670414 - Letter to Sripad Narayana Maharaja written from New York

Letters by Date, 1967

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

April 14, 1967

"Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayatho"

By Air Mail Registered Post

International Society for Krsna Consciousness, Inc.
Twenty-Six Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10003
Telephone: 674-7428

Acarya: Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta

Trustees:

Larry Bogart
James S. Greene
Carl Yeargans
Raphael Balsam
Robert lefkowitz
Raymond Marais
Stanley Moskowitz
Michael Grant
Harvey Cohen

Sripada Narayana Maharaja,
Accept my dandavats. I received your and Vinoda Kumara's letters together on 6.4.67 on time. I read the letters the day before yesterday, and on 12.4.67 I have sent you three hundred dollars 300 x 77 is 2,250, that is two thousand two hundred and fifty rupees. Let me know as soon as you receive the money. I am sending you my Delhi and Vrndavana room keys, and some other keys along with my letter. I still did not receive any letter from Trivikrama Maharaja. You had deposited Rs 1500 in the Vrndavana account. I sent a check of Rs 200/- to the Vrndavana bank. If Trivikrama Maharaja finds it difficult to cash the check, tell him to write on the back of the check, "paid to B.V. Narayana Maharaja," and you can cash it. If he had returned the check to me, I would have cashed it and sent it back to him. Anyway, if he has not cashed the check, you take it and cash it. I have some money in Vrndavana which I have not spent. Therefore the total is Rs 2,250/- and there is 200 is to be deposited. Spend the money as follows:

1 harmonium		(A) according to description		Rs 350/-
1 harmonium		(C) according to description		Rs 500/-
1 Sitar		(A) according to description		Rs 250/-
1 Sitar		(B) according to description		Rs 275/-
				Rs 1375
1 tanpura		(A) according to description		Rs 200/-
1 tanpura		(B) according to description		Rs 250/-
2 mrdangas		(the body should be made of tin according to Trivikrama Maharaja's description)		Rs 1975
10 pairs of good Navadvipa Karatalas				Rs 100/-
				Rs 2075
		Total		Rs 2450/-
				Rs 2075
		Balance		Rs 375/-

There is no need to purchase any warm clothes for Vinoda Kumara. Here I have about four to five overcoats and warm chadars etc. There is no need to bring any bedding while traveling by ship. First of all, it is summer. Secondly they will provide blankets, bedding and everything on the ship.

The brahmacaris and I use very simple clothes here. I am sending you a photograph to show how I live here. I am making the Americans wear brahmacari robes, and shave up. If a brahmacari from India dresses like an American he will not be appreciated. So tell Vinoda Kumara to come as a brahmacari. There are enough overcoats and warm clothes here. If it is necessary, buy him one good blanket and one pair of shoes (not made of leather). That means do not spend more than Rs 100/- on him, including the journey to Calcutta. So out of Rs 375/-, if Rs 100/-is spent for Vinoda Kumara, Rs 275/- remains.

Pack everything in Delhi and send it by goods train to Howrah station to my United Shipping Corporation agent (freight paid R/R). Register in the address of registered letter M/S United Shipping Corporation 14/2, Old China Bazaar St, Room No. 18, Calcutta.

Spend as you need for your transport to Delhi and for your two to four day stay there. Pack all of the books after making a list, and get 11 steel trunks packed. It means closing the box, locking it, stitching sacks around it and it locking it with iron straps. On the top of each package write A.C. Bhaktivedanta, New York (via Howrah). Send a copy of all goods to the shipping agent R/R. Send one copy to me along with R/R. If Rs 275/- is not enough to send the goods then do not buy the karatalas. Then Rs 100/- more remains. In this way if everything is done under your supervision I shall be very glad. I hope you will ever oblige me by helping in this way. Kindly send me my mrdanga and karatalas that are in Vrndavana.

The key that is left in Vrndavana is the key to the kitchen. After you open the door of the room you will find a big key on the right side of the wall shelf. Open the door of my sitting room with that key. My mrdanga and karatalas are in that room. There are karatalas in the kitchen also. Please get the room cleaned by Sarojini and give her one rupee. The bank is supposed to pay Rs 5/- to the Gosvami per month, but the Gosvami never wrote me a letter. Try to find out if he receives the money and make me happy by writing to me as soon as you receive this letter.

Krpa prarthi
(one who prays for mercy)

Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami

PS. If it is possible send me tilaka and agarbathi.

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