Never called women mataji

[Guest guest]

> Dandavad. Prabhupada kijaya!

>

> I think if you look carefully you will find that these are all references

> to elderly Indian women. I have searched and cannot find any reference

> where Srila Prabhupada uses "Mataji" with any of his disciples.

>

> Still, I generally feel more comfortable addressing female devotees with

> "Mataji". What to do?

>

> Your servant,

> Pancaratna das

 

In South India, where Pancharatna Prabhu never lived, even small girls are

addressed as "Amma", the local perversion of the samskrita word "Amba",

"mother".

 

In Bengal... they have the inclination towards "Ma" for elderly ladies.

Older women are called "didi" - elder sister, which, and I know from

experience, is also used widely, even in "spiritual circles" to disguse

illicit connections! Srila Prabhupada condemned it's general usage, while

Narayana Maharaj has all his women disciples addressed as such!

 

Or so it seems...

 

One of Srila Prabhupada's now departed godbrothers, long ago made a sad

observation about the state of affairs in a certain Math in Navadvip, using

this word. He confidentially told me that every brahmachari in the Math had

a "didi" - a girlfriend!

 

But I don't want to put anything more than this into writing... as you can

understand. It's not gentlemanly and could even lead to a court case!

 

Pancharatna Prabhu, if you do a search in the Vedabase I'm sure you'll find

the references to Srila Prabhupada condemning the use of the word "sister" -

either "didi" or "bahin/bahen" to refer to "unknown" women: women other than

family members or close relatives.

 

It in this context - in our dealings with women who are not family members,

etc., at least according to my understanding, that women are to be addressed

as "mother" - "mataji", "mata", "amba", "amma", etc.

 

Hope this finds you well.

 

Vaishnava dasanudas,

 

Basu Ghosh Das