Tears (Lectures, Conv. and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"teardrops" |"tearful" |"tears"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

So Arjuna appeared to be illusioned that "How I shall fight with my brothers and grandfather on the other side?" He became so much illusioned... Taṁ tathā kṛpayāviṣṭam (BG 2.1). He became illusioned not unnecessarily. He was very much compassionate, compassionate with his family members. Kṛpayāviṣṭam, aśru-pūrṇākulekṣaṇam (BG 2.1). And he was crying. There was tears in his eyes. Viṣīdantam idaṁ vākyam. And he was lamenting in this way: "How shall I fight?" So Kṛṣṇa then began to speak. Kṛṣṇa saw that "My friend, Arjuna, has become too much illusioned." So He wanted to kill the demon of illusion. Therefore He's mentioned herein as Madhusūdana.

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Sañjaya said, Seeing Arjuna full of compassion and very sorrowful, his eyes brimming with tears, Madhusūdana, Kṛṣṇa, spoke the following words (BG 2.1). The Supreme Personality said, 'My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy' (BG 2.2).

Prabhupāda: Now, Arjuna was sympathetic with his brothers and relatives and he was practically crying, with tears in his eyes, and Kṛṣṇa said that it is non-Āryan. It is not befitting for an Āryan. Just see. He was so compassionate, but still, it is not approved by Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

Madhusūdana is Kṛṣṇa's another name. So when Kṛṣṇa saw that Arjuna is unnecessarily disturbed, then, taṁ tathā kṛpayāviṣṭam aśru-pūrṇākulekṣaṇam (BG 2.1). Aśru-pūrṇa: his eyes was full with tears. "Kṛṣṇa, I have to fight with my relatives." So he was crying, that "This is not very good business." So why he was crying? Kṛpayāviṣṭam: being merciful upon them. They were so cruel upon the Pāṇḍavas that they insulted their wife, they tricked how to take away their kingdom. All this injustice was done to them. Still, because Arjuna is a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, still, he was sympathetic: "No, no, let them do whatever they have done, but I am not going to kill them." So kṛpayāviṣṭam aśru-pūrṇākulekṣaṇam (BG 2.1), viṣīdantam. Bhagavān uvāca.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa. Nimeṣa means a moment. "My dear Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, a moment is appearing to Me as long as twelve years." Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam: "And My tears pouring water just like torrents of rain." That means He's crying, "Hā Kṛṣṇa, I could not see You." Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitaṁ śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam: "Oh, I see the whole world void and vacant." You see. He does not see anything. He sees everything void. Just like if you have lost anything beloved, you don't see anything; you see everything is gone. So śūnyāyitaṁ ja... How? Why? Govinda-viraheṇa me. Viraha means separation. "On account of separation." So this should be the only cause, that you cannot tolerate the separation of Govinda. That is love.

Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa: one moment appears to be one yuga. One yuga means twelve years. So yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. Crying. There is tears in the eyes like the torrents of rain. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā... Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam. "I feel the whole world is vacant." Why? Govinda-viraheṇa me. This madness is wanted. Without Govinda, that madness. So that madness (was) fully exhibited in Vṛndāvana by the gopīs. They were mad after Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana, went to Mathurā, they became so mad that they had no other business than cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam, simply crying torrents of rain. That is wanted. That is Vṛndāvana life.

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

So when the mother understood that her sons were killed, certainly she was very, very unhappy. Mātā śiśūnāṁ nidhanaṁ sutānāṁ niśamya ghoraṁ paritapyamānā. Lamenting. That is natural. So tadārudad vāṣpa-kalākulākṣī. With tears, she was crying, and tāṁ sāntvayan, pacifying, āha kirīṭamālī. Kirīṭamālī is Arjuna. So they were directly connected with Kṛṣṇa. Draupadī's another name is Kṛṣṇā. And still they had to suffer the material pangs. Not that because one is Kṛṣṇa conscious there will be no material suffering. Actually, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they have no material suffering. Although it appears that they are suffering, they are not suffering. They can accept any so-called suffering and accept it as mercy of Kṛṣṇa. They never take it as suffering.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

We should not love Kṛṣṇa for some material gain. It is not that: "Kṛṣṇa, give us our daily bread. Then I love You. Kṛṣṇa, give me this. Then I love You." There is no such mercantile exchange. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa wants that kind of love. So here it is said that position, yā te daśā, daśā... When, as soon as Kṛṣṇa saw Mother Yaśodā is coming with a rope to bind Him, so He immediately became very much afraid so that tears came out. "Oh, Mother is going to bind Me." Yā te daśāśru-kalila añjana. And the ointment is being washed off. And sambhrama. And with great respect looking to the mother, with feeling appeal: "Yes, Mother, I have offended you. Kindly excuse Me." This was the scene of Kṛṣṇa. So that scene is appreciated by Kuntī. And immediately His head became downward.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

Lord Kṛṣṇa, out of fear of His mother—"Now Mother will bind Me"—so He was crying. And while crying, the tears washed the, what is called? Kajala? Mascara? So they were dropping, and He was fearful, crying, and He was, His head was down, flapping. This condition. Ninīya. Vaktraṁ ninīya, face. He felt culprit, that "I have done wrong." Bhaya-bhāvanayā. He was so much afraid that "Mother will bind Me. My freedom will be lost." Sthitasya: "In this way, when You were situated..."

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

So this verse... All the ladies of the palace... It is natural for ladies. When there is separation, they cry. So they were shedding tears, but Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira asked them to stop, not to cry, because it may be inauspicious. Kṛṣṇa was going home, and everyone should give Him farewell, a smiling face. But they could not do so. That was not possible. They were feeling so much of Kṛṣṇa's separation that they were crying, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira asked them not to cry.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

I have seen in your country, almost all cows are crying, crying. Because in the beginning, all the calves are taken away and slaughtered in their presence. Perhaps you know. So what is the position of the cow? I have seen when we purchase cows, the calves are already taken away. The cow was crying, regular tears were gliding down. So they can understand that... Who cannot understand? Suppose if you are taken in the concentrated camp? Just like the Germans did. What is the meaning of concentrated...? That he'll be killed after some days. So how you can be happy? If you are already informed, condemned to death, and kept in a concentration camp, will you be happy? Similarly, when these people take these cows to the slaughterhouse, animal stock room, go down, they understand.

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

Ladies generally, they are very much apt to shed tears in ecstatic moment. So Kṛṣṇa was going from Hastināpura, and all of them, all the Pāṇḍavas, not only ladies, the men also, they were very, very much affected. We have already discussed in the previous verses. Especially the ladies, they could not check their tears forcibly coming out. But at the same time, they were thinking that "Kṛṣṇa is going. Everything must be auspicious. There may not be something inauspicious." So they were in a very perplexed position. Tears were coming by force, and they wanted to check it so that there may not be any inauspicity in the matter of Kṛṣṇa's departure. This is the picture. So these are all symptoms of love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life, to shed tears for Kṛṣṇa. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us this method of worship in separation, vipralambha-sevā. Not that "Oh, I have seen yesterday. Last night, I have seen Kṛṣṇa. He was snatching my cloth." These are sahajiyās. Actually, our worship should be in separation. The Gosvāmīs also taught us like that.

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

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very serious and important. Here are the sign, how they love Kṛṣṇa. One side, they are..., they cannot check the tears coming out, "Kṛṣṇa is going away." Another side, "Oh, if I shed tears, then there may be inauspicity." How much perplexity, this two sides. Dilemma. Between the horns of Scylla and Charybdis. That is the position. The lover, intense love creates such situation, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited.

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

What qualification I have got that I want to see back to home, back to Godhead? It is not so easy thing. So why should I be sorry for that? I should be happy even in the hell simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. That is wanted. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here is the example. Tears by force are coming out: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is going away." At the same time, they want to check: "There may not be any inauspicity for Kṛṣṇa." They're thinking Kṛṣṇa, for Kṛṣṇa, not for personal self. "Oh, I am now crying. I have become very much fortunate. I am crying for Kṛṣṇa." No. "My crying will create inauspicity for Kṛṣṇa, I must check it." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Oh, what you are reading, My dear brāhmaṇa?" So he explained, that "This gentleman has not come to criticize me." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew that "He is a perfect knower of Bhagavad-gītā." Still, He inquired, "Well, if you are not reading, then how you are crying? I see there are tears in your eyes. What is the meaning?" Then he admitted, "Yes, sir. Yes. That is." "Why you are crying?" "No, as soon as I take this Bhagavad-gītā in my hand a picture comes before me that Arjuna is sitting on the chariot ordering Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is carrying out his order and driving the chariot. So that makes me amazed. Therefore I am crying, that 'How Kṛṣṇa is merciful, that He accepted a menial service for His devotee. He is so kind.' " Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced him: "Yes, brāhmaṇa, your reading of Bhagavad-gītā is perfect."

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

Here Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives you hint that hari-nāma-dheyaiḥ. By chanting hari-nāma, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21), you can get out of this. And when hari-nāma will be perfect, that symptoms are given here. Netre jalaṁ gātra-ruheṣu harṣaḥ. By chanting, when you will, not always ... Sometimes, out of ecstasy, when tears will come down and there will be shivering on the body, that means you are coming to perfection. This is not to be artificially practiced. When you actually come to the perfectional stage, these will automatically appear. So this verse suggests that if a person is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but his eyes are not tearful or there is no ecstatic shivering of the body, then that means he's not coming to the perfectional point.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1976:

We can simply imagine how it is painful to remain in the womb of the mother, packed up in an airtight bag and hands and legs you cannot move even. So this is the tribulations of taking birth. And similarly the tribulations of death. Sometimes one remains in coma for months and he suffers so much. Sometimes he cries. Actually tears come out. We cannot see, but within the body of the dying man is so much painful. This is called janma-mṛtyu. And old man's, there are difficulties. And vyādhi. Everyone is subjected to some kind of disease. So we do not take account. So here Ṛṣabhadeva is stressing on this point. "My dear boys, do not spoil your life living like cats and dogs." Do not. This is not meant for this life. This human form of life is meant for different purposes.

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was touring in the southern India, in the Ranganātha temple He saw one brāhmaṇa. He was reading Bhagavad-gītā. So many persons were coming and criticizing him, "Well, brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" So he did not reply. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu approached him and He saw the brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā and tears gliding down. So He could understand that "Here is a pure devotee." So He asked him, "Well, brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" So he said, "Sir, I cannot read. I am illiterate. I am illiterate and I cannot read what is Bhagavad-gītā, especially Sanskrit." His neighbors were criticizing him. They knew that "This brāhmaṇa is illiterate, and he is making a show of reading Bhagavad-gītā." So they were criticizing. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He could understand that "Here is a pure devotee."

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Philadelphia, July 13, 1975:

So you should keep at least what is there. So this is the position at the time of death. Sometimes you will find the dying man is crying, ākulendriyaḥ, tearful eyes. He cannot express. He is not practiced. But he was given the chance. Kṛṣṇa gave him the conscience when the child was born to keep his name Nārāyaṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy, that "This rascal was My devotee, and now he is so fallen. All right, he is attracted to his children." So He gave the conscience, "Now keep your son's name Nārāyaṇa." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says, "From Me everything, remembrance and forgetfulness, come." Those who want to forget Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa helps him to forget: "All right, you forget." He does not give. He does not dictate from the within.

Lecture on SB 7.7.28, 32-35 -- Mombassa, September 11, 1971:

These are the symptoms. Niśamya karmāṇi guṇān atulyān, vīryāṇi līlā-tanubhiḥ kṛtāni. Vīryān līlā, Kṛṣṇa is killing so many demons, Kṛṣṇa is dancing with gopīs, Kṛṣṇa is playing with His cowherd boys, Kṛṣṇa is going there, this is līlā, smaraṇam. The Kṛṣṇa book reading means remembering all these activities of Kṛṣṇa. Simply go on reading Kṛṣṇa book, repeat it, you are in the perfect stage of transcendental position. Simply read our Nectar of Devotion. Līlā, atulyān. Niśamya karmāṇi guṇān atulyān, vīryāṇi līlā-tanubhiḥ kṛtāni, yadātiharṣotpulakāśru-gadgadam. Pulakasru, in ecstasy. Pulaka is trembling and faltering voice and tears coming down, perspiring, these are (called) aṣṭa-sāttvika-vikāra (CC Antya 14.99). Protkaṇṭha udgāyati rauti nṛtyati.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 28, 1973:

The Bhāgavata says, evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam (SB 1.2.20). Bhagavat-tattva, the science of God, is a vijñāna. It is a science. It is not sentiment. Sentiment: I close my eyes and shed some tears, and then I go for smoking cigarette. That sentiment will not help us. It is a science. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā. One who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. He can make disciples all over the world. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.149-171 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1967:

There is a very nice song sung by one poet, Vaiṣṇava poet. He's singing like this:

gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka-śarīra

hari hari bolite nayane ba'be nīra

He's aspiring that "When I shall loudly call 'Lord Caitanya, Gaurāṅga'?" Gaurāṅga is Lord Caitanya. "And my body will be shivering. And when I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, tears will flow down from my eyes."

gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka-śarīra

hari hari bolite nayane ba'be nīra

Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe: "And when I shall be favored by Nityānanda Prabhu?" Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe, saṁsāra-bāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha'be: "When I shall be detached from material enjoyment?" Viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana: "And when I shall be detached from this material enjoyment, my mind will be purified. My mind will be freed from all contamination of material dirty things."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-142 -- New York, November 29, 1966:

When you will be so much absorbed in love of God, just like Lord Caitanya showed... Cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me, govinda-viraheṇa me: "Oh, I am crying. Just My tears coming, just torrents of rain from My eyes." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam: "I am seeing everything vacant." Why? Govinda-viraheṇa me: "In separation of Govinda." That is highest stage of life. Govinda-viraheṇa me. Just like in this material world, if you love somebody and if he is dead and passed and gone, you see everything vacant. That is a test of that govinda viraha. But we are foolish. We know that everything will be finished here. Why should I give so much attachment to this nonsense? Give your attachment to Kṛṣṇa. He will never be finished. So that is love of Kṛṣṇa. We have to attain that stage. Yes. That is the perfection of life.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Gauranga Bolite Habe -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1969:

When one is factually situated in the transcendental platform, sometimes there are eight kinds of symptoms: crying, talking like a madman, and shivering of the body, dancing without any care for any other men... These symptoms develop automatically. They are not practiced artificially. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is aspiring for that day, not that one has to artificially imitate. That he does not recommend. He says, "When that day will come, so that simply by uttering the name of Lord Caitanya there will be a shivering on my body?" Gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka-śarīra. And hari hari bolite: "And as soon as I shall chant 'Hari Hari,' or 'Hare Kṛṣṇa,' there will be pouring down of tears from my eyes." Hari hari bolite nayane ba'be nīra. Nīra means water. Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said that "When that day will come?" We should simply aspire. But if, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, that stage we can reach, these symptoms will come automatically.

Purport to Gauranga Bolite Habe -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1968:

This is the perfection of chanting, that as soon as we chant or take the name of Lord Gaurāṅga, who initiated the Saṅkīrtana Movement, at once there will be a shivering in the body. So it is not to be imitated. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is recommending when that opportune moment will come to us, that as soon as we shall chant Lord Gaurāṅga's name, there will shivering in the body. And, after the shivering, hari hari bolite nayane ba'be nīr, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa there will be tears in the eyes. Then again he says āra kabe nitāicand koruṇā karibe. We are all asking about the mercy of Lord Nityānanda. Nityānanda is supposed to be the original spiritual master. So we have to approach Gaurāṅga, or Lord Caitanya, through the mercy of Lord Nityānanda.

Purport to Gauranga Bolite Habe -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka śarīre. He's expecting. Although he was a great ācārya, still, he was expecting, "When that stage will come?" The wording of the song is as follows. G-a-u-r-a-n-g-a, gaurāṅga. Bolite, b-a-l-i-t-e. Habe, h-a-b-e. Gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka, p-u-l-a-k-a. Pulaka śarīra, s-a-r-i-r. Gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka śarīra hari hari, h-a-r-i h-a-r-i. Bolite, b-a-l-i-t-e. Hari hari bolite habe, h-a-b-e. Hari hari bolite kabe. Not habe, kabe, k-a-b-e. Nayane, n-a-y-a-n-e. Ba'be, b-a-b-e, Nīra, n-e-e-r. The meaning is that there will be not only shivering as soon as I utter the name of Gaurāṅga, but there will be torrents of tears in my eyes as soon as I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. this is the explanation.

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Atlanta, February 28, 1975:

If you love somebody and if you... Of course, in the material world, this love is not possible. There is no love in the material world. It is all lust. So love means loving God. That is love. So the Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching this, yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam: "I am feeling one moment as a millenium, being separated from Kṛṣṇa. And the torrents of tears are coming just like torrents of rain." And śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam: "And the whole world is seeming to Me vacant," govinda-viraheṇa me, "being separated from Govinda." This is love. So it doesn't matter what religious system you are following, but the result should be this, that you should be mad after God. That is the test. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro... That is first-class religion, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, to love. Bhakti means love, service, rendering service.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 1, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. Govinda-vira...

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa

cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam

śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ

govinda-viraheṇa me

This is the summit of bhajana, when one will be crying and there will be tears, torrently, and one will see everything as vacant for being separated from Govinda. That is the topmost summit of Kṛṣṇa bhajana.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: We can see when a man is in coma, he cries, he suffers. Before death when a man is in coma sometimes tears come. Now why he says there is nothing? Imperfect knowledge, that's all. Misguiding people.

Rūpānuga: The last chapter's the nicest.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The last chapter is—that Śrīla Prabhupāda suggested—that was "The Original Idea is Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Janaki -- Delhi 16 September, 1967:

I'm so pleased for your writing such nice sentiment. I've especially noted that you could express yourself so beautifully. I know both you and your sister have inherited a good heart from your good mother. Your eagerness to get me back in the states will surely be a success because I'm also eager to return. Tears for Krishna is as good as associating with Him personally. In the spiritual world separation is more valuable than meeting. So your feelings and tears of Krishna Consciousness will make you more enriched in spiritual advancement. Your husband Mukunda is a very very good boy and you are fortunate enough to have such a nice devotee husband.

Letter to Rayarama -- Calcutta 9 November, 1967:

The separation of Kirtanananda and Hayagriva is not a very happy incident. I was practically in tears for their attitude of separation on such flimsy grounds. In other words it is my incapability that I could not save these two souls, but this a great evidence that every soul is individual. The nonsense theory of oneness becomes null and void by the evidence presented in this incident. But we should not be angry with these poor souls. Try to convince them by argument and reason but do not become angry with them.

Letter to Umapati -- Calcutta 23 November, 1967:

When a disciple misunderstands a bona fide spiritual master, the master regrets for his inability to protect the disciple and sometimes he cries with tears in the eyes. We had an experience while my Guru Maharaja was alive. One of His disciples who accepted sannyasa was one day forcibly dragged by his wife. My Guru Maharaja lamented with tears in His eyes saying that He could not save the soul.) We should always, therefore, be careful in the matter of being attacked by Maya's influence and the only means of guarantee is to chant Hare Krishna offenselessly. The greatest offense is to defy the spiritual master and to act sinfully, thinking in the strength of chanting. If a man thinks that chanting will save him from all kinds of sinful reaction deliberately committee. by him, then he becomes the greatest offender. By chanting Hare Krishna certainly we become free from all sinful reactions, but that does not mean that we shall deliberately commit sins and counteract it by chanting. Your reference to Kirtanananda and Hayagriva is very nicely appreciated. We shall silently pray for them to Krishna and shed tears for them for our inability to save them. Let us honestly pray and go ahead with Krishna Consciousness.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1968:

Tears come down from the eyes of a person who is already elevated in ecstatic love of Krishna. So these are very good signs. I am explaining all of these matters in my next book, Nectar of Devotion. I pray to Krishna for your further and further progress in this connection. I am pleased to note that you are now accepting outside engagements for kirtana activities. This is an important attempt. Please convey my blessings to Kulasekhara also. I am very glad to note that he is back at the temple and painting nicely. I hope this finds you in good health.

Letter to Arundhati -- Los Angeles 21 February, 1969:

I thank you so much for your letter dated February 13, 1969, and I have noted the contents with much pleasure. Your tears at kirtana are a good sign, and it shows that Krishna is pleased upon you. So remain in this status and chant nicely. You will see you will be more and more graced by His Lordship.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Hawaii 11 March, 1969:

Sometimes we also forget to chant the prescribed number of rounds. But Haridasa Thakura even at the last stage of his life, he was chanting 300,000 beads although Lord Caitanya personally asked him to not labor so hard. But Haridasa Thakura said that he would continue the practice till the end of his life. So that is the position of transcendental taste. Please therefore chant very sincerely with your present aptitude of mind and Krishna will bless you more and more in understanding this secret of transcendental vibration. Of course, sometimes the public may misunderstand such tears of bliss, so we may better have to check it from the vision of ordinary persons.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 8 March, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 3 March, 1970, along with the "Govindam" record. The record is so nice that I am playing it at least once in a day and it is giving me transcendental pleasure with tears in my eyes. I am sure this record will be the first-class "hit" as already opined by the experts.

Letter to Makhanlal -- Los Angeles 3 June, 1970:

Regarding your special worshipment of Lord Nityananda: Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura has sung, "Gauranga balite habe . . . etc." when that time will come when torrents of tears shall pour from my eyes simply by uttering the Name of Gauranga. It is not that one should worship one and neglect the others. So the symptoms of Lord Nityananda's mercy are exhibited according to the description of Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura by the detachment from material sense enjoyment, because without being freed from the attachment for material sense enjoyment, nobody can enter into the transcendental pastime of Radha and Krsna.