680915 - Letter to Jaya Govinda written from San Francisco

Letters by Date, 1968

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

September 15, 1968

Dear Jaya Govinda:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Sept. 9. Previous to this I received one letter dated in Sept. The problem is that Rs. 2000/- lie in the hand of Hitsaranji, and I don't think I'll receive back this money very soon. Therefore, your staying in Delhi has no use for me. So far your studying Bengali and Hindi, it is not at all important for the society. If you want to satisfy your whims, that is a different thing. Even if you study Hindi and Bengali so late in your life, I don't think you can become a very good scholar in those languages. So for studying Bengali and Hindi you needn't stay in Delhi. You can do some work in India on behalf me definitely by selling our magazines and our published books in India, and in no other way. The books and magazines will be sent you in India for selling and you can send in exchange Sri Murtis or musical instruments. And for all these activities, Bombay will be the best place for your staying. There is already a friend in Bombay who is inviting you to stay with him, so why don't you take advantage of this opportunity? I have already advised Brahmananda to send you the letter of guarantee so you will have it from him in due course, or by the time this letter reaches you. In the meantime, I hope you might have received the six month extension residential permit. But you must prepare for going to Bombay. I am giving herewith one note to Parvat Maharaja which you will please show him.

You will be pleased to learn that Sivananda from Montreal has gone to Berlin for opening center there. Mukunda has gone along with Gurudasa and Syamasundara and their wives to London, to open a center there. Gaurasundara is going to Hawaii for opening a center there. Gargamuni has already opened a grand center in Seattle. Similarly, Annapurna and Ananda are going to open a center in Vancouver, and you know also that Hayagriva and Kirtanananda, with the help of several other devotees are developing New Vrindaban in 138 acres of land in West Va. Also, Dinesh and Krishna devi are going to Florida. In Florida we have 10 acres of land arranged by Dayananda and Nandarani. So all my disciples here are doing marvelously in spreading Krishna Consciousness. In San Francisco, Jayananda arranged a grand meeting yesterday amongst the Gujarati community here and most probably we shall very soon have our own gorgeous temple in San Francisco. So everyone is doing very nicely and I hope that you two also do something wonderful in India. And Bombay is the right place. As you don't like to reside in Vrindaban, but you prefer a city like Delhi, then the best city in India is Bombay. There, you don't require to speak Hindi or Bengali, all gentlemen and residents there speak in English. So you will have better facility to work there and probably to establish a center there. I do not know why you are hesitating.

Hope this meets you in good health,

Your ever well wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami