570218 - Letter to K. M. Munshi written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1947 to 1964

GOSWAMI ABHAY CHARAN
BHAKTI VEDANTA,
C/o. Sri Prabhakar Misra, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay. 7.

Dated: 18/2/57.

Dear Sir Munshiji,

Please accept my greetings. I am thankful to you for your granting me an interview and accepting a few copies of my paper "Back to Godhead" which you have promised to go through at your leisure hours. And on reading the paper, I hope, you may be able to make an estimate of my mission in the matter of the Bhagwat Gita.

I heard it through reliable sources that you are a great admirer of the Bhagwat Gita and your Vidyalaya has a special department for preaching its philosophy. I came to Bombay from Vrindavan to co-operate with you, because there is no difference between the missions of both yourself and myself.

I also attended your meeting of the 16th instant on the subject of "What is the matter with the world?" I was very glad to know your opinion about it and so far I remember that you concluded to go back to Godhead which only can save the world from a disaster of civilization.

Actually that is the position. Men have forgotten their [handwritten] eternal relation with Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Some of them are so foolish as to think that everyone of them are so many Sri Krishnas (?) or Gods although we know that God is one, one without a second. But there is no doubt in the fact that the man, nay every living entity, is a part and parcel of the Supreme God in quality; and therefore qualitatively there is no difference between living being and God. But so far quantity of energy and potencies are concerned, there is a great ocean of difference between living being and God. Therefore, the right philosophy is that God is simultaneously one and different from the living being. Those, who therefore consider God and living beings are identical in every respect, are polluted in thought. This pollution of thought of the empiric and atheistic philosophers now prevailing practically all over the world, has caused a tremendous deterioration of human civilization as to become agnostics in dealings. Symptoms of this agnostic trend of human civilization is described in the 16th chapter of the Bhagwat Gita and I need not describe it before you.

Therefore the preaching of the Bhagwat Gita must be in the line of its parampara system as it is described in the 4th chapter of the book. If it is not done so, then such preaching of the Bhagwat Gita, even if it is done by the erudite scholars, will be a sheer waste of time, energy and money.

I wish, therefore, that you may co-operate with me in giving the idea an effective shape.

In this connection, I would like to draw your attention particularly to my papers (issue No. XI) "An essential service" and (Issue No. X "Sri Krishna the Supreme Vedantist". In this connection, I have already made an association registered, of which a short description is given on the 4th page of the issue No. X which, I hope, you will kindly note.

Some friend asked me to join your institution for preaching the cult of Bhagwat Gita; but if you find it difficult to accept my service, then I shall go on organizing my society separately. And if you advise me to do so separately, then I would request you to become a formal member of the League personally. I hope you will not take my offering in an inferior complex but accept it in a spirit of love for the Bhagwat Gita. Om Tat Sat,

As I have been engaged in speaking of the Bhagwat Gita in your "Bhavan" for a few days, you may kindly send me the reply to the address given on the top of the first page.

Om Tat Sat.

I am,
Yours sincerely,
[Signed]

Sri K.M. Munshi
President of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
(Bombay)
Governor's Camp,
Lucknow - U.P.