770417 - Letter to Radha-sarana written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

April 17, 1977

My Dear Radha-Sarana,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you for your letter dated April 4, 1977.

Just because there are no men is not a good reason to make someone a brahmana. This policy is not good. First have devotees. Then we should consider to open a center. Not that we open centers and have no devotees to manage them and therefore we create brahmanas. However, because this is a special case, I accept the two devotees, Sriman Jyotsna dasa brahmacari and Sriman Lalita-Govinda dasa brahmacari for second initiation. Their sacred threads duly chanted on are enclosed along with the Gayatri Mantra sheet. After performing the fire ceremony they may be allowed to hear the gayatri mantra from the tape in the right ear. You must teach them the principles of brahminical living, especially cleanliness is very important. Internally one should keep clean by chanting Hare Krsna and externally by bathing regularly. Teach them by your own personal example.

I also accept as my disciples Bhakta Dhimas and Bhakta Ramon. Their initiated names are:

Bhakta Dhimas—Devaprastha Dasa
Bhakta Ramon—Raya Bhavananda Dasa

During the fire ceremony they should vow to faithfully follow the four regulative principles and to chant minimum 16 rounds daily.

I hope this meets you well.

Your ever well-wisher

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami