Prabhupada and Nandarani devi dasi (Lectures and Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"Nandarani"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Nandarāṇī: When householder women raise their children in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this seems to be an indirect service for Kṛṣṇa. Should they try to serve Him more directly by, you know, maybe cooking in the temple or being, you know, something like this, more directly, or is raising children and just having the household function, is that enough service? Is that enough service?

Prabhupāda: Yes, the thing is we should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Just like electrification. Touching electricity by one wire, another joining another, another wire, if the touch is there factual, then the electricity is everywhere. Similarly if our Kṛṣṇa consciousness is rightly connected, then there is no question of direct or indirect. Because absolute world there is no difference. As soon as it is touched with the direct connection... That is called disciplic succession. Because the connection is coming down one after another, so if we touch here, the spiritual master who is connected by the same way, then the electric connection is there. There is no question of direct or indirect. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Simply we have to see whether the connection is disconnected. If the connection is there, tight, then the electricity come without fail. So in our conditioned stage there will be so many doubts, so many implication. But the same thing as I gave you example, that don't be very much hasty to receive the result immediately. Simply we have to follow. We have to follow.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Yes. The important thing is that you're working for Kṛṣṇa. That is important. You see? And māyā is calling; that is not very important. If you engage yourself, keep yourself engaged in Kṛṣṇa's activities, then māyā, even calling, she will not be, I mean, able to call you back. She will call. That is quite natural. But you stick to your business. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). You will find in the Seventh Chapter. If we stick to the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, māyā will not be able to react upon us.

Revatīnandana: That means that eventually we'll stop being distracted?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Eventually māyā will fail to attract you. She will fail. You will not fail. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nandarāṇī, you are feeling well? Feeling well?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tonight we have that engagement, so if it's all right, the saṅkīrtana party, we want to show you...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. You show and go.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tasmād ekena manasā

bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ

śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca

dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā

(SB 1.2.14)

(devotees chant responsively)

Prabhupāda: Where is Nandarāṇī?

Devotee: She's in the kitchen, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: All right. Go on. Any other ladies? (woman chants) That's all. So read the word meaning.

Festival Lectures

Jagannatha Deities Installation Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.13-14 -- San Francisco, March 23, 1967:

Guest (3): No, well, I mean, well, you know, I'm still young and I didn't know what I mean. I don't know what I'm...

Prabhupāda: So here don't talk (indistinct). That I am speaking, that you have to know in this process. We are all "don't knows." So we have to know. This is the process. Yes?

Nandarāṇī: But since we don't yet understand the supreme law, because we are young and just new to this, how can we speak about it without saying...?

Prabhupāda: Therefore you have to hear. First thing is śrotavyaḥ. You have to hear. Unless you hear, how can you speak? We are, therefore, giving you facility to hear. You hear, and then you can speak. Then you can think. We are giving all facilities: to hear, to speak, to think, to worship. This is the Society's work. Unless you hear, how can you speak? The first, I mean, task is given, śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā. These are the process. You have to hear, and hearing you have to repeat, chant. And then you have to think. You have to worship. These are the processes. Yes.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 2, 1968:

Prabhupāda:

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-

śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī

kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye

(CC Madhya 6.254)

This verse was composed by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. You know Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya? You have not heard?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Who was he? Who was Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya?

Nandarāṇī: He was a great impersonalist who was converted by Lord Caitanya to Vaiṣṇavism.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And Nandarāṇī knows better than you. (laughter) So girls are intelligent. Yes. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a great impersonalist and a great logician. The impersonalist school, amongst them, there are very, very learned scholars. Śaṅkarācārya himself, he was unique scholar. At the age of eight years only, he studied all the Vedas. And not only he studied, he became a critical student, Śaṅkarācārya. He was incarnation of Lord Śiva; therefore nobody can be compared with him.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead takes pleasure when He's addressed with His devotee's name, with His energy's name. Devotee's also His energy. So He has no father. He is father of everyone. But He accepts some devotee. A devotee wants Kṛṣṇa as his son; therefore Kṛṣṇa accepts a devotee as His father. So nobody can become His father but a devotee... Just like this girl, Nandarāṇī, is raising her daughter, always giving service. The child is accepting service from the parents. Her business is only to accept. Torture and accept service. So devotees accept Kṛṣṇa as son so that Kṛṣṇa may simply torture them and accept service. That is the policy. Because the devotee want to render service, so this is the best way of service rendering. The child will draw always service. So this conception, fatherhood of the Absolute Truth, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is undoubtedly very good, but there is no service. Father is meant for exacting: "Father, give me this. Father, give me this." And here, the Vaiṣṇava conception, to accept the Supreme as child to render service. Not to accept. No parents accept any service from the child, but he simply gives service.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

Nandarāṇī: Is our rasa with Kṛṣṇa already established? I mean, is it eternal? Or do we, can we attain...

Prabhupāda: No. It is already established. You have got eternal relationship. When you become liberated, you realize that your relationship is with Kṛṣṇa like this. You'll develop that taste, whether in śānta-rasa or dāsya-rasa or mādhurya-rasa or vātsalya-rasa. But that is not to be imitated at the present moment. When we are actually liberated. To come to that stage, the routine work, regulative work, should be followed: chanting, hearing, worshiping, following the regulative principles. In this way, gradually, as we are purified, we come to the pure consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then at once we understand, "My relationship with Kṛṣṇa is like this." And you are transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka in that humor.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda? I spoke to Puruṣottama. He is coming here.

Prabhupāda: Coming?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Brahmānanda said, "Do you know what you are doing to me, Tamāla? Now I have to do all the work here." So he said, "But it's all right." (Prabhupāda laughs) Number-one man.

Prabhupāda: So you may send somebody to help him.

Nandarāṇī: Who is coming? (pause)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Puruṣottama. He said it was all right because Puruṣottama can still get a lot of advertisements for Back to Godhead in Los Angeles area.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you can.

Devotee: When's he coming?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm not sure. Maybe next week.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk During Prasada After Kirtana -- November 8, 1968, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He mentioned other religious people, and he said if we can just keep the crowd moving, then we have every right to be there. So he has given us right to go to Hollywood. In downtown Los Angeles we don't have that right yet. We'll still go there, but in Hollywood it is all right. So that's good enough.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. It is Kṛṣṇa's grace. I was telling the same thing to Dayānanda, that he should present this case to the higher officer. That's all. We are preaching God consciousness. We should be given... That was the Vedic law. Saintly persons, they should be given all protection. If somebody insulted a saintly person, there was a special punishment for that. That's all right. So you take that house, that is Hollywood quarter? Hm. Give him more. No. I have got. You take. Oh, Nandarāṇī is outside? Why she is outside?

Woman: It's the baby.

Prabhupāda: Baby was not disturbing. I have received one letter from San Francisco. They are shortage of men. So Dinadayal is going back?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh no. We need more men here. (Prabhupāda laughs) We are so short. That is the problem. We have too few people here. Dīnadayālu is so essential. I was just going to ask you if we could have some more men. Jayarāma...

Prabhupāda: Create men. Bring some men.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation After Interview with Religious Editor, Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: We discussed various difficulties that have been happening in Australia, and that Tamāla Kṛṣṇa should go there and help for..., just for visit, just to help. And then they will report to you.

Prabhupāda: What is Iran's business going on? I got some good report from Nandarāṇī that she is in contact with the Shah's daughter, princess. Is that a fact?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Well, Nandarāṇī Prabhu is doing very well. She's got a Gurukula, a school for the Indian children, they are being well attended. Also Mahārāja, Parivrājakācārya Svāmī, he has been in touch with the Shah's daughter and he's been preaching to them.

Prabhupāda: Shah's son-in-law is interested, I have heard.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, he is interested.

Prabhupāda: That's good. They are enlightened, the daughter and the son-in-law both?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Well, they are both interested, but they are also very much...

Prabhupāda: Biased. They are also biased.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is natural.

Conversation After Interview with Religious Editor, Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Yes, he's good electrician. So where he is employed?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: He's employed with one of my clients.

Prabhupāda: Oh. What salary?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Sperry, Sperry Univac.

Prabhupāda: What salary he is getting?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Ah, he's getting about twelve, thirteen hundred dollars now.

Prabhupāda: Salary? Yes. He was getting in America six hundred. (laughs) Getting double.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: And he will get a lot more and more. He will get a lot more. And he is..., we have our regular programs, he brings people from business, we all bring people, and the prasādam and chanting and lecture. It's very nice.

Prabhupāda: And so Nandarāṇī is also working?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: She is happy. She, for a while she taught at a karmī school, from that school...

Prabhupāda: She has got experience.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, she's very good.

Prabhupāda: Both of them are very intelligent. And Nandarāṇī is more intelligent than her husband. (laughs) I know that.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: I find that he is very intelligent, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Ah, Dayānanda.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: He is intelligent, but Nandarāṇī is still more intelligent. (laughs) I know that. Both of them are intelligent, but this girl appears to be more intelligent. That's all right. What about their daughters?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: They are there. They're very happy.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: You grow banana?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: No, the banana is imported.

Parivrājakācārya: From South America, they bring bananas.

Prabhupāda: Grapes? Grapes you have got.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Grapes, apple. Where is your eldest child?

Nandarāṇī: This is Candramukhī.

Prabhupāda: Oh. I saw you in Los Angeles?

Nandarāṇī: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You have got two or three girls?

Nandarāṇī: Just two.

Prabhupāda: Two. Is there arrangement for preparing khicuḍi with green peas?

Nandarāṇī: With mung?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: With green peas.

Nandarāṇī: With green peas. Yes.

Prabhupāda: So make little khicuḍi and curry and okra vegetable.

Nandarāṇī: All right. We have chaturi (?)and parāṭā. You want that also?

Prabhupāda: Oh, you have already made?

Nandarāṇī: But I can make khicuḍi, that's all right.

Prabhupāda: Oh. I'll take also little parāṭā. Where is bathroom?

Dayānanda: There's another room for resting. And you can go out this door, this here, and bathroom is on the other side of this resting room.

Prabhupāda: That is all right.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Let me show you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Apart from form, we are, when we talk of God, at least we assume that He has form. They are offering prayers. Whom they are offering prayer?

Nandarāṇī: Allah.

Prabhupāda: Allah. So if Allah cannot hear, then what is the use of offering prayers? If we are offering prayer, so Allah must hear it. Then He will be pleased upon you. So if He has no capacity to hear, then what is the use of your prayer? This is the logic. He must have capacity to hear what I am offering, prayers, "My Lord, Your Lordship is so great You have created this universe," or "You are maintaining so many...," these things are there. So what is the purpose? That appreciating the uncommon activities of the Lord. This is prayer. What else? What do they mean by prayer? What is the meaning of that prayer?

Nandarāṇī: Their prayers are for glorification of God.

Prabhupāda: Glorification means to recite the glorified activities. So He has got activities. Prayers describing the glorified activities. Just like our prayers also. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). The Lord is tending cows and He's surrounded by so many goddesses of fortune, gopīs, these things are described. Cintāmaṇi-prakara. So the Lord's activities, Lord's place, how He is surrounded by other devotees or servitors, how He is tending, these are prayers. So what is their prayer? Did you try to understand? What do they offer?

Nandarāṇī: Allah allandallah(?) is a common...

Prabhupāda: That is their word, but what is the meaning?

Nandarāṇī: "God is great."

Prabhupāda: God is great, but how He is great?

Nandarāṇī: That is not emphasized, how He is great, just that He is great.