Even the devotee or the servant of Krsna says something,
even it is wrong, Krsna upholds this. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me
bhaktah pranasyati. So even it is wrongly done, still, Krsna fulfills
because He thinks that “My servant has promised; it must be
fulfilled.” Therefore Prahlada Maharaja, in the previous verse he has
said, tava bhrtya-parsva. So to serve the servant of Krsna is better
than to serve directly Krsna, because if the servant of Krsna promises
something, if the servant of Krsna says, “I’ll take you to Krsnaloka,”
you must go there. ……
SB 4.21.31 P Lord Sri Krsna also says in Bhagavad-gita that simply by surrendering unto Him one is immediatelyrelieved of all sinful reactions. As Krsna takes away all the sinful
reactions of a person immediately upon his surrender unto Him,
similarly the external manifestation of Krsna, the representative of
Krsna who acts as the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
takes all the resultant actions of the sinful life of the disciple
immediately after the disciple’s initiation. Thus if the disciple
follows the principles instructed by the spiritual master, he remains
purified and is not contaminated by the material infection.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore stated that the spiritual master
who plays the part of Krsna’s representative has to consume all the
sinful reactions of his disciple. Sometimes a spiritual master takes
the risk of being overwhelmed by the sinful reactions of the disciples
and undergoes a sort of tribulation due to their acceptance. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore advised that one not accept many
disciples
72-12-26.Amo Letter: Amogha
It is very much pleasing to me to hear that you are making such steady
advancement in Krishna Consciousness. If you continue in this way, and
strictly follow the four regulative principles, making sure to chant
at least sixteen rounds on the beads, daily, it is without a doubt
that at the end of this lifetime, you can go back home, back to
Godhead.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
73-01-28.Hil Letter: Hillel Ben-Ami
Now try and understand our philosophy very carefully by
reading all of our books, such as Bhagavad-gita As It Is,
Srimad-Bhagavatam, Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and
there are so many others. In addition, please follow the regulative
principles very rigidly, such as chanting daily 16 rounds on the
beads, attending classes, getting up for mangala aratrika. These
regulative principles will make us very strong in Krsna Consciousness
and very rapidly we can advance in this way. So under the direction of
the senior devotees there try and become fixed in your devotional
service to the Lord, Sri Krsna, and this will certainly bring complete
satisfaction to you and make you eligible for going back to home, back
to Godhead, in this very lifetime.
Hoping this finds you well,
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
72-09-20.Sus Letter: Susan Beckman
My dear Susan Beckman,
Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter dated
September 22, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am very
much encouraged that you want to join this Krsna Consciousness
movement for perfection of your life. Householder life is also the
perfect platform for rendering devotional service to Krsna. Any
station of life, whether you are unmarried, married, or in any
occupation of life, you can achieve the highest goal by adopting and
practicing the principles of devotional service. You are married and
your husband is striving to become a devotee of Krsna, so you become
his devotee, that is the position of husband and wife, that the
husband will become a great devotee of Krsna by his wife’s assistance,
and the wife will take benefit and advance in spiritual life by
serving her husband. You are anxious about the rules and regulations,
but without rules and regulations there is more frustration. So it may
be a little difficult at first, but if you are sincere to achieve the
highest result of your lifetime, then you can be assured that by your
efforts in Krsna Consciousness that you will very quickly become happy
more and more. The difficulties of this material world will shrink to
no more than the size of a hoofprint left by the calf. Actually there
is no difference between devotees living inside the temple and
devotees living outside the temple. You are right that the important
thing is to remember Krsna, whatever is your activity. So try to
remember Krsna always by following the principles as you know them,
namely, rising early, taking bath, cleansing, attending aratrika,
reading scriptures at least one hour or two hours daily, chanting
sixteen rounds on beads of Hare Krsna mantra, going for street
sankirtana, offering all your foodstuffs to Krsna, like that. In this
way very quickly you will make progress in Krsna Consciousness and
become very very happy in your life.
Hoping this meets you in good health,
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
72-04-15.Ujj Letter: Ujjal
Please accept my blessings. Upon the recommendation of
Citsukhananda, I am very glad to consent to accept you as my duly
initiated disciple, and I am sending your beads, duly chanted by me,
under separate post. I have given you the spiritual name of UJJAL DAS.
I am very pleased to hear that you have been such a great help to
Citsukhananda there in our Mexico City center. I can understand that
you are a very sincere boy and are a very eligible candidate for going
back to Home, back to Godhead. And the process is simple. Follow the
regulative principles very strictly, chant at least 16 rounds of beads
daily, read our literatures, go for street Sankirtana, etc. In this
way keep yourself engaged in Krishna’s business 24 hours, and in this
lifetime you will become perfectly happy and in the end reach the
Supreme destination.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
71-04-04.Vai Letter: Vaikunthanatha, Saradia
I remember the days when Saradia expressed to marry you and I
immediately reserved you for marriage to Saradia. Later on in Boston
you were married and since then you are working so nicely. I am very
pleased upon you. Simply use this marital life for spreading the
glories of Lord Krishna and in this very lifetime you will be promoted
to associate with Krishna in Goloka Vrindaban. So please stay on the
purity platform; chant 16 rounds daily and without fail, follow all
the regulative principles, and read all our books and your life is
sure to be successful. Unless one is sufficiently empowered, one
cannot preach Krishna Consciousness. So the fact that you are
preaching so nicely is proof that you are already benedicted by
Krishna. So preach Krishna Consciousness and be happy.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
76-06-12.Lok Letter: Lokanatha
My dear Lokanatha Swami,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter
dated June 2, 1976 and I have noted the contents with pleasure.
I am very glad to see that you are enthusiastically pushing forward
with this preaching work and the young Indians are coming forward to
join our sankirtana party. It is very encouraging to me. Anyone who
has life he can preach, so go on very enthusiastically and there will
be all facility given by Lord Krishna.
Enclosed please find a copy of gayatri initiation and two brahmana
threads. After the yajna, the brahmana initiates should hear the
gayatri mantra in the right ear. The devotees must all bear in mind
that they are promising to follow the four regulative principles,
i.e., no illicit sex-life, no intoxication, no gambling, and no
meat-eating, and also chanting a minimum of 16 rounds of japa daily.
This promise is made before the spiritual master, before the Deity,
the devotees, Vaisnavas, the Supersoul, and the fire. Everyone should
take very seriously this vow and make steady and sure progress in
Krishna Consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead in this
lifetime.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
71-08-04.Suk Letter: Sukhada
The process is simple. Follow the regulative principles of
devotional life undeviatingly, regularly chant 16 rounds of beads
daily and without fail, read all our literatures, attend classes and
aratis, go for street Sankirtana. If there are any questions, always
refer them to your elder godbrothers and sisters. So our method is not
so difficult. Rather it is joyful. So engage yourself enthusiastically
in this way and you will be happy and in the end go back to home, back
to Godhead.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
71-11-12.Nit Letter: Nityananda
It is a basic principle that one must accept a bonafide spiritual
master in order to achieve the highest perfection of life, love of
God. I thank all of you very much for accepting me as your spiritual
master, and I promise that I will take you back to home, back to
Godhead. I ask you all to promise me to always chant at least 16
rounds, follow the regulative principles, read our books and try to
preach this Krishna Consciousness Movement all over the world. So far
my qualifications are concerned, I am simply trying to carry out the
order of my Guru Maharaja.
Hoping this will meet you all in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
►770517ar.vrn Conversations
Prabhupada: So I cannot speak. I am feeling very weak. I was to go to
other places like Chandigarh program, but I cancelled the program
because the condition of my health is very deteriorating. So I
preferred to come to Vrndavana. If death takes place, let it take
here. So there is nothing to be said new. Whatever I have to speak, I
have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it and continue
your endeavor. Whether I am present or not present, it doesn’t matter.
As Krsna is living eternally, similarly, living being also lives
eternally. But kirtir yasya sa jivati: “One who has done service to
the Lord lives forever.” So you have been taught to serve Krsna, and
with Krsna we’ll live eternally. Our life is eternal. Na hanyate
hanyamane sarire. A temporary disappearance of this body, it doesn’t
matter. Body is meant for disappearance. Tatha dehantara-praptih. So
live forever by serving Krsna. Thank you very much.