So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was traveling in the southern part of India, south India, Ādikeśava Mandira, there was a temple. Still that temple is there. He found out this Brahma-saṁhitā in handwritten. Formerly, there was no printing press. So any important Vedic literature was being copied. Suppose you have got some copy. I want it, so I borrow from you the book, and I copy in my handwriting or I engage somebody who has got good handwriting. In this way, in Vṛndāvana, still there are so many handmade, handwritten literatures. They have opened one association, one society. They are collecting all this handwritten literature. So this handwritten literature, Brahma-saṁhitā, was collected by Caitanya Mahāprabhu from a temple in South India, and He delivered to His immediate disciples, that "This is Brahma-saṁhitā, written by Brahmā. It is the summary of the Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata."
Handwriting
Expressions researched:
"hand writing"
|"hand written"
|"hand-written"
|"handwriting"
|"handwritten"
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Formerly there were no printing presses or printed books. All books were handwritten. Precious books were kept in manuscript form in temples or other important places, and anyone who was interested in a book had to copy it by hand. Vijaya dāsa was a professional writer who copied many manuscripts and gave them to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī gave up all family connections, joined the renounced order of life and divided his money, giving fifty percent to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas and twenty-five percent to his kuṭumba (family members), and keeping twenty-five percent for personal emergencies. He met Haridāsa Ṭhākura in Jagannātha Purī, where he also met Lord Caitanya and His other associates. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to praise the handwriting of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī could compose verses according to the desires of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and by His direction he wrote two books named Lalita-mādhava and Vidagdha-mādhava. Lord Caitanya desired the two brothers, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, to publish many books in support of the Vaiṣṇava religion. When Sanātana Gosvāmī met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord advised him also to go to Vṛndāvana.
CC Madhya-lila
In the olden days there were no presses, and all the important scriptures were handwritten and kept in large temples. Caitanya Mahāprabhu found the Brahma-saṁhitā and Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta in handwritten texts, and knowing them to be very authoritative, He took them with Him to present to His devotees. Of course, He obtained the permission of the temple commander. Now both the Brahma-saṁhitā and Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta are available in print with commentaries by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
CC Antya-lila
The Lord inquired, "What kind of book are you writing?" He held up a palm leaf that was a page of the manuscript, and when He saw the fine handwriting, His mind was very pleased.
Thus being pleased, the Lord praised the writing by saying, "The handwriting of Rūpa Gosvāmī is just like rows of pearls."
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So we must be purely chanting. But we should not be disappointed. Even impure... Therefore we must have fixed chanting process. Because we are not in the pure stage. Therefore, by force... Just like a boy in the school. We had this training in our childhood school. Our teacher would ask me, "You write ten pages, handwriting." So that means practicing ten pages, my handwriting will be set up. So even if we do not follow sixteen rounds, where is the question of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? So don't be artificial; don't be, I mean to say, a showbottle. Be real thing. And that is wanted. If you want real benefit of spiritual life, don't be showbottle. Do you know showbottle? The medical shop, a big bottle. It is full of water only. And color is red or blue or something like. But the real medicine does not require... (aside:) No, not now. Real medicine does not require a showbottle. A small... If one can chant purified offenseless, once kṛṣṇa-nāma, he is free from all material bondage. Once only. Eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa haya, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari baro nāhi(?).
So Kṛṣṇa is within. In the beginning of Bhāgavata, tene brahma hṛdā... The... Darśayan. When Brahmā saw the form of the Lord—not exactly outside but from within. And He educated him from within. Tene brahma hṛdā. Hṛdā means through the heart He transmitted the knowledge, bhagavat-tattva. And after understanding the bhagavat-tattva instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he wrote this Brahma-saṁhitā. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). There are hundred chapters of Brahma-saṁhitā. They are lost. Only the fifth chapter was found in a temple in a handwritten leaf. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu collected it, and He gave it to His disciple, that "This Brahma-saṁhitā is the summary of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So you take..." So Brahmā learned this, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Bhagavān, from Bhagavān. So you have to learn also from Bhagavān. So Bhagavān is teaching Himself to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa. And you try to understand as Arjuna understood. Then you also directly learn what is taught by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was accepted by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are Parabrahman. You are the Supreme Brahman." Paraṁ dhāma: "You are the rest of everything." Paraṁ dhāma. Pavitram is the supreme pure. Paramaṁ bhavān śāśvataṁ puruṣam: "You are puruṣam, enjoyer." So these things were accepted by Arjuna. So if we simply accept as Arjuna accepted, then we also learn what is Bhagavān.
Brahma-saṁhitā means the prayers offered by Lord Brahmā. This is accepted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Brahma-saṁhitā was not available by Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was touring in South India, so He collected one Brahma-saṁhitā, handwritten in the palm leaves, and He copied it. Formerly there was no press. These important śāstras, Vedic literature, were kept in handwriting. I copy from your book; my other friend copies from my book... In this way, those who were interested... The literatures were not so cheap. Only highly qualified brāhmaṇas, they used to keep handwritten... And it was worshiped in the temple as Deity, śāstra, not that it is available everywhere. It has become... Now press has made it very cheaper. But we should always understand that granthas, or the scriptures, should be worshiped as God. That is sound incarnation of God. It should not be neglected. Don't neglect Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata as ordinary books. You must be very careful. As you take care of the Deities, you should take care of the books also.
So we have to accept the form of the Lord as confirmed in the śāstra and as confirmed by the ācārya. Then it is perfect. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya tinete kariyā aikya. We have to understand something very rigidly by three things, the... It must be confirmed by the śāstra, and it must be confirmed by the ācāryas and by the spiritual master. Very simple thing. We have description of Kṛṣṇa in the śāstra, Brahma-saṁhitā, the treatise given by Lord Brahma. And this Brahma-saṁhitā was collected from South India in handwriting by Caitanya Mahāprabhu and He delivered to His devotees. So the sādhu... Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. Still, He is playing the part of a sādhu. Sādhu and śāstra, Brahma-saṁhitā, and because we have received from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are delivering to our disciples: "Here is Kṛṣṇa's form." The sādhu, śāstra, guru. It must be confirmed. Then we can accept, not that whimsically if some rascal comes and becomes God by concoction. We cannot accept. It must be confirmed by... (aside:) Why do you bother? Let them. No, no. As he likes. That's all.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The Brahma-saṁhitā, this Brahma-saṁhitā was compiled by Brahmā. It is very old book. It was picked up by Lord Caitanya from South India. When He was traveling in South India, in a temple He found this book, handwritten, very old. Formerly there was no press. If anyone wanted some book, he would have to copy it from others. That was the system. The books were not available just like nowadays we have got printed, thousands and thousands copies. That was not available. So two books were collected by Caitanya Mahāprabhu from South India.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Devotees: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
Prabhupāda: This prayer for Govinda is from Brahma-saṁhitā. It is very old literature, and nobody can say when it was spoken, but it is understood that these verses were written by Brahmā, and when Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India He picked up this book from a temple, hand-written, and He delivered to His devotees. So, it is very authorized book. In this book the description of Kṛṣṇa is very vivid, vividly given. There His place, His activities, His form, everything is there nicely given. So, this, this verse, it is, it is not first verse. This is the 34th verse of the Fifth Chapter. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam. That, that place, cintāmaṇi ... Cintāmaṇi, a stone. In the transcendental world the, as we have got experience here, the houses are made of bricks, there the houses are made of cintāmaṇi stone. The cintāmaṇi stone is..., of course there is no exact translation, but it is understood it is something like touchstone. Touchstone means the stone which if it touches a iron, it transforms into gold.
Festival Lectures
Verse:
- kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi
- dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau
- śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau
- vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau
This is a prayer offering obeisances to the Six Gosvāmīs, direct disciples of Lord Caitanya. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau. The Six Gosvāmīs' names are Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī... Vande rūpa-sanātana raghu-yugau. And there are two Raghus. One Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and one Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. According to whole Vedic system, there are four castes, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras. So this Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī belong to the... Of course, a Vaiṣṇava is never śūdra, but in social standard they belonged to the kṣatriya or śūdra. Therefore he is named as dāsa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. So the Six Gosvāmīs... (child making noises) Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, and two Raghunātha Gosvāmī, and three, four, and then Jīva Gosvāmī and Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. Six Gosvāmīs. Practically, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left behind Him that eight ślokas, Śikṣāṣṭaka, which you have seen. I have translated in my first volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. On the basis of those eight verses, the Gosvāmīs wrote literatures, volumes of books. From Vṛndāvana they were dispatched after the disappearance of... The Gosvāmīs, they left so many books handwritten, that when they were dispatched it was a full cartload, a big cartload, you see. Just imagine how many books they wrote. They were great scholars, and many varieties of books of bhakti school, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they wrote. So these Gosvāmīs were engaged, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana, chanting and dancing. Kīrtana means chanting, and nartana means dancing. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana, utkīrtana. Utkīrtana means very loudly, not softly.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Dr. Patel: Abhyāsa-yoga, by... We explained that...
Prabhupāda: One... Abhyāsa-yoga... You practice this. Therefore we say, "You must chant at least sixteen rounds." This is abhyāsa-yoga. When one becomes attached to chanting, he doesn't require to be under discipline. But so long he's not practiced, he must be under... Just like a boy. He's instructed by the teacher, "You must give me at least four pages handwriting." So four pages handwriting means writing, writing, he'll be practiced. So therefore these are the practice. You must...
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: And one who is learned scholar, then "śāstrī," "bhakti-śāstrī."
Harikeśa: In other words, you want "ārādhana-kovida" instead of "pūjā-kovida."
Prabhupāda: Hm. This is like Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, like that. Ārādhana-kovida. A.K. (laughter) Instead of B.A., A.K. Make nice paper, nice script, and the titles should be written in handwriting so that he can frame it and keep it.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
I am very much pleased to see your good handwriting. I shall therefore request you to utilize your talent in the service of Krishna. I think if you write Hare Krishna Hare Krishna in the same style as you have sent me one specimen, on bigger type on canvas, say 30 inches by 20 inches in color or black and white, it would be a very good engagement for you and at the same time we can utilize those sign boards hanging in nice places. So if you have got time you can prepare immediately such signboards Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare, as you have sent me the specimen, on canvas. Make the canvas colored bluish Krishna color and write Hare Krishna in white. It will be very nice. I have very good appreciation for both of you, Guru das and Yamuna, you are 2 good souls, now you have combined. Live peacefully, chant Hare Krishna and be happy in your life.
Please accept my blessings. I am very glad to learn that you are doing your best and your good wife is helping you nicely. I have received her letter but I am sorry that I could not reply this good girl. I very much appreciate her feelings and specially the hand writing. So you have very nice qualified girl as your life's companion and I bless you all that you peacefully carry out the message of Krishna Consciousness to the needy men of the world. I am glad to learn that you are in touch with the council for A summer of Love. Please try to convince them that this movement of Krishna Consciousness is the only remedy for treatment for the diseased condition of human society. The basic principle of disease is Godlessness and this movement is approved method for reviving God consciousness. So let the leaders take this movement more seriously and it will actually relieve the suffering humanity and specially the youths who are out to search out something spiritual.
Tears for Krishna is as good as associating with Him personally. In the spiritual world separation is more valuable than meeting. So your feelings and tears of Krishna Consciousness will make you more enriched in spiritual advancement. Your husband Mukunda is a very very good boy and you are fortunate enough to have such a nice devotee husband. A similar combination is there in your sister and Gurudasa. You will be angry if I say that your sister is better than you but I think I'm right because Mukunda supports me. Rivalry between good hearts is very nice job, but I'm equally pleased with both your sister and yourself. Please convey my blessings to your sister and brother-in-law. I've received their good hand-writing and they have actually done it in full Krishna Consciousness. Swami Kirtanananda is returning to the states very soon. You are very much anxious to get him back home and your desire will be fulfilled very soon.
Please accept my blessings. Your handwritten letter of 12/18/67 is a great pleasure. Your handwritten letter is more valuable than type written. Regarding Damodara's plight, we are very sorry but we must always expect that some of the weak soldiers may fall down in a fight waged against the great Maya external energy of Krishna. The sex attraction is very great in the material world. But in the spiritual world it is different. From Srimad-Bhagavatam we know that the opposite sex namely the female members of Vaikuntha are many many times more beautiful than they are in the heavenly planets. Their hips and attractive smiles cannot stimulate sex urge passion of the man or male devotees. In the Vaikuntha planets the opulence is very great and yet they are all engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. It is very difficult to conquer over the influence of Maya, but who firmly fixed up in Krishna Conciousness cannot be a victim of Maya. Anyway, we cannot stop our fighting with Maya, neither we can expect that all our soldiers will remain unhurt.
1968 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your nice letter of April 28,1968, written in your own handwriting. Yes, I am keeping well by the Grace of my Guru Maharaja, and I am working also on Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as for a nice edition of Caitanya Caritamrta. The Teachings of Lord Caitanya is being printed, 5000 copies in Japan; and the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is being published by MacMillan Co. very shortly. The arrangement is complete and things are going on. Now you have to find out some person who can distribute our literature and other things. Sometimes you told me you can find out some man who can take charge of our distribution of literature, now please do it very seriously. Because if we have no outlet for selling the books it will be a problem to get the new stock of books. If there is nice distribution arrangement, then at least 2 to 4 books we can publish every year.
Regarding the question (In vol I, First Canto, Ch. 1, Text 1, pp. 59 of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is stated "anyone who hands over a charity of this great work on the full moon day attains to the highest perfection of human life by going back to home, back to Godhead." Does this mean that by giving the Gayatri mantra, only vol. one, or the complete work?) it is not the Gayatri mantra, but the Srimad-Bhagavatam. The idea is that in olden days there was no press. So books were not available printed. Formerly great aristocratic families kings, and rich men, they used to engage a qualified brahmana to copy Srimad-Bhagavatam in handwriting, and then present it to a suitable person, especially brahmanas, in a gold casket. That was the system. But since printing machine has been introduced, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and other literature are being printed. So therefore, this reference, in the Skandha Purana, is in connection with giving Srimad-Bhagavatam in handwriting. That was a great work of charity. This charity, however, included the complete Srimad-Bhagavatam, and neither vol. one nor two. That was the process. Still there are many rich men in India who have engaged learned brahmanas to copy Srimad-Bhagavatam in handwriting, and they give in charity, to a qualified person, in the above way.
Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to receive your handwriting letter after so long a time, and from your handwriting I can understand that Krishna is keeping you in good health. You must take care of your health, and under the direction of your good husband. I have especially entrusted you in his hand so that he may take proper care of your health, and everyone is pleased about your nice combination. Both of you are very serious students in Krishna Consciousness and on account of your service __, Krishna always will help you in all respects.
Please accept my blessings. With the greatest satisfaction I have just now read over your nicely composed and hand-written letter of December 12, 1968 and I thank you so much for the kind sentiments you have expressed therein. I had also been thinking of you because you were thinking of me, but as your letter has arrived first it is for me to answer it. Actually, I always think of you as my naughty daughter and from the start of this movement, you and your very good husband have always shown to be very sincere and important members of our society. So I know that both of your services are most sincere and I will always appreciate this.
1969 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated August 5th, 1969, and I am very much pleased with your nice handwriting and the purport of it. You have so quickly picked up the importance of the Hare Krishna Movement and are so much eager for propagating Krishna Consciousness. That means you are already recognized by Krishna. In your previous life you must have cultivated Krishna Consciousness. As we learn from Bhagavad-gita, it is said there that a person who does not reach to the final goal of Krishna Consciousness is again given the opportunity to fulfill the mission of achieving perfection. So my request to you is that you should try to complete the process of Krishna Consciousness in this very life, without waiting for another term of cultivation. Of course a devotee either in this world or in the spiritual world, his connection with Krishna being fixed up, is equally happy anywhere. But so long we are in this material world there is constant allurement of Maya, and sometimes we fall victim.
1970 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your good handwriting letter, and I am so pleased to learn that you are joining the Sankirtana Party along with Birbhadra and Girish.
I shall always pray to Krishna for your spiritual progress and good health hundreds of times, and you be happy under the protection of New Vrndavana.
Regarding the Hindi letter, I could not follow the Hindi script handwriting. If you send me either a typewritten copy or the English translation of it, that will be nice. As far as I could read the letter here and there, I understand that it is written by some Radheshyam Banka. Sometime in the year 1961 I was guest in the Gita Bagicha. At that time one boy was taking care of me. I think he is Radheshyam Banka. Anyway, my relation with the Gita Press and Hanuman Prasad Poddar is very much friendly. So letters to them should not be written about myself which may influence our friendship.
You may inform Devahuti and the others that I am always satisfied with their work. I am satisfied only to see that everyone of us is always engaged in his respective duties. As the teacher wants to see that the students are engaged in their handwriting work. Who is writing good hand, that is a secondary question. The teacher's duty is to see that everyone is engaged in handwriting work. So if all the artists are always engaged in painting, that will satisfy me, and that will gradually make them experienced for making good paintings.
I have read your version of the Bhagavad-gita, first chapter and it is very interesting to read how the armies were present on the battlefield of Kuruksetra and how Lord Krishna became the charioteer of His friend and devotee, Arjuna. Also I have read your excerpt from Teachings of Lord Caitanya and it was very relishable to read. So take instruction from Bhagavad-gita in this way. Your handwriting is so nice, so by printing such booklets and learning Bhagavad-gita you can then instruct others and Krishna will bless you.
1971 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 21st July, 1971 and have noted the contents. The handwritten postscript was "is Not". You are right. But I have received one letter from Madhudvisa Maharaja that things are going on nicely in Bombay. So you need not go there. Better if you also form a party to recruite life members. From Giriraja's letter, and Tamala's also, I understand that only Giriraja is collecting money. So why not you do something in this connection? I suggest, since Jayapataka is engaged in temple work, that both you and Tamala find some time and recruit some members.
1972 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter undated in your very nice handwriting. Do not bother yourself for designing for Vrndavana Temple. The work has been taken up by one very qualified architect in Delhi and also Saurabha is assisting. So I can understand that you are very talented boy from your wonderful script, so I think you should apply your talent for painting nice pictures of Krishna and the acaryas in our line, and also you may help Mohadananda in designing work for his press operation there in Sydney.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter from Calcutta dated June 12, 1972, and have appreciated the contents. I am especially pleased that you have stayed some days and got the tapes of Lalita Prashad Thakura for posterity. If you send them to Syamasundara. immediately he has all facilities here to transcribe them, and get them printed immediately. As for the manuscripts, you can call Satchidananda from Vrndavana, he can write in Bengali very nicely and can type also with Bengali typewriter. Tell him to bring the Bengali typewriter with him and type everything on good paper. But best thing is, I have asked Yadubara to come there to Birnagar from Bombay for photographing all of the manuscripts in the possession of Lalita Prashad Thakura page by page very completely before it is too late. The pages are in very decrepit condition, so best thing is to request Lalita Prashad if we may take care of them by treating them against insects and storing them in a tight, dry storage place where they may be preserved for future generations of Vaisnavas to see the actual handwriting and words of such great saintly persons. Treat this matter very seriously and thoroughly, and take all precautions to protect this wonderful boon of literatures forever. Yadubara may photograph every page, never mind Bengali or English or any other language, and later we shall see where to send the copies to different places. You also write to Yadubara at Bombay in this connection and request him to join you in Birnagar immediately. I have also written him. These items are very, very priceless and are a great treasure house of Vaisnava lore, so be very careful in the matter and take all precautions to guard them.
1975 Correspondence
Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your letter undated as well as your handwritten book, the Gita as it has appeared to me. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu strictly followed Krsna. That is his grace: yare dekha tare kaha krsna upadesa/ amara agajnyaya guru hana tara ei desa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land." (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter 7, Verse 128.)
| Page Title: | Handwriting |
| Compiler: | Deepika, Jayaram, Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 24 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=5, OB=0, Lec=8, Con=2, Let=17 |
| No. of Quotes: | 32 |