According to our Vedic process, polygamy is allowed. For example, Krishna married sixteen thousand wives, Arjuna married three or four wives, Krishna's father, Vasudeva, married sixteen or eighteen wives, like that. So according to the Vedic system, polygamy is not prohibited, but it is not a farce also. Every wife must be provided for sufficiently. Krishna married sixteen thousand wives, but each wife was provided a palace, and He was personally present at each palace. It does not mean to marry many wives and maintain none of them. If anyone is able to keep more than one wife and give them all comforts of life there is no objection for having more than one wife. But if he creates trouble by marrying, he should not marry even one wife. This is my judgment.
Prabhupada cautioned Karandhara that before even considering it as a modern option, he should take into consideration the circumstances of the law of the country, the customs of the people, and especially both the reputation of the Krsna consciousness movement, and the example it would set for the future. The Vedic system of marriage, Prabhupada explained, was given by Krsna so that nondevotees could be eventually elevated to devotees. But as far as those who were already devotees were concerned, "minimisation of sex to the point of nil" was the primary concern. Prabhupada did concede, though, that as well as maintaining a class of men who do not marry, an ideal society also required a class of men to protect the excessive population of unmarried women. Under those circumstances, it was advisable that men who were able to maintain more than one wife should do so, to free other men to remain celibate.
Prabhupada added a warning:
You must consider very carefully the possibility of becoming scandalised in the public for breaking their laws in this way.
In the future, also, the devotees who are neophyte may not understand our policy and we could gradually wind up attracting only a class of men who are very eager for unlimited sex life only. These things must be avoided at all costs.
The letter to Karandhara had been widely circulated and discussed in various forums, and had led to some confusion amongst devotees. Now in Melbourne, Prabhupada again wrote to Karandhara with his final decisions on the subject:
I have received your letter of concerning polygamy and feel that this policy must be strictly prohibited within our society. If it is not, it shall only cause chaos, as what was possible under the system of pure Vedic culture is impossible at the present time.
To Satsvarupa dasa Goswami he wrote:
Regarding your various questions, first let us understand that polygamy cannot be permitted in our society. Legally it is impossible and neither are there many of our devotees who are prepared to assume the responsibility for many wives. Therefore, as I have suggested previously, as they do in the Christian religion they have so many convents where the women stay and they receive protection. The point is that the women must be protected, and it is the duty of the leaders of our society to see that this is carried out.
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
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