Prabhupada and Himavati devi dasi (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"Himavati" |"Himavati's"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Himavatī: Vyāsadeva, you say, lived with his wife and children in a cottage, and people would come and bring them foodstuff from the village. Now, the four divisions of brahma cārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and so on, I thought that the gṛhasthas' duties in the āśrama, varṇāśrama-dharma, was to supply the other three.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Himavatī: How is this...? How is this connected with Vyāsadeva and his situation?

Prabhupāda: Vāsudeva?

Devotees: Vyāsadeva.

Prabhupāda: Vyāsadeva? Vyāsadeva was a gṛhastha. He was a householder man. He was brāhmaṇa.

Himavatī: But he had no luxuries.

Prabhupāda: No. Those who will depend on the charities and alms of the society, they are not allowed to make any luxury at the cost of others. They can simply ask help for the bare necessities of life.

Himavatī: And that's permitted to the gṛhasthas?

Prabhupāda: No. Gṛhastha, when a brāhmaṇa is gṛhastha, he shall be a teacher. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. Generally, the brāhmaṇas, those who are gṛhasthas... There are four varṇas, or division of castes. The brāhmaṇas, they are generally teachers, priests, and writers, philosophers. So society requires all these things, so they take up this charge. And the kṣatriyas, they are administrators, so they rule over the country. They exact taxes from the citizens. They live on the tax, and the brāhmaṇas, on the contribution of the public. Just like we are teaching, we are living on the contribution of the public. The public knows that there is an important institution. They are giving good lessons. So public contributes. So we can accept contribution. But a king is not allowed to take contribution. Because he is administrator, he can tax, so his source of income is tax. And the brāhmaṇas' source of income is contribution because they are rendering transcendental service. Similarly, the vaiśyas or the mercantile class, their means of living-trade, cow protection, and agriculture. And those who are śūdras, laborer class, they will serve these three higher classes, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, because they have no independent means. They cannot do anything, neither they are educated, nor they are king, princely order, nor they have money to do business. Therefore they have to serve.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

Himāvatī: Swami, many people also think that "If you're sinful, how can church help you? What is the use of going to church?"

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you... That will be discussed. This is the point. This is being discussed. It is not the... It is not the question of atheism. Their point is "What is the use of going to the church?" But the use is that if he goes to the church, if he actually hears about, I mean to say, glorious life, to become devotee, to understand God, then the utilization of going to the church is all right. But if he goes with that spirit that "I shall go to the church and my sinful activities will be counteracted by giving some bribe and going to the church. Then it is very good..." But his motive is different. Churchgoing is not for that purpose. That is a facility.

Just like we are preaching, "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12)—your sinful activities will be counteracted. Kṛṣṇa says that 'You just surrender unto Me and I shall give you protection from the sinful acts.' " So if I think, "It is very good. Then I shall go to Kṛṣṇa. I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and He will protect me from the sinful reaction. So it is a great opportunity. You become Kṛṣṇa conscious and commit all sinful activities, Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." And that will create certainly atheism: "What is this bogus thing?" But that does not mean... So, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa takes charge of your past sinful activities. But that does not mean that I shall remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, at the same time I shall go on committing sin. This, for this facility, if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is most sinful, that "I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness because whatever sinful activities I shall do, it will be counteracted by Kṛṣṇa." So that will create certainly atheism, that "What is this bogus talk?" Do you follow? Yes. But that is not meant for.

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Jagāi Mādhāi on the condition that they will not commit any more sinful activities. So whatever they have committed, that is excused. Just like I am also accepting. Not that on the condition that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and whatever you do, it will be counteracted. We are not making that condition. We are making condition that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Whatever sinful activities you have done, that will be squared up. But you don't do any more. Don't have illicit sex, don't drink, don't do this, don't do this. So you must take it in that (indistinct). Whatever you have done, that is no disqualification. That will be squared up. But not that on the strength of your Kṛṣṇa consciousness you'll do again. So these people are misunderstanding that "Church is giving me some facility that 'All right, whatever you have committed, that you confess. It is excused.' " But if the church and the people make a business that "All right, throughout the whole week let me commit all kinds of sins and on Sunday it will be all counteracted..."

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nehru, yes. Nehru was such a rascal that he came... Ramakrishna Mission has a big hospital in Vṛndāvana. So on the opening day he came from Delhi by helicopter. He stayed there the whole day. He came in the morning, and the function took place in the evening. Or in daytime. He left the same day. But he did not visit a single temple. You see? Such an atheist he was.

Haṁsadūta: He was also involved in that Jagannātha... There were many carvings on the temple, and he had some of them destroyed, at the Jagannātha temple.

Prabhupāda: What it is? What he is destroyed?

Himāvatī: It was a sun temple. They worship the sun.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, yes.

Himāvatī: And there are many obscene statues, so he came to that temple and said, "What is this?" and he had them destroyed.

Prabhupāda: He was a great rascal. Change this water.

Revatīnandana: You saved us from all these rascals, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Revatīnandana: You saved us from all these rascals.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Himāvatī: You saved us from all these rascals. You're the only one who told us these kind of people are...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: Because if Nehru was a rascal, then what was Johnson and Nixon? What are they?

Prabhupāda: They are also rascals. All these politicians, they are rascals. Yes. That is Kali-yuga. Where king was like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, now he is Johnson and Nehru. So how people will be happy?

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

Haṁsadūta: Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja told us about the monkeys in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Yes. There are many monkeys.

Himāvatī: Big monkeys.

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Himāvatī: No?

Prabhupāda: That is Bengal. That is called Hanumān.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

Devotee: Acyutānanda said he was making capatis one day, and there was a little, a nail this thin especially to keep the monkeys out, holding the door closed. So he heard a sound outside and thought somebody was coming, and, sure enough, the nail was lifted to see, and a monkey popped in, got his capatis and ran.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they are very clever.

Himāvatī: But after all, they're human beings also.

Prabhupāda: Monkey is the last species of life before being promoted to the human being. There are three animals: monkey and cow, and tiger. Lion... Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

Devotee: They use the term Caucasian to designate those persons who...

Prabhupāda: Not only Europeans. The Kashmir side of this Afghanistan, Baluchistan and Punjab, they are all white.

Devotee: Caucasaus Mountains is near Afghanistan.

Prabhupāda: Yes. All white. In Punjab, you'll find, they are as white as Europeans. Oh, yes. Kashmir.

Himāvatī: Also in Vṛndāvana (indistinct). And they're tall.

Prabhupāda: Tall. So Aryan family, whole Aryans, they are white. And śūdras are called kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, black.

Revatīnandana: But the śūdras have handsome bodily features also. In Amritsar the people have, I think, handsome bodily features.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Aryan family, the structure of body... From the... There is a science called physiognomy. No? Yes. So it can be ascertained. But we have got forget all these material. We have to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.