BY: PRAGHOSA DAS
Aug 15 2013, Melbourne, Australia — In lieu of the recent birth of the future sovereign of Great Britain – His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, who God willing will one day be crowned His Majesty King George VII – I thought it might interest the everyone to read the letter of condolence sent by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and the Gaudiya Math to the Royal Family in early 1936.
Knowing that during this period – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was well aware of the activities of both Ghandi and his Nationalist Movement – as well as the activities of Jagadish Chandra Bose – both committed to expelling the British rule from India – this letter is most amazing and enlightening. While it is a seemingly quiet and humble expression of the most positive wishes from our Acharya – it appears at least to me to be filled with
a great deal of instruction to both the initiated and non-initiated as well; be they favorable or unfavorable to Krsna Consciousness.
We could discuss this letter a bit if you like. I have read it many times since I discovered it two years ago and each time I do – it seems I find new gems.
If you could copy my above opening comments and the contents of the attachment and post them – I am sure the devotees would welcome them.
YS
Praghosa
15. August 2013
BY: PRAGHOSA DAS
PD — While it is a seemingly quiet and humble expression of the most positive
wishes from our Acharya – it appears at least to me to be filled with
a great deal of instruction to both the initiated and non-initiated as
well; be they favorable or unfavorable to Krsna Consciousness.
SG — The author of this letter His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisidhanta Saraswati Thakur,
spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada is giving his thanks and condolences in the
name of diplomacy. The British empire happen to be the government of India at that
time.
PD — We could discuss this letter a bit if you like. I have read it many times
since I discovered it two years ago and each time I do – it seems I find new gems.
SG — We are curious. Tell us, what kind of gems were you able to dig up from the
letter.
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haribol,
did Rupa Goswami also write words of thanks to Akbhar, saying that all visnavas live peacefully in his kingdom?
So it seems that the vision of acaryas is different than that of normal people.
Dear prabhu, why are you saying that words of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur are only act of diplomacy?
Do you think he needed to do that?
Hello SG. (what does SG stand for by the way?)
Dandavats All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
You can certainly define this letter as “diplomacy” if you choose to. I personally would not assume this at all. It comes from our powerful Acharya Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Diplomacy is saturated ( and generally necessarily so) with the political policy of dissimulation.
SBSST was not referred to as “Simha Guru” for no reason. His words were in fact always decorated with the “saffron particles” of the Lord’s own Lotus feet. He spoke only eternal truth. He spoke it plainly and for the benefit of everyone: those he was speaking to – as well as those who might hear his words as a member of the “third parties” to his speaking. He was always preaching pure absolute truth; no matter to whom he spoke.
Here he demonstrates that the protection of the devotee’s capacity to practice and share the blessings of Lord Chaitanya’s samkirtan movement – was one of the most important features of the Sovereign’s role as Vice Regent of the Lord wherein he finds himself responsible. He is actually empowered to both point it out – as well as acknowledge that it is, has been and will continue to be one of the primary duties of ANY king or administrator of earthly governance. He does exactly that with his comments in this letter. He commends the late King George V’s for his having provided this very protection.
Lord Chaitanya Himself said exactly this while exhibiting His eternal lila here on earth. Did He not intervene with the antagonistic conduct of the Chand Kazi? Was the Kazi not in fact failing to ensure his protection of the Lord’s samkirtan devotees? And did the Lord not appear to him – in His form as Lord Narasimha one night (to the utter astonishment of the Kazi!) and admonish him for these actions?
if we read CC Adi Lila Chapter 17: 170 – 228 we find that within this history – each and every sentence of each verse – along with every Divine Purport from our Srila Prabhupada serves as the very essential seed of SBSST’s words of kind recognition towards the protection he and all his samkirtan devotees had received under the protection of King George V. Such protection is the first and foremost duty of any presuming to serve as King or Chief administrator. It takes precedence over all other duties. All other responsibilities. The KIng who provides it will – no matter what – find favor with the Lord. He will himself be protected and victorious.
I call your attention to SB 4th Canto Chapters 15 – 23. Herein we find again in these glorious pastimes of Prithu Maharaja – the primary duty of the King to be the protection of his subjects in all ways and first and foremost – the protection of the Vaisnavas and Brahmans and their supervising and engaging all the citizen/subjects in the performance of their respective duties and in their performance of sacrifice. Indeed Maharaja Prithu cautions the members of the Royal order to refrain from ever displaying or flaunting their so-called “prowess” of strength and wealth before the Vaisnavas and Brahamanas. He insists the the true strength of the King is born from his absolute esteem for the devotees of the Lord and His commitment to protect their all important service of leading he population in the performance of sacrifice. In this Kali Yuga of course that ‘sacrifice’ is the performance of samkirtan.
And THIS to me – leaped off the page – as the single most important compliment paid by SBSST towards the the late King within this letter sent by our Acharya to the then Sovereign King George V.
Anyone wishing to thrive and prosper as the Lord’s Vice Regent (or any other so-called administrator – large or small) here on this earthly plane – could not be other than delighted to have his essential responsibility so beautifully explained to him. His task would be inestimably easier – if while tending to all his other responsibilities – he put the protection of the Devotees of the Lord Chaitanya and their samkirtan activities precisely where the Lord insisted they belong: as his first and foremost duty.
Another interesting thought is that early on in the pastimes of Prithu Maharaja – SB 4th Canto 15-23 – He had cautioned the sages for praising Him for accomplishments He had not yet attained. He actually said that an intelligent man would never allow himself to be praised for “future” accomplishments and any such praise he would see as in fact an insult.
But herein in this letter – SBSST is speaking of the “well done” performance of the KIng. His estimation is upon the factual protection the King HAD provided. He cites various examples to prove the veracity of his compliments. “A job worth doing – is worth doing well” and SBSST is pointing out that knowingly or not – during this period of King George V – at least this topmost duty of the King – evidenced in by SBSST with important examples – he had in deed “do his job well”.
It was the failure to protect the samkirtan devotees that Lord Chaitanya chastized the Chand Kazi. And – it was this offense that elicited the Lord’s promise that unless the Chand Kazi reversed his policy on this – THEN the Lord would come back and kill all the “meat eaters”. He did not take the act of meat eating itself to warrant such a promise. It was the the Kazi’s support and protection of those who sought the termination of His samkirtan devotees’ service to Lord Chaitanya that elicited this drastic promise of the Lord!
This is one wonderful and important point I discovered within this wonderful letter.
I hope this is helpful in some way prabhu
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada and our Grandfather Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur
Praghosa
Respectfully
avid says:
15. August 2013 at 4:34 pm
“Dear prabhu, why are you saying that words of
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur are only
act of diplomacy?
Do you think he needed to do that?”
SG — Dear avid, it is just an opinion based on
reading the letter. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakur is also a preacher of Krsna Consciousness.
Diplomacy is not saturated nor its confined to
politics only or defined as policy of dissimulation.
We use diplomacy in one way or other in our daily
lives or whenever a situation presents itself for its
use.
Quote :
” Srila Prabhupada first met his spiritual master,
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati
Thakur, in Calcutta in 1922. At their very first meeting,
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur asked young
Abhayacharan, “You are an educated young man, why
don’t you present Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s message
throughout the whole world?”
Abhayacharan replied, “Who will hear your Chaitanya’s
message? We are a dependent country. First, India must
become independent. How can we spread Indian Culture
if we are under British rule?”
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur replied, in a very
grave voice, that Krishna Consciousness did not have to
wait for a change in Indian politics. Krishna Consciousness
was so important, so exclusively important, that it could not
wait for a political change. Whether one power or another
ruled India was a temporary situation.
However, the eternal reality of the true self, the spirit soul,
was Krishna Consciousness. Therefore, no man- made
political system could actually help humanity, only Krishna
Consciousness could help. Abhayacharan was very pleased
with these words.”
The quote is not meant as evidence for diplomacy but to
present the mood of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisidhanta
Saraswati Thakur as a preacher of Krishna Consciousness .
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