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Prabhupada and Janaki devi dasi

Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

There are many couples here. They are married. I got them married. Sometimes I am criticized by my godbrothers. But they do not know why I got them married. Here is a couple, Gurudāsa and his wife, Yamunā, and where is Mālatī? Mālatī's not here? Eh? Mālatī and her husband, Śyāmasundara. And another couple, Jānakī and Mukunda. I sent them first, missionary to London to start the temple. And for one year, they struggled very hard and they called me that "I started the temple." So my Guru Mahārāja wanted to start a temple in London. He sent two sannyāsīs but it was not possible. But these gṛhasthas, they started. So we want to see that the mission is fulfilled. It doesn't matter whether he's a gṛhastha or sannyāsī. Kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāsī kene naya. So by getting them married, I am benefited. They have helped me.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 25, 1968, San Francisco:

Yamunā: Swamiji, Jānakī-devī wrote me this very nice letter where she had a dream that there was a gigantic platform above the surface of the earth, and all of our devotees, our Godbrothers and sisters and you, were assembled on this gigantic platform for saṅkīrtana. And we had such a thunderous joy, magnificent kīrtana, that the whole earth... When you said, "Jaya oṁ paraṁ paramahaṁsa," the whole earth bowed down to you like this. And we were all crying, so happy. And you said, "Now my Guru Mahārāja is satisfied." That was her dream.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. Yes. Thank you for your dreaming like that. It is very pleasing to me. Yes, I want to see like that.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Yes. I shall make My headquarters in Purī." So people were coming and going. So His mother was getting news of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That was then last days. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, after that incident, never met, either His mother... And there was no question of meeting with wife.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. So Jānakī, she can play the mother. She is...

Prabhupāda: Yes. And you can show another scene that His wife, Viṣṇupriyā, she was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and one round finished, she counted it with one grain of rice. One round finished, one grain rice. So as many rounds finished, she'll eat only so much rice. That's all.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1973, London:

Jānakī: One is rice and the other baḍā.

Prabhupāda: What are there?

Jānakī: Milk, hot.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Jānakī: I think that other thing was not a good idea.

Prabhupāda: No, it was too cold.

Jānakī: Yes, it reduces heat. I will bring some hot pepper.

Correspondence

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Janaki and others -- New York 10 April, 1967:

I am so much obliged to you for your devotion and affection for me. I thought of you all throughout my journey from Francisco to New York and I was praying to Lord Krishna for your more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness. On my arrival here I was received by hundreds of devotees and friends although Mr. Ginsberg was out of the town. One young professor from India first greeted me and told me that Swamiji you are doing here real work whereas others who have come from India, have simply formed some groups of old lady students without any real information of Indian original culture. Any way the reception in New York was very good organized by our students here and there was distribution of varieties of Prasadam to about 100 men in the temple. I was not least tired and after landing from the air ship although there was some blockade in my ear still I continued meeting for three hours. I am now very well although I am feeling your great separation. Please continue Kirtana as usual with devotion and you will make more and more advancement in Krishna consciousness.

Letter to Mukunda -- New York 5 May, 1967:

I received a letter from your wife, Janaki. I think she is the foremost girl who is feeling my separation, so kindly inform her that I am very much pleased to learn that she is making progress considerably in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Mukunda, Janaki -- New York 21 May, 1967:

I am in due receipt of your letter of the 17th instant. Your ardent call is responding from heart and I have decided to return to San Francisco any day after 5th June 1967. You can advise therefore the American Air Lines for booking my seat and take my instruction here when I shall start as you did it last time.

I have already received letter from Jayananda with thanks. I have received letter from all my spiritual children and I am very sorry that I could not reply them timely although I have replied some of them already. But you may announce to them that I am coming at San Francisco very soon some time in the second week of June 1967.

The pamphlet which you have sent to me is very encouraging. It is clear from the statement that some of the young men of this country are very much eager to have some spiritual enlightenment and as such this movement Sankirtana inaugurated by Lord Caitanya, is just the suitable contribution for such searching after truth. So let us take this opportunity and convince them that this movement of Sankirtana is the only means for spiritual realization, very simple and universal. In our Kirtana there is no need of so called meditation and gymnastic of bodily exercise. It is simple and can be practiced even by the small children and we have practically seen it how small boys and girls do take part in it by chanting dancing with us and what to speak of eating the delicious Krishna Prasadam.

So you can talk with the leaders of the movement to accept this common formula namely chanting Hare Krishna, dancing with it, hear the sublime philosophy of Bhagavad-gita directly from the representative of Krishna, and eat Krishna Prasada. Let the leaders be open minded and not be biased by any sectarian thoughts of religiosity. This movement is universal. We invite every one to our feast and Kirtana but when one comes into the confidence we initiate him in the process and request him to observe four principles of restrictions based on philosophy and morality. Nobody can realize spiritual enlightenment without following the principles of purity. Therefore our four principles of restriction must be adopted when one is serious about further enlightenment. I am glad that Ravindrasvarupa and Devakinandana (David) is already negotiating with the authorities and it is good that you are arranging for twenty four hours chanting in the proposed camp.

Letter to Krsna Devi, Subala, Lilavati, Yamuna, Jayananda, Upendra, Malati, Gurudasa, Syamasundara, Haridasa, Mukunda, Janaki, Aunt Edna Howell -- New York 5 June, 1967:

My dear boys and girls I am so much obliged to you for your prayers to Krishna to save my life. Due to your sincere and ardent prayer, Krishna has saved my life. I was to die on Tuesday certainly but because you prayed sincerely I am saved. Now I am improving gradually and coming to original condition. Now I can hope to meet you again and chant with you, Hare Krishna. I am so glad to receive the report of your progressive march and I hope there will be no difficulty in your understanding Krishna Consciousness. My blessings are always with you and with confidence you go on with your chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Letter to Mukunda -- New York 6 June, 1967:

Please inform all the devotees, boys and girls, especially Janaki devi, that I am progressing well. As soon as I get a little strength for travelling I shall come to San Francisco. In the meantime I shall be very glad to know what arrangements you are going to do for the Rathayatra festival. Make it a grand procession and unique introduction in the United States.

Letter to Janaki -- Delhi 16 September, 1967:

I am so glad to receive your letter of Sept 5, 67. I'm so pleased for your writing such nice sentiment. I've especially noted that you could express yourself so beautifully. I know both you and your sister have inherited a good heart from your good mother. Your eagerness to get me back in the states will surely be a success because I'm also eager to return. 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. Perhaps you know that Acyutananda is now with us and since he has come Swami Kirtanananda has retired from all sorts of activities and Acyutananda is helping me. Anyway he is leaving behind a good representative so I'll not in trouble be. Most probably Acyutananda will stay in India to take charge of an American House. I shall be glad to know if Upendra is coming. Upendra and Acyutananda will be a good combination, both are silent workers without any protest. Please convey my blessings to all the boys and girls.

Letter to Janaki -- Delhi 7 October, 1967:

I have not heard for a long time from you. Previously I received so many letters from you and your sister but nowadays I am not receiving but I am always thinking of you and your good husband. I hope you are all doing well. I have received one letter from Haridasa from Santa Fe. He is willing now to marry and you may arrange for that. Please do remain in Krishna consciousness fully and you will always be happy. I am now almost cured & I wish to return back as soon as I am in receipt of a permanent Visa or immigration Visa which is in the hands of your good husband. I am starting for Calcutta on Monday morning and I shall be glad to hear from you at my Calcutta address. Please convey my blessing to all the boys and girls and I hope to meet them very soon.

Yours

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

N.B. I am negotiating with a local medal manufacturer. The cost will be about 15 ps per dollar. If you want please send money at least for 15 oz medals for $100.00. The size of the medal will be like the Radha Krishna picture on the Prospectus. One side the picture and the other side the Society's name and the word MEMBER The idea is anyone who will become a member will have this aluminium nice medal glittering like Silver. Please let me know your decision in Calcutta.

Letter to Mukunda -- Calcutta 23 October, 1967:

When coming from San Francisco I promised to Janaki and other girls that this time when I come back I shall first come to San Francisco. So I shall return by Pacific route and possibly make a break in the journey in Tokyo and Hawaii. I have duly received the copies of your correspondence with SS Brijbasi. I understand that there was no mistake on your part. Along with your letter I have the note of Janaki's Aunt Edna. Please convey my greetings and good wishes to her. She may remain there with you till my return. I have duly received your telegram as well.

Letter to Janaki -- Calcutta 4 November, 1967:

Every minute I think of you and and as you asked me to go to San Francisco while returning from India, I am trying to fulfill my promise. I am thinking of going directly to San Francisco. Please offer my blessings to Syamasundara, Malati, and others.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Gurudasa, Yamuna -- Los Angeles 16 January, 1968:

Yamuna you are little better than Janaki but don't get puffed up and be good to those a little less fortunate. Guru das your work is so nice and you are a very important member of our society. You and your wife work so well there shall never be any problems.

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 24 February, 1968:

How Janaki is doing. My blessings for her.

Letter to Mukunda, Janaki -- Los Angeles 28 February, 1968:

I thank you very much for your letters of Feb. 24 and 25, 1968, and I have noted the contents. Yes, if you can find out some distributing agent for our Back to Godhead, that is very good. Please do it. I have received both dictaphone machines, and the new one is working nicely. The foreign one I have yet to test at some shop, which I will do this week. I have written in Uddhava's letter that I shall be arriving on March 8th, and we can discuss the meeting at the Immigration Bureau at that time.

I thank you very much for that nice sketch done by Janaki, and I shall have Jadurani begin a painting from that pose. So far the spirit soul is concerned, if conditions are for some reason not favorable in some place, he is forced to leave that womb and take shelter in another. And if there is chanting of Hare Krishna, even the soul is there for a short time, oh, he will hear and become advanced. This sound vibration is not material, it is spiritual, and powerful beyond our conception. So it cannot be hindered in any way by something material; it surpasses all these material barriers. So you can know it that when you are chanting, you are also giving benefit to even the child in the womb. I hope you are feeling much healthier by this time, and I shall be very glad to see you when I arrive in San Francisco. Hope you are both well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. Please hand over the enclosed letter to Uddhava & Cidananda.

Letter to Aniruddha -- San Francisco 13 March, 1968:

In the meantime, Mukunda and Janaki have come there, and I hope together you will do service to the Temple to your best capacity. I have got very good impression of the Temple in San Francisco, and both you and Mukunda may bring up the Los Angeles to the same standard. Don't be depressed because there is no sufficient audience at present, but if you continue your service all in cooperation, in very near future it will be a nice center.

Letter to Aniruddha -- New York 29 April, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 24, 1968, and I thank you very much for all the nice news. I am so much pleased to learn that the Los Angeles temple is improving in opulence. Please tell Janaki that I am so glad to learn that she has framed the pictures very nicely and that both she and Mukunda are working to improve the condition of the temple. This is all very nice.

Letter to Aniruddha -- New York 29 April, 1968:

Regarding the Radha Krishna statues, for the time being, suspend it. Keep Them dressed nicely, as Janaki is doing.

Letter to Mukunda -- Allston, Mass 6 May, 1968:

I am very glad that Janaki is busy decorating the temple; this is what I want, that every disciple should always remain busy in some work for Krishna. We shall not allow to remain vacant our mind, and if the mind is always filled up with Krishna Consciousness activities, there is no chance of Maya to sit on the mind and force us to act under her spell. Maharaja Ambarisa he did like that and in spite of his becoming a responsible emperor of the world, he was a great devotee of Lord Krishna, and he successfully winned the challenge of a great yogi, Durvasa.

Letter to Mukunda -- Allston, Mass 30 May, 1968:

I have not heard for many days about your good wife, Janaki; I hope she is doing well.

Letter to Yamuna -- Montreal 7 June, 1968:

I am sure if you and your husband, Mukunda and Janaki, and Syamasundara. and Malati join, certainly the London program will be a grand success. I have already written about this to your husband, and you can know from him about this program.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Montreal 16 July, 1968:

You will know about my plan about London-yatra from the letter which I am addressing today of the Rathayatra festival. I understand that Mukunda and Janaki are now living with you, but I have not received any letter from them. Anyway, I understand that Mukunda is leading now a nice Kirtana party in the streets, and there is good response. The time is fast approaching when we will have to perform such public Kirtana in all the important cities of the world.

Letter to Yamuna devi -- Montreal, Quebec Canada July 16, 1968:

I thank you very much for your letter dated July 9, 1968, giving a vivid description of the Rathayatra festival. I understand that Mukunda and Janaki are now living with you, but I have not received any letter from them. Anyway, I understand that Mukunda is leading now a nice Kirtan party in the streets, and there is good response. The time is fast approaching when we will have to perform such public Kirtan in all the important cities of the world.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Montreal 12 August, 1968:

Just on Saturday, several devotees have arrived from San Francisco: Mukunda, Janaki, Gurudasa, Yamuna, Syamasundara., Malati (and their little child, Srimati Sarasvati devi), and Saradia, all of them have come here for two weeks to practice together as our Sankirtana party, then they will all go to London and begin preparations for our center there. They are all ready for opening up a center there, so we are going to try to make it as successful a venture as Krishna desires. While they are here, we are having rehearsal of Kirtana daily, and I want also that they shall practice rehearsal of your play, about Lord Caitanya's activities. So if you can send a copy of your drama as soon as possible, they will begin rehearsing how to do it.

Letter to Janaki -- San Francisco 17 September, 1968:

With great pleasure I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 13/9/68, and it is so nicely written that I have read the matter twice, I am writing herewith in my hand, Hare Krishna: Please try to open the London temple as quickly as possible, and I am ready to start for London at any moment on receipt of the news. You will be pleased to learn also that Sivananda is opening a center in Berlin very soon. His different letters indicate that he is very much hopeful for success of the center and two boys, one of them a German boy, Uttama Sloka, and Krishna das, are going to join him by the end of this month, of September. So I hope during the month of October we shall open two branches in Europe.

Letter to Janaki -- Seattle 13 October, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter, very nice letter. You have expressed very nice sentiments and this shows that you are positively advancing in Krishna Consciousness. Your talk with the Indian ladies and gentlemen is very interesting. They inquire from you, and they are astonished that you are very serious. That means they are not at all serious. They take Krishna Consciousness as something fictitious. So they are not very hopeful combination, but try to make them interested as far as possible, it is our duty. We do not mind whether he is Englishman or Indian or any man; our duty is to impress Krishna Consciousness as far as possible. Answering your puzzle, it may be said that a pure devotee is he who loves Krishna, without any material desire. People are generally engaged in karma. Karma means work and get the result and enjoy life. And jnana, jnana means speculating process to understand the Absolute Truth. So one who does not indulge in speculating habit, neither tries to gain something by his work, but simply engages himself in the service of the Lord, he is called a pure devotee. Such pure devotees are very rare. But by the Grace of Krishna, practically all the devotees and disciples who have kindly joined me, they are, their symptoms are pure devotees. Even if they have got some ulterior desire, that will be removed very soon, because they have taken to the pure process of Krishna Consciousness. Hope this will meet both of you in good health, and awaiting your good news by next mail.

Letter to Janaki -- Los Angeles 9 December, 1968:

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.

So far as you writing you are lonely I think that there is no need for this. Such sentiments of wishing for me to be there is nice but a girl is meant for living with her husband and not her father, such girl is very lucky who can live with her husband. And you have specially nice, beautiful husband and not only that but he is devotee also so you are very fortunate. So continue to faithfully help your husband in executing the mission of his life to spread Krishna Consciousness and surely Krishna will bless you and grant you all happiness. This is my blessing upon the both of you.

I think also that it is good sign that Krishna is delaying to give us a nice London temple because when it finally will come it may be the most ideal temple for our purposes. So none of you be discouraged but go on with your engagements and everything will come automatically very nice.

I have noted that you describe yourself as being just a "lump of ignorance". Actually the devotee should always think like that. That the devotee should feel himself so lowly is the teaching of Lord Caitanya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also represented Himself as a very foolish disciple even though He proved Himself as the greatest scholar and was actually Krishna Himself. So one who feels humble and meek has the door for the Kingdom of God opened for him or her. So I thank you again for your nice letter and please continue to inform me of your well-being.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Janaki -- Los Angeles 18 January, 1969:

I was thinking of you since about a week why you are silent, and all of a sudden I got your letter with a golden ring enclosed. It was so much ecstatic. I thank you very much for your kind presentation which you have given, even sacrificing your husband's interest. I think, though, that your husband, Mukunda, is also pleased with this action. Anyway, immediately upon receipt of this ring I pushed it on my finger, and it is very nice.

Regarding your unstable condition of mind, I beg to request you to always remember that you have all gone to London with a great mission and responsibility. I am so much pleased with you all six boys and girls who are doing so much for my missionary work. My Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura, Lord Caitanya and at the end Lord Krishna Himself all are surely very much pleased for your noble activities. You have already made the city of London feel something about the Hare Krishna movement. This is a great credit for you all and I appreciate it very much. Please do your duty combinedly without any disruption of peaceful attitudes amongst yourselves. We are pushing our movement on the background of a peaceful atmosphere in the world, and if we show a little disturbance in our own camp that will not be a very good example. Therefore, everyone should be forebearing, tolerant and cooperative. That is my special request to you all.

So far as I am concerned, I have written to Syamasundara. whether there is any possibility of my going there immediately. If not, then I may go to other places for the time being.

Regarding competition with other so-called yoga groups, certainly we have to win the race because we represent Krishna directly, and others are all mostly impersonalists or less than that. So far as I know, our Krishna Consciousness movement is the only genuine endeavor for self-realization. I have tried to explain the genesis of this movement in my book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and people will learn it if they will carefully study this book. In this connection, there was a radio interview this week in Los Angeles, and the summary is being sent herewith. If possible, you can try to get it printed in the Times, as they have already printed an article about ourselves. You can make the heading as follows: Genesis of the Krishna Consciousness Movement.

So please consider carefully the above mentioned points, and also keep me informed as to your all round well-being. Hope this meets you in very good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

NB: An Indian gentleman, one B. P. Parikh B.A. D. Education has written to me to say that being inspired by your "devotion to Krishna, and being fascinated by your character, discipline, and devotional surrender to the Lord, he has been drawn to your activities." For this I am very much proud of you. Please maintain this status and certainly you will be welcome everywhere. Get this enclosed article edited by Mukunda or Syamasundara. and then send it for publication in the Times of London or any other respectable paper in London, giving the heading as indicated.

Letter to Yamuna, Malati, Janaki -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969:

My Dear little mothers, Yamuna, Malati, Janaki,

Please accept my blessings. I lost my mother when I was only 14 years old. So I didn't get much of my mother's affection in my childhood. But in my old age, Krishna has given me so many young mothers to take care of me. Another mother Govinda Dasi is there in Hawaii. She is always asking me to go there. So I will go there within this month. But my one appeal is to my fathers and mothers

(TEXT MISSING)

Letter to Janaki -- Los Angeles 28 February, 1969:

I thank you very much for your long letter dated February 20, 1969 after a long interval, and I have noted the contents very carefully. You are so anxious to see me in London and I am also very anxious to see you all. I have not received any letter from Yamuna since a long time. I tried to go to London as I was very much anxious to see you all, but your good husband will not allow me to go there unless you are all fully equipped to see me. That is all right, and I am pleased to note that you six boys and girls are doing more than my expectation. Krishna will certainly be pleased to give you more strength to preach this glorious movement of Krishna Consciousness. So please keep yourselves steadily in the manner you are now keeping yourselves. The more you are working sincerely and steadily the more you will get strength from Krishna.

Regarding your questions, as Brahma realized that he was the maidservant of Krishna, similarly, everyone of us has to realize that Krishna is the only single purusa. purusa synonymously means male, but actually, in the spiritual dictionary, male means "enjoyer" and female means "enjoyed." So in this sense, Krishna is the only male and all others being energies of Krishna, they are prakrti, or female. Please do not try to understand this male and female in the material sense. In other words, our perfection of life will be actually realizing that we are all females. In the material world we have got simply different dresses. Here in the material world, everyone is in the temperament of male, even the so-called females are also in the temperament. This is very prominent in the Western part of the world, and you know it very well how the females here think on the level of equality with males. This aptitude is material.

Regarding your other questions, yes, the desire tree can also supply dresses for Lord Jagannatha. Certainly my Spiritual Master watches me. So far as your question about the disciplic succession, in all Vedic literatures it is mentioned about the disciplic succession. You have read in Srimad-Bhagavatam, first canto, first chapter where it is said that Brahma was inspired from within the heart by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, in the Katha Upanisad it is said that "in order to learn the transcendental science, one has to approach the Spiritual Master." This spiritual master means one who has heard correctly from his Spiritual Master. In this way, ultimately it goes to Krishna, the Supreme Spiritual Master. There is no possibility of understanding the Vedic knowledge without this descending process. The modern world is puffed up with personal research knowledge, but the person who is engaging in this research work does not know that he is imperfect on account of his aptitude for becoming illusioned, for committing mistakes, for his cheating propensity and for his possessing imperfect senses. Therefore there is no possibility of receiving perfect knowledge without approaching a self-realized Spiritual Master coming down in disciplic succession. The mental speculator, no matter how advanced he may be, cannot deliver us the right knowledge.

I thank you very much for your good wishes for our opening 108 centers. Krishna will bless you and please try to help me. In England we will have to start at least 10 centers, and I understand from the activities of Mr. Parikh that it will not be a very difficult task.

Letter to Mukunda -- New Vrindaban 10 June, 1969:

P.S. I am very much anxious to hear from Janaki why she does not write?

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 28 July, 1969:

Please offer my blessings to the others, especially to Janaki, who has not written to me in so long a time.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1970:

P.S. How is Janaki? Ask her to write me letter. I hope she is doing well. Offer my blessings to her and Malati.

Letter to Mukunda -- Bombay 25 November, 1970:

Hamsaduta, Syamasundara. and Tamala Krsna are detained here because we are trying to establish a center in Bombay. In the meantime, if you and your wife, Janaki, may take the place of Yamuna and Gurudasa and see that things are going on nicely there. London Temple is very important and things may not be neglected there.

Letter to Mukunda -- Surat 31 December, 1970:

I have already written to Murari that you will take charge of our London Branch as President and that he may take the office of vice-president and assist you. I want that you and your good wife Janaki will develop the London temple, as it is practically one of our most important centers. London is the most important city in the world and as you originally opened this branch, it is my desire to see it come to full blossom under your expert management. So with the assistance of your good wife Janaki, if the two of you take charge I will be satisfied that things are all right there.

Letter to Murari -- Surat 31 December, 1970:

Also I have received one letter from Janaki, and she should be engaged fully in assisting her husband. In this way husband and wife can work together cooperatively and make rapid advancement in Krishna Consciousness, just as in the case of Gurudasa and Yamuna who have rendered such nice service together.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Murari -- Allahabad 4 February, 1971:

I am very glad that Mukunda will continue to work with you and he will be President of our London Yatra. Both he and Janaki and you and your good wife are our elder students and you try to cooperate with one another for keeping our London center as prominent. If you can expand that will be very nice. I am glad that the center in Birmingham is going on nicely.

Letter to Mukunda -- Allahabad 4 February, 1971:

I am so glad that you have decided to return as President of our London Temple. I consider London as our prime center for spreading Krsna Consciousness Movement, so it is very important center and I therefore wanted that you take charge of the affairs and see that things are always improving. Simply offer all your talents and energies in this service of the Lord and know that Krsna promises that for one who surrenders fully unto Him, He fully protects such devotee from all kinds of material distresses and sinful reactions. I hope that Janaki will join you in this work, and you set the example of ideal householders in Krsna Consciousness. I have also received one letter from Janaki and I am replying her separately.

Letter to Danavir -- Delhi 12 December, 1971:

I am very glad that you will holding the 1st Annual Abhisheka Yatra Parade and Festival in Portland city. Also I am pleased to learn that Mukunda is helping you. He is one of my first disciples, along with his wife Janaki, and I am very fond of them both. They are both very intelligent and educated, but Mukunda is little mild, so he could not control his wife and there was some difficulty. But Janaki* will listen to me. Whatever I say, she will do. Now I am very glad to hear that they are working nicely to help you there, that is very encouraging. Why Mukunda does not write?

...

*She is my naughty daughter but I like her in all circumstances.

Letter to Mukunda -- Bombay 28 December, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge your letter of December 12, 1971, and it has given me much pleasure to hear from you after such long time. I can understand that you are feeling some separation, as I am also feeling some separation from both you and your good wife, Janaki. I am very pleased to see that you are all right and that you are advancing nicely in Krishna Consciousness. Why your naughty wife, Janaki, does not write me? She is angry upon me or what is that? You are both some of my first disciples, and because of you so many others came, so I am always remembering you fondly. Now please just remain very serious in pursuing your proper goal of life by sticking to the pure standard of routine work like chanting, reading, rising early, cleansing nicely, going on street Sankirtana whenever possible, like that. Then I promise you you will not fail to be really happy in this life and in the end reach the Supreme destination.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- Vrindaban 2 November, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 8, 1972, and thank you for your kind sentiments. Yes, I always think of you too. You are one of my first disciples, along with your wife, Janaki, so I am always praying to Krishna to give you His all blessings for bringing you back to Home, back to Godhead. Wherever you may be, it doesn't matter, but don't give up the principles of spiritual life, that is my request. You have become my disciple so I must request you to chant 16 rounds and follow the regulative practices of devotional service, and you may know it for sure that very quickly you will achieve the supreme perfectional stage of your life.

Letter to Mukunda -- Bombay 27 December, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letters dated November 13 and December 11, 1972, and always I am very glad to hear from your good self. You are one of my first and nicest disciples that is a fact, and I am always hoping that you will again come to live with me again, along with your good wife Janaki. That will be nice. But even I am far away, as you say you are remembering me, so also I am remembering you, and in that sense we are never separated. So I can understand that you are rigidly following the regulative principles, chanting without fail always 16 rounds, so in this way you will be protected and your enthusiasm for pushing on this Krishna Consciousness Movement will not dwindle.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 16 May, 1973:

Another thing, I beg to bring to your notice that Janaki, sister of your wife, she's now in Maya. Her husband reported that she is regularly eating meat and doing all nonsense. She's coming to Vrindaban to see her sister, Yamuna. Maybe she is going with poison arrows, so be very, very careful when she comes there. The world is full of danger and still we have to push on our Krsna Consciousness Movement. So always remain fixed up chanting the maha-mantra and following the regulative principles, because Maya is very strong.

Page Title:Prabhupada and Janaki devi dasi
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:03 of Jun, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=3, Let=42
No. of Quotes:46