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Cooking (Conversations 1977)

Expressions researched:
"cook" |"cookbook" |"cooked" |"cooker" |"cookers" |"cookery" |"cooking" |"cooks"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So your wife came... (break) This is Indian attitude. They do not care for the modern, civilized way of life, wasting time reading some nonsense book or going to the bars, the cinema, talking unnecessarily. They do not like. Those who are old style, they do not.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I know many women who are very good cooks, I have tasted...

Prabhupāda: They have no time to waste time in that way. They must be inclined that "I must prepare something nice so that my husband, my children or my, all friends will be very pleased." That is their policy. I wanted that all our girls, they should be expert. And in America they are doing that. They should learn the art of cooking and prepare very nice foodstuffs, daily change of menu. And the children should be so trained up that no more birth. And that is life. They can produce hundreds of children, it doesn't matter, but must be responsible that "The children should be saved. This is the last birth, no more birth. I'll train the child in such a way that next life he's going to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead." That is parent's duty. Otherwise they should not become parent.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Everyone will be interested.

Jagadīśa: Yes. And stay for some time in one place, find some local people, train them up cooking...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, that is good.

Jagadīśa: ...kīrtana, speaking, reading the books...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That is wanted.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (clears throat) So, how business is going there?

Haṁsadūta: Well, there's no money, so not much can be done. The last two days there was no prasādam distribution in the evening, and so the last two days I was there, nobody came. The problem is that since Your Divine Grace left there, the same people would be cooking, these sweeper people. And now they don't want to cook anymore because they work all day, and they say, "We can't work all around the clock, twenty-four hours." So they stopped cooking. And together with no money... So the whole thing has just come to a stalemate. So now another problem is that the saṅkīrtana party which we sent out is also not... It came back yesterday, also not going on properly. I know this causes Your Divine Grace anxiety, but I just think I should speak frankly about how I feel about the situation. I think Mahāṁsa is a very nice devotee, but he does everything himself. He's always jumping over everything, and before it can be discussed, he's already done it. Just like he flew here. He flew here, and it costs a lot of money to fly from Hyderabad and back. It costs, I think, about five hundred rupees. And there's no need for doing things in that way. So I don't know exactly how to work with Mahāṁsa. It's not that I fight with him. I just don't know how to work out things so that it comes out in a practical way.

Prabhupāda: What is the use of investing money there? I have already given fifty thousand.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There were two books. Woman... Girls should be taught how to become faithful wife, how to learn nice cooking, cleansing, dressing. Simple method. There is no objection of their becoming scholar, but that is not necessary. They have got natural inclination to give service by cooking, cleansing, dressing. Cleanliness is the first necessity. That is hygienic, spiritual, and calm, quiet. India has got special facility to remain clean. Only in this country you can take thrice bathing. In other countries... Easy there. In your country there is hot water. There is no difficulty if one practices. I think our men have such practice. But this cleanness is this taking bathing at least twice. That keeps a man very clean.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gurudāsa: Yes. Whatever is possible. So there's a couple of other points. Number one—because you were speaking about the devotees becoming like Rāvaṇa on the roof, we're doing our own cooking. I have our own men. And one assistant cook I hired for a hundred rupees. This assistant cook is a very nice man.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Gurudāsa: He's so submissive.

Prabhupāda: I can cook my food in fifteen minutes, in so many varieties.

Gurudāsa: You used to do that.

Prabhupāda: Not fifteen, forty-five.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gurudāsa: You used to do that in your cooker.

Prabhupāda: I yesterday... Yesterday I did, and it was so nice. Everyone appreciated.

Gurudāsa: Acchā. Well, you can do whatever you like. The cooks wanted things like 4,500 rupees with pots, and I said, "This is outrageous!" So, no. So now our own men...

Prabhupāda: 4,500?

Hari-śauri: To hire a cook, hire some cooks, they want that much money.

Gurudāsa: Everyone is cheating for the Mela. So I said, "No, no." So I said to our men, "We must do it." So I think we'll be able to do it. I preached to them.

Prabhupāda: No, last year we were doing ourselves, our Swami... Who...?

Gurudāsa: Who was that?

Prabhupāda: He's well-known swami. I forget his name. Was in England?

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gurudāsa: He was cooking. He's a good cook.

Prabhupāda: He has cooked very nice.

Gurudāsa: Anyway, I have three men cooking now and... So that will be all right. Now, the officials are cooperating with us nicely, of the Mela. The other day Kamalapati Tripati was there, and we saw him, and all the officials were there, and he said, "Oh, hello! How are you? Everything all right?" And we said, "Yes." And it was a very nice conversation. And all the other officials saw that we were on friendly basis with the minister, so they were also more friendly. One unfortunate thing happened, a small unfortunate thing, a sukhi-duḥkhi. We went to the saṅgam with our kīrtana party during the time of the big..., the fifth bath. It's not the biggest one, but many pilgrims came. And we said we should chant and also bathe. So first we chanted. Then we went in for bath at four o'clock in the morning. Very refreshing, very nice. We went in, and we had our bath. Then we put our clothes on. We chanted, and we were very happy chanting. The police came, many police on horses, and said, "Get out!" And they were demons, like "Get out!" And I got a press pass. I said, "Why should we get out? We're only here to chant the holy names of God. This is a Mela." "Well, then," he said, "get out!" He's a demon, and he's taking his horse and pushing it on me and the other devotees. So he forced us out. So Bhāgavata dāsa went to the Mela officials who we had some..., and complained. And the policeman was suspended and made a public apology. And now we have a letter that says we can chant any place we want in the Mela with police cooperation.

Prabhupāda: Then it is fortunate, fortunate.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is nice.

Gurudāsa: So... Let's see. What else. I've saved some money by cutting down fences and pandal already, and not hiring these cooks.

Prabhupāda: Gargamuni said somebody has paid ten thousand.

Hari-śauri: There was supposed to be some man who was going to give five thousand or ten thousand rupees.

Gurudāsa: For food relief or...?

Prabhupāda: I do not know.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gurudāsa: Now, previously the budget... I figured it out with the ones who are cooking. You wanted puris and halavā and subji, something like that. But we didn't have enough before. So I was going to make puṣpanna. Is that all right? Or would you rather... Now, with the ten thousand rupees...

Prabhupāda: Puṣpanna for visitors also? No, they will have objection to take anna. They'll take puri, śāk, halavā.

Gurudāsa: What do you want?

Prabhupāda: Purī, śāk, halavā is... It can be distributed to anyone. Puṣpanna, some may take, some may not take.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gurudāsa: But everyone is serving that already. That's another reason I thought that puṣpanna would be nice because it would be unique.

Prabhupāda: No, I have no objection. That is all right. But puri-śāk is better. Is it costly?

Gurudāsa: More costly, yes. And I told him to make a list for you to see, if you need it, why it's more costly. At any rate, he says... The cook has done research, our man, and says puri-śāk would be more costly.

Prabhupāda: But don't allow him to purchase.

Hari-śauri: Don't you have an Indian purchaser?

Prabhupāda: Who is purchasing?

Gurudāsa: No, he's not an Indian. He's one of our men.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That is another thing.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gurudāsa: No. How are we going to feed others if we are not feeding the devotees nicely?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, yesterday we made simple cooking. How it was nice.

Gurudāsa: We're making soup at night, simple soup, and devotees like it 'cause it's not hurting their digestion. And I'm having some flat rice on hand for anyone who needs it. So, I'm trying to care for everything.

Prabhupāda: There is milk supply? No.

Gurudāsa: Yes. We have one man from Vṛndāvana who's bringing milk at 2.70 a kilo, a little costly, but Mela time, and they have to bring it from a far distance. Anyway, 2.70, kilo, cow's milk.

Prabhupāda: Cow's milk...

Hari-śauri: They say. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Cow's milk means buffalo with water.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: From yesterday it is good.

Gurudāsa: 'Cause you cooked for yourself.

Prabhupāda: No. Because I could eat little.

Gurudāsa: What did you cook?

Prabhupāda: Just rice, dahl, and vegetable. That's all, nothing extraordinary.

Gurudāsa: And you put lot of spice in it or not?

Prabhupāda: No.

Gurudāsa: So that's the secret. If someone cooks for themselves... Why don't you direct it but not cook?

Prabhupāda: Yes, I'm directing and nobody learns.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gurudāsa: There's no... Your health must be pakkā. So we have separate kitchen for you, separate kitchen for life members. Gargamuni Mahārāja is sending his Shantilal, his cook.

Prabhupāda: Cooking is being done with wood? That's nice. That is very good.

Gurudāsa: Yes, very nice. And in the morning, the first morning... When I went there, actually nothing was happening very much. So the first morning... It's so cold, the devotees were just staying in their blankets. So I got up at four o'clock and bathed and started a fire. And I said, "It's warmer here than in your tent. Come around the fire."

Prabhupāda: Yes, and around the fire, it is very warm.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You can produce. That is another thing. A cook can produce foodstuff suitable for rich man, but that does not mean he is rich man.

Dr. Patel: You argue. (laughs)

Haṁsadūta: Prabhupāda, you told one story about the animals having a meeting and trying to become free from the control of (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Charismatic spiritual master.

Hari-śauri: I think whatever was there was either packed in the basket or the cooker, and there was no sugar. So, I'll have to... If you want, I can have one of these men go and find some.

Prabhupāda: Sugar? Where you'll find?

Rāmeśvara: But the... Pradyumna has some sweet mango.

Prabhupāda: No.

Rāmeśvara: What is that?

Jagadīśa: Mango candy.

Prabhupāda: Mango candy? (Hari-śauri opens door and asks in another compartment)

Room Conversation on 1976 Book Scores -- January 16, 1977, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: This is the largest sale. (chuckling)

Rāmeśvara: 487,000 Perfection of Yoga, 263,000 Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Is Authorized, 10,000 cook books, Hare Kṛṣṇa Cook books, 4,000 Gopal coloring books, and just under 7,000..., excuse me, 7,000,000 Back to Godhead magazines. Now, the total magazines, almost, about 7,000,000. Total small books like Perfection of Yoga, Easy Journey, is 740,000. Total medium books like Kṛṣṇa trilogy, Śrī Īśopaniṣad, is 319,000. Total books like cook books, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Is Authorized, other titles: 280,000. Then total hardbound books: 1,007,000. So the total literatures sold last year is 9,076,280 literatures. Nine million.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Gargamuni: It's only English.

Rāmeśvara: This is just English.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese. (Bengali) We want. (Bengali) Person to person... (Bengali) Huge organization. (Bengali) ...Bhaktivedanta Book Trust... (Bengali)... stock, distribution, salesmen control. (Bengali) ...Delhi paper... (Bengali) We have got substance. (Bengali) So it is very encouraging, this report.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Pūjārīs, cooks, collectors, life members. You need at least fifty devotees. So it's going to take a little while to get...

Prabhupāda: Big temple means at least fifty men.

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Gargamuni: But I know there'll be no problem getting people there. It's real nice.

Rāmeśvara: The thing is if we start off, gradually, as the construction is going on, if there's a group of people that are working there, maybe some local people will join us too.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes. We'll get local men to join.

Rāmeśvara: So who will make that their...? That's the real question. Who will sit there?

Gargamuni: I'll stay. I'll stay. Important project.

Prabhupāda: Coconut tree can grow.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Wife. She knows?

Hari-śauri: She knows how to cook, yes. She got trained up by Pālikā.

Prabhupāda: In the cooker. And she'll cook today?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: This was suitable.

Rāmeśvara: What to do? Every month this happens. They both at the same time every month?

Hari-śauri: Not usually.

Prabhupāda: No... So the today's standard is nice. So she must take instruction or you do it. This was all right. We shall continue this standard for the time being. Yes. So if he's not come back, then wherefrom they got this puffed rice?

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: We shall be eating also. No? No? Jagannātha prasāda?

Hari-śauri: Well, he was going to cook.

Prabhupāda: Which is better, eh? Jagannātha?

Hari-śauri: (laughs) I don't know. Whatever you like. At least, if we cook here, you'll get hot prasāda.

Prabhupāda: A little Jagannātha prasāda also.

Hari-śauri: Yes. They can bring some. I traveled for a month myself on a boat. I went from England to Australia on ship.

Prabhupāda: One month? Only?

Hari-śauri: Twenty-eight days.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Through Atlantic.

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Devotee: We slept outside, under the stars. We cooked out there. We cooked outside.

Prabhupāda: In villages eighty percent, ninety percent people, they sleep outside during summer.

Gargamuni: But here there's no... There was no mosquitoes.

Prabhupāda: Because the wind is strong.

Gargamuni: Yes. Very strong. And just a light cādara. A light cādara and that's all.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In village also. In summer, night is rather pleasant.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: And at the time I shall tell you. Not any of the same thing. (chuckles) Everyone wants to cook for me.

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: But this girl, (laughs) she travels all over the world, spending her own money or society money?

Satsvarūpa: Society. She's the only one who's actually regular that is doing it good.

Prabhupāda: No, she is very responsible. Whatever I say, at least she tries to do it best. That is her qualification. Nei, everyone is doing. Nobody's...

Satsvarūpa: Yes. Nanda-kumāra wanted to do that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nanda-kumāra, as a sannyāsī, he should better preach. I have no objection. It is up to you to decide. I don't give much credit to the scientists. I give them credit as far as they deserve. It is not that I don't give them credit. Why shall I not? But they deny the existence and they say "We shall conquer over nature, and we shall make according to our necessity." These rascals I challenge.

Satsvarūpa: Just like you give credit to your cook.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: But that does not mean that the cook is...

Prabhupāda: Everything.

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Pṛthu-putra: That is what should be told to them.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He may be very fortunate that he's dreaming. "All right, keep aside. Do your duty. You are very fortunate, but don't bother now. First of all be strong and follow." Otherwise ei chure pākā. Ei chure pākā. Ei chure (?) you know? Stunted jackfruit. Jackfruit becomes so big, but one fruit, it is so small and... Taya eka channi sa. (?) And it has become ripened. So it has no taste, neither it can be used for cooking-useless. Ei chure pākā. A small fruit ripen, it is useless either for this person or for that. So they are called in Bengali, ei chure pākā. Do your duty. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā..., āra nā koriho **. That is bhajana. And as soon as he deviates-yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. He is finished. That has happened to Nitāi. Ei chure pākā. So what these people will do? It is the effect of bad association. That's all.

Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: This year in the United States several temples had very good success by advertising a cooking class in the college, because many times the students, they don't want to come when they see Bhagavad-gītā or bhakti-yoga. But they would see "Indian Cooking," and they would go, and in the class they would teach how to make cooking, but then they would preach, "And so this food should be offered to God, and this is the Bhagavad-gītā." In this way it was much...

Prabhupāda: Very good. This is very nice.

Pṛthu-putra: Yes. We had also classes like this in Paris. People were coming just to learn how to cook. And in that way they could hear the philosophy.

Gargamuni: Prabhupāda, these are the vehicles that I can get for three thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: Then you have to repair.

Room Conversation -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Pṛthu-putra: I was living with one whole family. Sometimes I cooked prasāda for them, and they like it very much. They like us as a person.

Prabhupāda: Simply follow this. Give them prasādam and let them chant. That is preaching. And if they're educated, let them read books. Then gradually, he'll automatically come.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: See to that.

Satsvarūpa: Yes. (break) Mainly it's about the girls who are over ten. They were in Vṛndāvana and discussed this with Jagadīśa, but they couldn't settle up, so they wanted to know what you think. Their idea is that... As of now, there is no plan for a school for the girls over ten, but just that they should return to their parents and not get any more schooling. But they're thinking that there should be, and one reason is that you said in France that the girls could learn these sixty-four arts. So they were thinking that there should be a school for girls over ten, and that it should be situated in India. One reason is that in India our teachers can take help from Indian Life Member ladies who know these arts. Our Western devotees don't know them, the cooking and painting and things like this, but the Indian women do. And also they were saying that this age is very delicate for the girls. They're starting to be attracted to boys, and India is better than being in the West where the material attraction is very strong for the girls as well as the boys. So they're wondering whether this principle is good, that there be a school for girls over ten in India. Right now there are only twelve such girls in the movement, a dozen girls that age, just a little over ten years old. They thought that they should have just one teacher for every three girls so they'd be closely supervised.

Prabhupāda: Every three girls?

Satsvarūpa: Should have one teacher, not just one teacher for all of them.

Prabhupāda: At least ten students one teacher.

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This man stole from his father, and it is clear now that he joined this movement only to get an American woman and to go to America. I think he never had much intention to worship Kṛṣṇa. He's eating meat, and his wife... Even when they came to America he ordered is wife, "Now you cook meat." He looks very different now. He looks like a rākṣasa.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Feature is rākṣasa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So they're getting this information, but what can they do? They're getting so much information from these devotees who have left.

Prabhupāda: What is that information?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're trying to find some imperfection, but they cannot.

Prabhupāda: We are not perfect. We're trying to be perfect.

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: Yes. Before purchasing we went to see.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is aristocratic house. They... Formerly, either Indian or American, Europe, aristocratic was the same—big, big rooms, very decorated, woman's quarter different, men's quarter different. No man can enter into woman's... Lavatory house, different; cooking house, different. This was Calcutta aristocracy. Those houses are now gone. No attached bathroom. The... Because it was service, how it can be attached bathroom? So they... A separate house, big house, only for passing stool. And if possible, a lake within the house. Aristocratic family, they would have lake within the house for using water.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh. What time will be suitable?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Probably at noon they're ready, because they cook dāl?

Bhavānanda: Noontime?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twelve-thirty, one.

Prabhupāda: That's nice, one o'clock.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One o'clock.

Prabhupāda: Make arrangement for prasāda distribution, any center. For that, we have to work hard, we have to collect, we have to beg, borrow, steal, everything. Prasāda distribution. And kīrtana. Here your distribution propa..., having kīrtana or not?

Bhavānanda: I'm sorry, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Brahmānanda: When you distribute prasāda do you have kīrtana also?

Bhavānanda: Yes, up and down the aisle. When we're distributing the big prasāda, then we have a kīrtana party.

Prabhupāda: They must hear kīrtana.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But here it's prepared better. Here the cooking is more expert. They are not as... We are thinking that one of the cooks from New York... I'm going to suggest to Karttikeya Mahadeviya... Or now actually I think I'll just have her come here. But I wanted one of the cooks from New York to come to India for one or two months to learn how to cook properly, so that...

Prabhupāda: They can come here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Here will be best.

Prabhupāda: Here there are so many nice...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because one thing we don't get many people is the Indian people to eat in the restaurant, because they are accustomed to more spices.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And unless one is expert at the... He will not cook properly spices.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we are thinking to bring one of the cooks here to learn for a couple of months.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And you turn into chānā?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Chānā and also milk, straight as milk. The devotees get sufficient milk, and also cheese for cooking.

Prabhupāda: Sandeśa, rasagullā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. All of the sweets are made very... New York... In America New York is known for its good milk sweets. Brahmānanda was...

Prabhupāda: New Vrindaban also.

Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Vyāsa-pūjā. Vyāsa-prasādam. Unless one is blessed by Vyāsadeva, he cannot write transcendental literature. So now you have very good cook. Kīrtana is going on. It is Vaikuṇṭha. Maintain this status very nicely. You can. You are... From the very beginning you are... Do it very nicely. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. If devotees chant always, that is Kṛṣṇa or Vaikuṇṭha. Tatra tiṣṭhā... Tatra tiṣṭhāmi. Yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. They must be pure devotee and always talk about Kṛṣṇa, chant about Kṛṣṇa. Then it is Vaikuṇṭha. What about this generator? Is it going to work or not?

Jayapatākā: I'm not sure. I don't know who was working on that today. I just got back myself. There was some... They're hooking up, I think, the wires.

Prabhupāda: It must work. Otherwise...

Jayapatākā: Oh, it's guaranteed it will work. The electric supply officer was on a three-day leave, I heard. Therefore he couldn't make the...

Prabhupāda: Connection.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Made.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It is not properly made. Actually, I don't like it. It's too bland. But for the American tastes it may be all right. But I think it's not proper. If we have a good cook who learns the cooking from here, then everyone will come.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So why not?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: These two girls, they are very fine.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: All our farms should learn.

Prabhupāda: The paddy has to be cooked, once boiled and fried, er, mean dried, again cooked, again dried. Then you take out the skin and mix with little salt and half baked, and then put into the hot sand. Oh, it will do... Little laboring.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We cannot grow rice in America.

Prabhupāda: Oh. There is no paddy?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Only place I know is down in Mississippi farm. They are trying to.

Prabhupāda: They can grow. There is no difficulty.

Room Conversation about BTG the Moon -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Immediately do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was going to be our proposal. We went through the magazine, Satsvarūpa Mahārāja, Brahmānanda Mahārāja and myself, on the underlying points, and as Hari-śauri was pointing out, just like in the old days sometimes they would give a recipe and it would end with the showing of how to offer obeisances for offering the prasāda. But here that is completely neglected, that part. It simply says, "At the end of cooking, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and it will make the food taste better." There's no understanding that the food is then supposed to be offered to Kṛṣṇa for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure. That whole idea is deleted. Everything is very much simplified with the idea of making it sell more.

Prabhupāda: No, this should be properly done immediately. Who is the editor?

Brahmānanda: They have appointed Śrī Govinda.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And I think these woman can cook many varieties.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They know.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Maybe if they only do three or four sabjis a day, they can...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why so many?

Hari-śauri: Why seven?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, that's it. They have to be told also. On their own, they won't do it. I'll try and tell the proper person.

Prabhupāda: That they can be advised, the change, menu change.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: We're going to need some very expert cooks for our Bombay center.

Prabhupāda: You change it. You change it. The Gujarati, they know it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Gujarati cooks.

Prabhupāda: I asked Bhogilal. He sent, but they cancelled.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The same thing. I once arranged for Shantilal's brother, and they cancelled. The thing is there's an art of dealing with these servants. You have to know how to handle them. Otherwise... They have to be treated like the children in the family.

Prabhupāda: No, not... Treat them as master-servant tactfully.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And you have to take care of them.

Hari-śauri: The thing is, those men that Bhogilal sent were smoking biḍis and everything.

Prabhupāda: That could be checked, that "You do not do this." If you have to keep hired cook, so you'll have to manage in that way. Everything depends on management. Change of menu is very good, not that the same thing should be...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's been four days now of the same thing.

Prabhupāda: That's not good.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: They are cooking very nice in Fiji.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All of these life members, they have the best cooks in India. They are accustomed to very high class food, Marwaris.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Hari-śauri: That cooking we had when we went to Bhogilal's in Hyderabad...

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Hari-śauri: ...it was very first class.

Prabhupāda: Very first class. The cook available, but if you cannot manage, what can be done?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhogilal's in Hyderabad?

Hari-śauri: Yes, he has a house there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was there also?

Prabhupāda: Cooking means if you have no appetite, it will create appetite. That is cooking, not that simply some ghee and masalā and cook it. No. It is a great art.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: How I can... Main business is how to... Gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe. "Let them first of all, somehow or other, yena tena prakāreṇa. Then I shall impose rules and regulations and regulative..." He has... You have not seen from the very beginning. They have seen. I worked very hard. Two times lectures, cooking, and meeting and twenty-four-hours writing book, typing. Not a single moment, and still I am not wasting single moment.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: I was giving two tapes daily.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Jayatīrtha: Also meat-eaters can't stand the smell of ghee cooking. No?

Prabhupāda: This ghee should be distributed in all our Indian centers.

Devotee (5): There is a nice picture of our Deities we have in Australia in our bus.

Bali-mardana: This is our traveling bus. They distribute prasādam all over Australia, with Gaura-Nitāi. They have cast...

Devotee (5): They were made in Australia.

Bali-mardana: The Deities were cast in Australia.

Prabhupāda: Hm. The face is not very good.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Rādhā-vallabha: So, also in the songbook... We will have to reprint that soon. The way it is now, I remember you also once told me that Acyutānanda makes mistakes in the Bengali. And the Sanskrit department, Jagannātha and the others, say that there are a lot of mistakes that they would like to correct. Is that all right? Do you want synonyms? Do you want synonyms in the songbook? No? Okay. We are also doing a very nice cookbook. Yamunā is doing it. I passed on the instruction that you left in Madhya-līlā that the recipes at Advaitācārya's house should be included. She's gotten practically all of those. She's going to put the cookbook together in such a way that it will be an example for Deity worship for all the temples, and we hope to have that finished this year sometime. That's all right?

Prabhupāda: Last time Acyutānanda was given some money. Still the same arrangement is there?

Rādhā-vallabha: I'm not giving him any money.

Prabhupāda: No.

Rādhā-vallabha: I don't like this philosophy, that if someone does some service they should get money for it. That's business.

Prabhupāda: I think he was paid some money.

Room Conversation -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Then in Bombay we shall be very careful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very careful. Only the best cooks.

Prabhupāda: Not best cook. The best cook is available. Management is not good.

Hari-śauri: We need a very expert manager for that guesthouse.

Prabhupāda: And in Bombay-before we get bad name—then it is lost.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everything has to be set up beforehand perfectly.

Prabhupāda: If required, we shall appoint professional man and keep everything very vigilant; things are going. Otherwise, once bad reputation—finished, so much attempt.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Nakaldana? Not khicuṛi?

Pañcadraviḍa: Peanuts coated with gur. Gur is cooked, and the peanuts...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what kind of prasādam would you...

Prabhupāda: Khicuṛi.

Room Conversation -- March 24, 1977, Bombay:

Karttikeya Mahadevia:. No, he's not doing wheat grass, but he is taking only fruits and vegetables and no cooked food. So he's following what I am telling him to do. I have sent my books.

Bali-mardana: He is a personal friend.

Karttikeya Mahadevia: It is not personal. My mother was personally with his son, and they were in the same school. So he knew him for last thirty, forty years. My wife's sister and Mr. Morarji Desai were working in the same cabinet in Bombay in 1955. (indistinct) Śrīla Prabhupāda, would you like to take that tulasī and (indistinct) in afternoon? Only once, one serving.

Pañcadraviḍa: We can bring some ḍābs from down the road if you like.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I have already ḍāb.

Karttikeya Mahadevia: I'll bring it.

Prabhupāda: Nobody speaks about Indira Gandhi. (laughter)

Room Conversation First Day in Juhu Quarters -- March 30, 1977, Bombay:

Gargamuni: One section room was dictation, one section cooking, one section editing. So this is more on a grand style.

Prabhupāda: So actually my lift will be used once in a day. Then how it will be in order?

Saurabha: We will repair it. It's not that we will make it work and then no one will touch it.

Prabhupāda: And at the time of my use, if it is out of order?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe you should keep a man there all the time.

Gargamuni: Let's hire an operator. They have lift operators in many of the hotels.

Saurabha: See, they took the fuse out so that we can use it, so we put the fuse back, so the lift works, and then just before you came, someone went in there...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Practically the only people who will be here will be your servants and occasionally...

Prabhupāda: Nobody should use it. My men should know how to use it, that's all.

Room Conversation First Day in Juhu Quarters -- March 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is difficult to make one devotee. That is... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). So if two, three men are there, that is sufficient for preaching also. You have to sit down any place and chant, and people will join. Local men. Not permanently, but at least to continue chanting.

Lokanātha: They do it. They are carrying Bengali books. They have pots for cooking prasādam. They have slide show.

Prabhupāda: But our Bhavānanda's preaching in Bengal was very encouraging.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your preaching in Bengal was very encouraging.

Bhavānanda: My preaching?

Prabhupāda: In Bengali village.

Bhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Very encouraging.

Morning Talk -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So one must be cooking expert.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. So he's a nice choice.

Prabhupāda: And if Upendra can do like Bhavānanda, then it is very nice. Let him he trained up. He can do. (discussing cleaning of floor) Now it is black.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It is starting to shine.

Prabhupāda: The more we do...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It is like shining one's heart.

Prabhupāda: This is, this is marble.

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did he cook these here today?

Indian: No, he didn't.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If he cooks here, it will be hot. All of these things were cooked there and brought here, so they become a little cold.

Prabhupāda: No, it was already prepared... You bring little salt. (break)

Prabhupāda: They do not know why I am in downtrodden condition. The answer is there. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Says, "They desire freedom from the age-old shackles of superstition..."

Prabhupāda: Where is the shackle? Age-old shackles.

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, he should go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The thing..., there is always some smell of onion or garlic here. This place, very often there is smell from cooking of garlic or onions. It is coming from those houses.

Prabhupāda: Tenant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They eat.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They eat meat.

Prabhupāda: It is not meat. They are eating garlic. Those Christian tenant, they are eating. And onion everyone eats.

Room Conversation -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm. By cooking?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes. That is possible.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's really Kṛṣṇa's mercy how such a bitter thing is yet palatable. (pause)

Prabhupāda: Take one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thank you very much. (end)

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I was cooking in my hands. So for one man sitting I was cooking not less than for ten to fifteen men.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What was the idea?

Prabhupāda: The idea is everyone wanted some food prepared by me. They wanted my preparation. All right, do it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All the devotees in the early days.

Prabhupāda: No, not devot... When I was doing here and there. Like Dr. Mishra's place.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was very fond of your cooking.

Prabhupāda: He got a good cook without paying. (laughs) And I had no other alternative. I liked it.

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: At that time I was ten years old. Or twelve years. Not more than twelve years. But I liked that place very much. They still presented the foodstuff, fresh. I have been many... Not many. In the village so tasteful, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and they cooked so nicely. Nice milk. Everything very nutritious. That life is gone. What is this nonsense life, hanging in the daily buses, outside. Kṛṣṇa advises to live village life, agriculture, and utilize time for understanding your spiritual life. That is... So we are trying to introduce this, this farm life. (break) Out of so many other living entities, he tried to give me trouble. How you can check?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika.

Prabhupāda: So therefore a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, they know the body is the cause of... "Because I have got this body, I am suffering. Therefore partial service to the body, what benefit?" That is... That requires very good brain. Today I have got eye trouble. Tomorrow I have got leg trouble. The other day I have got hand trouble. But the... (end)

Conversation with Patita-pavana -- April 20, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Patita-pāvana: The one man, he only eats what his wife cooks, so he has to have some kitchen.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we have your... If you like, we have your old quarters.

Patita-pāvana: But that is upstairs. His wife cannot climb stairs. That is... That's why I liked Māyāpur, because all those apartments are on the wall.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they're also upstairs. In Māyāpur everything's up the stairs also. There's nothing that...

Patita-pāvana: But on the wall...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Front wall?

Patita-pāvana: Yeah.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no one can live there. It's too low class.

Prabhupāda: No, in our new house.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If required, he can cook also. He knows how. I gave... In the beginning he was cooking. He was from very beginning. Good or bad, he was doing. Gaurasundara and his wife, they were our secretaries, and he was cooking in the San Francisco.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I remember that. Yeah, he ever has to cook, I can give massage if necessary.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) was working as postman.

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You just appoint one local cook. There are good cooks.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah.

Prabhupāda: That ḍāl, ruṭi and purina(?) chutney. If there is no vegetable, you can eat there nicely.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think there'll be any problem at all for the fooding. Actually it seems to me it'll be a very good arrangement in everywhere. Simple but very nice.

Prabhupāda: If you can eat ḍāl, ruṭi with little Pudina chutney, that is sufficient.

Morning Conversation -- April 29, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is luxurious. (break) ...the āṭā dough. So after it is cooked... They have got ghee. That ball soaked in ghee and the ḍāl, it is so nice when taken. That is called baṭī. Very quickly made. And after eating, with that ash the two or three utensils, mean the loṭā and the plate, they'll cleanse it very nice and walk away. And that food is sufficient for twenty-four hours. Within twenty-four hours he will not be hungry and feel very strong. The two things. And you can cook anywhere without any difficulty. In India, especially in village, you can get so many dried cow dung. So fuel is ready. The āṭā is packed up. And ghee in a pot. That's all. How simple life. Simply they'll sit down where there is water, and they'll take water. Then everything is arranged. No hotel. Or even there is no āṭā, they keep their own ghee, homemade, pure. Āṭā can be purchased anywhere in the village. There is no need of carrying āṭā. So this preparation for tourists... Tourists, Indian tourists, means going to some holy place. They have no other sightseeing, no program.

Morning Conversation -- April 29, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. They should be taught how to sweep, how to stitch...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Clean.

Prabhupāda: ...clean, cook, to be faithful to the husband.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't require a big school.

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is mistake. They should be taught how to become obedient to the husband.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, you won't learn that in school.

Prabhupāda: Little education, they can...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. That they can get at home also.

Prabhupāda: They should be stopped, this practice of prostitution. This is a very bad system in Europe and America. The boys and girls, they are educated-coeducation. From the very beginning of their life they become prostitutes. And they encourage.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: I don't think he's seen him. Now the main manager has been handed authority. We've seen him. He's also favorable. But the people who are holding the main power, they are also favorable, so they've given us. Good facility for boat program. I went to a village by boat one day, and the villagers, they were very receptive also. They held a whole festival. Everyone, five hundred people, stopped their work, and they all came and chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa, and we cooked a big pot of... Official(?) said, "Everyone has provided ḍāl and rice. We don't eat at home today." And he cooked up khicuḍi and we gave everyone prasāda. And they said, "Please, if you could come every two weeks or every month, we could have a festival."

Prabhupāda: Naturally so much good reception... So organize. These people will not give.

Jayapatākā: Who?

Prabhupāda: These rascals, Gauḍīya Maṭha.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Here also, Mādhava Mahārāja temple, nobody goes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is this his temple here, in Vṛndāvana?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is always closed. They are cooking.

Bhavānanda: And the photo exhibit is very popular. Everyone goes.

Prabhupāda: To see.

Bhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: There is... Within, there is fan?

Bhavānanda: No fans, but it's cool. It's very cool.

Prabhupāda: It is down.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: All right. Then you shall begin. Jaya. (break) Daily or alternately, (makes bleating sound:) "Myaaaḥ, myaaḥ." And there is religious process that the head should be eastern side and the throat should be cut up. And when the animal dies, bifurcate, cleanse it and the skin and everything... And they have got cāpāṭi. Government subsidizes. So they cook at home the meat, and in market they purchase a cāpāṭi according to the family, one big cāpāṭi, two cāpāṭi. That's all. Our men who has eaten that cāpāṭi, they say it is very nice, very soft and digesting. Huge deserted country, but some stock, some spots, water. There are trees. They raise the cattle there. Eighty percent of the land, all desert. Or ninety percent. No, eighty. Say seventy-five. And because they have got now money, they are having big, big buildings, foreign cars, roads in the air, developing. And they're importing at any cost. From Bombay the best mango they are importing at any cost.

Discussions with Devotees and Conversation with Dr. Ghosh -- June 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Upendra: Massage. He's cooking.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (Bengali conversation) We have got black cows.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have black cows.

Dr. Ghosh: (Bengali) (Bengali conversation)

Prabhupāda: He said there is no fear. Everything is all right.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And dip it and take it out.

Upendra: This, I think this is a... This sounds like you're cooking out in the jungle.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It will be very digestive. You can try one day.

Upendra: Yes. Bread balls.

Prabhupāda: Put in kandi fire.

Upendra: Kandi?

Prabhupāda: This gobar, cow dung chip.

Upendra: Cow dung chip is called kandi?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yellow(?) chip. They say in Hindi, kandi.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Upendra: For the tourists?

Prabhupāda: A man is working. Now he has got with him rice, ḍāl, āṭā. Now anywhere he can collect this dry gobar and set fire. And he has got his loṭā, and he's cooking. Very palatable and digestive.

Upendra: The balls, laktha, they're looking... I mean, when they are finished, they are looking brown or black?

Prabhupāda: No, brown. Brown and blackish spot.

Upendra: Black spots.

Prabhupāda: Then it is prepared, very... Just like loaf.

Upendra: Yeah, bread loaf.

Prabhupāda: Then put it into ghee. That according to your... Put it long time or keep it or take it, as you can digest.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. And if the pots are made of earth, earthen pot, it is still better.

Upendra: When earthen pots are cooked with, they are finished afterwards?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Throw it. That was the Hindu system. The earthen pot is used daily, and it is thrown away, specially for Deity. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was sitting on the rejected earthen pots. Philosophy discussion was going on.

Upendra: With His mother.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So earthen pot is so nice. Jagannātha Purī, they cook it in earthen pot and throw it away. It is very palatable. You can try an earthen pot.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is not his cooking. After he takes, his disciple may also take.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: Before leaving home I was loitering here and there, "If there is any shelter, this?" But that time in Harigrama(?), I stayed there for two, three days. Nice temple. He has construction of the workers also. I'll try some of that... That is next.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your Guru Mahārāja had many disciples. Like you, he was very merciful. You have so many disciples, we have lost count.

Prabhupāda: I, I have disciples all over the world. They have got specially in Bengal.

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is material world. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, as I could see in that building, the kitchen is nearly completed, so even if they have not completely opened that building, still, if the kitchen is completed, they can begin to cook there immediately. Why should they wait two or three months? The storeroom is a storeroom. That can be used immediately and put strong locks, and one man is in charge, and he has a register, coming in, going out.

Prabhupāda: No different store, no different...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No different store?

Prabhupāda: Two servants always cleansing. As soon as somebody eats, the servant cleanses the place, take the plates and washes, return to kitchen. You have seen cut rows, wood. Devotees have seen. You can purchase. Engage one wood cutter. Then that will be... Everything can be arranged. Simply good management. Sleeping management will not help. And everyone... Such a big hall. Everyone should eat.

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Welcome. But no cooking there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. No, that's cleared up. Immediately we can start using that hall for feeding our meal. Actually there's no reason why certain parts of that building can't be utilized now, not just sit. On one day there has to be some, you know... We may have that to show opening ceremony, but still, certain places can be utilized at a time. Just like they're using some of the...

Prabhupāda: No, opening ceremony... Gurukula is going on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. Some of the offices are already being utilized. So the dining hall can be utilized and the kitchen floor.

Prabhupāda: That offices I cannot understand. There is no management; then office. Big, big office, but no management. All bogus. Office means management. But there is no management, and the office. Office, what does it mean, office?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Good management.

Prabhupāda: That's all. But if there is no good management, where is the use of office? Simply occupying seats? Management is... I have told him that. And he has brought some management. But there is no one. Just like government, the Filing Center, the Filing Center. Where is the file? Nobody knows. This is going on. What can I do? How the things are being done finally, nobody knows. But it is informed. "I am informing."

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Akṣayānanda waiting for another man, and he is waiting for another man. And nobody comes. That's all. You are finished: "I am waiting for another..." And he'll be finished: "I am waiting for another." And he's finished: "I am waiting for..." Bas, finished business. There is no such arrangement that things are going on very nicely, automatically. That is not... Anyway... Every dining, every cooking should be there. First of all manage this. And cooking should be done in good place.

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, who is high class, low class? Everyone...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If they can bring the prasāda from the cooking arrangement there to over here, it's all right if they serve them here? 'Cause I think the guests prefer that they can eat in this guesthouse.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that plates can be brought.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. So we'll see to that first of all.

Prabhupāda: One store, one kitchen, one dining room. Bas. Not separate.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not separate dining room.

Prabhupāda: That is not management. Such a big hall, such a big kitchen, sufficient. If some special per..., it can be done in that kitchen.

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: After all, a man will cook. So he'll cook there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about the fact that the guests eat different prasāda than devotees?

Prabhupāda: Then go there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And we'll serve them different types of foodstuffs.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Devotees will get one kind of food and the guests will get a different kind.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They can prepare there. What for that separate kitchen?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, there's no reason.

Prabhupāda: Separate cooking may be... (break) ...cannot. Simply they have... Every cheap people goes there. What they have done? Tell me that "This they have done, very beneficial to the human society." What they have done?

Śatadhanya: They say that they are curing disease.

Talk About Varnasrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: A famous Vaiṣṇava, Hui(?) dāsa, he's coming from the bhangis. Everyone is given chance. Socially there may be distinction. Spiritually everyone is given equal chance. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yonayaḥ means these bhangi, cāmāras. And they are not upstart: "Now I have become Vaiṣṇava. Therefore I shall become equal with the brāhmaṇa." No. He is satisfied with his own... They are cooking. Oh, you'll like to cook, er, eat. I have seen it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They cook nicely.

Prabhupāda: Everything equal. Taking bath, cleansing and worshiping, chanting...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't eat meat?

Prabhupāda: Most of them, they eat, but there are... They do not eat... Not meat. Fish. Meat-eating was introduced by the...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: British.

Prabhupāda: ...Britishers. Otherwise, nonvegetarian in India means up to fish. (pause) In Gujarat still you'll find. One young girl... You see here that all young girls are carrying water, collecting. In the morning collecting water, cleansing the house, utensils, clothes, taking bath, then cooking, those girls. Their first business. Man's business is to earn money, go to the market, the necessities. Woman's business is take care of household affairs, children, and they have got engagement. And in the presence of father or elder brother or husband, a woman has to earn livelihood—that's a great insult.

Talk About Varnasrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You learned everything by seeing. You said that you learned how to cook by watching your mother.

Prabhupāda: Sometimes I used to cook.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, for your family?

Prabhupāda: Our family men. I asked my mother, "I'll do this, that." They'll allow, "All right."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You said that sometimes you would be walking in the footpath, and you would watch those men cook their...

Prabhupāda: Not cook. Somebody's doing some artistic work. I'll stand. I'll see how they are doing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Artistic?

Prabhupāda: Just like knitting. So I'll learning knitting by standing before. They're making some flower of wool, so I'll learn it, and it will come out. That was my hobby. And similarly I learned how to worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

Talk About Varnasrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And they make general houses in such a way that you get a room and there is everything, arrangement. There is howah(?). You don't require to cook. You take food from the howah(?). Very nice food. You pay just like a small hotel. They... All their business family... You see. You have seen Calcutta Birla house.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah.

Prabhupāda: They occupy only one room. Their everything is like that. Pay for. There is no botheration of cooking or purchasing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You mean, different families occupy one room only?

Prabhupāda: Well, different family, different room, but they can live very humbly. Those who have little income, they'll somehow or other take one room, live in. And in that house, everything is there. You can purchase. And you earn money.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I know, in New York, that is one of their complaints, the Indian people, that we don't cook spicy enough. Too bland for their palate. And we're not accustomed to that so much, hot spices. They like.

Prabhupāda: Without spices, Indians should not cook.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they won't digest it either.

Prabhupāda: You'll be surprised how what quantity of spices toward(?) Indians. There is a Calcutta wholesale market of spices. They... Everywhere, not Calcutta... Chili, they are sold in big, big bag. We have seen in Hyderabad a spice shop, chili, large shop. And amongst the spices, the chili is most favorable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they like it very much. You also use it.

Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone. And there are so many spices.

Room Conversation with Mr. Myer -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So you show by example. Bring these brahmacārīs. Teach them, and gradually... Just like our organization not all of a sudden has become so big. I was... For more than one year I was simply loitering on the street of New York like a vagabond. Who was hearing me? Still, I am going once in a month to the ship company that "When your next ship is coming to go to India?" So the manager: "Swamiji, you are coming. When you are going away?" I said, "Yes, I have no business practically here. But still, I want to stay and see if things can be pushed." Therefore I am writing. Otherwise I am useless. I am simply loitering and seeing the Fifth Avenue and the... And within the subway station, after taking my lunch I used to go by bus here and there, in the subway, anywhere go, it stops. No shelter. I was cooking, myself, in a friend's house. So he took it as a free cook he has got. And two men, of course, we... Sometimes some guest would... And I would be very glad. And ten, twenty, I'll feed them. And they would like very much ḍāl, cāpāṭi, and one vegetable. First-class... Everyone would like. That was going on, ḍāl, cāpāṭi, and one vegetable. I'll take pleasure. Sometimes somebody would come to assist me. He wanted to eat immediately. And "No, that you cannot. After I have finished, when it is offered to Kṛṣṇa, then I'll give you sumptuous prasādam, not before." So there was no... And little rice. Ḍāl, cāpāṭi, rice, vegetable, bas. Oh, it was so nice. Everyone would praise. The same thing, when I took my own apartment I did the same thing, distributed prasādam. Then, gradually, they came forward to assist me. First came Kīrtanānanda. He is the first cook. Then Acyutānanda. Brahmānanda was washing dish. He could not help the cooking.

Room Conversation with Mr. Myer -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Acyutānanda was also doing very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cooking.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Acyutānanda, Satsvarūpa, Kīrtanānanda, these three persons would, on my direction, "Do like this. Do like this..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were cooking.

Prabhupāda: Hm. And stocked at night.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And Brahmānanda was eating. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: In the very beginning, when I was simply alone, Rāyarāma, he was there. He was helping me, cooking, washing dishes, carrying my luggage, everything. Very good boy.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. I was feeling very uncomfortable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Insecure in that position. Everyone was cooking nasty things.

Prabhupāda: Within this house, within this room, a palace is made in Japan.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was there for quite a while, Śatadhanya Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: With Trivikrama Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Very short places. Park, (laughs) a nonsense park. A rough hill is a park. You remember?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Um hm.

Prabhupāda: All ordinary huts, general people.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Jackfruit, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Similarly, if it's cooked in a particular way...

Prabhupāda: Jackfruit is also called "vegetable meat."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Vegetable meat."

Prabhupāda: Lajpata.(?) Or a vegetable mutton. During my daughter's marriage, the hired cook, they made from this flour of banana, cutlet. Nobody could understand that it is vegetable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were present at that time?

Prabhupāda: No, no, I did not allow to cook fish, so the guests were given that vegetable cutlet. And they could not understand.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I rejected immediately. What is this nonsense? Why shall I refer to it? "Probably." Finished, one word. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkho yāvat kiñcin na bhāṣate:(?) "A mūrkha, a rascal, is beautiful so long he does not speak. As soon as he speaks, we understand where he is." Bas. Just like you're cooking rice. You take one rice and press it. If it is not soft, oh, whole rice is not. If it is not soft, it is not yet cooked. Similarly, one word will give his identity. As soon as he says "Probably," finished. Why shall I take trouble?

Upendra: In all of your books there's not that word.

Śatadhanya: That way we avoid wasting time.

Prabhupāda: Yes. "Probably," "maybe," "in millions of years."

Room Conversation about Mayapura Attack Talk with Vrindavan De -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Look how nicely they've done. It says, "Serving Kṛṣṇa in the Land of Transcendental Bliss." Ox cart, cooking, Kulādri cooking in a big pot, cows, milking. Here they have all the people working on it.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Light of the Bhāgavata." It's a lecture by you. These are original illustrations.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation during lunchtime -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Upendra: But they cook them in the oven, and these are cooked on cow dung. These are cooked on the cow dung, khandi, khandi.(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was wondering how you were able to chew them.

Prabhupāda: No, I could not.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're pretty hard. These are very good on the long saṅkīrtana days. If someone has to go out for many hours, he takes some of these and puts them in his pocket. Then every hour he can eat one, and it gives him strength. Just like the villagers in India, they put in a little napkin. They put some... What is that? Ḍāl. Chickpeas.

Prabhupāda: The villagers, these grain soaked in water, they... Not cooked.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes I have seen they sell on the streets some spicy ḍāl? Hard? I think that's fried.

Prabhupāda: Last year in Washington I was there.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He was from very beginning. Brahmānanda. He has worked very hard from the beginning.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says "I may also come to cook and clean for you."

Prabhupāda: Yes, you are welcome.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "If you so desire. And carry you also."

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) No, you are doing more important business. Do that. But if you want to do, whatever you like, you can come. He is a good cook also.

Bhāgavatāśraya: Hm. Everyone compliments his cooking. Everyone.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "We have a great debt to repay you and we are perplexed how to repay. At least Your Divine Grace may stay as long as we try to repay till the debt we owe to you. I think if we work hard and preach and the world recognizes this movement, then you may want to stay here longer."

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's a fact.

Room Conversation Varnasrama -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She has very good handwriting. "Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga Jāyate. Dearmost and respected Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our repeated humble obeisances at your sanctified lotus feet. Although we are certainly unfit to offer you our prayers and offenseless chanting for your well-being, still we beg to become purified to pour the nectar of the holy name of the Lord into your eternal transcendental service by following your divine instructions. From the beginning you have instructed to serve in sincere faith in vapu or vāṇī. That is our life's work, to make each and every moment a fit receptacle for receiving your benedicting rays of mercy. Enclosed is an offering of digestive spice for your pleasure as well as two photos of Śrī Rādhā-Vana-vihārī on Candana-yātrā and Śrī Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī. Viśākhā devī remained here to photograph for the upcoming Vedic cookery book. The program here is flourishing under your shelter and glories. We beg to remain your servants eternally. Yamunā devī dāsī and Dīnatāriṇī devī dāsī." They sent these preparations. It says, "savory," and "sweet." It looks like they made these. Very expert.

Prabhupāda: So you can give me little bit.

Room Conversation Varnasrama -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She was cooking with ghee?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Our family with ghee. Some fried. That is used, oil.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fried portal.

Prabhupāda: Ghee and oil, both were used. Where is that happiness gone?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No one's happy nowadays.

Prabhupāda: Therefore there is struggle. Communist, this, that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually you still see a little bit of that happiness in smaller towns.

Prabhupāda: No, in the village. They have got enough milk, grains. Is it not? Grāmete dudha dhana cala ekhana nai, gatas paya.(?) Eh? Fruit. They import. They make them poverty-stricken. If the villagers do not sell, ample fruit. But these townsmen, they go there, pay them, and out of greediness they sell their own food only for money. And then they spend for drinking and cinema and... Horrible civilization. Those packets, bring here.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Whatever I shall want, they will supply. I was not a unwanted child for killing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You told the story that one time, because you were accustomed to liking purīs more than capātīs and your mother didn't supply you, you ran upstairs and refused to eat. Then your father came home and became very sorry. And he made your mother cook immediately purīs for you. Was that one of the sto...?

Prabhupāda: Hm. The name was kept Abhaya. Abhaya means "There is no fear of death of this child." In my maternal uncle's house, because I was born on the Nandotsava, they kept my name Nandadulal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nandadulal? Why were you called like that?

Prabhupāda: Because I was born in Nandotsava day.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: One man is kneading flour, five sers, and he's getting two hundred rupees' salary, and paratha and halavā. This is management, going on. Now today it has been checked. They are eating paratha and our men are starving. He is getting two hundred rupees, three hundred rupees. This is management. What can be done? And he has... Three dozen manager, four dozen cook. This is... That's all. I am giving you report which he has given to me. Money is squandered like anything, and live blindly, and "Still, I want everything for myself." Everything is in my notice. I can feel now actually (indistinct) is coming. Anyway, we want... In India, the affairs are most mismanaged. That we see. In foreign countries they are doing very nice. In New York, in Los Angeles, in Chicago. Now there is Toronto report. This Toronto report... I do not know how things are managed there very nicely, and here..., three dozen cook. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're not cooking for any more people here than they do in New York. They don't have one hired person.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: How many you have?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have plenty of devotees here. There the devotees are being...

Prabhupāda: You see how things are mismanaged. There is no place for accommodating the cooks. What is the question of cooking? Have you seen it? They have no place where to accommodate the cooks, so many cooks. Similar thing I noticed in Bombay also, so many laborers. What can I do? Anyway, don't be discouraged. But things are going actually. I am discouraged. At the same time, let things go on like that. Therefore I say do not mind for little more charges. If things are coming quickly, good work, pay. You are already squandering money in this way, in the kitchen. Why not for your own?(?) Hm? Unnecessarily you're feeding some rascal paratha, halavā, and paying him. Who is going to see?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now, with this new arrangement, they can't do that.

Prabhupāda: You cannot eat more than dahl, roti. That's all.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First point is that all those cooks aren't even needed.

Prabhupāda: Dismiss. Whoever will remain, they'll eat in front of us. Nobody will be allowed to take food.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was the problem. There were three different kitchens, so they were all eating one place or the other, and you couldn't watch them. Now everything...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In one kitchen is very good, Gurukula.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually there were four kitchens. Including the snack bar, there were four kitchens.

Prabhupāda: One pakki, one kachi. Expert.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Both in the Gurukula building.

Prabhupāda: Everything. And one storeroom. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: By Kṛṣṇa's grace we have a very nice devotee cook now. He just came from Toronto.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa's grace is always there, but we spoil Kṛṣṇa's grace. That is our business. "But Kṛṣṇa is giving us so much grace. Let us spoil it." That is our proposal. If there was no Kṛṣṇa's grace, how this institution would have come into existence? It was not possible, such a big institution, all by one man's endeavor, starting with forty rupees. Simply Kṛṣṇa's grace. So don't spoil that. This... This... That's not good. Then Kṛṣṇa will not help. Just like the father gives you money. If you squander that, He'll be very sorry. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so kind by giving me this opportunity." You should take things like that, not that "For nothing the father has given me so much money. Let me squander it." Have to work much for it. So anyway, Mr. Mani has said.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gurukṛpā: It is better. We cook separate for Them.

Prabhupāda: Cook separate?

Gurukṛpā: Just for the Deity.

Prabhupāda: That is not very good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not a big thing here to cook. Prabhupāda just closed four kitchens down.

Prabhupāda: Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). No cooking. Tulasī and jala. You can offer little fruits, nuts, milk. No need of cooking. Takes much time. I want here no hired... But for the Deities and the devotees it is false.(?) Their association is bad. Make some arrangement so that you can avoid hired cooks unless it is absolutely necessary. The hired cook, they are most wretched people.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's ready. Yes, we prepared mung water. Praṇava's wife, she was cooking with Kulādri today. She prepared two things, mung jal and the water from spinach. So that's supposed to be very good also. Would you like to try? Praṇava said that the feature of the spinach water is that it's very good for strength and very easily digestible. That's what he said. You might like to try something of both.

Prabhupāda: There is fresh milk? Half water, half milk.

Room Conversation Arrival of Jayatirtha and Harikesa -- October 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: This time what they supply?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What they supplied? You mean prasādam? There was some... Of course, today is the day after Ekādaśī, so they had some cereal made with gur and some guava fruit salad with guavas and bananas. That was all this morning. Lunch is usually substantial, very good. It's the best prasādam that we have had in many years in India here. This boy, Ayodhyā-pati, he's doing very nicely. He cooks usually... Do you want to know what he cooks for lunch? He cooks a ālu sabji with dahi sauce, and he makes bindi, very nicely spiced, and ḍāl, ruṭis, rice, apple chutney, and dahi, raita. Every day.

Prabhupāda: Who assists him?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: About three other devotees. There's no hired people. They're all fired and gone. Only devotees are cooking, and very tasteful, and everybody, about a hundred and twenty devotees sit together and take prasādam. And the guests from the guesthouse, they also take there. Everyone takes together. No restaurant.

Prabhupāda: Guesthouse, they come.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So where is she?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She is here. She can start cooking right away. We'll have to get her the ingredients.

Prabhupāda: Let her come here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See you? Hm. All right.

Hari-śauri: She's probably in the class.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll get her. (break) (Prabhupāda speaks with Śaktimātā in Hindi)

Prabhupāda: So let her do something.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He doesn't have a cough now. It's not that he gets... He doesn't have a cold or flu. It's not like that kind of cough. It comes from the kind of food he eats. It causes the mucus. So when you cook, you have to cook in such a way that it doesn't form mucus. It's not that he has a cold.

Śaktimātā: I understand. You hear me one thing. I am nothing, Prabhu. I am servant of Prabhupāda. I am servant of the all devotees. Rādhārāṇī, as She suggest me, I will cook. I am nothing. She order me. So She gave that prasādam to Prabhupāda. I am nothing, Prabhu. Don't think, "Shakti will something." I am nothing, Prabhu. Rādhārāṇī, She give Prabhupāda as She like. I don't know. I haven't in my mind anything now also. If She say... I will first go to pray Rādhārāṇī, "Rādhārāṇī, You save Your servant. He is so great bhakta." I am beggar of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So He will hear me.

Prabhupāda: Give her to prepare. I cannot take very thick. Only thin prepara...

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And they are not making any chānā preparation?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Are they cooking anything with chānā in it? No chānā preparations? Chick peas.

Prabhupāda: Not...

Jayatīrtha: Cheese.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, chānā. (laughs) Yes, cheese, right, cheese.

Rāmeśvara: Sometimes they make one sabji with eggplant, tomatoes and fried cheese, very nice wet sabji. Actually that's one of the sabjis every day in the restaurant.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Dr. Kapoor is waiting?

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Śatadhanya Mahārāja and I have formed the welcoming committee, and we're going to greet all of the guests when they come. We're having... The guesthouse will be empty tonight and cleaned up and all arrangements made for their stay there. That's as much as I've been able to do to date, because I don't know what Svarūpa Dāmodara has done. That's all I'm able to find out. There was nothing done as far as that goes-greeting the people and seeing that their living arrangements are made. They've made a temporary kitchen over in the Gurukula building for cooking, and we're seeing that the prasādam is... We're going to go over the menu, that that is all nice and nicely served. I'm waiting for...

Prabhupāda: And what about the conference place?

Bhavānanda: The conference place is being cleaned up now.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is this preparation?

Jayapatākā: It's wheat that's chipped. It's called bulgar wheat. It's wheat that's chipped into small pieces so that's it's... It's like oversized suji, about three times the size of suji, and that's just boiled and cooked with oil and some gur and spices. Or it can also be cooked with vegetables and spices. It's supposed to be nutritious, healthy, strength-giving food. Māyāpur Muslims tried to get the other Muslims in other villages not to take it because it was being given by us, but they said, "Why we shouldn't take? Just because you're giving them trouble doesn't mean we shouldn't take." So now they've all rebelled, and they're all taking now prasādam. He gave us address where we can get powdered milk possibly also.

Prabhupāda: It is mixed with powder milk?

Jayapatākā: What we have right now isn't mixed with powdered milk. We want to mix powdered milk with it, but this department ran out of powdered milk, so another department has it. This is... They give oil to cook it in, like halavā type, vegetable oil. It's like a cereal that they have in the West, in America and some places. Like dalya, they call in Western India.

Prabhupāda: They take it relishably?

Jayapatākā: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: How much they can take?

Jayapatākā: Well, the government calculates that each person gets 80 grams of dalya and 7 grams of oil, and when that's cooked that comes to nearly about four, five hundred grams cooked per head. It's about three, four clay cups.

Kīrtanānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, if we could prop you up for a few minutes you could clear all that mucus out. It would come out much easier. Can we do that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Come over here, Pisimā.

Upendra: This side.

Prabhupāda: (converses with sister in Bengali) Somebody may be sent to Imlital Math to call her son.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: The prasādam will be ready in about five minutes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They're just cooking the puris now. The halavā is done, and the sabji is almost ready. (break)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The prasādam is here, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Purī Mahārāja: (laughs) There is so much prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, not so much.

Prabhupāda: What you have given?

Purī Mahārāja: Puri, halavā and gulabjamin. You have prepared very costly feast.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, but we... I also say that as your sister Pisimā is here, whenever you like, she may cook something and you take. And take Yamunā jala, little sweet lemon juice. I mean take things also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: As you are doing. Not fast. No... You shouldn't artificially fast or stop eating.

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is suicidal.

Room Conversation -- October 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You can get local brāhmaṇa to assist us. Perform the yajña little gorgeously, that's all. If you can distribute to the local brāhmaṇas, important, some (indistinct) silk cloth, and grains, and..., they will come. And let them cook themselves and take prasādam and do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Hari-śauri: I think the local brāhmaṇas will be very pleased to be connected with the opening of such a big temple.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You'll have to sit up. Is that all right? (break) These are very favorite preparations. Today is Rāma Vijaya Utsava. Also the appearance day of Śrī Madhvācārya. So you should have a feast today, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (laughter) So maybe Pisimā should do some cooking to celebrate this day. It is a very big... Dr. Ghosh told me that amongst the Bengali community...

Prabhupāda: No, all over India.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And also Durgā-pūjā is today.

Prabhupāda: Vijayotsava. Today Rāmacandra conquered over Rāvaṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So to celebrate that, shouldn't Pisimā do some cooking?

Prabhupāda: Hm. Lugdu.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And you'll taste a little of each thing?

Prabhupāda: Hm. I'll take.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Pisimā: Luci.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. She will cook a feast to celebrate the day, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and you have to also take part. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...such a way he'll call laughing. Gravity should be maintained. And laughing means taking things trifling. That is not allowed. This is the etiquette. That is what we are teaching. You are simple, but this is the etiquette. Understand me right or not?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We understand very well. We apologize that we were taking too lightly.

Prabhupāda: So, whatever Nava-yogendra has presented, let it be sold and utilized...

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yadubara is good devotee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yadubara is a good devotee. Very dedicated devotee. You remember he cooked bati chachury(?) very nice also for you. He was cooking for you in Hrishikesh, massaging. Very intelligent.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: His wife is also intelligent, Viśākhā.

Prabhupāda: Yadubara has become first devotee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Has become first, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: First devotee before his wife.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I cooked some boiled rice, boiled it for a long time, and some plantain. (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good for stopping diarrhea. I think you should take some, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Instead of taking the medicine, take a little of this prasādam. Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: All right, I'll try to take.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One thing I've seen is that although you're passing stool more, you're not passing out more, too much in sense of total amount of... Urine is less now. You're passing less urine. Stool is coming more, but urine is less.

Prabhupāda: No, that is natural.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. We were vagabonds. We were loitering in the street, and you invited us into your home. That's actually a fact. You fed us prasādam, cooked for us. You taught us how to be human beings.

Pañca-draviḍa: Just like these Gurukula kids. You have also taught us even how to dress ourself.

Jayādvaita: And you brought us to Vṛndāvana, richest place.

Pañca-draviḍa: Full of desire trees and jewels.

Prabhupāda: You can provide five hundred students very easily.

Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayādvaita: The president is Guṇa-grāhī Prabhu. He's been a devotee for a long time. The management is also very nicely going on. (break) You sent Bhavānanda there many years ago when they were in Brooklyn and ordered him to make the devotees happy. And ever since then, they've been peaceful... (indistinct) Even before that. I remember when I first came to New York, when the storefront was there. I came on Sunday, and there were so many different preparations. Haṁsadūta Mahārāja was cooking. And so many different preparations. And after taking that feast I decided that I would not leave—"This is too nice." So they're going on, still very opulent, sumptuous prasādam. And people are deciding that "Oh, this is very nice. Let us not leave. Let us go on taking prasādam." And in the restaurant very respectable people come. (pause)

Prabhupāda: You read some more.

Jayādvaita: Yes, with great pleasure. Teachings of Lord Kapiladeva.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa.

Jayādvaita: Kṛṣṇa book. Any particular part that you'd like to hear, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Anywhere. From Second Part.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I read something.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ah, I see. That's why actually we cannot allow anyone else to cook for you.

Prabhupāda: That is good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jayapatāka Mahārāja was telling that one ācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, of the Śaṅkarācārya line—this was a while ago—he was poisoned to death. Since that time, none of the ācāryas or the gurus of the Śaṅkarācārya line will ever take any food cooked except by their own men.

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. You, of course, have been so merciful that sometimes you would take prasāda cooked by so many different people.

Prabhupāda: That should be stopped.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bullock, you get the cow dung.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cook with it.

Jayapatākā: In this part of India it's very cold now for Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: Underneath the tree it is not cold.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You sound like you are very determined to go, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Daytime we expose in the sunshine, and camp underneath a tree at night. That has to be arranged.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. And we shall make our cooking there and...

Lokanātha: We should start early.

Prabhupāda: He has got experience. Dig the ground and make our foodstuff. Very good picnic.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Very good picnic.

Haṁsadūta: If we go to Govardhana, we would take the prasādam that was prepared here and bring it there, so that many people can take.

Prabhupāda: I have no objection.

Lokanātha: Or otherwise we can make real picnic. We could collect some grains there from door to door and cook some khicuṛi there.

Prabhupāda: That will be very nice.

Page Title:Cooking (Conversations 1977)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:09 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=108, Let=0
No. of Quotes:108