You have defined impersonal Brahman as the Divine Energy. I fully agree with you in pursuanee of its description in the Brahman Samhita, I am going to publish in the next issue an article of the name "Variety of Planetary System" in which there is reference from the Brahma Samhita.
Brahma-samhita (Letters)
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
Letter to Dr. Y. G. Naik M.Sc., Ph.D -- Delhi 28 March, 1960:
According to the Bhagavata Puranam the Supreme Truth is realized in three stages namely the Impersonal Brahman or the Nirakara Absolute. The Paramatma or the localized aspect of Brahman. The neutron part of the atom may be taken as the representation of Paramatma who enters into the atom also. It is described in the Brahma-samhita. But ultimately the Supreme Divine Being is realized as the Supreme Person all attractive (Krishna) with full and inconceivable potencies of opulence, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation.
1967 Correspondence
Letter to Pradyumna -- Calcutta 17 October, 1967:
I've received your letters of Oct. 6&7. Acyutananda is learning Hindi & when he is well versed in the language probably he will be able to translate all the Puranas available in Hindi into English. Brahma Samhita is the gist of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Bhagavad gita as well as in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krishna is accepted as Supreme Lord & everything about him is nicely described there, similarly in the Brahma-Samhita everything about Krishna is perfectly described. In the very beginning of the book, Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Lord existing eternally in his transcendental form and is the cause of all causes. One who reads Brahma Samhita very carefully & scrutinizingly can understand everything of Krishna without any fault. I recommend, therefore that all my students read Brahma Samhita very carefully—especially because it was translated personally by my spiritual master Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja.
1968 Correspondence
Letter to Andrea Temple -- Los Angeles 13 January, 1968:
I have received your letter of January 9, 1968, and I thank you very much for it. I have heard from Govinda dasi that you are such a nice girl, and I appreciate your sincere interest in this Krishna Conscious philosophy and this Sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya. I have also heard how you typed Sri Sri Brahma Samhita and I am very pleased with your sincere service.
Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 13 January, 1968:
I thank you for your nice letter of Jan. 13, 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 Jaya Mazo -- Los Angeles 18 January, 1968:
Krishna does not transform, but He has millions and billions of expansions which are all eternally existing simultaneously. Just like the sun at noon, and the sun at morning time, and the sun at evening time; they are simply by names and they are eternal. To the sun there is no morning or evening or noon, still we say morning sun, evening sun, noon sun. There is a nice verse in Brahma-samhita—that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and has multi-expansions like Rama, Nrsimhadeva, Vamana, etc.
Letter to HareKrishna Aggarwal -- Los Angeles 1 February, 1968:
You will be glad to know also that my Gita under the title of Gitopanisad, or Bhagavad-gita as it is, is going to be published by Messrs. MacMillan and Co. of New York. Gradually they will take up my English version of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahma Samhita, etc.
Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 4 February, 1968:
Our process will remain the same eternally, namely, to begin with Sankirtana and prolong it at least for 1/2 hour, then speak something from Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahma Samhita, etc. and invite questions and answer them. Then again concluded by chanting. This is my dream or idea, and I shall be glad if you, Brahmananda, Purusottama, Rayarama, and others can give this idea a practical shape and life, then I shall be very much thankful to you. Please convey my blessings to your good wife Himavati, and I hope to meet you very soon. Hope you are both well.
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 Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1968:
One volume Bhagavad-gita, 3 vol. Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1 vol. TLC, 1 vol. Transcendental Meditation, and maybe 1 vol. of Brahma Samhita. Please do not forget to add Thakura Bhaktivinode's writing, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the TLC. I think you are already in knowledge of this proposal.
Letter to Robert -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1968:
But I shall advise you that by leaving your school, you have got immense books and literatures for studying, so you should form the habit of studying and understanding the philosophy very nicely and when there is difficulty in understanding, Brahmananda or Rayarama, or myself, will help you in all respects. School may be bad, but studying is not bad, it is very good. So we should not give up the habit of studying, especially Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Brahma Samhita.
Letter to Rayarama -- San Francisco 23 March, 1968:
Think over it, and do it nicely as far as possible, and if necessary, you can stop any other activities. But people like your lectures also, and I hope you are delivering your nice lectures in the classes. For the time being, you stop thinking of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and we will make plan when I meet you in N.Y. It is very nice that you are preparing a book on the life of Lord Caitanya. Also, if you can get the Isopanisad printed that is very nice. Part of it is in the original BTG, and part is manuscript there. As for Brahma Samhita, I am not working on it at the present moment, but I have thought of it. But I will see to it later on.
Letter to Sivananda -- New York 19 April, 1968:
Your reasoning is all right that the Brahma energy must have conscious direction to manifest form. Therefore He who gives that direction is the Ultimate Controller or Param Isvara. In Brahma Samhita it is said: "Isvarah paramah krsnah saccidananda vigrahah, anadir adir govindah sarva karana karanam (Bs. 5.1)." Krishna is the Supreme Controller of all controllers and therefore, He is the Origin of everything including the Brahma Energy.
Letter to Jadurani -- Montreal 9 July, 1968:
Your questions about Lord Brahma: "Brahma is a great devotee of Lord Krishna and Brahma Samhita, etc., reveal his knowledge of the Lord. So are these 2 stories (namely, 1. He doubted Krishna became a cowherds Boy and stole His cows, etc.; 2. Krishna showed him the 1/4 part of His creation after Brahma had to designate himself as 4-headed Brahma.), are these 2 stories just examples to we conditioned souls, who think we can put God under restrictions?" Brahma is not among the great devotees, but he is a devotee of Krishna. All the great devotees of Krishna are in the Krishna loka, constant companions of Krishna at Vrindaban. They are actually great devotees of Krishna.
Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 24 November, 1968:
I am pleased to learn that you are singing the Cintamani prayers of Brahma Samhita. This Brahma Samhita contains the highest of all spiritual knowledge. In lecturing too if we sing a verse from Brahma Samhita and then nicely explain the meaning it will be very much appreciated. Just as Krishna is the All-Attractive principle so, similarly, these Krishna kathas of the Brahma Samhita are All-Attractive and will gain favorable attention from listeners.
Letter to Yamuna -- Los Angeles 9 December, 1968:
Regarding your question about arati, no there is no special prayers to be said just in the morning. Also you have asked about the compiler of Sri Brahma Samhita and the four-headed Brahma of this universe is the compiler.
1969 Correspondence
Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1969:
Regarding Brahma Samhita, this book shall be included in the examination of the second year along with Srimad-Bhagavatam. I don't know why you are so concerned with starting with the Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu already. First study carefully the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. This is the most important book for you to learn at first. I am pleased to learn that Eve Levine is expert typist, and that she is willing to begin typing the Vedanta Sutras. She will require a dictaphone for this work, and I would like to know if there is one available for her.
Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1969:
Regarding your question about the Brahma Samhita, there is no contradiction with the Bhagavad-gita. If "direction" is not specifically mentioned in Bhagavad-gita it does not mean that Brahma Samhita is not authorized. Regarding the singing meter used by Narada Muni, anyone can utter it. You have asked about the specialness of the month of Karatieya, and the answer is that is is a special inducement for persons who are not in Krishna Consciousness to perform some devotional service. For persons who are doing nothing in Krishna Consciousness, it is an indirect inducement to take to devotional service in earnest seriousness, every moment is Karatieya.
Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1969:
So far as reading scriptures out loud, this depends upon the circumstances. If you can understanding by reading silently, there is no need to read out loud, because this may make others feel disturbed. The mantra you have asked about which is mentioned in Brahma Samhita means the pastimes, Form and Qualities of the Lord with His Associates. Our mantras are never impersonal. When we meditate upon Hare Krishna we remember the Pastimes, Form, Qualities, etc., of Lord Krishna.
Letter to Aniruddha -- Los Angeles 4 February, 1969:
The idea is that when we open our educational institute, we will require some dedicated monks, just like Christian Fathers, who have no connection with women. In that case, we can start a theological school also, along with a boys primary school. Our theological school will regularly teach our published books, such as Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Nectar of Devotion, Brahma Samhita, and Krishna.
Letter to Tirtha Maharaja -- Los Angeles 7 February, 1969:
Besides the above book, my following books are also selling all over America and Europe: Srimad-Bhagavatam (6 volumes), Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Transcendental Meditation Explained, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Isopanisad, Brahma Samhita, and Nectar of Devotion. I shall send you a copy of Teachings of Lord Caitanya as soon as I get copies from Japan in March, 1969. Also, Sripada Sadananda Swami (Earnest Shulze) has sent his congratulations to me through one of his disciples thinking of my successful preaching in America, Canada, and Europe.
Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 22 February, 1969:
Now our policy should be as follows: 1. the layout should be done by us, 2. there should be no advertisements, 3. under different headings we shall publish articles from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahma Samhita, Nectar of Devotion, Vedanta Philosophy, Upanisads, etc. as well as comic pictures when possible. Besides that, if some of our students write as they have assimilated the philosophy, that also should be welcome.
Letter to Mandali Bhadra -- Los Angeles 28 July, 1969:
Jagannatha means the Lord of the universe. That is Krishna. Krishna as the only one Lord of everything is confirmed in the Brahma Samhita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Caitanya Caritamrta, and all Vedic literature. Rathayatra is celebrating the occasion when Lord Krishna, or Lord Jagannatha attended one religious functional occasion in Kuruksetra along with His elder brother and younger sister in a big chariot. So far as your question about controversy amongst the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, that is a fact. But this controversy is not material. Just like in a national program, different political parties are sometimes in conflict and make propaganda against each other, but their central point is always service to the country.
Letter to Bhakti Sastri Examination -- Los Angeles 4 September, 1969:
Answer any ten of the following questions with reference to the context of scriptures like Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Brahma Samhita and Isopanisad. The full mark for each question is 100.
Letter to Madhusudana -- London 23 November, 1969:
Regarding your question, it is welcome. It is not outrageous. Any honest question is welcome. The Spiritual Master is meant for answering any honest question. Krishna has genitals certainly. It is said that He has eternal, blissful Body, full of knowledge. So when He has got a body, He must have all the parts of a body. But we should not consider that His parts of the body are the same as ours. In the Brahma Samhita it is said that His parts of the body, or limbs, each of them has got potency of the others.
1970 Correspondence
Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 10 February, 1970:
Avataras. Lord Caitanya's Abode is described in the Brahma-samhita and it is called Svetadvipa. It is an extension of Goloka Vrindaban. Gokula means "flocks of cows." Go means cow and kula means flocks. Vraja is not different from Vrndavana. Vraja means the pasturing grounds and Vrndavana is the woods where there are many Tulsi leaves.
Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 22 February, 1970:
Your attempt to work on Brahma Samhita is very nice, do it carefully. Regarding the first chapter, eighth verse: the manuscript is correct "Saumadattis tathaiva ca." I have compared the text with Gita Press edition as well as Baladeva. Vidyavhusan's edition.
Letter to Bhagavan -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1970:
The personal form of Maya is Durga and her different extensions like Bhadra Kali, Chandica, etc. In the Brahma Samhita it is described that she is all powerful in this material world, but she acts as shadow of Govinda. In Bhagavad-gita also she is described as assistant in the material affairs. The direction is from the Lord, and she executes His will. As such, when a devotee is fully surrendered to Krsna, Maya does not disturb him anymore, under the direction of the Lord. So Krsna is always Supreme.
Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 15 March, 1970:
Regarding Svetadvipa, the information is given in the Brahma Samhita, Svetadvipa, the Abode of Lord Caitanya, is a special portion of the same spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindaban.
Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 16 April, 1970:
When we shall lead our World Sankirtana Party at that time if we can demonstrate the chanting of the mantras as they are stated in Isopanisad, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahma Samhita, that will be our unique position. Therefore the main aim of this Sanskrit class should be how you can learn this chanting in the proper accent. It is not our aim to become a Sanskrit scholar.
Letter to Balmukundji -- Los Angeles 17 April, 1970:
I am very glad to learn that you have begun to teach Sanskrit pronunciation to our students. Please see that they can pronounce very nicely the Sanskrit verses in Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Isopanisad, and Brahma Samhita, and teach them to chant conjointly as they chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra. In your class, the chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra must be done in the beginning and at the end. That will keep the spirit of the temple.
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 Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 13 May, 1970:
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 8th May, 1970, and I have seen the synonyms of Brahma Samhita verses. It appears that it is nicely done, but if I have to see it scrutinizingly, it will take some time.
Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 13 May, 1970:
In the last portion of your letter you write to say, "I need to have this back immediately for publication in the upcoming issue of BTG." So I can advise you that you can publish it as it is, and if there is any discrepancy we will rectify it in future. The policy of the BTG should be always writing articles which can be understood by people in general. Vedic literatures like Brahma Samhita may be published in separate books, but assimilated ideas may be published in BTG.
Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 25 July, 1970:
Yes, Mahesa Dama is in the spiritual sky. That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Brahma Samhita. At the time of dissolution of the material worlds, Lord Siva remains in His spiritual abode while the cosmic manifestation merges into the body of Mahavisnu.
Letter to Bhagavan -- Calcutta 22 September, 1970:
So I can see that there is very good potency at the present moment for spreading this movement as was desired by my Guru Maharaja, and I am simply trying my best to carry out His desire. And if some of my students adopt this attitude, without any other motivation, surely Krishna will fulfill our desire. So push on with book publication and distribution, and I am very glad that you are now distributing to schools and libraries. Yes, Sri Brahma Samhita may also be printed.
Letter to Satsvarupa -- Bombay 28 November, 1970:
So far as minimizing the use of Sanskrit words in BTG, that is very nice. There is no need for so much Sanskrit. Therefore I object to the Brahma-Samhita edition. I use Sanskrit, but the purport I give immediately.
1973 Correspondence
Letter to Caturbhuja -- Los Angeles 9 May, 1973:
So, Lord Brahma is a conditioned soul means that due to his desire to become the creator of the material manifestation he had to take birth within the material world. But although he was conditioned by such desire, still he is a great devotee of Lord Krsna. He has written Brahma-samhita which is pure Vaisnava literature describing the Supreme Personality of godhead. Lord Brahma was the first created being within the universe and the first spiritual master, as he received knowledge from within his heart from Lord Krsna. Narada appeared as the son of Brahma and therefore he had to accept Lord Brahma as his spiritual master.
Letter to Dhrstaketu -- Bombay 14 October, 1973:
It is not that the individual jiva is within every atom, but paramatma is in each atom. It is stated in the Brahma Samhita as follows: andantara-stham paramanu-cayam tarastham, "Who is situated within every atom."
1974 Correspondence
Letter to Ramesvara -- West Bengal 25 October, 1974:
Here at Sridhama Mayapur, Srila Prabhupada gave further impetus to the main temple project. It will be a 30 story skyscraper temple based on the following verse of Brahma-samhita:
- goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
- devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
- te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yesu
- govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
- (Bs. 5.43)
There will be the main temple that will extend upwards the full 30 stories, as well as different levels depicted in doll tableaus, first the material world, devi dhama; then mahesa dhama, then vaikuntha dhama, and finally goloka vrindaban.
1975 Correspondence
Letter to Dr. Jagadisa Bhardawaj -- Vrindaban 3 September, 1975:
Therefore in the Brahma Samhita we learn: vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). It is further stated in the Padma Purāṇa: atah sri krsna namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih/ sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah (Brs. 1.2.234). "No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality, and pastimes of Sri Krishna through his materially contaminated senses.
Letter to Satsvarupa -- Johannesburg 21 October, 1975:
So although He knows what is going to happen in the future, He can cancel all that was going to happen by His Grace, that is God's omnipotency. For a devotee, the future destiny is changed as confirmed in the Brahma-samhita:
- yas tvindra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-
- bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam atanoti
- karmapi nirdhahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam
- govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
- (Bs. 5.54)
"Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the original Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Who regulated the sufferings and enjoyments of fruitive activity for everyone—from the heavenly King Indra down to the smallest insect (indra-gopa). That very Personality of Godhead destroys the fruitive karma of one engaged in devotional service."
Letter to Svarupa Damodara -- Bombay 21 November, 1975:
The Brahma-samhita says that the sun is the king with unlimited light and temperature. The Srimad-Bhagavatam sublime literature describes all these things and it was written five thousand years ago. And they say that five thousand years ago there was no civilization. That Srimad-Bhagavatam has this information proves that Indian civilization is the oldest civilization.
Letter to Tikandas J. Batra -- New Delhi 30 November, 1975:
Regarding your question about Brahma Samhita, it was found by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in a temple on his travels thru south India. There are supposed to be 100 chapters, but this is the only chapter which is known to date.
1976 Correspondence
Letter to Sri K. Raghupati Rao -- Calcutta 13 January, 1976:
Yes, Krishna can enter into anything. The body is also His energy. "Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh" (BG 7.4). And in Srimad-Bhagavatam in the prayers of Queen Kunti, Krishna is described "antar-bahih", within and without. In the Brahma Samhita it is stated by Lord Brahma about Krishna: "andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stam", He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms.
Letter to Dr. Chittaranjan Mohapatra -- Mayapur 21 March, 1976:
Where do you get this information that Krishna is an ordinary man like us? In no Vedic Literature is it said that Krishna is an ordinary human being. In the Brahma-Samhita it is said: Isvara Parama Krishna . . . He is described as the Supreme Being. I do not know on what authority you can say that Krishna is an ordinary human being like you or me?
Letter to Ramesvara , Ranadira -- Melbourne 23 April, 1976:
Yasodanandana Swami wants to print the Brahma-Samhita with color paintings. The BBT Trustees can discuss amongst themselves and if they agree then I have no objection.
| Page Title: | Brahma-samhita (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Gopinath |
| Created: | 14 of Oct, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=48 |
| No. of Quotes: | 48 |