The brāhmaṇa had to pay no tax. Only kṣatriyas, they were tax collector. And śūdra also, they had no property; therefore there was no tax. Only the vaiśya class, the productive class, they had to pay tax. And that tax also was very simple. There was no encroachment. You simply give one fourth of your profit to the government. That's all. No more tax. Sales tax, this tax, income tax, excise tax, this tax—simply tax, tax, tax. No. Not like that. Whatever he has got profit. "Got" means whatever profit he has made... If he has no profit, there is no tax. That was the government system. So how he will pay if he has not made any profit this year? Just like we are hearing there is no good monsoon in India this year. So there will be no very much good production. But if there is no good production, the government should not levy any tax. But now, at the present moment, "You go to hell, but you must pay the tax. And we divide the tax amongst ourself." That's all. Finished. Or we employ the taxes for fighting, for declaring war. That's all.
Monsoon
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
The sun, moon, rainbow and lightning do not appear in the sky simultaneously. When there is sun, the moonlight becomes insignificant, and if there are clouds and a rainbow, there is no manifestation of lightning. The Lord's bodily hue is just like a new monsoon cloud. He is compared herein to the cloud. The white umbrella over His head is compared to the sun. The movement of the bunch-hair fan of flukes is compared to the moon. The showers of flowers are compared to the stars. His yellow garments are compared to the rainbow. So all these activities of the firmament, being impossible simultaneous factors, cannot be adjusted by comparison. The adjustment is possible only when we think of the inconceivable potency of the Lord. The Lord is all-powerful, and in His presence anything impossible can be made possible by His inconceivable energy. But the situation created at the time of His passing on the roads of Dvārakā was beautiful and could not be compared to anything besides the description of natural phenomena.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
He stayed there during the monsoon months to fulfill his purpose. Lord Balarāma and the other residents of the city, not recognizing him, offered him all honor and hospitality.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Pradyumna, the third manifestation, appears from Saṅkarṣaṇa. Those who are especially intelligent worship this Pradyumna expansion of Saṅkarṣaṇa as the principle of the intelligence. The goddess of fortune always chants the glories of Pradyumna in the place known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa, and she always serves Him with great devotion. His complexion appears sometimes golden and sometimes bluish like new monsoon clouds in the sky. He is the origin of the creation of the material world, and He has invested His creative principle in Cupid. It is by His direction only that all men and demigods and other living entities function with energy for regeneration.
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Prabhupāda: And what about the N.O.C.? No-Objection Certificate?
Brahmānanda: I don't know the details, but Pālikā said that they are..., the holes have been dug and they're expecting to put the foundation in before the monsoon. And that there was some attempt to stop the some digging. but that has been defeated. When I was there there was question about getting the No-Objection Certificate for the already-existing temple.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Professor La Combe: It will be very hot now in Bombay.
Prabhupāda: Now it might be raining.
Professor La Combe: Yes, it might be raining.
Prabhupāda: Because from 10th June monsoon begins. Bombay is not too hot as Vṛndāvana, as Vṛndāvana.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: I started during monsoon, (laughs) in September.
Brahmānanda: It's monsoon and then...
Prabhupāda: Not September, August.
Brahmānanda: August. And in the Atlantic that's the hurricane season.
Harikeśa: So would it be beneficial to try to understand the process of production? Like the example of the earth coming from the water. Because the water evaporates, there is left over minerals and salts and all these things...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Harikeśa: And the fire producing the water from excess heat. Like in the summer season and then the monsoon comes. And fire from air, from the friction generating electric current. But the air from the ether needs an example.
Prabhupāda: Air from the ether because when the air blows, you find the sound, sshhhh. That is ether.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Jayapatāka: This is about four feet. It used to be ten feet high. This used to be ten feet high. (break) ...the top during the monsoon. But according to the Ganges level the water is going up and down.
Prabhupāda: Now what is the depth?
Jayapatāka: It's about twelve feet now.
Prabhupāda: So raining stopped here?
Driver: For three days stopped, sir. Otherwise, it was very heavy.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's monsoon, it will still rain.
Prabhupāda: Throughout whole Europe there is not a drop of water.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They're getting suffering now.
Prabhupāda: All, no cloud.
Prabhupāda: We have no tap water here?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We have tap water, but it's not drinking water. I mean it needs to be boiled. In Delhi you can drink the tap water, they say it's okay, but in Bombay it's very risky to drink tap water. Especially in monsoon.
Prabhupāda: Whole Europe, there is no cloud, no rain.
Dr. Patel: There's lot of rain here.
Prabhupāda: Fortunate vṛṣṭi. Still India fortunate. I'm coming from London, Paris, and Tehran. All fields yellow. And Europe, so much scorching heat and sunshine, I never seen. Especially in London. This time I saw everything has become yellow. Greenness gone.
Dr. Patel: The non-monsoon countries can produce more food than the monsoon countries. The monsoon comes only three months in a year. Those people get rain all year 'round, they can grow better crops. This is how so many parts of North America and Europe, they can have sufficient crops all the year. We can't have it here.
Prabhupāda: No, there is scarcity of water also. They are killing the animal premature. They cannot do it. It has come to this point.
Prabhupāda: What is the flood situation?
Gargamuni: Very mild monsoon this year. Almost drought. Almost. Very mild. Very little rain.
Prabhupāda: Rain is not very strong.
Gargamuni: No. Monsoon is not strong.
Jayapatākā: Our aus(?) crop has been hampered because of lack of rain and early monsoon. Only in the past week there's been a little rain. Otherwise, before, there was very little rain. Not fully drought...
Gargamuni: But less rain than previous years.
Gargamuni: The weather there is very nice because the monsoon is mild. It is very nice, cool weather.
Prabhupāda: I have got a bad impression, Bengal during rainy season.
Gargamuni: Yes, right.
Prabhupāda: Is it not? No, it was not rainy season. This season. Otherwise any season in Bengal, they are very good.
Mahāṁśa: It's not very good soil but there is... Right around this rocky area there is this... Research people from the central government, they have brought out a grass called Dinanath, lord of the poor, and they say that you can put this grass in the monsoon time, put the seeds in, just plow it and put the seeds and it's a very sturdy grass. It will grow for the whole year. And the cows can graze there.
Prabhupāda: So do that.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So Vṛndāvana we may not go? What is the wrong there?
Hari-śauri: About a week.
Gargamuni: Yes. 'Cause when does monsoon start here? In June? Starts very early.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Ah, yes. In June.
Gargamuni: So we have to go before.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kashmir is part of India, a province. (pause) Then if you get your health back in May, that will be very nice. Regarding that tīrtha yatra, this going in the monsoon, it doesn't seem like a good time. June and July, those are not good months for touring India.
Prabhupāda: No, if we get good response, we can spend little more.
Mahāṁśa: Actually now, in the monsoons, we're going to take up a lot of cultivation. This is watermelon juice.
Prabhupāda: So give it to the Deity and distribute prasādam.
Prabhupāda: So this can be given to the Deities, these flowers.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're very nice. Are they scented?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Some... We have another one. It has 108 petals exactly. It's white when full bloomed. Just started, this monsoon. The full season will come sometime in August, August and September. Lotus are everywhere, these flowers, on either side of the road, and all lakes full of lotuses.
Prabhupāda: Pineapple, your country is famous for pineapple.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Pineapple is very sweet. This is another season, but in about three weeks the larger variety will come. This is a little smaller type. The bigger ones, big. And it is green outside, but it's very sweet, full of juice. The hillsides all covered with pineapples, and it's very cheap.
Prabhupāda: So Calcutta, there was rain.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. The farming is very good this time in our side, Bengal and Assam and Manipur, so much rain from the south. And I saw from the plane that everything is already green.
Correspondence
1972 Correspondence
Four lakhs sounds like a reasonable price for that house. I have given you one lakh, ten thousand, already, so balance you try to raise funds, but if there is scarcity there will be no trouble, we shall supply. One thing is, as soon as you send me, jointly signed, a statement of how the money I gave you was spent, along with vouchers, then I can arrange more in future, as there may be some need to move swiftly before the monsoon comes. So try to do it very nicely, quickly, and sagaciously.
The report is quite encouraging to me, and I think that the way you are proceding is nice. But one thing is, I have included one photograph of our proposed skyscraper to be built up in Los Angeles at ISKCON World Headquarters, and so I want that our skyscraper in Juhu should also be looking like this. I do not like the round towers you have proposed, it is too fanciful. Simply add Govindaji's temple, as you and Saurabha have drawn it, add it onto this skyscraper in the enclosed photo, then you will have per Juhu plan. Monsoon in Bombay begins in middle of June, and last year it was early, in May, so how you can get all drawings finish approved by city council and begin the foundations before monsoon. I do not think it is possible, but you can try for it, that is right.
So far the construction work during monsoon season you may take several quotations for different contractors and accept the best one. If you can get materials donated as you have with the temporary temple structure, that is the best plan. So during rainy season, you may also work at acquiring materials such as sand, bricks, stone chips, etc.
I am very happy to hear the things are going nicely in Mayapur. I do not hear very often what is going on there, but from your description I can understand that it must be very nice there now in this monsoon season.
Your letters of December 23, 1972, are in hand, along with the very nice photos of the Vrndaban work, as well as the balance sheet and account of materials and supplies. I am very very pleased to see the photos how the construction is progressing very rapidly under your expert supervision. It appears that at last something is being done solid work. Now you have promised me that it will be completed by Janmastami next, therefore I am completely relying upon you to fulfill your promise to me. Of course you will have to go quickly before the monsoon by June, but I think by that time there will be sufficient roof to keep everything dry from the rains. If you can construct nice temple in Vrndaban for me in this way, I shall be eternally grateful.
1973 Correspondence
Yes, you are feeling increase in strength with increase in service, and I am not the actual bestower of mercy, rather I am just a messenger for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So just work hard for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His mercy will fall upon you like torrents of rain in the monsoon season.
1975 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your telegram which read as follows: MISSED YOUR GRACE BY HOURS AGREEMENT DRAFT FOR FARM LAND SENT TO YOU PLEASE SANCTION RS 30,000 URGENT TRANSFER TO PREPARE FOR UTILIZING THIS MONSOON -MAHAMSA SWAMI. But, I have not received the draft copy as informed by you. Regarding the money, rs. 30,000, of course, if need be, it must be paid, but one thing is that you must be very careful that our temple portion must be completed by Janmastami so that the Deity can be moved there. This is very important that the temple portion be completed by Janmastami.
I have received one telegram from Mahamsa Swami which reads as follows: MISSED YOUR GRACE BY HOURS AGREEMENT DRAFT FOR FARM LAND SENT TO YOU PLEASE SANCTION RS 30,000 URGENT TRANSFER TO PREPARE FOR UTILIZING THIS MONSOON—MAHAMSA SWAMI. So, they have agreed to our terms and made a draft agreement form which I have not yet seen. Anyway, as stipulated before, that you will come back to India after setting things up there in London and Frankfurt, the monsoon begins by the latest, July in that part of India, so you have to come back sometime in the month of June. And immediately, you have to send Mahamsa Swami 4,000 dollars. So, do the needful and be in correspondence with Mahamsa Swami at Hyderabad.
1976 Correspondence
It is not possible to give you definite answer on the land of Mr. Bhargava at this time. We have to wait to see what is the condition of the land during monsoon. If it is not too disturbed we can take it. We will have to wait until July at least to decide. If we get the Kailash Mandir land and this land has a Gosala, it will be a good combination.
I do not think that it will be a good idea to construct my residence over the Gurukula as it will be very noisy with the children there so close. You can begin the "kutir" as you mentioned by the side of the present tank, but it may require some trees and flowers and plants, then it will be alright. It is alright to have the guest rooms as shown in the plan of 3-6-76. I like the idea of being near the west gate as I want to go to the Ganges daily and during the summer I can take bath there. It may not be a good idea to start immediately as the monsoon will check the work. The monsoon rains have already begun so how you can work? Who will take the contract to construct my house? It has been suggested that perhaps the kitchen should be separate from the house (like in my Vrindaban house) as there is sometimes much noise coming from the kitchen. You can think this over.
| Page Title: | Monsoon |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Tugomera |
| Created: | 20 of Dec, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=2, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=14, Let=10 |
| No. of Quotes: | 29 |