A really cultured learned fellow is far above a politician. Because a politician is honoured by the votes of his countrymen while a cultured and learned fellow is honoured everywhere all over the world. So we say that Ravindra Natha and Gandhi were never dependant for the votes of their countrymen but they were honoured all over the world for their cultural contribution. The same Canakya Pandit defined the standard of learning. The standard of learning had had to be testified by its result and not by the manner of University degrees. He said that one, who looks upon all women, except one's married wife as mothers—all other's wealth as the pebbles on the street and all living being as one's own self,—is really learned fellow. He never stressed on the point of standard of how many grammars, rhetorics or other books of knowledge one might have gone through, or how many Doctorates of different Universities one might have been decorated with.
Grammar (Letters)
Expressions researched:
"grammar"
|"grammarian"
|"grammarians"
|"grammars"
|"grammatical"
|"grammatically"
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
I have not heard from you since a long time. I hope you are doing well with your new job. Now as I am going to send the Gitopanisad to India for printing, please see the 1st and 2nd chapters finally if there are any grammatical or spelling mistakes. Also mark the verses with diacritic signs as they are in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book. Mark the words in synonyms also. When you let me know that you have done it then I shall ask you to send it to India. With my blessings I hope everything is well there.
Please accept my blessings. 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. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was explaining Dahtu as Krishna & He would continue to explain Krishna in every step. When the students felt that the teacher was crazy the Transcendental Teacher closed his class. So your desire to teach Krishna Consciousness to the students instead of English is very nice & Krishna will be bestowing his blessings upon you for your thinking in that way. From my part as I am your ever well-wisher I wish that you may preach Krishna Consciousness to the students of the entire western world. You are a sincere soul & both your mother Father are happy to see you in Krishna Consciousness. Please continue this attitude throughout your life & you will be blessed not only in this life but in your next eternal life in association with Krishna. Krishna has given you a very nice chance in the city of Wilkes-Barre Penn. & the idea of purchasing land as you have suggested is very nice. I think you can negotiate for this land immediately & the Society will be able to pay $3,000.00. After purchasing the land you can gradually develop it into an asrama by dint of your personal labor as teacher in college.
1968 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I have duly received back the tapes from San Francisco. Herewith please find another tape. I have received back the edited papers on Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Brahmananda & others cannot change the style. They want to see if there is any grammatical discrepancy.
I understand that sometimes you feel sex urges and frustration. In the material world sex urge is the binding force for material existence. A determined person tolerates such sex urges as one tolerates the itching sensation of eczema. If not one can satisfy the sex urge by legitimate marriage. Immoral sex life and spiritual advancement are incompatible proposition. Your full engagement in K.C. & constant chanting will save you from all inconveniences.
You have accepted me as father, so I have also accepted you as my dear and real son. Relationship of father & son on spiritual platform is real and eternal, on the material platform such relationship is ephemeral and temporary. Although I cannot give you anything as father, still I can pray to Krishna for your more & more advancement in K.C. Your sincerity & service mood will always help you in advancing your genuine cause.
Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter dated January 20, 1968. Los Angeles is very pleasant with clear sky and plenty of sunshine.
Regarding diacritical markings, you may refer to the book First Lessons in Sanskrit Grammar and Reading by Judith Tyberg of the East-West Cultural Center published in 1964. Each letter should be transliterated in a careful manner so that one may be able to know the Devanagari character corresponding. Devanagari type characters will not be there in this new book we are preparing. Markings are as follows.
Here follows the Sanskrit alphabet and English equivalents as are found in Bhagavad-gita etc.
(SANSKRIT CHARACTERS)
You may use the facilities available to you if there is no risk of making trouble. But so far as stealing is concerned, one should not steal except in the rarest circumstances. Moral principle is recommended in all scriptures as prerequisite for spiritual culture. If the conduct of the pure devotee crosses the lines of ordinary morality it is because he acts on the plane of Absolute Morality which is not known to the conditioned soul and cannot therefore be imitated. So generally we should be careful to observe good moral conduct.
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.
So far Srimad-Bhagavatam is concerned, now Pradyumna and yourself immediately revise the 3 volumes already published. My next attempt will be to get them in 1 volume, as I have already suggested. And we shall now avoid the Sanskrit slokas, but simply give the transliteration, translation, and the purport. Pradyumna is there he will help in transliterating the verses, and translation is there, and purport is there; there is no use of giving synonyms and equivalent of Sanskrit word in English, simply transliteration and translation, as it is now adopted in Dr. RadhaKrishnan's Bhagavad-gita, and purport. In this way, we want to print each canto a book. So you begin preparing immediately. The present three volumes shall only be revised to see the spelling mistakes or if there is any grammatical discrepancy, otherwise there is nothing to be added or subtracted.
Please try to organize the students in the State University, that will be a great service to the cause, but do it very tactfully so that the administration may not be disturbed.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct. 20, 1968, and I understand that you are beginning to learn Sanskrit grammar which I think will be a great difficult task for you in these late hours of life. It is very nice to hear that Dr. Singh will conduct a special course of Panini's grammar. But our immediate task is to prepare the transliteration and correction of the 1st Canto for next publication. But if you have to do the same after learning Sanskrit grammar, it will take a long time to finish it. I have not heard anything how far yourself and Hayagriva combinedly finishing the editing of the 1st Canto which we are going to print next. If you can learn Sanskrit grammar conveniently it is very nice. But the mode of teaching in the schools and colleges are so slow that it will not be practical to learn Sanskrit grammar there and then prepare our transliteration. Of course, the grammar helps in analyzing the combined words, but I think it will take a very long time.
Regarding the diacritic marks, there are many systems and I do not know which one of them is the standard, but I think the system followed by Dr. RadhaKrishnan in transliterating the Bhagavad-gita is the approved. You are reading Hitopadesa, and you will know from this that the author of this book, Visnu Sharma, compiled this book for some grown up princes in order to teach them Sanskrit in a short cut way. So you have to follow that way and do our main work and at the same time. I shall be glad to learn how Hayagriva is taking Sankirtana classes amongst the University students. And I shall be glad to hear from you.
Regarding Srimad-Bhagavatam, please send me the chapters which you have already revised. I want to see it, how it is being done. I am glad that you are not omitting anything, but just making grammatical correction, and phrasing for force and clarity, and adding Pradyumna's transliteration, that is very nice.
Yes, henceforward, as I have already told you, that Srimad-Bhagavatam will be ultimately seen by you, before being printed. That will keep consistency, I quite agree with you. My present plan is to stay in Los Angeles, perhaps at least for more than a month, which will cover Christmas holidays. And so, during that time, if you come here, it will be very nice. In January I may go to Hawaii, if Gaurasundara takes me there. As you have given up the idea of marriage, I think you can give up the idea of seeing your parents annually. You just prepare yourself for further advanced spiritual life. After all, our mundane relationships with father and mother, or wife and children, cannot protect us from the trap of maya. It is said by one Vaisnava poet that in every form of life, one gets a father and mother, because without father and mother, nobody is able to get a material body. So father and mother is possible in any form of body, but only in this human form of body one can get in touch with Krishna and a bona fide Spiritual Master. That is the highest gain of our travelling in different species of life in different planets.
You are a very good worker I am fully aware, and I am always encouraged by your nice enthusiasm. You have written at length in apologizing for your difficulty in English language, but we are not concerned with language but with the heart. But at the same time, our language must be elegant to deal with the public. Anyway, you are entrusted with the French edition of Back to Godhead and this is nothing to do with the English language. Your sincere devotional service will surely help you more and more in improving your fluency with English, you need have no doubt about this. But even if our language is broken we must speak of Krishna Consciousness without caring for literary or grammatical style. English is a foreign language to me also, but I try to speak it, not to be a big scholar, but to be a servant of Krishna. So do not be disturbed if you feel that your language ability is not yet very expert.
I very much appreciate your proposal to bind the yearly editions of your magazine in a permanent book. This will be very nice so that in the future these magazines will be preserved for people to take advantage of the valuable articles.
Regarding teaching other forms of yoga in the yoga class, you may instruct upon the 6th chapter of Bhagavad-gita. That will include the process of the Patanjali system. Practically, any process besides sankirtana will not be very effective in this age of kali yuga, so as much as possible try to have your students chanting Hare Krishna and dancing in ecstasy. This will be very successful for everyone.
1969 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 6 February, 1969, and I thank you very much for it. It is not surprising that it is taking a little time to begin your actual printing work. In the beginning of everything there is always some difficulty, but when you are accustomed to the process, there will be no difficulty. If no better grammarian is available, the translations of Uttama Sloka may be published. But I think that as many friends are coming to the temple, especially some Bengali Indians, they can help you in doing this translation work. When a person is willing to help with our mission, he is also a devotee, so there is no question of him being nondevotee. But they must translate as it is, they must not deviate. Anyway, our motto should be to somehow or other express the objectives of Krishna Consciousness to the German-speaking people. There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam that a book or poetry in which the Holy Name of Krishna is depicted, such language is revolutionary in the matter of purifying the material atmosphere. Even though such literature is presented in broken language or grammatical inconsistency or rhetorical irregularity, still, those who are saintly persons adore such literature. They hear such literature, and chant it and adore it, simply because the Supreme Lord is being glorified in this literature. In other words, we are not meant for presenting any literary masterpieces, but we have to inform people that there is a fire of maya which is burning the very vitality of all living entities, and they should guard against the indefatigable onslaught of material existence. That should be our motto. So even if you do not get any assistance from friends, get it translated by Uttama Sloka, and publish. You can at least publish a 5-10 page edition of German Back To Godhead. That is my request.
So far as I can understand, 12 or 13 books are ready for going to the press. Simply they require to be composed. So please let me know what is the exact position why the work is going slowly. Here some respectable friend has promised to publish my book, Krsna, in two parts. The manuscript is also ready. So after Nectar of Devotion, I want to take up this work immediately. Formerly the plan was that Arundhati and Syama Dasi combinedly will compose at least 20 pages daily under the guidance of Hayagriva and Pradyumna; Pradyumna will be responsible for the diacritic marks and Hayagriva for correct English and grammatical composition. This was the arrangement. The press is ready, the manuscripts are ready, but I find from your department things are not up to the standard. So please let me know what is the position whether it is possible for you to take this responsibility. If you take the responsibility, what is the difficulty that things are going so slowly? I shall await your reply to this letter and shall thank you very much in anticipation.
Another thing, I have received a great complaint against the United Shipping Corporation regarding supplying goods to our Hawaii branch. So pending inquiry, you should not forward any order to them, and if you have got any money due from them, you should try to adjust by taking goods from them immediately. Regarding BTG, I am so glad that you are printing 50,000 copies henceforward. I have received also your press management report, so the only thing to be amended there is that all books especially must be twiced edited, once by Satsvarupa and once by Hayagriva. In every publication house all printing matters are edited at least three times. So we should be very much careful about grammatical and printing mistakes. That will mar the prestige of the press and the institution.
In your previous letter you told me that Mr. C.L. Jaipuria visited our temple and he paid $10 as contribution and you also presented him with one TLC. Since then, did you write any letter to this gentleman? I know this gentleman has a charitable disposition of mind, and he can help us in so many ways. Try to keep in touch with him by sending magazines and writing letters. He may be able to supply us many things from India, especially Deities.
1970 Correspondence
So, other news is very encouraging. So execute aratis regularly and properly. So far my book is concerned, special attention is required in the composing department, otherwise, the whole scheme will be disturbed. Regarding Krishna, please make the MS ready because if George Harrison pays for the printing in Japan, we shall have to send it immediately for the purpose. Regarding transcribing, I have written to Detroit if they can do it. In the meantime, I have engaged Devananda transcribing the tape and a primary editing also, and the copy can be sent to you for final editing and then printing. We have to do things now very dexterously, simply we have to see that in our book there is no spelling or grammatical mistake. We do not mind for any good style, our style is Hare Krishna, but, still, we should not present a shabby thing. Although Krishna literatures are so nice that, even if they are presented in broken and irregular ways, such literatures are welcomed, read and respected by bona fide devotees.
This is Sankara's last instruction to his followers, and the purport is that the mayavadi philosophers are very much accustomed to draw favorable meanings from unwanted interpretations by grammatical jugglery. In Sanskrit the grammatical jugglery is a great puzzle, there are many words which can be changed into different meanings by grammatical root derivations and affixing and prefixing pratyayas. So Sankara advised that do not try to exact favorable conclusions by beating the Sastras, but be submissive to Lord Govinda and worship Him. Otherwise, this grammatical jugglery of words will not help you at the time of death. At that time only if you can someway or other remember the Lotus Feet of Govinda, Krishna, that will save you, O' the fool number-one. Don't waste your time in misinterpreting the sastras.
Under the circumstances, if there are four or five men transcribing, then at least four finished manuscripts come out per week. Many devotees are ready to transcribe; like in Detroit there is Bhagavan das; in Buffalo, Rupanuga; in Berkeley, Hamsaduta; as well as here, Devananda. But how to adjust things?
Do you think that their transcribing will help you, or do you want to transcribe yourself? I wish that all copies, before finally going to the press, must be thoroughly revised and edited so that there may not be any mistakes especially of spelling and grammar or of the Sanskrit names. So how to finish it, I do not know. So give me your directions about this immediately. Whether I shall send the tapes directly to you or to other centers who are ready to help?
Yes. We must have close cooperation between America and Germany for the successful publication of our BTG regularly in French, German and English languages. So now you are collecting a staff of translators in Hamburg and they are all very qualified to do the work. Please organize everything nicely so that the French and German editions may be prepared for printing at the same time as the English edition. But you must see that all work is thoroughly correct by mutual checking so that errors of spelling and grammar will not appear in the printing. I do not know the technical details, but I think your idea on standardized columns is very nice.
You said that your job is maya, but you must know that maya is illusion. As soon as there is absence of Krishna Consciousness—that is maya. But you are working just to help and push Krishna's interest; therefore, it is not maya. In the Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, Rupa Goswami Prabhupada has recommended anything dovetailed in Krishna Consciousness is real renouncement. The Mayavadis' renouncement with an ambition of becoming one with the Supreme is called false renunciation. They renounce the world for a greater sense gratification. To maintain an ambition of becoming one with the Supreme is the top rank sense gratification; whereas a person in all kinds of apparently material works, but ultimately the beneficiary is Krishna, is in a greater position of renunciation than the Mayavadis. So do not forget Krishna in any circumstance of life and Krishna will save you from all pitfalls of material existence.
I have sent a few tapes to Bhagavan das. He sends to you his edited copies and they may be made final. I want two editings only, just to see if there is any grammatical or spelling mistake. Your present program of two editions first by yourself and then by Jayadvaita is a nice arrangement. Jayadvaita has good knowledge.
In this connection, I may inform you that I have heard there is some difficulty for working on our press. I was talking yesterday with Gargamuni that the press will require an investment of great amount of money to keep it going on nicely, so please let me know what is the actual position. I understand there is some confusion about the press working and it is also understood that this confusion is due to my direction. I do not know what they mean by this. Yourself, Brahmananda, and Advaita are appointed as three directors of the press, and why there should be confusion on account of me? So many things daily I here from Gargamuni and he again speaks to Brahmananda, so let me know clearly what direction you want from me in writing.
Do you think you shall require all these books? Of course I have no objection if you keep these as reference books, but we should always remember that we have to give more stress on our spiritual side than the scholastic side. But at the same time, if our books are presented in a scholarly way, that will be very nice. So you use the best part of discretion and do the needful.
So far grammar is concerned, one has to learn Sanskrit grammar for at least 12 years, then he becomes an expert grammarian. In India, those who are Sanskrit scholars studied in the beginning, from 5 to 15 years—that is for ten years continually—and they study grammar thoroughly. When one is expert in grammatical rulings and formation—that is to say: sabda, dhatu, sandhi, samasa, prakaran, vidhan, pratyaya, adhikarana—after this they study nyaya. In this way, when one is expert in 10 to 12 years, that is by the age of the 17th year, a student becomes very much expert and any departmental knowledge he can master in 1 to 2 years. But you need not become such a scholar. You require simply to understand Sastras Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, etc. and chant Hare Krsna Mantra as much as possible. The thing is if you give more stress on scholarly line, other devotees will try to imitate you. Already your wife has express such intention, and as soon as we try to be scholars, our devotional line will be slackened. These points are to be kept in view always.
Regarding your 11th point, the line should read
jagannatha-svami nyayana pathagami bhavatu me.
Yes, it is just a line for repetition of a great verse prayer for Jagannatha-svami, but I do not remember the whole verses just now, neither do I remember immediately where it can be found. For the present you be satisfied with this one line. Regarding ___ tipadika sabda, I consulted grammar and it is correct to mention the first case ending or nominative case. The authorized injunction in this connection is as follows:
- abhidheyamartre prathama
- pratipadikartha langa parinama
- vacana matre pratama
Translation: The sound which indicates a particular subject or word should be the first case ending or nominative case.
So in your last correction of Krsna tape number 27, on page 11 you have mentioned "Sannyasin", "Gosvamin", "Mayavadin", "tridandins", "svamins," etc. They should be corrected without "n"s like "Sannyasi", "Gosvami", "Mayavadi", "tridandis", etc. So in future, only the first case endings should be used, not the sound, that is the rule.
We are expanding every month. Recently I received one letter from my disciple in England and the report is very favorable. In the villages of England they are very much receptive to this movement and even children in grammar school are chanting Hare Krsna.
We have got many records and record albums out of which some produced by one renowned musician of London, George Harrison, has become very popular and many people from all parts of Europe are coming to see our temple in London. Recently we have opened two branches, one in Amsterdam and one in Copenhagen and another in Edinburgh.
Your report for organizing village schools in England is very encouraging.* Similarly I have received report of Amsterdam also very nice. So it can be easily guessed that Europe is a very good field for spreading this movement. So in consultation with Tamala kindly take up the grammar school organization immediately. In childhood the impression taken continues life long, so try to train little English and Dutch boys to be accustomed to chant and dance.
I am so glad that your daughter, Sarasvati, is growing nicely Krsna conscious. I always remember about your daughter's movement when she was coming up stairs in Ascot and sitting by me. May Krsna bless her to grow a Krsna conscious child. You will be glad to know that her picture catching my hand is now published in our ISKCON Handbook.
You are expecting to see me, but I also expected to see the London Rathayatra, but you made no arrangement so what can I do? So let us meet by Sankirtana. I also do not feel separation from my Guru Maharaja. When I am engaged in His service His pictures give me sufficient strength. To serve the Spiritual Master's word is more important than to serve him physically. Please try to open as many branches as possible in European countries.
Regarding your program for the grammar schools, Yogesvara wants to write some books for children. So let him write and introduce them in the schools. If nice pictures are inserted the books will become very popular. I have already said; again I repeat, go from village to village and get them interested in Krsna.
You write to say that many nice devotees are coming, Oxford graduates, etc., and there is demand for temples by the people in many countries like Sweden and South Africa. These are all good news, so try to utilize these opportunities. When I hear all these things immediately I wish to go myself personally.
Please offer my blessings to Murari. I do not know if his wife, Lilavati, and daughter are already there.
I am very glad to know that you have got the experience and talent as well as the desire to write Krsna conscious children's books. I have very encouraging report from Syamasundara that the grammar school children in the villages of both England and Holland are very eager and ready for learning Krsna consciousness and their instructors are also very enthusiastic to introduce our program. So you can write many books for children and insert pictures, then they will be a sure success.
The books should be written in simple language. First of all try to explain what is God, then what is the relationship of God with the world and the living entities. Then explain what is our duty in that relationship with God.* In this way write the subjects very clearly. What one learns as child is not lost throughout the life. So this is a very important business. Please execute it with great care and seriousness of purpose. May Krsna bless your sincere endeavor in his service. The more yo work for Krsna, the more He will bestow auspicious intelligence upon you for furthering your loving service unto Him.
I am so glad that you are now happily combined with Sriman Gopala Krsna, and I think this match is just suitable for you both. You were wanting a very nice responsible devotee husband and now Krsna has so blessed you, please utilize this opportunity nicely and advance mutually in Krsna's transcendental loving service and be happy.
Yes, it is very good work that you are doing by making children's books on Krsna conscious subject matter. We have got so many children now in New Vrndavana and it is also learned that in England and Holland the young grammar school boys and girls are eagerly taking to this process of chanting Hare Krsna. So what is learned in the early years of life will not depart for the whole life, therefore do this work very carefully to explain simply and directly Who is Krsna, who we are, what is the material world, what is the relationship of Krsna with the living entities, how we should act in that relationship, etc. And if you can illustrate these books with pictures they will certainly become very, very popular in the schools. Sriman Yogesvara is also doing this work in London. So in consultation with your husband make some nice Krsna conscious children's books and we shall then see to printing them. You are also a skilled painter so I think this venture will be successful.
Yes, I am so glad to know that the St. Louis temple is doing so well. I know that Sriman Vamanadeva and your sister, Indira are a very exemplary couple in Krsna consciousness householder life, so you kindly follow their example.
1972 Correspondence
So far translating, I have made Mandali Bhadra as Chief of translating department. He shall translate comfortably and all other translations must be checked and edited and approved by him, with grammatical corrections. It is not that we may present anything crude translation and that is acceptable. No, even though the transcendental subject matter of Vedic literature is still spiritually potent despite the crudest translation, still, because we have got facility to make it perfect, that is our philosophy. When I translated Srimad-Bhagavatam I had not the facility so you may notice grammatical discrepancies. But because Mandali Bhadra is now Head of the translating department you have got all facility to translate our books in perfect German language.
I am very glad you want to start your own press, but one thing is that you cannot close it once it is begun. When your own press is very sound and established beyond doubt, then you may call back Yogesvara. Your proposal for making records is very nice program. As for your essay on drugs and KC, do it. You may transcribe the Ajamila tapes and produce a very nice book. You may send the manuscript to Jayadvaita or Hayagriva for editing and printing with Dai Nippon. So far making tapes of Ajamila series, I have told Los Angeles tape-making operation that they should distribute to our devotees at cost price—to nondevotee that is another thing.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 28, 1971, and with pleasure I have noted that your translation work is going on. This I want, that you shall from now on be the Head of the translating department in German language for all ISKCON literatures. You translate yourself as it is comfortable, but all other translations in German language by other translators must be checked by you, edited, and corrected very strictly for grammar and proper use of German language. It is not our philosophy to print errors. Of course, our spiritual subject matter is transcendental and therefore it remains potent despite mistakes in grammar, spelling, etc. But this type of translation may only be allowed if there is no other way to correct it, then it is all right. But if you know the correct order, then you must make it perfect. That is our philosophy: everything perfect for Krishna.
So far your telling me that some devotees consider that because there may be some grammatical discrepancies in my Srimad-Bhagavatam, first canto, then they may also be allowed to translate with errors accepted, that is just like imitating Raslila. When you do all other things like Krishna, they you can do Raslila. So if these other writers can do like me and spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world by becoming big Vedic scholars, then they can do. If one is too big, there is no mistake. Arsapreyaya means there may be discrepancies but it is all right. Just like Shakespeare, sometimes there are odd usages of language, but he is accepted as authority. I have explained all these things in my Preface to First Canto.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of February 9, 1972, and I thank you for the photos of our new school in Dallas, Texas. You ask one question about the nature of books I want you to write as my disciples; on this point, Krsna Consciousness is not limited. Persons like all of the Gosvamis wrote so many books, Visvanatha Cakravarti, and all the acaryas wrote books, and still I am writing books. Similarly, also my disciples will write. So any self-realized soul can write unlimited books without deviating from the original ideas.
Sanskrit should be compulsory for all our children to learn, and anyone who has elementary knowledge of alphabet and grammar can begin to teach it. In addition, English reading and writing, a little mathematics, history and geography or we shall be thought fools if we do not know—that's all. Main thing is that by attendance of our routine programme, that is, rising early, cleansing, chanting, eating Krsna prasada, street Sankirtana, looking at books, etc., in this way, if the children associate with their elders in the regular schedule of devotional practices, that is best way to train. Otherwise, hygienic principles must be very much practiced. The future preachers of KC Movement must learn to be suci, absolutely pure in all respects, & for this, practical cleansing is the basic teaching, e.g., not touching anything dirty to mouth. Mouth is dirtiest part, and infection can spread very easily by the mouth. There is word visa-kanya, or the policy of gradually poisoning a beautiful girl so she will adapt and not be affected, then she will have the potency to assassinate by passing infection by mouth to some enemy. Water itself is most antiseptic, so soap is not always required. The boys should be taught, and also all devotees should also be taught to wash own dishes, hands, mouth—that means always washing.
We are distributing our own prasadam free, why another business should be there? Anyone is open to take our prasadam free. Better Smt. Morarji may contribute rice, dahl, etc. for this prasadam distribution program. According to our Vedic system prasada distribution should not be on the line of hotel or canteen business. Whatever prasadam we can distribute, that should be done free of charges. So to summarize, you should distribute free prasadam, and try to introduce immediately KC instruction to the students through English medium. I know many parents are eager to educate their wards through English medium. If we can introduce this system, our girl disciples may be engaged for teaching them: a little English grammar, reading and writing, geography, arithmetic, history, sanskrit,, but all of them should be Krishna Conscious—that is Bhagavata program:
- kaumaram acarer prajno
- dharman bhagavatan iha
Madhudvisa has written one letter to Syamasundara expressing his desire to come to this side. So if you think that you can manage without his help, then he is welcome to come this side. There is very good scope this side for Sankirtana Party. The Sydney and Melbourne people are doing especially nice.
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 5, 1972, and I have noted the contents. You can accept Suri's plan, it is very nice, so you execute it perfectly. That will be the grandest temple in Vrindaban. May be a little costly, but if you can collect Rs. 25,000 per month and also Gargamuni can collect Rs. 25,000 per month, then it can be done nicely.
In the Hindi BTG there are so many mistakes, spelling, grammar, and some places the philosophy is faulty with some other ideas mixed in; the printing is shabby, the second page is almost invisible. So this has to be improved somehow or other. Dr. Kapoor has remarked exactly. So you may inform Ksirodakasayi, and you try to help him for improving Hindi BTG.
You must construct something wonderful. Otherwise, it will be a discredit to you American boys. That will exalt the position of America in India. And in every temple food distribution must go on profusely with American food supplies. Have the Americans given us the food supplies, is there any tangible donation? Or is it simply promises? If we can supply some proof they have given us such and such amount of foodstuffs, some document, that will help us in all parts of the world as propaganda and for approaching your country's government in other places for supplying us. So if you have got such document, kindly send me one copy.
One thing is, I have just returned from Dallas Gurukula school, and the young students there require to learn Sanskrit language. So I think you may purchase minimum fifty copies of the primary Sanskrit book for learning Sanskrit language from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Chowpatty and send to Dallas school as soon a possible. Ask them if they will donate, but if they will not donate then purchase outright minimum fifty copies of the first grammar or primary book for learning Sanskrit at earliest age.
Another thing is, I have got one letter recently from Mahamsa requesting to change his position, but you can tell him to kindly wait until I come there. Then we shall see. Also I have heard from Karandhara that Giriraja wants to give up his position as president at Bombay and that you will take charge of Bombay center. Similarly, I have sent him one telegram requesting to wait until I come there, then we shall make all arrangements.
1974 Correspondence
Regarding publishing the Life from Life in English it should be grammatically correct because it is written book. Yes, it will be very good if you publish a book of lectures. Regarding going to New York, oh yes, certainly you can go. I have telegrammed Bali Mardan to come here but not yet received any reply.
I understand from Nitai that if another man can be sent; he mentions Jagannatha dasa; then work on Madhya Lila will be shortened by half and he can also help in the Srimad-Bhagavatam work now resumed after completing Caitanya Caritamrta. So it will be very helpful and convenient to have this boy.
Now the transfer for the Food Relief is not enclosed in your letter. Did you send the copy or the original? It must be done by Registered P Sto payment immediately. When sending money, it must be done by Registered Post. A.D.
Regarding the lectures of Patita Uddharana dasa that is very good. Somebody must speak, and he has taken the task, I am writing him in this connection. It should be encouraged.
So you have Caitanya Caritamrta almost translated, achah! Thank you. You are pukkha BBT Trustee. You are business-like and sincere and assisted by your good wife. She is chaste and also sincere.
1975 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 21-4-75 and have noted the contents. Please continue to visit our temple in Calcutta as often as possible. I cannot very well understand what your letter says due to typing errors and spelling and grammar. But even if there may be some problems, always try to remain in Krishna Consciousness. Do not give up chanting the Hare Krishna mantra simply due to some external difficulties. Under all circumstance you should always chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This will protect you from all danger of being influenced by Maya or the material energy.
| Page Title: | Grammar (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 07 of Jun, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=33 |
| No. of Quotes: | 33 |