Marvelous

Expressions researched:
"marvel" |"marveling" |"marvellous" |"marvelous" |"marvelously"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 9.26, Translation and Purport:

If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.

For the intelligent person, it is essential to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, in order to achieve a permanent, blissful abode for eternal happiness. The process of achieving such a marvelous result is very easy and can be attempted even by the poorest of the poor, without any kind of qualification. The only qualification required in this connection is to be a pure devotee of the Lord. It does not matter what one is or where one is situated. The process is so easy that even a leaf or a little water or fruit can be offered to the Supreme Lord in genuine love and the Lord will be pleased to accept it. No one, therefore, can be barred from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because it is so easy and universal.

BG 11.52, Purport:

Still, beyond that universal form, the form of Kṛṣṇa with two hands is still more difficult to see, even for demigods like Brahmā and Lord Śiva. They desire to see Him, and we have evidence in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that when He was supposed to be in the womb of His mother, Devakī, all the demigods from heaven came to see the marvel of Kṛṣṇa, and they offered nice prayers to the Lord, although He was not at that time visible to them. They waited to see Him. A foolish person may deride Him, thinking Him an ordinary person, and may offer respect not to Him but to the impersonal "something" within Him, but these are all nonsensical postures. Kṛṣṇa in His two-armed form is actually desired to be seen by demigods like Brahmā and Śiva.

SB Preface and Introduction

SB Introduction:

The Bhaṭṭācārya at once fell down at the lotus feet of the Lord and composed many suitable ślokas in praise of the Lord by His grace. He composed one hundred ślokas in praise of the Lord. The Lord then embraced him, and out of transcendental ecstasy the Bhaṭṭācārya lost consciousness of the physical state of life. Tears, trembling, throbbing of the heart, perspiration, emotional waves, dancing, singing, crying and all the eight symptoms of trance were manifested in the body of the Bhaṭṭācārya. Śrī Gopīnātha Ācārya became very glad and astonished by this marvelous conversion of his brother-in-law by the grace of the Lord.

Out of the hundred celebrated ślokas composed by the Bhaṭṭācārya in praise of the Lord, the following two are most important, and these two ślokas explain the mission of the Lord in gist.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.8.19, Purport:

These are some of the superhuman activities of the Lord described in the authoritative Vedic literatures like the Purāṇas, Itihāsas (histories) and Upaniṣads. He has delivered wonderful instructions in the shape of the Bhagavad-gītā. He has shown marvelous capacities as a hero, as a householder, as a teacher and as a renouncer. He is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by such authoritative personalities as Vyāsa, Devala, Asita, Nārada, Madhva, Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Jīva Gosvāmī, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī and all other authorities of the line. He Himself has declared as much in many places of the authentic literatures. And yet there is a class of men with demoniac mentality who are always reluctant to accept the Lord as the Supreme Absolute Truth.

SB 1.13.39, Purport:

Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, as a good soul and devotee of the Lord, was always conscious of the great loss of his aunt and her sufferings as an ascetic. An ascetic is never disturbed by all kinds of sufferings, and that makes him strong and determined on the path of spiritual progress. Queen Gāndhārī is a typical example of an ascetic because of her marvelous character in many trying situations. She was an ideal woman as mother, wife and ascetic, and in the history of the world such character in a woman is rarely found.

SB 1.13.59, Purport:

Vidura was astonished to see the marvelous departure of his brother Dhṛtarāṣṭra as a liberated yogī, for in his past life he was much attached to materialism. Of course it was only due to Vidura that his brother attained the desirable goal of life. Vidura was therefore glad to learn about it. But he was sorry that he could not make his brother turn into a pure devotee. This was not done by Vidura because of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's being inimical to the Pāṇḍavas, who were all devotees of the Lord. An offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava is more dangerous than an offense at the lotus feet of the Lord. Vidura was certainly very liberal to bestow mercy upon his brother Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whose past life was very materialistic.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.3.20, Translation:

One who has not listened to the messages about the prowess and marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead and has not sung or chanted loudly the worthy songs about the Lord is to be considered to possess earholes like the holes of snakes and a tongue like the tongue of a frog.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.32.18, Purport:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is here described as hari-medhaḥ, or "He who can deliver one from the cycle of birth and death." Materialistic persons are never interested in hearing about the marvelous pastimes of the Lord. They think that they are fictions and stories and that the Supreme Godhead is also a man of material nature. They are not fit for advancing in devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Such materialistic persons are interested in newspaper stories, novels and imaginary dramas. The factual activities of the Lord, such as Lord Kṛṣṇa's acting in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, or the activities of the Pāṇḍavas, or the Lord's activities in Vṛndāvana or Dvārakā, are related in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which are full of the activities of the Lord. But materialistic persons who engage in elevating their position in the material world are not interested in such activities of the Lord.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 2.31, Purport:

Do the bellows of the blacksmith not breathe? All around us, do the beasts not eat and discharge semen? Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from evils. One who has not listened to the messages about the prowess and marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead and has not sung or chanted loudly the worthy songs about the Lord should be considered to possess ears like the holes of snakes and a tongue like that of a frog. The upper portion of the body, though crowned with a silk turban, is only a heavy burden if not bowed down before the Personality of Godhead, who can award mukti (freedom). And the hands, though decorated with glittering bangles, are like those of a dead man if not engaged in the service of the Personality of Godhead Hari.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

Now, na, na abhinandati. Now, suppose one has done very marvelous work. So we should not be very much enthusiastic to praise for such work. What is that work? That work is material. It will vanish. Nābhinandati. Neither, when it is vanished, he is also sorry for that. These symptoms are for a person who is situated in the pure consciousness platform. Tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā. His prajñā, his intelligence... You mind that. Intelligence is above the mind. The first stage is... The general stage of our life is the activities of the senses. Those who are ordinary persons, without any knowledge, they are acting, whole day and night to satisfy the senses. That's all. This is ordinary life. Mostly people are working for that purpose, mostly. And above them, above them, if somebody is intelligent, he's working on the mind—philosophy, poetry, nice idea in novel, nice idea in drama, some psychological..., all these things.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Los Angeles, June 16, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

bile batorukrama-vikramān ye

na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya

jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta

na copagāyaty urugāya-gāthāḥ

(SB 2.3.20)

(Prabhupāda corrects pronunciation several times during chanting of verse.)

Translation: "One who has not listened to the messages about the prowess and marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead and has not sung or chanted loudly the worthy songs about the Lord is to be considered to possess earholes like that of the snakes and a tongue like that of the frogs."

Prabhupāda: So the impersonalists or the voidists, so where is their God? So there is no God for them. Impersonal. So there is no activity. What they will hear and where they will chant? If you have no activity, then what shall I hear about you? If you are a dead stone, then what can I hear? Simply one, "A big stone." That's all. So they have no this opportunity. These impersonalists, they are so unfortunate that they cannot hear. As soon as there is some activity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they will say, "It is māyā." That is called Māyāvāda. "These are ... our activities, māyā, and therefore God's activities are also māyā."

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Los Angeles, June 16, 1972:

That is the difficulty. He does not talk with nonsense. He talks, but not with the nonsense. So when you are above the nonsensical platform by sincere service, then Kṛṣṇa will talk with you from within. (aside:) Sit down properly. So the fact is that "One who has not listened to the messages about the prowess and the marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead ..." Now, they have got ... These Māyāvādīs, they have got their ears, but they cannot hear about the activities of the Lord. They'll reject, "Oh, this is all māyā. Let us meditate." So their, these earholes is compared with the snake holes.

When you go, walk on the paddy field, you will find so many holes. Have you got experience? There are so many holes. Even on the beach, you will find so many holes. But especially in the agricultural field there are holes, because the paddy ... The rats and mouse, they come to eat the paddies, and they make hole to live there.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Japan.

Allen Ginsberg: Printed in Japan.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Allen Ginsberg: Beautiful. It's very industrious. It's marvelous.

Prabhupāda: Next book is coming, Nectar of Devotion.

Allen Ginsberg: What will that be, your own writings?

Prabhupāda: No, it is the authorized translation of Rūpa Gosvāmī's book, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

Allen Ginsberg: Whose...?

Prabhupāda: Rūpa Gosvāmī, Lord Caitanya's principal disciple.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: So it is the book to understand Kṛṣṇa, but these people, unscrupulous people, even great scholars, they tried to explain something, taking advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā. Instead of understanding Kṛṣṇa, they wanted to present something of their concoction through the Bhagavad-gītā. So this movement was already there since five thousand years. But these, I may say, the foolish scholars, they suppressed. Caitanya Mahāprabhu revived. Five hundred years ago he revived. So from Caitanya Mahāprabhu time we are trying to revive this movement in different way, different way. About two hundred years ago, hundred and fifty years ago, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura revived it, and then about fifty years ago, my Guru Maharaja, he revived it, and he also ordered me that "You go and preach this philosophy to the Western world." So under his order I came, and I presented Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, as you have read. So the acceptance has been very marvelous, because the things are presented in pure form, so it has acted very nice. Otherwise it is not a movement that I have manufactured something. No. The movement was already there. I am simply presenting as it is. That is my service. That's all.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India -- October 14, 1972, New Delhi:

Śyāmasundara: Thirty-five thousand copies.

Ambassador: Oh!

Mrs. Keating: Oh, that's marvellous. It's a very good...

Ambassador: I used to be the attorney for the Macmillan Company.

Prabhupāda: Yes, here is, here is my headquarters address.

Ambassador: I see. In Los Angeles.

Mrs. Keating: Oh, good. Fine.

Prabhupāda: That is my Press address.

Śyāmasundara: This was received today.

Ambassador: "Macmillan enthusiastic. Commitment letter sent to you. 30,000 paper, 10,000 hard."

Śyāmasundara: Forty thousand.

Mrs. Keating: Excellent.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 17, 1973, Los Angeles:

Kṛṣṇa-kāntī: The doctors are marveling at the complex nature of the human brain. They are amazed.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. But they are rascal. It is not the brain that is working. It is the spirit soul that is working. The same thing: the computer machine. The rascal will think that a computer machine is working. No. The man is working. He pushes the button, then it works. Otherwise, what is the value of this machine? You keep the machine for thousands of years, it will not work. When another man will come, put the button, then it will work. So who is working? The machine is working or the man is working? And the man is also another machine. And it is working due to the presence of Paramātmā, God. Therefore, ultimately, God is working. A dead man cannot work. So how long a man remains living? So long the Paramātmā is there, ātmā is there. Even the ātmā is there, if Paramātmā does not give him intelligence, he cannot work. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15).

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja -- June 27, 1973, Navadvipa:

Prabhupāda: Fifty thousand.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Fifteen thousand.

Prabhupāda: Fifty. Five, zero.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Marvelous success.

Prabhupāda: And Bhāgavata also, we have got six volumes. So people purchase the whole set, sixty dollars. Sixty dollars for the whole set? No? How much?

Śrutakīrti: They sell it for thirty dollars.

Prabhupāda: Thirty dollars, yes. So this is very encouraging that our books are... (Bengali) The books are selling like anything, these books.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Hotcakes. (laughter)

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja -- June 27, 1973, Navadvipa:

Prabhupāda: Uncle, uncle. In Back to Godhead, you have seen it. Maybe.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: So much clear conception in such a small period of time, that they have acquired. This is a marvelous thing. The Dāmodara also, ISKCON has said in such a way, this Dāmodara Svarūpa and the Paṇḍita Dāmodara. Generally, these are for public, but minute reader only can differentiate.

Prabhupāda: Dāmodara. Svarūpa Dāmodara and Dāmodara Paṇḍita.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Dāmodara Paṇḍita. Two different, but one is Lalitā. Another is a mañjarī of Candrāvalī, Paṇḍita Dāmodara.

Prabhupāda: Opposite party.

Room Conversation With David Wynne -- July 9, 1973, London:

Devotee (2): Didn't the Queen make some remarks about that? She said something to you...

David Wynne: Yes, she said, "How marvelous it would be to completely trust Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: That's very nice.

David Wynne: She said, ah, "What a relief to be able to pass all responsibility to Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. But that one has to learn, how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The sentiment is very nice. It is just fitting from the royal... Because she's after all favored, she has taken birth in the royal family, so she is not ordinary woman. And her intelligence must be extraordinary. So she has remarked like that, what is that exact word?

David Wynne: I think the exact word... She said "How marvelous to be able to give all responsibility to Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa is ready.

Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:

Jesuit Priest: Oh, I see. I've got it, yes.

Mahādeva: And then a full translation.

Jesuit Priest: Translation. Yes. They're marvelous. Yes. Yes.

Revatīnandana: Actually, most of the Sanskrit, much of that work is done by one of Prabhupāda's disciples now. He handles much of the Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they are being trained.

Revatīnandana: It's a mechanical process, after all. But the translation, that requires not only knowledge of the language, it requires spiritual realization.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

O'Grady: The system gives up. That's a marvelous solution. Because I feel very tired with the system myself. So there's something wrong with the system as being. So maybe you can give me some advice how to beat the system. Because I assure you, here in Rome...

Prabhupāda: But you Irish people, you are never tired to fight. (laughter)

O'Grady: No. We've been fighting for three thousand years now.

Prabhupāda: I think the fighting is going on still.

Room Conversation with Biochemist, Dr. Sallaz -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: What is that book?

Dr. Sallaz: It was the Āyurvedic collection. The old Āyurvedic medicine. This was this book. And I learned about it only one year ago because a professor of Sanskrit from India had it come from India to Europe and he's... Paris, I believe. He was a professor of Sanskrit. And showed this book. And he said, "It is marvelous. You cannot find it anymore. It is the old Āyurvedic medicine." And this I had for ten years without knowing what.

Prabhupāda: So we are very pleased that you are accepting that the life comes... Life is energy. Now, which is...

Dr. Sallaz: We give it a name, energy. It is much higher.

Prabhupāda: No, it is energy, exactly the name. Because we say prakṛti. Prakṛti means energy, nature, nature. Just like it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. You find out this verse. (Yogeśvara translates.)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:

Guest (1): Well, it's more involved than just saying that. Sun is just a big complex of hydrogen and helium, a big pile of rubbish really, but it develops this marvelous reactions which causes it to work as a big nuclear reactor, an entirely different story, what the vision of science, of the present science, about the meaning of celestial bodies and the meaning of, in particular, of sun and moon and so on. We are extremely realistic about this world. We can't see, assuming all the glory of that what happens on the earth due to the existence of those bodies, we do not try to look inside of the structure of these things, as something meant for us. Just universe as it is... And this question, like Nietzchean question which I am repeating—that's not my point—this big question is... Western philosophy presently does not answer, does not ask this question. I think that this scientist who did ask it had quite a point. This question expresses the quest of the human race for some meaning for some sense, for some sense. That's what religion is now offering us, or philosophy, or... Rarely, directly, we hear the direct answer to that.

Prabhupāda: What is your direct answer?

Guest (1): Oh, I don't have any. If I would have, I wouldn't ask you.

Prabhupāda: That means your knowledge is insufficient.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Bill Sauer: I believe the spirit of life lives on totally in this marvelous planet earth, but I feel the spirit has to be carried and nurtured and improved in the body. So I feel we have to carry the bodies, the material bodies, to the other planets to allow the spiritualism to live there also.

Prabhupāda: That is in the material world. If you want to stay in the material, then you change the material body just suitable for a particular place, atmosphere. But we have got our spiritual body. That spiritual body, without any material covering, you can transfer to the spiritual world.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalam purāṇam.

Harikeśa: These books are exquisite. The books they make in France are just marvelous.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Harikeśa: It was printed in Italy, I think, but this here is so nice.

Prabhupāda: Yes, embossed. I think our other books are not like that.

Harikeśa: Of course, in France this is very much appreciated because the people are like that.

Prabhupāda: Fancy.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Harikeśa: Oh, yes, every time I walk out the door I'm convinced. And when you come back to the temple, it's marvelous, the spiritual world. No matter what going on, may be bad, may be good, doesn't matter. It's very relieving.

Prabhupāda: Civilization means to push the man forward for perfection. That is civilization.

Hari-śauri: Development.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Society and economic condition, everything should be so arranged that this human child should be gradually pushed for perfection of life, go back home, back to Godhead. This is civilization. And modern civilization is "Don't care for what is going to happen. So long you live, eat, drink, be merry, enjoy," that's all. Sense gratification. This is called nāstika-vāda. Very dangerous. And that is going on all over the world. How a gentleman can live in that society?

Arrival Conversation -- August 13, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, there was no projector.

Hari-śauri: No, that was Ātreya Ṛṣi's.

Harikeśa: Yes, we should have many of those in India. They're so marvelous.

Hari-śauri: This is a desk.

Harikeśa: Do you have the almirah key?

Hari-śauri: This is almirah.

Harikeśa: Prabhupāda's bedroom almirah somehow got out here, or is that the almirah?

Prabhupāda: Which almirah? Which almirah?

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: That is our books are being printed.

Krishna Modi: A very big thing it is. It is marvelous that you have done such a thing. It is proud of India that...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: New York devotees just got a twelve story building right in the center and I know the local Hindus they are trying to build a small temple since twenty years and they're not succeeding. And right in the center of New York we have a twelve story building. Now all the Hindus are coming to us.

Prabhupāda: You have got that picture New York temple?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The Ratha-yātrā picture? Ratha-yātrā, the New York paper. New York Times, Newsweek, all the Indians came. They said, "East Meets West."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Gargamuni: ...from one very important Hindi scholar, and he is Dr. V. P. Singh, M.A. Hindi, M.A. Sanskrit, Ph.D. literature, and he's the senior professor and head of the department of Hindi, and Dean of Faculty of Arts of Benares Hindi University at Benares. So he writes about your Hindi Bhāgavatam, which has just come out: "It gives me great pleasure to review these publications of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Especially I am appreciating this Hindi edition of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, complete with original Sanskrit text, word-for-word synonyms, and a marvelously lucid Hindi translation. In addition, having read thorough portions of the purports, which in my opinion reflect the vast erudition of the genius of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, I am discovering an unequaled body of literature in terms of scholastic quality and devotional impact both. The real meaning of such bhakti literature can only be disclosed by one who is a truly devotee and a saint. The evidence of these qualities in Swami Bhaktivedanta are highly apparent because of his great dedication and success in spreading the message of the Bhāgavata all over the world, and creating thousands of foreign bhaktas who aptly deserve the title of Vaiṣṇava Brāhmaṇa, due to their strict practice, devotion and learning."

Prabhupāda: Ah, very good.

770508 - Conversation C - Hrishikesh:

Indian man (1): It is really marvelous, how the movement has spread.

Prabhupāda: This is marvelous. You give the real thing, and it will act. If you give false things, naṣṭa, so superficially it is (Sanskrit), but if it is spoiled, it will create disease. Our leaders, our politicians, our swamis and yogis, they have spoiled Bhagavad-gītā by misinterpretation. Then what benefit he'll derive? They are spoiling, and they are followers. Now whatever is done is done. You can reform it and again it will be all right. Now call, if there is any question.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Who's talking Arabian Night?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "Fairy stories like Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, Bible, Koran, Pilgrim's..." Oh, this man... "Pilgrim's Progress, Jataka stories, astrology, palmistry, numerology, theology, demonology, etc., are the products of subjective thinkers. While the former are factual, the latter are all fictitious. Some of the marvelous achievements of mankind in recent years are the liberation of atomic energy, radio telescopy..."

Prabhupāda: What is value of atomic energy? A man is dying; you have accelerated his death. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Landing on the moon..."

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He's giving very strong argument.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "The Oxford Dictionary defines empirical as 'based on observation and experiment.' Observation and experiment is conducted with limited senses. Therefore the conclusions are naturally limited and imperfect. So in fact, the soul and the existence of God is quite beyond the power of Kovoor's observation. Why be so obstinate? This is common sense, a point anyone can understand. He says, 'It is the unique ability of man to engage in creative thinking that has made him succeed in his fight against the laws of nature.' This is a preposterous claim only a fool would make. Nature forces everyone to become old, diseased, and, lastly, die. Even the most powerful conquerors of the world are helplessly dragged off the stage of life by nature in the shape of all-devouring death. But perhaps Dr. Kovoor will be the first living being in the history of the world that will conquer over death. That remains to be seen. And lastly he says, 'Some of the marvelous achievements of mankind in recent years are the liberation of atomic energy, radio telescopy to reach millions of light years in space, landing on the moon, etc.' Everyone knows that the first thing scientists did when discovering atomic energy was to manufacture the atom bomb and promptly drop two of them on Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thus annihilating millions of innocent victims in a flash. It is certainly marvelous. (Prabhupāda and Tamāla chuckling) At the expense of untold billions of dollars and years of research and hard labor, scientists have gone to the moon, snapped a few blurry photos, and brought back a handful of rocks, declared to the world that 'There was nothing there, so now we will try to go to Mars.' What is so marvelous about this?

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) And it is natural.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Natural and it is really marvelous how it has happened.

Prabhupāda: They were also hankering. And as soon as they got it, they got life.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. You can go. They will talk with me something.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want us to go outside, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Sardar Patel -- Calcutta 28 February, 1949:

The Vaisnava acaryas especially Lord Caitanya and his six Gosvami disciples give us ample opportunity and scope for this work. Lord Caitanya first inaugurated the sankirtana or randhun movement and the later Gosvamis supported it by scholarly philosophical synthesis. The six sandarbhas by Srila Jiva Goswami are marvelous in this respect.

2. The second item is to take up the temple entry or temple worship movement. This is, in the real sense, a theistic cultural movement and the facility or opportunity shall be open to every one whatsoever he may be. All the past acaryas accepted everyone who desires to offer his respect to God inspired by transcendental love and devotion.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 11 January, 1968:

Really you are doing wonderful work. By successfully flying aloft the banner of Sri Radha-Krishna's sweet Name in such a far off and strange land. You have marvelously proved the glory and irrepressible charm of the Divine Pair and Their sweet Name.

I am sending some books and pictures which you would find useful for your noble mission.

Letter to Jaya Govinda -- San Francisco 15 September, 1968:

Similarly, Annapurna and Ananda are going to open a center in Vancouver, and you know also that Hayagriva and Kirtanananda, with the help of several other devotees are developing New Vrindaban in 138 acres of land in West Va. Also, Dinesh and Krishna devi are going to Florida. In Florida we have 10 acres of land arranged by Dayananda and Nandarani. So all my disciples here are doing marvelously in spreading Krishna Consciousness. In San Francisco, Jayananda arranged a grand meeting yesterday amongst the Gujarati community here and most probably we shall very soon have our own gorgeous temple in San Francisco. So everyone is doing very nicely and I hope that you two also do something wonderful in India. And Bombay is the right place. As you don't like to reside in Vrindaban, but you prefer a city like Delhi, then the best city in India is Bombay. There, you don't require to speak Hindi or Bengali, all gentlemen and residents there speak in English. So you will have better facility to work there and probably to establish a center there.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Seattle 28 September, 1968:

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 24, 1968, and I am so pleased that Devananda is doing marvelous work in propagating our Krishna Consciousness movement by lecturing in the Boston University, and he is being paid $25 per lecture. It is a great credit for me also. And I feel proud that Devananda is so nicely representing my views. By Krishna's Grace, everything is gradually coming to the fulfillment of my dream. The Sankirtana party is walking in the streets and is getting good response, from the public. They are selling Back To Godhead nicely, and getting good sympathy from the public by considerable collections.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Jagannatham Prabhu -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1969:

The copy of his letter along with the copy of my letter is enclosed herewith for your purusal. I have also sent to him one copy of my Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

You have written to say that Tirtha Maharaja will give me all facilities to present before the audience during the Golden Jubilee function a picture of my "marvelous work that is being done in the USA and East European countries," but I do not think he has any intention to give me such facility because he has in his pamphlet presented one picture of Bon Maharaja's preaching work which is defunct for the last 40 years, but he has purposefully not mentioned even a single line about the preaching work now going on in Europe, Canada, and America under my direction. You will read a copy of my reply which will speak for itself.

Letter to Hayagriva, Pradyumna -- Allston, Mass 3 May, 1969:

Recently I have made one record in Los Angeles, so in trying to train our men in that rhythm is not difficult. Just arrange for sixteen men; four mrdangas, harmonium, tamboura, and the rest playing karatalas. If we can perform kirtana following the recently made recording, it will be marvelous. The summary is that you should make the above preparations for when the advertised meeting is held.

I will be reaching there in Columbus on United Airlines at 10:47, so in the evening if there is an engagement, we can accept. I will not be tired. On the 9th, 10th, 11th, if you want you can make some programs. On the 12th it is already scheduled, and similarly, on the 13rd and 14th you may make arrangements. On the morning of the 15th I shall be going to North Carolina.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Tittenhurst 19 September, 1969:

Krishna's Grace is so glorious. So if we remain faithful in Krishna's service, there will be no difficulty in speaking when ever it is necessary. There are many instances in the history of devotees of this, and even five year old boys like Dhruva and Prahlada were able to speak so nicely. I have seen the pictures of your kirtana sent by Sacisuta, and they are all marvelous. Please print them in BTG. All Sankirtana photographs should be collected, and one after another they should be printed in BTG. So far as printing part of the Krishna book in BTG, that is also very nice. Regarding my account with First National City Bank, I have already sent you the Pass Book, so if it is convenient to move to the branch where the society has got account, that is all right. There is no difficulty in changing the branch, but I wish to keep the account with the First National City Bank. When I receive the forms from you, I shall sign it.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Sudama -- Nairobi 3 October, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your pictures and note and it has so much engladdened me that I must admit that there is a little fraction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's merciful glance upon you. You are alone doing such marvelous work and it is impossible for a person without being blessed by Krishna. So you should always be conscious of this special favor upon you and continue to work more vigorously to get more and more blessings of Lord Caitanya and his disciplic succession. Remain fixed up in your spiritual regulative principles. Chant not less than 16 rounds regularly and preach this cult of Krishna Consciousness to the Japanese people to the best of your knowledge and you will get more and more strength in the matter of preaching work.