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Mayapur (Conversations 1977 Oct - Nov)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- October 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You are now facing north, Śrīla Prabhupāda. No, your head is north. This way is south, and this way is north. So this way will be east, and this is the way of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. So if you like, we can face you east. I think you usually like to lie eastwards. See, 'cause we moved your bed in here it was like this. Otherwise normally you sleep with your head that direction. Should we do that? We can move you right now. Then we'll chant some more? Okay. (break) You want to see that Kṛṣṇa dāsa from Rādhā-kuṇḍa? The pāṇḍā. The man who takes people around. Not Niṣkiñcana Bābājī from Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That one, the one who always laughs a lot?

Prabhupāda: Who comes to me.

Room Conversation -- October 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Faces east.

Prabhupāda: Puṣpa, Māyāpure, flower.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: You should call me, and I will come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He described the entire ceremony in detail, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So he knows. When you are ready(?), let him have it. (Bengali)

Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: (Bengali) You have fulfilled all, everything. (Bengali)

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So what is that copy? What you have written?

Girirāja: Well, we wrote two letters, because the fixed deposits are in the name of ISKCON Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Temple Maintenance. So we said that "We are holding the following fixed deposits in your Vṛndāvana branch," and then we gave the list of the numbers and the amount and when it is due, and we said, "Please arrange to transfer these to your main branch in New Delhi." And then another letter for those in the name of ISKCON Vṛndāvana-Māyāpur Trust. Same contents. So then they wrote back that we should write the same letter addressed to the Vṛndāvana branch and with a copy to them, and we should give the original and the copy to them, and they will present the original to the Vṛndāvana branch and get them to transfer the money. And the second point is that they wanted us to give them the fixed deposit receipts, and they said they would give us a receipt.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What news?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What news? Bhavānanda Mahārāja, what news?

Bhavānanda: Everything is nice at Māyāpur, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Give me little detail.

Bhavānanda: The Show Cause, our Show Cause, has been submitted, and the hearing was set on the seventh, last Friday, but the ADM cancelled it until next month on the 18th. And all of us who were involved in this shooting case, we also appeared in court on Friday, and the judge magistrate released us for traveling in India and preaching. Before that we had been restricted to Nadia district. We hadn't been allowed to leave Nadia. The magistrate said that we are free to travel within India for preaching work, which was good. And the next date has been set for the 29th of December, and on that date we'll most likely be discharged from the case.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How many boys are in the Gurukula now?

Bhavānanda: Now there're eighty-six boys in the Gurukula.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Eighty-six. How many residents are there at Māyāpur now?

Bhavānanda: We've thinned out.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How many?

Bhavānanda: There's 160 including Gurukula. After the incident we lost some devotees.

Prabhupāda: How many?

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bengalis have no money. (laughter)

Bhavānanda: Now that the flood waters have receded, in about three-four weeks it will be time to send the boat out again. Nice program. Tapomaya Prabhu will take charge of the boat. The boat is very popular. Up and down the Gaṅgā from Calcutta to Māyāpur everyone knows the Hare Kṛṣṇa Naukā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hare Kṛṣṇa Naukā. That's what they call it. What does that mean?

Bhavānanda: Boat.

Indian devotee: (indistinct) ...one boat is passing through the river like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How is the translation work going? How is the publication going?

Bhavānanda: That is Bhakti-caru Swami's work.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're doing nicely?

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Yes. Subhaga is here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Subhaga is here, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He came to see you. This seems like... When Lord Caitanya was in Jagannātha Purī, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the residents of Māyāpur used to come to visit Him. Now all the residents of Māyāpur are coming to visit you here in Vṛndāvana, your headquarters here.

Prabhupāda: Gītār Gān, (Bengali).

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali about popularity of Gītār Gān)

Subhaga: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I am living still.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's so much to be done, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Your activities are not completed yet. You have to install the Deities in Bombay, you have to live in your palace in New Vrindaban, you have to show varṇāśrama, you have to complete the Bhāgavatam, you have to live in a new house in Māyāpur, and we have to at least make a good start to begin the big temple in Māyāpur. Everything is still incomplete, what to speak of the fact that we are all very much neophyte still. We need you more than anything else. This movement has to last ten thousand years. We're not ready yet. We're still very much conditioned and contaminated. If you stay with us for another ten years at least, then there's chance that we can become purified more. And it's within your... It's within you to be able to do that. Kṛṣṇa will allow you to do that.

Prabhupāda: People are coming like before?

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Due to your being in this condition, I am not seeing very... I've not been very alert to looking at those things because I was worried about you. Today I'll try to see.

Prabhupāda: No. In Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. In Māyāpur people are coming?

Bhavānanda: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Now the flood waters have recessed and the crowds are coming again. And winter season is coming up. Everything is back to normal. Busloads. Especially from Balrampura.

Subhaga: Almost every week one or two busload of people coming, and they want us we should do program there. Two days ago one professor came and talking to Bhakti-caru Mahārāja and Bhavānanda Swami regarding that. And also from Calcutta and other places.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Busloads of people, all respectable. Everyone at Māyāpur is expecting you to come for the winter season. The sweet sunshine in Māyāpur in the winter is the nicest, and the prasādam is the nicest. Everything is...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda, if it gets very cold here it might be a good idea to go there.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: That sweet sun.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then, January 1st, we can go to Bombay for opening the temple. Then, if the temple is open, there should be not much work left, hopefully.

Bhavānanda: The women at Māyāpur at busy making nimbu ācār.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But I know you.

Subhaga: If you, Prabhupāda, stay, you can give us so much encouragement, simply your very presence.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I remember when we were in Māyāpur last, Śrīla Prabhupāda, before going to the Bombay pandal. Every morning we would take you upstairs, and you would sit in the sun, and Bhavānanda Mahārāja would massage you for two hours. Remember? You said you were getting your strength from that sun and the massage. It's also very nice to take you around. Even as you say it's wonderful how we do it, but we like to take you in any condition, traveling.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Doctor Ghosh's letter, you remember, he suggests that we immediately take you to that Bombay hospital.

Hari-śauri: He wanted to do that last March when he saw you there at Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was his opinion.

Prabhupāda: You can show him bile. Show him the bile. (end)

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What meeting is going on?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We had two meetings today. One meeting was the BBT meeting for the completion of the Bombay project. And then another meeting was about our community Gītā-nagarī. Describing how it will be... Dhṛṣṭadyumna Mahārāja has come with his brother, who's the architect. And we're having a meeting for planning this ideal community very exactly, everything. The people present at the meeting are Bhavānanda Mahārāja and Paramānanda, Vāmanadeva, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Mahārāja, Tripurāri Mahārāja, Balavanta, Rūpānuga. All these people have experience with..., you know, like Bhavānanda in Māyāpur. Balavanta has two farms, Rūpānuga, all of these people. In other words, we're just trying to plan out...

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, that I have already explained. I don't want to go to hospital.

Kīrtanānanda: So that is not necessary. (Prabhupāda coughs heavily) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jayapatākā Mahārāja has come from Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Come here. (heavy coughing) Mucus is generating, either you take milk or fruit juice. I have given my opinion in that correspondence. And he's a qualified man. If you want him, then somebody may go to him and talk.

Kīrtanānanda: Yes, that should be done. We'll do that today.

Prabhupāda: He wanted to retire and start a clinic here.

Kīrtanānanda: So he can come now.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Magistrate wants my presence?

Jayapatākā: No. It is not required that you talk to him. There's no... Everyone says that there's no case for that. The previous ADM said that actually the person that was doing it is this woman district magistrate. That woman is quite inimical to us. So there's very strong talk that after Durgā Pūjā she'll be transferred. If she's transferred, then our situation would become much better, I hope, by Kṛṣṇa's mercy. She's just trying to harass us, but actually she has no legal scope. Indian Overseas Bank came out, the additional general manager, to Māyāpur, and he's very eager to open up the branch at Māyāpur also, because they have already in Bombay. I think... They have here also? I don't know. But he was eager to open a branch there. They have made us an application. The Central Bank sent a letter, withdrew their application for opening the bank.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Good field.

Jayapatākā: Yes, although it's a village-type area, it seems to be good field. The people are not at all envious but quite cooperative. Also just about a quarter mile from the mandira there's a gośālā which has got 33 acres, about 100 bighās of land and about 100 cows. Cows are not so good cows, but there's nice, pākā buildings and good facilities. It's managed by some Marwaris. So they're willing to give that over to us in the future if we want. It's very nearby the temple. When I was there I gave a lecture at one temple, and about two, three hundred people came without any advertisement. In Haridaspur, at their Janmāṣṭamī festival they had... Two thousand people came. They had a huge crowd. And every one of the villagers, they organized the whole thing there, the leaders, gathered firewood, helped with distribution. We sent some devotees from Māyāpur. Bhakti-prabhāva Swami sends his obeisances to Your Divine Grace.

Hari-śauri: What about Maheśa Paṇḍita's place? (break)

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: He said that he is praying that Kṛṣṇa will keep you here, 'cause without a pure devotee in the world then everything becomes dark. West Bengal Council for Child Welfare and the West Bengal Government Health Department Inspector came out and inspected our distribution. We have five centers where we distribute five days a week, Monday through Friday, the foodstuff. We eat another thing given by the government. We prepare that and offer it to the Deity and distribute that from our temple as well as from a nearby village. The local villagers help to distribute. Right now twelve hundred people are taking every day. So they were very satisfied with the arrangement. And one of the centers is Māyāpur village. They had been refusing to take, and he said, "You just change and put into another village. They're not the only poor people in the world. Any other village can take." They are very favorable to our program. They given us a full quota that daily 1,846 people can get food and they'll bear the costs of the grain and oil, etc.

Prabhupāda: What is this preparation?

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: It's wheat that's chipped. It's called bulgar wheat. It's wheat that's chipped into small pieces so that's it's... It's like oversized suji, about three times the size of suji, and that's just boiled and cooked with oil and some gur and spices. Or it can also be cooked with vegetables and spices. It's supposed to be nutritious, healthy, strength-giving food. Māyāpur Muslims tried to get the other Muslims in other villages not to take it because it was being given by us, but they said, "Why we shouldn't take? Just because you're giving them trouble doesn't mean we shouldn't take." So now they've all rebelled, and they're all taking now prasādam. He gave us address where we can get powdered milk possibly also.

Prabhupāda: It is mixed with powder milk?

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Everything will be settled up. Don't be disheartened. So when you left Māyāpur, things were in order? Hm?

Jayapatākā: When I left Māyāpur, everything was in order. Nitāicānd and Sarva-bhāvana Prabhu, as well as Pañca-ratna, are there. Actually one of our workers, he is filing his own case against thirteen Māyāpur villagers, because they had attacked him while he was riding on his bicycle. So that was the only disturbance that had happened in the past month. But he's doing a case against them, and the police said that they would prosecute against them for what they did. So because the people are of such a bad nature, they are continually making such mistakes. This is even getting the authorities against them.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Right now he's asking... Actually right now he's more eager than ever to sell his land. The sādhu next to us, Praphulla Brahmacari, both of us, we met together, and we made a verbal agreement that we wouldn't give him any hope for purchasing his land at a high price. And as the result, now because of this incident... Before he had some hope that some outside person would come and buy land. But now the outside people, they don't want to purchase land at Māyāpur. So now he has no other hope than to sell either to us or to that brahmacārī. So now he's still asking four thousand. He's come from six to four. But it's even appearing that within a short time he may come down to three thousand.

Prabhupāda: So if he comes three thousand... How much land there is?

Jayapatākā: There's four bighās.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was somewhat disturbed after the incident, but I'm feeling much better now. After that, in the jail, and I was discouraged, I was feeling, "Oh, Śrīla Prabhupāda is working so hard to develop this Māyāpur, and the people don't appreciate it or... What is the use?" But that I think was... That's all gone now. So many people, they're coming, and books are being distributed. Increase.

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)

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hari-śauri? He's bathing, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) ...comfortably, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Śrīla Prabhupāda? In order to finish the Bombay temple, we're making a... We're sending some money to them for completion. So we have a committee called the Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana committee. Persons on the committee are Jayapatākā Swami, Girirāja, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, Ātreya Ṛṣi, Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, Gurukṛpā Mahārāja and myself. That committee was formed by the GBC last Māyāpur festival. So they decided that they would give a loan, because the BBT was a little short of money... The BBT sends the money to Bombay. So the BBT wants to loan some money from the Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana account in Los Angeles, and they'll pay it back with the same bank interest.

Prabhupāda: Make me centered.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The program is there. If you follow, immediately success. You are leaving?

Paramānanda: Tomorrow morning.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vāmanadeva is going to go to Māyāpur before he goes back to America. He's going to go to Māyāpur for a week or so with his family.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Paramānanda: Also I would like to offer you the obeisances of Gaura Hari Prabhu and Bhurijana, who may not be able to come and see you. They're also working very dedicatedly to developing this project, and they wanted very much to come and see you.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No.

Upendra: He's writing in his diary.

Prabhupāda: Where is...? What is his name? Come from Māyāpur.

Upendra: Māyāpur? Jayapatākā? Bhakti-caru?

Prabhupāda: No, no, no.

Upendra: Oh, Abhirāma?

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Upendra: Oh, Śatadhanya?

Prabhupāda: Bhava?

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No. That is useless. Do you recommend that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, definitely not. I recommend that, somehow or other, you go on lying there, and we'll go on chanting, and we'll pass until March-April '78. Then we'll take you to Māyāpur for the festival, and then we'll do a world tour.

Prabhupāda: That is very nice program. You can read Bhāgavata from the point where I have stopped.

Pradyumna: Daśāma-skandha?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very good.

Prabhupāda: Is it possible? Eh?

Room Conversation -- October 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Here?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Acyutānanda.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Where you are preaching now?

Acyutānanda: I was in Calcutta during the Māyāpur affair. Then I went to South India. Now I'm going to America. My stay in India may be terminated. And I received American passport. I'm able to travel now. Rāmeśvara Prabhu is sending me a ticket.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Rāmeśvara?

Bhavānanda: Rāmeśvara Mahārāja is sending a ticket for him to go.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So you can go now, America, eh?

Bhavānanda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So, deputies, Jayapatākā's name was there?

Bhagavān: It is already on there, Śrīla Prabhupāda. His name was on that list.

Prabhupāda: So I depute him to do this at Māyāpur, and you may go with him. I stop for the time being. Is that all right?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Stopped doing what, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: This initiation. I have deputed the, my disciples. Is it clear or not?

Girirāja: It's clear.

Prabhupāda: You have got the list of the names?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Devotee: We could make an ice cream shake.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So Upendra will make it? All of the devotees are very excited about your travel plans, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (laughter) Maybe Bhagatji will come also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughter) He likes the Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhagatji had not heard yet, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Bhagatji had not been informed yet of your traveling plans.

Prabhupāda: No, you are proposing. (Bhagatji and Tamāla Kṛṣṇa discuss quietly)

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're just discussing your traveling. Because it is cold in the wintertime.

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's another reason though. The main thing is that this room, the rooms in this house don't have so much ventilation like Māyāpur does. Very good. Prabhupāda is always laying in one room, if he gets air then it's good. Passing air, you know, ventilation. He's been in the same room now for a long time. Change of place is nice. Plus all of the things are grown fresh there, so Prabhupāda might get some appetite. Very nice vegetables grown there, fresh. Anyway, he's thinking about it. He said you will come with him. Prabhupāda quoted that verse. You were quoting that verse that Māyāpur and Vṛndāvana are..., are the same. Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi? What is that verse?

Prabhupāda: Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi jebā jāne cintāmaṇi tāra hoy braja-bhūmi bās.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want a little brahmi oil, Śrīla Prabhupāda, on your head? Will it relax you a little?

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Just like government has got a house. So when the governor comes, he comes in that house. Similarly India is the bhūmi, and whenever incarnation of God or God Himself comes... (break) ...discussion.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We didn't discuss last night, but it was agreed that it was a good idea. In about three weeks it's cooler here. In Māyāpur there is nice weather. (indistinct) (end)

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? This kīrtana that's in the temple, can you hear it?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I wanted to know whether... The person who's singing is Śveta-varāha from Māyāpur. In Māyāpur they use a small microphone, not for the drums but for his voice, and he has a very sweet voice. So normally we don't use mic at all, but sometimes the devotees don't know how to sing very sweetly. Whether we should use a small microphone for his voice?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can try it, and if it's not nice we can stop it.

Prabhupāda: It is going on without microphone?

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the voice is hard to hear. Should I try a little microphone? I can take it off immediately if it's not good. I think you'll...

Bhavānanda: Last year in Māyāpur, Śrīla Prabhupāda, during the festival and before, when you were there, they would, this kīrtana group of your disciples, they would be chanting over microphone so that Your Divine Grace could hear it in your room. I remember you commented many times on how sweet and nice it sounded.

Prabhupāda: It is already very loud.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's very loud actually. (pause) All the devotees were very happy when they heard that you have started translating again.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Who is here?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Svarūpa Dāmodara, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: I am proposing to go to Māyāpur.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: You want to go to Māyāpur?

Prabhupāda: What do you think?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Just conditions, Śrīla Prabhupāda, will be proper?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Traveling by train? It will be a little difficult, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Upendra: Of course, Prabhupāda came from London, and the doctor said he couldn't come.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Upendra: The doctor in London... You came from London, and then you came from Bombay to Vṛndāvana in very weak condition.

Prabhupāda: So weak condition...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be little warmer in Māyāpur. In Māyāpur the weather will be a little warmer. Also the air is fresher in that sense.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, here is Tamāla.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (offers obeisances) Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So you think over transferring me to Māyāpur.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So you think over transferring me to Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, actually it's a great pleasure to take you to different places, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and we certainly never find any difficulty in transporting you. I was wondering that... As Vṛndāvana gets quite cold in the winter, I was just wondering how you would be able to pass the winter here, and I was thinking that Māyāpur was a very natural place to go. Now, just now, it is very nice here in Vṛndāvana. Probably for two or three more weeks it's the topmost time. But shortly it will be getting cold.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: November.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And at that time it might be the ideal opportunity.

Prabhupāda: Why not do that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think you're finding any difficulty here, are you?

Prabhupāda: No. Māyāpur is still more open.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Fresh air.

Prabhupāda: Fresh air.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Māyāpur is wonderful at the winter season.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You get the benefit of the winter sun, which is tremendously healing in its effect.

Prabhupāda: In November, December, January, February.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you once said to us that if one sits for some time in the winter sun, he'll never get sick.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I think so.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, traveling with you is a great pleasure for us, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's always very exciting to travel with you.

Prabhupāda: And in Māyāpur, if you keep me in my quarters, and take little care, that's all. Take little care, that's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Lots of care.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We're all at your disposal, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "No king was ever served like this," you said.

Prabhupāda: Here in one room, always closed.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. That's a fact. It's closed. I felt it today, especially when you were translating. It got a little stuffy. When one can move around easily, then this house is very first class. But because the rooms are such design, if one has to stay in one room, then it can get a little bit stuffy. Just like here the only opening is from one side. In Māyāpur we'll get the cross ventilation.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's very healthy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Perhaps there are also some good vegetables or fruits that may be in season in the winter.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vegetable boiled. Fresh vegetables. I can take little.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Jaya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 'Cause there everything that we eat is grown on our own land, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Now we're growing begun and tomato and portal.

Prabhupāda: Where...?

Bhavānanda: That was when I left. The portal were very tender.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think portal grows a lot of the time in Māyāpur, doesn't it?

Bhavānanda: And sim.(?)

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Bhavānanda: Purishak(?).

Prabhupāda: Everything is there.

Bhavānanda: Everything is there.

Prabhupāda: Brahmānanda, what does he...?

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here is Bhakti-prema Swami.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So Bhakti-prema, you are also coming?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda's thinking to go to Māyāpur. He says are you also coming with him?

Bhakti-prema: Certainly, Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: So let us go in a team. (laughter)

Bhavānanda: Team spirit. And you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, are the captain.

Devotee (2): Captain of the ship.

Prabhupāda: You have seen Māyāpur?

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Devotees: Have you seen Māyāpur?

Bhakti-prema: No.

Prabhupāda: So let me go. Enough place. You can have two rooms. (laughter) Yes. In new building.

Bhavānanda: Yes. There is no dearth of rooms.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you're so attractive that it's very hard for everyone to remain in their services around the world. They simply want to come and be with you.

Prabhupāda: And as I will remain in Māyāpur or Vṛndāvana—the same. Yes. Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, jebā jāne cintāmaṇi, tāra hoy braja-bhūmi bās. There is no difference. Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. And if there is any danger, Bhavānanda has got his gun. (laughter—Tamāla Kṛṣṇa repeats to others—laughter)

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So I shall prefer.

Devotees: What?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "So I shall prefer." Maybe Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu can arrange some conferences for himself in Calcutta. Then he can visit you regularly in Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, we'll do that in Calcutta. Calcutta is a big place for us.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That way he can come regularly and give you report on how the science conferences are going. That will be very enlivening. (to Svarūpa Dāmodara:) That's part of your plan.

Bhavānanda: I'm already thinking, Śrīla Prabhupāda, what preparations we have to make.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Simply fresh vegetable. And mung ḍāl also.

Bhavānanda: Everything comes to life when you come to Māyāpur. You are the crown jewel. Māyāpur is such beautiful setting, but without Your Divine Grace's presence, we are always feeling empty-hearted. And as soon as you come, all of us are enlivened.

Prabhupāda: So let us go in a team.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think we may have enough devotees to fill the whole train.

Bhavānanda: By looking at all the devotees assembled here, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the looks on their faces indicate that everyone likes this idea.

Prabhupāda: So do it. Do it.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Where? Śrī Raṅgam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So the man must be very... He's not so smārta. Because he will allow Westerners to live with him, he's favorable. So Smara-hari, one of the devotees here... We felt that if we do not find from Jalan or anyone a good kavirāja in Calcutta, then let us send two devotees to Śrī Raṅgam to meet with this head pūjārī and get his help for finding out a proper Rāmānuja kavirāja and bring him to Māyāpur. And immediately let us go to Māyāpur. Why should we sit here waiting here? Because actually we don't find any benefit from waiting here. The idea was to give change of climate, and what is the purpose of waiting for that to happen? Because we're not gaining anything by staying here except that the weather is becoming colder, so it becomes more and more dangerous to travel in cold weather.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Train or plane. But first we should agree on the idea, though. I think the point of that there's no real advantage to waiting here... Our feeling is that there's more advantage to being in Māyāpur at this time. We can certainly go by plane. I think we can arrange some small wheelchair that will go up to the seat. It's possible to arrange.

Brahmānanda: Seat right at the door.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What we'll do is we'll purchase two extra seats so that Prabhupāda can have three seats.

Brahmānanda: And right by the door so they can just bring it in the door and... Take the seats right on the door.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This country you can't do these things like that. So...

Brahmānanda: Then directly from Dum Dum to Māyāpur?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Then we go direct from Dum Dum to Māyāpur. We don't even have to go into Calcutta. Is that all right? So do you agree, Śrīla Prabhupāda, with the idea then, that the sooner we transfer there, the better, to Māyāpur? As far as the kavirāja goes, let us see if we get a local man from Calcutta, failing which, Smara-hari plus one other devotee will go to Śrī Raṅgam, and from a very reliable kavirāja, in their presence, they will have it made. Smara-hari, you see, is from Gurukṛpā and Yaśodā-nandana's party, so he has got experience sitting and watching people making the silver onto the throne. He knows how to sit and watch not to get cheated.

Prabhupāda: No, the thing is the man who would prepare, he must be experienced. That is wanted. And sincere. Then it will work, either you prepare there or here. When our men...? (devotees talk among themselves softly about who should go to Śrī Raṅgam)

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Let us arrange for you to go immediately. Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was thinking I should send your son a telegram, your former son, Vrindavan, a telegram not to come here. Pisimā's son has sent a telegram telling him to come. I think I'll telegram him that "We are coming there. Don't come to Vṛndāvana," because what's the use of his wasting time coming here? He can come to Māyāpur to see you?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And that will be easier. We can do everything from there. Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: No, no, he sees or not sees, does not matter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So should I send... I mean right now, there's any need to inform him not to come here?

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They have got a...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then one thing we'll do, Śrīla Prabhupāda... The easiest thing is: let us go to Māyāpur. Smara-hari was coming anyway, so let him come to Māyāpur also. If we don't get anyone from Calcutta within a day or two... If we don't get anyone... (whispering in background) If we don't get anyone from Calcutta, Śrīla Prabhupāda? If we don't get any kavirāja from Calcutta side, then we'll send Smara-hari.

Prabhupāda: By Jalan's recommendation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Then we'll send Smara-hari, and Sarva-bhāvana can go. You know Sarva-bhāvana, Bhakti-caru's friend? Remember that Bengali devotee? He can go with Smara-hari directly and get someone. I think we'll get someone from Calcutta. It is better if we get Calcutta. It'll be easier. But if we don't, then we'll immediately send someone to South. It will only be a matter of a few days. They can be back. Is it all right?

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And we proceed to Māyāpur, and Smara-hari can come back with the medicine to Māyāpur. All right? So we'll make this plan. So then we'll make the arrangements just now, Śrīla Prabhupāda? All right.

Prabhupāda: By plane. Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: By plane, yes. Three seats for you. (break) Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So all GBC left?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All GBC left? Some of them are here. Haṁsadūta is here, Hari-śauri, Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The man must be sincere and experienced.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then, after that, he'll come directly to Māyāpur. The whole thing—how long will it take? About two days to get there? A day or two... Maybe within a week's time he'll be in Māyāpur, Śrīla Prabhupāda, if they make it quickly.

Prabhupāda: It will take time, as he said.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (aside:) Paper... My pad is in... That man said it would take time. A week. Of course, we don't know if that's a fact or not. But it'll take about a week's time if it only takes a day or two. If it takes a week, then it may take a total of two weeks time until he reaches Māyāpur. When Gopāla and Śatadhanya were in Delhi, they went to see one man who was a very important Marwari kavirāja. They asked him about the ingredients of makara-dhvaja.

Brahmānanda: They asked that question about what medicine the poor man would take.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Something. Anyway, before we leave I'm going to speak with Bhagatji. Bhagatji is the one who gave the gold and pearls to Vanamali. So I think Bhagatji will be able to recover it. We'll leave this medicine with Bhagatji, and he can give the medicine to Vanamali and take the money. So Smara-hari will be leaving today, just now. And we've already spoken with Delhi, and they're already going to purchase the airline tickets. Either we will leave Wednesday... Today is Monday. Either we will leave Wednesday or we will leave Friday. We're not going to travel on Thursday. And they've already informed Calcutta and Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Who will go with me?

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These events are all like a dramatical play, Śrīla Prabhupāda, great drama. It's simply like reading the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Prabhupāda: Ebe jaśa ghuṣuk tribhuvana. He has contributed seven tolās? Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. So now you will get both things, the makara-dhvaja and Māyāpur. Kṛṣṇa was showing you while he was making it, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Prabhupāda was watching him make it. Kṛṣṇa gave him the vision to see.

Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa, God. He gave me information.

Trivikrama: Just like Sañjaya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These activities are all as wonderful, Śrīla Prabhupāda, as the books you have written. We are seeing that you are one of those personalities, as great as the personalities you've written about.

Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, just a sample.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīdhara Swami in Hyderabad has one. (break) ...parikrama is successful, we can attempt the Māyāpur parikrama. That will also be very good, Śrīla Prabhupāda. And then, if that is successful, we will do a world parikrama, ISKCON parikrama. That means world parikrama. We will go to all your temples around the world. That may be the sweetest parikrama of all, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: I'll take little rest. (break) Makara-dhvaja will give strength. So for passing stool, whatever strength I have got, that will...

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mahāṁśa reports that on the weekends they do it. He reported...

Guest (1): But not daily.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no, not daily. He said that on the weekends he does. In Māyāpur they do on the weekends.

Bhavānanda: We do every day. But on the weekends we serve khicuṛi, and during the week we serve...

Guest (1): But prasādam distribution had a real good effect in that time when it was started. Many people had started coming then. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...see that prasādam distribution goes on.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Upendra: You can take the shoulders and... (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Many people were in the temple tonight. The kīrtana party that has come from Māyāpur, they were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa very sweetly, and the whole temple room was filled with people sitting, listening and waiting for the ārati. Very nice program. Think you'll try to take a little now. Śrīla Prabhupāda? Bhakti-caru can feed you.

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You'll sit up for a little while? Can I scratch your back?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He has?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's arranged for Rāmānuja kavirāja, Jayapatākā Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bengal side, Calcutta side, Māyāpur. Māyāpur, Calcutta, but he's there.

Bhavānanda: He wears Rāmānuja tilaka, he's got good recommendation from L. M. Bangor.

Trivikrama: But how can Prabhupāda travel?

Devotee: But Prabhupāda cannot travel, because any movement will disturb his kidney.

Prabhupāda: He cannot come?

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So if he agrees to take up the case, I'll go.

Bhavānanda: He'll take up the case. That there's no doubt.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but will he come every day to Māyāpur or stay in Māyāpur? That is the question.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: First of all, if he can come at least for a few days here, if it is possible, and if he examines, then, if we make the next move, I think that will be wiser.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If somebody goes and brings him, then he decides. Then we shall go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Svarūpa Dāmodara, you could call direct to Calcutta and talk with Adri-dhāraṇa, who has contacted him, and let him discuss and see if he can bring him here. First of all, he should ask whether the man is willing. We can fly him here to Delhi and bring him here. I'm sure he'll agree to that. But it should be... He should be...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I can call from Delhi.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (?) Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We go back with him to Calcutta and Māyāpur. That would be very nice. Of course, he has to first of all come here. I've seen things like this happen before in India, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I mean India is the kind of place where... It's difficult. You could drop out of communication for a day. It's very possible that that can happen. It's just a very strange kind of place to communicate and to travel in.

Bhakti-caru: Another thing is I think this noon flight is not a direct flight. It's a Kanadu(?) that hops, say, from Calcutta, Benares, Allahabad, Lucknow, Delhi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. So how many hours could that be?

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But you have not sent the money, Vrindavan. So why you're worried about the letter reaching late? First of all send the money, then worry about it. There's no worry. Once you send the money, the letter will come. I don't think that you can doubt that the letter will come. The main point is that the money has to come first. You have no reason to suppose that the letter will be delayed. It will come. They already know it. As soon as they receive five thousand rupees, the BBT, Bombay, will immediately inform Māyāpur, "Five thousand rupees been received. The car may be given." They know that. It's set up. It's a set-up. And you have to live up to your side to pay the five thousand rupees. It's not very much. It's not that much.

Prabhupāda: Now, with the help of Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and who else? Chandra. You can...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Take this order, I think.

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: He said that for ten, fifteen days let him be like this here, and then he'll take him to Māyāpur.

Kavirāja: (Hindi)

Bhakti-caru: And he can take personal charge.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now you have to get these medicines.

Kavirāja: (Hindi)

Bhakti-caru: Yes. He wants to see the kavirāja also, because he's going to give some instructions to him in case, when he is not here, so that he can... (Hindi) There's a young kavirāja in the Rāmānuja...

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)

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: "First point: To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to the residents and the visitors of Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. Second point: To propagate the consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, as it is revealed in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and to propagate that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, as is revealed in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and the Caitanya Bhāgavata. 3) To bring all the members of ā together nearer to Lord Caitanya and thus develop within humanity at large that each soul is a part and parcel of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. 4) To teach and encourage the saṅkīrtana movement of congregational chanting of the holy names of God given in the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. 5) To erect temples, schools, colleges, universities, institutes of higher studies, hospitals and other buildings with or for the advancement of the objects of the Trust and to maintain, alter and improve the same, including existing buildings, and to furnish and equip the same. 6) In keeping with the spirit of the previous ācārya's vision of Gauḍīya-Mādhva sampradāya, to cement relations with all the sister temples of Gauḍīya-Mādhva sampradāya under one banner, to solidify preaching the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as desired by His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda and Śrīla Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda and all the previous ācāryas in this line. 7) With a view to achieving the aforementioned purposes and to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, and other books and other items. 8) To do all such other things for the attainment of the objects of the Trust. 9) Trustee members are appointed lifetime. The members should always be seven. 10) A meeting once a year at Śrīdhāma Māyāpur during Gaura-Pūrṇimā. 11) There should be a chairman, a treasurer, and a secretary elected each year. 12) A quorum of at least five members." Finishes.

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So these are the points, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that we have... We expanded this. Your original simple point was to form a Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity for developing Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. So we have expanded it into these points if they please Your Divine Grace. We took the ideas mostly from your original points in the..., when you formed the New York corporation, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We used those points and just changed them around a little bit. Today that Jagadish, I forget his name, that lawyer from Mathurā, he is coming, so I'm going to be meeting with him, and I'll give him these points and see if he can draft a document, proper document. I'd like to get a document done in time so that when we go to Māyāpur, and especially at Gaura-Pūrṇimā, we can have the first meeting. (break)

Bhavānanda: ...mantras nonstop, while he's preparing. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where is Vrindavan? I spoke with him for about two hours this afternoon, going over all of the points again, and, er, I explained everything to him. He said that he personally has very bad luck, very unlucky person. He said, "My only possible hope is my father."

Prabhupāda: To guide him.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And Gītār Gān is taken, everyone who comes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That bābājī was telling.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, Bābājī, Kṛṣṇa dāsa.

Prabhupāda: He said that "In everyone's hand I see Gītār Gān."

Bhavānanda: Yes. (laughs) That's true. They take Gītār Gān and a Bhāgavata Darśana.

Śatadhanya: And they're anxious for the next issue.

Prabhupāda: They have already published twenty thousand.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Whenever there is money, spend it. Is that idea all right?

Bhavānanda: Yes. I always am for spending money for projects for Your Divine Grace. I especially like this idea of Yoga-pīṭha Bhaktivedanta Hall. Very nice. Isn't it, Tamāla?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. Yes. It's very nice idea because people come to Māyāpur, they don't only go to our ISKCON temple. Even when they go to other temples, they should have a good impression of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.

Prabhupāda: Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā: "Life, money, intelligence, and words." So I am old man. My life has no value. You young men, utilize your...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We may have life, but you have all intelligence, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So life without intelligence...

Prabhupāda: Everyone has got intelligence—more or less, that's all.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Why not open the Charity Trust account in Delhi?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Delhi?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I would think that for operating it, it would be a lot more... My idea was that it would be better to have it in the Māyāpur area itself, since it is primarily meant for spending... It is meant entirely for spending in Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. My idea is that we would open the account in Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi area and give instruction to...

Prabhupāda: Gaura (indistinct) area where?

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What...? The... In the Punjab National Bank, fixed deposits in the name of?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fixed deposits are in the name of... Five lakhs are in the name of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Temple Maintenance account, and five lakhs, sixty thousand in the name of Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Trust.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So where they will kept?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The interest or the fixed deposits? The fixed deposits are in Delhi, and the interest, for now, for the next few months, I am instructing the bank to continue to transfer to the accounts here in Vṛndāvana that it's always been given to. Then when the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust account is opened, I will issue a fresh instruction to the Parliament Street bank that the interest money should be transferred to that account in Navadvīpa or wherever we open the account.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I think it's better for Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. Because for general, we have ISKCON. For general, we have the... I'll explain, Śrīla Prabhupāda. For general, the GBC has formed the Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Committee. That is more or less... Your original name of it was Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Trust. So we've formed a Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Committee made up of the following seven people: Jayapatākā Mahārāja, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, Girirāja, myself, Rāmeśvara, and Gurukṛpā Mahārāja and Ātreya Ṛṣi. so these seven meet, and they divide up the money that comes from all the interest of the fixed deposits in India, and they will recommend how that money should be spent. Once a year they will consider at Māyāpur all the different requests from Bhuvaneśvara, from Māyāpur, from Bombay, from Vṛndāvana, everywhere, and they will divide up the interest accordingly.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Whichever suitable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Which is suitable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I think the general is already covered by this Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Trust committee. That's for all of India. And Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi is especially for encouraging the development of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism in that area-Śrīdhara Mahārāja's nātha-mandira, this Yoga-pīṭha Bhaktivedanta Hall. Different buildings. Supposing one of your Godbrothers may have written some manuscript, he has no money. We can print some books for him so he can sell them, like that, works within the Māyāpur area.

Prabhupāda: That we shall fix up, what to spend.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No. My point is that all this interest will go for charity.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "All of the interest" means from all of the different fixed deposits or from these ten lakhs, sixty thousand? Just like we have... I'll give you an example. In Bombay we have that Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Trust fixed deposits in Bank of America. So those are big amount. So those fixed deposits and other fixed deposits, that money, I was thinking, would be decided by that Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Trust committee. Because those are all ISKCON men.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Madhusūdana Mahārāja, Mādhava Mahārāja, they may decide for the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust with the other five of us.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: That's the best. I mean if he stays here, then there is nothing...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If he can't stay here, then he should help to take Prabhupāda to Māyāpur. And actually that will make him very responsible, because then he'll see that Prabhupāda is taking risk simply to be under his care. So that will make him feel even more obligated to take proper care of Śrīla Prabhupāda even after going to Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: This is the right conclusion.

Bhakti-caru: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) He does not agree. Then?

Bhavānanda: Agree to remain?

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) He does not agree. Then?

Bhavānanda: Agree to remain?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. He... He'll either agree to remain or else we'll make him agree to take you to Māyāpur. Probably by our refusing to accept this assistant, it will induce him to stay here a little bit longer to prepare you for the journey, and then he'll take you to Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Journey, what is the difficulty?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't find any difficulty. I didn't find any difficulty one week ago. I'm prepared to take you anywhere in the world, in any condition. I don't think that there's so much difficulty. I see how we're putting you on the palanquin.

Prabhupāda: Bhavānanda?

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It will take three hours to the Delhi airport. Then it will take..., say, three hours, then one hour before take-off is four hours. Two hours on the flight is six hours, and three hours to Māyāpur, total...

Bhavānanda: No. Four hours to Māyāpur, 'cause we'll go slow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyway, within ten hours from this bed to your bed in Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Ten hours?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maximum.

Prabhupāda: How ten hours?

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You are going to Delhi airport in three hours. Then?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then one hour waiting for the plane to take off. That's four hours. Two hours for the plane. That's six hours. And three to four hours to go to Māyāpur. Three hours to go to Māyāpur.

Bhavānanda: It always takes four hours.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (to Bhavānanda:) But that's four hours from the Calcutta temple, not from Dum Dum. No, I'm telling you, you don't have to go through Calcutta at all.

Bhavānanda: It only takes half an hour to get to the airport, and we'll go slow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then four hours from the Calcutta airport to Māyāpur. Total of ten hours.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The main thing is that we must present it to the kavirāja that we are depending on his care. If you actually feel this kavirāja to be good and helpful, then we must present it in such a way that "We fully depend upon your treatment. Therefore, as you... We cannot depend on any junior man, because there may be complications at any time. Therefore, when you feel Prabhupāda is ready, you take us to Māyāpur. And if your other business in Calcutta is so pressing, then take us now." And in that way he'll be forced to feel responsible, because he'll see that we are going on his account.

Prabhupāda: Talk like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I won't be able to... I'll talk, but they'll have to translate. Bhakti-caru has to translate. Or Adri-dhāraṇa.

Bhavānanda: Adri-dhāraṇa.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: This man is competent.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I may not be an expert judge, but I have never seen, in my opinion, anyone who seemed to be this good.

Prabhupāda: No, if we have program to go to Māyāpur, he has got that distilled medicine in his dispensary.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but one thing is this: the more time we can gain in waiting here, the better. In other words, he's not going to stay here indefinitely. That's a fact. He's going to have to go within the next few days.

Adri-dhāraṇa: He's planning to leave tomorrow. But we can hold him off for two more days.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says that due to climatic condition, what would take ten days to cure here will take twenty days to thirty days in Māyāpur. The climate is not... (Kavirāja—Hindi) But the real issue is this. The real issue is that although we were sitting here in the best climate, Prabhupāda was getting worse until he came. So the real point is not the climate but the doctor. (Bhakti-caru translates—kavirāja, Hindi—laughter)

Prabhupāda: So you (Hindi) arrange tomorrow?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.

Bhakti-caru: Tomorrow or day after, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

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 -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Whatever is available... (Bengali) (break) Tamāla Kṛṣṇa? Where is Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) I am asking to come to Māyāpur, and he has agreed. So today give him twenty-five.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thirty-five.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-five.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty-five. Okay. Remember that Gītā Pratiṣṭhāna conference? So it's starting tomorrow. I just happened to notice Mr. Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bajaj is here and Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa is here. So probably tomorrow they'll want to come and see you.

Prabhupāda: Where they are beginning?

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You give him the scheme. Ask him to come and discuss first.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I'll do that. It's not very difficult for him to come to Māyāpur. All right.

Prabhupāda: So they can go to the temple now, this saṅkīrtana?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Let us go to the temple? You want to go to the temple now?

Prabhupāda: Myself?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You mean the devotees here?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. Temple without kīrtana doesn't have full life. Bhavānanda Mahārāja was just saying that this evening. The kīrtana party from Māyāpur, they went back today. Otherwise, every night they've been doing kīrtana for about five hours. Today they're not here because they're returning to Māyāpur. I was thinking today how you've always taken care of us so much and served us so much all of these years that now Kṛṣṇa is giving us a small little opportunity to just do a little service to you.

Prabhupāda: How many men, they have come?

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Remember the kavirāja from the Raṅgajī temple? The assistant that this man was going to bring. So now we can be put under his care and take our chances. 'Cause that's what staying here means.

Bhavānanda: The kavirāja, he explained that if you remained here, that would be good. But he didn't think there was any risk of death for you to go to Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: No, actually, when I was making parikrama, this corner, I was feeling fainted.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This corner?

Brahmānanda: At the turn. Prabhupāda felt like fainting.

Bhavānanda: I saw when he closed his eyes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, most of this traveling that we're going to do, you will be laying down.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: This palanquin parikrama is very rough. You're bouncing up and down. You're going swinging sideways.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (aside:) It's not as rough as traveling to Māyāpur, though, not one tenth as rough or one fiftieth. You know, all you got to do is go on a rough road. It's nothing. This palanquin is smooth compared to that, going slowly and being carried. I think the main point, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is that we have to consider going as opposed to staying here with the possibility of being at the..., under the care of this other kavirāja. That to me is the choice. This kavirāja will give medicines... First of all, we can try to convince him to stay, but failing that, he's giving a series of medicines which he expects will be proper according to the condition. But naturally the condition can change on any date. Then what will we do?

Prabhupāda: I say no medicine.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No medicine. We should reject this kavirāja.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Brahmānanda: Yadubara was asking how much time the kavirāja would stay with you in Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Every few days he'll be there, every two days, every three days.

Yadubara: He said like that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, he's prepared to do that.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Is there some... You're feeling some bad effect from these medicines that you want to reject them? (pause)

Prabhupāda: At least there is risk of life.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, you take medicine from him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. That was his proposal. His proposal was that you take medicine, and then after ten or fifteen days, you may have enough strength... And he was going to come back and then take you to Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: So do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The only reason that we were hesitant was because if something along the way happens, had he been here, he could have adjusted the medicine to suit the particular needs. Now, not being here, we'll have to depend upon this assistant in case something changes. If nothing changes, then there's no harm. But if something should suddenly alter...

Prabhupāda: So that time...

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So why call Māyāpur? Let him supply the medicine from Calcutta.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Supply the medicine from Calcutta. Well, he said he can give enough medicine now to last I think for about another ten days. Even now.

Prabhupāda: So that is all right.

Bhakti-caru: Yes. The main medicine, we have the supply for ten days already, that, the one that he distilled yesterday.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Of course, we can still try and convince him not to go. That would be the best thing.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So how...? How? How we can?

Brahmānanda: So three hours to Delhi, then the plane ride and then three hours to Māyāpur?

Bhakti-caru: No, I mean that is out of the question.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not out of the question. We were considering doing it. (laughter) It's only three hours away. (laughter)

Brahmānanda: The cars are coming.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The cars are coming. The tickets are booked. It's not out of the question. Śatadhanya's in Calcutta. (laughter)

Bhakti-caru: But then again there is one advantage, that all along he can lie down. His Divine Grace can lie down.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That we'll wait here for another week to ten days, and Shastriji will give us medicine. The kavirāja will give us medicine, and you can take it for another week or so. After a week's time he'll come back, and then, after a few days, he'll take you to Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: At least at present this decision will be good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This decision is good. He says that you should not do so much talking, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: I'll not talk.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: For about ten days.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Without finishing the business of these, this legal business? Oh, yes, this legal business is not what would keep us here.

Prabhupāda: Then how it will... How it will be done?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean it can be executed in Māyāpur as well.

Prabhupāda: How?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mr. Das, our friend from Calcutta, can come. It's pretty much now... It's already drafted, and... It would just have to be redrafted again on new stamp paper or the words would have to be changed. It would have to be retyped on stamp paper from Bengal side. The basic writing is...

Prabhupāda: That means unfinished despite unfinished.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) Śrīla Prabhupāda...

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I don't think. It is past nine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You don't think they'll come now. No, I also don't think. I mean it's not good etiquette to come at this hour for business. It's nearly nine-thirty, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I mean I don't think that... If you'll permit me to request them, even if they do come now, that we do it on another day, then I would prefer to do that. Oh, I hear Bhagatji. (goes and returns) So they're all here, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So we can go to Māyāpur now. (laughs) So I better... First I'll have to go through all the documents and see that they're in order. Then I'll bring them in here and we'll finish this business.

Prabhupāda: Then let us go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) You want to go to Māyāpur?

Prabhupāda: As you are saying, I'll go.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: What activities going on, just describe.

Bhavānanda: At Māyāpur now we have two hundred resident devotees. We have the handloom, we have our own handloom production. We have prasādam, distribution to the local people on the weekends. Two to three thousand people a day are given prasādam, and during the week seven hundred to a thousand take full prasādam.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Free? All free distribution.

Bhavānanda: Yes. And we have our Gurukula, mainly local boys, resident boarding, no day students. When I left there were eighty-five boys. Probably it's increased.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: All local.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We have our main festival in Māyāpur at the end of March, March 24th.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: March 24th?

Bhavānanda: This year? Dola-yātrā. Gaura-pūrṇimā.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Our biggest festival. All the devotees from all over the world...

Prabhupāda: Recently there was a scientific meeting here. Where is that Statesman report?

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Recently there was a scientific meeting here. Where is that Statesman report?

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: The report from, about Māyāpur? Some literature?

Prabhupāda: No, here. We... Just describe.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We had a science conference here in Gurukula just about a little more than a week ago.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Here in this new building?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, the same building, at the same hall that you're going to hold your conference. I invited several scholars, scientists around Delhi and Agra. Also Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples, scientist disciples, came from around the world. The basic theme was to show that life is coming from the supreme life. In other words everything is coming from Kṛṣṇa. But modern science says that we are just product of atoms and molecules.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the others were too much. He's not envious. He actually appreciated. He's very eager to come to Māyāpur, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Brahmānanda: During our festival.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He wants to... Especially he said, "I want to come when all of the devotees are there." He's actually appreciating, just like that Mr. Ganatra. He also appreciates very much. Mr. Bajaj is thinking to make a tour around the world of all of our centers. Actually what they have been trying to do for thirty, forty, fifty years, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have done here in India in the last six or seven years. They don't have one such temple as Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir, and you have created hundred.

Jayādvaita: Prahlāda Mahārāja was telling his father that "You can have conferences all you like, but still you can't understand Kṛṣṇa."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Would you like to hear Tenth Canto, Volume Two, Śrīla Prabhupāda, a little bit? Or more of Kapiladeva? Kapiladeva would be nice. Ten, two?

Prabhupāda: Any book.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Śatadhanya: In Māyāpur, when they heard that Your Divine Grace was coming, it was like electricity. There was... I've never seen anyone so excited as they were. They were electrified. Everyone was... All the Gurukula, little boys who had never even seen... "Prabhupāda is coming! Prabhupāda is coming!" There were shouts all through the āśrama. And everything was very well organized by Jayapatākā Mahārāja for your arrival.

Bhavānanda: Mrs. De at the airport?

Śatadhanya: At the airport that Mrs. De, who... I think she met you previously. She had told you, "I am also a De."

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Remember when we flew to Bombay that lady helped us for getting special seating?

Śatadhanya: So she very kindly made all the nice arrangements at the airport. There was a big caravan with flowers to take you to Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You expected Prabhupāda on that plane?

Śatadhanya: Yes. We had the car out. Everyone was expecting.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They couldn't get through in time to tell them you weren't coming, Śrīla Prabhupāda, so they were all ready at the airport with the cars.

Prabhupāda: So we failed to catch.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. You must have been surprised when Prabhupāda didn't come out of the plane.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How did he come? By plane?

Śatadhanya: The train for free. On Jayapatākā's India Rail pass. You go first class for free.

Bhavānanda: Last night I had a dream, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Everyone at Māyāpur, all the devotees, were rolling on the ground and flailing their fists on the ground and pulling their hair and weeping. They were all expecting Your Divine Grace to come.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you have to fulfill their prayer, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you have to fulfill their prayer, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śatadhanya: There's also some news from Māyāpur. Seventeen of the Muhammadans, those Muslims, they have been arrested. Now they're released on bail, but they were officially arrested in Māyāpur. And also Jayapatākā Mahārāja says that the site where they are thinking of building that big temple in Māyāpur, some land has just become available for sale, about fifteen bighās of land. And it ranges from fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred rupees per bighā. So Jayapatākā wanted me to tell Your Divine Grace.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Whether he can purchase?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whether he can purchase? If you don't go to Māyāpur, Śrīla Prabhupāda, all of Māyāpur will come here to be with you. Now, if you get a little stronger, we can go.

Śatadhanya: Even the airport officials were disappointed. They were saying, "Where is our Guru Mahārāja?" I was shocked to hear them saying. "Where is our Guru Mahārāja?" They had purchased very nice fruits and vegetables of all different varieties, and Prabhupāda could choose which he liked-portal, jinga, so many things.

Prabhupāda: What other news?

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śatadhanya: Everything is very nice there, very organized. Jayapatākā Mahārāja and Bhavānanda Mahārāja have organized it very nicely. Calcutta is very clean. Also Calcutta was prepared in case your Divine Grace was feeling tired. Then you could have stayed at Calcutta for a day or so and then gone on to Māyāpur. Many life members had come to the airport. Sita Ram Daga...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think we have to go soon, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Actually, to take you to different places is the greatest ecstasy, because there's no greater pleasure the devotees have than when you first arrive, they see you. Their feelings know no bounds. Airport arrivals have always been ecstatic over the years, Śrīla Prabhupāda. The newspapers always remark how ecstatic they are.

Prabhupāda: What is the condition of the road?

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We will have one devotee get on in Agra to reserve a compartment for us, and then we'll board it here in Mathurā, and it arrives in Delhi at about nine-thirty at night, nine forty-five. So then we'll spend the night in Delhi, resting, and then the following morning we'll take the morning flight to Calcutta and Māyāpur. This means also that you won't have to undergo any strenuous journey to Delhi and then immediately take a flight. The train journey is actually much easier than a car journey, and then we get the whole night to rest, which is also good. So basically it just means we take a plane and then the car ride to Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: So I simply go by car from here to Mathurā.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So I simply go by car from here to Mathurā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Then we take the Taj Express, which is nonstop to Delhi, then stay in the Delhi temple, which is also nice, overnight, and then we proceed on to Calcutta. The next morning we leave on the plane at six-thirty in the morning and we arrive in Calcutta by about eight-thirty, and we should arrive in Māyāpur by noon. Does it sound like a good plan? Now you simply should gain more and more strength, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This time, until the kavirāja comes, from now until then, you should rest as much as possible, take these medicines. I think it's having a positive effect. You mentioned this morning that when you sit up you feel a little stronger now. I think it's good that you're not taxing yourself in any way. That's important. Would you like to do something specific right now, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: News?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I might have a little bit of news. I'll see.

Prabhupāda: In Māyāpur I shall stay in my quarter?

Śatadhanya: Yes, Prabhupāda. Everything is very nicely arranged. There's one nice, big bed, this same size, with nice, soft mattress.

Prabhupāda: Why another bed?

Śatadhanya: The other bed is still there...

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: The other bed, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is not wide enough. (break) ...very high. We find for moving you about on the bed, sitting you up and turning you on your side, that it's safer and more convenient if we're able to get up on the bed itself. So the bed that you had at Māyāpur was single bed. It wasn't very wide. This will be much more comfortable for you.

Prabhupāda: How long it takes to go to Mathurā?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From here to Mathurā? It would take about twenty minutes.

Prabhupāda: Not much.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: How many of you are going to Māyāpur with me?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are going, ten-ten on the plane and another four or five on the train. Say fifteen altogether.

Śatadhanya: Even more. There was about four or five on the plane that Prabhupāda didn't take.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now, of course, there are more devotees who are coming, just like Citsukhānanda Prabhu and others, so they'll also be going. By the time we go, we may be able to rent a third of the plane or something. At least there will be twenty or twenty-five devotees maybe.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: And then they have big caravan arranged, so from the airport or from Calcutta temple to Māyāpur there will be at least forty devotees going with Your Divine Grace to Māyāpur—the devotees who go and the devotees who greet you there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you like that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That we go in big numbers like that?

Bhavānanda: Then at Māyāpur there will be at least 150 devotees to greet you.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Running down the road? (laughter) Śrīla Prabhupāda, shall I continue with this report? Another thing that's beginning to happen is that the professors, after getting your standing orders and after teaching with your books in their courses, they are starting to become very friendly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For example here is one example cited.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If there is no actual strength...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. That's why now we won't move you. But if strength comes, then we can move you. The whole reason for going to Māyāpur, one of the main reasons...

Prabhupāda: I admit that it will be very nice if I can go to Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But there should be some strength. So we also say that. So let some strength come. Then we'll move you. And if it doesn't come, then we'll stay here.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So in case things deteriorate, don't move me.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. We're moving you on the basis that you get strength. That's why we're waiting this time. We're not fanatical that we have to be in Māyāpur. The basis of being in Māyāpur was that if you show sign of improvement, then changes for good...

Prabhupāda: Then I shall also be very glad.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. So that is the basis for moving you, that there should be some positive strength shown.

Prabhupāda: Now there is no strength.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Śrīla Prabhupāda? Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī has come to see you. Shall we have him come in now?

Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: In this condition.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, what we have to do is carry on with this medicine, medical treatment, and let the kavirāja come. Then, when he comes from Calcutta, he'll review everything that's happened and he'll see what your condition is like. And if he feels that the liver and kidney have been cleared up a little bit, then he'll begin to give medicine for giving you strength. And we will make him stay here until you get sufficient strength. And if you do get sufficient strength, which means his medicine is working, then he can take you to Māyāpur. And after some days, if he gives you medicine for strength and you don't get any strength, then there's no reason to leave Vṛndāvana. He may go back, but we will stay here. I think that should be our course of action.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is the news of Māyāpur?

Jayapatākā: Actually everything is going very nicely now. Everyone was... When the news came that you were coming, it spread just like electricity. All of a sudden, all Gurukula boys, all devotees, they started to cry out, "Haribol! Haribol!" jumping up and down. Just within a few moments everyone was immediately jumping. Now the book distributors, they've been very eager to fulfill your order to do hundred thousand books. So already last month they did almost forty thousand. Last week they did twelve thousand books. One party in Assam, they were selling Bengali, mostly Bengali books. They did seven thousand books in one week.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Is there Bengali boys, Mahārāja?

Jayapatākā: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So how many members are there now, devotees in Māyāpur.

Jayapatākā: I don't know. I didn't take the exact count. Two hundred.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Two hundred. Big āśrama, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I'm thinking of bringing some Manipuri boys to Māyāpur next time I go.

Prabhupāda: Do it.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: And, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was thinking that it's very important... We want to complete this temple during your stay here on this planet. Then your life's mission will be... There won't be anything that's left uncomplete if we could just complete the temple. The present... Just meditating that what are the obstacle... Actually we have already enough land for the temple itself, but the temple design... When you first came to Māyāpur, then the temple was going to be 225 feet. Then we asked Saurabha to make a design, and then he made 300 feet. At that time the estimate was fifteen million. Then again he was designing, designing, and it went to 350 feet. Then it went to thirty million. Then it went to 400 feet, fifty-five million. Now it's up to seventy million.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dollars?

Jayapatākā: Dollars. Every time he thinks about it, he adds fifty feet, and it goes up twenty million. So now all the distributors in the world, they were very eager to see the temple built, but at the present time it requires so much money at seventy million dollars and 450 feet that no one can think of even starting it for five years. But if the temple was 300 or 350 feet and twenty-five or thirty million dollars, which I don't think anyone—it would be the biggest building even in India and the biggest temple in the world—then it could be started immediately, feasibly. Four temples in America said that if they just get five women each, that means twenty women from the Society, then they could each pledge 25,000 rupees a month for..., in collection. That means $125,000. Plus BBT's $100,000 a month and Gurukṛpā, that would be enough immediately even in the coming year to start the construction of the temple, simply if Saurabha was asked to just make the temple on a thirty million dollar budget, which would be 350 feet or 300 feet. And this is really inspiring the book distributors to have this temple begun, and to complete it within your lifetime, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: My lifetime... (laughs) It is now very brief. At any moment I can...

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We want cooperation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No more noncooperation.

Jayapatākā: Generally the... Even Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha, they had invited us for the disappearance day of Keśava Mahārāja, but I wasn't present at the time. So generally now they're inviting us, and everyone seems to have the desire for more and more cooperation. Mādhava Mahārāja had talked with one, this leader of the Janasangha, now the Janata party constituent, who's Professor Bharati, Haripada Bharati. He's a big orator in the Bidansava.(?) So he's very pro-ISKCON and pro-Hindu. So he's coming out to Māyāpur the 20th and putting on a public meeting. It's being organized by the local Hindus. And in that time he'll be also visiting our temple.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: ...which is in eight years.

Prabhupāda: Do it. That is...

Jayapatākā: And the architect at Māyāpur, he said that the temple that's inside the big temple, that could be opened up to the public within three years by having just some type of false ceiling, and then the upper stories, work can go on. That means within three years people could start visiting the temple and using it, which will also be a big inspiration to the public. And then the upstairs and complete outside would be completed.

Prabhupāda: Do like that. That is very good idea. And different name, you can purchase.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: That was supposed to be done this year, but then Bombay took all the funds. Prabhupāda sanctioned it already last year. It was a good idea. But Māyāpur has become very popular. This is all due to your effort, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Simply due to your efforts Māyāpur and Navadvīpa is becoming so much more famous and popular. We want to make the Māyāpur temple so beautiful and make the city so nice that not only the Queen of England and the President of United States, but even the Russian and Chinese leaders, they'll all have to come to see this. They can't avoid. Will that please Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura? If all the leaders, all these presidents and kings would come and visit the temple at Māyāpur, that would please Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Now that your books are being printed in Hindi, in Calcutta, one of our life members, Mr. Tulsan, he got your Hindi Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and he's begun reading, and now he said his whole life is transformed. He said that never he found anywhere that the knowledge was presented so simply and so clearly. All the paṇḍitas he could never understand. So now he's become so enthusiastic he's purchasing four rooms in Māyāpur-two for himself, and he's making two relatives purchase. And every month he comes out with his family, with the whole family. "Instead of going to other recreation," he said, "we'll go to the temple." And he brings big basket of fruit, and he comes out, and they stay for the weekend and they all attend maṅgala-ārati.

Prabhupāda: Four rooms, which side? New?

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So you come at four, have kīrtana (?). (break) I wish that you GBC manage very nicely and consider I am dead and let me try to travel all the tīrthasthāna. Without any responsibility. If I become recovered from this malady I shall come back and then I shall die in, what is it when the dead body is there, let them bring to Māyāpur and Vṛndāvana. I am thinking in this way. Bring little medicine and no medicine, little milk, and travel one place to another and if there is death, what is the lamentation? My age is ripe. In the open air and bullock cart or during daytime, eh? Or you can say semi-suicide, although living what consider me dead for the time. You manage and nowadays there is in India ample sunshine. So during daytime I shall travel and nighttime you make a camp under a tree. In this way let me travel all the tīrthas. I am thinking in this way. What is your opinion?

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, no, you are managing, I know, but you are all important men and unnecessarily you are bound up. You cannot go. So Lokanātha party has got some experience and let me go. In India the climate is now good. If I recover, it is very good. You know. So what is the wrong? If I die, then the body will be brought either in Vṛndāvana or Māyāpur, that's all. And if I live, it will be a great end of a life. You are all experienced.

Jayapatāka: As much as you have trained us, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that is only how much we are experienced. We don't want that you be burdened any more with material management problems but...

Prabhupāda: No, not from that point of view. What is the use of lying down here?

Jayapatāka: The kavirāja said...

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ha.

Bhavānanda: Only factor at this point is not to take any unnecessary risk.

Prabhupāda: No. As I think free, so I remain. Mm. Then when I am sane man, I shall come back again either Māyāpur or Vṛndāvana or Bombay, any other.

Jayapatāka: You would travel by a minibus.

Prabhupāda: Mm?

Jayapatāka: You would travel by a bus.

Prabhupāda: That you think of.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mm. You have tried doctor, kavirāja, medicine, everything. Everything has failed. Now suppose I am taking the risk of death, what is wrong? When the..., I am dead you go India, within India, you go and bring the body either in Māyāpur or Vṛndāvana. Māyāpur the land is already there. Vṛndāvana I think on the gate side, that's all. That's wherever you like you'll do.

Jayapatāka: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you commented that when Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda was put on the gate side that that was no way to respect a Vaiṣṇava.

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Jayapatāka: So then doesn't seem proper to put you by the gate.

Prabhupāda: No, not by the gate. There is ample land. Or in Māyāpur, that will be very nice. Mm.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: India is full of holy places.

Jayapatāka: Kṛṣṇa-līlā, Mahāprabhu-līlā.

Prabhupāda: And gradually you go to Māyāpur. Is someone here?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: I...

Bhavānanda: He has heard everything.

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Jayapatāka: By you going to the holy places, you will purify the holy places.

Prabhupāda: There are two things, life or death. So if I die where is the wrong? And if there is death, that is natural.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: That is very bumpy.

Bhavānanda: Your Guru Mahārāja used to have bullock cart travel from Hulorghat (on the bank of the Ganges in Māyāpur) up to the Caitanya Maṭha. You told me you put a nice mattress down in the back and a cover, and you lay down there. You even told me once to go to Calcutta that way. You lay down, at night; you go little bit, little bit; and in the morning, when you wake up, you're in Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: Bullock, you get the cow dung.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cook with it.

Jayapatākā: In this part of India it's very cold now for Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: Underneath the tree it is not cold.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: We're supposed to be gosvāmīs. We have to stay under a tree. Different tree every night.

Lokanātha: When we were traveling from Vṛndāvana to Māyāpur we stayed many times. Outside we'd live under the tree. It's nice.

Bhakti-caru: Yes, but if just one window is open at night, Prabhupāda starts feeling cold in spite of the blanket.

Lokanātha: You are making mundane.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be very cold in the early morning hours.

Haṁsadūta: We'll bring the van, and Prabhupāda can stay in the van overnight, or we'll find some place.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: All the āśramas will be overcrowded.

Pañca-draviḍa: We can sleep around the van. Prabhupāda is like a desire tree. He satisfies everybody.

Lokanātha: That cart could be turned into house. Have bamboo sticks, cover it with...

Prabhupāda: So begin to plan.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You are satisfied?

Bhavānanda: Now I am, Śrīla Prabhupāda, yes. (laughter) I was in too much anxiety.

Prabhupāda: No, no, I cannot put you in anxiety. You have done so much. You have suffered in Māyāpur so much. I cannot put you in anxiety. So I shall do what you like. (Bengali) Lefthand, righthand. I cannot refuse.

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean I'm amazed, Śrīla Prabhupāda. A half a kilo of milk you've drank today—no mucus, no stool, and that is wonderful. You could not have done this two weeks ago.

Room Conversation -- November 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Two and a half months, Śrīla Prabhupāda, just to go from one tīrtha-sthāna to the next. We don't have that kind of time. Better that we go in very good caravan of vehicles, comfortable. You will have your own vehicle, the advance party will have one vehicle, and one or two others... Your party will have two or three vehicles, and the advance party can have one vehicle. We have enough cars. Your Divine Grace has a car in Māyāpur; we have a car here in Vṛndāvana; we have one of your cars in Bombay. There's so many vehicles and vans. So we have our choice. We can get very nice vehicles.

Jayādvaita: That will make a very nice impression also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Otherwise... Svarūpa Dāmodara was mentioning to me, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that if we were to take you in a bullock cart... What did you say Svarūpa Dāmodara? People would accuse us of being very negligent of you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and it would look very bad upon our Society. They would accuse us, how we have taken our spiritual master...

Lokanātha: They wouldn't understand these transcendental activities of the Vaiṣṇavas.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You've always preached that we should do things in a modern way, just appropriately.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And use for Kṛṣṇa whatever available...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think if we fix up vehicles very nicely, that will be nice. Will that be all right, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Room Conversation -- November 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: With book distribution and saṅkīrtana.

Bhavānanda: I think that the Māyāpur book distribution team now has some heavy competition.

Lokanātha: With Prabhupāda's traveling saṅkīrtana and book distribution. Also our party is well equipped to do evening programs. So there will be lot of senior devotees, and advance party could arrange programs and do different big temples or different public meetings.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm hm.

Page Title:Mayapur (Conversations 1977 Oct - Nov)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:27 of Jun, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=125, Let=0
No. of Quotes:125