Mahabharata (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"mahabharata"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Juggannath Babu -- Calcutta 14 March, 1949:

Guru Maharaj Sastriji advised the members assembled yesterday to observe fast today and this is being done as a matter of course on the occasion of Gaura Jayanti day. I was so glad to hear from you that you know Lord Caitanya as the incarnation of Godhead. Yes he is so and there are ample proofs of His being so in the different Sastras such as Mahabharata, Bhagavata, Upanisads and many other Puranas. So on the occasion of Lord Caitanya's 463rd advent ceremony, I am taking this opportunity to remember about him which will help my vrata observed to-day. I hope you will not mind for intruding upon your time with this statement.

Letter to Mr. Bailey -- Allahabad 14 September, 1951:

The Pandavas are the sons of Pandu as it is stated in the history of Mahabharata. The Pandavas and the Kurus met at the battlefield of Kuruksetra and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita was told by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- New York 22 July, 1967:

Conscious. So far the stories are concerned, the Vedic literatures are full of instructive stories for the spiritual advancement of the human society. Because the less intelligent class of men, like women, mercantile people, and laborers, want to hear stories, for them the Vedic idea or concept was explained in 18 Puranas and the Mahabharata. If I get good assistance I can overflood your country with stories so nice and instructive.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Nandarani, Dayananda -- New York 29 April, 1968:

No, I think there is not any good English version of Mahabharata but very soon, we shall have the Bhagavad-gita, and the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and you can enjoy reading them; they should be ready by September.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Satyabhama -- Hawaii 30 March, 1969:

And you will have ample opportunity to educate children and write books for them because there is sufficient matter for publishing such books from the Puranas, Mahabharata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and many other allied literatures. There are thousands of ideal historical events, which if we can put with suitable pictures, it will be a great idea and people will like to have such literature.

Letter to Satyabhama -- Hawaii 30 March, 1969:

And you will have ample opportunity to educate children and write books for them because there is sufficient matter for publishing such books from the Puranas, Mahabharata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and many other allied literatures. There are thousands of ideal historical events, which if we can put with suitable pictures, it will be a great idea and people will like to have such literature.

Letter to Vibhavati -- New Vrindaban 12 June, 1969:

Therefore people in general must understand the importance of Krishna Consciousness, and they must in this democratic day send their real representatives who can make right decisions whether there should be war or no war. We find from the history of Mahabharata that the battle of Kuruksetra was because of the belligerent attitude of Duryodhana. So such war as is was conducted under the advice of Lord Krishna is not bad, but war declared and executed by demonic politicians is certainly very bad. A Krishna conscious person like Arjuna is not inclined to the activities of warfare, but when there is a necessity for peace in the world to educate men to become Krishna Conscious, a Krishna Conscious person does not lag behind.

Letter to Mr. Kair -- Los Angeles 8 July, 1969:

You have hinted about the value of concentration and in the stories from the Bhagavatam and Mahabharata, but I do not exactly follow what you mean by this. The statements in the Bhagavatam and Mahabharata and the Puranas are all different historical incidents. Mahabharata is called, according to Vedic authorities, as the history of India. I do not know who first designated it as an "epic." That is the cause of the falldown of Hindu culture.

Letter to Mr. Kair -- Los Angeles 8 July, 1969:

But such historical facts are not chronological; but for the teaching of the commonplace people some of the important incidents of history are there. It is said saram saram samud dhritva. This means only the essential facts have been collected, and they are put together in the shape of Puranas, Mahabharata, etc.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Los Angeles 28 July, 1969:

There are many instances in Mahabharata wherein we find that Krishna declined to accept the invitation of Dhuryodhana, who was then the emperor of the world, but He accepted the invitation of Vidura, who was famous as a poor man. It is said "Vidura's particles of grain." So our business is to offer our sincere service, and it is accepted by Krishna.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Unknown -- Los Angeles 12 April, 1970:

In this way the whole Vedic knowledge developed into four Vedas, 108 Upanisads, 18 Puranas, then summarized in Vedanta Sutra, and then again to benefit the less intelligent class of men like women, workers, and the degraded descendants of the higher class he made another fifth Veda known as Mahabharata or the great history of India.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Kirtika -- Calcutta 16 February, 1972:

I am always very much encouraged to hear from my disciples and to reply them, but now I am old man and I have inclination for philosophy and translating, and if all day and night I am reading and answering and signing letters then I cannot utilize this, the fag end of my life, to give you so many nice literatures like the Vedas, Upanisads, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other books in our own Gaudiya line, like Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Visvanatha Cakravarti and others.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 29 April, 1973:

Regarding reading Mahabharata, why divert your attention in this way? Bhagavatam is also Mahabharata. There are so many books I have presented already, so whatever you have got, just become expert in that. There are many things still yet to be learned.

Letter to Jayapataka, Bhavananda -- Los Angeles 9 May, 1973:

We want to display doll exhibitions in every center of our society depicting some narration from Bhagavatam, Mahabharata, Caitanya Caritamrta, Bhagavad-gita like that. Just like the picture that Arjuna's chariot is placed by Krsna between the groups of 2 soldiers. The Pictures are already there in our books and they are to be demonstrated by doll exhibition.

Letter to Niranjana -- Brooklyn 21 May, 1973:

So, if they do not believe in Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad-gita, then they are called unbelievers, so how can you believe their words. Then we come to the platform of reason and argument. If they do not believe in Ramayana and Mahabharata, then we shall reply point to point by argument and reason. Of course, it is not possible to come to the right conclusion simply by argument and reason, tarkanratishtanat.

Letter to Sir Alistair Hardy -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 28 July, 1973:

We understand from the history of Mahabharata that Dhrtarastra had one hundred sons, but there are many other examples also. Maharaja Rsabha dev had one hundred sons, so they were big prominent men in the history the names of the most prominent men are mentioned. It is therefore safe to conclude that if the King can produce one hundred sons the subjects also can produce one hundred sons, if not all of then at least some of them. So at that time there was no question of overpopulation, we do not find it in the history of Mahabharata.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Acyutananda -- Paris 14 June, 1974:

Regarding your philosophical question, if the Bhagavad gita is part of Mahabharata which is considered smrti, how can we claim Bhagavad gita to be GITOPANISAD, or one of the Upanisads which are sruti? Actually because the Gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead it is sruti. But people take it as smrti because it is part of the Mahabharata. We take it as sruti as far as we are concerned. The purport of sruti is to make one advanced in understanding the Absolute Truth.

Letter to Acyutananda -- Paris 14 June, 1974:

Here the Absolute Truth is explaining personally, therefore the Gita should be taken as sruti. But they take it as smrti because it is part of the Smriti (Mahabharata). In one sense it is both sruti and smrti.

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Mayapur 18 October, 1974:

Yes, the Mahabharata is an authoritative book. It is considered the fifth veda. But, quotations must be given from the original Mahabharata.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Dinanatha N. Mishra -- Laguna Beach 26 July, 1975:

I have to translate all the Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and many other theistic literatures left by the Gaudiya Vaisnavas headed by the six Goswamis like Rupa, Sanatana, Jiva, etc.

Letter to Bhagavata -- Bombay 12 November, 1975:

So those who say that the Mahabharata battle was fought 3,000 B.C., that is correct. But they had a big, big meeting with big, big professors but was there any conclusion? No. So therefore these kinds of meetings are all useless. Unless there is some conclusion, it is simply a waste of time.

Letter to Tulsi -- Bombay 18 December, 1975:

Throughout the Bhagavad-gita Krishna is encouraging Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi manufactured non-violence from Bhagavad-gita. Everyone in India knows the Mahabharata, the great battle of Kuruksetra, 640,000,000 soldiers gave up their life in that battle, and Krishna was personally instructing Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi took Bhagavad-gita and preached non-violence. So what was his understanding. At the end of his life he frankly said, "I don't believe there was ever such a historical person as Krishna". So what did Gandhi know about Bhagavad-gita?

1976 Correspondence

Letter to P. R. Mohapatra -- Mayapur 4 March, 1976:

This description is there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and there are other references also in the Mahabharata, etc. This sankirtana of the Holy Names is the Yuga-dharma and all intelligent men will appreciate, as you are also appreciating the importance of this movement.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Artists -- Unknown Place Unknown Date:

So far as Mahabharata is concerned, there is a Hindi translation, but I do not know of any English translation. But never mind. You can go on asking me as you have done in the past.

Letter to Inquirer -- Boston Unknown Date:

In this way the entire Vedic knowledge was developed into four Vedas, then 108 Upanisads, 18 Puranas, and then summarized in Vedanta-sutra. And then again, to benefit the less intelligent class of men like women, workers, and the degraded descendants of the higher class, Vyasadeva made a fifth Veda, known as Mahabharata, or the great history of India.