Prabhupada and Satyabhama devi dasi

Expressions researched:
"Satyabhama" |"Satyabhama's"

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London -- Montreal, July 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: So you come forward. Sit down. One, two, three, four. And you also. You come. Girls, you also come. You'll have that mantra, Gāyatrī mantra. Sit down. (break)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-presthāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(disciple repeats) So what is your name?

Satyabhāmā: Kate.

Prabhupāda: Kate. So your name should be... Is there any name Satyabhāmā? Satyabhāmā? No. So her name, Satyabhāmā dāsī. S-a-t-y-a-b-h-a-m-a. Satyabhāmā dāsī. So this is the process, you know, from, beginning from here, each bead, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. And there are ten kinds of offenses. While chanting, you should avoid ten kinds of offenses. So you will get the list.

Wedding Ceremonies

Paramananda & Satyabhama's Wedding -- Montreal, July 22, 1968:

Now come forward. I shall begin our... Where is your father and mother? You can please come here. Yes. You can sit down here with the girls. Or give them some pads. They will feel... They are not accustomed to sit. (chuckles) Yes. My disciples, they have been accustomed. (chuckles)

Satyabhāmā: Paramānanda's parents are here also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Let them come also.

Satyabhāmā: (aside:) Would you like to sit on cushions?

Prabhupāda: So both the parents agree in this marriage.

Satyabhāmā's father: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, thank you. Now those who are initiated, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa on your beads. (devotees chant japa) (break) (recitation of fire sacrifice prayers)

Prabhupāda: Now, you are father?

Satyabhāmā's father: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So you can say to your son-in-law that "So long my daughter such and such was under my custody. From today I am giving this daughter under your custody." Say it.

Satyabhāmā's father: Kate has been under me until now, and I give her unto your custody.

Prabhupāda: You say, "Yes, I accept."

Paramānanda: Yes, I accept.

Prabhupāda: And you say, "Yes, I agree."

Paramānanda's father: Yes, I agree.

Prabhupāda: Now you say that "My dear such and such, I agree to serve you throughout my life."

Satyabhāmā: Paramānanda, I agree to serve you throughout my life.

Prabhupāda: And you say, "My dear such and such, I take your charge of life throughout without hesitation."

Paramānanda: My dear Satyabhāmā, I take your charge of life throughout without hesitation.

Prabhupāda: So there is no separation in any circumstances. Promise that. There is no separation in any circumstances.

Paramānanda: So there is no separation in any circumstances.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you garland this... You change the garland. Now you come to this side. You go to that side. Now you are legal husband and wife. Is that all right? Yes. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) (prayers, fire sacrifice) Now offer this plantain like this, slowly. Thank you.

Satyabhāmā: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees repeat last prayer of sacrifice after Prabhupāda, the mahā-mantra.)

Prabhupāda: Now bow down. (leads in recitation of praṇāma mantra) You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

General Lectures

Lecture -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

So these children, they are coming. I especially request Swami Kīrtanānanda to take care of them. And here is a nice, motherly girl, Satyabhāmā, and her husband. They are all... So take care of these children. If you can make one child Kṛṣṇa conscious, it is a great service. Kṛṣṇa will be very pleased. So, so many children will come. This place is nice. And Kṛṣṇa will give us all opportunity.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: We are done ārati and kīrtana by seven o'clock in the morning.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Then the respective duty can be discharged in two, three hours. That's all. Seven to ten. After taking your breakfast you work up to ten. Then you have got enough time.

Kīrtanānanda: Time for what?

Prabhupāda: Everyone has to make his own routine work, and for chanting and reading and Bhagavad-gītā he requires, say, two to three hours. So we have got twenty-four hours at our disposal. Out of that, six hours or seven hours for sleeping. So still you have got seventeen hours. And three hours devote for chanting and reading. Still you have got fourteen hours.

Kīrtanānanda: But we devote at least five hours to ārati and kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Satyabhāmā: Another hour and a half or two hours to prasādam.

Śyāma: Eating?

Satyabhāmā: Yes. To eating prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Two hours for eating?

Paramānanda: Eating and taking rest.

Satyabhāmā: Well, noon prasādam, morning prasādam, milk in the evening.

Paramānanda: Morning and evening, half hour, noon, one hour.

Hayagrīva: Bathing, bathing takes an hour.

Prabhupāda: So you want to stop chanting and reading?

Satyabhāmā: No. No. (laughs)

Kīrtanānanda: We don't want to stop chanting. I don't want to. That's not the proposal. The proposal was...

Satyabhāmā: Which comes first? If... The work seems to have to be done, but the...

Prabhupāda: You can forego your sleeping and eating.

Satyabhāmā: Haribol.

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Devotee 1: Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes?

Devotee 1: This couple who are staying here now with their child, are they going to stay?

Kīrtanānanda: Not that I know of.

Satyabhāmā: Yes. They want to go back to Athens and get their things and then come back here and stay.

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Satyabhāmā: Can the men do that, eight hours' hard work like that without a break?

Hayagrīva: Sure. I could.

Paramānanda: That is not enough time, though, in the afternoon for chanting.

Hayagrīva: What do you mean? The whole afternoon...

Prabhupāda: That is nice, that in the morning you work and after prasādam you are at ease, take rest or read or whatever you like.

Hayagrīva: There's plenty of time. From two o'clock until bedtime. That's eight hours. From two to ten. You can't chant sixteen rounds in eight hours?

Paramānanda: Well, I have to begin my duties with the cow at five o'clock. So we'll be finishing prasādam and rest at about four o'clock. That leaves me one hour, which is filled up with other odd chores.

Hayagrīva: Well, then, if you have to take... You have an extra hour you have to work in the afternoon. You have an extra hour?

Satyabhāmā: Two hours.

Kīrtanānanda: Since you milk the cows in the evening like that, you could take an hour or so off early. That would be all right.

Hayagrīva: Then you can take off at one. If you put in an hour in the afternoon with the cow, then take off an hour from one to two to chant.

Satyabhāmā: Then we have from seven to eight.

Kīrtanānanda: We'll try it that way.

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: There were instances when the king wouldn't follow the brāhmaṇas, so they were thrown out, weren't they?

Prabhupāda: Yes. There were such instances also. Just like Prthu Mahārāja. His father was dethroned. I think same thing was in England also, the knights. If they liked, they dethroned the king.

Kīrtanānanda: Not exactly the knights. They were more...

Prabhupāda: Noblemen. Yes. The knights are different?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes. Knights were fighting men.

Satyabhāmā: They're warriors. Knights were like kṣatriya.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh. And noblemen?

Kīrtanānanda: They were the lords. They were...

Satyabhāmā: There were no brāhmaṇas, though. (laughs)

Śyāma: There were bishops.

Kīrtanānanda: Not exactly brāhmaṇas. They were proprietors of large tracts of land, and they were responsible for giving protection to a certain number of people under them.

Prabhupāda: Aristocrats. The same system the Britishers introduced in India also. They were called zamindari.

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Satyabhāmā: Can we put requests in the next news, next New Vrindaban newsletter, for people who, devotees who are interested that they should come?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satyabhāmā: Because many people don't know that they can come, that there's any facility or that they are wanted here.

Hayagrīva: Well, there is no facility.

Prabhupāda: Now first of all...

Satyabhāmā: The barn.

Prabhupāda: ...repair that barn immediately so you can... At least ten people can live there.

Satyabhāmā: If there were people here, then facilities could be built. But if there are no people...

Prabhupāda: You'll get everything, men and money both.

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Some Hindus are supporting. I don't want a Hindu temple. Our constitution is different. We want everyone. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is for everyone. It is not a Hindu propaganda. People may not misunderstand. And actually, till now in our society there is not a single other Hindu than me. (laughter) Is that not? Is there any Hindu?

Devotee: Sarvasva?

Prabhupāda: Sarvasva, he is not living in the temple.

Satyabhāmā: Gopāla Kṛṣṇa in Montreal.

Prabhupāda: Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, yes. Yes.

Hayagrīva: Gopāla Kṛṣṇa? Where is he?

Prabhupāda: He is in Montreal.

Satyabhāmā: And Malvani. Malvani, the old man.

Prabhupāda: Malvani, he is not disciple.

Satyabhāmā: He's living in the house.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Devotee (2): That was the first Bhagavad-gītā I read was this one by Radhakrishnan.

Prabhupāda: I have criticized him like anything, yes.

Devotee (2): Then Paramānanda and Satyabhāmā, they brought me this your Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Devotee (2): When I first..., in New York.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: And this Paramānanda, he is expert. He's very expert.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He was in New Vrindaban before.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So he could not keep in line with Kīrtanānanda. (laughs)

Gargamuni: I thought he was in New York farm.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That is the New York farm.

Prabhupāda: That is.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's in Philadelphia.

Gargamuni: Yes, I heard it is very good there.

Prabhupāda: His wife is... They are making...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Satyabhāmā.

Prabhupāda: Cāpāṭis. When she brought, it was so thick. And "How shall I eat this?" But when I ate it was so nice. Soft and sweet. I ate everything.

Jayapatākā: Devotees have brought from the farm.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe she should come here to cook for you.

Prabhupāda: Oh, maybe.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If you always continue kīrtana, there is no danger. You are above all danger. Our Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja knows very well. He has no danger. He's sticking to that New Vrindaban program, improving, very good example. They eat first-class, nutritious food, and in Philadelphia also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pennsylvania, Port Royal.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In our Port Royal farm.

Prabhupāda: Yes. First class. Satyabhāmā gave me...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, that cāpāṭi.

Prabhupāda: "Too thick. How shall I eat it?" Oh, it was so nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Satyabhāmā gave Prabhupāda this black cāpāṭi. He thought, "So thick. How will I be able to eat it?"

Prabhupāda: Very delicious and easily digested.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ah. Let them remain happy and automatically... Just like in our Philadelphia. Oh, such a big... Giving him thousand pounds. Yes, we are doing this, fatty. Cans of milk. Even the cat is happy. The dog is happy. There is no fight. Cat is so happy, stroking on the back of the cows. Similarly, the dog is... There is no "Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow!" barking. I have seen it. Only through the medium of milk. These are not stories. I have seen. And who is Satyabhāmā's husband?

Bhavānanda: Oh, Parama... What's his name? (break)

Prabhupāda: ...make the whole land, people, very happy. You show this example all over the world, this example, in America. Don't spoil money. Show by example.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Paramānanda has come to India.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He'll be coming to Vṛndāvana soon. So you know his wife, mother Satyabhāmā?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She sent you a gift. Do you want to see it?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, it's something that she made for you. Should I bring it?

Prabhupāda: I shall see it tomorrow.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Mother Satyabhāmā, she wrote a short note to you. Should I read it to you?

Prabhupāda: Um hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She said, "Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace. This shawl is made of the wool from our own sheep, spun and woven here at Gītā-nagarī. It is the first piece we have made. While I was working on it I would always think of you, of how I was supposedly making you a gift. But actually you are giving me the gift of engagement in devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda, I always pray to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to protect you and allow you to stay with us to finish your books. But I think today the rain falling from the sky is actually the tears of the demigods, crying at the prospect of your departure. I am also crying. Even Kṛṣṇa cried at the passing of Grandfather Bhīṣma, so I have a right to cry. I cannot be so philosophical to say that you are always present in your books and teachings, though I know these things are true. I will miss you so much, Śrīla Prabhupāda, if you go. I beg that I may always remain your menial servant and devotee. Your humble disciple, Satyabhāmā dāsī."

Prabhupāda: Thank to her. Made with our wool.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That shawl that mother Satyabhāmā made is very nice. It's the first thing that any..., first time that any ISKCON devotee has spun the wool from the sheep. And her letter was also very nice.

Prabhupāda: It is fur purchased from the market? Fur? Wool. Wool.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The wool?

Hari-śauri: Where did it come from?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have sheep on our land, Śrīla Prabhupāda, at Gītā-nagarī. So Paramānanda, he takes care of the sheep, and we take the wool from the sheep. And then from the wool she spins on a spindle and makes the thread, and then she made the shawl by knitting the wool threads. In other words, it's completely begun from scratch. We didn't purchase the wool at a shop or anything. It came from the sheep that we're keeping on our land.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Montreal 19 August, 1968:

The other day there was nice Janmastami festival, and many Indians participated in the ceremony and they had very good collection. The meeting was very successful. The next day also they held Nandotsav and Vyasa Puja ceremony. That was also very nice. Last night, on Sunday, there was marriage ceremony of Satyabhama and Paramananda. Their parents also came, and it was very nice ceremony.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Los Angeles 27 November, 1968:

Please accept my blessings. ___ __ great satisfaction ____ your letter of November 20th along with your very kind gift of one pull-over sweater. This gift is very much appreciated by me as the weather in Los Angeles is little bit cold lately and I had need of just such a sweater. Also please thank Satyabhama for her good taste of selection.

Letter to Nandakisora -- Los Angeles 11 December, 1968:

Also, we are planning to open a school for teaching our Krishna Conscious children and I understand Satyabhama Devi has some qualifications as a teacher. This school may be set up either in New Vrindaban or Los Angeles so please ask her to tell me about her teaching qualifications and she thinks of this idea.

Please convey my blessings to all devotees there, especially Paramananda, Dayala Nitai and Satyabhama whom I have not heard from in some time.

Letter to Himavati -- Los Angeles 12 December, 1968:

Please convey my thanks to Satyabhama for her nice work in sewing the clothes for my deities. These deities will require several more sets of such excellent dresses so Satyabhama or youself may supply as you are able.

Letter to Paramananda -- Los Angeles 13 December, 1968:

I am happy that you and your very good wife, Satyabhama, are finding such satisfaction in executing your Krishna Consciousness activities and such pleasure will only increase more and more as you continue to advance further. This is my blessing upon you both that your lives may become happy and successful. So my one request to you is that you keep yourself always engaged in Krishna's service sincerely and that you help your wife in this matter also. Now there is enough engagement with popularizing our books and magazines so you will have enough work to utilize all of your time in this important endeavor. You are strong, intelligent boy so there is so much of such service that you can render and be a great asset to this Krishna Consciousness movement.

In the future there may be facilities to start schooling in our New Vrindaban and when this is begun I think that Satyabhama and yourself may consider to go there to teach and assist with the work going on there. So as Krishna desires we will see what happens.

Letter to Satyabhama -- Los Angeles 27 December, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your very nice and encouraging letter dated December 20, 1968, and I have noted the contents with great pleasure.

There is a statement of Sri Naradaji, the exact sanskrit words are:

satdharmasya ababadhaya yenam nirbandhini matih

achirat eva sarbarthah siddhati esam akhipasitan

The purport is that anyone desiring to raise the people's standard of advancement in spiritual life, will have their noble desire very soon successful by the Grace of the Lord. So I am very glad to see your enthusiasm in the matter of starting a Krishna Consciousness primary school in New Vrindaban and it will be just befitting that you become the head-mistress of the school. I have shown your letter to Prof. Howard Wheeler (Hayagriva das Adhikari)—he was just married the day before yesterday with Syama Dasi, a very nice girl like you. I am also enclosing Hayagriva's letter to you along with this. Now you can do the needful and make arrangements to start the school immediately. If you take charge of the children of our devotees and give them nice education strictly on Krishna Consciousness principles, it will be a great help to the preachers, just like our six students, husbands and wives, who are preaching in London. One of them has got a child and as soon as she is at least two years old, she may be sent under your care. New Vrindaban is just the suitable place for keeping cows and children. It will be an ideal residential quarter, completely for spiritual life and I hope for the future the Americans must evaluate this enterprise as very very valuable.

If you want to write books for children, story books about Krishna's Pastimes, I shall give you nice hints and Hamsaduta and Himavati can help you with nice pictures. I shall give you some facts about Lord Jagannatha also. I am very glad to learn the practical result of deity worship in your behavior. I am so glad to learn that you are feeling development of a bit of affection for Jagannatha by personal taking care, and that is the way of increasing our love of Godhead. Deity worship is the practical demonstration and hearing from the Spiritual Master is the nourishment of the idea. Krishna Consciousness is so nice that anyone who has a little taste of it must feel a distinction between his past and present life. It is not only the case with you but it is the case for everyone who has the fortunate opportunity for coming into contact with Krishna.

I thank you very much for your taking my time in this way. May Krishna be pleased upon you; both you and your good husband will be more and more spiritually happy by your nice service attitude in Krishna Consciousness.

Actually, I have no desire to start the school in any city. City life, especially in this age of kali yuga, is very much polluted. Poet Cowper stated that the city is made by man and the village is made by God. So in the village there is a natural tendency for Krishna Consciousness, so we want to develop such atmosphere in New Vrindaban. Your cooperation in this matter will very much encourage me. Thank you once more for your letter.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Aniruddha -- Los Angeles 23 January, 1969:

Our plan for a school is progressing very well, and already we have many qualified teachers amongst our disciples who are looking forward to beginning this activity there. Next month, Paramananda and his wife, Satyabhama, who is a qualified teacher, will be going to New Vrindaban to stay, and similarly there are many others who will be going there in the near future to start work on this new venture. So the future of our movement will be very bright, and similarly your future will be very bright also, so there is no need for you to be depressed about any previous misunderstandings.

Letter to Swami Bhaktivedanta -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969:

Q. 11. Faculty and degrees and academic or religious accomplishments: (list all names of members who have such, as Brahmananda, Hayagriva, Satyabhama, Kirtanananda, Lilavati, etc. who have academic background qualifications).

Letter to Satyabhama -- Hawaii 24 March, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your very nice letter of March 16, and I thank you very much for it. I am happy to hear that you and your good husband are living peacefully at New Vrindaban and executing Krishna Consciousness. This is very nice, and is a good example for others. In the Western countries there is practically no real family life, and we have to show good example of Krishna Consciousness family life, and others will be attracted to follow your examples. This is my idea.

I understand you are now expecting a nice child for raising in Krishna Consciousness. In this connection, you should avoid any spicy foods so long the child is within the womb. So far this soy sauce, I have no personal experience with it. I understand soy beans are nice, but I do not know about this soy sauce. So far natural childbirth is concerned natural delivery is possible if we keep ourselves naturally. And so far I know that a pregnant woman should not eat any pungent food stuffs, she should not move in cars, and she should not sit idly. She should move and do some physical work. These are the general rules and regulations I have seen in India, and they have natural delivery. But so far your country is concerned, and especially the situation of the women here, that is a different thing. I cannot say definitely what is to be done. And under the circumstances, the best thing is to consult a doctor as they usually do. And after all, Krishna is the ultimate master, so if we keep the natural habits and depend on Krishna, then everything will be done nicely without any difficulty.

So best thing is for you to consult a doctor and do the necessary.

Yes, the idea of beginning children's books for our school at new Vrindaban is very nice. When I shall come there in mid-May then I shall give you instructions how to do it nicely.

Yes I received your very nice set of clothes for my Deity, and I thank you very much for them.

I hope you are feeling happy and in good health executing Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Satyabhama -- Hawaii 30 March, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 22, along with the Deities dress, and it was received by me just yesterday. I think due to my change of address it was delayed. Anyway, everyone here has very much appreciated the beautiful dresses you have sent for the Deity and today we are changing the dress by putting on your dress on the transcendental Body of the Deity.

I think I have replied your former letter also, which I hope you have received by this time, and I am so glad to learn that you are feeling very happy in New Vrindaban. The basic principle of our life in Vrindaban will be cow keeping. If we can keep cows sufficiently and grow our necessary foodstuffs, then we shall show a new way of life to your countrymen . . . completely spiritual life in healthy atmosphere in divine consciousness. And you will have ample opportunity to educate children and write books for them because there is sufficient matter for publishing such books from the Puranas, Mahabharata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and many other allied literatures. There are thousands of ideal historical events, which if we can put with suitable pictures, it will be a great idea and people will like to have such literature. I have got many ideas for developing the new Vrindaban scheme and if Krishna gives me opportunity I may be able to show something very wonderful in your country. Unfortunately I have no money neither the richer section of your countrymen have taken any serious view of our movement. Otherwise there is more than sufficient money and if one or two men of your country gives a little attention, with this we can develop many New Vrindabans. We are not very much expensive; simply if we get the necessary money, we can play wonderful. Our only hope is books and literature. So we have to start press, and for that purpose, and publish varieties of books and literature for getting some financial help as well as propagating our mission. So as soon as I come to your place I shall give you all nice ideas you have asked for in your letter under reply. And I thank you very much for giving me all these ideas for our future activities. Please convey my blessings to all your God-brothers and God-sisters there, and especially our Syama dasi, I hope she is doing well.

So far keeping Deity in your separate house, I think there is no need for this. Because if you keep Him there, you have to take proper care, with aratis and attention, and thus divert attention from the Deity in the temple, and from chanting and so many other forms of service, like your writing and sewing, etc. So I think it best if everyone centers his attention on the Deity in the temple, and in that way the temple worship will pull on nicely. Of course, if the temple is unapproachable, or too far, or something like that, that is different thing, but if the temple is easily accessible then this is the best program—for all to go there and attend arati and kirtana etc.

No, I do not think you should give Jagannatha to small children because they will not take proper care and make offenses. In this country their parents do not give them proper example of worshiping the Deity with all respects. Just like in my childhood, I was seeing my father bowing down and offering respects to the Deity and I did the same on seeing him. But this is not done here, so it is better to take some care in giving Jagannatha out.

Letter to Silavati -- New Vrindaban 14 June, 1969:

Regarding the suggestion that you remarry, I have never suggested such thing, so you need not trouble yourself with this. As I have told you in Los Angeles, I wish that the mother's who have no husband at present should not remarry, but should dedicate their time to seeing that their children are brought up very nicely in Krishna Consciousness. Your boy, Birbhadra, has just arrived here, and he will be taken care of by Kirtanananda Maharaja. Satyabhama Dasi is in charge of educating the children in New Vrindaban, and she is very qualified to do this because she is educated and works very nicely with the children. So there is no difficulty at present in this regards, and as you are so nicely engaged in your activities in Los Angeles, you should continue as you are now doing.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 24 June, 1969:

Please request Satyabhama to send me back the Krishna Book immediately. Mail may be sent and forwarded to the LA temple, at the above address. Hope you are well.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 5 July, 1969:

I am glad that the girls there are taking my suggestions, and if things are done according to program, New Vrindaban will surely develop to the highest extent. You may inform Satyabhama that I have already received the Krishna book which she has sent.

Letter to Paramananda -- Los Angeles 29 July, 1969:

Now that Satyabhama Dasi is becoming advanced in her pregnancy, all care must be taken for her. I think it is a good idea that she may go to New York, especially because she can receive free aid from your doctor friend. And if you feel that your presence there will be helpful, then I advise you to go with your wife to New York. Regarding someone to go there to take charge of the children in Satyabhama's absence, I will write to Lilavati in Boston to see if she is able to fill this position for that time. If not, we will have to make other arrangements.

Letter to Ranadhira -- Tittenhurst 8 October, 1969:

I have seen you when I was in New Vrindaban, and you are quite fit to take charge of New Vrindaban asrama. Take especially nice care of the boys there. They are our future hopes. I have not heard anything from Satyabhama or Paramananda for some time, so please inform me of their whereabouts at present.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- London 7 December, 1969:

Regarding the little boy named Jimmy and his mother, the mother may do work; just like sweeping, cleansing the temple, collecting flowers, making garlands, washing dishes, etc. The boy should be trained to be a nice brahmacari, but it is risky to keep a boy of this age away from the public schools. In your country the law is very strict to send such minor children to school. The best thing will be to send him to New Vrindaban to be taken taken care of by Kirtanananda, Ranadhira, Satyabhama, Syama Dasi and Paramananda. They are already taking care of some young boys who are there. They are trying to develop a school of our ideal in that place. So after some time, if the mother sticks to our principles, the child may be sent to New Vrindaban and she can remain in the temple and gradually be initiated. In the meantime, encourage her to read our literature and books, and be engaged in some service as above mentioned.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hayagriva -- Los Angeles 9 March, 1970:

Another important thing is our theistic school in New Vrindaban. If you can establish a nice educational center, I know many parents of your country will be glad to send their children in New Vrindaban. But we have to create a nice atmosphere and educational system there. Satyabhama is very much enthusiastic in this connection. So you organize this institution systematically.

Letter to Labangalatika -- Los Angeles 14 March, 1970:

I have received word from Satyabhama that your son is doing nicely in New Vrindaban and is gaining strength in devotional service. So you are very fortunate. Krishna has blessed you with a very good devotee son. Take care of your son, and take care of Krishna and you will be happy.

Letter to Satyabhama -- Los Angeles 14 March, 1970:

Please accept my blessings and offer the same to your good husband Paramananda. I am very glad to receive your letter dated 28 February, 1970, along with the first part of the condensed version of KRSNA book.

Regarding the organization of our theistic school at New Vrindaban, I am happy to know that you are now proceeding with regular classes. So it is better late than never, and now it will develop nicely. You are an educated and understanding devotee of Lord Krishna. Now Krishna will see your sincere cooperative efforts and He will provide all necessary facilities for continued growth of our educational center. I know the atmosphere in New Vrindaban is very, very nice, and the children will surely benefit greatly in their advancement of spiritual life. So please do it carefully, and I am certain that when we are fixed up there, many parents will like to send their children for education in our New Vrindaban school.

I am so glad to know that the boys are being taught 4 to 5 hours daily by the combined teaching of yourself and Devakinandana. Of course their spiritual progress is natural because of the good association of devotees and their good fortune to be in the service of the Deities. I am so much encouraged to learn how they are becoming purified and elevated in Krishna Consciousness, and are just like spiritual gopas. That is very nice. Mr. DDD and Ekendra also are very good boys, so see that they may be trained up well because they are our future Krishna Consciousness society.

I am very happy to learn that your son is growing strong and blissful. That is good news. And that your desire to raise many such souls in Krishna Consciousness is very nice proposal. We need as many Krishna Conscious men as possible, trained from the very beginning of their lives, to carry on our mission and purify the society.

Regarding the condensation of KRSNA book, I have read it and it is very nice. Try to work on it as time permits; and in the meantime, you can have some xerox copies made, then later on we shall find opportunity to print it.

You write to say that Paramananda is always thinking of me and he is working hard to develop New Vrindaban transcendental community. That is very good. I know Paramananda is a very good soul, and you together are good combination. So do everything enthusiastically to develop our New Vrindaban scheme and advance forward in Krishna Consciousness life.

Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 15 March, 1970:

Yes, you can make nice children's books, and in this connection, you can correspond with Satyabhama who is already working on a condensed version of KRSNA book. And you should continue your painting, then with love and devotional practice your pictures will become all attractive because of the bona fide transcendental subject matter. However, in the meantime, you write to say that you have painted Mother Yasoda light blue color. Please let me know where you have received this information. Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja should be colored as Indians are generally of a light brown, tan like wheat.

Letter to Paramananda -- Los Angeles 17 June, 1970:

So I am very much pleased that you are doing your job very nicely. Everyone should try his best to do his part depending on Krsna and Spiritual Master, then all success is there. I have heard about you how nicely you are working in New Vrndavana. Your good wife, Satyabhama, is also doing nice in teaching work. Similarly all our students are doing their jobs very diligently, and that is my satisfaction.

Letter to Satyabhama -- Bombay 1 November, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 9th, 1970. Since I left the U.S.A. I am continuously travelling for the last three or four months and just yesterday evening I have come back from Amritsar to Bombay. I have noted your letter and your analytical study of Krsna consciousness is very nice.

Regarding Brahmananda, he is actually surrendered soul, but Maya is so strong that on account of association he has even fallen down. So these two things are always side by side—Maya and Krsna—Krsna is service and Maya is sense gratification, so every moment we are prone to be subjugated by either of them. Our duty is therefore to be very, very careful. The poison is personal ambition. So everyone has the chance, therefore one should not be complacent. Doubts may come about, but one should be firmly fixed up that there cannot be any doubt on the Spiritual Master or Krsna.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Satyabhama -- Allahabad 27 January, 1971:

Please accept my blessings and offer the same to your fine Vaisnava son Premananda. I am in due receipt of your very kind letter dated 28th December.

Yes, you may write some of the stories in simplified version for the children. That is very nice. The story of characters cannot be changed or anything made up, but simply the language may be changed. Also it is good to note that you are writing these children's books to comply with the academic standards of the public schools. In this way you should seriously work to compile these books along with the help of Krishna Bhamini. Then they can be printed by our press and dispatched to N.Y. centers as well as all our other centers. Krishna Consciousness is for everyone and so we can present your books to the public also in that light. You can send me copies of some of the stories you have written in which there are "personified animals" and I will tell you if they are all right. So go on compiling these books. Do it nicely and Krishna will bless you.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Nairobi 26 September, 1971:

Yes, if we can establish such a Krishna Conscious school, certainly it will be very much attractive. That was my first suggestion in Bombay. The first thing is that we will have to select teachers. Whether our men who are already there will be able to teach. Of course teaching will be elementary. Satyabhama in New Vrindaban has written a book for children. So you can immediately ask her. I think many of our girls can take up this business. Lilavati, Satyabhama and I don't know who else; there are many who may take up this work. Some of them may go to India. But factually, so far I have studied the situation, American boys and girls are a little restless. So it is subject matter to be decided by the GBC and I think you should consult with all other GBC members how to do it.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Nairobi 9 October, 1971:

Regarding your teacher problem, I have advised Pradyumna to go there and teach students primary Sanskrit lessons at least to learn the alphabet, so that in the future when they go to India they may learn Sanskrit very easily. The students should be taught Sanskrit both in Devanagari and Bengali alphabets. Satyabhama in New Vrindaban has written a nice book for elementary lessons in English. I think this book may be printed immediately. If not the manuscript may be used to teach the students. The important matter is that the children are taken care of nicely.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Satyabhama -- Mayapur 28 February, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of January 24, 1972, and I am very much pleased that you and your good husband are developing the New Vrindaban land very peacefully, and I think that you both are perfectly suited to remaining there and managing things very nicely, and you may gradually bring that New Vrindaban property to its full potential by stages, and that will please me very much. I always had great hopes for New Vrindaban, and gradually we are developing, as I can understand from Hayagriva's recent Cow Protection Report.

You are experiencing some doubts, that you cannot believe that the Krishna from Krishna Book can be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that it must be like some fairy-tale. To clear up these things the best remedy is to discuss amongst yourselves all members regularly all our books in classes, then these doubts will be killed. Without reading books it becomes hackneyed and such obnoxious ideas trouble us. Our thoughts are always changing, that is the nature of the mind, so you cannot expect that even the great saintly persons are free from thoughts coming and going. But after thinking there is feeling and willing, willing being the stage of putting the thoughts into action. So if we are able to employ our intelligence, then we kill the thoughts before they become manifest in activity, but because we are so much inclined to enjoy something unintelligently, we have to therefore daily sharpen our intelligence faculty by reading and discussing and preaching to others. In this way we are able very easily to defeat all challengers to our philosophy and everything becomes very clear as it is revealed from different angles of vision. Krishna makes promise to one who is striving to serve Him sincerely that He will give such devotee the intelligence by which he may come to Him. Therefore we should always pray that Krishna may kindly provide me the intelligence to kill all demons of doubt, and because He understands the heart of His sincere devotee, immediately He gives assistance. For my part, for example, I am absolutely certain that anyone who challenges me I can defeat you. Why is that? Because Krishna gives me the intelligence.

Your idea to start a nursery school in New Vrindaban is very good proposal and you may immediately try for it by cooperatively consulting amongst yourselves how to do it. But one thing, we are teaching Bhakti by practical attendance and by decreasing playing desire or drive. If the children simply do as their elders are doing, that is, regularly attending mangal arati, rising early, chanting, eating prasadam, looking at books, worshiping the __ like that, then automatically they will become trained up in right way and there is no need for special program for education. Children will always do as they see others doing, so if by the good association of their parents and the other older persons, they will come out nicely fixed in Krishna Consciousness, and because they are not spoiled by an artificial standard of sense gratification, they will think that performing austerities is great fun, just like in India we see the young brahmacaris are sent out to beg for their spiritual master to teach them humility and non-attachment, and they spend the whole day in the hot sun and come back at night, take a handful of rice, and sleep without blankets on the hard floor—and they take this type of life as very much enjoyable and great fun. This is how we train our children in Krishna Consciousness, just be keeping them always attending our regular program and associating with Krishna devotees, teaching them in spiritual realization by giving them the idea that sacrifice and tapasya for achieving the highest goal of life is a very nice way of life. Not that we shall give them many games for playing, these so-called scientific methods of learning are artificial, unnecessary, and on the whole I do not have much trust in this Montessori system or any other such system of teaching. Your idea for having altars to train the children in deity worship is very nice.

So far your Jagannatha deities which have become badly cracked, it is better to replace them, but if that is not possible then you may repair. The story of Lord Jagannatha is like this: Once King Indradyumna wanted to establish the picture in the temple of Krishna, Subhadra, & Balarama coming in a car or chariot during solar eclipse to Kuruksetra so he employed Visvakarma to carve them from wood, and actually the carving was going on behind closed doors, but the King was very impatient to see, so Visvanatha (Visvakarma) stopped, but the King was satisfied with them half-finished.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Satyabhama -- Hyderabad 23 March, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated February 20, 1973 and I am replying late because of so much recent travelling. I am here for a few days only, then to Bombay and on the 1st to London for a few days before going on to L.A. via New York.

Actually, I don't want our energy spent in that way, to develop a school at New Vrndavana. Rather, all of our children should go to Dallas when they are four and begin their training program there. In Dallas, they have full facility approved by me, I have personally seen that they are doing very nicely there. So, for the younger children to be at New Vrndavana that is alright, but when they are a little older, at four, they should go on to our Dallas facility.

Why should the parents not feel attachment for their children, that is natural. But our affection is not simply sentimental, we offer our children the highest opportunity to become trained up in Krsna consciousness very early so as to assure their success in this life to go back to Godhead for sure. That is real affection, to make sure my child gets back to Godhead, that is my real responsibility as a parent. And I have seen that Gurukula offers this opportunity more than any other place anywhere. So I think that you are intelligent girl, and you can explain it to others in this way.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Satyabhama, Paramananda -- New Vrindaban 20 July, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter undated and have noted the contents carefully. If Kirtanananda Maharaja speaks what I speak, then he can be taken a siksa guru. Guru sastra sadhu. The spiritual master is one, that is a fact. Kirtanananda Swami may be taken a sadhu not spiritual master, or as instructor guru. I don't think he is saying anything against our principles, so what is the wrong?

You have written that the devotees here say that you cannot know me, but only Kirtanananda Maharaja can know me. But, if Kirtanananda is a disciple and he can know me, and you are also a disciple, why you cannot know me? I have no objection to your taking Kirtanananda's instruction. There is no harm in going through Kirtanananda.

You are both old disciples, so why you should be feeling any difficulty?