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Yudhisthira (Letters)

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

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

So far your question about Karna, the first son of Kunti; that Radha was not the same Radha, as Krishna's Radha. That was Karna's adopted mother. Karna was born before Kunti was married, so in order to keep it silent, he was kept in a package and floated in the ocean. And this carpenter father and his wife, Aniradha, took care of him, and he was brought up there with them. So Karna was known as the son of a carpenter; nobody knew that he was the eldest son of Kunti, and a Ksatriya. This was not known until he died, and Kunti began to cry. Yudhisthira asked her why you are crying, he is the enemy, and she said, he was my first son. He was born out of her ear, so he was called Karna. When she was very young, she got some mantra which could be used to call any demigod, so just to try it, as experiment, to see if it worked, she called the sun god. He immediately appeared there before her, and said, I will give you the benediction of one son; she replied that she simply was experimenting with this mantra, that she did not want a son, and she became afraid as she was unmarried girl. He said I shall give you a son anyway, and it will be born out of your ear. So as she was virgin girl, she became very frightened that people may say things, so she put him into the ocean.

Letter to Sacisuta -- Montreal 17 June, 1968:

Your next question, ("In Srimad-Bhagavatam, chap. 9, text 1, 'Suta Goswami said, thus being afraid of the act of killing the subjects in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, Maharaja Yudhisthira went to that place of massacre where Bhismadeva.. was lying on a bed of arrows for passing away. Bhismadeva.. was endowed with the power of leaving his material body at his will and his lying down on a bed of arrows was his own choice.' Did Bhismadeva.. get wounded by arrows at the battle of Kuruksetra, or did he simply chose to leave his mortal body and thus lay down for passing on a bed of arrows") Bhismadeva.. was surely wounded by the arrows of Arjuna. But wounding is not always the cause of death. In our own practical experience we know that many soldiers become wounded in battlefield, sometimes very severely, but still one is not dead—he recovers in the hospital. So Bhismadeva.. was certainly such severely wounded, but that was not the cause of his death. He preferred to lie down on the bed of arrows and all Pandavas and Krishna arrived there to see his passing away. So his passing away was just on his own will—that was the benediction given by his father.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Montreal 3 July, 1968:

Yes, Buffalo will certainly gradually grow to a nice center, because there is a sincere devotee like you. When Vidura met Maharaja Yudhisthira received him by saying that, your good self can make any place a sacred place of pilgrimage because you always carry within your heart Lord Krishna. So that is the real truth. Anyone who carries Krishna within himself, constantly, can go anywhere and turn the place into a sacred pilgrimage. That is the verdict of Srimad-Bhagavatam and blessings of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya gave a plain order that anywhere we go, simply talk of Krishna Consciousness, and you will become a spiritual master. So, if we simply do this work very sincerely, our life, and the life of those who will hear us, will be benedicted.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Anuradha -- Los Angeles 19 January, 1969:

Regarding the Brijbasi picture that you sent me, the story is that when Maharaja Yudhisthira was declared king, he was performing the Rasuya Yajna ceremony. In this ceremony Krishna was elected as the President to preside over the meeting. Sisupal was a rival of Krishna, and insulted Krishna with vile words at this ceremony. Arjuna's youngest brother, Sahadeva, became so angry at this that he was ready to attack Sisupal, but he was restrained by both Krishna and Arjuna. This is the explanation of the picture.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hanuman Prasad Poddar -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1970:

In this way, after six months at least, when he is found habituated to the Vaisnava principles, then he is initiated for the second time with the sacred thread. This sacred thread ceremony is recommended in the Hari Bhakti Vilas, or the Vaisnava Smriti, by Sanatana Goswami. Sanatana Goswami recommends that by the initiation process one is elevated to the position of a twice-born (Dvija). This is recommended under Pancaratrika Viddhi. Under Vedic Viddhi, a student is required to be a bona fide son of a Brahmin or twice-born, but according to Srimad-Bhagavatam, if there are no regular samskaras beginning from Garbhadhana one is considered as Sudra, but a Sudra can be elevated to a Brahmin's position by Pancaratrika Viddhi. This is instructed by Sage Narada to Yudhisthira in Seventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam as follows;

On this verse, Sridhara Swami has given His commentation that birth is not always the criterion of becoming a Brahmin, but the quality is most essential. In the Bhagavad-gita also the caste system is made by the Lord Himself according to qualities and engagements. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam also it is stated as follows:

kirata hunandhra pulinda pulkasa
abhira sumbha yavanah khasadayah
ye'nye c papa yadupasrayasrayah
sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah
(SB 2.4.18)

So our initiation process is executed according to authorized regulative principles. This is the sum and substance of our initiation process. In the beginning, they are given Hare Nama and during sacred thread ceremony they are given Gayatris and eighteen letter Krishna Mantra. The disciple chants daily the Gayatri Mantras thrice—morning, noon, and evening. The beads are chanted a minimum of sixteen rounds daily, or in other words, 27,648 Names daily.

Letter to Radharamana Sharanji -- Los Angeles 25 June, 1970:

The next point is whether the principal temples in Vrndavana, say for example Radharamanaji's Temple where you are staying, will have any objection to admit these Europeans and Americans for darsana and kirtana. From sastric point of view there cannot be any objection because they are now pure Vaisnavas following rigidly the rules and regulations. As you already have seen in the "Kalyana" magazine, April 1970, they are taking twice daily bath, having kuntis, chanting Hare Krsna on the beads, decorating the body with twelve tilaka marks and following the four regulative principles 1) no eating of meat, fish or eggs, 2) no illicit sex, 3) to taking of any kind of intoxicants, including coffee, tea, and cigarettes, and 4) no gambling, strictly. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam that anyone, even in the impious source of birth, if one takes to the Krsna conscious principles he is admitted in Vaikuntha Goloka Vrndavana. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sukdev Goswami says that such things are possible by the grace of Almighty Visnu. Similarly Narada Muni has explained to Maharaja Yudhisthira that one has to be judged by the symptoms of his life and not by his birth. And this is also accepted by the great Bhagavat commentator, Sridhara Svami.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 27 July, 1973:

For the small cottages I suggest to construct as the diagram below—wooden beams and between the beams fill with gravel cement. The roof may be tile. The size may be 12' x 15'. This design is especially suitable for grhasthas, who can feel very comfortable there, and you may house four brahmacaris in such place. Every day you can build one such house, ten may be required, and in one month you will have 30 such nice shelters.

Regarding Janmastami. Why not continue your festival up to the end of the month as I have suggested. I will be finished here 22nd August. So on 23rd I can start for New Vrindaban.

Why do you say "little sannyasi", you are Maharaja—Great King. Like Yudhisthira Maharaja and Pariksit Maharaja—Emperor. Actually you are doing something very, very big—so you are Maharaja. Krishna will bless you. Therefore you are Kirtanananda, one who take pleasure in Kirtana.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Gadi -- Mayapur 16 February, 1976:

Regarding your questions; Arjuna, Yudhisthira Maharaja, and Draupadi were not killed in the battle. They are always personal associates of Krishna. Wherever Krishna goes, they go. The Bhagavad-gita says: bahuni me vyatitani janmani tava carjuna. "Both you and I have passed many lives; I remember, but you do not."

And at the time of death somehow or other Krishna takes special care. He says: aham tva sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami.

Page Title:Yudhisthira (Letters)
Compiler:Matea
Created:23 of Sep, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=8
No. of Quotes:8