Candanācārya: One time, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said: "I will go to hell," but none of your disciples accepted that.
Prajāpati: Actually, coming to this country, this is hell.
Prabhupāda: No, I am not in hell. I am with the devotees, so how can I say I am in hell? (laughs) (break) Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vās: "My duty is to serve my guru and live with the devotees." That is Kṛṣṇa's grace. "My mission is to serve my guru, but live with the devotees."
- tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vās
- janame janame mor ei abhilāṣ
- (Nāma-saṅkīrtana 7)
"This is my desire, life after life." A guru or bhakta does not aspire that he is going to Vaikuṇṭha, Kṛṣṇa. "Never mind." But their only desire, his only desire, is that to serve the predecessor ācārya and live with devotee. That's all. This is the only ambition. (break) . . . says, tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ (Padma Purāṇa). Where . . . the place where the devotees are glorifying the Lord, Kṛṣṇa is there. So if Kṛṣṇa is there with the devotees, then wherever devotees are there, that is Vaikuṇṭha. That is Vaikuṇṭha.
Just like our temple. It is Vaikuṇṭha. Because the devotees are chanting the glories of the Lord, so that is Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha is not limited. Vaikuṇṭha . . . as Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself, similarly, Vaikuṇṭha can also be expand, Vṛndāvana can expand. So wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, that is Vai . . . and where is not Kṛṣṇa? And that is to be appreciated. Then if anyone appreciates Kṛṣṇa everywhere, then he is living in the Vaikuṇṭha; he is not living in hell or Los Angeles. (break)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: . . . where pure devotee goes, that place is immediately purified as soon as he is there.
Prabhupāda: Yes, because Kṛṣṇa helps. As soon as the pure devotee sings, Kṛṣṇa immediately comes there. So it becomes Vaikuṇṭha.