Brahmana threads & Gayatri mantra

Chanting Gayatri

Yasoda Kumar (das) RSD (Perm - R)

29-Nov-96

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It is said that even if one is offering arati to the Lord he should stop it in case he sees that some saintly person, sadhu unexpectedly comes in his home. He should detain his service to receive
sadhu properly and then ask him for permission to complete his service to the
Deity. But if I'm for example chanting Gayatri and suddenly a senior person
like a disciple of SP or GBC comes in my room should I also stop my chanting
and offer my respect? What would be a proper behaviour in this case? I've seen
devotees chanting Gayatri and not bowing down when for example someone bring
Tulasi out of temple room or some sannyasi comes in.

Krsna Ksetra (das) ACBSP (USA)

14-Dec-96

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Hard to make "hard-and-fast" rules in such matters. Try to use your own discretion; there is never any fault in offering respects to devotees.

Husband wearing additional threads for the wife

Mati (das) HKS (Siberia)

24-Feb-95

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We've one question regarding book "Pancaratra-pradipa". It instructs that the husband wears an additional three strands of thread in his upavita on behalf of his wife. So let
us know is it regard for only situation when a wife has second initiation or
for every situations? Thanks.

Krsna Ksetra (das) ACBSP

06-Apr-95

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Regarding the husband's brahmana thread, traditionally the brahmana man married a lady of the brahmana varna. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura instituted giving brahmana initiation to
ladies, if I am not mistaken. In this context, for ISKCON, appropriate would be
for the husband to wear additional threads only if the wife is brahmana
initiated (So opines H.H.Bhaktividya Purna Swami). Carob is, I am told, a bean.
Hence it is to be avoided on Ekadasi.

Maha threads

Kharkov

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Some devotees in Kharkov wear old Deities' threads on their wrists, and lately somebody gossiped that Srila Prabhupada prohibited to do that. Does anybody know an authoritative opinion of SP in this
regard?

(City) St. Petersburg

02-Mar-96

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I recall as we were talking with HH Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja in Nizhny Novgorod Temple about a year and half ago. We were asking Maharaja some questions when he noticed threads on one's devotee wrist.
-What's that? - he asked. -That's Deities' br.thread, - was the answer.

After that Maharaja told us a story, which is as follows, as far as I can remember. Once Srila Prabhupada, after noticing the same phenomenon, asked a devotee what was that and said that it is a
speculation. So, Maharaja told us not to do it.

Nrsimha Kavaca (das) IDS

26-Mar-96

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I remember several years ago that Tamal Krishna Goswami used to wear the maha threads around his wrist. One Srila Prabhupada's disappearance day I offered him the maha thread of Srila
Prabhupada after the abhiseka, he declined saying that Bhakti Caru Maharaja had
shown him a letter in which Srila Prabhupada expressed disapproval of this saying
that devotees were again becoming hippies.

Deva (das) HKS (Rijeka - HR)

18-Dec-96

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Can devotees use brahmana threads from deities, or from Srila Prabhupada murti as maha threads, or we have to throw them in Ganga river or some other water as devotees usually do with their own
threads?

Radha Caran (das) TKG

19-Dec-96

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