 24" high, for our different centers. We can also cooperate in selling your books in our different centers, and similarly you can cooperate by selling our books in your different centers. So there is ample opportunity of cooperation in good will, and if we continue like that, in the near future it may be possible that we completely amalgamate both our institutions. I hope you will give your due consideration to my proposals and shall be glad to hear from you at your earliest convenience. Also please let me know if personally I can become a member of your society under Clause 3 on page 19 of the Memorandum.
Your daughter gave me your address in Calcutta, and therefore I am taking this opportunity for your help in this connection. Of course, I shall send money for purchasing all these goods. I simply want your help that you supervise the supply and send us first class articles. We do not mind for the price. In Calcutta there are many manufacturers for mrdangas, and if you arrange with somebody, you can easily help us.
REF: Your letter dated 25th August 1969, addressed to Messrs. United Shipping Corporation (14/2 Old China Bazar Street—Room No. 18, Calcutta) in the matter of shipment of 8 cases Srimad-Bhagavatam, account Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, to New York per S.S. Jalakala
Regarding the house, it is not possible for us to pay such sums: it is untouchable. But if they are prepared to sell the house at 250,000 dollars when complete and finished, and accept 10% down payment, then we can consider to touch it. Regarding the Sanskrit dictionary, keep it there carefully. It is important. Regarding the information you sent from the Bank of America Calcutta, I am little busy now because I am starting for London this Thursday. I shall have to scrutinizingly see what they propose. I shall reply this from London. In the meantime, as you are getting goods from Delhi, there is no worry. This Bank of America in Calcutta will be needed when we begin business with Calcutta. There is no immediate hurry. I shall think it over and let you know from London.
I beg to inform you that in reply to your letter dated 8th August 1969, I sent my letter dated 21st August 1969 when I was in Los Angeles. Since then I have received no letter from you. I gave you my address in Germany, but I did not receive any letter there. So I am confused whether you have received my above letter or not. Anyway, now I am staying in England, a few miles from London, at the above address. I came to England on September 11th, 1969, and the reception was very pleasing. Perhaps you might have seen some of the pictures in Calcutta papers. I am sending herewith two pictures and newspaper reports for your reference.
I was very much pleased to hear that Tokyo has so swiftly got a house. Surely upon Cintamani's joining them they will get further strength in pushing on the Movement. I have not heard from you whether or not you have received the consignment from Calcutta and the items all in order according to the invoice. I hope to hear in your next letter on this matter. Regarding Muralidhara's painting of Srila Jagannatha das Babaji, there should be no aura around Him.
I beg to inform you that I have received a letter from the Gaudiya Mission, Calcutta, in which they write to say as follows:
"We have been greatly obliged on receipt of a letter dated August 18, 1969 from Sri Krishna Das of Radha Krishna Temple, Montreal (Canada) offering us a shipment of medical stores and again a letter dated September 1, 1969 from one Administrative Asst. of world Naval Service, Montreal, offering us 20,000 bags of flour for the needy in India. We value such offers as coming at your instance. We contacted W. Bengal Govt. They are not much interested in taking charge and distributing the same. We are, however, consulting other suitable parties who can handle and deal with the matter as per object of the donor. We are personally unfit for such importing and shipping matters, as you may well understand. We shall write to the parties after we get response from a dependable local party here."
Srimati Jayasri Dasi sent me some dried banana chips and they are very nice for my Ekadasi food. Is it possible to send us in large quantity this foodstuff? If not, please try to send me at least one small packet like that every fortnight. It is very nice. The mango pulp, a sample of which was also sent to me, I don't think it has come out very nice, so there is no need of sending it. Here the preaching work is going on nicely. Sankirtana Party is going on, and they have got many engagements. Just now they have got four days engagement in Germany. More than one half dozen devotees have gone there now, and they will also install the Radha-Krishna Murtis. They have taken the Murtis there with them. What did you do with the Murtis you received from Calcutta? Are they being worshiped regularly as I showed you during my stay at your place? Radha-Krishna seva should be done very nicely, and all the members should always be cleansed.
For Brijbasi prints you may contact Acyutananda. Similarly you may contact him for other goods from India. All others have proved insincere. The case of the USC surely is deplorable. I have written them a very strong letter asking why this has happened. The best things will be to contact Acyutananda at the following address: Acyutananda das Brahmacari, 35 Satish Mukherjee Road, Calcutta-26, INDIA. When I hear from the USC, then we shall see what steps we should take to realize the cheating money. Please offer my blessings to the others.
| Page Title: | Calcutta (Letters 1952 - 1969) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 23 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=107 |
| No. of Quotes: | 107 |