Preface
A
t the time my book Ve£u-g¦t§ came out, many ISKCON leaders held a conservative view on the subject of hearing K¥¢£a’s pastimes with the gop¦s. I was therefore apprehensive about the reception they were likely to give my book. But readers and critics alike — with few exceptions — supported its content and style. Encouraged, I went on to write Na P§raye ’Ham and K¥¢£a-sa¯gati. As the next book, Tava Kath§m¥tam, neared completion, however, I could not help but think of those who had voiced concern. Furthermore, some readers, after seeing my cautionary statements in previous introductions, expressed doubt about their own qualification to read these books. So I decided to put Tava Kath§m¥tam on hold and write a separate book as an introduction to the entire K¥¢£a in V¥nd§vana series. This introduction would establish the level of K¥¢£a consciousness required to read the books in this series, or any book that depicts the mellows of conjugal love. As I began my research and continued to inquire from devotees, I found something beyond sporadic concern about my books. From the Vai¢£ava community I heard of a greater concern about the indiscriminate proliferation of devotional literature. This concern spoke not of ®r¦la Prabhup§da’s books, the lawbooks and lifeblood of ISKCON, books he wanted devotees to study “scrutinizingly” and to distribute profusely. It spoke of the works of Vai¢£avas, living or deceased, well-known or obscure, Gau¨¦ya or 23
