770625 - Letter to Hansadutta from Tamal Krsna

Vrndavana,

June 25, 1977

From: Tamal Krishna

Sri Lanka

My dear Hansadutta Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada has received your letter of June 14th, 1977 and has instructed me to reply it. I hope by now you have received my letter dated 7th June, 1977?

Srila Prabhupada was very pleased with your good report and said, “This is real preaching.” Prabhupada said that He also went to a foreign country and became successful in His preaching, and now you are doing the same. Prabhupada was very pleased at the collections from book sales and also the fact that you made a new devotee. He immediately stated that the Buddhists also were respecting Visnu, just as you had mentioned in your letter. There is no truth to the rumor that Prabhupada is thinking to come to Sri Lanka. His Divine Grace’s health is not good enough yet for Him to move.

Actually Srila Prabhupada’s health has improved to the point where He is now able to translate every evening as well as to go before Krishna-Balarama for darshan every morning from 9:30 to 10. Although His Divine Grace is not at all fully recovered still His health is not deteriorating. Today He said that as long as He sits He finds no difficulty, but as soon as He has to move He requires help.

Yes, there was a GBC meeting. I do not know how you failed to get the message but probably it was due to your traveling. In any case they have sent out the notes to all the GBC men along with Ramesvara’s monthly newsletter. If you do not receive it then kindly inform me and I will make a copy for you. Actually it was not a scheduled meeting, rather all the GBC men were called to be with Srila Prabhupada. His Divine Grace immediately said that now make plans in case I should depart. Therefore we held our meeting. It may be interesting to know that one sannyasi here, Bhakti Prem Swami, who is a Sanskrit expert, as well and Yasodanandan Swami and myself are working under Srila Prabhupada’s direction on chalking out the model for the planetarium. One interesting fact is that in the Fifth Canto, Chapter 19, Text 30, the names of the islands of Bharata-varsa are given. The island of Sri Lanka which you are currently on is mentioned there as Simhala and Lanka where Ravana’s empire was is mentioned. But this Lanka actually is 800 miles to the west of India, as stated in the Ramayana. So Sri Lanka is not the Lanka of Ravana. When Srila Prabhupada heard this, He laughed and said that this is another one of the misconceptions of the scientists smashed.

In conclusion, His Divine Grace sends you all blessings that you continue to expand the preaching more and more in Sri Lanka. Srila Prabhupada is having me reply all the letters as the secretary so please do not take it otherwise, that His Divine Grace has not personally replied you. But He has heard your report and was very pleased and eagerly awaits the next news from you. Hoping this meets you well.

Your servant,

Tamal Krishna Gosvami

Secretary to Srila Prabhupada