720915 - Letter to Sudevi written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1972

ISKCON
Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

DATE: September 13, 1972 CAMP: Los Angeles

My dear Sudevi Dasi,

Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated September 8, 1972, and have noted the contents therein. Marriage between husband and wife means that the husband must forever be responsible for the wife's well-being and protection in all cases. That does not mean that now there is agreement between us, therefore I am responsible, but as soon as there is some disagreement then I immediately flee the scene and become so-called renounced. Whether your husband likes to take responsibility as your spiritual guide or not, that does not matter. He must do it. It is his duty because he has taken you as his wife. Therefore he must take full responsibility for you the rest of his life. And you also must agree to serve him under all circumstances and assist him in every way so that he may make advancement in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. By his making advancement in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, automatically the wife will make advancement in the husband's footsteps. But if you do not assist him and be very obedient to his welfare, then he may become disgusted and go away. So there must be mutual responsibility by both parties, and now that you are married couple there is no question of your separation, but you must both strive very hard to serve Kṛṣṇa together in harmony. What are these nonsense emotions that cause you to go this way and that way, the real thing is your duty. Now you are married couple, you know what your duty is, so best thing is to perform your duty and always think of Kṛṣṇa. Never mind some temporary inconveniences, we must remain steady in our duty to Kṛṣṇa.

Regarding Siddhaswarupananda, these things which you have heard are simply rumor and there is no substance. Siddhaswarupa does not want to take disciples, neither he should have disciples while I am alive. That is the process. I have never said that Siddhasvarupa is a pure devotee.* That is simply concoction. Now I am going to India in few weeks and I shall stop at Hawaii and take Siddhaswarupananda to India for training him up properly.

Hoping this meets you in good health,

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

* But every one can become a pure devotee if he has no other desire than to serve Kṛṣṇa and the Spiritual Master. [handwritten]

Sudevi Dasi
384 Alberta Drive, Apt. 1
Buffalo, New York 14226

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