760327 - Letter to Pranada written from Delhi

Letters by Date, 1976

Letter to Pranada das

Krishna Balaram Mandir,

Chattikara Road,

Ramen Reti, Vrindaban,

(Mathura District),

India

27 March, 1976

Pranada das Brahmacari,

Iskcon,

4544 Laclede

St. Louis, Mo. 63108,

U.S.A.

My dear Pranada das,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 16, 1976, and I have noted the contents with care.

Concerning your questions about tantric sastras; the Vaisnava tantras are bona fide literatures, just like Narada-pancaratra, but not the atheistic tantra which have nothing to do with the Vedic literatures.

sat-karma-nipuno vipro, mantra-tantra visaradah,
avaisnava guru na syad, vaisnavah sva paco guruh
(Padma Purāṇa)

"Even if a brahmana is very learned in Vedic literatures and knows the six occupational duties of a brahmana, he cannot become a guru or spiritual master unless he is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, if one is born in a family of dog-eaters but is a pure devotee of the Lord, he can become a spiritual master."

The point is that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is always purusa (male) not female (prakrti). "purusam sasvatam divyam, adi devam ajam vibhum." Worship of the mother aspect is prakrti, not recommended by Krishna for the intelligent class of men.

I hope that this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/pks