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Transliteration

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Preface and Introduction

BG Preface:

In all of my other books—Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Īśopaniṣad, etc.—the system is that I give the original verse, its English transliteration, word-for-word Sanskrit-English equivalents, translations and purports. This makes the book very authentic and scholarly and makes the meaning self-evident. I was not very happy, therefore, when I had to minimize my original manuscript. But later on, when the demand for Bhagavad-gītā As It Is considerably increased, I was requested by many scholars and devotees to present the book in its original form. Thus the present attempt is to offer the original manuscript of this great book of knowledge with full paramparā explanation in order to establish the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement more soundly and progressively.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Preface and Introduction

SB Preface:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins with the definition of the ultimate source. It is a bona fide commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra by the same author, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and gradually it develops into nine cantos up to the highest state of God realization. The only qualification one needs to study this great book of transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step cautiously and not jump forward haphazardly like with an ordinary book. It should be gone through chapter by chapter, one after another. The reading matter is so arranged with its original Sanskrit text, its English transliteration, synonyms, translation and purports so that one is sure to become a God-realized soul at the end of finishing the first nine cantos.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Swedish man (6): Do you have any sort of teachers in your centers, and how do they get their education if you have any teachers?

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got our books. You can see in our books, every word, Sanskrit word, is given, the equivalent English. We give the roman transliteration, explanation, so there is no difficulty. Just like here is one of my students. He has learned Sanskrit now. He can read, he can write, he can edit. So it is a question of learning. There is no difficulty.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- New York, July 6, 1972:

Don't think that these books are only for sale. If you go to sell these books and if some customer says, "You pronounce it," then what you will do? Then he will understand, "Oh, you are for selling, not for understanding." What do you think? Eh? So therefore it is necessary now, you have got nice books, each and every śloka, verse, should be pronounced. Therefore we have given this original verse in Sanskrit, its transliteration with diacritic mark—these marks are universally accepted amongst the scholars. So all the scholars of Sanskrit, they agreed to use this mark for pronouncing Sanskrit language.

Lecture on SB 1.10.14 -- Mayapura, June 27, 1973:

You can practice this diacritic mark. English transliteration is there. It is not very difficult. Simply if you practice twice, thrice, four times, it will come exactly, the pronunciation. You have to learn the diacritic marks. Then it will be all right. Word meaning. (Pradyumna leads chanting)

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

So, anyone else? That's all right. So in this way, if you chant ten times, you'll get it by heart. It is not difficult. So we are giving this diacritic mark, English transliteration, only for this purpose—so that you can chant, you can vibrate these mantras. So practice. Here you hear, and in your leisure time, you practice. If you chant these mantras anywhere, you'll be honored. Sanskrit language is so nice. And direction, everything is there: purport, word meaning, and translation. So we are taking so much trouble in writing books not for simply making market. It is for you to read. Not that simply we go and sell books, and that ...

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So we should try to learn, get it by heart, at least one śloka, two ślokas in a week. And if we chant that... Just like you are chanting so many songs, similarly, if we chant one or two verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that will make you very quickly advanced for spiritual realization. We are therefore taking so much trouble to get this transliteration, the meaning, so that the reader may take advanced step, full advantage of the mantra. It is not that to show some scholarship, that "I know so much Sanskrit." No. It is just offered with humility to learn the mantra because one who will chant the mantra... They are all transcendental vibration.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

Pradyumna: (repeats verse)

Prabhupāda: Again. (devotees repeat verse again) Anyone can recite? All right. See the book and recite.

Śyāmasundara: Śrī-śuka uvāca ātma-māyām ṛte rājan parasyānubhavātmanaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Parasya. The transliteration is the long a. You have seen? You just try to follow the transliteration. That will be easier.

Śyāmasundara: Parasyānu...

Prabhupāda: Parasyānubhava, bhavātmanaḥ. Ātmā.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. Long a over a. Atmanaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, beginning.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

Na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ. Svapna-draṣṭur ivāñjasā. Next. Next. You read. Go on. One after another. (continues devotee reciting, Prabhupāda correcting) You read the transliteration. The thing is hearing the meter and repeat. That's all. The writing is already there, transliteration. Simply you have to hear the written. Just like you have chanted so many verses, songs, by hearing. The hearing is very important. A child learns another language simply by hearing, pronunciation, hearing. That is natural. If we hear one thing repeatedly, you will learn. You will learn. So one has to hear little attentively. Then it will be easy. There is no difficulty. Just like you are singing our song in tune, (sings) saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. This is by hearing. So simply you have to hear. Therefore whole Vedic śāstra is called śruti. It is a process of hearing. (coughing) This is a disease of old age. These are the warnings that the body is getting rotten. Go on. (recitation continues) Next. Each one of you. Na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ svapna-draṣṭur ivāñjasā. What is the añjasā spelling?

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

T-a-r. Yes. T-a, artha. So you were missing that r. Na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ. All right. Next. (recitation continues) Get it next. Come here. So you have to study like that. So many ślokas, I am taking so much labor. If you do not read it carefully... It is not for that I am making business, for selling only, and not for my students. You must all read like this, practice. Why so much trouble is being taken, word to word meaning and then transliteration? If you chant this mantra, that vibration will cleanse the atmosphere. And wherever you go, in any part of the world, if you can chant this mantra, oh, you'll be received like God. It is so nice. And in India he'll actually receive like Gods if you chant this mantra. They will so offer their respects, so many. Veda-mantra. Next chant. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Next, next. Bhanu prabhu (Bhanu recites) Thank you very much. He has pronounced very nicely. So he will teach you. Yes. Next. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Yes. In this way, each one of you, you chant and others will follow. Then one or two days, you get the śloka by heart. You can chant. It is not difficult. Now read the word meanings and translation.

Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:

...transcendental vibration. So everything is there. If you do not practice, what can I do? The transliteration is there, the accent is there, and now our Pradyumna is there also. Utilize time; become attracted. As Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, you become attracted at least to some. Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive. You cannot become all-attracted. At least you become attracted to some. They are becoming attracted by good apartment, by shaving the beard or..., like that. You told me they are trying to remain young?

Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:

These verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are Vedic mantras. They're not ordinary wording, set of wording. It is not. Veda-mantra, saṁhitā. So every one of you must try to chant. This is required. Each verse of Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are Vedic mantras, veda-mantra. So simply by chanting them we become purified. So every one of you... There is diacritic marks, literation, transliteration, so everyone should try to chant the mantra. That is very beneficial. That is kīrtana. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya (SB 12.3.51). Everything is being chanted in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, with reference to Kṛṣṇa.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discussion with BTG Staff -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Hayagrīva: I have... There are several existing manuscripts. I have... The manuscript I went over is in Columbus.

Prabhupāda: Whole?

Hayagrīva: The total manuscript is there.

Prabhupāda: So we have to prepare for next publication, revised and enlarged, giving in the same process: original verse, transliteration, synonyms, and translation, and purport.

Hayagrīva: English synonyms. Pradyumna was preparing...

Pradyumna: I've already started that, the first chapter.

Prabhupāda: Our first printing will be this, what is name? Nectar of Devotion. And then, if possible, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, revised and enlarged.

Satsvarūpa: Īśopaniṣad is even before Nectar of Devotion.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Īśopaniṣad. That is already... And then Bhāgavatam. Then Bhāgavatam. And so far Kṛṣṇa is concerned, Kṛṣṇa we shall print after this Nectar of Devotion in our press if it is printed. But if I get some money, contribution, from George Harrison, then I may get it printed immediately from Japan. Yes.

Discussion with BTG Staff -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Hayagrīva: I would like to see that in going over mine. I'll have to go over it chapter by chapter. But I will compare the version I have with that version, and... I know the translations themselves, they were somewhat changed in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is as it came out in Macmillan. Did you like those translations?

Prabhupāda: Whichever is better, you think. That's all. You can follow this Macmillan.

Hayagrīva: That was the second... They're good. I think they're very good.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can follow that translation. Simply synonyms he can add, transliterations.

Hayagrīva: And we have all the purports. We can include everything. Nothing will be deleted. Everything will be in there.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we have translated in English the full, with the original Sanskrit text, its transliteration, an English equivalent for each word, then translation, and then purport, explanation of the verse. In this way there are 18,000's of verses in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the ācāryas, the great saintly sages who are the preachers of this Bhāgavatam throughout India, their opinion is that it is the ripened fruit of the Vedic desire tree. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3). And it is accepted by all, I mean, Indian scholars, and especially Lord Caitanya, He preached this Bhāgavata. So we have got that, complete in English translation. If you want to see some of them, we can show you.

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: Varṇa, varṇāśrama. And in the Bhagavad-gītā—perhaps you have read Bhagavad-gītā—there is also the statement, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ (BG 4.13). It is... This system is created originally by Viṣṇu. So as everything is creation of the Supreme, they cannot be changed. That is a prevalent everywhere, that a... Sun. Sun is creation of the Supreme. So sunshine is here in America, in Russia, in India—everywhere. Similarly, this varṇāśrama system is prevalent everywhere in some form or other. Just like the brāhmaṇas. The brāhmaṇas means the most intelligent class of men, brain, brain of the society. Then the kṣatriyas, the administrator class. Then the vaiśyas, the productive class, and the śūdras, the worker class. These four classes of men are everywhere present in different names. And because it is creation by the original creator, so it is prevalent everywhere, varṇāśrama-dharma. (break) So have you seen this little, how we are translating this? You can see little. Original śloka, its transliteration, then its English equivalent, then translation, then purport, each and every verse is being done like that, whole Bhāgavatam Purāṇa.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: We are giving every word, meaning. The book... Have you got any book? Bring it. You can see. Each and every word of Sanskrit we are giving meaning. Our mode of presentation is first of all we put the original Sanskrit language in devanāgarī character. Then we give English, Roman transliteration, pronouncing the same word by diacritic mark. Then each word is translated into English. Then we give translation, the whole. And then we give the purport. This is our way. So we are giving meaning of each and every word means we have got considerable knowledge of that word. Otherwise how we can give? Yes.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: So, in this way, we have given Sanskrit, here, the transliteration. Just like

āra dine gelā prabhu se vipra-bhavane

dekhilena, vasiyāchena sannyāsīra gaṇe

Here is the transliteration. Āra, dine, gelā, prabhu, se, vipra, bhavane, dekhilena, vasiyāchena, sannyāsīra, gaṇe.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: Yes. You see how we have translated. I have given transliteration and word to word meaning. You are scholar, you can understand. So we want to introduce this literature in the Universities.

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Ambassador: Beautiful. Very, very elegant English also. (Reads Sanskrit verse:) Brahmaṇe darśayan rūpam avyalīka-vratādṛtaḥ. And then you, you make it easy. Actually, it's...

Prabhupāda: Transliteration also.

Ambassador: ...It's for students also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Transliteration.

Ambassador: Yes. Transliteration and then (Sanskrit) and then...

Prabhupāda: Translation.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...Vyāsadeva is the basis of all education. " 'Later the saint Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, in commenting upon the life of the great Mahāprabhu Śrī Caitanya, brought to the highest level of understanding these principles in his immortal Indian classic, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It is good fortune of the world that these two spiritual works presented as the Encyclopedia of Indian Culture have been translated and commented upon in the style of a true scholar by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda, out of his obviously great desire to inject the world with his vast storehouse of learning, has translated precisely the rich Sanskrit and Bengali ślokas. He has given the transliteration, word-for-word meaning, purports, and each volume filled with full color illustrations by his disciples. I therefore wholeheartedly recommend this encyclopedia of our culture and all other Bhaktivedanta Book Trust publications to all educational institutions, schools, libraries, and colleges concerned with the moral and cultural development of their students within the boundary of Maharastra and throughout the world.' "

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 13 January, 1968:

Your eagerness to render service to the Lord is very much appreciated by me. Please get the copy of Sri Sri Brahma Samhita, and begin the transliteration. I think you know the diacritical marks for transliteration; please use them. Please send me full photostat copy of the original Brahma Samhita. I shall begin writing my own commentation after my Guru Maharaja. Gaurasundara will be helping me prepare this Brahma Samhita. After you finish transliteration of Brahma Samhita then we shall see for Srimad-Bhagavatam. Hope you are well.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 22 January, 1968:

Regarding diacritical markings, you may refer to the book First Lessons in Sanskrit Grammar and Reading by Judith Tyberg of the East-West Cultural Center published in 1964. Each letter should be transliterated in a careful manner so that one may be able to know the Devanagari character corresponding. Devanagari type characters will not be there in this new book we are preparing. Markings are as follows.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 22 January, 1968:

You may use the facilities available to you if there is no risk of making trouble. But so far as stealing is concerned, one should not steal except in the rarest circumstances. Moral principle is recommended in all scriptures as prerequisite for spiritual culture. If the conduct of the pure devotee crosses the lines of ordinary morality it is because he acts on the plane of Absolute Morality which is not known to the conditioned soul and cannot therefore be imitated. So generally we should be careful to observe good moral conduct. Please clear any doubts you may have about what is to be done. You may begin work of transliterating as soon as possible.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 17 February, 1968:

I have received the transliteration of Brahma Samhita and also your letter of February 14, 1968. I am very much pleased with the nice job you have done. Presently I am using one copy of the Gita Press version of Srimad-Bhagavatam in connection with my translating work, but in due course I may send it to you and you may transliterate the second and third cantos at that time. So if you can do this transliteration we have enough assignments. You may work together with Gaurasundara in this connection.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 25 February, 1968:

I am very much satisfied with your transliteration and request you to transliterate the 2nd Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the original text is sent herewith. Please find. On your completion of the transliteration, the original copy may be sent directly to the following address: Hitsaran Sharma, Radha Press, 993/3 Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Delhi 31, India with the covering letter as follows:

"Dear Sharmaji,

Please accept my respectful obeisances. Under instructions from Our Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace, Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, I am sending herewith the transliteration of the 2nd Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam with diacritic marks. Kindly insert this transliteration in place of simple transliteration which is already with you. Swamiji has already requested you to collect some letters with diacritic marks and we wish you will kindly do the needful. Hope you are well. Thanking you in anticipation."

One carbon copy of the transliteration may be sent to me with a carbon copy of the covering letter to Hitsaran Sharma. The composition of the Second Canto is already begun. Therefore, the more quickly you send the transliteration to the above press is better.

Letter to Pradyumna -- San Francisco 23 March, 1968:

You mention that you have enclosed the transliteration work of Srimad-Bhagavatam, but I do not find it here. You may have missed it. Anyway, I am happy to hear you are steadily studying Sanskrit and reading Srimad-Bhagavatam—that is very good.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 27 March, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 28, 1968, along with enclosures of transliteration made by Pradyumna, and I thank you very much.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 9 April, 1968:

So far standard Sanskrit transliteration, that which Pradyumna is doing will be our standard. The spelling should also be standard, and based on his work. So far the word "Ksatriya", this is the correct spelling. All these discrepancies are happening on account of my students being unaware of Sanskrit language. Therefore, I requested Pradyumna to learn Sanskrit very seriously. He has got the aptitude, and I hope he may come out very successful.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 9 April, 1968:

"au" can sometimes go as "ou." The rest of the transliteration is standard.

Letter to Advaita -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

I have already written to Uddhava about binding and size of the book, and again I am repeating that all my books shall be printed in the size 6 1/2 x 9, but next printing, I am willing to do it, canto by canto. That is to say, the three volumes already published of Srimad-Bhagavatam maybe printed in one volume. And the paper should be that Indian thin paper. And the pages shall not be less than 1000. Of course, the composition all in Roman type, we shall avoid not the Sanskrit type. Simply we shall put transliteration, translation, and purport. In this way volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. 12 volumes, of Srimad-Bhagavatam will be published. So we can do the needful. And so far Back To Godhead is concerned, it is already known to you how to do it.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Seattle 7 October, 1968:

So far Srimad-Bhagavatam is concerned, now Pradyumna and yourself immediately revise the 3 volumes already published. My next attempt will be to get them in 1 volume, as I have already suggested. And we shall now avoid the Sanskrit slokas, but simply give the transliteration, translation, and the purport. Pradyumna is there he will help in transliterating the verses, and translation is there, and purport is there; there is no use of giving synonyms and equivalent of Sanskrit word in English, simply transliteration and translation, as it is now adopted in Dr. RadhaKrishnan's Bhagavad-gita, and purport. In this way, we want to print each canto a book. So you begin preparing immediately. The present three volumes shall only be revised to see the spelling mistakes or if there is any grammatical discrepancy, otherwise there is nothing to be added or subtracted.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 3 November, 1968:

It is very nice to hear that Dr. Singh will conduct a special course of Panini's grammar. But our immediate task is to prepare the transliteration and correction of the 1st Canto for next publication. But if you have to do the same after learning Sanskrit grammar, it will take a long time to finish it. I have not heard anything how far yourself and Hayagriva combinedly finishing the editing of the 1st Canto which we are going to print next. If you can learn Sanskrit grammar conveniently it is very nice. But the mode of teaching in the schools and colleges are so slow that it will not be practical to learn Sanskrit grammar there and then prepare our transliteration. Of course, the grammar helps in analyzing the combined words, but I think it will take a very long time.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 3 November, 1968:

Regarding the diacritic marks, there are many systems and I do not know which one of them is the standard, but I think the system followed by Dr. RadhaKrishnan in transliterating the Bhagavad-gita is the approved. You are reading Hitopadesa, and you will know from this that the author of this book, Visnu Sharma, compiled this book for some grown up princes in order to teach them Sanskrit in a short cut way. So you have to follow that way and do our main work and at the same time. I shall be glad to learn how Hayagriva is taking Sankirtana classes amongst the University students. And I shall be glad to hear from you.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 18 November, 1968:

Now you are in good opportunity to do the transliteration work and in cooperation with your professors and Hayagriva, make the Srimad-Bhagavatam revised edition in such a nice way that it may be accepted in any scholarly society. In the last editions, because the transcription was not there, some of the universities in the western countries refused to stock them. Of course, the American Congress library purchasing department in India are pleased to purchase 18 copies of my Srimad-Bhagavatam, as soon as it is published and they have open order for it. Still we want it to be done so nicely that it may not be refused by any scholarly section. So the transliteration and divisions should be so nicely done that it will go to your credit when they are accepted everywhere. I think by Krishna's Grace Hayagriva's attempt to revise it nicely and your attempt to fix up transliteration perfectly will make the next edition as perfect as possible. Do it very sincerely, and also pray Krishna to help you, and I am sure it will come out successful.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Los Angeles 18 November, 1968:

egarding Srimad-Bhagavatam, please send me the chapters which you have already revised. I want to see it, how it is being done. I am glad that you are not omitting anything, but just making grammatical correction, and phrasing for force and clarity, and adding Pradyumna's transliteration, that is very nice.

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 26 November, 1968:

Regarding the prayers of Narottama das Thakura, you will be pleased to know that we have taped these prayers and this tape shall be reproduced by Danesh for all of the centers along with others and also to be sent out is the transliteration and translation of these prayers. So I think you may wait for these. It is nice that you are trying for recipes of Krishna Prasadam to be printed in local newspapers and if you can also have them run some of our articles from Back To Godhead this also shall be very beneficial.

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 19 December, 1968:

I you want, I can send you the theistic vedanta interpretation which you can edit and translate into the French language for publication in Back To Godhead. There are four chapters of Vedanta Sutra and the first one called Janmadyasya. I have explained in my Srimad-Bhagavatam at the very beginning. You can see it and if you think it is nice then I'll try to explain the other sutras in the same way. I am enclosing herewith the sanskrit transliterations and meanings as requested by you.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Hrsikesa -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1969:

Regarding your idea of a Krishna Conscious book of many of our prayers, this is a nice idea, and very soon Dinesh will have many prayers which he has been tape recording written out in English transliterations. I am advising him to send these to you when it is available.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 17 February, 1969:

I am pleased to note that your store, the Spiritual Sky, is doing successfully. Krishna has given you nice talent for doing business, and I am glad to see that you are using it well. There is no need for you to contribute to my book fund immediately if you are unable. Do it as it becomes convenient for you. Your suggestion that we print transliterations in our future books is very nice, and I think we shall follow this principle in the future.

Letter to Yamuna -- Hawaii 13 March, 1969:

I am giving you herewith the transliteration of the song, Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu, along with the meaning. If you have got the record, please practice it with the tune and it will be very nice. I think you have sent the Prasadam formula for Purusottama but he is not with me just now, he is in L.A. I am in Hawaii, so I am sending the formula to him with my next letter.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Los Angeles 12 July, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 8, 1969, and I have noted the contents. Regarding articles for BTG, I have already issued instructions to all centers requesting my disciples to send articles every month, and I am going to repeat it again for the second time. You may continue to send me the Sanskrit transliterations for being corrected as I did last time. It will not be difficult for me to do the work in the same way. Your first business is to see my books and the magazine, BTG, published very nicely, and for this work certainly you require a very calm and quiet place.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 24 July, 1969:

In India, in most of the government offices devanagari type is used for correspondence, and Remington Typewriter Company has got contract with the government to supply the typewriters. So I am sure they can supply you with a devanagari typewriter. I am expecting this printing of our literature, especially Srimad-Bhagavatam, with devanagari type and diacritic transliteration will be completely entrusted to you. So you cannot type everything from the IBM. That is not possible. In the IBM machine you shall do the English work and the diacritic transliteration work. So far as the devanagari type is concerned, you have to do it with the help of another machine, and either you will have to paste on the lines or adopt some other device so that they can be joined. That shall be the process. But if we publish our Srimad-Bhagavatam exactly in the way I have already begun it, it will be a unique contribution. The scholars only require diacritic marks. Then it is all right. That should be very correct and standard. If there is devanagari character it is still better. Otherwise, correct transliterations will do. So you think over this matter seriously and train your wife for composing, and help her to the best possible way.

Letter to Pradyumna -- London 27 November, 1969:

So everything by Krishna's Grace is all right. Regarding your dismissal from the job, I think it is Krishna's indication that you are not meant for such kind of service. Now you can freely and completely engage yourself in Krishna's service as He has very kindly allotted to you in the matter of editing, transliterating and helping your wife in composing. This is sufficient engagement for you. Besides that, as you have now improved in speaking you can do nice preaching work. I think you must have improved in that way because you are going through so many transcendental literatures, so you must have your ideas and philosophical notions in the matter of Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Pradyumna -- London 27 November, 1969:

Now so far as your composition work is concerned, it is very, very nicely done, save and except there are some typographical misplacements of letters. I see there are some marginal marks, and I think these are marking the mistakes. Anyway, the composing is first class, and the transliteration is also very nice. If you can maintain this standard of composing and transliteration, that will be quite sufficient for my satisfaction. I see that your letter was posted sometimes on the 20th November, and you sent it by Special Delivery air mail. But unfortunately I received it only today and the envelope was torn out. Anyway, although it was delayed I have got it now, and I shall go through it critically and let you know in my next letter about my criticism on it.

Letter to Nandakisora -- London 13 December, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your nice letter and have noted the contents with pleasure. You are gradually developing to be a nice Vaisnava, and please continue in this way. Krishna will be very pleased upon you. Regarding the song by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura, the transliteration is as follows:

manasa deha geha yo kichu mora

arpilun tua pade nandakisora

maravi rakhavi yo iccha tohara

nitya dasa prati tua adhikara

The translation is "My mind, my body, my home, or whatever I have got in my possession I surrender unto Your Lotus Feet, O my dear Lord, Son of Nanda Maharaja (Krishna). Now if you like, you can kill me, or if you like, you can give me protection. Whatever you like you can do. I am your eternal servitor. You have got every right to deal with me in any way as you please."

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 22 February, 1970:

I have read the transliteration of Bhagavad-gita verses, but I think you have to do it very carefully because there are some mistakes in some of the verses. But I am sure in your next reading they will be all corrected.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 28 April, 1970:

Yes, publish the Bengali poem which I am sending herewith. Get it transliterated by Pradyumna.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 29 April, 1970:

Regarding the Prayer book, I did not ask you to transliterate this—somebody else has underlined, I have not underlined it. I have received both the prayer book and the panjika also with your letter. Regarding your work on the Staal Correspondence, locating references to chapter and verses and adding appropriate translations after the Sanskrit, that is alright as you have done it

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 9 May, 1970:

Please let me know what is the necessity of learning Devanagari script. We are transliterating all our books—Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Brahma Samhita, etc.—in Roman type, So why you should waste your time in learning Devanagari script?

Letter to MacMillan Company -- Los Angeles 18 July, 1970:

Since the publication of the book in 1968, which I understand is now in its third printing, I desire to publish the GITA according to the original manuscript. In this expanded version, each verse is authoritatively presented with the Devanagari script, roman transliteration, English synonyms, translation and elaborate purport, and would be a 800-900 page book.

Letter to Yamuna -- Los Angeles 26 July, 1970:

I am very glad to learn that your training program is going on and the result is that now men are trained for opening and maintaining new branches. This is very much encouraging to me. So there are many things to be trained up and I am sure both yourself and Gurudasa are competent to execute them. So your program of study is very nice and regulated. Try to chant the mantras. It will not be difficult because the transliterations are there. In Los Angeles temple they are doing it very nicely every morning.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Ekendra, Shawn, Christina, Dvarakadhisa, Kimi, Tonya, Joe, John, Candramukhi, Carol, Peggy, Lisa, Stephanie -- Dallas 21 May, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your very nice Isopanisad papers, with sanskrit, transliteration, translation and purport. You are all very nice devotees. You are very, very fortunate to have the opportunity to be going to this Gurukula. It is the only one of its kind in the world. You are the first students and you must set a good example for the others, always being very enthusiastic to learn from your teachers, offering all respects to your teachers, leading the kirtanas with exuberance. In future you will be the leaders of this Krsna Consciousness Movement, so now you must take this training preparation very seriously.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Radhavallabha -- Bombay 21 January, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-7-75 and have noted the contents. Regarding the book on Kapila's philosophy, you can call it "the Sankhya Philosophy of Kapila, (the Son of Devahuti)". You can give the roman transliteration for the sanskrit and the English translation and then the lecture. There is no need of the original sanskrit (deva-nagari), or the synonyms. For the time being, I shall consider regarding the dedication, and introduction. After it is ready, I will tell you. You can use pictures from the Srimad-Bhagavatam. That will be alright.

Letter to Jayadvaita -- Perth, Australia 11 May, 1975:

From now on, include one chapter from Srimad-bhagavatam in every issue of Back to Godhead magazine. You can start with the 1st chapter of the 1st canto and continue. You should reproduce the chapter as it is in the book, in other words, with the devanagari script, word meanings, transliteration, etc. If a chapter is very very big, it can be given in two issues.

Page Title:Transliteration
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Partha-sarathi, Alakananda
Created:17 of May, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=10, Con=9, Let=34
No. of Quotes:55