Monument

Expressions researched:
"monument" |"monuments"

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 13.19, Translation and Purport:

Everyone was astonished to see the decorations on the Ratha car. The car appeared to be newly made of gold, and it was as high as Mount Sumeru.

In the year 1973 there was a gorgeous Ratha-yātrā festival in London, England, and the car was brought to Trafalgar Square. The London daily newspaper The Guardian published a front-page photo caption: "ISKCON Ratha-yātrā is rival to the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square." The Nelson Column is a very impressive statue of Lord Nelson and can be seen from a good distance. Just as the residents of Purī compared the Ratha-yātrā car to Mount Sumeru, the residents of London considered the car rival to the Nelson Monument.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 29:

When Kṛṣṇa, the supreme enjoyer, desired to enjoy the company of the gopīs on that full-moon night of the śarat season, exactly at that very moment the moon, the lord of the stars, appeared in the sky, displaying its most beautiful features. The full-moon night of the śarat season is the most beautiful night in the year. In the Indian city of Agra, in Uttar Pradesh Province, there is a great monument called the Taj Mahal, which is a tomb made of first-class marble stone. During the night of the full moon of the śarat season, many foreigners go to see the beautiful reflections of the moon on the tomb. Thus this full-moon night is celebrated even today for its beauty.

When the full moon rose in the east, it tinged everything with a reddish color. With the rising of the moon, the whole sky appeared smeared by red kuṅkuma. When a husband long separated from his wife returns home, he decorates the face of his wife with red kuṅkuma. This long-expected moonrise of the śarat season was thus smearing the eastern sky.

Krsna Book 66:

Following just behind the fiery demon, the Sudarśana cakra also entered Vārāṇasī. This city had been very opulent and great for a very long time. Even now, the city of Vārāṇasī is opulent and famous, and it is one of the important cities of India. There were then many big palaces, assembly houses, marketplaces and gates, with large and very important monuments by the palaces and gates. Lecturing platforms could be found at each and every crossroads. There were buildings that housed the treasury, elephants, horses, chariots and grain, and places for distribution of food. The city of Vārāṇasī had been filled with all these material opulences for a very long time, but because the King of Kāśī and his son Sudakṣiṇa were against Lord Kṛṣṇa, the viṣṇu-cakra Sudarśana (the disc weapon of Lord Kṛṣṇa) devastated the whole city by burning all these important places. This excursion was more ravaging than modern bombing. The Sudarśana cakra, having thus finished his duty, came back to his Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, at Dvārakā.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

The promulgation of the Bhagavad-gītā's knowledge on a world-wide scale will establish a foundation upon which the edifice of the science of love of God will be constructed. This edifice will be the repository of the sublime treasure of devotional service as taught by Lord Caitanya in Kali-yuga, and it will serve as a shining monument to the transcendental endeavors of the Lord's pure devotees.

At present only a small portion of the knowledge contained in the Vedas, Vedānta-sūtra, and Upaniṣads is available to the general populace. What is noteworthy, however, is that the essence of all Vedic knowledge is available in the Gītopaniṣad, popularly known as the Bhagavad-gītā. Lord Kṛṣṇa milked the cow of the Upaniṣads, and Arjuna drank the milk thus obtained—the Bhagavad-gītā. If Arjuna found time to hear the Bhagavad-gītā in the middle of a battlefield at Kuruksetra, then what urgent business is stopping us from hearing the Gītā?

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prof. Kotovsky: Yes, you know, what is interesting... As it is here in our country, with our great interest in the history of old, old god, from this point of view our institute translated into Russian and published many, I may say, literary monuments of great Indian culture. I will have a pleasure to present you a copy of a booklet which was written here by me and my colleagues. It's account of Soviet studies of India. And here there is chapter, chapter second, "Studies of Ancient Indian Texts in the U.S.S.R..." You'll be interested to discover, we published not all but some, some in exceptions, Purāṇas. We published most of them, then some parts of Rāmāyaṇa, eight volumes in Russian, Mahābhārata... We have also second edition of Mahābhārata, translated by different people. Kabukare Artha-śāstra(?) also was translated in full and published. Manu-smṛti also translated in full and published with Sanskrit commentaries. And such a great interest... I think that all these publications was sold in a week. Now quite completely out of stock, this... It was impossible to get them in book market after month, such a great interest among reading people here in Moscow and the U.S.S.R. towards ancient Indian culture. And from this point of view we published, I must say, a lot of things, a lot of things.

Prabhupāda: Now, amongst these Purāṇas, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called the Mahā-purāṇa.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No, not here. In the sky. There is sweet water, very sweet, nice water, drinking water, sea. Sea of ghee, sea of yogurt, sea of milk. Everything is there.

Madhudviṣa: There is a government house. Simply a monument now.

Prabhupāda: The governor lives there?

Madhudviṣa: Yes. They still let them fly the flag, the British flag.

Prabhupāda: British flag?

Madhudviṣa: They still let them fly the British flag on top of the house.

Prabhupāda: They have disconnected the British?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: And this month, coming up, at the end of June, we are printing one million copies, just for one month's sale. For this Bicentennial celebration. There'll be so many people coming to the parks and monuments to observe this event.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...Kolan(?), the paper, most important theistic paper in India. And during Harivan Prasada's time, they were selling all ninety-five thousand. Between one lakh, nine thousands.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nine thousand. Now it is ten times that. That organization now is finished.

Prabhupāda: Yes. There was no life.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Morning Walk -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Vṛṣākapi: Yes. They had many cars here all day for two days. All the police, ambulance, TV.

Prabhupāda: To take photograph?

Vṛṣākapi: To take photograph of the place. It became a monument. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Just to see a dead body.

Vṛṣākapi: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Crows. (end)

Room Conversation -- July 4, 1976, Washington D.C.:

Rūpānuga: We were thinking that just like when you were in Moscow, some pictures were taken that were used for Back to Godhead, very good propaganda. We were thinking maybe when we go on this tour that in front of the White House maybe we could take a picture and use it in Back to Godhead in an article like that. It might be good propaganda.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can do.

Rūpānuga: So we were thinking we would go there to the White House on the first part, then to Capitol, second part, then around to Lincoln Memorial, then Monument for fireworks ceremony.

Prabhupāda: I will go to the fireworks.

Room Conversation With Scientists -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So, guessing?

Yadubara: Oh, I don't know, two hundred fifty feet? Something like that. Three hundred?

Rūpānuga: That's too big, three hundred. The Washington monument is five hundred fifty feet.

Prabhupāda: Then it is all right.

Yadubara: Maybe two hundred.

Rūpānuga: Maybe a hundred seventy-five. We can check reference book easily. You'll find out today.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we want to make a chart. Now from these gross elements, the five gross elements, we want to extend to...

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: Favorable reply. He said, "This is a good project. It will help the district." He only said that they should maybe get three hundred acres instead of 350 or like that. He reduced something. Then that went back again to the Commissioner, who was a Christian. He's the one I mentioned. He wrote bad report. Then when Choudhuri got it, he wrote a very good report. He wrote a very good report. He said that there's no question of Hindu or Muslim. Just like in Bangkok they have that one big Viṣṇu Temple. Or the Taj Mahal. This is no longer any type of religious. This is for all mankind. Similarly this Māyāpur will be a monument for the whole mankind.

Prabhupāda: For the whole world.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So I gave the meaning.

Gargamuni: He said, "No, I want this." But there's still a problem, is that they'll allow a monument, but they don't want the Deity. They'll allow us to build a monument for Bhaktivedanta Swami but no Deity.

Prabhupāda: Well, then take this proposal: "All right, no Deity." We shall hold meetings, lecture. What is that? In the park people come. And we decorate the whole hall with pictures. Gradually we worship one picture.

Gargamuni: Later on, maybe we can put Deity. Once it's built, they cannot tell us to get out.

Jayapatākā: That's what Mr. Choudhuri said.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Jayapataka -- Bombay 26 December, 1971:

Regarding my yellow fever shot certificate, the hospital is somewhere on Hastings; most probably it is called Seaman's Hospital and it is somewhere in front of Victoria Memorial monument. Acyutananda knows definitely.

The schedule to be followed in worshiping the Deity is as follows. Morning Aratik may be performed at 4:30 until 5 am. Then immediately following the Deity room should be washed clean and the dirty utensils removed. Then everyone can chant before the Deity until 6:30. The Deity should then be bathed and dressed and fresh flowers put. It should not take longer than one hour to bathe and dress the Deity if one actually knows how it is done. But it may take longer so you may offer the bhoga at 8:00. The idea of bathing the Deity after offering bhoga is not correct. So please follow this schedule as I have advised.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 10 July, 1973:

You will be glad to know the Rathayatra in London was very successful. The Daily Guardian had a picture on the front page of our cart and stated that we were competition to the monument in memory of Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square. My health is good and I am taking daily walk and speaking at the class in the morning.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Ambarisa -- New Delhi 11 May, 1977:

Of course I do not take it as mine, but it is a fact that everything belongs to Krsna: "isavasyam idam sarvam yat kinca jagatyam jagat (ISO 1)." I thing you can utilize some of your money to try to give some shape to this idea of a doll exhibit, restaurant, and bookshop. I have seen that in Washington so many tourists came daily to see the many monuments and museums. So why not let one of the museums be about Krsna. Everything should be done first-class, and I am suer that it will become the most popular place to visit in Washington. I shall be very glad to hear from you whether you think it is possible to execute such an ambitious project.