In 1972, the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh was stricken by a severe drought that affected millions. Hoping that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness would provide assistance, T. L. Katidia, Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Relief Fund Committee, wrote to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda responded with this surprising and edifying letter.
Revered Swamiji,
The residents of the twin cities are happy to have this opportunity to meet you and your esteemed followers. You may be aware that due to inadequate rainfall during the last two years and its complete failure this year, more than half of our state [Andhra Pradesh, a state in southern India] is in the grip of a serious drought. With a view to supplement governmental efforts to combat this evil, a Central Voluntary Organization of citizens drawn from various walks of life has been set up. The members of this organization surveyed the areas affected by drought. The situation is pathetic. There are villages where drinking water is not available for miles. Due to scarcity of fodder, the cattle owners are parting with their cattle for a nominal price. Many of the stray cattle are dying away due to unavailability of fodder and water. The food problem is also very serious. Due to high prices of food grains on the open market, purchase of grains at market prices is beyond the reach of poor villagers, with the result that at least five to six million people are hardly having one meal a day. There are many who are on the verge of starvation. The entire situation is most pathetic and heartrending.
We therefore appeal to your revered self to consider how your Society could best come to the rescue of these millions of souls who are in unimaginable distress. The Committee would like to suggest that members of your Society appeal to the bhaktas [devotees] attending your discourses to contribute their mite to the Andhra Pradesh Relief Fund.
The Committee is prepared to send some of its representatives along with members of your Society wherever you wish to distribute prasāda to the hungry millions in the state.
As mānava-sevā is mādhava-sevā [“Service to man is service to God”], the Committee is confident that even a little effort by your gracious Society will go a long way in mitigating the sufferings of hundreds and thousands of people.
Yours ever in the service of the Lord,
T. L. Katidia, Secretary
Andhra Pradesh Relief fund Committee
Hyderabad, India
My dear Mr. Katidia,
Please accept my greetings. With reference to your letter and your personal interview, I beg to inform you that without pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no one can become happy. Unfortunately people do not know who God is and how to make Him happy. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore meant to present the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly to the people. As stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, Sixth Chapter: tuṣṭe ca tatra kim alabhyam ananta ādye/ kiṁ tair guṇa-vyatikarād iha ye sva-siddhāḥ.
The idea stated in this verse is that by pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we please everyone, and there is no question of scarcity. Because people do not know this secret of success, they are making their own independent plans to be happy. However, it is not possible to achieve happiness in this way. On your letterhead I find many important men in this country who are interested in relieving the sufferings of the people, but they should know for certain that without pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead all their attempts will be futile. A diseased man cannot live simply on the strength of the help of an expert physician and medicine. If this were so, then no rich man would ever die. One must be favored by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore if you want to perform relief work simply by collecting funds, I think that it will not be successful. You have to please the supreme authority, and that is the way to success. For example, due to the performance of saṅkīrtana here, the rain has begun to fall after a drought of two years. The last time we performed a Hare Kṛṣṇa Festival in Delhi, there was imminent danger of Pakistan’s declaring war, and when a newspaper man approached me for my opinion, I said there must be fighting because the other party was aggressive. However, because of our saṅkīrtana movement, India emerged victorious. Similarly, when we held a festival in Calcutta, the Naxalite [Communist] movement stopped. These are facts. Through the saṅkīrtana movement we can not only get all facilities for living, but also at the end can go back home, back to Godhead. Those who are of a demoniac nature cannot understand this, but it is a fact.
I therefore request you, as leading members of society, to join this movement. There is no loss on anyone’s part for chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but the gain is great. According to Bhagavad-gītā (3.21), what is accepted by leading men is also accepted by common men:
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas
tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
“Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.”
The saṅkīrtana movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very important. Therefore, through you I wish to appeal to all the leading men of India to accept this movement very seriously and give us all facility to spread this movement throughout the world. Then there will be a very happy condition, not only in India but all over the world.
Hoping this will meet you in good health,
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
https://prabhupadabooks.com/ssr/6/altruism_temporary_and_eternal?d=1
Fifth Canto, Sixteenth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled, “A Description of Jambūdvīpa.”
TEXT 24
evaṁ kumuda-nirūḍho yaḥ śatavalśo nāma vaṭas tasya skandhebhyo nīcīnāḥ payo-dadhi-madhu-ghṛta-guḍānnādy-ambara-śayyāsanābharaṇādayaḥ sarva eva kāma-dughā nadāḥ kumudāgrāt patantas tam uttareṇelāvṛtam upayojayanti.
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; kumuda-nirūḍhaḥ—having grown on Kumuda Mountain; yaḥ—that; śata-valśaḥ nāma—the tree named Śatavalśa (because of having hundreds of trunks); vaṭaḥ—a banyan tree; tasya—of it; skandhebhyaḥ—from the thick branches; nīcīnāḥ—flowing down; payaḥ—milk; dadhi—yogurt; madhu—honey; ghṛta—clarified butter; guḍa—molasses; anna—food grains; ādi—and so on; ambara—clothing; śayyā—bedding; āsana—sitting places; ābharaṇa-ādayaḥ—carrying ornaments and so on; sarve—everything; eva—certainly; kāma-dughāḥ—fulfilling all desires; nadāḥ—big rivers; kumuda-agrāt—from the top of Kumuda Mountain; patantaḥ—flowing; tam—to that; uttareṇa—on the northern side; ilāvṛtam—the land known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa; upayojayanti—give happiness.
TRANSLATION
Similarly, on Kumuda Mountain there is a great banyan tree, which is called Śatavalśa because it has a hundred main branches. From those branches come many roots, from which many rivers are flowing. These rivers flow down from the top of the mountain to the northern side of Ilāvṛta-varṣa for the benefit of those who live there. Because of these flowing rivers, all the people have ample supplies of milk, yogurt, honey, clarified butter [ghee], molasses, food grains, clothes, bedding, sitting places and ornaments. All the objects they desire are sufficiently supplied for their prosperity, and therefore they are very happy.
PURPORT
The prosperity of humanity does not depend on a demoniac civilization that has no culture and no knowledge but has only gigantic skyscrapers and huge automobiles always rushing down the highways. The products of nature are sufficient. When there is a profuse supply of milk, yogurt, honey, food grains, ghee, molasses, dhotis, saris, bedding, sitting places and ornaments, the residents are actually opulent. When a profuse supply of water from the river inundates the land, all these things can be produced, and there will not be scarcity. This all depends, however, on the performance of sacrifice as described in the Vedic literature.
annād bhavanti bhūtāni
parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
“All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña[sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.” These are the prescriptions given in Bhagavad-gītā (3.14). If people follow these principles in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, human society will be prosperous, and they will be happy both in this life and in the next.
https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/5/16/24
Appearance of the Demon Vṛtrāsura
As described in this chapter, Indra, the King of heaven, killed Viśvarūpa, and therefore Viśvarūpa’s father performed a yajña to kill Indra. When Vṛtrāsura appeared from that yajña, the demigods, in fear, sought shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and glorified Him.
Because of affection for the demons, Viśvarūpa secretly supplied them the remnants of yajña. When Indra learned about this, he beheaded Viśvarūpa, but he later regretted killing Viśvarūpa because Viśvarūpa was a brāhmaṇa. Although competent to neutralize the sinful reactions for killing a brāhmaṇa, Indra did not do so. Instead he accepted the reactions. Later, he distributed these reactions among the land, water, trees and women in general.
Since the land accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions, a portion of the land turned into desert. The trees were also given one fourth of the sinful reactions, and therefore they drip sap, which is prohibited for drinking. Because women accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions, they are untouchable during their menstrual period. Since water was also infested with sinful reactions, when bubbles appear in water it cannot be used for any purpose.
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The Ninth Chapter, Sixth Canto, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Appearance of the Demon Vṛtrāsura.” Text 7
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O Mahārāja Parīkṣit,
Text 7
In return for King Indra’s benediction that ditches in the earth would be filled automatically, the land accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions for killing a brāhmaṇa. Because of those sinful reactions, we find many deserts on the surface of the earth.
PURPORT
Because deserts are manifestations of the earth’s diseased condition, no auspicious ritualistic ceremony can be performed in a desert. Persons destined to live in deserts are understood to be sharing the reactions for the sin of brahma-hatyā, the killing of a brāhmaṇa.
https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/6/9/7?d=1
Pamho agtacbsp,real altruism is vedic but in Kali Yuga almost disappeared because people is very frustrating there are many suicide because it’s a cheated material worlld especially in this age I heard the news few days ago saying someone stabbed himself 27 times because of the mind trapped very badly in the three gunas of material nature no time for altruism and in future they will stop the payment to the citizens because they got not time anymore for altruism nowadays is not so bad but things are going in that direction without any altruism manda sumanta matayo manda bhagya upadrutah in this phalguni tatha mahata jivo jivasya jivanam the so called altruism in the material worlld is temporary and unworthy especially with the nasty advancement of Kali Yuga anyway we are safe because our altruism is vedic therefore we give them a eternal altruism just chant hare Krishna is the best altruism for everyone.agtacbsp ys haribol
“It is the duty of the king to see that food grains are produced even in desert countries, what to speak of elsewhere.”
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From the Ninth Canto, Fourth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Ambarīṣa Mahārāja Offended by Durvāsā Muni.”
TEXT 22
īje ’śvamedhair adhiyajñam īśvaraṁ
mahā-vibhūtyopacitāṅga-dakṣiṇaiḥ
tatair vasiṣṭhāsita-gautamādibhir
dhanvany abhisrotam asau sarasvatīm
SYNONYMS
īje—worshiped; aśvamedhaiḥ—by performing the horse sacrifice yajñas; adhiyajñam—to satisfy the master of all yajñas; īśvaram—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahā-vibhūtyā—with great opulence; upacita-aṅga-dakṣiṇaiḥ—with all prescribed paraphernalia and contributions of dakṣiṇā to the brāhmaṇas; tataiḥ—executed; vasiṣṭha-asita-gautama-ādibhiḥ—by such brāhmaṇas as Vasiṣṭha, Asita and Gautama; dhanvani—in the desert; abhisrotam—inundated by the water of the river; asau—Mahārāja Ambarīṣa; sarasvatīm—on the bank of the Sarasvatī.
TRANSLATION
In desert countries where there flowed the River Sarasvatī, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa performed great sacrifices like the aśvamedha-yajña and thus satisfied the master of all yajñas, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such sacrifices were performed with great opulence and suitable paraphernalia and with contributions of dakṣiṇā to the brāhmaṇas, who were supervised by great personalities like Vasiṣṭha, Asita and Gautama, representing the king, the performer of the sacrifices.
PURPORT
When one performs ritualistic sacrifices as prescribed in the Vedas, one needs expert brāhmaṇas known as yājñika-brāhmaṇas. In Kali-yuga, however, there is a scarcity of such brāhmaṇas. Therefore in Kali-yuga the sacrifice recommended in śāstra is saṅkīrtana-yajña (yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]). Instead of spending money unnecessarily on performing yajñas impossible to perform in this age of Kali because of the scarcity of yājñika-brāhmaṇas, one who is intelligent performs saṅkīrtana-yajña.
Without properly performed yajñas to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there will be scarcity of rain (yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ [Bg. 3.14]). Therefore the performance of yajña is essential. Without yajña there will be a scarcity of rain, and because of this scarcity, no food grains will be produced, and there will be famines. It is the duty of the king, therefore, to perform different types of yajñas, such as the aśvamedha-yajña, to maintain the production of food grains. Annād bhavantibhūtāni. Without food grains, both men and animals will starve.
Therefore yajña is necessary for the state to perform because by yajña the people in general will be fed sumptuously. The brāhmaṇas and yājñika priests should be sufficiently paid for their expert service. This payment is called dakṣiṇā. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, as the head of the state, performed all these yajñas through great personalities like Vasiṣṭha, Gautama and Asita. Personally, however, he was engaged in devotional service, as mentioned before (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ). The king or head of state must see that things go on well under proper guidance, and he must be an ideal devotee, as exemplified by Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. It is the duty of the king to see that food grains are produced even in desert countries, what to speak of elsewhere.
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https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/9/4/22?d=1
KRSNA, The Supreme Personality of Godhead – 1970 Edition > Volume 2 > KB 2-32 / Prayers by the Personified Vedas
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The personified Vedas continued: “Dear Lord, less intelligent men take to other ways of self-realization, but actually there is no chance to become purified from material contamination or to stop the repeated cycle of birth and death unless one is a thoroughly pure devotee. Our dear Lord, everything is resting on Your different potencies; and everyone is supported by You, as is stated in the Vedas (eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān). Therefore Your Lordship is the supporter and maintainer of all living entities–demigods, human beings and animals. Everyone is supported by You, and You are also situated in everyone’s heart. In other words, You are the root of the whole creation. Therefore those who are engaged in Your devotional service without deviation always worship You. Such devotees actually pour water on the root of the universal tree. By devotional service, therefore, one satisfies not only the Personality of Godhead but also all others, because everyone is maintained and supported by Him. Because he understands the all-pervasive feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a devotee is the most practical philanthropist and altruist. Such pure devotees, thoroughly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very easily overcome the cycle of birth and death, and they as much as jump over the head of death.”