760321 - Letter to Dr. Chittaranjan Mohapatra written from Mayapur

Letters by Date, 1976

Sri Mayapur Chandradoya Mandir,

P.O. Sridham Mayapur,

Sridham Mayapur, District Nadia,

W. Bengal

21 March, 76

Dr. Chittaranjan Mohapatra,
Krishna Youth Club,
Jasotikiri, Akhuapada,
Balasore, Orissa 756122

Dear Dr. Mohapatra,
Please accept my greetings. In reply to your questions of your letter dated 16-3-76 addressed to my secretary, I beg to offer you the following on the basis of the sastras. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The dictionary defines God as the Supreme Being, therefore, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: Mattah parataram nanyat, kincid asti . . . (BG 7.7) "There is no Truth superior to Me. Everything is resting upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread." And in many other sastras Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All the acaryas such as Ramanuja, Madhvacarya, Nimbarka, Lord Caitanya, and innumerable others have come to this conclusion: that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Concerning your question as to why we should sacrifice everything to Him; because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the Proprietor and Enjoyer of everything; Bhoktaram yajna tapasam sarva loka mahesvaram . . . (BG 5.29). Everything belongs to Him. We have unlawfully encroached upon His property this is mine, that is mine . . . Krishna comes down to teach us real knowledge, therefore He tells you to give up encroaching on His property. Better to deliver it to Him. Therefore, perfection of life is when we deliver or return everything to Him, and He tells us this for our benefit! The sooner we return everything to Him, the better it is for us. Our Krishna Consciousness Movement is teaching this fact all over the world.

One should not think that Krishna is an ordinary man. If you think like that then you do not know anything about Krishna. Avajananti man mudha manusim tanum asritah . . . (BG 9.11). "Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be." All the mudhas or rascals consider Krishna to be an ordinary man, but He is not ordinary, He is the Supreme Being. Where do you get this information that Krishna is an ordinary man like us? In no Vedic Literature is it said that Krishna is an ordinary human being. In the Brahma-Samhita it is said: Isvara Parama Krishna . . . He is described as the Supreme Being. I do not know on what authority you can say that Krishna is an ordinary human being like you or me?

Sacrifice does not mean murdering. The real work is yajna. Yajna means Visnu. In the Bhagavad-gita, yajna is prescribed. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam Karma-bandhanah . . . (BG 3.9). "Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this world." Yajna is prescribed in Vedic literature. Yajna means satisfying Lord Visnu. Lord Visnu's another name is Yajna-purusa. One must satisfy Him anyway that He likes. "Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati . . . (BG 9.26). If one offers Me in devotion a leaf, flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." Not that whimsically offer.

You also mentioned that how can I give up attraction for woman; when you learn to love Krishna, then you can forget your lusty desires for women. Krishna's another name is Madan-Mohan. When Krishna is within the heart, then the Madan or lusty desires become defeated. If we learn to love Krishna, our lusty desires will be finished, otherwise not.

I hope that this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/pks