Mahatma Letter No. 32

Quick Facts
People involved
Written by:	Morya
Received by:	A. P. Sinnett
Sent via:	unknown
Dates
Written on:	unknown
Received on:	November 1881 See below.
Other dates:	unknown
Places
Sent from:	unknown
Received at:	Allahabad, India
Via:	unknown

This is Letter No. 32 in The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett, 4th chronological edition. It corresponds to Letter No. 114 in Barker numbering. See below for Context and background.

< Prev letter chrono  Next letter chrono >  
< Prev letter Barker  Next letter Barker >

Page 1 transcription, image, and notes

The letter forwarded is from a Baboo — your nausea-inspiring Bengalee, from whom, I ask you, for K.H.'s sake — to conceal the feeling of queasiness that may overcome you at his sight — if he comes. Read it with attention. The lines underlined contain the germ in them of the greatest reform, the most beneficent results obtained by the Theosophical movement. Were our friend of Simla less cantankerous, I might have tried to influence him to draft out special rules and a distinct pledge with apps and obligs for the Zenana women of India. Profit by the suggestion and see whether you can prevail upon him to do so. Write to him without delay to Bombay to come and meet

NOTES:

• Baboo was used in British India for an Indian clerk or a semi-literate native. See Babu (title) in Wikipedia).
• Our friend of Simla probably refers to A. O. Hume.
• apps and obligs refers to applications and obligations in civil law.
• Zenana is the part of the house reserved for the women. Apparently refers to a proposal to have Indian women form TS branches.

Page 2

the old woman at your house and then pass him on to his countryman and Brother-Fellow the "Prayag" Babu — the young bach. of your Society. Then telegraph to her to Meerut to come using my name — otherwise she will not. I already answered him in her name. Do not feel surprised, for everything I have a reason of mine, as you may learn some years hence.

And why should you be so anxious to see my chits to other people? Have you not sufficient trouble to make out my letters addressed to yourself?

M.

NOTES:

• The young bach., where "bach." is probably an abbreviation for "bachelor." This word was wrongly transcribed as "leach" in printed editions of the Mahatma Letters.
• chits can refer to notes and letters, or, more commonly, to IOUs or accounts stating an amount due.
• sufficient trouble may be a recognition by M. that his handwriting was difficult to read.

Physical description of letter

The original is in the British Library, Folio 3. According to George Linton and Virginia Hanson, the letter was written:

In red ink on a single folded sheet of rippled paper, in medium sized script, more carefully done than some of the other letters. On the back, in different script, appears: "A. P. Sinnett Sahib."