Never called women mataji

[Guest guest]

(The following letter with quotes was sent by Shyamasundar Prabhu)

 

SP did call women by the term Mata even in the very early days:

 

 

[Prabhupada uses the term mataji.]

 

 

"So vande 'ham karunakaram raghu-varam bhu-pala-cudamani. So he is offering

his respectful obeisances to the Lord Rama. Karunakaram. He comes,

paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [bg. 4.8]. Therefore He is

karuna-akaram. Akaram means mine. He is the great mine of mercy. Karunakaram

raghu-varam. And because He appeared in the dynasty of Maharaja Raghu, so He

is the Supreme Personality in the Raghu dynasty, raghu-varam. And

bhu-pala-cudamani. He is the helmet of all kings. Cudamani. Cudamani means,

mani means pearl, and cuda means helmet. So the pearl is placed in the

crown. So He is the, although He appeared as King, but He is the helmet of

all kings. In this way, Lord Rama's description is here. Now Mataji

requested me to explain one verse, so I have tried to explain."

 

 

Radhastami Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day --

Montreal, August 30, 1968

 

 

[Again SP calls a woman mataji.]

 

 

"Then, when I wrote book, Srimad-Bhagavatam First Canto was finished. So I

approached the Bhaiji of... Perhaps Mataji knows this. (chuckles) In 1962.

So I asked him that "You take this publication." So I am very much obliged

to Bhaiji. He said that "Our English printing is not very efficient. You can

get this book published from elsewhere. I shall partly help you." So he

helped me with some money from the Dalmia Trust, and I first of all

published my first part of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Then I published second part

also. There was sale. Then there was no necessity of money. I was getting

money by selling Srimad-Bhagavatam. Everyone appreciated. Even the, your

American Embassy here, they purchased eighteen copies, and they gave me open

order that "Whenever this Bhagavata will be published next part, subsequent

parts, this is open order, eighteen copies, each part." That order is still

there."

 

 

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening --Gorakhpur, February

15, 1971

 

 

Allen Ginsberg: Srimata Krsnaji in Vrndavana, is a lady in Vrndavana who

translates Kabir into English, compared him with Blake.

Prabhupada: No, she is different. I know one Mataji. She came to see me from

Vrndavana in Los Angeles. She's in London.

Allen Ginsberg: So I have been learning to notate music, in..., singing

songs by William Blake which I've..

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg

--

May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio

 

 

 

Prabhupada: These are all bogus things. One should train himself that

matravat para-daresu, all women, "my mother." Then it will be possible to

live... Therefore the etiquette is to address every woman, "Ma, ma, mother."

That is the etiquette.

Brahmananda: You say like "Mother Rukmini"? There's a devotee named Rukmini.

You say, "Mother Rukmini"? How do you address a woman? Do you say, "Mother,"

and then the name of the devotee?

Prabhupada: No. "Mother," simply.

Brahmananda: Just "Mother."

Prabhupada: Yes. They should be addressed, "Mother." That will train.

Indian man (4): In our Indian culture they don't call the name of the mother

never, children don't.

Prabhupada: No. "Mother," simply "mother," that's all. And if the woman

treats man as son, then it is all right. It is safe.

Indian woman: We got a very sweet sound. Everything we use "ji.Mataji",

"Pitaji,Brataji,Bahinji."

Prabhupada: Or... And the woman says, "Beta."(?) That's all right.

Devotee (5): The only trouble is in the West we're accustomed to not like

our mothers.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Devotee (5): In the West we don't like our mothers.

Prabhupada: So you should forget your West or East. [break]

Brahmananda: Similarly, wife should not be called "Mother."

Prabhupada: No. Therefore it is said, "other's wife," not your wife. But

Ramakrishnan, he was saying his wife "mother," and he became famous by this

foolishness.

Indian man (4): Ramakrishnan, there are many like Shyama mother. Her

husband, he calls her "mother."

Prabhupada: Just see. In the Brahma-samaj they call the wife as "sister,"

and the wife calls the husband "brother," address like that.

Indian man (6): Srila Prabhupada, since there is no distinction between

"man" and "woman"-these are both designations-is it possible for a woman to

become a brahmana?

Brahmananda: Is it possible for a woman to become a brahmana?

Prabhupada: He is... Woman is a brahmana's wife. Then she is automatically a

brahmana.

 

 

Morning Walk

--

November 2, 1975, Nairobi

 

 

[Male devotee address a woman devotee as mataji and SP accepts it.]

 

 

Ramesvara: Yesterday you suggested that I send groups of brahmacarinis to

that farm in Oregon where Yamuna-mataji is staying, but I was thinking that,

actually, she is a very, very wonderful preacher, and if she can visit our

temples more often, then she can.... In other words, it's more expensive and

difficult to send so many people to her...

Prabhupada: So, do that.

 

 

Morning Walk

--

June 5, 1976, Los Angeles

 

 

 

[Prabhupada addesses Himavati dasi as Mataji Himavati.]

 

 

Letter to: Krsna dasa

--

Bombay

10 January, 1972

72-01-10

Hamburg

 

 

My dear Krishna das,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of

December 17, 1971, and I am very much pleased that you are now in Germany

and that everything is going very nicely there. You stay there in Hamburg

with Hamsaduta for some time and make that center very strong, then you may

both return as it was, and Hamsaduta may go to his zone of Mediterranean

countries and Near East, and you as husband and wife can conduct everything

there. Mataji Himavati can train your wife or someone how to worship the

deities nicely, and you both stay there for the time being. You are both men

of experience so work together combinedly to make Germany zone very strong..

 

 

> ---------- Forwarded Message ----------

>

> Letter PAMHO:7422488 (23 lines)

> Malati (dd) ACBSP (GBC) (New Vrindavan/Columbus - USA)

...snip...

> devotees. If he had called us "Mataji" or "Mother" or anything else, we

> would embrace that.

 

 

So I have provided several instances where he addressed women as Mataji. Now

embrace it.