Persecution

Expressions researched:
"persecute" |"persecuted" |"persecutes" |"persecuting" |"persecution" |"persecutions" |"persecutor" |"persecutors"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 4.8, Purport:

The Lord has many agents who are quite competent to vanquish demons. But the Lord especially descends to appease His unalloyed devotees, who are always harassed by the demoniac. The demon harasses the devotee, even though the latter may happen to be his kin. Although Prahlāda Mahārāja was the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was nonetheless persecuted by his father; although Devakī, the mother of Kṛṣṇa, was the sister of Kaṁsa, she and her husband Vasudeva were persecuted only because Kṛṣṇa was to be born of them. So Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared primarily to deliver Devakī, rather than kill Kaṁsa, but both were performed simultaneously. Therefore it is said here that to deliver the devotee and vanquish the demon miscreants, the Lord appears in different incarnations.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.10.25, Purport:

Nepotism, bribery, cheating, aggression and, therefore, famine, epidemic, war and similar other disturbing features become prominent in human society. And the devotees of the Lord or the faithful are persecuted by all means. All these symptoms indicate the time of an incarnation of the Lord to reestablish the principles of religion and to vanquish the maladministrators. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.9.36, Purport:

"Simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord the inhabitants of hell became released from their hellish persecution." So the conclusion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, is:

etan nirvidyamānānām

icchatām akuto-bhayam

yogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁ

harer nāmānukīrtanam

"O King, it is finally decided that everyone, namely those in the renounced order of life, the mystics, and the enjoyers of fruitive work, should chant the holy name of the Lord fearlessly to achieve the desired success in their pursuits." (SB 2.1.11)

SB Canto 9

SB 9.5.20, Purport:

When Durvāsā Muni was persecuted by the Sudarśana cakra, however, his intelligence developed. Therefore the word ātma-medhasā is used to indicate that by his personal experience he would understand how great a Vaiṣṇava the King was. When Durvāsā Muni was chased by the Sudarśana cakra, he wanted to take shelter of Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, and he was even able to go to the spiritual world, meet the Personality of Godhead and talk with Him face to face, yet he was unable to be rescued from the attack of the Sudarśana cakra.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.2.1-2, Translation:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Under the protection of Magadharāja, Jarāsandha, the powerful Kaṁsa began persecuting the kings of the Yadu dynasty. In this he had the cooperation of demons like Pralamba, Baka, Cāṇūra, Tṛṇāvarta, Aghāsura, Muṣṭika, Ariṣṭa, Dvivida, Pūtanā, Keśī, Dhenuka, Bāṇāsura, Narakāsura and many other demoniac kings on the surface of the earth.

SB 10.2.1-2, Purport:

"Kṛṣṇa appeared in the womb of Devakī after transferring Baladeva to the womb of Rohiṇī by the power of Yogamāyā." Yadubhiḥ sa vyarudhyata. The kings of the Yadu dynasty were all devotees, but there were many powerful demons, such as Śālva, who began to persecute them. At that time, Jarāsandha, who was Kaṁsa's father-in-law, was extremely powerful, and therefore Kaṁsa took advantage of his protection and the help of the demons in persecuting the kings of the Yadu dynasty. The demons naturally appeared more powerful than the demigods, but ultimately, because of help received from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demons were defeated and the demigods triumphant.

SB 10.2.3, Translation:

Persecuted by the demoniac kings, the Yādavas left their own kingdom and entered various others, like those of the Kurus, Pañcālas, Kekayas, Śālvas, Vidarbhas, Niṣadhas, Videhas and Kośalas.

SB 10.2.6, Purport:

The affairs of the Supersoul pertain to Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, but Kṛṣṇa took compassion on Devakī, His devotee, because He understood her fear of Kaṁsa's persecution. A pure devotee is always fearful of material existence. No one knows what will happen next, for one may have to change his body at any moment (tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13)). Knowing this fact, a pure devotee acts in such a way that he will not have his life spoiled by being obliged to accept another body and undergo the tribulations of material existence. This is bhayam, or fear.

SB 10.4 Summary:

This chapter describes how Kaṁsa, following the advice of his demoniac friends, considered the persecution of small children to be very diplomatic.

After Vasudeva bound himself with iron shackles as before, all the doors of the prison house closed by the influence of Yogamāyā, who then began crying as a newborn child, This crying awakened the doorkeepers, who immediately informed Kaṁsa that a child had been born to Devakī. Upon hearing this news, Kaṁsa appeared with great force in the maternity room, and in spite of Devakī's pleas that the child be saved, the demon forcibly snatched the child from Devakī's hands and dashed the child against a rock. Unfortunately for Kaṁsa, however, the newborn child slipped away from his hands, rose above his head and appeared as the eight-armed form of Durgā. Durgā then told Kaṁsa, "The enemy you contemplate has taken birth somewhere else. Therefore your plan to persecute all the children will prove futile."

SB 10.4 Summary:

The brāhmaṇas, the cows, the Vedas, austerity, truthfulness, control of the senses and mind, faithfulness and mercy are among the different parts of the body of Viṣṇu, who is the origin of all the demigods, including Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. Therefore, the ministers advised, the demigods, the saintly persons, the cows and the brāhmaṇas should be systematically persecuted. Strongly advised in this way by his friends, the demoniac ministers, Kaṁsa approved of their instructions and considered it beneficial to be envious of the brāhmaṇas. Following Kaṁsa's orders, therefore, the demons began committing their atrocities all over Vrajabhūmi.

SB 10.4.22, Purport:

By the grace of the Lord, Kaṁsa felt sincere regret for having unnecessarily persecuted such Vaiṣṇavas as Devakī and Vasudeva, and thus he came to the transcendental stage of knowledge. "Because I am situated on the platform of knowledge," Kaṁsa said, "understanding that I am not at all the killer of your sons, I have no responsibility for their death. As long as I thought that I would be killed by your son, I was in ignorance, but now I am free from this ignorance, which was due to a bodily conception of life."

SB 10.4.42, Translation:

Lord Viṣṇu, the Supersoul within the core of everyone's heart, is the ultimate enemy of the asuras and is therefore known as asura-dviṭ. He is the leader of all the demigods because all the demigods, including Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, exist under His protection. The great saintly persons, sages and Vaiṣṇavas also depend upon Him. To persecute the Vaiṣṇavas, therefore, is the only way to kill Viṣṇu.

SB 10.4.42, Purport:

The demigods and the Vaiṣṇavas especially are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, because they are always obedient to His orders (oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ). The demoniac followers of Kaṁsa thought that if the Vaiṣṇavas, saintly persons and sages were persecuted, the original body of Viṣṇu would naturally be destroyed. Thus they decided to suppress Vaiṣṇavism. The asuras perpetually struggle to persecute the Vaiṣṇavas because they do not want Vaiṣṇavism to spread. Vaiṣṇavas preach only devotional service, not encouraging karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs, because if one must liberate oneself from material, conditional life, one must ultimately become a Vaiṣṇava. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directed with this understanding, and therefore the asuras always try to suppress it.

SB 10.4.43, Translation:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thus, having considered the instructions of his bad ministers, Kaṁsa, who was bound by the laws of Yamarāja and devoid of good intelligence because he was a demon, decided to persecute the saintly persons, the brāhmaṇas, as the only way to achieve his own good fortune.

SB 10.4.44, Translation:

These demons, the followers of Kaṁsa, were expert at persecuting others, especially the Vaiṣṇavas, and could assume any form they desired. After giving these demons permission to go everywhere and persecute the saintly persons, Kaṁsa entered his palace.

SB 10.4.45, Translation:

Surcharged with passion and ignorance and not knowing what was good or bad for them, the asuras, for whom impending death was waiting, began the persecution of the saintly persons.

SB 10.4.46, Translation:

My dear King, when a man persecutes great souls, all his benedictions of longevity, beauty, fame, religion, blessings and promotion to higher planets will be destroyed.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.47.39, Translation:

The gopīs said: It is very good that Kaṁsa, the enemy and persecutor of the Yadus, has now been killed, along with his followers. And it is also very good that Lord Acyuta is living happily in the company of His well-wishing friends and relatives, whose every desire is now fulfilled.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 10.45, Translation:

The waves of his good qualities were like those of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He did not even slightly raise an eyebrow when persecuted by the Muslim ruler.

CC Adi 17.127, Purport:

We have hundreds of centers all over the world, and we have been specifically persecuted in Australia. In most cities of the Western world we have been arrested many times by the police, but we are nevertheless executing the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting on the streets of all the important cities, such as New York, London, Chicago, Sydney, Melbourne, Paris and Hamburg.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 4:

“Actually the limbs of the transcendental body of Lord Viṣṇu are the brāhmaṇas, the cows, Vedic knowledge, austerity, truthfulness, sense and mind control, faithfulness, charity, tolerance and performance of sacrifices. Lord Viṣṇu is situated in everyone's heart and is the leader of all demigods, including Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Therefore we think that to persecute the great sages and brāhmaṇas is to kill Lord Viṣṇu.”

Krsna Book 4:

Thus being advised by his demoniac ministers, Kaṁsa, who was from the very beginning the greatest rascal, decided to persecute the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, being entrapped by the shackles of all-devouring, eternal time. He ordered the demons to harass all kinds of saintly persons, and then he entered his house. The adherents of Kaṁsa were all influenced by the mode of passion as well as illusioned by the mode of ignorance, and their only business was to create enmity with saintly persons. Such activities can only reduce one's duration of life. The demons accelerated the process and invited their deaths as soon as possible. The result of persecuting saintly persons is not only untimely death. The act is so offensive that the perpetrator also gradually loses his beauty, his fame and his religious principles, and thus his promotion to higher planets is checked.

Krsna Book 82:

Vasudeva replied to his sister, "My dear sister, do not be sorry, and do not blame me in that way. We should always remember that we are all only toys in the hands of providence. Everyone is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is under His control only that all kinds of fruitive actions and their reactions take place. My dear sister, you know that we were very much harassed by King Kaṁsa, and by his persecutions we were scattered here and there. We were always full of anxieties. Only in the last few days have we returned to our own places, by the grace of God."

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

Lord comes down. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). His special purpose of coming down as incarnation is to save the sādhus because sādhus are always persecuted by the demons, the demonic class, the atheist class. They are always prepared to persecute the sādhus. The Lord comes—paritrāṇāya sādhūnām—just to protect the sādhus or the saintly persons, and vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, and to vanquish the miscreants. That is the mission. When Lord Kṛṣṇa comes or any incarnation of Lord comes actually, not so-called advertised incarnation... I mean to say that you will find. All the incarnation in the Vedic literature, they are named there, not that anyone can manufacture himself as incarnation.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

Actually Kṛṣṇa appears for the sādhus. Not for the duṣkṛtas. To kill the duṣkṛtas, there are many agent. One little earthquake can kill millions of duṣkṛtas in a second. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to come to kill the duṣkṛtas. But He comes to favor sādhu. Sādhus, they are very much persecuted. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was a sādhu. He was being persecuted by his father. So Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared, not for killing the Hiraṇyakaśipu, but to come and show Prahlāda Mahārāja, "Don't be afraid. I am here. Don't be afraid. I'll give you protection." So actually, Kṛṣṇa comes for this purpose.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the mahājanas. Out of the twelve mahājanas, he's one of them. Because he was very bold. He was not afraid of his demonic father. He chastised him in so many ways. But he was never afraid. So just like our people are being persecuted in Australia. You know? They have been put into jail because they are preaching Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this is not very easy thing, easy-going. My Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, he did not like that his disciples would be easy-going, cheap Vaiṣṇava. Cheap Vaiṣṇava. Duṣṭa mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava. He sang a song, "My dear mind, oh, you are going to be a Vaiṣṇava. And what kind of Vaiṣṇava you are?" Duṣṭa mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava, pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava. "You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura or Rūpa Gosvāmī, in a solitary place... Not solitary place.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

So religious persecution is always there. Even the father, what to speak of others? The father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he chastised his son. So don't be afraid. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128), Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. This is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Anyone you meet, any dumb rascal or gentleman, it doesn't matter, try to convince him about Kṛṣṇa and let him inquire about Kṛṣṇa. Then his life will be successful. Simply he begins to inquire, "What is Kṛṣṇa?" Then his, means, he'll, path of liberation becomes open immediately.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

Just see. And he was persecuted, and still, he was kind. He was kind. Still, he was praying to God that "These rascals are doing. They cannot kill me, but they are thinking that I will be killed. So they are committing offense." So this is toleration, and kāruṇikāḥ. Similarly, there are many examples. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ, and suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām: (SB 3.25.21) friend of all living entities. Lord Christ said, "Thou shall not kill." He never said that... Now they are interpreting in a different way: "The animal has no soul, and you can kill animals and keep slaughterhouse." So who is a Christian? I do not know who is a Christian. They profess to be Christian. It is very difficult to find out a true Christian who is strictly following the words of Lord Jesus Christ. So he is a good example of sādhu.

Lecture on SB 6.2.8 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1975:

So many obstacles are there. But our students are so adamant, they don't stop. They prefer to go to jail, but they will never stop. They are so much determined. So this persecution of devotees, it is from the very beginning. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was five-years-old boy, and he was simply chanting "Nārāyaṇa." So his father became enemy, what to speak of others, his father. He was atheist. He did not believe in God. So he asked his son, "Why you are chanting 'Nārāyaṇa'?" "Nārāyaṇa is God, the Supreme Lord." "Eh? Supreme Lord? I am Supreme Lord. You chant my name." The boy will not hear. So there was enmity. He was persecuted. So not in this age, devotees are supposed to be persecuted all the time. Christ was crucified. So this is the position of the devotee in the material world, that they become very easily enemy of the demons. But the devotees are not afraid of the demons.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

You try to trace out the history of the world, you'll find always persons who are for Kṛṣṇa or God, they have been persecuted. Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was caned in twenty-two market places, Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured by his father. So there may be such things. Of course, Kṛṣṇa will protect us. So don't be afraid. Don't be afraid if somebody tortures us, somebody teases us. We must go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any hesitation, and Kṛṣṇa will give us protect. If you are more tortured, then Kṛṣṇa will appear as Nṛsiṁhadeva and give you all protection. You are all Prahlāda, representative of Prahlāda. You keep your confidence in Kṛṣṇa, and He will give you protection, and go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

There is a stotra offered by Prahlāda Mahārāja. When Prahlāda Mahārāja's father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was killed by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, He was very angry. Because this Hiraṇyakaśipu, although father of Prahlāda Mahārāja, he persecuted him in so many ways. The only fault was that he was a devotee. That is the nature of the demoniac world. Even one's son becomes a devotee and if the father is demon, then he'll be angry. That was actually happening. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava, he is speaking to the Lord, naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ, "My dear Lord," para. Para means He is transcendental, not of this material world. Udvije, "I am not anxious." Because everyone is anxious. In this material world, everyone is always anxious, either in peace or war, it doesn't matter. In peace, so-called peace, there is no peace. Actually, it is a place for struggle for existence with māyā. So there cannot be any peace.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.4 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1974:

There is no limit of kīrtana. That is unlimited. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction is that "Glorify the Lord continuously." Tṛṇād api sunīcena. And as soon as you begin kīrtanīyaḥ, real kīrtana of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll have many enemies. Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally had many enemies. You know that in this spot there was persecution, religious persecution, by the then magistrate, Chand Kazi. His samādhi is still there. So, and we are also experiencing. Our only fault is that we are preaching the saṅkīrtana movement, and there are so many enemies. You see? So that is possible. Even the father become enemy. Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, and because he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, his father became enemy. So you'll have enemies.

Wedding Ceremonies

Initiation of Sri-Caitanya dasa and Wedding of Pradyumna and Arundhati -- Columbus, May 14, 1969:

Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was Muhammadan. When he took up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Muhammadan government chastised him like anything. He remained steady. So these religious persecution, this and that, that is the history of the whole world. But if one sticks to the position of becoming pure devotee of the Lord, he has nothing to be afraid of. He will be steady, and he will prosecute his business steadily. Kṛṣṇa will help him. There is no doubt about it.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. But their duty should have been, scientist's duty should have been that "God has created so wonderful things. So glorify God." That should have been the scientist's duty, "How nicely He has made!" That is scientist's duty, everyone's duty.

Prajāpati: In the early days of science, about three, four hundred years ago, Śrīla Prabhupāda, many of the early scientists were persecuted by the church for their discoveries. So since that time, the scientists have declared war on religion, and they have been doing their best to try to disprove all religious things.

Prabhupāda: What they have discovered? These four hundred years, the scientists said that there is no God?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Car Conversation -- August 3, 1975, Detroit:

Brahmānanda: Yes. And he says that America should not become, try to become friendly, but should try to defeat them.

Prabhupāda: So Russian government did not take any step against him?

Brahmānanda: They exiled him. He was too famous to... If they persecuted him, he was too famous. It would have brought a lot of criticism against them, so they exiled.

Prabhupāda: Asked him to go out.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walks -- January 22-23, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. The more we sell our books, the harassment will be there. But sale is increasing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. And we just double our effort.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...religious persecution. We don't mind that. We shall go on with our business. (Bengali) They feel, "Now this is coming."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Threat.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 18, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They have beaten even our book sellers in airports.

Hari-śauri: Chicago.

Jagadīśa: And the police mistreat the devotees. But still, the devotees continue and now in Montreal there's no trouble.

Prabhupāda: They crucified Jesus, what to speak of devotees. Prahlāda Mahārāja was persecuted, Haridāsa Ṭhākura. I think I shall not go to Europe, America, for some time. (laughter)

Hari-śauri: Not unless this gets cleared up.

Prabhupāda: Because it is being discussed about me. They say, "Old man is behind this movement."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Two Indian Guests -- January 27, 1977, Jagannatha Puri:

Prabhupāda: They have gone so down, that "Even with your faith if your worship stool, that is God realization." (Bengali) Just become Prahlāda Mahārāja. Just go, persecution like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Then you talk of. You are not Prahlāda Mahārāja. You are ordinary person. Your business is mām ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja. Kṛṣṇa never said, "He Prahlāda Mahārāja, God kambha(?), so you also worship kambha(?)." Never said, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekam. That is Gītā.

Guest (1): That's right, but Kṛṣṇa...

Prabhupāda: But Prahlāda Mahārāja never worshiped kambha.(?) But he knew that Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. So that vision is possible by Prahlāda Mahārāja, not by you or me.

Room Conversation with Two Indian Guests -- January 27, 1977, Jagannatha Puri:

Prabhupāda: Prahlāda Mahārāja underwent so much persecution. He was never disturbed, because he was confident that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection. Never mind." That is another position. Mahā-bhāgavata. We are kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs. We have to worship Deity.

arcāyām eva haraye

pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate

na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu

sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

We are in the prākṛta stage. We cannot go to the stage of Prahlāda Mahārāja.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: Yes. The history was that there were many... At that time there many, many cults, and that was just another cult during the Roman Empire, and then that cult became very, very dominant.

Prabhupāda: Because he was persecuted, his cult became so spread.

Devotee: In Brazil, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we make a twenty minutes' in television, very, very nice.

Prabhupāda: In Brazil.

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Sumati Morarjee -- New York 10 November, 1965:

I hope you have already received my letter of the 27th ultimo and I hope to receive your reply very soon. And in continuation of my letter as abovementioned I beg to inform you that the number of Hiranyakasipus and Ravanas in this age of Kali increased more than that in other Yugas. Hiranyakasipus are always inimical with the devotees of the Lord even if such devotee happens to be a son. Hiranyakasipu persecuted Prahlada although he was a boy of 5 years old and a beloved son of Hiranyakasipu. As I have already informed you that the American people in general are very much inclined to receive something from Indian culture of spiritual knowledge, they would be a first class recipient for the Bhagavatam culture provided an organized attempt is made for this purpose. The organized method is like this.

Letter to Sally -- New York 19 November, 1965:

Some time the Lord speaks through innocent child and I take this honour as sent by Lord Jesus through an innocent child free from all formalities of the current society. Lord Jesus preached the message of God and I have taken up the same mission, and it would be a good luck for me if I can follow the foot prints of Lord Jesus who preached the message of God in spite of all persecution. Lord Jesus is a living example how one has to suffer in this material world simply for the matter of preaching the message of God. In Bhagavatam also there is another example like Lord Jesus. He is Prahlada Maharaja a boy of five years old but because he was a great devotee of God and preaching the message of God among his little class mates, his atheist father tried to kill him. So the atheist class of men are always inimical to the devotees of God even though such devotee happens to be the atheist's son like Prahlada.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hayagriva -- Los Angeles 23 February, 1970:

Regarding your change of the title to "Kamsa Begins His Persecutions," it is alright. I am enclosing herewith a preface which I have written for the Krsna book. Please edit it nicely and send one copy of the edited version back to me, and another to Brahmananda for printing.

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 15 July, 1970:

Regarding harassment of our devotees, Yes, this is not a new thing in the history of the world that preachers are sometimes persecuted. But at the present status of civilization I do not think anybody will be crucified like Lord Jesus Christ. Hiranyakasipu persecuted his own son and only five years old. So the demons and atheists are always prepared to give trouble to the devotees. Sometimes the demons like Kamsa are prepared to kill God even. During Lord Caitanya's time Thakura Haridasa was also persecuted and put into jail. Not only that, he was whipped in twenty-two market places, but still the demons could not come out successful in the snubbing down of the Hare Krsna Movement. So do not be worried about this. Go on about your business. Krsna will give you all help, rest assured. Simply stick to you work seriously and sincerely.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Caru -- Dallas 10 September, 1972:

If we take this case into court and spend so much money for big big lawyers, and still if we do not win, then they have got legal right to stop us. So better to forget this business of lawyers and judges and simply go on with Sankirtana. That is Civil disobedience movement. Let them fill their jails with us again and again, but we shall not stop our Sankirtana movement. Also it may help if you get some public sympathy through publicizing our constant persecution in the newspaper journals. Gradually the city officials and constabulary will become embarrassed to arrest us further and gradually we will be allowed to carry on our Sankirtana unhampered. But I do not think this business of expensive lawyers and going to court will solve anything, better to simply become determined to hold our Sankirtana in our own manner as we like, and simply depend upon Krsna and His protection at all times.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 21 September, 1972:

I am very much pleased to hear that you are distributing so much of our literature and books and I think if you go on like this that very soon you will become the number one book distributers in the whole world. At least I want that. I have already advised Caru in the matter of the legal business in Sydney, and I do not think there is any need for going to court and spending so much money. We are prepared to hold sankirtana on the street or in the jail, it does not matter, wherever we are, we are able to vibrate Krsna's name and be happy. So gradually they will grow tired of persecuting us and just like in London and other places we shall become established with our sankirtana party.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Guru-gauranga -- Melbourne 11 February, 1973:

You may consult closely with Bhagavan das on all matters and he will give you good advice in this regard. As far as police problems are concerned, this is going on all over the world, especially here in Melbourne, they are being persecuted by the police. Even they are going to jail daily, but still they will not stop their chanting and distributing. When they go to jail, they refuse to eat the food, and in this way so much public sympathy is there. So eventually the police will accept us and our Sankirtana activities will go on unchecked. Simply we must have the determination to continue our preaching work under all circumstances.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Honolulu 6 February, 1975:

I have heard that you want to make apologies to the police and others. This policy is not at all good. We cannot apologize. We have not done anything wrong. Our policy should be to protest against this persecution if they are determined to suppress our movement there. However, everything can be settled peacefully, if they agree to drop the charges and give us facility to push on our movement without further harassment in the future. These are the two points to be considered, so, discuss with Hamsaduta and Bhagavan and do the needful.

Letter to All Temple Presidents -- Honolulu 6 February, 1975:

Recently in Germany the government, police and church have started heavy persecution against our movement by arrests, investigation, and blocking our monies in the bank. By unfair and slanderous newspaper and television propaganda, they have ruined our reputation and turned the general public against our movement. We cannot sit down and be idle. Even killing of our devotees has been attempted in Berlin by shooting. Hamsaduta prabhu has formulated a plan for protesting at all German Embassies all over the world. This plan has my sanction. He will be contacting you in this connection. Please co-operate with him fully.