# June 14 ## Spoken on June 14 *Lectures from this day: 17 recordings* --- **[1968: Bhagavad-gītā 4.8](spoken/1968/680614bg.mon)** > So this process is going on because they do not know that their self-interest is that Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that He comes, He descends, with two purposes: *paritrāṇāya sādhūnām*,* to give relief to the pious, to the righteous; and to vanquish the miscreants, and to establish the real religious principle. > There is no difference between laws of nature and laws of God. Laws of nature means laws of God. *Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam*. Therefore *Bhāgavata* says that religious principle cannot be manufactured by any human being. It is the law of God. Therefore one has to obey it. One cannot disobey. Law of nature you cannot disobey. It will be enforced upon you. Just like law of nature, the winter season. You cannot change it. It will be enforced upon you. Law of nature, summer season, you cannot change it, anything. Laws of nature or laws of God, the sun is rising from the eastern side and setting on the western side. You cannot change it, anything. That you have to understand, how laws of nature is going on. --- **[1970: Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana Appearance](spoken/1970/700614le.la)** > So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not for the third-class men, only first-class men—more than first-class men; those who are above first-class men. They will understand. So therefore in the *Bhagavad-gītā* it is stated, *kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ . They do not know first-class..., what is the difference between the first-class man and the third-class man and fourth-class man. The first-class man knows what is the aim of his life. The third-class, fourth-class men, they do not know what is the aim of life. That is the difference. How a man becomes first-class? How? By quality: *vyāvahāreṇa jāyante* [Canakya Paṇḍita]. > Therefore because the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is there, the Gaudiya Vaiṣṇava, they did not attempt to write another separate commentary on the *Brahma*-*sūtra*. Any intelligent man can understand that this *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is commentary on the *Vedānta-sūtra*. The *Vedānta-sūtra* begins with *janmādy asya*, *athāto brahma-jijñāsā,* and *Bhāgavata* says *jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā*. *Brahma jijñāsā* and *tattva-jijñāsā* is same thing: "The human life is meant for inquiring for the Absolute." In the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* it is there. And the next aphorism in the *Vedānta-sūtra* is *janmādy asya yataḥ*... --- **[1972: Garden Conversation Kṛṣṇa, 'Songs by the Gopīs.'](spoken/1972/720614gc.la)** > " 'Dear Kṛṣṇa, actually we have become very lusty, having been touched by Your lotus feet. Your lotus feet certainly kill all kinds of sinful activities of devotees who have taken shelter there. You are so kind that even the ordinary animals take shelter under Your lotus feet. Your lotus feet are also the residence of the goddess of fortune, yet You dance on the head of the Kāliya serpent with them. Now we are requesting You to kindly place Your lotus feet on our breasts and pacify our lusty desires to touch You. > " 'O Lord, Your attractive eyes, like the lotus, are so nice and pleasing. Your sweet words are so fascinating that they please even the greatest scholars, who also become attracted to You. We are also attracted by Your speaking and by the beauty of Your face and eyes. Please, therefore, satisfy us by Your nectarean kisses. Dear Lord, words spoken by You or words describing Your activities are full of nectar, and simply by speaking or hearing Your words one can be saved from the blazing fire of material existence. Great demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are always engaged in chanting the glories of Your words. They do so to eradicate the sinful activities of all living entities in the material world. --- **[1972: Morning Walk](spoken/1972/720614mw.la)** > So these people, these rascals, Nixon and company, they want to keep the people in ignorance so that they'll get vote and enjoy. And if the people become intelligent *brāhmaṇas*, then immediately he'll be kicked out. What is his value? He has no value. This is policy. They don't want to see that people become elevated in knowledge. That is not their policy. Therefore they do not agree. > Actually they are seeing that "These Hare Kṛṣṇa people, they're so nice character, they're behavor, God conscious. So if all people become like this, then where we are?'' Because as soon as become..., people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, they'll noncooperate with the slaughterhouse, liquor industry, gambling, illicit sex. They will noncooperate. Then the whole plan of civilization will be collapsed. --- **[1972: Room Conversation with John Fahey [famous musician](spoken/1972/720614r1.la)** > In another place it is said, *tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam*. One who is actually inquisitive to understand the highest benefit of life, he must approach a *guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ*. *Jijñāsu* means inquisitive. *Śreya—*the highest benefit of life. *Uttamam—*highest. *Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam*. *Ṣābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ . > Therefore for a human being to try to become animal is worse than the animals and because... Just like you are now grown up. If you imitate that "I want to become child, so I enter anyone's house,'' the law will not allow you. And if you say that "My philosophy is to become a child; therefore I enter this man's house,'' the law will say, "All right, first of all you'll be punished.'' [laughter] You cannot say that. --- **[1972: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.3.19](spoken/1972/720614sb.la)** > Prabhupāda: [corrects devotees' pronunciation] That's all. > [leads chanting of synonyms] > *śva*—a dog; *viṭ-varāha*—the village hog who eats stool; *uṣṭra*—the camel; *kharaiḥ*—and by the asses; *saṁstutaḥ*—perfectly praised; *puruṣaḥ*—a person; *paśuḥ*—animal; *na*—never; *yat*—of him; *karṇa*—ear; *patha*—path; *upetaḥ*—reached; *jātu*—at any time; *nāma*—the holy name; *gadāgrajaḥ*—Lord Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from all evils. > Vinā paśughnāt.* Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja says, *vinā paśughnāt. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt, uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt*. Uttamaśloka, Kṛṣṇa, *guṇānuvādāt,* glorifying His activities, who can be bereft of this opportunity, *vinā paśughnāt,* unless he is a animal-killer? Unless he is animal-killer, nobody will deny to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Because the animal-killers, they have lost their brain. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is so great that even who has lost his brain, he can be revived by hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra.* That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... *Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam*. Yes, in this age everyone is fallen. But he can be, I mean to say, elevated to the position of nice brain. How? By *paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam.* Simply by chanting. --- **[1973: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.9.48](spoken/1973/730614sb.may)** > But they do not know that there is next life. Next life he may become a dog, and what this millions of dollars will help him? That he does not know. Therefore *tapo divyam. Take austerity, penances, for reviving your original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For that purpose, you undergo austerity. Otherwise, if you simply undergo austerities, penances, hardship for some material gain, then it is waste of time, defeat, *parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ.* Because he's a fool, rascal, he does not know what for hardship should be taken. > So don't make *ka-kara ka* when you assemble together. That is my request. If you have got time, spare time, simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma... That should be your business. This is *tapasya.* Tendency is to crow, to make vibration like these frogs. That is our tendency. Because we are also conditioned soul, and the frogs, or any animal, they are also conditioned soul, conditioned by the material nature. Therefore *tapasya,* austerity, is required to nullify, to counteract this conditional state of living. Now we are conditioned. *Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam .* --- **[1974: Lecture at the Hare Kṛṣṇa Festival at La Salle Pleyel](spoken/1974/740614le.par)** > Therefore in the *Bhagavad-gītā* it is said, *na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre* : "After the destruction of this body, I, the soul, I am not destroyed. I continue to live." The soul is eternal. That is described in the *Bhagavad-gītā, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre*: eternal, very old, still, after the destruction of the body, the soul is never destroyed. Death means destruction of this outer, gross material body. Every day, every night we have got experience: the body lies down on the bed, but with my subtle body—mind, intelligence and ego—I dream and I go somewhere else from my bedroom. So this is going on daily in our experience, that I leave this gross body, I take my subtle body, and I do something else, although my body is here. The conclusion is therefore that I, the soul, am changing my body from the gross to the subtle, from the subtle to the gross. In our daily life we have got experience that I accept this subtle body—the subtle body is there; there is no question of acceptance—but with the subtle body I dream, and again when the dream is over, then I come to this gross body. So death means when the subtle body carries the soul to another gross body, not this gross body, that is called death. > Bhāvam,* the attitude, the modes of the mind at the time of death, will carry me to the next gross body. Therefore it is necessary to prepare ourself what kind of body we are going to get after death. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* it is said, "After death, the soul," *tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ*, "gets another body." Now we can see in our experience, there are so many different types of bodies. There are 900,000 species of bodies in the water. There are two million different types of bodies in the vegetable kingdom, means the trees and plants. There are eleven hundred thousand species of life in the insect kingdom. There are one million types of bodies in the birds kingdom. And there are three million types of bodies in the beast life. And there are 400,000 species of body in the human society. Out of them, the civilized man is considered to be perfectly in bodily situation. --- **[1974: Morning Walk](spoken/1974/740614mw.par)** > God says, "Many ways." That's all right. But why does He says that "If you want to know Me perfectly, and without any doubt, then this is the process, *bhakti"?* Other processes are there, but by those processes you cannot understand. Just like practically, call anyone, so-called *yogī,* so-called *jñānīs,* they'll not understand Kṛṣṇa. They'll not understand Kṛṣṇa. So all other paths that are recommended, by those paths you cannot understand God perfectly and without any doubt. Therefore God says clearly, *bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ* : "Actually what I am, that can be understood by *bhakti-yoga.*" Other system, you'll... I explained that last night. That is partial understanding. That is not full understanding. > That is described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the *Śikṣāṣṭaka, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam*. The first step will be cleansing of the heart. And in the heart there is God already. *Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati*. The Lord is situated in everyone's heart. So actually *yoga* system is to find out the Lord within the heart. That is meditation. Lord is there already; simply we have to find it out. That, that if..., if you are informed that within this park there is one hundredweight of gold is lying there. Now you have to find out. But the indication is there. *Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati*. The Lord, the Supreme Lord, is situated in everyone's heart. Now find Him out. That is *yoga* system. So these people, without finding out the Lord by practic... [break] [end] --- **[1974: Room Conversation with Professor Olivier Lacombe, Director of the Sorbonne University](spoken/1974/740614r1.par)** >Manu, Vyāsa, Devala, Asita, Janaka, Prahlāda, Bali, and later on, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Śrī Caitanya and many others who are faithful philosophers, politicians, educators and scientists, etc., surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Person, the all-powerful authority. Those who are not actually philosophers, scientists, educators, administrators, etc., but who pose themselves as such for material gain, do not accept the plan or path of the Supreme Lord. They have no idea of God. They simply manufacture their own worldly plans and consequently complicate the problems of material..." > 1. The *mūḍhas:* those who are grossly foolish like hard-working beasts of burden. They want to enjoy the fruits of their labor by themselves and do not want to part with them for the Supreme. The typical example of the beast of burden is the ass. This humble beast is made to work very hard by his master. The ass does not really know for whom he works so hard day and night. He remains satisfied by filling his stomach with a bundle of grass, sleeping for a while under fear of being beaten by the master, and satisfying his sex appetite at the risk of being repeatedly kicked by the opposite party. The ass sings poetry and philosophy sometimes, but this braying only disturbs others. This is the position of the foolish fruitive worker who does not know for whom he should work. He does not know that *karma,* action, is meant for *yajña,* sacrifice. Most often, those who work very hard day and night to clear the burden of self-created duties say that they have no time to hear of the immortality of the living being. To such *mūḍhas,* material gains, which are destructible, are life's all in all, despite the fact that the *mūḍhas* enjoy only a very small fraction of the fruit of labor. Sometimes they spend sleepless days and nights for fruitive gain, and although they may have ulcers or indigestion, they are satisfied with practically no food. They are simply absorbed in working hard day and night for the benefit of illusory masters. Ignorant of their real master, the foolish workers waste their valuable time serving Mammon. Unfortunately, they never surrender to the supreme master of all masters, nor do they take time to hear of Him from the proper sources." --- **[1974: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.6](spoken/1974/740614sb.par)** > So this is the point. So you are trying to understand the whole analytical study of the material world. That is very good. But if you do not know how to remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of death, then you are going to be cats and dogs, that's all. Because you are very fond of dog. Especially in the Western countries, every gentleman, every lady has a dog. So what will you think at the time of death? Dog. So that is the nature's law. *Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram*.* You will find in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* At the time of death, the mental condition which you have created, that will carry you to the next body. Therefore don't create your mind doggish. Make it Kṛṣṇa conscious. And that is very nice. Then at the time of death you remember Kṛṣṇa, and you will be transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka. That is described: *etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyām.* Therefore it is advised, "Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. Practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will save you." Otherwise... *Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁān. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām ante*. > "As you are changing your body from childhood to boyhood, boyhood..." It is very simple philosophy. The rascal will not understand. I am changing my body. You may say growth or... But it is changed. I had a childhood body; that body is different from my this present body. It is changed. Therefore I have already changed my body so many ways, so many times. And I change my body after this body is no more useful. That is going on. No more useful. That is the... The example is given: I am putting on this sweater, but when it is torn, no more useful, I get it out. I get another, new. *Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti tatah 'parāṇi*. Everything is clearly stated. This is dress only. This body is dress. Therefore we do not give on the bodily dress; we give stress on the soul. We do not make any distinction that "This is Hindu dress, Muslim dress, Christian dress, black dress, white dress." No, no, we have nothing to do with the dress. We have to do with the soul within the dress. He is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He has forgotten Kṛṣṇa; therefore he is suffering. Therefore our movement is to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, *ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ.* --- **[1975: Morning Walk](spoken/1975/750614mw.hon)** > You will come out triumphant of all others. [break] Actually that is happening. What we are doing? We are not playing any magic. How this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is increasing? > His body is made of spiritual eternity... This body is not eternal, but God has got His eternal body. There is no question of God's becoming old, because His body is eternal. It is the material body which is not eternal. That is subjected to old age, disease, birth, death. [*japa*] What is this big house? [break]...stated that he came to cheat the atheists. They did not believe in God, but God came as Buddha. --- **[1975: Room Conversation](spoken/1975/750614r1.hon)** > Bhāgavat*, now we are publishing with original verse, transliteration word to word meaning. Not for selling, this for you. We are taking so much trouble for translating, giving word to word meaning trying to explain. Not that we are doing all this things for doing some good business. It is not meant for business it is really meant for our students. So if you find out time you study each and every *śloka* of *Bhāgavata*, what is the difficulty? Hm? Is there any difficulty?* [Indistinct] So keep always engaged. Always engaged. We have got sufficient engagement reading, distributing, chanting, *saṅkīrtan*. If you reduce the eating, sleeping, mating, that is spiritual life. The more you reduce the animal part of us. This is animal part, eating sleeping mating and defending. This is animal part but the human part of life is to develop your dormant Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. This is the chance, human life is the chance. Greater intelligence is given, to develop your human part of life, not to develop your animal part of life. > You see Jaganātha on the *Ratha Yātrā*, his way for liberation is open. But if he comes back again and entangles himself... then? One goes to the doctor and he gives injection the disease is cured, but again he comes back and does the same thing so that he develops this disease again. So who's fault is it? This is called *hasti-snāna*. *Hasti-snāna* means, elephant takes bath very nicely and as soon as he comes on the bank of the river or the lake, he takes dust and throws [break] again. If we do that then we shall remain always dirty. We go take bath, clean but don't take dirt again. That is not going on. They become immediately *mukta*, liberated but they come, again become entangled. If it is a fact seeing Jaganātha is *mukta*, that's how he becomes *mukta* but if he again comes to *māyā* then who can check it. --- **[1976: Garden Conversation](spoken/1976/760614gc.det)** > Family means father, mother, wife, children. Generally this is family. So family members are supposed to be all friendly, in one accord, so that family life is peaceful. But sometimes the family members become enemies. So how they become enemies? That is given by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita: *mātā śatruḥ, ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatruḥ.* Father is enemy if he's a debtor, he dies a debtor. According to Vedic law, because the son inherits the property of father, he's responsible also for the debts of the father, by law. A father dies debtor, so the creditor can claim from his son. So therefore *ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatruḥ.* A father who dies a debtor, he's enemy. mother becomes enemy when she accepts another husband in the presence of children. *Mātā śatrur vyabhicarini. Ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatruḥ* is father and mother. Then wife: *rūpavatī bhāryā śatruḥ.* If wife is very beautiful, she's enemy. [laughs] *Rūpavatī bhāryā śatruḥ.* Because he will remain always anxious, "Whether my wife is going with other somebody?" And it so happens. [laughs] *Rūpavatī bhāryā śatruḥ.* And *putraḥ śatrur apaṇḍitaḥ:* and son is enemy if he's a rascal. So father, mother, wife, children. > Everything is God's property. That is natural. And God said, *bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram*. Somebody must be proprietor. I am proprietor of this land. Who is the proprietor of this water? That is natural question. If somebody is proprietor of this land, then somebody must be proprietor of that water. --- **[1976: Room Conversation with Ambarīṣa and Catholic Priest](spoken/1976/760614r1.det)** > The saintly persons, at least in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, they are not meant for idle life. They are always busy for the welfare of the whole human society. This is the sign of saintly person. They are misguided and they are suffering, and it is the duty of the saintly person to give them instruction, education, how they can become really happy and make their life successful. This is saintly person. A saintly person doesn't mean to live at other's expenditure and do all nonsense things. This is not saintly person. Hmm.* [Transl. Tell me what you want to ask? Ba...] > > nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau > > lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau > > rādhā-kṛṣṇa-bhajanānandena mattālikau > > vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau --- **[1976: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.48](spoken/1976/760614sb.det)** > So those who are saintly persons or those who are following the path of Yamarāja... Yamarāja is *mahājana.* As Yamarāja knows, anyone who follows the *mahājana... Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ*. We cannot ascertain what is our aim of life, so we have to follow these *mahājanas.* Yamarāja is *mahājana. Baliḥ vaiyāsakir vayam.* So, [reading:] "One should not consider Yamarāja an ordinary living being. He's as good as Lord Brahmā. He has the complete cooperation of the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart, and therefore by the grace of the Supersoul he can see the past, present and future of a living being from within. The word *anumīmāṁsate* means that he can decide in consultation with the Supersoul. *Anu* means 'following.' The actual decisions concerning the next lives of the living entities are made by the Supersoul and they are carried out by Yamarāja." So actual witness is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone's heart He's living. Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā:* > This is called *tri-kāla-jña:* past, present and future. So Yamarāja or Lord Brahmā or great personalities, they, even great sages, saintly persons, they know the three features of time. Just like yesterday I told you that there is a astrological system: immediately they will speak what I was in my previous life, what I am now and what will be my future life. So Yamarāja is not ordinary person. He is given in charge; he is also one of the authorities out of twelve authorities. *Balir vaiyāsakir vayam*. --- ## Letters on June 14 *Letters from this day: 18* --- **[1967: Letter to Brahmananda](letters/1967/670614_brahmananda)** > I have already explained to Satsvarupa that for the present I may return to India and try to recoup my health as well as begin the American house there. I understand the attitude of Rabbi Newman is not very encouraging. --- **[1967: Letter to Gargamuni](letters/1967/670614_gargamuni)** > I quite appreciate your endeavor, and I think the process suggested by your friend in keeping account will save much of your time. --- **[1967: Letter to Sripad Narayana Maharaja](letters/1967/670614_sripad_narayana_maharaja)** > So far the Delhi books are concerned, you can arrange immediately for their dispatch to Howrah station by goods train which runs every week and goes very fast. All the books should be listed in duplicate and one of them should be sent with the railway receipt to M/S. --- **[1968: Letter to Hayagriva](letters/1968/680614_hayagriva)** > So far I am personally concerned, the United States Immigration Department has denied my application for permanent visa on some technical ground. In other words, just to avoid a Swami, because the government is disgusted with so-called Swamis who exploit the innocent public in your country. --- **[1968: Letter to Himavati](letters/1968/680614_himavati)** > Regarding Kirtana party, I find that the Montreal temple is very suitable for training. So I am trying in Canada for visa, and if it is successful then I shall call you both, husband and wife, for beginning a training class of Kirtana. --- **[1968: Letter to Purusottama](letters/1968/680614_purusottama)** > I am very glad to receive the copy of the letter from United Nations information department and it is very hopeful for our future activities. --- **[1969: Letter to Silavati](letters/1969/690614_silavati)** > Regarding the suggestion that you remarry, I have never suggested such thing, so you need not trouble yourself with this. --- **[1970: Letter to Acyutananda](letters/1970/700614_acyutananda)** > Previous to this, also I received one letter from you probably from Krishnanagar. --- **[1970: Letter to Harivilasa](letters/1970/700614_harivilasa)** > From the description of your letter it appears that you are a very fortunate boy. Because Krsna has given you the intelligence to take advantage of this Krsna Conscious life. --- **[1970: Letter to Jayapataka](letters/1970/700614_jayapataka)** > I was expecting Acyutananda's favorable letter at any moment, therefore I was detaining you here. --- **[1972: Letter to Sriman Ram Prashad Dasa](letters/1972/720614_sriman_ram_prashad_dasa)** > We have introduced a Life Membership program there in India, for the purpose of giving the intelligent men in the society an opportunity to help push on this great movement of pure Vedic culture. --- **[1972: Letter to Surasrestha](letters/1972/720614_surasrestha)** > The article you have sent which was published in the newsletter there is very nice. --- **[1973: Letter to Kirtanananda](letters/1973/730614_kirtanananda)** > The deities may be immediately repaired and worshiped. Now we must take precaution as you have suggested. You may get some guns and some of the boys may be trained as ksatriyas. --- **[1974: Letter to Acyutananda](letters/1974/740614_acyutananda)** > I am glad you have received my letter and mailed it to Swami Cinmayananda; so we shall see if they are able to help us so that we may enter Jagannatha Puri Temple with our disciples. Regarding your philosophical question, if the Bhagavad gita is part of Mahabharata which is considered smrti, how can we claim Bhagavad gita to be GITOPANISAD, or one of the Upanisads which are sruti? --- **[1974: Letter to Aksayananda Pancadravida](letters/1974/740614_aksayananda_pancadravida)** > Do not be discouraged if so far the collections have not been very great in terms of money. More important than the results is the activity. Krsna wants to see that you are fully engaged with all sincerity in preaching His glories; that will please Him, not a certain amount of money. --- **[1975: Letter to Damodara Pandita](letters/1975/750614_damodara_pandita)** > You can thank Kirtanananda Swami for me since he has given the donation. I will be seeing you all there in New Vrndavana after I visit the Rathayatra festivals and some other temples here in America. --- **[1975: Letter to Dinanatha](letters/1975/750614_dinanatha)** > I am not returning to India by Rathayatra festival because there are programs here in America and Europe—Rathayatra festival in five different places like, London, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Melbourne. So, I am introducing this Rathayatra festival in the Western countries and the idea is received everywhere very very enthusiastically. --- **[1975: Letter to G.L. Nanda](letters/1975/750614_g.l._nanda)** > Until now, I have worked outside India to spread the Krishna consciousness movement. Now, I am seriously thinking to do something in India because India, or Bharat-varsa, although in the most exalted position than other countries, there is a great fall-down of its own culture, Bharatiya Sanskrti. Anyway, you are so kindly thinking of the beginning of a true spiritual and moral renaissance for India. ---