In this recorded Q&A session, Srila Gopal Krishna Goswami addresses a series of concerns raised by female devotees (matajis) and their families regarding how women can practice Krishna consciousness within the modern Russian context. He explains that, because formal gurukulas are unavailable, children should attend regular schools while receiving additional spiritual association at home. He emphasizes that spiritual advancement is equally possible for women and men, citing scriptural examples such as Queen Kunti and Gandhari. Practical matters are discussed, including caring for infants, cooking prasadam during menstruation, and balancing devotional service with household responsibilities. The guru offers guidance on handling parental opposition, suggests living in women’s ashrams (temporary or permanent) when home life is hostile, and advises using modern technology without compromising Vedic standards. He clarifies the Vedic expectations of chastity and modesty, contrasts them with modern notions of independence, and encourages women to remain devoted while navigating secular environments. The session also covers seeking protection from Lord Nrsimhadeva, dealing with non‑devotee influences, and managing conflicts within ashrams, with a brief intervention by Prasad Raval on leadership and conflict resolution.
Chapters
So I'll answer any questions that your matajis may have.
Well, one of the matajis asks all of the prabhus to leave.
All of the prabhus to leave?
Yes.
Okay, but Vāsudama has to be here. He is the local president.
So the question is about children. There are no gurukulas here, and, well, should mothers Should they send their children to the normal schools or they shouldn't?
It's compulsory to send children to school in this country, isn't it? So as we do not have gurukuls, the best is you send children to the regular school and you also give your children extra association so that they get trained up in spiritual life also.
But what about the preschool?
You have no choice. You have to send them to karmi school because we don't have the gurukul project developed as yet.
Is it harder for a soul in a female body to get some spiritual advancement compared to this? Yes, sure.
Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gītā, anyone who surrenders to me, he comes back to me, whether it's a female or a sudra or anyone at all. So in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it does not matter whether you're in a male body or a female body, because actually From a spiritual angle, we are both females, whether it's male or female. The only real male is Kṛṣṇa. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there have been so many, there are so many cases of very advanced female devotees. Have you heard of Queen Kuntī? So Queen Kuntī, yesterday was Lord Nrsimhadeva's birthday. So I was reading to all of you the life of Prahlāda Mahārāja. But Queen Kunti also had to go through a lot of difficulties like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Queen Kunti had young children and her husband had died. So she was bringing up her young children, the Pāṇḍvas. But her brother-in-law, her husband's brother, he was just thinking, "How can these children be killed so the entire empire can come to him and his sons?" So, so many difficulties Queen Kunti had to undergo to protect her children. But because of her faith in Kṛṣṇa and her constant meditation on Kṛṣṇa, she was always saved by Kṛṣṇa. Another great devotee was Gandhari. So if you go to the temples in India, you find so many female devotees there. So no one should feel, "I have a female body, so it is not very conducive for spiritual advancement." Male or female, anybody who surrenders to instructions of guru and Kṛṣṇa, can make spiritual advancement. The standard which Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us is the same for everyone. Brahmachari, brahmacharī, grihastas, sannyās, everybody has the same rules and regulations to follow.
This lady's husband and herself are engaged in books distribution, but as they have got a small baby, she has to stay at home and she is not so frequent in distribution. Oh yeah, so, and there's the question about her mood here. Well, she travels, that, uh, well, she, she doesn't do her devotional service.
Um, well, she has to be practical. If a woman has a young child, the child has to be taken care, and taking care of the child is also devotional service.
There are a lot of parents who are strictly against the devotional service, and the conflicts Sometimes are up to leaving house. And, well, Mataji is asking what to do. You say one has to keep determination to the devotional service and at the same time to be humble with one's parents. How to combine these two things?
So her point is that her parents or relatives are against devotional service. So what should be done? Well, if it's very difficult to live at home, then you can live in the Brahmacharini Ashram with the other ladies. Now in Moscow they have a ladies' ashram also.
Well, this lady lives in this ashram, but she says that it's just a temporary one, and maybe it will be kept for an hour— well, a month long.
So Yeah, well, I'm— in all our ISKCON temples all over the world, we have a brahmachari ashram and a brahmacharini ashram. And I'm very sure that even in Moscow, Leningrad, everywhere, very soon your devotees are going to have permanent women's ashram and men ashram. It is just a matter of little time. And this is nothing unusual for parents to be opposed to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yesterday you saw in the reading on Prahlāda Mahārāja, Our Pralad's father was completely opposed to his Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So the lady is interested in on what terms shall their relationships with her parents be done.
You should request the parents, you should tell them that I'm an adult now, I'm not doing anything bad, so please don't discourage my spiritual effort. You will always have some difficulty. Someone will always oppose if you want to serve Kṛṣṇa. You will never have a situation where your parents, friends, everyone will say, "Very good, very good, karaṣo, very good, you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." You must understand that māyā is always testing us, and Kṛṣṇa is also testing us. Māyā will give you something attractive and see whether you catch it or not. And Kṛṣṇa will put you into difficulty to see if you can overcome that difficulty or not.
Is it possible to cook prasādam and offer it to Śrī Kṛṣṇa for a woman when she has, well, a period of monthly cycle?
Yes, you can do that. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness we have to be practical.
So the lady is telling you that the modern European woman has to do much more than was prescribed to her by the Vedic standards. Well, is it in— well, is it very bad not to follow the Vedic standards?
Well, what do you mean by not following the Vedic standards?
She means that the way of life that is prescribed by Vedic standards —is not the way of life of the modern woman who does—
But modern woman doesn't mean— if you can be a modern woman and still be Kṛṣṇa conscious. In other— what does modern woman mean? Modern woman doesn't mean that you follow the karmī way of life, because if you want to follow the karmī way of life, then you cannot be Kṛṣṇa conscious. So you can still live in the modern society and use all the modern facilities to serve Kṛṣṇa.
Is there a great contradiction between the Vedic standard and between the modern world?
Vedic standard only gives guidance as to how a woman should conduct herself. Vedas don't say that you cannot use modern technology. Like you are using electricity, tape recorders, microphone. We use modern facilities. But modern woman generally would mean a woman who believes in so-called independence, liberation, and the fast way of life, which is against the Vedic way of life.
Well, another question about women's independence. Can one, well, I mean, can a woman be free and independent without living in ashram? Nijayavyavashram, is that?
In other words, you want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, but you don't want to live in the brahmacharī-niāśrama. Yes, definitely. You can be Kṛṣṇa conscious in any situation. If you cannot adjust, if you cannot live in the brahmacharī-niāśrama, you can live at home and still practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But by staying in the temple, the atmosphere is better for spiritual advancement.
What is the Vedic standard for women conduct?
The Vedic advice for women is this, that a woman must be very chaste and shy. The modern society, of course, teaches us the opposite. A chaste woman is always respected.
Tanya says that the meditation of Karmi people, well, troubles her sometimes. Meditation of Karmi people? Yes. She means their thoughts. Their thoughts. Their thoughts, yes. The thoughts of Karmi that surround her. Well, these thoughts trouble her sometimes. And, well, she's interested in the fact if there is any, well, mean to put a screen like or something.
When she says thoughts of Karmi people, you mean they live in the same house with her?
No, actually they don't live in the same house with her, but these are people whom she used to meet, some old friend of hers.
So then she should have— very simple, she should not meet them, she should just meet devotees. You have such a big group, you have such a big community of female devotees, just mix with them. You're not in a Siberian desert where you don't have much association. I have been—
I was asking about, well, some unwilling contacts in transport or so.
Well, that is unavoidable. You cannot have a situation where the moment a devotee gets in the bus, all the passengers will leave the bus and say, "Just for you." Therefore, the best approach is to have the approach of a devotee. That is, everyone you meet, you should try and give him Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when you see those karmis, you give them a small book.
Well, the next question is like that. Can one ask Mrasimhadev— For protection. For protection and for help to suppress the demonic side of the nature?
The way to suppress the demonic side of nature is by advancing in devotional service. Just like when it's raining, you have to take the umbrella. Otherwise you will get wet. But you can pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva for protection, for protection from Maya.
Well, it deals with the situation in Moscow ashram, female ashram she means. Well, the problem is that sometimes there are some conflicts between the inhabitants of the ashram, and there's not— sometimes there's no Mataji in chief there, and well, nobody can guide them.
PRASAD RAVAL: So this is a management question. This can be discussed with the leaders of the Moscow Yatra. There will always be some conflict. In the material world, you can never have a situation which is completely sweet. The bee that is tasting honey is also being attacked by other bees. So you have to be prepared for everything. You must always think that I may have a little trouble. In staying in the ashram or being with devotees. But if I'm not with devotees, I'll have 1,000 times more trouble. To be in the association of devotees is a very fortunate position. Nirvāṇaṭhamlaṣṭhākura has said, "It is better to live in a cage with a lion rather than to live with non-devotees." Of course, as I said earlier, In the Soviet Union we have a slightly different situation where because we don't have proper temples and ashrams, most of your devotees are still living at home. So, and even though you're living at home, make the best use of a bad bargain. I said because we don't have ashrams everywhere, so many devotees have to end up living at home. So make the best use of a bad bargain. Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! Krishna krishna halle halehale— Lama lama hale halehale—
