Ganesha Worship--That is my order.

[Guest guest]

Bombay

28 December, 1974

74-12-28

Evanston

My dear Sons,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated December

6, 1974 and have noted the contents carefully.

Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, chapter 18; sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam

saranam vraja, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo, moksayisyami ma sucah [bg. 18.66]. So

why you want to worship someone else. Krsna, Himself, recommends mam ekam, he

alone. Therefore we must do like that. If one wants to water the tree he waters

the root. There is no necessity of watering the branches. The demigods are all

different parts of the universal form of the Supreme Lord. But Krsna is even

more than that whole complete universal form. He is the origin of that

universal form. Therefore I do not encourage you to worship this demigod,

Ganesa. It is not required, it is not necessary. Simply worship Krsna. Perform

nice devotional service to Krsna. Then your lives will certainly become

perfect. Of course if one has got some sentiment for achieving the blessings of

Ganesa for accumulating large sums of money to serve Krsna, then he may perform

this Ganesa worship, privately, not making a public show. But first of all he

must give me $100,000 per month. Not a single farthing less. If he can supply

this amount, $100,000 per month, then he will be allowed to do this Ganesa

Puja. Otherwise he should not do it. It will not be good. That is my order. So

all of you keep yourselves strong in Krsna Consciousness by following all of my

basic principles. That is of the utmost importance. Do not fail to chant 16

rounds daily, rise early, come to mangala arati, come to classes and follow the

4 regulative principles. In this way your life will become free from all

anxieties. Please try to distribute my books in huge quantities more and more.

This is very much satisfying to me.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.