750527 - Letter to Paramahamsa from Malati

Amsterdam,

May 27, 1975

From: Malati

ALL GLORIES TO SRI GURU AND GOURANGA!!!

Dear Paramahamsa Maharaj,

Please accept my humbly offered obeisances. I am writing this to yourself as I do not wish to bother Srila Prabhupada (well, I don’t wish to bother your good self either, but … being the most humble servant of the most humble servant….) just a few questions concerning diety worship which we fallen souls over here in Europe would like clarified … mainly due to the fact that there are various opinions with regards to the correctness of certain things … so as follows, they are:

Krishna is described as wearing a peacock feather… and Balaram a white plume, and Radharani a feather with a pearl on the end… so what about this prevalent practice of putting several ostrich feathers each on the dieties?

[handwritten:] Either way K. likes peacock.

(b) Is it considered bonafide to offer preparations made with chocolate to the dieties? If it is not intox—can be offered.

(c) In Vrndavana, Srila Prabhupada instructed that women with small children should not dress the dieties and work directly on the altar, the idea being that since the child is always unclean, so is the mother and therefore she should make her child(ren) her dieties. Is this correct? What about cooking? Is this also included in this instruction? Up to which age?

[handwritten:] When no diapers or nursing.

No cookings

(d) What about these “Laxmi” right-hand conches … is it bonafide that they are on the altar? Are they to be worshipped in any special manner … ie. daily bathing and decorating, for instance? Is arati offered to them?

[handwritten:] No worshiping.

Sorry if these are redundant and trite, but obviously, there is some question about them or else I wouldn’t be asking. Of course, sometimes things appear very clear… one thinks, until you come across so many “thinks”.

So if you could possibly find a little time to answer these inquiries, we would be very grateful. I am always praying for the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and for the ability to go on serving Him, somehow or other.

I beg to remain your servant,

Malati dasi