Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble and most unworthy obeisances.
I want to share with you something that has been on my mind since reading the first chapter of
the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, about the story of Ajāmila. It is the difference between sin-
fulness and offensiveness, and how powerful destiny (or latent karmic influences) are upon those
of us living here within this material world.
Ajāmila began his life’s journey as a serious young man – a brāhmaṇa – with all disciplines,
ideal character, heritage, and good training. Yet, when he encountered explicit sensuality he could
not prevent his downfall – in fact, he welcomed it. He made a decision to bring a prostitute into
his intimate association, and from there, everything good was forgotten. Thus his life sped by.
Having committed all kinds of crimes, in his old age he was given a gift of inspiration to name
his son Nārāyaṇa, and due to affection for the child, he repeatedly called out the name of the
Lord while calling his son. He was extreme in his sinfulness, extremely divorced from his religious
upbringing, and yet his calling the name of Nārāyaṇa was effective because he did not know
what he was doing! Hence his chanting was inoffensive and the chanting acted. It purified him.
Because he was inoffensive. Such a sinful person was now considered pure, and he was saved.
And then there is myself. Clearly, you personally came, like the servants of Nārāyaṇa, to save
sinful, ignorant people like me from so much nonsense by giving us the light of the Bhāgavatam.
Yet clearly, we too are free to fall back into our previous bad habits and, like Ajāmila, forget the
greatness of our good fortune. That freedom is always there. And whilst in my case I act to avoid
such a disaster, I daily witness so many subtle offenses I continually commit, and thus my chant-
ing remains offensive. Previously I was simply ignorant or sinful, but now I am simply offensive.
Ajāmila was not offensive because he did not know what he was doing incorrectly, whereas I rec-
ognize the weight which is upon me to act as a deeply genuine Vaiṣṇava and share the gifts that
you have given me.
So here at Vrinda Valley, where I am blessed to reside, we all have a deep yearning to share
with others. Our Sacred India Gallery was praised by the Prime Minister of India, which in itself
is quite astonishing, and we are planning how to serve cooperatively in bringing others with us on
the journey toward purity and offenseless acts of devotion.
Please continue to bless us all, and please continue to strengthen my efforts to become a
genuine devotee.
On behalf of all the devotees who reside here in your service,
Jagattāriṇī Dāsī

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