Prabhupāda: Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was at Benares. He was a Māyāvādī sannyāsī, Śaṅkara sampradāya. So he used to... This scene should be given that at Benares He was also walking all over the streets and roads, "Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa" and thousands and thousands men were following Him. This news arrived to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī who was the chief sannyāsī there and some of the devotees told, "Oh, a very nice sannyāsī has come to Benares. He's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī deprecated, "Oh! This is a nonsense! Why a sannyāsī should chant and dance? He should concentrate his mind in studying Vedānta. He is a fool." In this way Caitanya Mahāprabhu was criticized. So one Maharastrian brāhmaṇa, he was devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said that "This incident gave us much pain, sir. If You kindly meet this sannyāsī and talk with him about Vedānta-sūtra, that would be a nice thing." In the meantime one brāhmaṇa came and invited Lord Caitanya that "I have invited all the sannyāsīns of Benares, but I know You do not meet these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, but still I have come to invite You. You kindly accept my invitation." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this opportunity of meeting Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He accepted his invitation, and there was a meeting, and there was discussion of Vedānta-sūtra with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, and He converted him to be a Vaisnava. That is another incident.
Maharastra (Conversations)
Expressions researched:
"maharastra"
|"maharastran"
|"maharastrian"
|"maharastrians"
|"maharastriya"
|"maharastriyan"
Conversations and Morning Walks
1967 Conversations and Morning Walks
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. You write his name.
Haṁsadūta: May I have your name?
Guest (1): Major Ghun N. Susuy(?)
Prabhupāda: You are Maharastrian.
Guest (1): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Maharastrians, they are fighting nation.
Haṁsadūta: Telephone?
Prabhupāda: Telephone? Telephone?
Guest (1): Telephone, no, I haven't got.
Prabhupāda: Telephone? Telephone?
Guest (1): Telephone, no, I haven't got.
Prabhupāda: Maharastrian spirit and Bengali spirit, almost...
Guest (1): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (1): (Hindi?) (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Yes. These boys also, from their childhood they are addicted to so many things. Gave up immediately.
Guest (1): That's nice.
Prabhupāda: He also went through in Maharastra by His chanting, (indistinct)
Haṁsadūta: And most important, Prabhupāda has presented Bhagavad-gītā. He calls it "Bhagavad-gītā As It Is." He explains in the introduction that till now there's been so many Bhagavad-gitas printed in all languages and all of them are misrepresenting. They have not presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They are trying to present Bhagavad-gītā without Kṛṣṇa. They want to leave out the speaker of Bhagavad-gītā and put themselves forward. So Prabhupāda has presented Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and therefore this movement has taken such hold because the real thing is being presented. This is in San Francisco, California.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Why the government is still keeping this octroi botheration, I do not know. It is old system. Practically in UP and Punjab, this octroi system. In Bihar there is no octroi, in Bengal there is no octroi. I think in Bombay also, Bombay, I mean Maharastra province, there is no octroi. Only in UP and Punjab. There is so much botheration.
Pañca-draviḍa: In Harayana also.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Pañca-draviḍa: Harayana also.
Prabhupāda: Harayana also. (break)
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: And indirectly, Indira Gandhi sometimes said that... Many politicians have said. In London, the high commissioner, he said, "Swamiji, your movement is so nice." He's a Maharastrian Pant. Pant. So... But we cannot do anything of this way.
Guest: No, but if the center is against, then my logic says...
Prabhupāda: Center is against.
Guest: If the center is against, then how they have given a permission Delhi?
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Guest: Then how we have got a permission in Delhi?
Prabhupāda: What is that permission?
Prabhupāda: Yes. This soft sand. But not walking, all sand. This Juhu Beach is specially nice.
Dr. Patel: Made for us. (laughs) (break)
Prabhupāda: ...kingdom, the Maharastrian brāhmaṇas, they were more staunch.
Dr. Patel: They did not serve Muslims, like brāhmaṇas who are from Bengal and Gujarat. Gujarati brāhmaṇas and Bengali brāhmaṇas served the Muslims...
Prabhupāda: Brahminical culture. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was also brāhmaṇa, but because he served the Mohammedans, he was rejected from the brāhmaṇa society. Then Kṛṣṇa, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, raised them to the position of gosvāmīs. Their name was also changed. Dabir Khas.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No. I have seen one temple here in Nigulesvara (?). Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa white.
Dr. Patel: No, Maharastriyan temples are all white, excepting... Who?
Guest (1): Viṭṭhala.
Dr. Patel: Vitoba is black.
Prabhupāda: We have black also. Some are black. Some are... In Texas, Dallas we have got black. Kālachanda. Contradiction. Chandjī or Kālajī.
Dr. Patel: What about starting a school of Sanskrit here? There is a... I have a... (break)
Prabhupāda: ...have place to stay.
Prabhupāda: ...former purchaser, they sell to the higher bidders.
Dr. Patel: Yes. Very cunning. Very cunning people.
Bhava-bhūti: I think there is some complaint also here in Maharastra, some plan not to give any more Gujaratis job. Just simply... (break)
Prabhupāda: That is good.
Dr. Patel: (Heavy wind noise) And then so many, they... (break)
Prabhupāda: ...clean. Although there is no machine.
Dr. Patel: Because the sea comes here, right. Here is the water line, high water line, high tide.
Prabhupāda: Yes, there are many good scholars.
Priest: Many scholars, many institutions, and also the society is rich.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Maharastrian, they are educated, advanced.
Priest: How do you find your disciples here in Europe?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Priest: I shouldn't ask personal question.
Prabhupāda: No, it is not personal. It is..., Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult is so nice that it can attract anyone.
Prabhupāda: He is Indian. (laughter)
Priest: I was... I mean I am still a bhakta of Kṛṣṇa, but not..., of the old tradition of Maharastra the (indistinct) of Pāṇḍarapura, Viṭhobā.
Prabhupāda: Vaiṣṇava.
Priest: (indistinct) Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa, that Viṭhṭhala, Viṭhṭhala. Viṭhṭhala, there is... So they are Vaiṣṇava.
Priest: And it's the main... (indistinct) center of Maharastra.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Pāṇḍarapura.
Prabhupāda: What was your subject matter studying?
Priest: I was studying for a thesis, a doctorate thesis, this pilgrimage, the story of the pilgrimage and everything of the brāhmaṇa pilgrimage. And as you know, it was one of the main bhakti tradition in Maharastra, Orissa, Jñāneśvara.
Prabhupāda: Tukārāma, Tukārāma.
Priest: Tukārāma.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Priest: I have proceeded to (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Tukārāma is in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Bhagavān: French literature. He's asking for French literature.
Jyotirmayī: He translated the Tukārāma in French.
Prabhupāda: Tukārāma. Tukārāma is great Vaiṣṇava devotee of Maharastra. His movement was saṅkīrtana movement.
Devotee: He was the one who was initiated by Lord Caitanya?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Bhagavān: This was southern India?
Priest: Maharastra.
Prabhupāda: Maharastra, yes. Southwest.
Prabhupāda: Although he did not mean Rāma, he condemned the boar as haram, condemned. But the...
Priest: Same story is said in the bhakti tradition of Maharastra of the hunter.
Prabhupāda: Yes, may be the same story.
Priest: Untouchable hunter who was chased by a boar and went to a tree, and then... It is a common story.
Prabhupāda: Anyway, we are recommending "Chant the holy name of God." (end)
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: And we have come out victorious.
Brahmānanda: Yes. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: So much obstacle, still going on. Now the governor is cornered.
Brahmānanda: The governor of Maharastra.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Bombay. If he says yes, that is also dangerous; if he says no, that is also dangerous. (break)
Brahmānanda: We do not really understand how demoniac, how calculating, our leaders are.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Prabhupāda: I am going to India. We have to hold the Lord Caitanya's birthday anniversary. And open our Vṛndāvana temple. In Bombay we have got very nice land purchased, and the government will not give us sanction for the temple. The... I approached the Maharastra governor through another friend governor. The governor of Uttar Pradesh, he is my friend. So I explained to him, "This this is the position. You request the governor to give me sanction." So he has very ardently requested, explaining the whole thing about my position, my... He is member of this movement, and still, he is neglecting. He has said no. Yet... But no answer.
Ambassador: You know, when I had Mr. Trudeau, our prime minister, visiting India in '71, first place I took him was Vṛndāvana.
Prabhupāda: People know it. Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another.
Prof. Hopkins: What about certain other traditions; Ishnamadeva(?), Tukārāma, some of the poet saints of Maharastra. Where...
Prabhupāda: Yes, Tukārāma accepted Viṣṇu as the Supreme. He accepted the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He accepted Caitanya Mahāprabhu as his guru so there is no difference between Tukārāma and Caitanya.
Prof. Hopkins: So Tukārāma, you would say, is teaching the same thing as Caitanya?
Prabhupāda: Yes, saṅkīrtana. And Kṛṣṇa is teaching the same thing. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). Find out.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Our society is registered in America.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In India presently we are registered in Bombay and all the other centers are branch offices. That's why in Hyderabad they haven't touched us. In Maharastra.... I think Maharastra will be the last state to do something of this type.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But then when it does it, what will you do?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll try our best to escape it, but if there's...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We should try to make some provision now if possible.
Mahāṁsa: If the government wants to do that, you can't do anything.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But we are changing.... We are making our constitution look like a welfare society, so this way we may not fall under this.
Prabhupāda: What is the political position here? (break)
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...big celebration here starting tomorrow to the 18th. P. K. Savant, he came to see you last year, the president of Maharastra Pradesh Congress Committee, he was the chief guest. Mr. Pagay, another he is the minister from Maharastra, he's also coming. Very big program. It's being advertised all over Bombay.
Prabhupāda: So raining stopped here?
Driver: For three days stopped, sir. Otherwise, it was very heavy.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's monsoon, it will still rain.
Prabhupāda: Throughout whole Europe there is not a drop of water.
Prabhupāda: So "You are not genuine. Therefore we are not appreciating." Genuine they appreciate. "But you are not genuine. Therefore we are criticizing you."
Pradyumna: "As far back as 1971 the Maharastra government had taken action against the foreign devotees who had chosen to overstay in Bombay and elsewhere."
Gargamuni: That isn't true. Their action was to allow us to build our Bombay center.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's not true.
Pradyumna: "In mid 1975 the Union Home Ministry took, however, a lenient view and allowed the immigrants to stay for long periods on the specious plea that the mastering of Vaiṣṇava literature, the spiritual diet of the cultists, was not like learning shorthand." Then heading: "Contrary Pulls in Government."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Go to village to village. It is very noble attempt. And if you sincerely preach Kṛṣṇa will... buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te. There is no doubt.
Indian man: (Sanskrit verse)
Lokanātha: He joined us four days back. He's from Maharastra. I'm taking him with me.
Prabhupāda: He understands the philosophy. Wherefrom it is quoted?
Indian boy: (Hindi)
Lokanātha: Saint Tukārāma.
Prabhupāda: Maharastra Province is rich? I don't think so.
Mr. Malhotra: It is like this, that Maharastra is industrially quite stable. But that only Bombay and one, two cities. The rest of Maharastra is poor. There is not much cultivation.
Prabhupāda: But industry it belongs to the other persons, not to the Maharastrians.
Mr. Malhotra: Hm?
Prabhupāda: All these Bombay industries, they belong to the outsiders.
Prabhupāda: Maharastrians are very neat and clean. Upper class, they are very. (break) ...karmī.
Mr. Malhotra: Good man.
Prabhupāda: Good man from worldly point of view, but from spiritual point of view, in the lowest stage. Karmī is the lowest stage. Then jñānī, then yogi, then bhakta.
Mr. Malhotra: More a politician.
Prabhupāda: Yes, karmī means this how to enjoy this world. Whole life they have struggled how to enjoy this, how to enjoy myself, how to allow my men to enjoy. This is karmī platform. Everyone is doing that. Everyone is working hard for himself, for his family, and expand the family, for society, and expand the society, for the nation. Here is karmī plan. Gandhi, Birla they are all... There is no question of spiritual life.
Prabhupāda: I know that. Eh.
Guest (3): This is only in Maharastra, on the...
Dr. Patel: They are restricting in Maharastra also.
Prabhupāda: No, what is the reason all of a sudden they have good sense?
Dr. Patel: Vinode Bhave wanted it.
Prabhupāda: Vinode Bhave is not so important. There is government policy, something. Otherwise they could not care what Vinode Bhave said. It is... Don't think it is due to Vinode Bhave's request.
Prabhupāda: No. Then he'll bring the (indistinct) and eat it. It was never brought within the precincts of the house.
Dr. Patel: (indistinct) Gujarat and Maharastra (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: No, no... These people who were eating meat, they knew that "I am doing wrong." But Vivekananda approved, "No, it is not wrong. It is wrong. Whatever you like you can do." Then they began to eat meat. Fish they were already eating. Meat and chicken and eggs and everything.
Dr. Patel: All the sons of Vallabhācārya's followers are eating.
Prabhupāda: No, everyone is eating. I know that. Therefore our first regulation is you must give it up. Then we talk of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, there is Sarasvatī
Dr. Patel: You get Sarasvatī in Maharastra also, everywhere. (laughs)
Trivikrama: This is Dr. Patel. I heard him speaking two years ago because a tape came. At the time you were, you and Dr. Patel, you were having very heated conversations. But now I see he is subdued. (chuckles)
Dr. Patel: In these two years I have made an extensive study of the Vaiṣṇava cult, all the three branches of main Vaiṣṇavas, and I think, I think, sir, that... I have studied Śaṅkara also extensively, and I think Śaṅkara is misunderstood very much. That is our opinion.
Dr. Patel: That is the hotel where Lokamane(?) Tilak died. He was staying there.
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is modern standard, very nice hotel, still good hotel.
Dr. Patel: Maharastrian brāhmaṇas keep very good hotel, still good hotel. They are not as greedy as the Gujaratis. That is a fact.
Prabhupāda: No, they are following principle. Now the Gujarati are also... And Maharastra, as good. This material civilization, meat-eating, has spread like anything. Here we see, signboard: "Beef shop." We have seen.
Dr. Patel: Was it?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: We have seen many canvassers. (calling like street vendor:) "Bataka."(?)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm.
Prabhupāda: Kada bataka.(?) Everyone has to eat. The Maharastrians, they eat, even the brāhmaṇas. In 1927, I came to Bombay and stayed in the Empire Hindu Hotel. I think it is still there. Very nice hotel. So it is under Maharastrians. Very neat and clean everything. Gave me onions. "What is this? Onions?" I was surprised. "I don't eat."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He must have been surprised that you wouldn't eat it.
Prabhupāda: Well, they know... Mostly Hindus they do not eat. But they are accustomed now. Just like Bengal, fish eating is no offense.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading letter) "The Chief Minister's Secretariat, Government of Maharastra, Saciwalya."
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not a very long note. It's signed by the Undersecretary. It says, "Dear Sir, I am desired to acknowledge with thanks receipt of your letter dated the 3rd April, 1977. Yours faithfully, Undersecretary." You sent him a very personal letter. I think he should have... He may be a little bit depressed at this time due to having to leave office.
Prabhupāda: That was his dilemma. If he said, "No, we cannot cooperate or join this..." I asked, letter?
Prabhupāda: No, up to three.
Girirāja: Oh, up to three?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So "The Honorable S.D. Chawan, Chief Minister of Maharastra. Dear Sri Chawan, kindly accept my greetings and extend the same to your good wife. I am so much obliged to you that you have lauded our activities throughout the world. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on deep science of the laws of nature. This human life is a boon for the conditioned soul to understand this science. I do not wish to take much of your valuable time, but I would have been very much pleased that persons like you, without any political prejudice, come and take up his movement seriously and benefit the whole human society with this knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Do it immediately. In the Bhāgavata it is said that one hasn't got to learn Bhāgavata, but if he simply says, "Yes, it is is very nice," he gets some good result. Similarly, our movement is such that if simply one appreciates, "Yes, it is good..." Your chief minister has accepted, Maharastra chief minister.
Devotee (2): Yes, Chawan.
Prabhupāda: Where is that cutting that was published? He came, all, in Punjab. So there is no doubt about it, that this is the best humanitarian activities. So kindly help us as far as possible.
Mr. Rajda: No, I think myself duty-bound. It is very important.
Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: Why don't you read other? Read it loudly.
Bhakti-caru: "Chief Minister lauds Krishna movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness was the essence of every faith and belonged to the world, Maharastra Chief Minister Mr. M. P. Chawan said at the Third International Hare Krishna Festival at the Cross Maidan in Bombay on Wednesday. Mr. Chawan lauded the work done by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He said that Swami was responsible for popularizing Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. Speaking after the chief minister, Swami Prabhupāda emphasized the need for scientific understanding of the Bhagavad-gītā to solve the problems confronting humanity.
Rāmeśvara: Yes. Actually even in Los Angeles, where there is a small settlement, the entire Indian population is supporting us. They have their own societies, Gujarat, Maharastran, but all of them have voted to endorse our Ratha-yātrā and to support it with all their facilities.
Prabhupāda: Yes, they'll do. Indians and Americans, they are well-to-do. In foreign countries, everywhere, I see, Indians, their position is better than in India. In your country also. Indians in foreign countries, they get more facilities. Personally also, I could not do here in India in spite of twenty-three years. And as soon as I went to America, all facilities came to me. Of course, it took some time. That takes some... Indian, the worst government and everything is crippled, crippled.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi conversation)
Jayapatākā: Election haya.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There are nine state elections now.
Girirāja: But he's not going there. In Maharastra there's no election, and he's not... He's somewhat retired from politics.
Prabhupāda: No... (indistinct) (Hindi conversation)
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And they want us to give everything typewritten to them. (Hindi) So I calculated, it will take more time than just doing by hand.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation)
Prabhupāda: Oh. Wonderful.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Here in Maharastra the new Chief Minister and Education Minister have approved of our movement, and on the basis of these letters I sent our devotees to five district towns, on the basis of these letters." On the strength of the letters from the Chief Minister and Education Minister, he sent his devotees to five district towns, and they secured thirty-two standing orders in three weeks.
Bhāgavatāśraya: From five towns!
Bhāgavatāśraya: From five towns!
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Now we are going to all the district towns." That means not very big cities. "Now we are going to all the district towns in Maharastra, and almost one thousand standing orders have been taken all over India so far. Since we have started the encyclopedia program many persons have ordered every single book you have published. Nearly twenty encyclopedia orders have been taken so far." This means every book. Not just one standing order. Complete.
Prabhupāda: May Kṛṣṇa bless him. You are doing very tremendous job.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Says, "First week, July, three of our men are opening a BBT Library office in Bangkok."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. Write Gargamuni. He'll send more. This is an important Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge reviews. Actually he got all of these reviews recently. That's amazing. It's amazing how many reviews they got. These are all from the months of May and June I think. Yeah. You want to hear some of them? "Minister of Education: 'Message: The ancient roots of traditional Indian life reach farther into the distant past than any other country on earth. What thousands of years ago culminated in education included the development in the student of all good qualities. In other words the pupil was ignited with a desire to learn and develop himself rather than strive for material rewards. From out of the great ages the ancients, headed by Śrī Vyāsadeva, have left us the timeless treatise of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the basis of all education.' " This is the Minister of Education, the Government of Maharastra. She's admitting...
Prabhupāda: Vedavyāsa.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...Vyāsadeva is the basis of all education. " 'Later the saint Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, in commenting upon the life of the great Mahāprabhu Śrī Caitanya, brought to the highest level of understanding these principles in his immortal Indian classic, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It is good fortune of the world that these two spiritual works presented as the Encyclopedia of Indian Culture have been translated and commented upon in the style of a true scholar by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda, out of his obviously great desire to inject the world with his vast storehouse of learning, has translated precisely the rich Sanskrit and Bengali ślokas. He has given the transliteration, word-for-word meaning, purports, and each volume filled with full color illustrations by his disciples. I therefore wholeheartedly recommend this encyclopedia of our culture and all other Bhaktivedanta Book Trust publications to all educational institutions, schools, libraries, and colleges concerned with the moral and cultural development of their students within the boundary of Maharastra and throughout the world.' "
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Prabhupāda: I am thinking I am lying here... (break)
Lokanātha: ...should ride in very nice carts, a chariot.
Prabhupāda: No, (indistinct). (laughter)
Lokanātha: I saw one in Maharastra. In Poona. Yes.
Prabhupāda: Hm. You can purchase immediately. (laughter)
Lokanātha: We'll have to design it. They're not ready-made like that. The kind which we want, the pull-on kind, with cover on top and nice arrangements, we have to design it and order it. Get it made. There's a place called Meerut, north of Delhi...
Prabhupāda: Therefore I sent you. You have got already experience.
| Page Title: | Maharastra (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 02 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=39, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 39 |