Being engaged in receiving all the friends, relatives and residents of Vṛndāvana on that holy occasion, she forgot to feed the child milk. He was crying, being hungry, but Mother Yaśodā could not hear Him cry because of the various noises. The child, however, became angry because He was hungry and His mother was not paying attention to Him. So He lifted His legs and began to kick His lotus feet just like an ordinary child. Baby Kṛṣṇa had been placed underneath a hand-driven cart, and while He was kicking His legs, He accidentally touched the wheel of the cart, and it collapsed. Various kinds of utensils and dishes made of brass and other metals had been piled up in the handcart, and they all fell down with a great noise. The wheel of the cart separated from the axle, and the spokes of the wheel were all broken and scattered hither and thither.
Brass
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Gold, jewels, pearls and valuable stones were used in the luxurious royal ceremonies. They are all nature's gifts and are produced by the hills, oceans, etc., by the order of the Lord, when man does not waste his valuable time in producing unwanted things in the name of necessities. By so-called development of industrial enterprises, they are now using pots of gutta-percha instead of metals like gold, silver, brass and copper. They are using margarine instead of purified butter, and one fourth of the city population has no shelter.
SB Canto 5
Rūpa Gosvāmī has also said that the price for achieving God's favor is simply one's sincere eagerness to have it (laulyam ekaṁ mūlyam). In the Caitanya-bhāgavata it is said:
- kholāvecā sevakera dekha bhāgya-sīmā
- brahmā śiva kāṅde yāra dekhiyā mahimā
- dhane jane pāṇḍitye kṛṣere nāhi pāi
- kevala bhaktira vaśa caitanya-gosāñi
"Behold the great fortune of the devotee Kholāvecā. Lord Brahmā and Śiva shed tears upon seeing his greatness. One cannot attain Lord Kṛṣṇa by any amount of wealth, followers, or learning. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is controlled only by pure devotion." Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had a very sincere devotee whose name was Kholāvecā Śrīdhara and whose only business was to sell pots made of the skin of banana trees. Whatever income he had, he used fifty percent for the worship of mother Ganges, and with the other fifty percent he provided for his necessities. On the whole, he was so very poor that he lived in a cottage that had a broken roof with many holes in it. He could not afford brass utensils, and therefore he drank water from an iron pot. Nevertheless, he was a great devotee of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a typical example of how a poor man with no material possessions can become a most exalted devotee of the Lord. The conclusion is that one cannot attain shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Caitanya Gosāñi through material opulence; that shelter is attainable only by pure devotional service.
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (CC Madhya 19.167)
"One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service."
SB Canto 7
Economic development is necessary for gṛhasthas. Brāhmaṇa gṛhasthas should be satisfied with a life of adhyayana, adhyāpana, yajana and yājana—being learned scholars, teaching others to be scholars, learning how to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and also teaching others how to worship Lord Viṣṇu, or even the demigods. A brāhmaṇa should do this without remuneration, but he is allowed to accept charity from a person whom he teaches how to be a human being. As for the kṣatriyas, they are supposed to be the kings of the land, and the land should be distributed to the vaiśyas for agricultural activities, cow protection and trade. Śūdras must work; sometimes they should engage in occupational duties as cloth manufacturers, weavers, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, brass-smiths, and so on, or else they should engage in hard labor to produce food grains.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
The Lord saw Mathurā, with its tall gates and household entrances made of crystal, its immense archways and main doors of gold, its granaries and other storehouses of copper and brass, and its impregnable moats. Beautifying the city were pleasant gardens and parks. The main intersections were fashioned of gold, and there were mansions with private pleasure gardens, along with guildhalls and many other buildings. Mathurā resounded with the calls of peacocks and pet turtledoves, who sat in the small openings of the lattice windows and on the gem-studded floors, and also on the columned balconies and on the ornate rafters in front of the houses. These balconies and rafters were adorned with vaidūrya stones, diamonds, crystal quartz, sapphires, coral, pearls and emeralds. All the royal avenues and commercial streets were sprinkled with water, as were the side roads and courtyards, and flower garlands, newly grown sprouts, parched grains and rice had been scattered about everywhere. Gracing the houses' doorways were elaborately decorated pots filled with water, which were bedecked with mango leaves, smeared with yogurt and sandalwood paste, and encircled by flower petals and ribbons. Near the pots were flags, rows of lamps, bunches of flowers and the trunks of banana and betel-nut trees.
In the construction of that city could be seen the full scientific knowledge and architectural skill of Viśvakarmā. There were wide avenues, commercial roads and courtyards laid out on ample plots of land; there were splendid parks, and also gardens stocked with trees and creepers from the heavenly planets. The gateway towers were topped with golden turrets touching the sky, and their upper levels were fashioned of crystal quartz. The gold-covered houses were adorned in front with golden pots and on top with jeweled roofs, and their floors were inlaid with precious emeralds. Beside the houses stood treasury buildings, warehouses, and stables for fine horses, all built of silver and brass. Each residence had a watchtower, and also a temple for its household deity. Filled with citizens of all four social orders, the city was especially beautified by the palaces of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the Yadus.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
The car was also decorated with silken cloth and various pictures. Many brass bells, gongs and ankle bells rang.
The process of mystic yoga, the speculative method for searching out the Supreme Absolute Truth, does not appeal to one who is always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. A devotee is not at all interested in speculative activities. Instead of cultivating speculative knowledge or practicing mystic yoga, a devotee should worship the Deity in the temple and continuously engage in the Lord's service. Temple Deity worship is realized by the devotees to be the same as direct service to the Lord. The Deity is known as the arcā-vigraha or arcā-avatāra, an incarnation of the Supreme Lord in the form of a material manifestation (brass, stone or wood). Ultimately there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa manifest in matter or Kṛṣṇa manifest in spirit because both are His energies. For Kṛṣṇa, there is no distinction between matter and spirit. His manifestation in material form, therefore, is as good as His original form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). A devotee constantly engaged in Deity worship according to the rules and regulations laid down in the śāstras and given by the spiritual master realizes gradually that he is in direct contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he loses all interest in so-called meditation, yoga practice and mental speculation.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
So He lifted His legs and began to kick His lotus feet just like an ordinary child. Baby Kṛṣṇa had been placed underneath a hand-driven cart, and while He was kicking His legs, He accidentally touched the wheel of the cart, and it collapsed. Various kinds of utensils and dishes made of brass and other metals had been piled up in the handcart, and they all fell down with a great noise. The wheel of the cart separated from the axle, and the spokes of the wheel were all broken and scattered hither and thither. Mother Yaśodā and all the gopīs, as well as Mahārāja Nanda and the cowherd men, were astonished as to how the cart could have collapsed by itself. All the men and women who were assembled for the holy function crowded around and began to suggest how the cart might have collapsed. No one could ascertain the cause, but some small children who were entrusted to play with baby Kṛṣṇa informed the crowd that it was due to Kṛṣṇa's striking His feet against the wheel.
After Akrūra's departure, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the cowherd boys entered Mathurā to see the city. They observed that the gate of Mathurā was made of first-class marble, very well constructed, and that the doors were made of pure gold. There were gorgeous orchards and gardens all around, and the whole city was encircled by canals so that no enemy could enter very easily. They saw that all the crossroads were decorated with gold and that there were copper and brass storehouses for stocking grain. And there were many rich men's houses, all appearing symmetrical, as if constructed by one engineer. The houses were decorated with costly jewels, and each and every house had nice compounds of trees bearing fruits and flowers. The corridors and verandas of the houses were decorated with silk cloth and embroidery work in jewels and pearls. In front of the balcony windows were pigeons and peacocks walking and cooing.
The impersonalists would not dare believe that in the spiritual world there are such varieties of enjoyment, but in order to demonstrate the factual, ever-blissful enjoyment in the spiritual world, Lord Kṛṣṇa descended to this planet and showed that the spiritual world is not devoid of such pleasurable facilities of life. The only difference is that in the spiritual world such facilities are eternal, never-ending occurrences, whereas in the material world they are simply impermanent perverted reflections. When Lord Kṛṣṇa was engaged in such enjoyment, the Gandharvas and professional musicians would glorify Him with melodious musical concerts, accompanied by kettledrums, mṛdaṅgas and other drums, along with stringed instruments and brass bugles, and the whole atmosphere would change into a greatly festive celebration. In a festive mood, the wives of the Lord would sometimes sprinkle water on the His body with a syringelike instrument, and the Lord would similarly wet the bodies of the queens. When Kṛṣṇa and the queens engaged themselves in these pastimes, it seemed as if the heavenly king Yakṣarāja were engaged in pastimes with his many wives.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
The Supreme Brahman, He has got different, diverse energies. As soon as He desires, everything is done immediately.
If I have to manufacture this stand, oh, I'll have to arrange for so many things. I'll have to go to the brass smith and ask him and give him some money and so many things. But the parāsya śaktir... If I have got... Even a, even a yogi, even a yogi, there is a prāpti-siddhi. You have heard the name of yoga. The yoga system is not so plaything as we have got so many branches in America. They are playthings.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
He is hundred times, thousand, million times better than brāhmaṇa. But because he is born in a Muhammadan family, he was, another name... The Vaiṣṇava never says, "Yavana-Haridāsa." He is "Nāmācārya Haridāsa." Vaiṣṇava... Why he should be yavana? Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Nobody should consider a Vaiṣṇava belonging to this caste, that caste, no. Just like here. The Deity is there. Everyone knows that Deity is made of brass metal. But that is not metal. Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa in any other way at present, therefore Kṛṣṇa has appeared as made of metal. But He is not metal. Or even if He is metal, still He's Kṛṣṇa because everything is Kṛṣṇa. So arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. We should not consider like that.
A poor man would prefer to eat on the plantain leaf. And the rich men, they eat on silver utensils. They do not even like to, I mean to say, brass or other base metals.
So this is very good economy also. If you... If you have got metal utensils, if you are in need of money, you can get immediately in exchange some money. There are pawn shops. So they will keep anything, a gold Banarsi sari, or metal utensils or ornaments, if you are need of... Village bankers. Immediately. Poor man... Suppose if you require five rupees, ten rupees. You haven't got, but what..., how to get the money? You take something from your household paraphernalia and go to the pawn-maker. You get money. You are now relieved from the present anxiety. Then again you get back. But what is this china, clay, the china pots and this plastic pot will bring? No, nothing. From economic point of view, this is also very good. So depend on nature.
No, that is not for the advanced stage. Those who cannot... Just like the materialistic persons, they cannot understand why we are worshiping Deity. They are puzzled. They think, "Why these fools are taking one brass doll and worshiping as God?" They laugh. You see? They cannot understand. They are hard... What is called? It is impossible for them. Therefore they have been recommended that "You think of God, the universal form." That they like, their meditation, that universal form. They cannot understand or concentrate on this form, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), dvi-bhuja-muralīdhāra, Śyāmasundara form. They cannot. But by this arca process we are giving chance to everyone. But for the materialistic person it is difficult. They think that they are idol worshipers. But actually, the Vaiṣṇavas, they are not so fools that they will worship an idol. Therefore they have been recommended to concentrate on the universal form.
You have all come here early in the morning, and... So does it mean that you are all fools? You have come to see a brass idol is being worshiped here? So anyone who considers the Deity as arcye śilā-dhīḥ, made of stone, made of brass, made of wood, that is nārakī-buddhiḥ. Arcye śilā-dhīḥ. Śilā. Śilā means stone. So those who are unaware of the Vedic knowledge, they consider that this is idol worship. It is not idol worship. It is directly worshiping the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord has, by His mercy, descended to accept your service. If you want to dress the Supreme Lord, if you take His virāḍ-rūpa, universal form, where is your cloth and how you can dress? Eh? You haven't got so much cloth. In spite of having so many mills, you cannot dress the virāṭ form. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by His omnipotency, He becomes a smaller just to be handled by you. That is His mercy.
This is the substance of all instruction. Believe Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Believe that there is Kṛṣṇa. Innocent child will believe, but our brain is so dull, we will inquire, "Whether the Deity is made of stone or brass or wood," because we are not innocent. We are thinking that this Deity is something made of brass. Even it is brass, a brass is not God? Brass is also God. Because Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir..., apareyam..., bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Everything is Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa there is no existence. So why Kṛṣṇa cannot appear as He likes? He can appear in brass. He can appear in stone. He can appear in wood. He can appear in jewel. He can appear in painting. Any way He can... That is all-powerful. But we have to take it that "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Don't take it that "Kṛṣṇa is separate from this Deity, and here we have got a brass form Deity." No. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Advaita. He has multi-expansion, but they're all one.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja knows it, that naiṣā parāvara-matir bhavato: "You have no such thing as discriminating." So one may say that "I may... I am foolish, I may not surrender to Kṛṣṇa cent percent, but why He is not kind cent percent?" So that is Kṛṣṇa's discrimination. Why He should? He can... He can become cent percent, but He does not do so. That means Kṛṣṇa is sentient; He is not impersonal. Don't think that whatever you are doing, Kṛṣṇa cannot see. In the Deity room, if you think that "This Deity is made of brass. Whatever nonsense I can do, He does not see," no, He can see everything. Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti. He sees. You rascal, you do not know how Kṛṣṇa sees. You think that "He has these brass-made eyes. He cannot see. I can do all nonsense with..." No. That is not. He can see everything. Paśyanti pānti. Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. He can see with His lotus feet. He can see with His hand. We can see simply with our eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can see with all the... Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. You have seen. Kṛṣṇa is playing the flute.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So we have to prepare the eyes. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When you make your eyes nirmala, when you give up all these titular designations—"I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am black," "I am white..." These are all designations. When you give up, become brahma bhutaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54)—"I am nothing of this; I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa"—when you come to this consciousness, you will see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is always there. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa. A devotee's seeing factual Kṛṣṇa, and nondevotee's seeing a brass doll. That's all. Kṛṣṇa is here. Why they say, "Where is your Kṛṣṇa?" Here is Kṛṣṇa. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, he challenged Prahlāda Mahārāja, "Where is your Kṛṣṇa? All right, let me kill you. Let your God come and protect you." So the atheist class, they say like that. But one who has got training in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has got eyes to see Kṛṣṇa always. If here is not Kṛṣṇa, then all the ācāryas, they installed Deity in so many millions of temples, they're all fools and rascals? They ask us to worship some stone and wood? No. Kṛṣṇa is there, but we haven't got eyes to see. That is the difference. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as soon as He saw Jagannātha at Purī, Jagannātha at..., immediately fainted: "Here is My Lord." Fainted.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
He does not accept this mayic body. Etad īśanam īśasya. That is the, I mean to say, power, omnipotency of Kṛṣṇa. Even He accepts this material body, it does not mean that He is material. Just like we see the Deity, the Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity, in our front. Everyone will say, "Oh, this is a Deity made of brass, material." But no, it is not material. You have to study in that way. Arcye viṣṇu śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. These are nārakī buddhi. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. The Deity as material, śiladhiḥ, considering as metal or stone or wood, and guruṣu nara-matiḥ, and guru as ordinary human being. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ: a Vaiṣṇava, to consider, "Here is American Vaiṣṇava and here is a brāhmaṇa vaiṣṇava." No, Vaiṣṇava is Vaiṣṇava. This is absolute. Guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Guru, although he is appearing like human being, he should not be considered. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). These are the injunction of the śāstras. Suppose we are worshiping here. The Māyāvādī will say, "They are worshiping a brass, metal Deity." So are we so fools that we are spending so much money for worshiping a lump of metal? That they do not know.
Festival Lectures
So we should discriminate between lust and love. Love cannot be accepted unless it is reposed in Kṛṣṇa. That is love. And all other, everything, that is lust. It appears to be similar, but love and lust, there is so much difference of value. Just like gold and iron. Gold and iron. Real love is gold, and the so-called love, or lust, is iron. How you can evaluate gold and iron on the same level? It is not possible. So you have to learn real love. That is how to love Kṛṣṇa. Our whole process is training people how to love Kṛṣṇa. Just like this temple. For Kṛṣṇa we are all engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, nice throne, Kṛṣṇa nicely dressed. But the atheist will say, "These people are foolish. They have taken a brass idol, and they are engaged." That is false. Actually, we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. We are dressing Kṛṣṇa directly. We are offering flower, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has kindly accepted the arca-mūrti incarnation to be handled by me. Otherwise just like Arjuna saw the virata-mūrti, the universal form of Kṛṣṇa. He was tremble; he was afraid. He requested Kṛṣṇa, "Please become again just like my friend. This is very fearful." Yes.
So we have to keep ourself always in the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; then everything is all right. (laughs) Otherwise, it will become dull and it will be simply idol worship. That's all. That is the difference between idol worship and Deity worship. If there is no life, then it is idol worship, hedonism. And when there is life, feeling, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Here is Kṛṣṇa. Oh, I have to serve Kṛṣṇa, I have to dress Him, I have to serve Rādhārāṇī, She is here. Oh, I must do it very nicely. And as far as possible decorate Her to the best capacity." In this way, if you always feel Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you are fire. The same example, keeping with the fire. And if you think it is a brass-made doll, I mean to say, idol... Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). If you think this is a brass-made idol, then it will remain a brass-made idol to you forever. But if you elevate yourself to higher platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa, this Kṛṣṇa, will talk with you. This Kṛṣṇa will talk with you.
General Lectures
The oriental tale, or analysis, has it, however, that we have a good deal more time. The Kali-yuga, or age of heavy metal entanglement, iron age, lasts 432,000 years, and we're only five thousand years into it. So there is 428..., 427,000 years to go. In a conversation with Swami Bhaktivedanta today, I was inquiring more about the details of the mythology, which are found in a book called the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. He explained that according to Hindu analysis we are five thousand years into the descent from a lighter age, the age of brass, the disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa, an aspect of the Hindu Deity Viṣṇu, preserver, or perhaps the supreme form of the preserver aspect of the universe, of ourselves, or of Viṣṇu. The disappearance of Kṛṣṇa, mythologically or historically, is five thousand years ago. We're five thousand years into the age of iron, and we have ten thousand years in which to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, which is to say, repeating the name of the aspect of the preservation, hope, that particular vibration of dancing joy transcending our cosmopolitical words. We have ten thousand for that play before there is a total descent into one-foot-tall monsters who eat each other up for meat because all the vegetables have disappeared, because DDT has completely geared out any biological life form except mammals who go around eating each other at that point.
So one who performs this yoga system, how to increase love for Kṛṣṇa, that's all, then you understand everything. The Vedas, they confirm it. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then everything will be understood. Because Kṛṣṇa is everything, God is everything. To understand Kṛṣṇa, simply this attachment... Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Āsakti means attachment. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is... We are teaching people, our students especially, how to increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Why this temple? They are feeling that "We are sitting in Kṛṣṇa's presence. Kṛṣṇa is so nicely dressed. I am dressing." Otherwise, from atheistic point of view, you see that "Why these people are bothering like this? They have taken a brass idol and wasting time after it?" They can say like that. Because they have no love for Kṛṣṇa. But one who has love for Kṛṣṇa, he sees, "Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He's accepting my dressing. I am crowning. I am garlanding." That is a feeling.
Don't think that you are worshiping some doll. No. As the post office kindly places a box before your house to facilitate your business, similarly Kṛṣṇa, goloka eva nivasati, He is living in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, but He expands Himself as Deity to accept your humble service. Never consider that the Deity is made of stone or brass or wood or like that. Brass, wood, stone—everything is Kṛṣṇa because everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Me, "It is Mine." So everything is Kṛṣṇa's, and from everything, Kṛṣṇa can appear and accept your service. This is the philosophy. He can appear Himself through stone because stone is His energy.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: It may have been eternally existing.
Prabhupāda: How eternally existing? The tree is not eternally existing. This brass pot is metal. Somebody has made it.
Śyāmasundara: He says that God... He defines God as the active relation between the ideal and the actual.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are active in God's service. People are thinking, "What service they are doing? They should be giving service to the country, to society, and they are making ārati and brass idols." They are thinking like that. But for us it is practical.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So far we are gross men. So we must have Deity worship. Otherwise you can worship Deity anywhere, sit down and think, just like this brāhmaṇa was thinking. Because Kṛṣṇa is available in any way, because He is everything. But the method must be there. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano (BG 7.4). So mind is also another material thing. So if you think of Kṛṣṇa's form within the body, mind, it is as good as you worship the Deity in the temples made of brass or wood or stone. Because both of them are Kṛṣṇa's energies. So whatever possible, He can accept. And that is Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore the energy is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can accept your service in any of these material. So-called material. Actually there is no material things.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Brass you have got?
Paramahaṁsa: Would you like?
Prabhupāda: No, you add mercury, then give. The kāvirājī medicines, they mix mercury and sulphur, and then tin, and some other medicine, that make makaradhvaja, and it looks like gold. Svarṇa-sindhura, the name is svarṇa-sindhura, "vermillion of gold." That is a medicine. It looks like gold. The some medicine, they mix mercury and sulphuric acid first of all, and then with some other thing. Mercury cannot be directly heated. It must be mixed with sulphuric acid.
Prabhupāda: Cooking, of course, you can get pots, brass pots.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the problem. Why not make brass?
Bharadvāja: Out of brass? Bronze is harder. Bronze is harder.
Prabhupāda: No, why harder? You can make softer. Metal...
Kīrtanānanda: Gold is softer still. It will be much more brilliant in brass than bronze.
Bharadvāja: Generally...
Prabhupāda: Brass, just like our Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities in Māyāpur, how dazzling. Here also, in Boston.
Prabhupāda: Brass is best, next to gold or silver.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: In Kanpur there is a brahmacārī aśrama. Sometimes gṛhasthas, they invite the brahmacārīs to feed them, and when a brahmacārī is initiated, they give them this pot. So that brahmacārī aśrama, the man who is maintaining, he occasionally collects these pots, so, and he sells all these pots to a brass merchant. People give sacred thread, a pot. As they give in charity to the brāhmaṇas, they give in charity to the brahmacārīs.
Correspondence
1966 Correspondence
I have in view a very nice building for sale which is just the suitable for a temple to start with. The land of the house is about 19' x 100' and although it is two storied it has a basement under ground and therefore it can be taken as three stories. It is nicely built with air conditioning and heating arrangement with marble staircase brass railings just suitable for a temple. The whole area is about 450 sq. feet and they are asking for 100,000 dollars that is five laks of rupees. And after purchasing the house we can build another story upon it with temple dome and cakra etc. So the estimate is about seven lakhs of rupees and for the present let us start in such way.
1968 Correspondence
The Radha Krishna statues prepared by Gaurasundara have been dispatched to Los Angeles through Aniruddha, and they are going to be cast in yellow brass. If one pair is successful then we shall get many pairs and one of the pairs shall be installed in your Santa Fe temple.
Please don't feel lonely. Krishna is always with you and I shall pray for you and to Krishna also that you may make progress more and more in this faithful discharge of duties in Krishna Consciousness.
Please work combinedly with respect to develop a very nice Temple, and Mukunda has the transcendental ambition to construct our own temple there, and try to cooperate with him. Stop the idea of casting for the present, unless we see one pair nicely made, we cannot order 17 pairs. If actually he has made such statues nicely, never mind in other forms, made of yellow brass, I shall be glad to see it.
Last night we had one lecture at Stanford University; it was not as good as last year, but not bad, the students all danced and made some contribution, and bought our literature. At one Unitarian church on Sunday we sold $20.00 of literature. And in N.Y. we have news that in the park many people are joining in, and they are collecting very nicely. We are trying to purchase one house here, and most probably your S.F. branch will have its own house very soon. We are not interested in having our own house, but we should always remember, why Krishna should remain in a rented house? Although everything belongs to Him, still our energy should remain employed so that we can have many temples all over the country. I have asked quotations from India about brass statues 24" high, and unless I get the quotations you can stop for now the casting. But if possible, I may see a sample of his work.
Regarding Murli Manohar Murti, I understand that the Patels are ready to present silver Murti, but we cannot worship Murli Manohar alone, without being accompanied by His most favorite consort Radharani. You know that we worship Radha's Krishna. We should always understand that Krishna is sold to the loving service of Radha, therefore Krishna cannot be alone. And the Gaudiya Vaisnavas they want to see Krishna as Radha's property. Therefore, if Mr. Patel can present a Pair of Radha Krishna Murti, not less than 18" in height, never mind even They are made of yellow brass metal, that will be very nice. And if They are made of silver, that is still more nice. And it will be my great pleasure to install the Murtis in the temple as soon as They are ready. If it is possible to rent a bigger place for our temple, even without possessing the same as our property, I think that will be a great facility. I understand that new men are now coming in the temple. You may consult with the Patels about this and do the needful. Thank you all very much for your doing nicely in San Francisco.
Another thing, regarding Deities: I understand from Jaya Govinda's letter that Sethji wants to contribute two Pair of Deities provided the freight is paid by somebody else. So I agree to this proposal. Kindly arrange to send at least two Pairs of Radha Krishna Deities, brass, as per specification given to you before.
1969 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I hope by this time you have safely reached your home and everything is going well. When you were here I requested you to connect with me some of your tenants at Natoon Bazar selling brass utensils. I want many pairs of Navadvipa-made karatalas, so please introduce to me some of your very reliable tenants, and I shall send you the money for purchase. The supplier should pack it nicely in a gunny bag. We have got our own shipping agents: Msgrs United Shipping Corporation, 14/2 Old China Bazar Street, Room #18, Calcutta-1), and they will take care of the shipping. I have already shown you samples of karatalas while you were sitting in my room, and I hope you will help me in this connection.
I do not know if you were able to visit our Hawaii, Honolulu temple. Perhaps you were unable. Anyway, I shall be glad to hear from you about your pleasant journey from Los Angeles to Calcutta by Japan.
Regarding Nara Narayana, I never advised him to organize a Sankirtana Party in New York. From the very beginning he was entrusted to cast Radha-Krishna murtis in brass. He tried it in so many ways but it was not practical. So at the present moment he is engaged there in preparing a dias and decorations for the temple. That should be his business. Next, if it is possible, let him cast some plaster of Paris Radha-Krishna murtis of the size you have got in the New York temple. If not, he may go for a few days to New Vrindaban and make schemes and plans for residential quarters and press accommodations, etc. If possible, Advaita may also go with him for a few days. In this connection correspondence may be opened with Hayagriva and Kirtanananda.
In the meantime, if you think brass deities can be done in New York, please let me know what will be the cost per pair. If not 24" high, they should be of the same size we have got in New York. When you were here you told me the cost will be about $40. If you can manufacture for even $50 per pair, you should manufacture immediately five or six pairs, and I will provide you with the money. But first be sure what will be the actual price and whether you will be able to do it. After finishing with this murti business, you can immediately begin the construction work in New Vrindaban.
I have seen the plans for New Vrindaban, and I can understand that you have a great talent in house planning also. This will be fully utilized in the matter of our developing our New Vrindaban scheme when I go there. In the meantime, please let me know if you can get some pairs of Radha-Krishna deities in some brass foundry there. This is the immediate important work for you. You have asked in your letter to Purusottama if you should observe the lists of 44 offenses and 44 regulations for deity worship, and the answer is no; there is no need of this for the present.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated January 30, 1969, and I am always very pleased when I hear from you. You have mentioned in your letter that you have been making plans to build a shrine, and when you are able to, please send these plans to me so I may see what you have in mind. I am also pleased to note that Vamanadeva and yourself are seriously taking steps to begin the project of making thrones for the deities in all of our temples. In New York, Nara Narayana is going to try again to have brass deities made from the mold made from the deities in New York. Similarly, there is the possibility of obtaining deities from India in the near future. So in either of these cases, we can expect many new pairs of deities before very long, and such thrones as you are planning to work on will be an essential addition to all of our temples.
P.S. When you come please bring my Indian Lota made of brass.
As I have been informed by Jaya Govinda das Brahmacari, you are holding the following items:
Package 1. one pair of 10 1/2" brass R-K Murtis with jewelry and clothing
Package 2. one pair of 13" brass R-K Murtis with jewelry and clothing
Package 3. one mrdangam
Package 4. one harmonium—with double reeds, with 7 stops, full cover
Package 5. 30 cartons incense, each carton containing 12 boxes
Package 6. 1,400 Assorted Brijbasi pictures
8 dozen Assorted brass incense holders
2 dozen red candana malas
50 odd Srimad-Bhagavatam prospectus
16 Easy Journey To Other Planets
and personal effects amounting to 3 pairs brass cymbals, 4 old copies of Back To Godhead 8 wooden incense holders, 5 tubes incense, 7 tulsi malas from Vrindaban with kuntis and counter beads, regular items for performance of puja namely, conch, 5-light lamp, incense holder, cup and spoon, one set of Srimad-Bhagavatams, notes, etc. In addition, 8 bundles of books were sent to you by Atma Ram & Sons, containing Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vol. One—104 copies, Vol. Two—110 copies, Vol. Three—46 copies.
I beg to hand you herewith one Bank Draft in your favor for Rs 825.00 for credit of my above a/c. The purpose of sending this money is to purchase Brass Deities from Vrindaban. Arrangement has been mad that Sri Ramnath Mukutwala of Lohi Bazar, Vrindaban, will supply Radha-Krishna Brass Murtis, 24" high, at Rs 825.00 per pair. So please call him and pay him in advance Rs 100.00. After manufacturing the Murtis, he will securely pack and book the parcel to Calcutta by Ry Parcel. On delivery of the Ry receipt to you, along with the invoice you will pay him the balance Rs 725.00, including packing and forwarding charge. This Ry receipt, his invoice along with your certificate to the Reserve Bank of Calcutta that money paid to Ramanath Mukutwala is American Exchange received by you on such and such date, all the documents may be forwarded by Regd. Post with asked due to M/s United Shipping Corporation, 14/2 Old China Bazar Street, Calcutta-1, and they will take care of shipping the package to the U.S.A. The money paid to Ramanath Mukutwala and your commission for this transaction may be charged against my above a/c.
Vora wants to be our supplying agent, we have no objection. Let him make arrangement for supplying these goods as I have described, first quality and good price, and book it through a reliable shipping agent or through Scindia Steam Navigation Co. There will be regular business, and he will make good profit. But ask him not to make more than 10% profit over purchasing price. You may also ask him to bring with him a pair of cookers which are available in Pydhani brass utensil shops. The cost will be about $3.00, so if he can bring with him at least two cookers, that will be very nice. So things are explained above as far as possible, and now you can arrange with him.
Regarding Gayatri Mantra, Arundhati's insistence is not very good. If she wants to offer prasadam to the Deities, she can simply chant Hare Krishna Mantra. There is no need of chanting Gayatri Mantra. One has to be formally accepted by the Spiritual Master for this, so you can tell her this fact. That is not the system. For the time being, if Arundhati wants to offer prasadam, the Hare Krishna Mantra will do.
Just now I am in correspondence with the Gaudiya Mission secretary, and I have promised also to help them if they will take up this work. I have not as yet received any reply from them. I have also asked them to help us in so many ways. Immediately I am in need of some supplies from India. They are as follows: 1) regular supply of 10 first class mrdangas every month. 2) regular supply of 50 pairs of Navadvipa-made karatalas every month. 3) at least two dozen pairs of Radha-Krishna Murtis, made of brass and 24" high. Besides these things, I require many other articles like temple paraphernalia.
You are living in Gwalior, and I have heard that Gwalior is a good place where marble statues are manufactured. Can you give me any information if Radha-Krishna Murtis can be had from Gwalior. If so, can you supply us such Murtis from Gwalior or else brass Murtis from Mathura. That will be a great help for me. I think Mathura is your birth place and your parents are there. So if you can manage to supply me brass Murtis of different sizes, then it will be a great help to me for propaganda work. We may require many other things, either from Gwalior or Mathura, and I shall be glad to hear from you about this. I think Gwalior is manufacturing musical instruments also.
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 2nd, 1969, and I have noted the contents. Yesterday, the writings by you and Himavati were very much appreciated. I understand Krishna has given you very good opportunity for service in Berkeley. You both together apply your full energy in organizing this center. It has very good potency, and I am very glad to learn that you have got a nice house also and the rent is also not very high. But unfortunately you have only one year's lease, so how you can install a lifesize Deity there? Therefore, for the time being to install a lifesize Deity may not be feasible; but if you can pay 250 dollars, I will get for you from India 24" high brass Radha-Krishna Deities, one pair, for installing in Berkeley.
I understand that you will remain at Jagannatha Puri for some time, so if you like to supply us some goods from there, you can make some profit out of it. If you kindly send me quotations for the following goods, I would appreciate it very much: 1) Jagannatha Deity set—Lord Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra of all different sizes. 2) Silverwares made in Cuttack 3) brass utensils like jhanj, karatalas, and worshiping materials, 4) conchshells, and 5) saris made in Orissa and adjoining places. If you like to purchase these goods on our behalf, then I shall send you money, and if you desire, you can add some percentage for your profit on the purchase price. In this way, if you pack up these goods nicely and send to the nearest port for dispatching, then you can do very good business and make some profit. So I hope you will give me some price quotations immediately for the above things and let me know if you are interested in doing this business.
P.S. The brass deities must be packed securely in wooden box while shipping.
1970 Correspondence
Another work is that we require many first class mrdangas and karatalas and Radha Krsna Murtis either from Vrindaban (brass) or Jaipur (marble), and I shall be glad to know if you can help us in this respect. In the meantime, I am advised to dispatch two copies of "Back to Godhead" by Air Mail Post to your present address in New Delhi. Please try for it New Delhi because it is the place where only educated and enlightened Indians are staying in hundreds and thousands, and I think if you work steadily, it will be possible to enroll many thousands of subscribers. So in your next letter if you kindly let me know how you can help me in the above mentioned suggested program, we shall think of our future activities.
I am also enclosing herewith a picture of the Deities in our London Temple. These Deities were donated by one London Devotee, Mr. Goyal, and they were purchased from Jaipur. The Deities contributed by Dalmia Jayan Trust and Birla Trust (5 Pairs) are made in Vrindaban, 24 inches high brass Deities, but these London Deities are made of first-class marble from Jaipur, and they are 42 inches high.
I understand that four pairs of Murtis have already been donated by your Trust through correspondence with the Secretary of the Dalmia Jayan Trust. But I want many hundreds of pairs of such Murtis. Generally in our Temples we install 24 inches high brass Murtis or 42 inches high marble Murtis. A picture of our London Deities is sent herewith for your inspection.
Regarding your cooperation, I have got many things to ask from you, but because you are a 70 year retired man I do not wish to overburden you. For the time being if you kindly help us by sending some goods from Vrndavana just like some chanting beads, some brass murtis, gopi-candana tilaka and similar other things. I understand that you have got business in Allahabad, so if your sons and grandsons there can supply us Banarasi dhoti and saris from Benares as well as some brass utensils from there, this is one thing.
Besides that, next year I am contemplating to send a World Sankirtana Party, therefore I wish to have a nice place in India either in Vrndavana or at Prayag Sangam. So I shall be glad to know if you can help us in this connection.
1971 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 20th April, 1971 as well as the enclosed calendar. Thank you very much. I hope by now you have sent one copy to Boston for printing.
I am very glad that things are going on so nicely there. In the meantime I have received one letter from L.A. that they have not received any document for the brass Deities dispatched there. Two pairs of Deities were to be dispatched to L.A. and Boston out of the three sets given by Dalmia. One is there already and the other two were to go to Boston and L.A. I have received news from Boston that they have received one set but L.A. complains that they have not received. What happened? When some men go there to Calcutta from here, they will take one big pair of marble Deities for installation there; the brass Dieties from Gorakhpur will be installed in Mayapur. So please let me know about the Deities shipped to L.A.; to whom the documents were sent and why they have not received them as of yet.
P.S. Also the brass pair of Radha Krishna Murtis meant for L.A. has no trace as yet. Whether Jayapataka has shipped them or not. Inform this matter by wire & oblige. L.A. temple is going on very nice. ACB Important
In L.A. they have not yet received the 24" brass Deities. How is that? Jayapataka Swami told me that they were taken to the shipping godown, but what happened next? Please clear up this matter immediately.
As of yet, I have not heard from you concerning our Mayapur program. Is the fence being constructed? What news of Indira Gandhi? Please let me know. I am very anxious to hear from you in this connection.
One more thing is that you can immediately dispatch 100 more sets of the beads gotten in Mayapur, and send them to London immediately. Just now in L.A. I have initiated 40 new devotees and so the beads are going quickly.
Yes, it is encouraging news that J. Dalmia is favorably inclined toward giving us land in Raman Reti. So let me know when things are finalized. Also two sets brass Deities were promised by the trust. What has happened to them? Another nice news is that all of you women are going out daily for preaching. Very good. Continue it whole heartedly.
At the present please see Dalmia about the two pairs of Deities that are long overdue from them. The fact is that Birla from Calcutta donated four pair brass Deities and Dalmia one pair brass Deity. Out of that, three pair we have received and two are still due. So these Deities should be immediately collected and delivered to Bombay for dispatching to Paris and other places.
And Krishna has made himself available in the form of very nice brass Murtis from Washington D.C. It is not necessary also that Lord Jagannatha come along. Sometimes He is misunderstood also. The Deities can be installed in a temple and then taken for travelling. That will be best. So far Silavati's other questions: The large brass Deities can be bathed the same as the small ones if they can be handled easily; Cooking can go on after the Deities' plate is made. Without offering to the Deity nobody can be supplied, but after the offering if there are so many men and more is required then how can it be stopped?; In Vrindaban dhupa is offered without a flower sometimes, but either way is all right. If a flower can be offered, then that is nice; generally sandalwood paste is offered on the forehead, but on other parts of the body is all right; Kumkum powder should be offered on the feet.
Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter of November 3, 1971. Yes, you may take the 32" brass deities, along with throne and paraphernalia on your tour of many states, and in this way try very nicely to reveal to everyone everywhere you go the ecstasy of arcana worship.
I have answered your several letters, but somehow or other it appears they did not reach you.
I am very much pleased by this travelling Sankirtana program. Kindly execute it nicely, and sell as many books and magazines as possible, so that by reading Krishna philosophy, and by seeing you, they will become fully convinced.
1975 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 3rd, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your purchasing marble Gaura-Nitai deities, it is not necessary when you already have brass ones. Simply take care of the ones that you have very nicely. There is no need for buying others.
Concerning the woman's duty, if she gets married, that does not necessarily mean that she must give up any of her service in the temple or on sankirtana, but she must also see to it that her household duties are not neglected.
| Page Title: | Brass |
| Compiler: | Sahadeva, Mayapur, Rishab |
| Created: | 06 of Apr, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=5, CC=2, OB=4, Lec=16, Con=6, Let=32 |
| No. of Quotes: | 65 |