Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much also for your nice letter dated 24 February, 1970, and thank you very much for your kind appreciation of Guru, that is very nice.

I am very much pleased to know that you are chanting at least the prescribed number of rounds daily and studying our literatures so carefully. Especially for girls this is absolutely necessary, and that will uplift you position in Krishna Consciousness. So stick to rigidly following the regulative principles and Krishna will keep you more and more engaged in His service, then your life will be always happy.

All this is good news that you are very studious and always busy. I am so much encouraged to hear how you are preaching in the school. That is very nice, and that is your first-class engagement. Prahlada Maharaja, in his childhood, was doing this. As soon as he got some opportunity, he would preach among his class fellows. His class fellows would be astonished to hear him, and they would ask Prahlada, "My dear Prahlada, where have you learned these things. We have got the same teachers, so where have you been taught this?'' They were inquisitive, so Prahlada informed them that his Spiritual Master was Narada Muni and he was taught while he was in the womb of his mother.

So just imagine how much powerful is spiritual instruction that it was effective even while the child was in the womb. Similarly, if you chant and read, you will also be powerful to preach, and whoever will hear will be converted. That is the way of spiritual life.

You are not poor. Of course one should be humble, but a devotee is not poor. Your attitude, however, is that you are poor and humble is nice. But one who is in Krishna Consciousness is the richest person. What value have these material riches got? But when it is engaged in Krishna's service, it is spiritualized.

Regarding your question where is the Gayatri mantra in the first verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam, I have explained in my purport to the first verse that the Gayatri mantra "Dhimahi'' is purposely invoked by Srila Vyasadeva. This explanation is given on page 53, and in the verse, the mantra concludes the sloka param satyam dhimahi.

Regarding the statement in Bhagavad-gita (17.6) that those who are demons parch the Supersoul within the body, Krishna cannot be parched, but one who observes fasting irregularly gives unnecessary trouble to the soul; and the soul and the Supersoul sitting together or the soul being part and parcel of the Supersoul, indirectly it is parching the Supersoul. The idea is that one should not unnecessarily give trouble to the soul or Supersoul. That is the business of the demon.

Regarding Ballaba Sampradaya, that is a different Ballaba than the younger brother of Srila Rupa Goswami.

I am very glad to know that you are so eager to start a center when you get married. That is very nice. We want to open hundreds and thousands of centers in every town, village, neighborhood, and everywhere. And we want to show ideal householder life also. If one pair of nice Krishna Conscious householders are there, so many people derive benefit out of their behavior. So when you decide to marry we shall find out a suitable devotee husband for you.

Yes, you can make nice children's books, and in this connection, you can correspond with Satyabhama who is already working on a condensed version of KRSNA book. And you should continue your painting, then with love and devotional practice your pictures will become all attractive because of the bona fide transcendental subject matter. However, in the meantime, you write to say that you have painted Mother Yasoda light blue color. Please let me know where you have received this information. Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja should be colored as Indians are generally of a light brown, tan like wheat.

Regarding Svetadvipa, the information is given in the Brahma Samhita, Svetadvipa, the Abode of Lord Caitanya, is a special portion of the same spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindaban.

Hope this will meet you in good health.