Metropolis

Expressions researched:
"metropolis" |"metropolises" |"metropolitan"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.6.11, Translation:

After my departure, I passed through many flourishing metropolises, towns, villages, animal farms, mines, agricultural lands, valleys, flower gardens, nursery gardens and natural forests.

SB 1.11.1, Translation:

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Upon reaching the border of His most prosperous metropolis, known as the country of the Ānartas (Dvārakā), the Lord sounded His auspicious conchshell, heralding His arrival and apparently pacifying the dejection of the inhabitants.

SB 1.11.1, Purport:

The beloved Lord was away from His own prosperous metropolis of Dvārakā for a considerably long period because of the Battle of Kurukṣetra, and thus all the inhabitants were overcome with melancholia due to the separation. When the Lord descends on the earth, His eternal associates also come with Him, just as the entourage of a king accompanies him. Such associates of the Lord are eternally liberated souls, and they cannot bear the separation of the Lord even for a moment because of intense affection for the Lord. Thus the inhabitants of the city of Dvārakā were in a mood of dejection and expected the arrival of the Lord at any moment. So the heralding sound of the auspicious conchshell was very encouraging, and apparently the sound pacified their dejection. They were still more aspirant to see the Lord amongst themselves, and all of them became alert to receive Him in the befitting manner. These are the signs of spontaneous love of Godhead.

SB 1.11.12, Purport:

Perfection of human civilization is made possible by utilizing the gifts of nature in their own way. As we find herewith in the description of its opulence, Dvārakā was surrounded by flower gardens and fruit orchards along with reservoirs of water and growing lotuses. There is no mention of mills and factories supported by slaughterhouses, which are the necessary paraphernalia of the modern metropolis. The propensity to utilize nature's own gifts is still there, even in the heart of modern civilized man. The leaders of modern civilization select their own residential quarters in a place where there are such naturally beautiful gardens and reservoirs of water, but they leave the common men to reside in congested areas without parks and gardens. Herein of course we find a different description of the city of Dvārakā.

SB 1.11.24, Purport:

To have a look at the Lord is a great festive occasion undoubtedly, as it was considered by the metropolitan ladies of Dvārakā. This is still followed by the devout ladies of India. Especially during the days of the Jhulana and Janmāṣṭamī ceremonies, the ladies of India still throng up in the greatest number at the temple of the Lord, where His transcendental eternal form is worshiped. The transcendental form of the Lord installed in a temple is not different from the Lord personally. Such a form of the Lord is called arca-vigraha, or arcā incarnation, and is expanded by the Lord by His internal potency just to facilitate the devotional service of His innumerable devotees who are in the material world.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.8.5, Purport:

During the rainy season, all the waters of the rivers become muddy, but in the month of July-August, the autumn season, when there is a slight rainfall, the muddy waters of the rivers all over the world become at once clear. By addition of some chemical, a small reservoir of water like that of a metropolitan waterworks tank can be cleared, but by such a tiny effort it is not possible to clear up all the reservoirs of water like the rivers. A powerful pure devotee of the Lord, however, can deliver not only his personal self but also many others in his association.

In other words, the cleansing of the polluted heart by other methods (like the culture of empiric knowledge or mystic gymnastics) can simply cleanse one's own heart, but devotional service to the Lord is so powerful that it can cleanse the hearts of the people in general, by the devotional service of the pure, empowered devotee.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Jagannātha-suta: Śrīla Prabhupāda, when I was in New York recently to check the color printing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 7.2, we were presented with two awards which your books had won for color and design, two awards from the Printing Industries of Metropolitan New York. They gave us big wooden plaques with a certificate of excellence, yes, for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and for Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Hṛdayānanda: You should show Prabhupāda, bring him those plaques.

Jagannātha-suta: Yes, we have those plaques hanging up in the Press building now.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Bring it, I shall see.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Not proper leader. What is this building?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is the, ah...

Rāmeśvara: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Metropolitan Museum of Art. Very famous art museum.

Prabhupāda: Saw fireworks in Washington.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's the Empire State Building, Prabhupāda, straight ahead.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Rāmeśvara: I think one day our art paintings will also be in these museums. Because our artists are becoming as expert as anyone.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Harry, Harrison, like that.

Devotee (1): They are saying Kṛṣṇa's name.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should I read more? "There are several hundred thousand members of the movement, several hundred thousand members of the movement throughout the world. Ten thousand in New York City alone." Actually, there are at least ten thousand followers. "Of these, about a hundred and fifty are full-time students and live at 340 West Fifty-fifth Street, an eleven-story former Josephine Baird Home of the Roman Catholic Carmelite Nuns." This was a nunnery. "The Hare Kṛṣṇa center on West Fifty-fifth Street draws about five hundred lay devotees and curiosity-seekers from the metropolitan area every Sunday. Open house begins at five p.m. A great drawing card is the serving of prasādam, food specially prepared for and offered to Lord Kṛṣṇa before being distributed to the public.

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: The city pays these artists hundreds of thousands of dollars to make these forms. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...it is constructed?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Metropolitan Museum of Art extension.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (pause) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can return back now. This one is older, this is new. There are twice as many floors in the same amount of space. It's actually double. (break) ...think there's an advancement in living conditions. Seems to be worsening, but they're taking it as advancement. (break)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: About the same as Mercedes. Ten thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nandaki, is it as good mechanically as a Mercedes?

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Los Angeles 10 January, 1970:

So why not take this philosophy and practically see how the followers are feeling happy on the basis of Krishna Consciousness. You have got to convince all sections of human society and induce them to come to Krishna Consciousness. London is a great city, perhaps the most important metropolis in the world, many people visit every year. So, combined together, Englishman and Indian should erect such a nice institution there that people from all parts of the world may take advantage of this. Now this is the program before you, and you can further develop it with sincere service and great devotion.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Bombay 8 November, 1970:

I will agree with you that we must not strain by having more devotees there than we can fit comfortably. Things must be done in such a way that no one feels inconvenienced. That is one of the problems of our modern metropolis. Everyone is packed together so tightly that the condition is always unbearable. Develop things in New Vrindaban in the natural way, so that gradually, as you have more facilities, more men can come. So far as purchasing the property and schoolhouse owned by Mr. Caufield—that is very nice proposal. So I propose that if you can collect $15,000. Then I will loan you the remaining $5,000. from my bookfund.