Gentelmen (Conversations 1977)

Expressions researched:
"gentleman" |"gentleman's" |"gentlemanlike" |"gentlemanliness" |"gentlemanly" |"gentlemen" |"gentlemen's" |"gents"

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I know everything, but I did not say anything.

Yogi Amrit Desai: You knew him before?

Prabhupāda: No. When I went to America one gentleman here, Paramananda Mehra, he gave me an introductory letter. So he received me well. In the beginning I was staying in his care. But I did not say anything, but I knew everything.

Yogi Amrit Desai: I'm sure you did.

Prabhupāda: I was his guest. He was receiving nightly. Of course, I was indirectly saying him that "You are not doing nice," but what more I could do?

Yogi Amrit Desai: I have so much love for you, and I said I must come for a darśana.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: In our childhood I saw. To go weekend to the garden and... Generally they go with family, and others, they go with prostitute. With prostitute they have got freedom to handle. The higher... And not only that, during marriage ceremony, high circle marriage ceremony, they would participate in drinking, even men and women. Otherwise, in India, woman drinking or taking meat is a horrible crime. And what to speak of smoking? That is most shameless. That was aristocratic, drinking and eating meat... The Bengali, they were the richer section because others, they were foreigners. They came to Calcutta and earned money. And the Bengalis, they had their aristocratic families, zamindaries, everything in their occupation. So Bengalis were richer section in Calcutta, and..., four, five big, big families. And now they are finished on account of this aristocracy. So one gentleman, he was Harendranatha Singh, very rich man, one of the richest men of Calcutta. He lost all his estate simply by this extravagance. Every evening his house is full with guests every evening, for... What is called? That table?

Letter to Russian -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There are too many people here. We don't need that many in Bombay for the Bombay construction.

Prabhupāda: So let him come to Bhuvaneśvara. I am going after Kumbhamela. And begin the work immediately. We have got one gentleman, professor. He is good learned scholar. I can engage him for translating.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oriya. Very nice.

Prabhupāda: He has writing... That machine... I can see the manuscript. In this way, arrangement make.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Very good. We just printed two books in Oriya, Topmost Yoga and one more. One more.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So materially wherever I go, there any gentleman I meet, "Oh, you are coming from India, very poor (indistinct)." This is our (indistinct). Not now, fifty years ago in 1930's when one of my godbrothers, one or two they went to London, Lady Willingdon, she was speaking that "You people come here from India and we give you degrees and you earn your livelihood in India. So what you have come to teach us?" That's a fact. We go to England to take the degrees, MRCT, FRCA, barrister or so on, so on, so on.

Indian Lady: (indistinct) with Dr. Khoranna, he has got Nobel prize in America (indistinct). The Indian government (indistinct). And after that...

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

D. D. Desai: That's it. Because the other day when I was reading Howard Hughes and his billion-dollar life, and then also Poli(?), I can say this much, that some of our poorest of Indians are far better off than these gentlemen.

Prabhupāda: Yes, culturally we are better off. Materially, we are certainly very poor. But because we are culturally advanced, even the actual poor man, he does not feel that he is in poverty.

D. D. Desai: Yes, that is the case. That is... There is a basic grace in poverty.

Prabhupāda: That is...

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is possible for a Kṛṣṇa conscious... No other can do it. And that is the bondage. He'll have to work hard for maintaining sex issues. And so long you are bound up by the karmas, you have to accept another body and then continue. Who knows this how we are bound up and conditioned? If you talk in the modern society they will laugh: "What nonsense this man is... 'By sex life one becomes conditioned.' " They cannot understand. Hare Kṛṣṇa... (japa) This should be strictly outlawed, no more sannyāsīs. And those sannyāsīs who have fallen, you get them married, live like a... No more this showbottle, cheating. It is very ludicrous. Even there is a promise that "We shall not fall down again," that is also not believable. What is the use? Better go and speak philosophy in your gṛhastha dress, not this dress, but you have nice coat, pants, gentleman. Who says no? I never said. Rather I shall be glad to see that up-to-date gentlemen with tilaka and śikhā are speaking. That is very prestigious everywhere. Why this false dress?

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. One... Who was speaking, that in...? Some gentleman, he was Feroz(?) Gandhi's friend. He went to America, and he was eating beef like anything.

Dr. Patel: Feroz? He was, Gandhi?

Prabhupāda: Not... No, another Indian leader. He's a Marwari brāhmaṇa.

Dr. Patel: Parsee would never eat beef, sir, huh? I heard they are...

Prabhupāda: No, no. They are eating everything.

Dr. Patel: They don't eat beef.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...day one Hindi gentleman came. He presented a picture, India's map, and all the whole India is full of avatāras: Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, this, that. This is India.

Dr. Patel: They might be vibhūtis. You can call them, but...

Prabhupāda: No, no, same thing. What vibhūtis they have got? Vibhūti of cheating, that's all. (laughter)

Dr. Patel: They are vibhūti anyhow.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is very precarious condition. So we want to give them, all of them, "Come and live." But when you come here, if you get husband we have no objection. But don't canvass. That is not good. And that is making our sannyāsīs fall down. Of course, it is difficult, that young men, young women living, intermingling. But it is... Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to reform everything. Even there there is such desire it should be checked. And that can be checked if one is strictly Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise not possible. So these things should be... Because the Kali-yuga, the more it advances, people will be suffering in so many ways. And the only solace is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, only solution. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he (she) doesn't require husband. He (she) does not require. He... She knows that "Kṛṣṇa is my protector. Why shall I artificially seek after father or...?" And what protection, for a few days either the father or the son or the husband may give? Real protection is Kṛṣṇa. This is temporary, but because we have got this material body we require some. In this way... And this kind of hypocrisy—they have taken sannyāsa and mixing with woman. This is not to be allowed. If you want woman you get yourself married, live respectfully. We have no objection. But this hypocrisy should be stopped. There have been so many fallen down. First of all there will be no sannyāsī anymore. I have got very bad experience. And at least, we are not going to create new sannyāsīs. And those who have fallen down, let them marry, live like respectable gentlemen.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: After all, young man, fallen down—that's all right. It is by nature's way. But marry that girl. That I am insisting from the very beginning, that no friendly liaison. If you want, get one nice... They are, all of them qualified. Get one wife and live like a gentleman. Similarly woman. Live with one husband fastidiously, with children. What is the wrong there? We have so many gṛhastha devotees. You have got children. Pradyumna has got child. Gopāla has... Live with husband, wife. There is no restriction for husband and wife. But what is this nonsense that you take sannyāsa and make relation with...? This should be completely stopped. And in our, this campus, actually those who are eager to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should live, nobody else. We give free food, free apartment, cloth and everything. "Come here. Live. As far as possible we shall provide." But this is specially meant for bhagavad-bhajana.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their theory: "Kṛṣṇa is contaminated. In His young age He's contaminated." Now then why... So-called advanced gentlemen say that "We don't want Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana. We want Kṛṣṇa of Kurukṣetra." They say that. They don't want Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana, dancing with the gopīs. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, the great novelist, he had written on Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-charitra. He has made distinction, that "Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana is different from Kṛṣṇa of Kurukṣetra. Kṛṣṇa of Dvārakā is different." Like that.

Girirāja: Well, if the Vallabhas say that they only like Kṛṣṇa before He was contaminated, so what is the specialty of Kṛṣṇa? Everyone is uncontaminated in a young age.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gurudāsa: Therefore I thought if they have, then you should have.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That's all right. But one gentleman wants to give us a house.

Gurudāsa: Kapoor?

Prabhupāda: Ha, ha. Have you seen that?

Gurudāsa: No. Not yet. I've been too busy. To get to any place you have to walk. But the first thing I did, I got a...

Prabhupāda: Why to walk?

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He's gentleman.

Gurudāsa: Yes, he is. He's offering all his prasāda, and he's following ekādaśī. And he told me yesterday... He showed me a picture of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and yourself. And he said he sleeps on his back, and he puts it on his heart.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Acchā.

Gurudāsa: So he has your picture in his room, etc. So he appreciates.

Prabhupāda: That is nice.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no. Why not take this... Suppose he is attracted by some woman. Let him dress like a gentleman and keep with the woman as husband and wife and preach. What is the wrong there? Whatever is done, you close up that chapter. Now you become a householder. There is no harm. And live as a gentleman householder and preach. But don't play duplicity in the dress of sannyāsī to keep private relations. That is not good. That is duplicity. Better openly become a respectable householder and serve Kṛṣṇa. Our service is main thing, either in this dress or that dress. So if you cannot keep yourself sincerely as a sannyāsī, then get yourself married. But you cannot keep the girl as friend. That is also not good.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is his choice. But we say that "Don't be hypocrite." That's all. If he thinks now he'll be able to continue as a sannyāsī, he'll not fall down, he'll be careful, let him continue. That will depend on his sincerity. But I say that if you cannot remain as a sannyāsī, get yourself married, live like a gentleman and serve Kṛṣṇa. Why should you give up Kṛṣṇa's service? That is my point. As you want to live, any way, comfortably, do it. We never condemned gṛhasthas. If sannyāsa is not suitable for you, you remain as a gṛhastha. What is the wrong there?

Jagadīśa: I'm going to call him this evening.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Rāmeśvara: Brahmānanda.

Jagadīśa: To give him direction.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: This will be extreme cold in river. I have taken bath in the confluence four or five years back. It was not winter, but then it was... It is cold throughout the year because snow melt and keep water very cold.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...gentleman will have a flag in the home.

Dr. Patel: During the times of Moguls you have seen all the pictures with the flag.

Prabhupāda: That was the system. Our Pandit Jawaharlal was keeping one flag also, always.

Dr. Patel: But what prosperity India must have. Those people from Europe tried to find out India and went down there and found America. What prosperity they must have... What prosperity India must have then.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He's right. And he's a very important man.

Rāmeśvara: He has joined this society to defend us. He's now traveling different places in the United States to speak on our behalf.

Prabhupāda: He's serious gentleman. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa will help us.

Dr. Patel: Aldous Huxley is another, he's also very...

Trivikrama: He's dead.

Dr. Patel: He is dead. No? He is dead? How long?

Trivikrama: Since 1962.

Dr. Patel: I had no idea of it. I am reading his books thinking he is still alive.

Trivikrama: He's a Māyāvādī, anyway.

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Believe or not believe, that is another thing. But if you want to live worthy, then you have to study Bhagavad-gītā. You believe... Just like somebody believes or not believes in dehāntara, but nature's course will go on. Young man thinks "I'll remain young. I shall not become old man." He may believe like that, but he has to become old man. That is nature's law. So there is no question of "believe" or "not believe." If you believe, then you are benefited; if you don't believe, you go to hell. It is not the question of belief. I was speaking in South Africa in a university. So one gentleman, Arya-samāji said... When I was explaining tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ, so he objected that "Why you bring Hindu belief?" "And, nonsense, it is Hindu belief?" It is said that kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā: one boy is becoming young man. Is this for Hindu? It is not for the Muslim? And he said "Hindu belief." Such a fool he is. He said, "It is Hindu belief."

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: These are the different stages, kramaḥ. Kramaḥ means gradual evolution. So you have to take that gradual evolution. But it will be done if you remain with the associate. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. They are giving this opportunity. Come here in our association and learn the art. I have seen in Bombay. The other day I went to a gentleman's apartment. He is.... The gentleman is earning two thousand, and the wife is earning seven hundred. But they are living in an apartment of this size. Within this, there is bedroom, and there is kitchen, and there is toilet, and everything is there. And if we say people, "Please come here. Take a room like this and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," they'll not come. They'll prefer to remain in that tiny apartment. Am I right or not? Manda-bhāgyā. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10).

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, there are many... First thing is that my students are advised, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication up to the point of smoking cigarette and drinking tea, and no gambling." But this is their life. How they can give up this? That is... It is a shock. Therefore they say, "brainwashing," that "How a gentleman can give up all these things?" Many... No many. A few of my students, they left. They said that "Swamiji is denying the primary necessities of life." They left. They could not tolerate even. So I do not make any compromise. That you want to become my student you have to give up these things. So the responsible parents, they are appreciating that "My son is now purified." But some of them, there are...

Guest (2): They feel that you are kidnapping their children. (laughs)

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I had one... When I was doing medical business I had one very nice customer. He was my patron also, one Muhammadan doctor, Sriraja Uttina.(?) He was very kind to me. He was just like a father to me. So his system was that in his pharmacy, patent medicine, drugs, medicine, surgical instruments, like that different headings. So suppose, at the sales time, sells some patent medicine. So he has got a box. So he puts the price in the patent medicine. And if he sells some surgical, he puts the price in the surgical pot. In this way, when they want to purchase again, so he would consult his pot, whether there is money. Then he'll allow to purchase. Otherwise not. So he told me, "This is my account. This is my account. When they want to purchase, they consign us something. I shall allow them to purchase so much as I have got in the box." This is... I have seen that gentleman. And in Calcutta there was... In our young time there was a cinema, Mr. Maddar, J.F. Maddar. He's a Parsee. So for some..., business, he was tenant of mine. One of my tenants.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Jagadīśa: Why does the train keep stopping?

Prabhupāda: Who is this gentleman?

Hari-śauri: Pradyumna?

Prabhupāda: Oh, Pradyumna.

Rāmeśvara: Say, in America, most people live in the cities, and they already have their job, and they are set in their ways.

Prabhupāda: But you said that there is unemployment also.

Rāmeśvara: To a certain extent. But there are still 250,000,000 people. So most of them...

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Rāmeśvara: But when they make public appearances, they have to be in disguise.

Prabhupāda: Make public to become gentlemen. Formerly they had no long hairs. They dressed like gentlemen. That we cannot do.

Rāmeśvara: So it doesn't have to be very long. But I don't think it will become popular unless they are in disguise, wearing Western clothes and a little bit of hair.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right. But formerly your father, grandfather, they had no long hair.

Rāmeśvara: No, they will not dress like hippie. They will dress nicely.

Prabhupāda: Then that is allowed. But we cannot imitate the hippies.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Hari-śauri: The wigs he's suggesting are just short ones, short hair wigs.

Rāmeśvara: Yeah. As long as it's not hippy, it is all right. It has to be attractive. Gentlemen. I have taken this record, "Change of Heart," to the biggest record companies in America, and they are very encouraging. They think that we have got a very wonderful message.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is a fact.

Rāmeśvara: They are astonished at the..., the words to the songs.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's a fact.

Rāmeśvara: I think if this group is... If this is done...

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Yes. We hate to mix with you. No gentleman tries to mix with loafers. In England still, the rich quarter is different from the poor quarter. Is it not?

Hari-śauri: Not so much. It was though, formerly, very strongly.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Aristocratic will never live... Even in America, they don't like to live with the blacks.

Rāmeśvara: No.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) That child...? So that separation... Crows will not like to live with the ducks and white swans. And white swans will not like to live with the crows. That is natural division. "Birds of the same feather flock together."

Jagadīśa: And honest men don't like to associate with thieves and criminals.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: First of all you say that we want to stop this nonsense, that is the name of education producing hippies. We want to stop it. You may take us whatever you like. We want gentlemen, not this hogs' and dogs' naked dance. You are hogs and dogs; you accept. But we cannot accept. We are birds of the same feather. We are cleansed. Let them become hogs and dogs. But the civilized(?) thing must go on. So we want to stop this. Is that education?

Rāmeśvara: Now they say if we are thinking of our members to be gentlemen, then why is it when they go to the airports they are bothering so many people?

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Hari-śauri: They have no family unit to speak of, anyway.

Prabhupāda: It is surprising. If one gentleman lives for life as husband and wife, it is a very surprising thing in your country that they have lived so long as husband and wife.

Hari-śauri: Yes, they become very glorified.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jagadīśa: They put them in the paper.

Prabhupāda: And so credible. So this is your nation, that if one gentleman and lady remain as husband-wife for long time, it is a wonderful thing. So first of all decide what do you mean by religion; what is the definition of religion. Our definition of religion is this, that the law given by God is religion. Now you refute it. That is everywhere. Just like any state, you... The law given by government is law.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Hari-śauri: He'd just stick a needle in his arm every morning.

Prabhupāda: There are many gentlemen who take insulin twice, at least once.

Rāmeśvara: The diabetics. They have diabetes. Very common. We have a devotee who does that. This boy in New York whose parents have kidnapped him many times. He is actually... That's their charge against us, that "Oh, my son is diabetic, and you are not spending $25,000 on doctors. You are not taking care of him." That is their charge against us. Then Ādi-keśava Mahārāja said, "All right, if you want him to have such excellent medical treatment, you give us the money and we'll spend it on it." So then the parents say, "Just see! Blackmail." That is a big charge in the paper. It's called extortion. Ādi-keśava Mahārāja was indicted for kidnapping and for extortion.

Hari-śauri: He's that Ed Shapiro.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. The parents cheated again. They said, "Just see, blackmail."

Hari-śauri: That's how that charge came up.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: That means people want to believe in immortality. They want eternal life.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is factual. Nobody wants to die. Even on death bed, one thinks, "If something could have been done for my saving..." One gentleman in Allahabad, he was our friend. So he was dying at the age of fifty-four. So he was requesting the doctors, "Can you not prolong my life for four years more? Then I could finish my scheme." Such a madman. What is nonsense scheme? Āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ kāma... Find out this, āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhaḥ.

Room Conversation -- January 20, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Hari-śauri: You're already speaking at night.

Prabhupāda: I shall speak in the evening.

Bhavānanda: Yes, there are more gentlemen assembled then.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hari-śauri: Whatever you want.

Bhavānanda: We are always eager to hear your...

Prabhupāda: That is natural.

Hari-śauri: (to children) Hey. Shh! Shut-up. Quiet.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Money they get. But they can live. But there is no culture. They want liquor. So these rascals do not know how we are making human civilization. They do not see it, that without any fixed income we are maintaining such a huge establishment all over the world, without any fixed income. How we are doing? We are not thieves, we are not rogues. We are all gentlemen.

Gargamuni: In India they say the CIA is funding you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They may say anything, but actually what we are?

Rāmeśvara: In America they are supporting the unemployed through federal and state welfare, which is paid for by tax money. So the more the unemployment increases, the more the taxes...

Prabhupāda: Taxes increase.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: The Bankim Babu, Bankim Chatterji, a famous novelist, he wrote a book, one comic book. Trial is going on, so the witness charged the... First of all the judge charged that "I see you are witness in every case." He was a professional. So, "You are speaking he is sixty years old for the last five years. You do not increase your age?" (laughing) "No, sir. A gentleman has one word. He does not change his word. And do not think me that I am either a lawyer or a prostitute or a newspaper editor."

Gargamuni: Oh. Because they're all liars. Yeah.

Prabhupāda: "My word is one. I do not change my word."

Gargamuni: So a newspaper editor, a lawyer...

Prabhupāda: And a prostitute. (laughs) He classified them in one category.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No... Vedic process is that unless you create nice children or you can give them protection from death, don't create children. Brahmacārī. Remain brahmacārī. That is sensible, that "Why shall I beget children like cats and dogs if I cannot take care of them properly?" That is very gentlemanly. What is this? I create and kill? Most uncivilized. Don't create. That is civilized man. "If I cannot take care of them properly, I'll not create children."

Gargamuni: They're not educating the population in brahmācārya.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: Therefore these beggars are there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is gentlemanly, that "Why shall I take responsibility of family if I cannot maintain them properly?" That is very gentlemanly.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Give us freedom. It is brainwashing, but for the good, washing for good. Just like you wash your cloth. Do you think it is bad? Dirty cloth, if it is washed nicely with soap and water, who will protest against that? 'Oh, why you are cleansing your dirty clothes?' That is another foolishness. Everyone, every gentleman, every civilized man, washes his clothes with soap and water to become more refreshed. So we are giving this civilization... Actually it is brainwashing, but for the good. And see our example. The boys and girls whom you are charging, 'Brainwash,' just see after brainwashing, how gentleman they have become. They have become moralist. They have become God conscious. They are clean outwardly. Their fooding is so innocent and so nutritious. So why do you check it? Bring your plate and our plate. Now judge. Which is better? You taste. Halavā, puri, samosa, kachori, vegetable—one plate; and boiled meat with salt and black pepper... So taste now which is better."

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That will guide the whole nation. The rascals, anyway, the naked and prostitute-hunter, what they can do? These third-class, fourth-class, tenth-class men are being elected. There is no happiness. There is no solution of problems. All tenth-class men. I directly challenged one gentleman that "You are all tenth-class men." Pāpa... Pāpa...

Hari-śauri: That man in Perth.

Prabhupāda: "There is no first-class man now governing the situation. All fourth class, fifth class, tenth class. There is no first-class man." I challenged him.

Hari-śauri: When he went out the door he said, "Oh, well, I suppose I'd better go back to my fourth-class life."

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. You are already.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Rasa, that is not for ordinary persons. It is most confidential. So this has deteriorated. Otherwise, so many gentlemen come here... And India, they are asking, "What is God?" This is the question. "Why God was killed?" Yesterday this was the question.

Guest (2): We also came. We were also there. And Mr. Karana was asking nice questions. Yesterday evening he was here.

Prabhupāda: So in India... You are born in India, where God comes as Lord Rāmacandra, as Lord Kṛṣṇa, as Lord Caitanya, and you are asking, "What is God?" So how much deteriorated you have become, just imagine. So we are trying to reform all this nonsense business, and how I can associate?

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Just like our this Kṛṣṇa book, from the very beginning, or Bhagavad-gītā. You try...

Guest (2): So eleven or twelve days' time... We have posted the letter on seventh, and yesterday this gentleman from here rang me that "You were searching for the Guruji, and he is at..." "Nonsense." When I am busy giving some dictation to my steno. "He is humbug." So from there we came here.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So if you want to give education, take it from the very beginning, ABCD, and present nicely so that people may..., can take advantage.

Guest (1): We have that līlā also, Bāla-līlā. The children chant...

Prabhupāda: Bāla-līlā also will not be understood. They will think, "What is this?"

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Now first of all, you answer this. Yesterday the question was "What is God?"

Guest (2): The gentleman asked.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You say the Orissa is whole Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, and he's asking, "What is God?" This is your position.

Guest (1): He's asking to get a word from you, perhaps.

Prabhupāda: Why? Why this botheration if he knows Kṛṣṇa? I was surprised. If he's actually Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, if he knows Kṛṣṇa, then why should he ask, "Who is God? What is God?" Don't try to defend in that way.

Guest (2): No, no, we're not defending.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Who asked?

Guest (2): That gentleman yesterday was saying.

Prabhupāda: Yes. "Why Kṛṣṇa was killed?" Just see how rascal question this is.

Guest (2): He was not killed. Kṛṣṇa was not killed.

Prabhupāda: That is the fact, but he... Why he questioned this, "How Kṛṣṇa was killed?"

Guest (1): I was not there.

Guest (2): Yesterday we sat here. (both talking at once)

Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: That remains to be done.

Prabhupāda: Every gentleman should have a valuable library of these. That we want. Then our preaching is successful.

Hari-śauri: Once people recognize the worth of spiritual literature, then they'll purchase. Just like they sell these Encyclopedia Brittanicas from house to house.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri:...on the basis, "You've got so many children. They need this knowledge and education for when they go to school." So they purchase whole volumes.

Prabhupāda: Introducing as study book in higher colleges, universities, text book, then it will be... What is the use, a so-called scholar having a Ṣaṭ-sandarbha? And this has been failure... Our one Godbrother, he did. Simply he printed. It was not sold, and then it was mishandled, distributed like anything.

Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: No, no, we have to do. Otherwise there is no meaning of preacher. Most thankless task. We want to save them, and they accuse us. My Guru Mahārāja used to give that example: A boy is flying kite, and he's going like this. He's just come on the edge of the roof. He is going to fall down. And somebody says, "Hey! What are you doing this for?" (shouts:) "Why you are checking me? Oh, my kite is gone, gone. I have gone back." This is going on. If you want to save them, they will accuse you that "My kite-flying is disturbed. Don't do this." "And why you are. Why...? You'll fall down." "Never mind. That is my business. Why you are checking me?" This example was given by my Guru Mahārāja. You want to save him. Who is a gentleman who will not save him? He is falling down next moment. That is natural. But he is angry. "Why you have checked my kite-flying?" So it is a different type of civilization, a different style of life. If you want to introduce they will accuse you, so many, like madmen. And still we have to do. That is preaching. You cannot expect very smooth life in preaching.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That is not our point. We want to understand God through philosophy. "Through philosophy" means logic. Blind faith is not our business. (break) "...such date I have posted. You have got the literature. If you permit me, then I can show some of the books." Then our local representatives advise, "You go and see this gentleman." In this way contact him and leave some book with him, that "You first of all see. Then decide." Very honest business.

Satsvarūpa: Gargamuni suggests that I start with Indians. There are Indians all over the world. (end)

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Still, they are hesitant to say that.

Prabhupāda: That is their poor fund of knowledge. A gentleman will accept, "Yes, we do not know." But they, in round about way, in order to keep their position, they'll bluff. That is most dangerous, bluffing.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's the difficulty.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, that is the... If one wants to be cheated and wants to cheat others, you cannot... Sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ. There are crooked living entities; one who is snake, and one is man. So you can control the snake, but you cannot control this rascal crooked man. That is very difficult. Khalaḥ kena nivāryate.

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Jayapatākā: And that gentleman you were just talking with this morning, he is the head of the department of veterinary, of tropical college of medicine on Chittaranjan.

Prabhupāda: What is his name?

Jayapatākā: Mr. Rao.

Prabhupāda: Raot?

Jayapatākā: Raot maybe, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He's good man. He offered me obeisances flat. Hm. So he's a good man.

Jayapatākā: Last time he came he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa much.

Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. He has written. Not only that. Nowadays somebody has accused that even in his old age he was having sex with young girls. I do not know. But it is a fact, when he was coming in the meeting he would touch two young girls, granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law, and then come in the meeting. I have seen. One gentleman in our, the Mullick's Thakur Badhi, when we were there. He was attorney. So when there was some function, so all neighboring men were invited. So he was also invited. He would come with at least three, four prostitutes. And he was old man, blind. Asutosh Bhan. He became very rich man by cunning lawyer. He was a lawyer. So he would take a credit that "When I go to a friend's house to keep my invitation, I take some three, four prostitute and flatterer. Then..." And he'd be received very nicely. We have seen when, when we were boys, ten years, twelve years old. I have seen it. Formerly, in our father's time, it was aristocratic to keep one prostitute and keep one garden also.

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: "Indian Brain Research Association, Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta. Gentlemen: The Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana mantra used in meditation or chanting of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa has been practiced not only by the Vaiṣṇavas of India, but by most of the Hindus as a regular religious and social practice in Hindu families. Millions of Hindus practice with sublime devotion the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We are not aware of any case where such practice has resulted in any detrimental effect to the health or mind of anyone. We can submit that the worshiping of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, as being practiced in West Bengal, India, does not differ from that of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. And as such, either of them cannot do any harm to the devotee or to the observer. Further we can add that the rhythmic dance and musical (Bengali:) svara in Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana mantra may have profound beneficial effect on a distorted human mind. These practices do not have any relation with brainwashing, although the word seems to carry no scientific meaning at all. Statement by Professor Ajit K. Mytee. Yours faithfully, J.J. Ghosh, President on behalf of the Indian Brain Research Association."

Prabhupāda: It is good certificate. And University of Calcutta. So you publish this.

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Just see. Such an important animal. And then, when she passes stool and urine, that is also nice. The milk is nutritious, the stool is useful; the urine is useful. Why this poor animal should be slaughtered? What kind of civilization? Your material desires, eating, sleeping, mating-fulfill it like a gentleman and save time and make spiritual advancement. This is to be introduced. Why you are inventing so strenuous work and spoil time, valuable time of human life? This we want to preach. Save time, be spiritually advanced, and other necessities, make it gentlemanly short-cut. If you save time, you can read all these literatures, understand what is value of life. Therefore, the literature here. Not for all. The brāhmaṇas, educated. And they'll distribute the knowledge by speaking. Others, those who are less intelligent, simply by hearing, they will be guided. Just be convinced what kind of civilization we are trying to introduce.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That is a good facility.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And very respectable gentlemen are coming. You saw, Brahmānanda.

Prabhupāda: Who will not accept such nice prasāda? They cannot get in ordinary restaurant such nice prasāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And we give them as much as they can eat. There is no limitation on quantity.

Prabhupāda: They are very glad.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were a little strict. They were strict?

Prabhupāda: No, they were very good gentlemen. Dr. Urquhart was a godly man. He was so nice.

Satsvarūpa: Isn't he the one who said the woman's brain is thirty-two...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. I remember. He told, the woman's brain, thirty-four ounce, man's brain, up to sixty-four ounce. He told. I remember. He was very saintly man, Dr. Urquhart. And before that there was one principal. He's Watt, Mr. Watt. He was the roughest man. He'd fight with the students like guṇḍā, Mr. Watt. But he was very good manager, principal.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Some were, not all. And the Muhammadans, the could not convert any gentleman to Muhammadanism. Maybe one or two, say. Very... And similarly, Christian also. No high-class man became Christian. One or two. That is for some other purpose. Just like in Scottish Churches College, the Christian Indians were given more preference. There was one Mr. Raya. He would not speak in Bengali. Even if some Bengali student would like to talk with him Bengali, he would answer in English. (laughs) He was so sharp. (Bengali) (Hindi) You understand Hindi any of you? There is a song in the Howrah Bridge, pontoon bridge. So when this Howrah Bridge..., not this bridge. Up to 1900... When my daughter was married, in 1941, up to that time there was a bridge connecting Howrah and Calcutta, pontoon bridge. That we were seeing from childhood, from our birth. So this was an astonishment in India. They wrote song, (Hindi), that "How wonderful bridge this sāheb company...," because India was being governed by East Indian Company... After mutiny, Queen Victoria took charge.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then, after reading, they become convinced and then they joined.

Prabhupāda: So let us do our duty. Our attempt Kṛṣṇa will see. That gentleman has written, "Swami Bhaktivedanta will be remembered for centuries, making history." Is not that?

Satsvarūpa: "Unsurpassed," this... Not just remembered, it will be unsurpassed.

Prabhupāda: And many foreign scholars also, they have. In France... In France one professor has said, "The..."

Satsvarūpa: Chenique?

Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: Yes. If this MLA actually pushes it through, then in one month...

Prabhupāda: In that MLA that gentleman is very intelligent.

Jayapatākā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Young man.

Jayapatākā: He's ambitious. Ambitious.

Prabhupāda: Ambitious for Kṛṣṇa, everyone should be ambitious: "How I shall become a great devotee?" That is very good. Yes. Again finger problem. (laughs) So electric is not working? Just see. In the evening, we..., people want light. No light.

Jayapatākā: It works the whole day. Only in the evening it goes off.

Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Not hour. It was four hours. And fortunately I was not out on the street. I was in my place. That accident took place just after few days of my arrival, 1965. One gentleman, he, I know, he brought me some candle. I had no candle even. Simply I was sitting in darkness. What can be done? But Kṛṣṇa sent him with some candle. Yes. (chuckling)

Hari-śauri: Nine months after that incident they had a record number of births...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: ...in New York.

Prabhupāda: What can they do in darkness? (laughter) That is the only engagement in darkness.

Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: ...connection.

Prabhupāda: So be after him. Do it. This is the first business. In Vṛndāvana we have got very good generator. As soon as stops, within a minute we can start generator, very nice.

Jayapatākā: This is the same make.

Prabhupāda: Kirloskar.

Jayapatākā: Yes, only bigger size.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. It is now recognized machine, Kirloskar. Kirloskar, Kirloskar. A Maharathi gentleman.

Morning Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So my royalty would have been one lakh, fifty thousand daily. Big authors, they take twenty-five percent. So that is not the ambition, but my ambition is these books shall be sold. That's all. Whole... Every house should have our books, every gentleman, in any language. It doesn't matter. That is our propaganda. Now you are getting all languages, so we can capture the whole world.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Increase the book sales more and more.

Prabhupāda: And we are getting success, at that. There is no question of discouragement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Especially here in India it's becoming more and more encouraging.

Prabhupāda: Now these books I have read, either Bengali or Hindi, they are well-written, very convincing. All our books are convincing.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes, insult. The animals should be kicked with shoes and stick. Argumentum baculum. There is no argument for animals. Kick and stick. Beat him. That is the way of dealing with animal. You cannot request an animal very... "My dear dog, please do not bark. Sit down." Simply kick and give him stick. That is good. They're animals. Gentle behavior with gentleman, not with the animal. "You are so big, big animal, you are simply to be kicked and whipped. Then you'll come to your senses." Religion. Religion is farce. First of all explain why you cannot do this machine. You are very proud of machine-making, artificial. "Why artificial intelligence? Why not real intelligence?" Intelligence also material. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ (BG 7.4). The buddhi. It is material, subtle form of material energy.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: They requested me to change the dress. I have... The Ramakrishna Mission, that "Unless you dress yourself..." "I have no money. You give me three dress for public.(?) Then I shall do it. I know how to dress. In my business life I was dressing like that, but now I have no money. You give me money." (laughter) I told them that. (laughs) "I know how to dress like a gentleman. Every day it must be changed, must be nicely ironed. But I have no money. You need not required to teach me. I know how to dress like an European gentleman. And I have no money." (break) ...coat, same pant, same hat—I do not like that. If I dress like a European, I must change daily. Do they not? A respectable European?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, every day.

Prabhupāda: Yes, morning and evening.

Room Conversation about BTG the Moon -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Who?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This one gentleman in Cincinnati. And there are many prominent Indians around the country.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Many of them, yes.

Prabhupāda: Well-to-do also. They are well-to-do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Many of them, yes. They're all professionals. So he's finding that there's good receptivity amongst the Indians and students he's working with. And he's working, developing this farm. He's making his headquarters the farm in Pennsylvania, and then he goes out and goes to all these centers that he's established, and then every week he comes for a few days to the farm and works with Paramānanda. They formed a committee of management to do everything jointly. Paramānanda's the president, and others are there, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna's a sannyāsī, so he goes there and gives lectures. It's New Varṣāṇā, so they have an idea to develop it just like Varṣāṇā. There's a mountain there, so they want to build a temple on the mountain.

Room Conversation about BTG the Moon -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rich. Wealthier than Dhṛṣṭadyumna's parents.

Prabhupāda: He's also good gentleman.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You met...

Prabhupāda: Hm. He came to see me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ādi-keśava's mother is very big in the field of education. Public speaker and intelligent. His father owns a number of industries.

Prabhupāda: You can bring case against them. Just like fight in same position, that brainwashing. Not brainwashing. Whatever they have said.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bring a case against them?

Evening Darsana -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: You find out that man. (Bengali) ...chai ne, drinking ne, smoking ne. It became too much inconvenience. Wife is separated. This is tapasya. It cannot be accepted by ordinary person. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Tapasya begins from brahmacarya. And brahmacarya means "no," so many. No "yes." Only "no's." "Not this, not this, not this." It is very difficult. Therefore the Americans are surprised: "How our sons have accepted so many 'no's' unless there is brainwash? And this man knows some mind control, and he's controlling their mind, independence. Bas. Deprogram. Capture them." This is the... "How our sons can accept so many 'no's'? " And important items—no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication. Everything, life, is no. (laughs) Rāyarāma said, "It is simply 'no's.' " He left. What is their daily necessity, all "no." The same thing is happening now, that "How they have accepted the 'no's'? It is brainwash, mind control." Lord Zetland said, when he was offered these "no's," he said, "Impossible for us. We cannot give up this." And I was also thinking in the beginning, that "As soon as I propose this 'no's,' they will say, 'Go home.' (laughs) No more preaching." And it is Kṛṣṇa's desire, they accepted so many 'no's.' I was not hopeful that these American young boys or gentlemen will accept these 'no's,' because I heard, "Lord Zetland said, 'It is impossible.'

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow. The policemen wear tilaka. There is justice for sure.

Prabhupāda: So immediately do it. I shall go. If there is such possibility... Let us have a small ideal state. If respectable gentlemen take it, oh, it will be a great success, an ideal state throughout the whole world, Vaiṣṇava state.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Example. You can show that example.

Prabhupāda: Show their policemen, all with tilaka, and marching, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do they chant there?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. They have...

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So he treated... Although my mother was first cousin, he treated my mother as younger sister. In that way he liked my father also, myself. That gentleman and one Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose, and two-one, my own father and my Guru Mahārāja. I knew that. He liked me. He liked me from the very heart. Guru Mahārāja liked me. I know. By his blessing it is, everything has happened. I was not worth. What did I...? I do not know why he liked. I was not worth. There were so many disciples. And still, he liked me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He could see how pure you were.

Prabhupāda: Maybe. Out of his affection, it is his good will. He can like anyone, any dog, doesn't matter. But I know he liked me. Anyone, by his choice of free will, he can love any damn thing. It doesn't matter. That is called kṛpā-siddhi. "I like this man. This man must be prominent."

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: One pilot, he was coming in Bombay, Mr. Sharma. He was driving this 747, and one Parsi gentleman, he was also driving. Might be.

Gargamuni: The general manager of Air India for this side is a Parsi man. I was speaking with him.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then two...

Gargamuni: And he said, "It is thanks to your society that this is landing now." He thanked us.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bhāgavata: Another point, though, is Śrīla Prabhupāda, that the membership needs to give two thousand rupees at one time. But there is a class of gentlemen who are not in that bracket of earning that they can pay two thousand rupees at one time but can afford to pay, let's say, five hundred rupees down payment and, every month, a hundred rupees or fifty rupees. For one book every month, fifty rupees a month they can pay without difficulty.

Prabhupāda: So make that.

Bhāgavata: There's a class of men who will do that. Every month, they will pay fifty rupees for one book.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. They were saying, those two Bengali gentlemen this morning, the film producers, were saying that the scholars here now and some of the newspaper people are beginning to expose, that "This is a complete cheater. This Sai Baba is cheating, and why are the innocent people falling for him? What kind of fool is he that he says he's God?" It's a good thing that they're exposing him, because he was the most acclaimed so-called "bhagavān" of them all. He is the most respected around India of all of these bogus gurus.

Bali-mardana: Now all the other gurus have faded away. You are...

Hari-śauri: There's only you left, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Bali-mardana: You're the only one left. All the bogus gurus have faded away. The Maharishi...

Prabhupāda: That Sadaji Vilal has said that "Bhaktivedanta Swami... (Hindi)"

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That he should act simply for the benefit of the guru. This is the process. He has no personal interest. He'll go by the order of guru to beg alms from different householders and... They are innocent children. They'll go, ask, "Mother, give me some alms." And the mother also knows that "My child or his child, they are all neighbors' child. They will give." And whatever collection is there, he'll bring it to guru. So he does not claim that "I have collected. It is my property." No. It is guru's property. This is the first training. He works so hard to collect, but the property belongs to the guru. Guror hitam. This is first training. And that is the meaning of karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana. That gentleman was quoting this. He does not know what is the meaning. He... Karmaṇy e... He is engaged to work, to collect. Just like you are doing that.

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Cāru: Śrīla Prabhupāda? This gentleman has just also taken two standing orders individually, and the Indian library party has just returned with thirty-two standing orders from Rajastan and two standing orders from North Bengal University.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thirty-two? Thirty-two more standing orders.

Prabhupāda: From where?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rajastan.

Hṛdayānanda: And North Bengal University.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have the... Mr... I forget his name. From Central Bank. The gentleman who saw you. So I filled out these cards, and he's willing to open this account now. This account... Until they open a proper branch here, this account is actually being held at Camak Street. It's called account but it will be held in Camak Street, and when they open the branch then it will be shipped here as account number one.

Prabhupāda: But we want payment here?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now, they want to know from us whether we want them to remain here after the festival.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Let me first ask them, before you sign this, whether they'll keep it open, because if they're going to close it now, there's no use in signing it.

Prabhupāda: No. Because in Calcutta I have got already.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. Do you want to see this gentleman again today?

Prabhupāda: I have no objection.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll see. He may not... I think he has other business. I'll find out.

Prabhupāda: So that Jagannātha, he has come? No.

Rādhā-vallabha: No. He has stayed back in L.A. He just got married, so he has business.

Prabhupāda: Let them... Let them do together.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, no. Let them demon, but we are talking like gentleman.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He's the only man that I knew from outside, from the Scientific Journal. His man was one of the editorial boards. They have also an international society for the study of the origin of life from chemicals, and he's the...

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So I specifically chose him because I knew his name, because it was there. So I made an appointment on the phone. He was real nice on the phone. He even wanted to send his car to pick me up from the temple.

Room Conversation -- March 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Diamond is diamond. It must be purchased by the suitable customer. Because there is no customer I shall throw it away? So we have got diamond. It is not possible that everyone will purchase it, but there must be diamonds. People must know that "Here is diamond. If I want it, I must pay the proper price." That I want to establish. Why India's culture should be lost in this way, in the wilderness?I am not cheap patriot like Gandhi and... I want to give Indian culture to the whole world. I'm not going to cheat people, taking Bhagavad-gītā and speaking all nonsense. I want to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That is my mission. Why shall I cheat you, a gentleman? (Hindi)

Room Conversation -- March 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Why India's such big culture should be lost for the matter of these rascal leaders? This should be stopped. As Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma (BG 4.13). There must be ideal brāhmaṇa, ideal kṣatriya, ideal vaiśya, as Kṛṣṇa says. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is all-inclusive. Economic question? Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Grow food. Practical. Just like when I was going to the pandals, millions of clerks were coming—"Education. Educated." And who is growing food? And they have to be provided in these pigeon holes and depend on ration. Is that civilization? And throngs of people are coming, just like machine, ants. Ants are coming. I saw like that. And go to the village side—all vacant land. Nobody's interested to produce food. Everyone is interested to live within the city, in these pigeonholes, and go to the cinema and go to the brothel, go to the club and learn how to drink, how to become gentleman. Is that civilization? Human life's aim is lost. You do not know why you are going to the office, why you are eating, why you are... Keeping them all pet animal's mentality, doggish mentality.

Room Conversation -- March 22, 1977, Bombay:

Pañcadraviḍa: Practically, Girirāja has not left either.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He has not trembled in any circumstance. That is his qualification. That nasty, hot, mosquitoes. You also lived there. No gentleman can live.

Pañcadraviḍa: I lived there also, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So many rats.

Prabhupāda: Rats, mosquitoes, and so much inconvenience. Had no place. Sometimes here, sometimes there, sometimes there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were also so inconvenienced. You had to move. One time you were living in that...

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: In suit, yes. You get first dress, then address. (laughter) But tilaka must be there. You dress like up-to-date gentlemen, but tilaka must be there. That is our trademark.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some hair for him is all right? Little bit of hair.

Prabhupāda: I don't think hair is required. Nowadays many gentlemen shaven.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Shaved head.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Many gentlemen. I have seen many Russian scholars and politicians, they shave clean.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, the judgment from New York.

Prabhupāda: And respectable gentlemen will understand what is this temple. It is not this ordinary.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Hyderabad they can do the same. So you are going to get copies made and make a block?

Gargamuni: Oh, yeah, I am going to send a man down today.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Make a block.

Gargamuni: Yeah, for printing. You mean... What kind of a block?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A printing block.

Gargamuni: A printing block, because I am going to send these to all our colleges.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Will you give me a few copies? Send it to the temple to me.

Prabhupāda: So how many copies you have printed?

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Indian: Scindia Steamship.

Prabhupāda: Yes, colony. I stayed there. Sometimes I stayed with one gentleman in Churchgate. He is a banker, Sindhi gentleman. In '65, Sumati Morarji gave me that ticket.

Indian: You went away then, I think.

Prabhupāda: Hm. (pause) This is our old system. When one cannot eat, even in invitation, the whole thing, he can take away the balance for his family. Canda-walla(?). Especially the brāhmaṇas. They will sit down and take everything, and...

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But first of all we must know also what is the position. If we also become enamored by the so-called scientists, politicians, philosophers, then we cannot preach. We must definitely be convinced that they're all rascals. As a gentleman, I can give him some respect. That is another thing. But he's a rascal. You must know that "I am talking with a rascal number one." So I... He cannot deviate me from my position. But I can talk in a nice way, gentlemanly. That is another thing. That is courtesy. But I know that these rascals, number fools, number one fools, they have no idea. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). In this way they are rotting within this universe. Kabhu svarge kabhu martye narake ḍubāya. Sometimes by puṇya they are in the higher planetary system, some powerful lokas(?). Sometimes fish, sometimes demigod, sometimes dog and cat.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So come here. Try to understand the philosophy. There is no difficulty. But we neglect it. We are simply ne..., and distorting. Everyone is giving his own interpretation. Eh? Then when, where is the importance of Kṛṣṇa? If Bhagavad-gītā is a book who is authority, and if you interpret and give your own interpretation, then where is the authority? Suppose Parliament passes one law, and if I interpret in my own way, then where is the authority of the law? This is the idea. If you want to give some idea of your own, give it separately. Why do you take Bhagavad-gītā and distort it? This is not gentlemanly, this. We are presenting, therefore, Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and it is being accepted. And before me so many swamis, yogis went there. They also tried to explain Bhagavad-gītā, but nobody accepted.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The proposal is there. Here it is already done. The same principle, the four things, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). These four principles, what is the difficulty? But if you are determined, "No, we shall not follow," then who can educate you? There is no loss. And if there is some gain, why not take it? We have to educate so many young men. So I think that harijana movement... You can bring that... That one gentleman, Dr. Parmar(?), you know him?

Mr. Rajda: Dr. Faramar?

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Mr. Rajda: Faramar, I have... Yeah.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He has regretted that "Government has spent so much money and we have tried, but we could not improve our position."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This gentleman that Śrīla Prabhupāda was mentioning is named Professor Parmar. He's written one article.

Prabhupāda: Profess... Professor.

Mr. Rajda: Professor Parmar. Ah, ha, that is...

Prabhupāda: He is the same man?

Mr. Rajda: No, that's a different.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm putting in an envelope.

Prabhupāda: Bring. I want that at least at the weekend respectable gentlemen come here, live here, try to understand the philosophy, and if possible render some service. That's all. We have got now nice building. Every room is air conditioned. Not that you have to go to the jungle. (laughs)

Mr. Rajda: No, it's a nice atmosphere.

Prabhupāda: For us, we can live underneath a tree. But if I would have lived underneath a tree, you would not have come. (laughter) Therefore this building is required. So give them, one each, this magazine, latest edition. Here is. Mr. Rajda, Mr. Parik. Rajda's copy is in the red binding? That's it. No. Give him. Give him.

Mr. Rajda: So we thank you very much.

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. The principle is that the spiritual master takes all the resultant sinful action, but the disciple also says that "Now, stop it. Otherwise my spiritual master..." That is gentleman. And "Now use that thing, go on taking our sinful reaction. We will go on with our own business."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's not loving at all. That is taking advantage.

Prabhupāda: That is cheating.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cheating.

Prabhupāda: The same cheating. And he is not liberated because he continues cheating.

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, this gentleman who has written this letter from Pakistan, he is a big businessman. He is the head of a very, very large business consultant firm in Iran. But in his free time he also tries to do a little preaching work.

Prabhupāda: He is a very responsible officer. What is his position?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is the managing director of Arthur Young and Company. It's a big international firm of chartered accountants.

Ram Jethmalani: Thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. (Hindi) Thank you very much. (Hindi)

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Jaya. (guests leave) By feeding, how much one becomes obliged. (Hindi) You don't... Any gentleman, give him something. Give him prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He ate everything.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, everything. Very sumptuous, pleasing. They were hungry.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He hadn't eaten all day. That's why Girirāja was insisting he must take.

Prabhupāda: No, you must insist. Yesterday he has called me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said, "I am yours."

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Not they accept that this Kṛṣṇa, historical Kṛṣṇa, He is the person, Supreme Person. Ninety-nine point nine percent, they do not believe. "It is a fictitious story written about God, but not that this Kṛṣṇa is God." This is their opinion. Therefore Dr. Radhakrishnan: "No, no, not this Kṛṣṇa personally." Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ—he is guiding: "Don't be attached to this Kṛṣṇa." Doesn't want. He was a very good gentleman, at heart devotee of God, but he could not understand Kṛṣṇa. He used to say to me... I was very intimate with, with him, with Dr. Radhakrishnan.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were intimate with him?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I used to go whenever I liked.

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Train.

Prabhupāda: One gentleman came: "Sir, you are..." So he might be one of the hanging passengers.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) That was funny. When you said that, the Chief Minister was laughing. At that point he was smiling. Everyone in that crowd was thinking, "Yes. He's talking about me."

Prabhupāda: Is that civilization? Human being should be calm and quiet, peaceful and advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There must be four divisions, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, everything. Everything is lost. From the very morning, "Where is bread? Where is bread?" We have no fixed income, but we are so pure(?). We are maintaining big establishment. Who has got so big establishment? And what is our asset? Asset is only Kṛṣṇa. For ordinary karmīs to maintain such house and such big establishment...

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Because they do not know. Nowadays they make experiment.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I got the feeling that that gentleman yesterday was experimenting...

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...or guessing. Have you read the book of Satsvarūpa Mahārāja?

Prabhupāda: No. You have read?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. I was thinking I could read some portion of it to you if you would like to hear it. Or I could read some other book.

Prabhupāda: You can read his book.

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your father would not give you up. He was a sannyāsī?

Prabhupāda: Another gentleman in Hasi(?)... We were going in the same car. So he requested me, "Please come here." An old man, nice, very well-to-do man. And after giving the nice seat and some refreshment, so he said that "I like you very much. I have no son. Why don't you become my son?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Seems like everyone is very affectionate to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is Kṛṣṇa's grace. He picked up on the street like this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That man?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ne, adopted son, that is a practice.

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In America also, they have the foster home. The children are there, and parents may go and adopt some child.

Prabhupāda: That is everywhere. So that village gentleman, that place I liked.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Would you have agreed to stay with him?

Prabhupāda: I would have been glad. Very nice foodstuff, very nice, clean, and he has got his fresh vegetables, like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How old were you?

Prabhupāda: At that time I was ten years old. Or twelve years. Not more than twelve years. But I liked that place very much. They still presented the foodstuff, fresh. I have been many... Not many. In the village so tasteful, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and they cooked so nicely. Nice milk. Everything very nutritious. That life is gone. What is this nonsense life, hanging in the daily buses, outside. Kṛṣṇa advises to live village life, agriculture, and utilize time for understanding your spiritual life. That is... So we are trying to introduce this, this farm life. (break) Out of so many other living entities, he tried to give me trouble. How you can check?

Conversation with Patita-pavana -- April 20, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: Well, they could have one room and the kitchen.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, and the other gentleman...

Girirāja: Well, if we... Yeah.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's no problem. So there's residential quarter.

Prabhupāda: Why not request Mr. Acarya to exchange? They may go to his...

Girirāja: Okay.

Prabhupāda: That "We have kept your request."

Girirāja: Yeah, we obliged him by making him the tenant.

Morning Conversation -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is very insignificant thing, personal. And it is said, personal, if you keep long hair, it will look... But it has been made here, it is said that "People will think like that, that he has become more beautiful." The psychology. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dharaṇam. They rejected all other things. Simply they'll think that "If I keep long hair, I'll be very beautiful." This psychological study is there. And five thousand years before, prediction. How much authoritative the book is, just imagine. Is it not fact? Vyāsadeva's authority, try to... How perfectly authorized he is. They're stating psychological effect of people five thousand years ahead. Not only that, there are many descriptions what will be the name two thousand, three thousand years... Generally said, "This name will be like this. This name will be like this. Your son, grandson, great-grandson, what will be their names, this is..." So why shall we not believe just that statement of planetary system? If they are so correct... Planetary system is already there, but they are foretelling what in future, it will happen. That is my conviction. Therefore I do not believe anyone except Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā. That is my science. They speculate. I don't believe it. Why shall I...? And in the beginning Vyāsadeva said, kim anyaiḥ śāstraiḥ: "Take only Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the book of knowledge. Bas. You need not read any other." Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam: (SB 1.1.3) "This is essence of all Vedic knowledge." (pause) There are so many gentlemen here.

Morning Conversation -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Cheating. Cheating. Yes, everyone with common sense can understand that "What philosophy?" Here they see practically character, philosophy, devotion, faith, strict discipline. Any gentleman will appreciate.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, the gentlemen are very much impressed, especially, Mr. Mokta(?), people like that. They can see.

Prabhupāda: And Indians are appreciating that "Foreigners, they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not Indians."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For the first time they can see that the foreigners are appreciating India's culture, not trying to squash it.

Prabhupāda: And practically applying their life, not that simply...

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There is... In the village there is no such consideration.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But his idea was also to invite some of the respectable gentlemen from the neighboring areas, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and they may...

Prabhupāda: That is...

Mr. Dwivedi: It could be... When you... If the program should really start on Saturday, er, Sunday...

Kārttikeya: Thursday.

Mr. Dwivedi: Sunday.

Kārttikeya: Saturday. May also on Sunday, but starting on Friday, Saturday.

Mr. Dwivedi: No, you may reach there on Saturday, but program should be start on Sunday. Saturday-Sunday.

Prabhupāda: We are starting on Friday, hm?

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No. Even that incidence I told you, the, Duryodhana said, "You have come to, for kingdom? Yes, you can take." So he said, "No, no, no. That we shall decide in the battlefield." This is kṣatriya. "Oh, Duryodhana, you are so gentleman. Let us settle up. No, no, no." "No! That will be settled in the battlefield." This is Bhagavad-gītā. (Hindi) "No, we have come to the battlefield. We must decide by fighting." This is kṣatriya. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. (Hindi) This is teaching of Bhagavad-gītā. Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. Then where this is nonviolence come in the Bhagavad-gītā? Apalāyanam. (Hindi) "Come on. Fight. You have no weapon? Take from me." This is kṣatriya. What is the definition?

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Another thing you say privately. He has got a bad habit. When I am speaking, in the middle he speaks.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This gentleman, Mr. Dwivedi.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Kārttikeya. He... Nobody should speak when I am speaking.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: Unless he's permitted. That is the etiquette. It is not ordinary talk.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: Everyone should take note of this, and you can privately say, "You never speak like that. The etiquette is: when you are permitted by Guru Mahārāja, you can speak," not that "He is speaking. I know better than him. I shall speak something." That's very licentious. It is not ordinary talk. The system is unless he is ordered that "You explain," then nobody can talk. And outsider, they may do. They should not... They also should not, but that is the system. And Viśvambhara may... If possible, he can come for one or two days.

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Why one? Let him come. (Hindi) I think I speak in English. Otherwise they will not understand. The first thing is that "I am not this body." This is the first instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. And if you do not understand the first instruction, then where is the use of going ahead? This is the defect. Bhagavān said,

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase

gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca

nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

(BG 2.11)

"My dear Arjuna, you are lamenting for your family and bodily relationships. But this is not the subject matter for learned persons. And you are talking just like a learned man, 'What will happen if these, my brothers' wives become widows and this and that?' " That means in a gentlemanly way He said that "You are talking like a nonsense because you have no real subject matter." Agatāsūṁś ca. So far this body is concerned, either living or dead, it is a not a subject matter for learned talk. It is a lump of matter. And what is life?

Evening Darsana -- May 9, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's raining again.

Prabhupāda: You have shown our books to these gentlemen?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have a few books here.

Prabhupāda: Hm. You can show some of them. (Hindi conversation) Call him. You can perform kīrtana here. That will... (Hindi conversation). So go to the hall and begin kīrtana immediately. You can go. So you can go and have kīrtana.

Indian man (8): But we can start here also.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: So... But we've been offered in Narayanganj and many places nearby. Even Dacca we can get some place. People are...

Prabhupāda: One gentleman, he has now become my disciple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mr. Sindh. That jeweler from Calcutta?

Jayapatākā: He's given (indistinct) me.

Prabhupāda: They are very rich man, that Singh jeweler. They can give. He is very nice man, very nice man and very well-to-do. You have seen them?

Jayapatākā: Yes, before I went I saw him, and he gave me three or four names of very wealthy people in Bangladesh to see, and those people are also... One person already became a member, and they'll give us much support.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It is plain fact. God is one. Why God should be Muhammadan, Christian, Hindu? That is not God. God is God. Gold is gold. This example I give always. Because a piece of gold is coming from some Muhammadan gentleman, does it mean it is Muhammadan gold? It is gold. It may come from any source, but one must know that it is gold, not imitation. That is wanted. If it is imitation, then it is Muhammadan gold, Hindu gold. And if it is real gold, it is neither Muhammadan nor Hindu.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: Yeah. The distribution has increased.

Prabhupāda: Then why don't you dress like European, half foreign dress and half hair? Who is that foreign and European and gentleman? What is the use of wig? Keep regular gentleman's hair. There is no need of saffron dress. If by ordinary dress you can sell more book, there is no need of saffron dress. So what is the time now?

Gargamuni: 9:30.

Bhavānanda: Kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhavānanda: Kīrtana?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Conversations -- May 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Keep always busy. Make execution. Something must go on. We have got our guesthouse to provide respectable gentleman with quarter.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think it will also be good for the gurukula, to tie together, 'cause we have this Institute and gurukula together. That way, it will be more attractive for program.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So did you talk with Bhakti-prema Swami?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No. I'm going to talk with him too.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Keep me forward. Yes. Keep always busy. That I wish to see.

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Kach-Kamil. Kach-Kamil means the gentleman who kept her, he was a big glass merchant. So the temple was decorated with mirrors and glass, and her name was Kamil, so Kach-Kamil temple. Still there are. Everyone was Kṛṣṇa conscious, either poor man, retired man or prostitute or gentleman or rich man—everyone. The society itself was Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There wasn't any influence of that Ramakrishna Mission yet?

Prabhupāda: No Ramakrishna... Who cares for?

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, in the East Village.

Prabhupāda: No gentleman can live. So niggardly. The shops, the neighborhood, the area, all...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's where you went to begin the movement.

Prabhupāda: No, no, I did not select that. Unknowingly I was thrown. I did not know which quarter is good way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who showed you that area?

Prabhupāda: Mukunda. I asked him that "Find out some upper class...." He found out that 26 Second Avenue. (laughs) I did not know. That's all. Anyone...

Conversation: 'How to Secure Brahmacaris' -- June 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct-bad tape) (break) So now our next business is to bring students, brahmacārī. So easy process is to approach wealthy(?) gentleman. In their family there are many children, one, two, three, like that. So approach them and plead them that "Children from your family are expected to be very respectable boys, character and devotee, educated. From your family, people expect like that. According to Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's instruction, he says, ko 'rthaḥ putreṇa jātena yo na vidvān na bhaktimān. 'What is the use of begetting children like cats and dogs?' The children must be vidvān, that is, learned, and bhaktimān, devotee. This is the ideal. And what is the use of begetting cats and dogs? Ko 'rthaḥ putreṇa jātena yo na vidvān na bhaktimān. Either he should be bhaktimān or vidvān.

Conversation: 'How to Secure Brahmacaris' -- June 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: This is going on. Knowingly they are drinking poison, and we are trying to save them. Very difficult task. Jāniyā śuni... This Narottama dāsa's song, a very practical and very easily applica... Jāniyā śuniyā... Nobody drinks poison knowingly, but these people, we are all drinking poison knowingly. They're refusing to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So little difficult but very responsible task. So at least bring five hundred students. Then it will be very nice, gradually. Respectable gentleman, big, big man, at least these big, big merchants, their student doesn't... Just like Birla family, other big, big... If they require some technologists, they can hire. There are so many tech... Technologist means śūdra. And actually they are doing that. They do not train their own sons to become technologist.

Morning Talk -- June 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I think in Japan I have got. One European boy came. He came: "How you have got so much knowledge, sir?" His inquiry was that. In Dum Dum Airport some gentleman came, Indian. The thing is, knowledge was there. It was not presented. (pause) (aside:) He'll take one; you take. (break) Hm? Kṛṣṇa asked the gopīs that "You can take your cloth, one after another. You have done a great fault. Naked, you are taking your bath. So just offer to the deity namaskāra." (laughs) Chastised: "You are very naughty. Why you are doing like this? I tell you, this is for your good." So they did it. (pause) Gopījana-vallabha. (pause) Kṛṣṇa's naughty activities... In every neighboring house they would come, Mother Yaśodā, friends, and they'll repeat Kṛṣṇa's naughty activities, and Mother Yaśodā, stopping all household business, she would hear. She would hear again.

Conversations -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Therefore it's easy to see why your Guru Mahārāja said that this world is not a fit place for a gentleman.

Prabhupāda: As I told you last time, in the Western countries, so long I am in the temple, I am safe. And as soon as I go out of the temple, it is hell. And implica..., as they are attached. How they are doing?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's one thing I noticed when I came to India. I felt, only in India, it's the only place that I could go out of the temple, and still I felt it wasn't so hellish. I actually felt like that. You know, just like when we were living in Kamal Nagar in Delhi. There were many karmīs around, but still... Most of them... Many were vegetarians. Many, I could hear pūjā.

Conversation about Old Days in Calcutta -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: In Bhāgavata there are many instances, very old man married. Anyway, this gentleman was such a nice devotee. Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What was particularly nice about his devotional quality?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which devotional qualities particularly did he...?

Prabhupāda: Because later on he retired—he was a pleader—so whole day and night, simply devotee. Sometimes he would offer obeisances to the Deity. Actually he was old man. He'll fall asleep by... And he would remain in that two, three hours.

Conversation about Old Days in Calcutta -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: One Muhammadan gentleman, Dinuniya, he was formerly Hindu, but when there was some famine... (break) He also made so many charitable institutions. He had a majheev(?), one etimakhānā. Etimakhānā means orphan house.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Means?

Prabhupāda: Orphan house. He was cutting throat of the chicken on the street.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's not a very nice business.

Prabhupāda: We were accustomed. His servant, they would do. But we have seen it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What were you thinking when you saw that?

Conversation about Old Days in Calcutta -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I think he is drinking also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Must be. When they eat chicken then they have to drink to digest.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nowadays among the gentlemen, the chicken and cake(?).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And?

Prabhupāda: Wine cake(?). If you don't receive your friend with chicken and wine cake, then that reception is not good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That means they're very much degraded nowadays.

Prabhupāda: The Sikhs, they invariably eat. The Marathis, low class, invariably eat.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about the South Indians?

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Just see. And for cow, they must be killed. They are taking delicacy, pus. (laughs) There's no danger.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mad civilization. It is a mad society. They eat anything.

Prabhupāda: One gentleman was taking the lobster, some preparation, liquid.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were observing this on your arrival in Boston harbor?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that's where the lobsters are kept, near the harbor. Nowadays the fashion is that you go to a seafood restaurant, and they keep the lobster...

Prabhupāda: The lobsters, I do not know. They take it from Indian foods. It is from Cochin. Cochin, South India. I do not know... Huge quantity of lobsters are there, and they are exported to America.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...keep one's status position as gentleman, he must have sufficient income. That's all. One should be satisfied in that way and be happy in Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

(Brs. 1.1.11)

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes. That is real happiness. You should know what is happiness. Whatever we're getting, that is sufficient if... Simply to keep your status quo nicely. That's all. This is secret of happiness. I must not be poverty-stricken, neither I shall hanker after becoming very, very so-called rich. That is happiness. That arrangement is there. Your present position will never be disturbed, you'll improve, and you get, after seven years, 2,500 rupees per month. What do you want more? This is simply idea, that "My father has got so much property for me." And even if your father leaves so much property for you, if you have no luck to enjoy it, you'll be Harendranatha Singh. That you have seen, that your maternal uncles, what they have done? They're all rich men's son.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is his name in Bombay?

Mr. Myer: Bombay, there's one gentleman, he is... The name of the press where he's...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your brother owns the press?

Mr. Myer: No. He's getting a contract. He doesn't invest very much money in that. He wrote a very nice directory of India. It's the most beautiful directory. It took him about seven years to make. All the manufacturers in India, all the different economy of India, the various festivals.

Prabhupāda: Oh, directory

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Mr. Myer: Whole things is done in one. I'll bring a copy when I come next time. It was done on very special paper made by Triveni Tissues in Calcutta. And whole thing is just so thin, and it covers everything, whatever, all Indian bases, all foreign embassies, banks, newspapers. (indistinct) Bombay this gentleman is. He's got a very big press. But he has a problem in managing it. So my brother is trying to give him some business. They have got very good facilities, offset. People don't believe such good printing can be done in India, five color, six color.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your brother is a printer by trade? No.

Mr. Myer: He is publisher.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's a publisher by trade.

Mr. Myer: He is actually doing agency business and publishing as his hobby. He's trying to bring out a few books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where does he live?

Mr. Myer: He lives in Bangalore.

Prabhupāda: So why not bring some samples?

Room Conversation about Grhasthas -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Let me go this side and come back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...gentlemen who are... It is good suggestion. It is a Communist government plan to cut down. Communists think of God as a farce. And we are stressing on God consciousness.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Surabhī Swami sent some plan of the Bhaktivedanta Institute building, sent a blueprint.

Prabhupāda: Where is?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should I bring it? (break) They sent also... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...they want people join together and protest. And what is the response from Caitanya Maṭha? And that Surendranath Das is with Caitanya Maṭha, or he's doing something independently? A remark by such a great officer, I.D., is not to be neglected.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That was the atmosphere I had the opportunity to get.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That gentleman who brought you the oils yesterday? He brought another type. I wanted to bring it to you. He said especially during the wintertime it would be good for you. I'll just bring it. (break)

Prabhupāda: Very pet child.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pet child.

Prabhupāda: Whatever I shall want, they will supply. I was not a unwanted child for killing.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: How people were happy in those days. A small income, they were satisfied. Nowadays they simply want money. Nobody was unhappy even if he had very small income. He would adjust, and develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These things we have seen. I have seen that even the maidservant, what to speak of gentlemen. Where those days gone? And nobody was hungry. What is this nonsense civilization? Simply want of money and unsatisfied in every step. Especially in the Western countries they're becoming hippie. Why? The training is different.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now we are being given a new training by you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We've become happy. Actually, apart from the devotees, there are no happy people in the whole world.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Yaśomatīnandana: This prabhu, Rāma-Krishna Prabhu, is very respectable gentleman. So if I take him to see the Home Minister...

Prabhupāda: Nice.

Yaśomatīnandana: That will be very nice.

Prabhupāda: Why not? Let him.

Yaśomatīnandana: Because he can say he has five companies; now he has given his life to Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: But I am sure this Māyāpur incident is a Communist plan. That is...

Yaśomatīnandana: Yes, that is sure.

Prabhupāda: There is no doubt.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Girirāja made one life member aboard the train, a very nice gentleman living on Marine Drive, quite wealthy. He says he never takes the train, only flies. But he went to the airport at four o'clock, and the airport said, "We have no flights. All flights cancelled." They didn't even give the courtesy to call up the people to tell them the flight was cancelled, although they had the telephone numbers of the ticket purchasers. So the man had to take the train.

Prabhupāda: The strike instrument invented by modern civilization, so dangerous.

Hari-śauri: Means the government becomes completely controlled by the lowest working class.

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Very good. He can, because he thinks legally, and that's how you have to deal with these men. They're actually small time, and they're just harassing us because we're acting in a very gentlemanly way and they're acting in a very ungentlemanly way. Anyway, we're not going to take out our fixed deposits. The ones that are there should be matured. But when they're matured, if we want to transfer them to somewhere else, we should have the freedom to do that and not be bound to have to keep the money there. That's the only point. And we'll be bringing so much money. Your Divine Grace has plans for making Vṛndāvana very much developed. So they should not worry like that. None of our other bankers are worried. They see sometimes we take the money, sometimes we bring money. But because of the way they're dealing, we don't want to bring any money. I'll tell Girirāja to..., if he can deal with this matter, that he should take it up. He wanted to meet them. He said he wanted to see what...

Prabhupāda: Let him meet.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We are receiving very good report from Iran.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The royal family is taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I think even your Guru Mahārāja would have been surprised to hear that.

Prabhupāda: Everyone, if one is actually gentleman. So we have this Gurukula, good chance for teaching future preacher. Here is Yaśodā-nandana Mahārāja and others. You can do. Prepare, send. Prepare and send.

Brahmānanda: "Prepare and send," Prabhupāda said. Prepare them and send them.

Prabhupāda: How much tremendous work we have to do.

Brahmānanda: The whole world, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Hari-śauri: It's unlimited.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Unlimited.

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I was very happy when I heard, respectable gentlemen, out of love, they are washing dishes. You know that? Ātreya Ṛṣi told me.

Hari-śauri: Yes. In Iran. Some important people in Iran, just out of some... To do some service, they're even going in the restaurant and assisting by washing the dishes, and they're bringing things here and there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's really devotional.

Prabhupāda: They are so gentle.

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what we're feeling with this community also, that actually people will become so much impressed with this wonderful way of life that they'll want to take part voluntarily. If something is done very nicely, if Kṛṣṇa consciousness is presented very nicely, then any gentleman will want to take part.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That is good. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Many people will come to this community to see how it is done. I think it will become very, very important in many different respects—for farmers, for people who are interested in designing ideal communities, for so many people who would like to live an ideal life, for people who want to come and see a unique place to visit, because there will be a temple of Kṛṣṇa-Arjuna there, a doll exhibit. I think it can be a wonderful preaching opportunity. And most wonderful of all is if we can exhibit self-sufficiency, that simply by farming the land, we can get enough grains, and taking care of the cows, we can get enough good foods to keep the body healthy.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Bhavānanda, when he... Just the day after he left here, there was a letter addressed to him. One gentleman wrote and said, "I am fifty years old and I am a M.A...." He was a professor of something. And he said, "Now my children are all grown up and I'm simply working. So I have heard that you are a pure Vaiṣṇava, so I want to take shelter and serve Kṛṣṇa at your āśrama." So although people are putting in paper so many things, but they are understanding that "No, he is a Vaiṣṇava." So people believe what they want to believe. So whatever... It's all that... The devotees are devotees. When we see people, they always say, (Bengali). They don't believe it that the report is true. Everyone doubts the reports. Only those that are of envious mind, they believe in, because they want to believe that.

Prabhupāda: What... (Bengali)

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali)

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Up-to-date gentlemen, they hate to come, Vṛndāvana. They know it is a place for guṇḍās. Pāṇḍās means guṇḍās. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are expert at preaching to the guṇḍās. Therefore everyone becomes converted by your preaching. We were all guṇḍās. I think that your coming to America was no less fearless than Lord Caitanya when He went into the Jhārikhaṇḍa forest to preach, Śrīla Prabhupāda. In fact, we were worse than the animals that Lord Caitanya had to deal with. At least an animal keeps to his nature. Just like you described that boy that who was taking... You were staying in his loft, and he was taking intoxicants. He was acting like you could not calculate what he would do. Animals you can expect something. And you were there alone. Single-handedly, you were walking around in the streets. Sometimes New York is called a jungle.

Bhavānanda: "Asphalt jungle."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Asphalt jungle.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Any respectable gentleman, they hate to come to Vṛndāvana.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But by your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda, now I think many will come later. The man who came yesterday is the friend of our chief guest. His name is Dr. Chowdury. He's also a retired architect. He had a strong appreciation of the architectural design of the temple. He said the Gurukula also... They looked all over the Gurukula, and they were very appreciative. So I told him that we are planning to build another auditorium for the Institute and for the ISKCON activities. So they didn't know these things before. This Ghattack, Professor Ghattack, he's the head of the physics department of India Institute of Technology. He told me last night that never expected that such nice things might exist in Vṛndāvana. So he said there is an atmosphere of purity and cleanliness. He was thinking that maybe he could bring his child for the Gurukula.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Make it an ideal institution. Who are you?

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...with the bank people. A gentleman has come from Delhi. Girirāja and I are talking with him. We've transferred the receipts there, and we're just completing the formalities.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And the bank manager said he was... I think he's one of the top men in the bank. He's completely disgusted—these were his own words—with how they have arranged things here, and he's going to completely redecorate this office, putting in rugs and full furniture and waiting facilities, and make it a first-class office. He says he cannot understand how this has been allowed to go on like this in the name of Punjab Bank. And he's having a new manager brought here who has been trained in Delhi, a younger man who is a little bit more capable of making proper decisions and acting in a nice way. And every single request...

Prabhupāda: But the defect is that here the head manager does not know English.

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. One Bengali gentleman has come from New York?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Mr. Sukamal Roy Chowdury.

Prabhupāda: So I have deputed some of you to initiate. Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Actually... Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So I think Jayapatākā can do that if he likes. I have already deputed. Tell him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm? Hm?

Girirāja: I said we will explain to the Bengali gentleman just as you have described to us, so that he'll be satisfied with this arrangement.

Prabhupāda: And Dr. Ghosh has his scheme, but actually the scheme is there in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We want to introduce that scheme to our Gurukula. We haven't got to manufacture scheme. Is that correct?

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Let them learn to rise early in the morning and cleanse. This is the first scheme. This will keep their health nice. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). Unless in the human society the varṇāśrama system is introduced, no scheme or social order, health order or any order, political order, will be successful.

Bhagavān: Everything is there very clearly in your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: A man-made scheme-useless. Sāttvika-yuga.(?) What is that verse? Sattvāvalambi-para-sattva-viśuddha-sattvam... From Brahma-saṁhitā?

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we had never made a copy. So I think the easiest thing would be to give Jayapatākā Mahārāja a letter of authority. He'll get the agreement, and even right in the bank or else at the temple in Calcutta he can make a copy and send us a copy and redeposit the original with the bank. And that's one point. Then another point is that the land on which the building was erected doesn't actually belong to Mr. Patodiya. It belonged to a Bengali gentleman, and in fact it's not owned by Mr. Patodiya. It's leased for ninety-nine years, of which eighty-five years still remain. So this conveyance more or less... It appears that every guarantee is only given for the duration of that lease—another eighty-five years. So the obvious question is what happens after that eighty-five years? Of course, a lawyer, a solicitor, can tell us this very easily, but I'm thinking that it might be helpful that when Jayapatākā is sending us the copy of the sale agreement he may also get a copy for Mr. Patodiya of that lease agreement which Mr. Patodiya has with the Bengali gentleman, so that we can see what the position is after eighty-five years. Girirāja and I were studying it pretty closely. So what we're going to probably do is we'll give the copy of the conveyance draft to one of our life member lawyers, friends in Delhi, and in the meantime, while he's looking at it, we'll get the necessary documents from Calcutta. Then we'll settle it up. Not difficult.

Prabhupāda: There are other? Other occupants?

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But that other gentleman will not...

Bhakti-caru: No, no, not him. I'm talking about Śrī Raṅgajī's temple there is a young kavirāja.

Kavirāja: (Hindi)

Bhakti-caru: (Hindi) (break)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So in that way he was thinking to leave, but now he's agreed to stay on for at least five or six days. We convinced him that "You stay here and you take Prabhupāda to Māyāpur personally." That's what we're pushing for. We explained how all of his patients put together multiplied by one crore cannot equal Your Divine Grace. And he agreed. He said, "That I know." And we explained that... He was quoting from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So we explained how Your Divine Grace was the representative and incarnation of Vyāsadeva, and he accepted that. He has very high respect for Vyāsadeva and for you because he's seen your books. He knows that you're not ordinary.

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Agarwal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that his name? Agarwal? From Mathurā. Whew! Very high class man, thoroughly gentleman.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Noble-minded.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We met. Svarūpa Dāmodara and I spent an hour at Bhagatji's house. Bhagatji brought him. So he's going to do that Trust. He says in three or four days time he can finish it, Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust, with the aims and objects we have given.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: In Krishnanagar. The magistrate who is hearing the case is a real gentleman, very kind, understanding. He had been to Māyāpur about three or four months before this incident. He came with his wife and children. We gave him very nice prasādam and showed him the movie "Hare Kṛṣṇa People." And on the 25th of November, that's Rāsa-pūrṇimā festival, and that is big day at Māyāpur. In three days probably over half million people will come to the temple. We sell so many books, magazines. It never used to be like that, Śrīla Prabhupāda, until you built this center. Now the Rāsa-pūrṇimā festival has turned into a big, big event in Bengal. Everyone comes to Māyāpur on pilgrimage, just like Dol-pūrṇimā. Thousands and thousands of people, they come.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, in Vṛndāvana, it's... (break)

Prabhupāda: (conversation with Ānanda Mahārāja-Bengali) (break) Who is here?

Upendra: Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Māyāvāda.

Akṣayānanda: I have a plan, Prabhupāda. Myself and Bhakti-prema Swami can go there and sit, and if we hear any discrepancies, if we are given a chance afterwards, which we can arrange, to speak something, then we can rectify—in a gentlemanly way, of course. We can rectify. If we sit there, at least we know that they'll be careful what they say. And he can catch any finer points that I would miss, 'cause it's all in Hindi.

Prabhupāda: They are speaking in Hindi.

Akṣayānanda: Everything's in Hindi, the whole thing. No English whatsoever.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then there's no chance of our men becoming...

Akṣayānanda: Our men can't understand anything.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda: That's going on. Construction is going on. Saurabha Mahārāja came yesterday, and he has given that idea. He had some objection before. He's clarified that objection. It was an architectural point, just for the beauty. So he's clarified that with the engineer, and it's going on now. I haven't had time, Prabhupāda, to talk to the members—some of the members are still remaining-about their conference, because I had to go for this work. But I'll go now and meet some of these gentlemen, get some idea what is their aims and objectives and resolutions. Otherwise, unfortunately, I could not be present there. But I'll give you a report.

Prabhupāda: Their aims and object is superficially good, that "We altogether preach." But they do not know the ways. That is their defect. Neither they'll take up as it is. So it will be failure.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yesterday... No, yesterday some prominent men, Dalmiya. Who came?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dalmiya was here, Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bajaj, Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa, and some gentleman from Auroville Society was here to see you. I think they were participating in that conference, Gītā-pratiṣṭhāna.

Dr. Kapoor: I was also invited. I'm sorry I couldn't come because my wife was very ill.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dr. Kapoor could not attend. His wife was very ill, he said. He couldn't attend the conference. Śrīla Prabhupāda, maybe you should rest now a little bit. Okay. (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: I'm tired.

Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: England?

Girirāja: He's about fifty-year-old gentleman who was the manager of a big club in London. So he had been associating with the devotees in London, and they suggested he come to India and help manage our restaurant and guesthouse. So he was the aide-de-camp of the Viceroy of India.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Remember, I told you about him, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Girirāja: So he knows a little Hindi. He has a very distinguished...

Prabhupāda: Which viceroy?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which viceroy?

Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I met him at Bhaktivedanta Manor, Śrīla Prabhupāda, when we were there. He came a couple of times, very nice gentleman. He's working without any salary. Simply he asked for a room, and he wants to devote his life. Real gentleman. He's more British than any Britisher I've ever met.

Prabhupāda: Forty years?

Girirāja: Well, he's about, I think, sixty years old now. And when he was a young man of twenty he was the aide-de-camp of the viceroy. And I think he was also the secretary to the governor of Punjab when it was under the British.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He met with Gandhi and all of these other leaders.

Girirāja: Then, just after I left... Before that, I spoke to Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, and he was arranging for Mahāṁśa Swami and Mr. Polareddy to meet the President of India to invite him to be the chief guest because Mr. Polareddy of Hyderabad knows the present President.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And Kṛṣṇa conscious. And Kṛṣṇa said, ahaṁ bīja-prada..., sarva-bhūtānām. "Gītā-pratiṣṭhāna."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They don't have even the human respect of a gentleman. The real gentlemen, they won't speak like that.

Prabhupāda: For their dealings, they are compact within India. They cannot go out. Who will care for their Hindi? And their nationalism and at the same time they are...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: They are so many false attempt.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Give facility for him, ten rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This gentleman?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ten rupees.

Prabhupāda: And some fruits.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Uncut.

Prabhupāda: Uncut, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.