Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 16, 1976, and I have noted the contents with care.

Concerning your questions about tantric sastras; the Vaisnava tantras are bona fide literatures, just like Narada-pancaratra, but not the atheistic tantra which have nothing to do with the Vedic literatures.

" Even if a brahmana is very learned in Vedic literatures and knows the six occupational duties of a brahmana, he cannot become a guru or spiritual master unless he is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, if one is born in a family of dog-eaters but is a pure devotee of the Lord, he can become a spiritual master."

The point is that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is always purusa (male) not female (prakrti). " purusam sasvatam divyam, adi devam ajam vibhum." Worship of the mother aspect is prakrti, not recommended by Krishna for the intelligent class of men.

I hope that this meets you in good health.