Prabhupāda: The first scene is that people passing on with saṅkīrtana movement as we have, as we usually do, very nice procession with mṛdaṅga, karatālas and that bugle, all people, just in the ordinary way. We have to make a nice procession. The second scene is that Kali, the personified Kali, a person should be decorated blackish. A blackish man with royal dress and very ugly features. And his queen, another ugly featured girl or lady. So they are disturbed. They'll talk between themselves that "There is saṅkīrtana movement now and how we shall prosecute our business of this Kali-yuga?" There will be, in that scene, in some corner somebody is drinking. Two or three persons drinking. The scene will be like that. They are sitting in the center. In one corner somebody taking part in drinking, and another part somebody is illicitly talking of lust and love with woman. In another section there is slaughtering of a cow, and another section gambling. In this way that scene should be adjusted. And in the middle, the ugly man, black man, and the ugly woman will talk that "We are now in danger. The saṅkīrtana movement has been started. What to do?" In this way you have to finish that scene.
Royal (Conversations)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1967 Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So the florist is given a certain tract of land free, and let him produce flower and make business. But the quantity of flower I require for my temple, he must supply daily. Similarly, the bandsman, he should come and play band. Everything was on land distribution. That was the system. And tax was paid to the government. Not by assessment. Uh, assessment... Whatever your land production is there, you give to the government one-fourth. That's all. If you have produced 1,000 mound grains, you have to give to the government 250 mounds. And if you have produced 100, then you give 25. So there is no question of harassment. Whatever is the production is there... So these profession is accepted from Vedic time, different kinds of men engaged in different kinds of activities. Maybe a florist, maybe a potter, maybe a cobbler, maybe anything, grain producer... So many, society requires so many things. So according to Vedic system, there is a class, and Bhāgavata says that "You are engaged in your occupational duty; so whether you are getting success by such occupational duty?" The Vedic system does not condemn anyone. "You are a potter. Oh, you are lower." No. You are as good as a priest because you are doing your duty. That's all right. Never condemns. This is development of later age when the so-called brāhmaṇas became, I mean to say, treacherous. They began to condemn so-called lower class. There was disruption, the whole social system. But in the beginning it was not. So they have got respectable terms. Just like a brāhmaṇa is addressed as paṇḍita mahārāja. A kṣatriya is addressed ṭhākura saheb, ṭhākur. And a merchant is addressed: sethji. And the laborer class addressed as choudhari, means leader. In this way everyone has got respectable position. Why? Because the test of their success was one, Viṣṇu. Success... Svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ labhate param. Whatever your occupation may be, that doesn't matter. But if you worship the Supreme Lord by your occupation, then you are successful. The florist supplies flower to the temple. The potter supplies pots to the temple. The priest chants mantra in the temple. The kṣatriyas, they protect the temple. He supplies the expenditure of the temple. Because the land belongs to the kṣatriya. They are royal class. Because they occupy land, so they have got the obligation to give protection to the country, fight. They shall fight. And here, at the present moment, the arrangement is that you have no land, you are landless, but you are called to fight. Why? This system is condemned system. The kṣatriyas, they are royal class, they possessed land, so they had obligation to protect the country. Therefore they were fighting. How nice arrangement. Those who are occupying administration of the country, they should fight. But they are sitting very nicely in their armchair and calling somebody, "Go and fight and be killed." This system is not scientific system. Therefore the caste system is very nice. They have now been condemned... Not condemned, but they want to revise it. But this is a very scientific system. Why? It is created by Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: So you can arrange like that. Can you?
Pradyumna: I was thinking if there would be in the Royal Asiatic Society in London. I think Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda was a member of that also? Is that the same one?
Prabhupāda: Where is Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda now?
Pradyumna: No, but there would be some people there, to open correspondence with them, and they might be interested in sponsoring you.
Prabhupāda: It is not... It is more difficult.(?) (Prabhupāda is taking prasādam) (pause) Is there anything about Kṛṣṇa in Vivekananda's speech?
Pradyumna: I wasn't reading his speeches. I wanted to see how he worked things. I know he's a rascal.
Prabhupāda: So you can give me a little milk and finish business. (pause) (devotees offer obeisances) All glories to the assembled devotees.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Kalki.
Allen Ginsberg: Now, what is Kalki's nature?
Prabhupāda: Kalki's nature, that is described in Bhāgavata. He will come just like a prince, royal dress with sword, and on horseback, simply killing, no preaching. All rascals killed. No more preaching. (laughing) That is the last. There will be no brain to understand what is God.
Allen Ginsberg: There will be no brain to understand God?
Prabhupāda: They will be so dull, so dull. It requires brain to understand. Just like in the Bhāgavata it is said that evaṁ prasanna-manaso (SB 1.2.20), "fully joyful," bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, "by practice of bhakti-yoga." Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ, mukta-saṅgasya: "and freed from all material contamination." He can understand God. Do you think God is so cheap thing, anyone will understand? Because they do not understand, they present something nonsense: "God is like this. God is like that. God is like that." And when God Himself comes, that "Here I am, Kṛṣṇa," they don't accept it. They'll create their own God.
Prabhupāda: So many ladies, like that. That scene, I shall direct how to do it. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's father was not very rich man. So there was a big zamindar. He was devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So he had some affection for Caitanya. So when the marriage ceremony was being settled up, he said, "Oh, His marriage shall not be just like the brāhmaṇas' marriage." Brāhmaṇa's wife, they are poor; so there is no expenditure. Some way or other, his marriage is done. But especially kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, oh, they spend lakhs of rupees in marriage. So he said that "His marriage will not take place just like the brāhmaṇas. His marriage will be royal marriage." So he spent all the money, and there was grand, everything grandeur.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then His wife, she died?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So His mother was feeling...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to East Bengal for teaching, and actually, the girl felt too much separation, and she died. And figuratively it is used that the separation took the form of a serpent and bitten her and she died. And when He came back His mother requested that "You should marry for the second time," and He agreed. And so next marriage was with Viṣṇupriyā. In the first marriage, Lakṣmīpriyā, He used to see her when she was bathing in the Ganges ghāṭa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that "I shall marry this girl." So His father sent one matchmaker. So when the matchmaker came to His mother that "Such and such brāhmaṇa..." I forget his name, but the name is there in the Caitanya-Bhāgavata. "He desires that his daughter should be married with your son."
Prabhupāda: (Chuckles) Take some prasādam.
Jill: Oh, thank you.
John Lennon: Well, who says who's in the line of descent? You know, I mean, it's just like royalty. Who's who? (All talk at once)
Yoko Ono: That's what I was talking about.
John Lennon: I mean Yogananda claims...
George Harrison: His guru's, guru's, guru's...
John Lennon: All his guru's, guru's, guru's, gurus, like that. Maharsi claimed all his guru's guru's gurus went back. I mean, how are we to know? I mean, it's a matter of just deciding, you know.
Prabhupāda: But Maharsi does not say anything about Kṛṣṇa.
George Harrison: Doesn't he? No, his guru is the Śaṅkarācārya.
John Lennon: Which is Śaṅkara's teaching? But they all talk about God, and Kṛṣṇa's just a name for God, isn't it?
Prabhupāda: Anyway, whatever he may be, he does not go up to Kṛṣṇa. (chuckles)
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Haṁsadūta: Ten lakhs. They can give the full amount?
Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? This man... It is to be very carefully tackled. This king is going to die very soon. And as soon as the king dies, the queen's position is very precarious, almost finished. So if she becomes our president, she'll continue to keep her honor and prestige. That's a fact. She's a good lady. We have no objection to make her the president of the local center. And she is American. She will be able to tackle these American boys and girls with motherly affection. And we shall keep her always in good respect so that throughout her life she shall be honored all over as she was, as she was honored with her husband. This is a fact. So you have to convince her. And I think if the other ladies who are..., her daughter-in-law and granddaughters, like that... Because her son is dead. He was the king. This old man being invalid, his son was king. And I think that middle-aged woman was there. You have marked this? She might be her daughter-in-law and the young girls might be grandchildren. One of them, one of the daughters, girl, was very beautiful. So it appears that she comes from the royal family. Rāja-kanyā King's daughters are very beautiful. That is fabulous in India, king's daughter, rāja-kanyā. In India if anybody gets a good dowry and a beautiful wife it is said, arddhe rajatva eka rāja-kanyā(?) Actually we have seen in..., when Devaki was married to Vasudeva, how much dowry. Can anyone imagine now? So many thousands of horses, chariots, elephants, maidservants, all decorated with gold ornaments. One cannot imagine even at the present moment. Therefore they talk of "legends." But actually such dowries were given when a king's daughter was married. Not only royal family, even in ordinary family still, those who are rich, they spend lots of money to be married, either son's marriage or daughter's. When one spends lots of money during the marriage of one's daughter and son he is considered to be really rich man. That is the proof that he is rich man. So we can begin. He cannot rise, this, what is called, Muktananada? That's all right.
Haṁsadūta: King of India.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That was his policy. He favored that policy, that Indian people are in favor of monarchy. So introduce this system: one of the royal family's son should come and become king of India. That was good suggestion. If Britishers would have ruled India for the interest of India, making one king from the royal family, it would have been great success. That policy of Lord Collier was very nice.
Haṁsadūta: That never happened.
Prabhupāda: The same thing. The parliamentary members... Just like nowadays, party. India is suffering in party politics. And they did not like to give importance to monarchy. They wanted to rule according to their whims, and therefore the whole scheme failed. The so-called democracy under party politics is nonsense. Monarchy... I have said. That day I was in remarking that "This democracy is the government of the asses," because the population are asses and they vote another ass to be head of the government. So what you can do? Sayuddhe kriyate rājan sa kim asnu pahanam. These are instructions in Sanskrit. "If you make a dog a king, don't you think that he will still lap the shoes?" You cannot change his habits. Sva... Yasya bhāvasya na sa sudurate kramaḥ. Anyone's habits, even if you give good position, you cannot change it. The example is just like if you make a dog the king, he will immediately come from the throne and bite the shoes. You see? So materially you cannot change.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is stated, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: "In this age practically all men will be śūdras." That is... That is predicted. But if there are simply śūdras, then the social order will be destroyed. You... Just like in spite of your state of śūdras, a brāhmaṇa is found here. And that is necessity. So if you do not divide the social order in such a way, then there will be chaos. that is the scientific estimation of the Vedas. You may... You may belong for the time being to the śūdra class, but to maintain the social order you have to train some of the śūdras to become brāhmaṇa, some of the śūdras to become kṣatriyas. You cannot depend on the śūdras. Then there will be chaos. Neither you can depend only on brāhmaṇa. Just like to fulfill the necessities of your body there must be a portion called the brain, there must be a portion called the arms, there must be a portion called the stomach, or the belly, and there must be a portion which is called the leg. The leg is also required, the brain is also required, the arm is also required—for cooperation, to fulfill the mission of the whole body. So any, any society you conceive, unless there are these four divisions, there will be chaos. It will be, not be properly, I mean to say, going on, smoothly going on. There will be some disturbance. Brain must be there. So at the present moment there is scarcity of brain. I am not talking of your state or my state. I am taking the world as it is. The brain... Formerly the Indian administration was going on in monarchy. Just like this picture. This picture is a kṣatriya king. Before his death he renounced his, I mean to say, royal order and he came to the forest to hear about self-realization. So if you want to maintain the peace and prosperity of the whole worldly social order, you must create a class of men very intelligent, a class of men very expert in administration, a class of men very expert in production, and a class of men to work. That is required. You cannot avoid it. That is the Vedic conception. Mukha-bāhūru-padebhyaḥ. They say, mukha... Mukha means the face. Bahu means the arm. Uru means this, this, or waist. And pada. So anywhere, either you take this state or that state—doesn't matter—unless there is a smooth, systematic establishment of these four orders of life, the state or the society will not go very smoothly.
Prabhupāda: The, the confusion, confusion has come into existence because in India in later days the son of a brāhmaṇa, without having the brahminical qualification, claimed to be brāhmaṇa, and others, out of superstition or traditional way, they were accepted as brāhmaṇa. Therefore the Indian social order has disrupted. But our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are picking up from everywhere brāhmaṇas, everywhere, because the world needs the brain of a brāhmaṇa. Just like here, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, although he was a monarch, he had a body of learned sages and brāhmaṇas to consult, advisory body. It is not that the monarchs were independent. In the history it is found that some of the monarchs were not in order. They were dethroned by the brahminical advisory committee. Although the brāhmaṇas, they did not take part in politics, but they would give advice to the monarch how to, I mean to say, execute the royal function. Just like not, not very old, very, say, about... What is the age of, I mean to say, Asoka? Say about thousands of years ago.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: There was monarchy, the kings were very responsible. Therefore, the kings were known as rājarṣi. Rājarṣi, rāja ṛṣi, rājarṣi, this is compound word. (indistinct) king supervising the administration of the state, still his character was just like a ṛṣi, (indistinct) great sage. That was the qualification of the king. Therefore... Also Vedic civilization, even up to Maharaja Parīkṣit, the government was monarchy. At the present moment, practically all monarchical state is abolished. Even there is some monarchy... Formerly... (indistinct) just like in England, the Queen, she is powerless. Actually, the Queen has no power. People have taken away the power. Here also there is the (indistinct) Jaipur. Actually, they are the owner of the state, Jaipur state, the old state, at least five hundred years old, this state. (indistinct) It is the kingdom of Maharaja Mansingh, former Mansingh, who was commander-in-chief of emperor (indistinct).
But now they have no power. The people have taken away the power. But according to Vedic civilization, this people's government is not sanctioned. Democracy. Democracy is not sanctioned. But in the Kali-yuga, nobody will be a standard king. Anybody, by hook and crook, if he captures the royal throne, he becomes king. That is predicted in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Formerly, only the kṣatriyas were the kings. But at the present moment, because the institution of varṇāśrama-dharma is topsy-turvy, practically no more existing, everyone in this age is calculated to the śūdras. So therefore, there is struggle, who will capture the power? We see practically in political field, the people are interested for capturing the power, but they are not interested... Formality. So they put their manifesto before the election, that we shall serve you in this way and that way.
Prabhupāda: But in our India... Of course, Lord Buddha was kṣatriya. The kṣatriyas were allowed to eat meat by hunting.
Dai Nippon representative: Hunting.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because king—the kṣatriya means royal order-they, sometimes they had to kill somebody. If somebody is criminal, "Cut off his head." So in order to become powerful in cutting head, so they had to practice hunting. Yes. This hunting was allowed to the kṣatriyas. There are four divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra. Four divisions means intelligent class, administrative class, mercantile class, and laborer class. So these kṣatriyas, they are royal order, giving protection to the citizens. And the brāhmaṇas giving good advice to the royal order. And the mercantile class, they work under the regulation of the royal order. And the worker class, they give simply service. (Japanese)
Dai Nippon representative: Year and a half ago, Mr. Tajima, he lose his son, twenty-eight years old.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I heard. In some accident?
Dai Nippon representative: By traffic accident.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That's all. They don't want to see people very enlightened. "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." But at least how to become wise, that injunction has been given to you. Now you try to save the country, how to do it. These people will not be. You'll have to educate the people, and they'll vote you to the senators, president, and then your country will be nice. Just like by Kurukṣetra, Kṛṣṇa smashed all Duryodhana and company, and He posted Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. That is the Kṛṣṇa's politics. He wanted to smash all these demons and have His own men posted on the royal throne. When Kali could not penetrate into the daily behavior of the people, he planned killing of Parīkṣit Maharaja. So, one Kali brāhmaṇa cursed him to death, for no fault practically. Therefore the brāhmaṇas of this age, they are condemned. The so-called caste brāhmaṇas, they're condemned. That is lamented by the father of the boy who cursed Parīkṣit Maharaja. (japa) (end)
Prabhupāda: Oh, why did he not see me?
Devotee (2): He didn't come. He was a little embarrassed, I think.
Prabhupāda: He must be embarrassed. He's a thief. (laughter) Desirous man never becomes happy. He did not pay me anything as royalty for the record.
Devotee: Hm.
Devotee (2): He's still selling it, too.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Devotee (2): He's still selling that record.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Must be selling and taking advantage of this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.
Devotee (2): That's a nice record.
Devotee: Is that Govinda?
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Devotee (2): That's a very nice record. Everyone is appreciating.
Prabhupāda: But I heard that rascal always played my record and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Devotee (1): At least he's benefiting somehow. I saw him in Bombay also one day in the market of Madhubal, Madhubhag(?) temple? He was buying beads for his store in New York.
Prabhupāda: He's selling beads, records, on our account. (laughter)
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Now what is the explanation?
Scholar: Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gītā traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the royal order, the king of all planets. This science is especially meant for the perfection of the inhabitants, and therefore, the royal order should understand it in order to be able to rule the citizens and protect them from material bondage to lust. Human life is meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, the eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens by education, culture and devotion. In other words, the executive heads of all states are intended to spread the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the people may take advantage of this great science and pursue a successful path, utilizing the opportunity of the human form of life...
Prabhupāda: This Vivasvān is the original person of the kṣatriya family, Sūrya-vaṁśa.
Scholar: Sūrya-vaṁśa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Eh?
Devotee: Does he mention Vivasvān here? Should I read it?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Brahmānanda: Yes, in charity.
Prabhupāda: Because always women population is greater than the man. So those who are kings, they could maintain more than one wife. So not only one wife, another three dozen maid-servants. They are freely mixing with king. They got also children. But they were not, I mean to say, eligible for throne. Only the married wife's son. This is, this was the system. Just like Vidura. Vidura happened to be a son of such maid-servant. So she had, he had no claim on the throne. Dāsī-putra. They were called dāsī-putras. They were maintained. Just like in royal family, but they have no claim on the throne. (pause)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: There are two scientists working on how to make...
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: How to make chemicals for contraceptive. One is in Stanford. His name is Carl Geraldsey. And one is in Harvard. His name is Corey, E.J. Corey. They are quite famous now.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are very famous now.
Prabhupāda: Because they gave contraceptives?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. They are trying to make compounds, steroids.
Prabhupāda: Sterile. When all the scientists are not famous, notorious. Then this will be called notorious. Somebody has manufactured atomic weapon. Somebody has contraceptive. Somebody has synthetics.
David Wynne: Yes, she said, "How marvelous it would be to completely trust Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: That's very nice.
David Wynne: She said, ah, "What a relief to be able to pass all responsibility to Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. But that one has to learn, how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The sentiment is very nice. It is just fitting from the royal... Because she's after all favored, she has taken birth in the royal family, so she is not ordinary woman. And her intelligence must be extraordinary. So she has remarked like that, what is that exact word?
David Wynne: I think the exact word... She said "How marvelous to be able to give all responsibility to Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa is ready.
David Wynne: Yes. And she said...
Prabhupāda: But the thing is from our side Kṛṣṇa expects something.
David Wynne: (laughs)
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is not a dead stone. Reciprocal. If you fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa takes full responsibility. If you keep some reservation, Kṛṣṇa also keep reservation.
David Wynne: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: This is it. When Kṛṣṇa understands that you have fully surrendered, He takes full responsibility.
Prabhupāda: But it is compulsory? (laughter) They can come. It is not the question of surrender. (break)
David Lawrence: (reading from report) "...used to be involved heavily with that. The booklet itself is to be produced in color, black and white by means of one of the most modern printing systems in the world, and the colorplates should be of very good quality." You know, I was thinking about the beautiful pictures of the Bhagavad... (Break) ...really produce those. "It's hoped to market the thirty-page booklets for about thirty pence. The publisher, Marshall's Educational, is a long established publishing house which is Marshall, Morgan and Scott, specialized in theological and devotional books. They are now turning their attention to the production of much-needed religious education books. Financial basis of the series: David Lawrence has undertaken the commission with the agreement that they must be produced as cheaply as possible. The author receives no expenses and is receiving payment on the lowest rate of royalty only." So it means I've just about covered my expenses. "The purpose of the series of booklets: to offer the opportunity for students to see the spiritual way as relevant today, 2.) to show how God loves and how we should respond with devotion, 3.) to produce a booklet so cheaply that it will easily be available in schools and to any other interested inquirers, to the latter by means of national outlets such as W.H. Smith." They're an enormous chain of booksellers throughout the country. "4.) to allow each movement to speak for itself so that at every point the representatives will feel that they themselves are behind the booklet. This will give the youngsters full opportunity to make up their own minds as to the bona fide nature or not of a devotional organization." Your specific booklet. "An essential part of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness booklet and a revolutionary concept in religious education publishing will be the production of the teacher's pack. The aims of producing this pack are 1.) to arm the normally conservative R.E. teacher with such a battery of audio-visual aids that he will feel fully dressed to embark upon a series of lessons on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, 2.) to give the teacher..." (pause, people coming in or out of room)
Prabhupāda: Yes, go on.
Prabhupāda: Simply by becoming Sanskrit scholar or Latin scholar, it is not sufficient. He must be God-realized, purified. Then it is possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ: (Brs. 1.2.234) "By your these blunt senses it is not possible to understand what is God, what is His form, what is His name, what is His quality, what is His kingdom, what is His paraphernalia." These things are to be understood. God means... Just like when we speak of "king." King does not mean alone. King means he has got his queen, he has got his kingdom, he has got his secretary, he has got his minister, he has got his palace, he has... so many things, king, royal. When we speak of Queen, we immediately remember the Buckingham Palace, his (her) bodyguards and so many, so many other things. Similarly, God means He has got His entourage also, everything. He's not alone. To understand God means to understand everything of God—His name, His fame, His līlā, His pastimes. So nāmādi. With all these blunt senses, how can we... We cannot understand even the Personality of Godhead, what to speak of other things? "God is a person:"—it is a very difficult subject matter for ordinary man to take it, very difficult subject. That is stated in the... Even the demigods they cannot understand. That is... Because he's thinking materially that "This cosmic manifestation, then creation, is so big, and it is created by a person. How it is possible?" But... Because they do not know what is that person. Simply by the word "person," he is afraid: "Oh, oh, oh, oh."
Lord Brockway: Oh, I approve of it very, very strongly. Very strongly. It must be... It must be the basis of all, of all good.
Prabhupāda: No, basis... Now, suppose if a people in general, they are not advanced, by their votes, somebody is elected, he may not be also advanced. That is the defect of democracy. Mass of people, they are not advanced. So simply by their vote, if somebody is elected, then they will have to repent. Just like Nixon. He's elected, but these people are again decrying him, that "No, you are not good." So why do you, did you elect him? You elect, and again you reject. That is the defect of democracy. that people are not advanced. They can commit mistake, elect somebody wrong. And then they will lament. This is the defect. But monarchy, as it was approved by the Vedic culture, the monarchy, if the king is first-class, God conscious... A king should be like that. That is the ideal king. They are described in the Bhagavad-gītā: rājarṣi. The king should be just like saintly person, although he's king. Rājarṣi. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). And just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was rājarṣi. All the kings in those days, they were trained up in such a way that they were saintly persons, although they were the king. Not debauch. So one person, if he's authorized... Just like the communists, they are thinking of dictatorship. This is also another kind of dictatorship. But if the dictator, or the king, is a perfect man, then his dictatorship or royal power is quite... But that, that is not possible at the present moment. But at the present moment, the democracy is also not perfect. Because the mass of people, they have no perfect knowledge. By sentiment. So it may be they're electing a wrong person. That is the defect of democracy.
Haṁsadūta: Over a half million dollars.
Professor: Ācchā.
Prabhupāda: So you can come sometimes. No you can stay there. It is very nice place. We have 17 acres of land, open, with a lake. It is a royal palace.
Professor: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are installing our Deity next 21st. So if you have time, I invite you. It is not far, London.
Professor: London is not far. Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Professor: The 21st of September?
Prabhupāda: Twenty-first of August.
Professor: Oh, I see.
Yogeśvara: In a few days.
Professor: It's a big feast.
Prabhupāda: So you are Sanskrit scholar. You can join with this movement and help us.
Professor: Thank you.
Ambassador: Have you been to Kerala ever?
Prabhupāda: Yes, I was in Cochin. While coming to New York, I came on ship. So my ship stopped in Cochin. Yes.
Ambassador: I see. We have got some wonderful Kṛṣṇa temples, Kṛṣṇa temples.
Prabhupāda: In Cochin?
Ambassador: In Cochin? Not in Cochin town. There is, but not very famous, but the one about ten miles from Cochin, where I come from, is one of the greatest temples called Pūrṇa-trayeśa (?). This is a very good. The Cochin royal family used to stay...
Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh, you come from there?
Ambassador: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Swami Cinmayananda also comes from there?
Ambassador: Yes. Swami Cinmayananda comes from Vernayakulam.(?)
Prabhupāda: Vernayakulam(?), yes.
Ambassador: I come from about five miles. I actually used to know him when, before he became... When he was a journalist.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Ambassador: I used to know him when he was a journalist.
Prabhupāda: Oh, he was a journalist?
Ambassador: Yes, before. In Dacra.(?)
Prabhupāda: Oh.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Dr. Kapoor: I haven't read it through, but I saw the publication.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So they are having every year one edition.
Dr. Kapoor: Hmm. I see. Wonderful.
Prabhupāda: Yes, for the last, it has begun from 1968, it is still going on, every year, they publish and they send me royalty $2,000.
Dr. Kapoor: Good.
Guru dāsa: (indistinct) has read Nectar of Devotion.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Devotee: (indistinct) has read Nectar of Devotion.
Dr. Kapoor: Nectar of Devotion I have read. That's wonderfully done.
Prabhupāda: You like it?
Dr. Kapoor: It's nectar, really.
Prabhupāda: Doctor Kapoor, what is your age now? I think you are a little younger than me.
Yaśomatīnandana: Panavada.(?)
Prabhupāda: Yes. The child was to be killed and the...
Yaśomatīnandana: Sarvan sevya.(?)
Prabhupāda: Yes, Hare Kṛṣṇa. The maidservant, she changed her own son and kept the real royal family, defended him. Her child was killed.
Yaśomatīnandana: Is it a true story?
Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? (break) ...and maternal uncle of Rāvaṇa.
Yaśomatīnandana: Did Kaṁsa also achieve the grace? He was immediately transferred to the spiritual planets after he was killed?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)
Girirāja: ...being killed by Viṣṇu in his previous life he wasn't transferred?
Prabhupāda: No, three times he had to take birth. Hiraṇyākṣa.
Prabhupāda: Useless. They cannot. It takes very, very, long time to get perfection. Vālmīki Muni got perfection in 60,000 years. Oh, Sixth Chapter. Read this, Arjuna uvāca.
Yogeśvara:
- arjuna uvāca
- yo 'yaṁ yogas tvayā proktaḥ
- sāmyena madhusūdana
- etasyāhaṁ na paśyāmi
- cañcalatvāt sthitiṁ sthirām
(French translation) "Arjuna said, O Madhusūdana, the system of yoga which you have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady."
Prabhupāda: Yoga, this yoga system means controlling the mind. But 5,000 years ago a person like Arjuna, who had his friend Kṛṣṇa, he is saying that it is not possible for him. And at the present moment people are so degraded—not in the position of Arjuna—how they can get success? He is not ordinary man. Such a great warrior belonged to the royal family, and so qualified that he could talk with Kṛṣṇa personally, he says that it is not possible. So, do you think that you are..., become more than Arjuna that you can get success?
Pṛthu Putra: Translating into French.
Prabhupāda: Read this second verse, cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: But only for furniture and apartment, if you forget yourself and act in such a way, then next life you become a dog and lie on the street, then what is the use of your furniture? You are getting next life. First of all, you understand that, that "This is not the end of my life. I am eternal. I am changing my body." So it is described as dress. Now you may be dressed like a royal king. And next dress may be different. "May be" means it must be. And for the examples of the dresses—so many living entities. So you must be cautious that "What kind of dress I am going to have next?" (break) Where is that science? Where is that school, college? If you remain only confident that "I'll go on with this dress perpetually," that is not the fact. You'll have to change your dress. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). But we have no knowledge that "What kind of dress I am going to have?" It is a fact. I have already changed dress. I had a child dress. I had a boy's dress. I had a young man dress. Now I have got old man's dress. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that, "This also, you'll have to change." So why I am not inquiring "What kind of dress I am going to have?" and "How I am changing this dress?" So young man doesn't want to become old man. That is a fact. But if a young man says, "No, no, I don't want old man's dress," will it be accepted? Nature will say, "No, you must accept." Where is the remedy for this? Why these rascals do not understand that "I am fully under the control of nature's law, and I am declaring free. I am becoming philosopher"? He's fully under the control of nature's law. You have read Bhagavad-gītā. It is said, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmaṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are fully under the control of the laws of nature, and still you are thinking "I am independent. There is no superior controller." What is this nonsense? Hm? What is the answer?
Prabhupāda: And because there is no king, therefore he is flourishing.
Devotee (1): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Had there been any real king, he would have been killed immediately. Because there is no king, therefore in South India, they are insulting the statue of Lord Rāmacandra, because there is no king. Everyone is king. Diplomacy... Democracy. What is this nonsense, democracy? All over the world the royalty is hereditary, never elected. (break) ...and it was hereditary, even Russia. That is the system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). And evaṁ paramparā-prāptam—who? Rājarṣayoḥ. They are king, but just like saintly persons. That is king, not a loafer class is elevated to the royal post. Rājarṣayoḥ. Although they're holding the post of a king for administration, they're just like ṛṣi. That is king.
Pañcadraviḍa: In France they went to the Queen a long time ago, and they said, "The people don't have bread." So she said, "Let them eat cake." And they did not like this. So...
Prabhupāda: These are all stories. Don't indulge in stories. Just try to find out the real fact from śāstra. Therefore śāstra... Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23). Leaving aside the śāstra, if one talks nonsense... (end)
Bali-mardana: Previously the only big building was the church.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Big church or king's royal palace, like that. Ordinary men, they used to live in cottage. That is especially in India. They did not... What is the use? If you are not going to live there... It is a common sense. But they have no idea. They are thinking, "We shall live forever in this house." And Kṛṣṇa says that "I will come as death and take away all your possession." That they cannot understand. They will think that "No, my possession is all. I will die. I will go to hell. Still, it is my possession." This is. He will go to hell; still, his possession. (laughs) This is intelligence.
Gurukṛpa: They are so dependent that if there is no electricity, where will they get water on the twentieth floor?
Prabhupāda: No, no, apart from that... There are so many inconveniences. There is no doubt about it. But he is thinking, "Now I have done this skyscraper building, it is my possession, and even though I go to hell, it will remain my possession." He does not believe next life, but he is thinking, "My generation." But if there is no next life, what is the question of generation? Who is coming to become your generation if there is no next life? Hm? "My son, my grandson will..." But who is coming to be your... Because there is no next life, everything is finished with this body, then who is coming to be your son and who is coming to be your grandson? The common sense. But they are so dull, they cannot understand.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) This is meant for the executive head of the state. It is meant for. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter, it is stated,
- imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
- proktavān aham avyayam
- vivasvān manave prāhur
- manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
- (BG 4.1)
Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Rājarṣayo. It is meant for the rājarṣis. So Indira is in the position of rāja. If she becomes a ṛṣi, then it will be successful. Then it will be successful. (Bengali) ...that "You have got the position of royalty. You become a saintly lady. Then your scheme will be all successful." That is required. That I can help, how to make her a ṛṣi.
Lalitā: No, she is full of humility... (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: Then not only the people of India will be benefited but also the whole world will be benefited. And you have got that sampatti, Bhagavad-gītā guidance. I will not manufacture anything. That is not my business, concoction thing, hodgepodge, without any knowledge, without any experience. We are not that type of... (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: No. (Bengali) ...Calcutta janma... (Bengali)
Lalitā: I told you that Mr. Mani is Sai Baba's bhakta. So he is harassing, sending a letter and all. It's not especial any, that "Send to the member of ISKCON. They must leave." No. There is no report like that, but they are sending to say that he should learn and come to the Mr. Mani's bhakta of Sai Baba. (Bengali) There is nothing special. So if you are feeling better, then tomorrow or the day after tomorrow... (Bengali) ...can I mention that you must fit to see?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (Bengali) You know that? (Bengali) Between twelve to end of the day. (Bengali) Indira Gandhi... (Bengali) ...position plus spiritual knowledge, it will play wonderful in the world. (Bengali) Third-class, fourth-class rogue, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rājarṣayo. He must be royalty, at the same time great sage, saintly person. Then he will understand. (Bengali)
Lalitā: You must have that quality to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (Bengali) Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Find out this verse.
- imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
- proktavān aham avyayam
- vivasvān manave prāhur
- manur ikṣvākave...
- (BG 4.1)
Ikṣvāku rājarṣi, Rāmacandra-vaṁśa... (Bengali) ...originator of the dynasty of the Sūrya-vaṁśa. Kṣatriya... (Bengali) ...Sūrya-vaṁśa and Candra-vaṁśa.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Uncle's daughter.
Prabhupāda: Yes. The father and his brother, so his daughter, his son can marry.
Bhavānanda: First cousins.
Prabhupāda: First cousin, yes.
Jayapatākā: There was some case of that in the royalty in France, and they got some bleeding disease from that, hemophilia. If they got any cut, then that would never heal. It would only bleed until they died.
Prabhupāda: So it is very scientific not to get married of the same blood.
Jayapatākā: Many people ask us what gotra we are.
Prabhupāda: You are acyuta-gotra. You can say acyuta-gotra. Acyuta means never falls down.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Never falls down.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Jayapatākā: That will be ready after the festival? (break) ...an elephant?
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Jayapatākā: Elephant?
Prabhupāda: No elephant. Why elephant? Elephant is royal. We are not royal. We are beggars, sannyāsī, beggars.
Hṛdayānanda: These buses arriving in the village will be very... People will never forget it.
Hari-śauri: That procession we had in the villages near Ahmedabad, in the villages there, that must have been a once in a lifetime experience for most of them.
Prabhupāda: We can go there... And now, wherever we shall go, they will be received like that.
Jayapatākā: They especially mentioned...
Prabhupāda: The Indian people are meant for that purpose. They are from the birth, janma... Other, they are janmanā śūdra, but Indians, they are janmanā devotees.
Prabhupāda: I am Indian. Why, you Americans, you should obey me? You have done it voluntarily. Yes. So, (chuckles) in India they appreciate me only on this point, that I am Indian; how I am controlling so many Americans? That is their appreciation. (laughter) So this acceptance of guru means voluntarily surrender. Yes. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). The instruction is there in the... They were friends, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. From material point of view, they are equal. He is also belonging to the royal family, he is also belonging to the royal family, and they are cousin brothers, equal footing, friend. But still, Arjuna said, "Now there is no solution. I become Your disciple." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: "I surrender." And this is sisya, surrender. And then lessons on Bhagavad-gītā began. So we have to surrender voluntarily; otherwise discipline cannot be implemented. That is wanted. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam.
Guru-kṛpā: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it mentions in The Nectar of Devotion that in the viddhi-mārga there are many things we don't want to do but we must do in order to make advancement.
Prabhupāda: No, that is also modern government, democracy. I do not want to do something, but the Parliament pass the laws. We have to do, even I do not like. That is discipline. Just like C. R. Das. C. R. Das was one of the prominent member of Indian Congress. So he was earning in those days, fifty years ago, fifty thousand rupees per month. It is twenty times now increased. Fifty years before he was...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nowadays ten lakhs per month.
Prabhupāda: ...misleader. But he himself has no character. So here it is open secret, to keep a beautiful girl as secretary, everywhere in Europe and America. So where is purity? Purity? Marriage is a taboo, and keep secretary is very good job. And you can get secretary even free of charge. Rather, she will pay. So this is going on. In Vedic civilization marriage is one of the important function of life. As death is important function, birth is important function, similarly, marriage is also important function. Janma-mṛtyu-vivāha. So in this age everywhere, not only.... The marriage is now farce. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. There will be no more marriage. Svīkāra eva codvāhe. Even there is marriage, there will be simply an agreement. That is happening, and it was written five thousand years ago. Svīkāra eva. Svīkāra means by agreement, signing agreement. No marriage function. Otherwise marriage is a.... According to Vedic system, if one has got some money, he will spend the money in three functions. When the child is born, very gorgeously he will spend money, give in charity. Always in the Bhāg... Nanda Mahārāja is giving in charity cows and money, and Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is giving. Kṛṣṇa, as family man, He was giving in charity. So when the child is born, the horoscope is made, and to make the child happy, blessings of saintly persons, brāhmaṇas, they are given. Ordinary men also sumptuously fed. So bhūribhiḥ.(?) Everyone gives some blessings so that the child is.... Then marriage. During marriage time.... You have seen Kṛṣṇa's mother's marriage? That was the system. The father gives to his heart content, as much as possible, to the daughter. The Kṛṣṇa's mother was royal prince, so her father gave so many elephants, so many horses, so many chariots. That was the system. (break) This śrāddha ceremony. That is also, feeding the learned brāhmaṇas, saintly person, poor man, relative. Lavishly they spend money during three occasions: birth, death, and marriage. During birth the father spends; the marriage, father spends; and death, the son spends. This is the system. So social reformation, but there is no idea how the society will be happy. There is no idea. They are trying to remove this intoxication, LSD, but do not see the cause why LSD has come. They do not try to stop that cause. When the cause is effective, then they are disturbed with the effect. This is the defect. Neither they'll take advice. So how they'll be able to.... Big, big officer, drawing high salary, that's all. There is no effect. Neither there can be any effect. It is not possible. They do not know. Neither they want it. So we are advocating, "Remove these four sinful activities," so nobody will agree. "Illicit sex is our life, to keep a friend, to keep a secretary." And we are advising, "No illicit sex." Then where is life? That's all.
Prabhupāda: Our point is that we are going to live in the future. So if, becoming modern, we forget our future, then what is the use of becoming modernized? Better remain primitive. The business is that in future also we shall exist. If we do not know how we shall exist—either I shall exist as a cat, as a dog, or a tree, or a demigod, or as associate of Kṛṣṇa.... If I do not know.... On account of being modernized, if I remain in darkness about my future, so it is better to remain primitive. What is the use of becoming modernized and forget myself and my future? Becoming modernized, if I become dog in future, so what is the use of modernized? The real business is that I shall take care of my future. Especially in the human form of body. Cats and dogs, they do not know about future. If I know there is future, I have a future.... This is also said by Kṛṣṇa. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: (BG 2.13) "In future." Not this body, another body. So is it not my first business, to prepare what is my future body? That is my first business? Or to drink R.C. (Royal Crown?) my first business? Just see. By drinking R.C. if I, next life I become a dog, then what is the use of modernized life? And if we, by remaining in primitive state, we can produce Vyāsadeva, oh, it is better. But the fools have no sense. Suppose if I go to some place for some business, and going there, to select my hotel, which hotel I shall enter, I remain busy to find out the hotel, and I forget the business for which I have gone there, then am I not madman? A human life is meant for deciding his future. If we do not care for the future, and if I want to become modernized from primitive life, is that very good inclination? Real business forgotten, but I am busy with modernized life.
Prabhupāda: Therefore I am insisting, "Spread books."
Dānavīr: Śrīla Prabhupāda, there was one boy who just joined a few months ago, and he had been reading your books, and he came to join the temple. He had graduated from college and he's been to law school, and we found out after some time that his father, his name was Dr. Royal McClain, he was a very, very big preacher in the South, and he had his own television program.
Rāmeśvara: Christian. His father was the biggest Christian preacher in the South, he had his own TV show. Very big preacher, very strict Christian, and his son joined our movement. So the father calls up the son, "How could you desert our religion and join this Kṛṣṇa movement?" So.... (laughter)
Dānavīr: He explained how he was actually feeling real love of God now for the first time in his life.
Rāmeśvara: He convinced his father that he should stay in our movement.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (japa) Now England is finished. There are aristocrat type statues now rolling on the ground. Who takes care? Their, their Lennon? Lennon, John Lennon and George Harrison, they are purchasing big, big palaces. (japa)
Hari-śauri: All the aristocracy, they just go out to work like anyone else.
Prabhupāda: The lords are roaming on the street. I have seen many lords. They're ordinary.... Even they haven't got car. The Queen also, just like ordinary, common man. Royal family.
Rāmeśvara: One day America will be poor like that also.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Luxury leads to poverty. When the American becomes too much luxurious, they'll not be able to defend their country. Then it will be finished.
Rāmeśvara: That is the fear even now, that America has lost their fighting spirit against the Communists.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, yes. Yes. Vietnam. It is proof. When the Vietnam is attacked, American soldiers, they began to fly, flee away, became afraid. Naturally. They were not soldiers. They have no fighting spirit. By force they have been made soldiers. Let them take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. America will be saved. (japa)
Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said yesterday, or a few days ago, that this movement will go on unimpeded for ten thousand years, so...
Prabhupāda: Yes, provided we keep it uncontaminated. You should take this opportunity.
Prabhupāda: No. It is all right. You sit down. It is fine, you can sit. No, no.
Hari-śauri: Sit over this side.
Jayādvaita: "The sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whom if we killed we should not care to live, are now standing before us on this battlefield." Arjuna did not know whether he should fight and risk unnecessary violence, although fighting is the duty of the kṣatriyas, or whether he should refrain and live by begging. If he did not conquer the enemy, begging would be his only means of subsistence. Nor was there certainty of victory, because either side might emerge victorious. Even if victory awaited them (and their cause was justified), still, if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra died in battle, it would be very difficult to live in their absence. Under the circumstances, that would be another kind of defeat for them. All these considerations by Arjuna definitely prove that he was not only a great devotee of the Lord but that he was also highly enlightened and had complete control over his mind and senses. His desire to live by begging, although he was born in the royal household, is another sign of detachment. He was truly virtuous, as these qualities, combined with his faith in the words of instruction of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (his spiritual master), indicate. It is concluded that Arjuna was quite fit for liberation. Unless the senses are controlled, there is no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge, and without knowledge and devotion there is no chance of liberation. Arjuna was competent in all these attributes, over and above his enormous attributes in his material relationships.
Translation: Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.
"By nature's own way the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without our desire."
Prabhupāda: Now you can discuss among yourselves whether you have approached such spiritual master. What is that? This purport?
Jayādvaita: Read again. "Therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without our desire."
Prabhupāda: So, whether you have approached such spiritual master, that you can discuss. This is the necessity of approaching a spiritual master.
Prabhupāda: German people still hate England. They do not like to speak in English; that I have seen. In the bank they know English, but they won't speak it. English everyone knows. The Kaiser was against. They said that Kaiser is the grandson of Queen Victoria, from daughter's side. And King George from the son's side—Edward's seventh son. They were cousin brothers. So this Kaiser, when he was young boy, went to paternal uncle's house, when he was a young boy. So there was some playing, cut with a knife. So royal family, so many doctors came. So the boy was saying, "Why you are trying to cure it? Let the English blood go away." So from the childhood he was so inimical, that "I have got some English blood in my body, my mother is English, father German, so let the English blood go away." I do not know if that is fact, I heard it. (laughs) Maybe. It is joking also and serious. In our childhood in school, a book was there, "England's Work in India." One Mr. M. Ghosh, he wrote this book just to flatter the Englishmen. This, that "white man's burden." And it was the impression in those days: just to become like Englishmen, that is civilization. The Parsees in Bombay, they were the first-class flatterer, imitation, how to become like English lords, barons. This Tata factory was started by such ambition. They wanted to be English baron, lord, industrialist. In Calcutta also. Where our temple is, that is called saheb quarter. In our childhood we used to say saheb quarter. Saheb quarter means European neighborhood. They say our temple is saheb mandira in Māyāpur. And in Vṛndāvana aṇgrejī mandira. The same impression. To become saheb, that was great prestigious. Yes.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (reads) "Adapted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda." In the middle there is a picture of Arjuna piercing the target, and Draupadī. "With the recent disgrace of an American president still fresh in our minds, it is interesting to read of a similar case in ancient times. Five thousand years ago a blind king named Dhṛtarāṣṭra dishonored his high post and caused the death of millions. This story is of special importance even today, because he found an antidote to the crimes of a lifetime and in his old age became self-realized. King Dhṛtarāṣṭra was the acting monarch of Hastināpura, the capital of the Vedic kingdom of Bhārata, which five thousand years ago, according to the Vedic literature, spread over most of the planet. Hastināpura was on the banks of the Yamunā River at the present-day site..., at the site of present day Delhi. As its name indicates-hasti means elephant—it was a city full of opulently decorated elephants. Noble men rode elaborate chariots past marble palaces inlaid with glittering jewels. The sweet smell of incense drifted out of lattice windows. Trees bearing fruits and flowers lined the wide streets, which were sprinkled with scented water. There was no hint of poverty or distress. Hastināpura was the crown jewel of the abundant Vedic civilization. From the beginning, Dhṛtarāṣṭra's position as king was never legal, for he was blind, and Vedic law ruled that a blind man cannot be king. Thus the throne went to his younger brother Pāṇḍu. But when Pāṇḍu died in his young manhood, Dhṛtarāṣṭra began ruling on behalf of Pāṇḍu's five sons, who were still children. In an age of great and honorable kings, Dhṛtarāṣṭra was an exception. Swayed by his eldest son Duryodhana's ruthless lust for power, Dhṛtarāṣṭra began to abuse the guardianship of the Pāṇḍavas by closing his already blind eyes to the planned and purposeful efforts of Duryodhana to destroy the boys. As the descendant of a great royal dynasty, Dhṛtarāṣṭra had the lineage and rearing of a proper monarch, but it seemed that he was as blind spiritually as he was physically. Although he admired and even loved the five fatherless princes, he began to contemplate taking away their kingdom, and even their lives."
Prabhupāda: At seven o'clock we shall go there?
Kīrtanānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: What is time now?
Kīrtanānanda: Six. Six o'clock, five past six.
Prabhupāda: Oh. All right. (exits room) (end)
Prabhupāda: Ācchā. In Los Angeles we have our mandira, we have... You sometimes go to our temple?
Dr. Sharma: Yes, I go to the temple in Berkeley. I was at Berkeley about a week ago. I'm in London now, at the Royal Institute of Chemistry. I was born in Haridwar.
Prabhupāda: Haridwar. (laughs) Bhagavān ka deśa hari. Hari, Hari means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and dvāra means the door, the doorway to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is a place in India, Haridwar, people go there for pilgrimage, very famous place.
Dr. Sharma: I grew up with yogis and sannyāsīs in Hrishikesh. My father is a recluse.
Prabhupāda: Oh, your father is also recluse.
Prabhupāda: There is no fundamental difference. The same. Bhagavad-gītā recommends that you should select a very secluded place in a solitary sacred place, you should make your āsana, sit down perpendicularly, don't close your eyes completely, half open, and concentrate on the tip of the nose. Everything is there. "And then think of Me." But Arjuna said, he said, "Oh, it is not possible." He was a frank gentleman. He was not a hypocrite. He said that "You are recommending all these yoga practice, it is not possible for me. I am a politician, I have to execute so many other businesses. I cannot go to the secluded place and sit down like this. So you are recommending me for yoga practice, but I say I cannot." But at the present moment, they have become more than Arjuna. (laughs) What Arjuna denied, they want to practice. This is another hypocrisy. Arjuna was not an ordinary man. He was so exalted that he could speak with Kṛṣṇa directly, and coming from royal family, and he's famous as great fighter. He refused, "I cannot do that." And we are taking to yoga practice. We have become more than Arjuna. This is going on. He does not think himself that "Arjuna is such a great personality, he thought himself to be incapable to practicing yoga, and we are making a show of yoga, paying somebody large amounts of money"? That's all. This is going on.
Prabhupāda: Demigod means just like you or me, ordinary living being, but they are very pious. On account of their piety they have got very good post. Just like janma... There are four: to get birth in very high, aristocratic family; to become very learned scholar; to become beautiful in bodily feature. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26): high parentage, birth, to take birth in aristocratic family, in brāhmaṇa family, or very exalted royal family. This is janma. And śruta, to become very learned scholar. Janma, aiśvarya, to become very rich. Janmaiśvarya-śruta, śruta means education, and śrī, bodily beauty. These things are obtained on account of piety, pious activities. And just the opposite, low-class family, lowborn, no money, always poverty-stricken, no education, no bodily beauty, these are the results of impious activities. So the demigods means on account of their pious activities they get the situation in higher planet where the duration of life is ten thousands of years, and their one day is equal to our six months. Such ten thousands of years. Very beautiful body, facilities. There... The other day I was reading about the bodily construction of woman there. They are ever-young, the chest is very hard. (laughs) It is stated, yes. So such class of women is there, and aiśvarya, nandana-kānana, so many things.
Prabhupāda: What is your subject matter?
Dr. Sharma: I have four doctorates in four different areas.
Prabhupāda: Oh?
Dr. Sharma: I have a Ph.D. in chemistry, a Ph.D. in biochemistry, a Doctor of Science in clinical endocrinology. I have a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry of London, which is a higher Ph.D. I am in computer information and control engineering...
Prabhupāda: Royal College of... That... What is is called?
Dr. Sharma: Royal Institute of Chemistry, London. And I have a law degree. And I am in computer information and control engineering.
Prabhupāda: (laughing) You are such a big man. Kindly join us and help us.
Dr. Sharma: I would be most honored, and I'm slowing trying to work it out in such a way that I can...
Prabhupāda: No, the formula is all given in this Bhagavad-gītā.
Dr. Sharma: I find your Bhagavad-gītā most illuminating as compared to other Gītās I have read, the translations.
Prabhupāda: We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, this planet is part of the material universe, but because our consciousness is Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious, practically we are not affected very much by the conditions of the material world. Just like one of the conditions is fearfulness of death. But because we're...
Prabhupāda: I can give one example. Just like royal throne. The king is there, and a bug is there.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: On a royal throne there's a king...
Prabhupāda: And the bug.
Rāmeśvara: Also a mosquito may be there also.
Prabhupāda: But the mosquito is mosquito, and the king is king, although they are sitting on the same place.
Bali-mardana: Both sitting on the throne.
Rāmeśvara: Everyone is here on this planet. Some people are affected by the material conditions...,
Prabhupāda: He's mosquito.
Rāmeśvara: He's the bug.
Prabhupāda: This is the best example. On the throne, both of them are sitting, but king's consciousness and mosquito's consciousness are different. It is not because they are on the same throne, therefore of the same conscious. Mosquito's business is to bite, and king's business is to rule over.
Prabhupāda: That will be a waste.(?) (laughter) So many things I did not keep record.
Bhūgarbha: Even in Poona, they had, the Deccan College in Poona. They also had, we sent to them also. They also ordered balance.
Prabhupāda: In Bombay also I supplied to so many colleges. And the Public Library.
Bhūgarbha: That Royal Asiatic Society.
Prabhupāda: Āccha.
Bhūgarbha: In Bombay they purchase all the books. We had to do a little negotiation with them, but they purchased everything. Then the Calcutta Asiatic Society, they wrote us a letter, they said that "These books are the best," the letter came like that, "but that we have no funds to purchase, so can you please send us free of charge."
Prabhupāda: They have no funds? Asiatic?
Bhūgarbha: They say like that.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā.
Guest: That's right.
Jñānagamya: His father was attached to British in India. He traveled in India during his boyhood in South India.
Prabhupāda: In my young age I had one Afghani friend, he belonged to the royal family. What is the king? Some of their brothers were banished in India. Who was the king? So one..., the family were staying in Allahabad. His name was Sen, Sen Aband(?) like that. So he was my friend. He was coming to me and we were talking. Amar Lakhana(?), his brother, he belonged to the royal family.
Guest: That's right, that must be before 1936 though.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I am talking between 1925-30. So this same friend was coming to me and we were talking. I think at that time Afghanistan was under British influence? No.
Guest: No, we had only one war. That was about sixty, seventy years ago, and they entered and they captured Kabul, but the whole brigade was stopped. This was the time Churchill was the only one who escaped troops, and that was the end of it. They never... It was too risky for them.
Prabhupāda: This Afghanistan, when they were Hindus, this Kandahar, the King of Kandahar, his daughter was married to the Pāṇḍavas. Gāndhārī. Gāndhārī(?)...
Guest: That's right.
Prabhupāda: Any cut, any ulcer, it is very...
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Even for ulcer?
Prabhupāda: No, any...
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Oh, cut, ulceration, cut. How much royalty do we pay you, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Fifty percent.
Hari-śauri: It's gone a little moldy on the top again. Underneath it's all right, though.
Prabhupāda: No, we shall do it nicely.
Harikeśa: This looks different.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: What is this, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Salt?
Prabhupāda: No, it is simply nim leaf.
Hari-śauri: Nim leaf boiled in ghee.
Harikeśa: This is not the same.
Prabhupāda: It was not properly done. I asked Pālikā.
Saurabha: Twelve thousand.
Prabhupāda: That is their income. Philadelphia they have organized very nice.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Port Royal farm.
Prabhupāda: And this Paramānanda, he is expert. He's very expert.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He was in New Vrindaban before.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So he could not keep in line with Kīrtanānanda. (laughs)
Gargamuni: I thought he was in New York farm.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That is the New York farm.
Prabhupāda: That is.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's in Philadelphia.
Gargamuni: Yes, I heard it is very good there.
Prabhupāda: His wife is... They are making...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Satyabhāmā.
Prabhupāda: Cāpāṭis. When she brought, it was so thick. And "How shall I eat this?" But when I ate it was so nice. Soft and sweet. I ate everything.
have to approach you for anything.
Prabhupāda: That is the speciality. The guru... One should go to guru to serve him as menial servant. That is acceptance of guru. That is required. Nīcavat. Nīca, nīca means menial. Just like menial servant, he does everything. Similarly, to live with guru means to serve him as a menial servant. That is Vedic injunction. Nīcavat. You should not be puffed up, that "I am coming from such royal family, I am coming from such rich family." And that tendency is trained up from the childhood. A child does not know. Just like Pradyumna's son. You can engage him in any menial service. He does not discriminate. He's trained up. So this is gurukula. Very word is used, nīcavat. He gives service to the guru just like a menial servant. And this training being given from the childhood, he does not know what is low or what is high. His spiritual master asks to do something... Even Kṛṣṇa went to the forest to collect some dry wood. Vasudeva's son, in royal family, but he had to go. And all of a sudden there was storm and, what is called?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Lightning.
Maṇihāra: Thunder.
Prabhupāda: No.
Prabhupāda: About birth control. So birth control means the father and mother, the father and mother should not become father and mother unless they take full responsibility for the children to save them from the repetition of birth and death. This is the śāstric injunction. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. The, everyone is, in this material world, is going on in the cycle of birth and death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Transmigrating from one body to another. And after many millions of years he gets the chance of becoming a human being. Now in this life he can stop the birth and death. Punar janma jāyate. That is Vedic culture. How to conquer over this process of repetition, birth and death. That is only possible in the human life. A chance is given, and if he misses this chance then again he'll be cycle... Therefore the father and mother's duty is to train up the children in such a way, that this is the last birth. No more birth. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). And that training, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the things are different. Both the parents and the children, all of them are going again in the cycle of birth and death and wasting the opportunity of getting a human body. This is modern civilization. They do not know this science. They are kept in darkness. This is so-called education. Mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ paramaṁ mama (BG 7.25). Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi... They do not know what is the destination of life. In darkness. There is no education practically. The modern education is how to eat nicely, how to sleep nicely, how to have sex nicely, how to defend nice. And that is the business of the animals. They know how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, and how to defend. So the extra intelligence of human being is making a royal edition of eating, sleeping, sex and defense. That's all. What is called? Deluxe edition. The modern civilization is deluxe edition of animal life. That's all. Animal-deluxe edition. That's all. They do not know what is the aim of life. So as you are life member, you should study our, this philosophy. Life members, they are given books. And preach this, and save this human... That is the duty. Paropakāra. Human life is meant for paropakāra. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.
Prabhupāda: This is the important point that my books are sold daily sixty thousand dollars all over the world. I have made the Trust so all the collections should be divided fifty percent for constructing temple and fifty percent for reprinting books. So we don't take a paisa profit. So far as an author, they are selling sixty thousand dollars. And even if I would have taken ten percent royalty then it would have been six thousand dollars. Six thousand dollars means...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Hundred and eighty thousand dollars a month.
Prabhupāda: No no no. Six thousand dollars means, say ten rupees.
Krishna Modi: Sixty thousand per day.
Prabhupāda: Sixty thousand per day. Actually. But we are all foregoing it for pushing on this movement, and if we bring that money and construct big, big temple or planetarium, what is the harm to India?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda is bringing in more foreign exchange than even big business export concerns.
Prabhupāda: I'm bringing regularly not less than ten lakhs of rupees per month.
Prabhupāda: But here, mass of people, they do not know what is politics. One gentleman, he was my friend, it was in 1952 or '53, Mr. Datt. He was a statistics man. So he was going in the villages to take some statistics. He said to me: "In the village, they ask me, 'Bābujī, iṁrej kakhan... (in Bengali asking "When will the English return?')." So (Hindi). The mass of people, they're for foreigners' rule: "Come and rule over us." Because the mass of people they have no sense of politics. Anyone may come and let them rule, we don't mind. Whatever little tax you want, you take, that's all right. The mass of people is like that. They are not concerned in politics. Under the circumstances, a democracy is not suitable for India. Long ago that Lord Curzon, he suggested this, that in India monarchy is better. He suggested that some of the royal family members should become King of India. It will be welcome. And our country, all along this monarchy was there. Democracy is idea now, but the monarch up to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, they were ideal, rājarṣi. People have so much faith in the monarch that whatever he does, it is right. Naradeva. Of course, nowadays things have changed.
Prabhupāda: And your father?
Caraṇāravindam: He was born in Tinsing. My father's family was there, where he's serving. Then he became later, he was a commander in the Royal Navy.
Prabhupāda: Oh, he was engaged in the Navy.
Caraṇāravindam: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Practically all your family is military.
Caraṇāravindam: Yes. Now he is retired. He is living in...
Prabhupāda: Your father is living? How does he like you have become Vaiṣṇava?
Caraṇāravindam: At first he would not even speak to me. Then I used to visit next door and my mother would come to see me. And then after awhile he would talk to me from the other side and I quickly used to go and see. I would sit down. I would not preach to him. I would just be social.
Prabhupāda: After all, father and son, affection, where it will go?
Caraṇāravindam: Now he likes. He says, "This is better what you are doing than all the other things you were doing." I've not seen him now for three and a half years since I left England. They are a little sick now.
Prabhupāda: What is the age of your father?
Caraṇāravindam: Sixty-five I think.
Prabhupāda: Grandfather died.
Prabhupāda: It is a question of culture. Culture. She was king's daughter, royal, and married her with a muni, old, rotten. Older than me. All the skin has become slackened. But still she was serving him just like worshipable lord. The age difference is great-grandfather and great-granddaughter. You'll find in Bhāgavatam. Lord Śiva, he could not construct even a house. He was living underneath a tree. And his wife, Durgā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). She can create a new world, so powerful, Durgā. She's living with her husband underneath a tree. Never claims, "My dear husband, if you cannot, I can make one." There is a story about that. That, "People criticize us. All right, let us have some house." So Lord Śiva, Durgā, both of them capable to do anything. So they constructed a very nice gold house. "Now we shall live." So there is new house entering ceremony. So one Gargamuni was invited as brāhmaṇa. Many other brāhmaṇas. So they began to eat so much... That story I'm now forgetting. Then whatever stock they have finished, when, after eating, when they wanted, "Give us dakṣiṇā." Because after eating there is... So Lord Śiva, where shall I get everything? I have finished." Then they became puzzled what to do. So Lord Śiva said, "All right, you take this house." Again they became underneath a tree. (laughs) "All right, as dakṣiṇā you take this house. Don't bother." Their house entrance ceremony was there. As a result of that ceremony they became again underneath a tree. (About someone else:) What they're doing? (end)
Prabhupāda: Kīrtanānanda has purchased.
Indian man: I have washed my hands with nim soap. Now I will give you...
Prabhupāda: That's all right. And Philadelphia, what is that name?
Hari-śauri: Port Royal farm. Port Royal? That's the nearest place to it. Pennsylvania farm.
Prabhupāda: Ah. Is there any gain there? I have been in Pennsylvania farm. They get enough quantity milk. They sell fifteen hundred dollars per month. Jaya.
Indian man: Mahārāja, you wanted to have milk and apple.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all...
Indian man: What time you like, sir?
Prabhupāda: At nine.
Indian man: Nine. Are you feeling some relief?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: Hm.
Prabhupāda: First of all friendship, and that established them. And then they began to create enmity. Hindus against Muslim, Muslim... They wanted to stay. When they forgot this idea that if they wanted to stay for the benefit of the people, nobody could drive them away. But their policy was for the benefit of the English people. Therefore they failed. Lord Curzon, he says a statement that, "If you want to stay in India, rule India for the benefit of Indian people. You can keep control over India. They are fond of kings, so one member of the royal family can become king here and they'll earn respect and honor (from) these Indian people. But rule for their benefit. Then British Empire will stay." Very good advice, but his advice was not taken. You have seen Lord Curzon's statue near the, in front of the Victoria Memorial Hall?
Haṁsadūta: Hm.
Prabhupāda: He was a very good governor-general. Many gentlemen came, they wrote very conscientiously and the last one, that rascal Chelmsford (chuckles), he created havoc.
Hari-śauri: Hm.
Prabhupāda: I saw in London... Near London there is a village, Chelmsford, and he is Lord Chelmsford. We thought Chelmsford, the big state. (laughter) We were under the impression, Thames River is four times bigger than Ganges and (laughter) it is a canal. When I saw it, it is nothing but a canal. But they advertise this river, very big river. And underneath the water, men are going, and upper and wonderful. Big Ben, that Big Ben advertisement.
Guest (9): Daily. Oh, book trust. Oh, by the sale of books.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. And I have asked them, "Fifty percent, you print books again, and fifty percent, you spend." That's all. Same thing.
Guest (9): Spend on what?
Prabhupāda: Spend for this purpose, propagation. That is my mi... And if I would have taken some royalty, then my daily income would have been not less than 75,000 per day.
Guest (9): After income tax, little would be left.
Prabhupāda: There is no income tax. We are charity.
Guest (9): 75,000 daily, you said.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because five to six lakhs daily collection. If I take minimum fifteen percent, what it comes to? Big, big authors, they get twenty-five percent.
Guest (9): But one gentleman... I think in this temple... Some of your books are, rather, prohibiting the cost.
Prabhupāda: Yes, this was meant for the outside. Because our countrymen, they are learned, they don't require. They are so learned, they don't require anybody. Therefore it is prohibited. Better they do not take it. Otherwise they will misinterpret. That's all. Their only business is misinterpret. Therefore the prohibited price.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: In this old age-eighty-one years I am—I am working day and night just to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and...
CID Chief: This is absolutely a service to God and humanity. Whatever tendency you have... Whatever comes out of your mouth, word, becomes a religious... It is written, out of which you write books. Out of the produce... From the proceeds of that book, you constructed a... It is wholeheartedly towards the God. Whole life is devoted to God.
Prabhupāda: And for these books, as author, if I would have taken royalty, my daily income would have been one lakh, fifty thousand. I don't take a single farthing. Whatever two cāpāṭis they give, that's all.
CID Chief: Then if that had been the objective, so much of this (indistinct) not would have come in reality.
Prabhupāda: I have no appetite also. (laughs) I do not eat too much. Whatever, one or two cāpāṭis, they give, I take. That's all. This is my royalty.
CID Chief: But any... How these politicians, they react to this in America? Do they...
Prabhupāda: There also... Here. Here people are suspecting that I am getting money from CIA, and they are also suspecting that I am cheating people and getting money.
Prabhupāda: Do you follow?
Rāmeśvara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So it is promotion for the books. Whatever we do, it is promotion. That's all. And the main point is that it is not profitable, er profit concern, because you are not giving any royalty to the author. So where is his profit-making? Nobody's making profit—the author, the worker, everyone.
Trivikrama: That's a fact.
Prabhupāda: That's a fact. So all expenditure—promotion, that's all. The cost of paper, cost of printing, cost of promotion—finished everything. Make account like that. The income tax father will not touch it.
Hari-śauri: Everything we're doing is propaganda work, everything.
Prabhupāda: That's all. If still there is excess, give some bonus to the gṛhasthas bhaktas. They're family men. Let them have some expenditure.
Jagadīśa: Some wage.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Finished all... No account. So they admitted, both of them, "Yes, sir, that is... That can be done."
Trivikrama: You're a genius.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) And our Gopāla, he is going three times and to—"How to do it?" Do it like that. Everything spend for promotion. Bas. No money. And actually, that is the fact. Where is the profit, and who is going to take the profit? Nobody is there.
Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughs) Sweet rice also?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sweet rice every day. Sweet rice, halavā.
Prabhupāda: Oh. It is all royal dishes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And then also dāl and a soup, vegetable soup. Some people like cream of vegetable soup. And salad, fresh salads, and drinks, orange juice, different kinds of juices. Cookies, cakes, breads.
Prabhupāda: All first class. You have got so many items here? (laughs)
Bhavānanda: No, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But here it's prepared better. Here the cooking is more expert. They are not as... We are thinking that one of the cooks from New York... I'm going to suggest to Karttikeya Mahadeviya... Or now actually I think I'll just have her come here. But I wanted one of the cooks from New York to come to India for one or two months to learn how to cook properly, so that...
Prabhupāda: They can come here.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "ISKCON farm report: Port Royal, Pennsylvania, report for year 1976. ISKCON Incorporated of New York owns a prime farm in Juanita County of Pennsylvania. The land is nearly four hundred acres in size, valued at around five hundred dollars per acre, or two hundred thousand dollars. In addition the buildings on the property consist of the following: barn worth $40,000; outbuildings worth $10,000; calf barn $25,000; equipment $50,000; residential building $45,000; guesthouse and public kitchen and prasāda pavilion $75,000; and silos $20,000. Total, including land, $465,000. The purpose of this land is to produce foodstuffs to meet all the needs of the farm community as well as the needs of our temples in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Another purpose is to demonstrate the principle of cow protection, as we are strict vegetarians and do not believe in slaughtering cows. Our herd of cows is Brown Swiss, and they are rated amongst the top one percent of dairy cow herds in the United States. All of the cows are pedigreed. Our farm holds fifty milk cows and fifty young cows, heifers. The milk cows milk an average of 40 kilos of milk per day in their first month of lactation and average 25 kilos per day over the whole year. We have 140 acres of crop land and 30 acres of pasture, the balance being woods, primarily hardwood, which is excellent for fuel. On our land we grow not only all the food for the residents but also for the cows. The following is the yield for 1976: corn-200 tons, soybeans-10 tons, barley-10 tons, oats-10 tons..."
Prabhupāda: What do you do with the soybeans?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The soybeans are ground and given to the cows.
Brahmānanda: In the winter.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the wintertime. This way...
Prabhupāda: They're very nutritious.
Prabhupāda: You may take it as business or whatever you like. I am not taking anything. You are selling five to six lakhs daily?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So my royalty would have been one lakh, fifty thousand daily. Big authors, they take twenty-five percent. So that is not the ambition, but my ambition is these books shall be sold. That's all. Whole... Every house should have our books, every gentleman, in any language. It doesn't matter. That is our propaganda. Now you are getting all languages, so we can capture the whole world.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Increase the book sales more and more.
Prabhupāda: And we are getting success, at that. There is no question of discouragement.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Especially here in India it's becoming more and more encouraging.
Prabhupāda: Now these books I have read, either Bengali or Hindi, they are well-written, very convincing. All our books are convincing.
Prabhupāda: Where is New Varṣāṇā?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's Port Royal, Pennsylvania. The name is New Varṣāṇā.
Prabhupāda: Oh. That's nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So I think we will build a replica of the Varṣāṇā here in India.
Prabhupāda: Indians not there?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they're starting, because the building that we're putting up is a guesthouse. It is very nice facility for Indians to stay there. And during the summer, especially, what they're thinking to do is for two weeks they'll have a program for the Indians to send their children there for school and activities. And the two weeks will end on Janmāṣṭamī. So all the parents of the Indian children can come and spend the weekend at the farm at this guesthouse. Gradually it can develop. Very big population of Indians in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and New York, and they're all within easy reach of this farm, three hours, two hours by car.
Prabhupāda: They have no temple, the Indians?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually they are looking to our society to provide them some spiritual place of worship. They're actually looking to us as priests.
Prabhupāda: American brāhmaṇas. Go-brāhmaṇa. American milk, American brāhmaṇa.
Prabhupāda: I think I haven't got such place to live anywhere in the world.
Gargamuni: It's actually your own building.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This apartment is the best actually.
Prabhupāda: Los Angeles and in New York, big, big cities they are—London, Paris. But nobody can present such luxurious royal palace.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The drama was very appreciated last night. Samayadi was watching it with us, and he said he would like to arrange a big program in his house.
Prabhupāda: Old Samayadi or his son?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: His son. He liked the drama very much.
Lokanātha: It has become one of the main attractions of the public, this Vaikuṇṭha Player performance(?). After..., two nights after the program, I inquired from the public on the microphone, "Do you like this drama?" Immediately everybody raised their hands: "Yes!"
Prabhupāda: They were asking me whether they are professional men. "No, no, these all my disciples."
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In the Times of India you saw that starlight or side light or something, about Indira Gandhi. In today's paper, Indira Gandhi had gone to a ten-day function at one of the African embassies. She went with her daughter-in-law, and nobody even noticed her. Only fifteen minutes after she left the function did the host realize that Indira Gandhi had come. She went to a party, she stayed there, and she left and the host did not know that "Indira Gandhi is here." That shows how material nature changes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It also shows that actually she had no value, because one who is actually great doesn't lose his value simply by losing an election.
Prabhupāda: Vidvān sarvatra pūjyate. Vidvatāṁ ca nṛpatyāṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana.(?) She is not a learned man. She occupied the royal seat. That honor was so long there, the royal seat. And who will be honor her?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Her rule was "Might makes right."
Prabhupāda: And anyone who is vidvān, then that will be honored everywhere.
Prabhupāda: Now so many charges are coming against her. (pause) Hm? She and her son are the destiny of India? A woman and a debauch? They can do whatever they like. It's a farce condition. That so-called democracy is nonsense demoncracy. And by this demoncracy, it can be done. A demon may be, if he can simply secure votes. What is the position? Without any training Formerly the destiny was by rājarṣi. Royal power, but ṛṣi, saintly person. See the character of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Parīkṣit, Ambarīṣa. (aside:) At least, you cover some way or other with some cloth. Find out some cloth or towel, and cover it. Yes. All rogues, they are political leaders. Political leader means rogue. Nowadays, these... Here is so-called religious leader, Sai Baba, another rogue. This is Kali-yuga. (Hindi) There is no good man politician. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Sumanda-matayaḥ. They have got a conception which is very, very bad, conception of religion, social, political. All condemned.
Prabhupāda: Condemned, especially the Indian Muhammadans. I had one friend. He is of Afghan... (background noise) What is the trouble?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just check...
Prabhupāda: So he was coming daily to see me in my pharmacy. We talked sometimes little intimately, friendly, with his son. So one day we were talking. Dr. Jīva also was attending. So one Muhammadan woman... They're very dirty. So she was passing to go to see doctor, and that... His name was Ser Khan. He belonged to the royal family of Afghanistan. So he was doing like this. So I said, "You hate Muhammadans? She is Muhammadan woman." "Oh, we don't accept Muhammadan. They are (indistinct)." That means Indian Muhammadans are not even accepted by the Muhammadans in other countries.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was a Muhammadan.
Prabhupāda: He was Muhammadan, Afghanistan, very royal family.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: So he was doing... "Well, she is Muhammadan woman. You hate?" "Oh! They are not Muhammadans. We don't accept Muhammadan." These are my personal experience. They do not accept. Turkey also refused. When there were wars the, some of the Muhammadan leaders, Muhammad Ali, they wanted to present himself. He refused to accept. He said, "Go! You are not to see your business." His name was... He was very famous man. So they want to mix with the other Muhammadan countries like Afghanistan, Turkey... (break) They do not like. And actually it is a fact. Indian Muhammadans means all low-class Hindus, they converted into. Christian also.
Prabhupāda: Mayā te 'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ. Now, Kṛṣṇa never said, although in Bhagavad-gītā yoga is spoken by Him, He never said that "Because now time has passed away, circumstance different, so I can say you in any way." There is no such foolishness. But these people, they speak Bhagavad-gītā in a new way—more than Kṛṣṇa. These rascals are more than Kṛṣṇa. So we are guided by them. They think of themselves as more intelligent than Kṛṣṇa. This is the difficulty in India. (Hindi) Vyāsadeva says, bhagavān uvāca. (Hindi) Unnecessarily if one is proud without any qualification, he's a rascal. (Hindi) Or this is also said there, that bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3). The system of Bhagavad-gītā, it can be understood only by the bhaktas. Otherwise why He should select Arjuna as the perfect audience? Because Arjuna was not a Vedantist. He was gṛhastha, belonging to royal family. He was dealing in politics. So the so-called Vedantists and sannyāsīs, they are supposed to be student of Bhagavad-gītā, but Kṛṣṇa selected him not because he was a Vedantist... He was not even brāhmaṇa. He was kṣatriya, politician, gṛhastha, not Vedantist, ordinary knowledge, but Kṛṣṇa selected him. (aside:) Hm, don't do it.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Jaya. In Tehran the royalty, the court, is very interested in your teachings and philosophy. There is a prince and princess, very high and very rich, and they are regularly hearing, and they are now recently visiting our Bombay temple. They have come to Bombay, and they are really seeking for a teacher. And there is many intelligent people who are very interested. We are actively preaching and giving them Śrīla Prabhupāda's books.
Prabhupāda: It is plain fact. God is one. Why God should be Muhammadan, Christian, Hindu? That is not God. God is God. Gold is gold. This example I give always. Because a piece of gold is coming from some Muhammadan gentleman, does it mean it is Muhammadan gold? It is gold. It may come from any source, but one must know that it is gold, not imitation. That is wanted. If it is imitation, then it is Muhammadan gold, Hindu gold. And if it is real gold, it is neither Muhammadan nor Hindu. (end)
Prabhupāda: Hm? Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Without condition, kīrtana should go on. And that is the panacea of all troubles. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has given, jāy sakal bipod, bhaktivinod bole, jakhon o-nām gāi. This is a fact. If you always continue kīrtana, there is no danger. You are above all danger. Our Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja knows very well. He has no danger. He's sticking to that New Vrindaban program, improving, very good example. They eat first-class, nutritious food, and in Philadelphia also.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pennsylvania, Port Royal.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In our Port Royal farm.
Prabhupāda: Yes. First class. Satyabhāmā gave me...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, that cāpāṭi.
Prabhupāda: "Too thick. How shall I eat it?" Oh, it was so nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Satyabhāmā gave Prabhupāda this black cāpāṭi. He thought, "So thick. How will I be able to eat it?"
Prabhupāda: Very delicious and easily digested. They are living very happily. You had been there?
Rāmeśvara: No, I've just heard all the good reports.
Prabhupāda: Very happily. That is life. Eat very sumptuously nutritious food. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Bas. What is this nonsense life, from five o'clock in the morning driving big, big trucks, "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."? Is that life? In Berkeley... Berkeley? Or where is that? Where are our temple only?
Rāmeśvara: Yes, Berkeley.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (Bengali conversation) Britishers made a mistake. They made a empire, very good, but they did not rule for the people. They wanted to rule over the world for their own sake, London. Their policy was all big, big brain from England should go outside, earn money and bring in London, exploit. Therefore it is... Otherwise it was a very grand plan. They were very nice. This was suggested by one of their viceroy in India, Lord Curzon, that "India is a vast country, very cultured country. Don't try to exploit them. Better send one royal family member to become king here and rule as one empire. Don't discriminate." The others did not like the idea. "Make England's men king in India. The people in general, they like king. And rule over them and have good relationship." These rascals, they did not like.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even if they had, though, nowadays they would have been kicked out.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even had they put in a king in the modern days, the tendency is to kick out the foreigners.
Prabhupāda: No, if they had ruled nicely, according to the Indian principles... The Muhammadans did it, and they ruled over eight hundred years. The Britishers could not do it. They could not rule over two hundred years. Within two hundred years finished. And during Muhammadan period there were many, many powerful Sikhs. Staying, they did not like to drive away the Muhammadans. Whole Rajputana was full of big, big kings. They could have thrown away them. Yes.
Śatadhanya: And we don't lack any material benefit. We have spiritual and material.
Prabhupāda: Who can live in such house? Royal. Royal palace. We have 102 royal palaces. More than that. So even from economic point of view nobody is happier than us. Nobody is happier.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That New York building cost over one million dollars.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you go I shall give you chance to see how my devotees are living happy in big, big houses. Big, big house. Do you think to possess a twelve-story house in New York is joke?
Vrindavan De: Even I cannot think of.
Prabhupāda: Is joke? We have got. In Detroit we have got a house which was constructed at the cost of six million dollars, fifty years ago. What is the price six million dollars?
Vrindavan De: Sixty lakhs.
Indian: Five lakhs forty thousand.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no, no. Six million means five crores.
Indian: Five crores for...
Vrindavan De: No. One million is ten lakhs.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Six crores.
Prabhupāda: So that house we are possessing.
Prabhupāda: After all, the thing is that so long we have got this body, the janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), you have to accept. This is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. So the human endeavor should be diverted how to stop this repetition of birth and death. That is the prime instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says that,
- janma karma ca me divyaṁ
- yo jānāti tattvataḥ
- tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
- naiti mām eti...
- (BG 4.9)
So our movement is on that platform, how to stop. Our whole Vedic culture is based on that process. When Viśvāmitra Mahārāja went to see Daśaratha about..., Daśaratha Mahārāja inquired from Viśvāmitra, aihistaṁ(?) yat punar-janma-jayāya: "You are great saintly person. You are trying to conquer over birth and death. Is your process going on nicely?" Viśvāmitra inquired Daśaratha Mahārāja about royal activities, government, prosperity, because he was kṣatriya and he was brāhmaṇa. So my request... This, our Gītā philosophy, that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ... (BG 4.13). There must be a class of men, ideal brāhmaṇas; a class of men, ideal kṣatriyas; class of men, ideal vaiśyas; and balance, śūdras, to help. That will make the human society happy. Cooperate. Just like body. There are different departments: head department, then arms department, then the belly department and the leg department. If they are all in good condition, the health is all right. And now, at the present moment, I am suffering because my belly department is not working nicely. So we cannot neglect any department. There must be all the departments, and they must be cooperative and healthy. So this movement is meant for that purpose. It is the duty of government to give us protection. The counter movement is this Communistic movement. They want to drive away God conscious and we want to give God con..., completely opposite. Therefore they do not like it.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Rāmeśvara: Actually, just yesterday Parivrājakācārya met the king.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Shah.
Rāmeśvara: The Shah. Very briefly. And he is allowing Parivrājakācārya to visit the court. Practically every day they send a car to pick him up, chauffeured car. And he goes every day to the palace and he preaches to different members of the royal family.
Prabhupāda: He tries to understand the philosophy.
Rāmeśvara: Not yet the Shah. He is simply smiling that he's... He's happy that he's coming. But the other members of the family, some princes and princesses, they are taking it very seriously. They are eager to help us.
Prabhupāda: That's good news. What is this?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tape recorder.
Prabhupāda: It is a good news.
Rāmeśvara: It is very difficult to publish any books in Iran, but the princess is personally giving our first book to the Minister of Information and ordering him to give us permission to print. It's a Muslim country, so it's very difficult. But the royal family is ordering the ministry that censors all publications. They are ordering them to let us have permission to start publishing your books in the local language, Persian, or Parsi.
Prabhupāda: So they are going to do that?
Rāmeśvara: She is personally going to the minister and ordering him, "Now you give permission that this book be printed." Whatever... It is a monarchy. Whatever they want, it is arranged. So in this way they are helping us. She also came to Los Angeles temple for a visit and saw the doll museum. She liked that very, very much. She was very, very astonished at how devotional.
Prabhupāda: (aside:) Why not scratch hard?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why not scratch with nail?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Whole area.
Prabhupāda: How many things we have to do for preaching, for teaching. And live hundreds of years. That is jijīviṣo śataṁ yaḥ?
Yaśodā-nandana: Jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ.
Prabhupāda: We are receiving very good report from Iran.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The royal family is taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I think even your Guru Mahārāja would have been surprised to hear that.
Prabhupāda: Everyone, if one is actually gentleman. So we have this Gurukula, good chance for teaching future preacher. Here is Yaśodā-nandana Mahārāja and others. You can do. Prepare, send. Prepare and send.
Brahmānanda: "Prepare and send," Prabhupāda said. Prepare them and send them.
Prabhupāda: How much tremendous work we have to do.
Brahmānanda: The whole world, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Hari-śauri: It's unlimited.
Prabhupāda: Eh? Unlimited.
Prabhupāda: So wheat...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How to they make the wheat, into cāpāṭis?
Bali-mardana: They have a special type of bread.
Rāmeśvara: They makes breads.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is not being understood. Prabhupāda, do you mean what we are serving the royal family?
Prabhupāda: No, no. They have got restaurant.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The restaurant. What do they serve in the restaurant.
Rāmeśvara: Oh. In the restaurant there is cāpāṭis, nice ḍāl, two sabjis. Rice is a very favorite food of Persians, so rice is there, and some sweet, usually some pudding, some sweet rice, and some fruit juice and fruit. These things all come as part of the meal.
Prabhupāda: They like it.
Rāmeśvara: Oh, yes. It is so crowded. There's no more room. In fact, they are looking for a bigger place.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Hm. So everything is prepared by Nandarāṇī?
Bali-mardana: Nandarāṇī is preparing?
Rāmeśvara: Nandarāṇī and some other brāhmaṇas, some men who are there at the temple. She is especially a good cook. And in the evenings they play Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana tapes, mostly Your Divine Grace. People very much like the atmosphere because of the music. In Islam there is a tradition of chanting God's name and other mantras or prayers, so they appreciate the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa very much. When you enter the restaurant there is a big book table, so the first thing that one sees are japa beads and your books, and people buy the books from the table.
Prabhupāda: English.
Prabhupāda: At night snowfall?
Rāmeśvara: No.
Jayatīrtha: Snow there starts around December. It starts to get snow in Tehran.
Rāmeśvara: This is the best time in Tehran, the fall, autumn season. Parivrājakācārya Mahārāja told me that the Indian ambassador to Iran spoke with him and told him, "You are the real ambassador of India."
Prabhupāda: Hm. Why?
Rāmeśvara: Because he is becoming friendly with the royal family. Actually he goes every day to the palace. They send a chauffeured Mercedes to pick him up every day. He spends four or five hours every day talking to the royal family.
Prabhupāda: It is great opportunity.
Jayatīrtha: It's the wealthiest family in the world, much more wealthy than Rockefeller.
Prabhupāda: He goes alone or with somebody else?
Rāmeśvara: For now he's going alone. They are very interested in haṭha-yoga also, and he knows something of it, so he teaches them. The prince and the princess have already become vegetarian.
Prabhupāda: And they are not making any chānā preparation?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Are they cooking anything with chānā in it? No chānā preparations? Chick peas.
Prabhupāda: Not...
Jayatīrtha: Cheese.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, chānā. (laughs) Yes, cheese, right, cheese.
Rāmeśvara: Sometimes they make one sabji with eggplant, tomatoes and fried cheese, very nice wet sabji. Actually that's one of the sabjis every day in the restaurant.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Dr. Kapoor is waiting?
Śrīdhara Swami: Yes.
Prabhupāda: This is Persian language?
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Parsi, Parsi.
Brahmānanda: This is the name of it here?
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes. The name is "Bhakti."
Prabhupāda: I understand that you go to the royal family and talk with them for hours. So it is very good sign.
Parivrājakācārya: Yes. There's... Some people in their family are very good, and they're very interested in learning about Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They can do... They can do very good things for the world if they simply have knowledge of what to do. So we're trying to preach to intelligent people.
Prabhupāda: Yes, intelligent. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). What intelligent man takes up, so ordinary man, ordinary generally follow. Bhagavad-gītā is meant for rājarṣi, not for foolish. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Not for a so-called loafer class. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham. That is being mistaken. Bhagavad-gītā should be taught to such royal family, and if they take up, others will take up. Hm? Ātreya Ṛṣi?
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Do you follow?
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: This is a good chance that you have got, a connection with royal family, and if you turn them to saintly, then the work is successful. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Not that third-class foolish can understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. The same building I went to see?
Prabhupāda: So you make good profit.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: It's your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (Prabhupāda chuckles) They respect you a lot in Tehran. The royalty respects you. The businessmen respect you. They really respect Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Persian civilization, very high, Aryan civilization.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: There was this Persian boy who was translating Bhagavad-gītā. He had come with me last month to Vṛndāvana to have your darśana. Then you had gone to London.
Prabhupāda: Anyway, things are going nice-slow but sure. You have got this Persian civilization and he has got the African civilization. (laughter) Black and white.
Bhakti-caru: Śrīla Prabhupāda? (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (break) ...coming with the report of Persia and...
Hari-śauri: He's saying he's very much pleased when you gave the report of Persia.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: You should come and visit us, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: I am ready to go immediately.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Jaya. You will come, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There are millions of people waiting for you.
Prabhupāda: And now you have to take a bundle of bones. That is the difficulty. There is nothing... Bundle of bone.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Girirāja: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are known as Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic powers. So it is very easy for You to perform the impossible, as You have done many times in the past. By Your merciful glance You restored life to the boys and cows who had died by drinking the water of the Yamunā River which was poisoned by Kāliya. And You swallowed the devastating forest fire to protect the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. In the rāsa dance You expanded Yourself to be simultaneously present by the side of each gopī. And as guru-dakṣiṇā, You recovered the dead son of Your teacher. When the hunchback maidservant of Kaṁsa smeared You with sandalwood pulp, You made her straight and beautiful. And as a householder in Dvārakā, You expanded Yourself into sixteen thousand Kṛṣṇas and simultaneously satisfied all of Your sixteen thousand wives. When Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa offered You chipped rice, You transformed his poor cottage into a beautiful palace suitable for the king of heaven. And to satisfy Mother Devakī, You returned her six dead sons from the kingdom of Bali. To appease the Dvārakā brāhmaṇa, You also reclaimed his dead sons from Mahā-Viṣṇu. When Śrīla Prabhupāda sat with seven dollars under a tree in Tompkins Square Park, You transformed that tree into so many royal palaces, and You expanded that seven dollars into millions of dollars. And when Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke Your message, You turned the mlecchas and caṇḍālas into Your devotees. And when Śrīla Prabhupāda went all by himself to sell his Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam volumes, You expanded him into ten thousand loving salesmen who are working day and night without asking any salary, and You expanded his suitcase of books into fifty-five million pieces of literature in twenty-three different languages. And when Hare Kṛṣṇa Land was lost to the demons, You returned it to His Divine Grace. So from these examples we can understand that for You, the impossible is not difficult, but rather, You have performed so many impossible feats for Your devotees. Therefore if You desire, please give Śrīla Prabhupāda a new body."
Prabhupāda: Excellent. Very... Foundation, back to Godhead. I am getting little glimpse, He may agree to your prayer, yes.
Hṛdayānanda: Jaya Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Now stock books immediately.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: The fruit came. It was the pomegranate and lemon.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dayānanda brought it.
Bhavānanda: No, before then. The fruit came.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: And the letter wished you good health by the royal family.
Prabhupāda: No, preaching also, it is going on. I know that. Where is the cotton sweater?
Pañca-draviḍa: We brought one sweater from Peru, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) (loud kīrtana)
Prabhupāda: I'm not tired.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: I am not tired.
Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: I am quite comfortable.
Hari-śauri: Jaya.
Prabhupāda: On the whole, it is favorable. Hm?
Girirāja: Oh, yes. There is a tremendous scope. And the royal family is very powerful. They run the whole country, and, of course, they're Hindus. So I also went with Prabhaviṣṇu to meet one relation of the Queen Mother, and this lady was very enthusiastic about our activities. So I discussed with Prabhaviṣṇu the strategy how to approach the royal family, and... It's a Hindu state. They don't claim to be secular, like in India, so...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hopeful.
Girirāja: Yes, it is hopeful. Then he has one local boy who has joined, Nepali, and he's a very nice boy. I mean, there's so much field for preaching. There's the royal family, then there's membership for the business community, and there's saṅkīrtana and book distribution for the general people, and then also there are many hippies there. So we could recruit devotees from amongst them.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The hippies seem to be still our best customers, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The hippies seem to be still very good customers. (Prabhupāda laughs)
Prabhupāda: Why not?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. We'll include that on our world parikrama.
Girirāja: Actually, the relation of the Queen's mother whom we met, she was also asking about people coming who could give good lectures and enthuse everyone. So I said that you yourself would probably like to come when you're feeling better. So she was really wild about that idea. I'm sure that they would give you a real royal welcome.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very good field it sounds like, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Trivikrama: What about the language? Is there problem with language?
Girirāja: No. The educated people speak English. In all the schools they teach English, so all the youngsters speak English in Kathmandu. And then most people in Kathmandu, even if they don't speak English, they speak Hindi. And there are just a few who only speak Nepali. But Prabhaviṣṇu has arranged for The Perfection of Yoga to be translated into Nepali.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He sounds like he's doing very good, Prabhaviṣṇu.
Girirāja: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Good man.
Girirāja: He's very good. So he's eager to get that in print. Then they'll be able to distribute literature to everyone without exception.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Do you remember when Prabhaviṣṇu was here you told him to go with "the courage of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother"? He remembers those words.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
| Page Title: | Royal (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 13 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=85, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 85 |