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Unusual

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.3.28, Purport:

For example, Lord Paraśurāma and Lord Nṛsiṁha displayed unusual opulence by killing the disobedient kṣatriyas twenty-one times and killing the greatly powerful atheist Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was so powerful that even the demigods in other planets would tremble simply by the unfavorable raising of his eyebrow. The demigods in the higher level of material existence many, many times excel the most well-to-do human beings, in duration of life, beauty, wealth, paraphernalia, and in all other respects. Still they were afraid of Hiraṇyakaśipu. Thus we can simply imagine how powerful Hiraṇyakaśipu was in this material world. But even Hiraṇyakaśipu was cut into small pieces by the nails of Lord Nṛsiṁha. This means that anyone materially powerful cannot stand the strength of the Lord's nails. Similarly, Jāmadagnya displayed the Lord's power to kill all the disobedient kings powerfully situated in their respective states.

SB 1.15.16, Purport:

He was also present in the great assembly of Draupadī's svayaṁvara function, and when he attempted to exhibit his talent in that meeting, Draupadī's brother declared that Karṇa could not take part in the competition because of his being the son of a śūdra carpenter. Although he was refused in the competition, still when Arjuna was successful in piercing the fish target on the ceiling and Draupadī bestowed her garland upon Arjuna, Karṇa and the other disappointed princes offered an unusual stumbling block to Arjuna while he was leaving with Draupadī. Specifically, Karṇa fought with him very valiantly, but all of them were defeated by Arjuna. Duryodhana was very much pleased with Karṇa because of his constant rivalry with Arjuna, and when he was in power he enthroned Karṇa in the state of Aṅga. Being baffled in his attempt to win Draupadī, Karṇa advised Duryodhana to attack King Drupada, for after defeating him both Arjuna and Draupadī could be arrested.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.3.9, Purport:

It is a woman's nature to want to decorate herself with ornaments and nice dresses and accompany her husband to social functions, meet friends and relatives, and enjoy life in that way. This propensity is not unusual, for woman is the basic principle of material enjoyment. Therefore in Sanskrit the word for woman is strī, which means "one who expands the field of material enjoyment." In the material world there is an attraction between woman and man. This is the arrangement of conditional life. A woman attracts a man, and in that way the scope of material activities, involving house, wealth, children and friendship, increases, and thus instead of decreasing one's material demands, one becomes entangled in material enjoyment. Lord Śiva, however, is different; therefore his name is Śiva. He is not at all attracted by material enjoyment, although his wife, Satī, was the daughter of a very great leader and was given to him by the request of Brahmā.

SB 4.21.27, Translation:

My dear respectable ladies and gentlemen, according to the authoritative statements of śāstra, there must be a supreme authority who is able to award the respective benefits of our present activities. Otherwise, why should there be persons who are unusually beautiful and powerful both in this life and in the life after death?

SB 4.25.5, Purport:

As long as a person is entangled in fruitive activities, he is bound to accept one body after another. This is called karma-bandha-phāṅsa—entanglement in fruitive activities. It does not matter whether one is engaged in pious or impious activities, for both are causes for further entanglement in material bodies. By pious activities one can take birth in a rich family and get a good education and a beautiful body, but this does not mean that the distresses of life are ultimately eliminated. In the Western countries it is not unusual for one to take birth in a rich aristocratic family, nor is it unusual for one to have a good education and a very beautiful body, but this does not mean that Westerners are free from the distresses of life. Although at the present moment the younger generation in Western countries has sufficient education, beauty and wealth, and although there is enough food, clothing, and facilities for sense gratification, they are in distress. Indeed, they are so distressed that they become hippies, and the laws of nature force them to accept a wretched life. Thus they go about unclean and without shelter or food, and they are forced to sleep in the street. It can be concluded that one cannot become happy by simply performing pious activities. It is not a fact that those who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth are free from the material miseries of birth, old age, disease and death. The conclusion is that one cannot be happy by simply executing pious or impious activities. Such activities simply cause entanglement and transmigration from one body to another. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura calls this karma-bandha-phāṅsa.

SB 4.28.21, Purport:

At the time of death every living entity worries about what will happen to his wife and children. Similarly, a politician also worries about what will happen to his country or his political party. Unless one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has to accept a body in the next life according to his particular state of consciousness. Since Purañjana is thinking of his wife and children and is overly engrossed in thoughts of his wife, he will accept the body of a woman. Similarly, a politician or so-called nationalist who is inordinately attached to the land of his birth will certainly be reborn in the same land after ending his political career. One's next life will also be affected by the acts one performs during this life. Sometimes politicians act most sinfully for their own sense gratification. It is not unusual for a politician to kill the opposing party. Even though a politician may be allowed to take birth in his so-called homeland, he still has to undergo suffering due to his sinful activities in his previous life.

SB 4.29.53, Purport:

Here is an allegory in which the King is advised to find a deer that is always in a dangerous position. Although threatened from all sides, the deer simply eats grass in a nice flower garden, unaware of the danger all around him. All living entities, especially human beings, think themselves very happy in the midst of families. As if living in a flower garden and hearing the sweet humming of bumblebees, everyone is centered around his wife, who is the beauty of family life. The bumblebees' humming may be compared to the talk of children. The human being, just like the deer, enjoys his family without knowing that before him is the factor of time, which is represented by the tiger. The fruitive activities of a living entity simply create another dangerous position and oblige him to accept different types of bodies. For a deer to run after a mirage of water in the desert is not unusual. The deer is also very fond of sex. The conclusion is that one who lives like a deer will be killed in due course of time. Vedic literatures therefore advise that we should understand our constitutional position and take to devotional service before death comes.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.13.13, Purport:

Because he was born in an unusual way, the son was called Janaka, and because he was born from the dead body of his father, he was known as Vaideha. Because he was born from the churning of his father's material body, he was known as Mithila, and because he constructed a city as King Mithila, the city was called Mithilā.

SB 9.15.24, Purport:

Jamadagni was able to receive all the King's followers properly and feed them sumptuously with food prepared in ghee. The King was astonished at how opulent Jamadagni was because of possessing only one cow, and therefore he became envious of the great sage. This was the beginning of his offense. Paraśurāma, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, killed Kārtavīryārjuna because Kārtavīryārjuna was too proud. One may possess unusual opulence in this material world, but if one becomes puffed up and acts whimsically he will be punished by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the lesson to learn from this history, in which Paraśurāma became angry at Kārtavīryārjuna and killed him and rid the entire world of kṣatriyas twenty-one times.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.3.23, Translation:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thereafter, having seen that her child had all the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Devakī, who was very much afraid of Kaṁsa and unusually astonished, began to offer prayers to the Lord.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.25.15, Translation:

(Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to Himself:) Because We have stopped his sacrifice, Indra has caused this unusually fierce, unseasonable rain, together with terrible winds and hail.

SB 11.4.9, Translation:

My dear King Nimi, when Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi thus spoke, eradicating the fear of the demigods, they bowed their heads with shame and addressed the Lord as follows, to invoke His compassion: Our dear Lord, You are always transcendental, beyond the reach of illusion, and therefore You are forever changeless. Your causeless compassion toward us, despite our great offense, is not at all unusual in You, since innumerable great sages who are self-satisfied and free from anger and false pride bow down humbly at Your lotus feet.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 5.21, Translation:

The younger brāhmaṇa replied, “My dear sir, please hear me. You are saying something very unusual. Such a thing never happens.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 14 Summary:

Sometimes all the transcendental ecstatic symptoms were manifest in Him. One night, Govinda and Svarūpa Dāmodara noticed that although the three doors to the Lord's room were closed and locked, the Lord was not present inside. Seeing this, Svarūpa Dāmodara and the other devotees went outside and saw the Lord lying unconscious by the gate known as Siṁha-dvāra. His body had become unusually long, and the joints of His bones were loose. The devotees gradually brought Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu back to His senses by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and then they took Him back to His residence. Once Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu mistook a sand dune known as Caṭaka-parvata for Govardhana Hill. As He ran toward it, He became stunned, and then the eight ecstatic transformations appeared in His body due to great love for Kṛṣṇa. At that time all the devotees chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to pacify Him.

CC Antya 18 Summary:

On an autumn evening when the moon was full, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu walked along the seashore near the Āiṭoṭā temple. Mistaking the sea for the Yamunā River, He jumped into it, hoping to see the water pastimes Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the other gopīs. As He floated in the sea, however, He was washed away to the Koṇārka temple, where a fisherman, thinking that the Lord's body was a big fish, caught Him in his net and brought Him ashore. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was unconscious, and His body had become unusually transformed. As soon as the fisherman touched the Lord's body, he became mad in ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. His own madness frightened him, however, because he thought that he was being haunted by a ghost. As he was about to seek a ghost charmer, he met Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and the other devotees on the beach, who had been looking everywhere for the Lord. After some inquiries, Svarūpa Dāmodara could understand that the fisherman had caught Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in his net. Since the fisherman was afraid of being haunted by a ghost, Svarūpa Dāmodara gave him a slap and chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa, which immediately pacified him. Thereafter, when the devotees chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra loudly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to His external consciousness. Then they brought Him back to His own residence.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 13:

In these statements about devotional service, sometimes it may appear that the results have been overestimated, but actually there is no overestimation. Some devotees, as revealed scriptures give evidence, have had immediate results by such association, although this is not possible for all. For example, the Kumāras immediately became devotees simply by smelling the incense in the temple. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura simply heard about Kṛṣṇa and then immediately gave up his beautiful girl friend and started out for Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, where he became a perfect Vaiṣṇava. So these statements are not overestimations, nor are they stories. They are actual facts, but are true for certain devotees and do not necessarily apply to all. These descriptions, even if considered overestimations, must be taken as they are, in order to divert our attention from the fleeting material beauty to the eternal beauty of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And for a person who is already in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the described results are not unusual.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 11:

One day, all the cowherd boys went to the bank of the river Yamunā to water their calves. When the calves drank water from the Yamunā, the boys also drank. After drinking, when they were sitting on the bank of the river, they saw a huge animal which looked something like a heron and was as big as a hill. Its top was as strong as a thunderbolt. When they saw that unusual animal, they became afraid of it. The name of this beast was Bakāsura, and he was a friend of Kaṁsa's. He appeared on the scene suddenly and immediately attacked Kṛṣṇa with his pointed, sharp beak and quickly swallowed Him up. When Kṛṣṇa was thus swallowed, all the boys, headed by Balarāma, became almost breathless, as if they had died. But when the Bakāsura demon was swallowing up Kṛṣṇa, he felt a burning, fiery sensation in his throat. This was due to the glowing effulgence of Kṛṣṇa.

Krsna Book 33:

When Kṛṣṇa saw that the gopīs were tired from dancing with Him, He immediately began to wipe His hands over their faces so that their fatigue would be relieved. In order to reciprocate the kind hospitality of Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs began to look at Him lovingly. They were overjoyed by the auspicious touch of the hand of Kṛṣṇa. Their smiling cheeks shone with beauty, and they began to sing the glories of Kṛṣṇa with transcendental pleasure. As pure devotees, the more the gopīs enjoyed Kṛṣṇa's company, the more they became enlightened with His glories, and thus they reciprocated with Him. They wanted to satisfy Kṛṣṇa by glorifying His transcendental pastimes. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all masters, and the gopīs wanted to worship Him for His unusual exhibition of mercy upon them.

Krsna Book 33:

One may also argue that since Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority, His activities should be followed. In answer to this argument, Śukadeva Gosvāmī has very clearly said that the īśvara, or supreme controller, may sometimes violate His own instructions, but this is possible only for the controller Himself, not for the followers. Unusual and uncommon activities by the controller can never be imitated. Śukadeva Gosvāmī warned that the conditioned followers, who are not actually in control, should never even imagine imitating the uncommon activities of the controller. A Māyāvādī philosopher may falsely claim to be God or Kṛṣṇa, but he cannot actually act like Kṛṣṇa. He can persuade his followers to falsely imitate the rāsa dance, but he is unable to lift Govardhana Hill. We have many experiences in the past of Māyāvādī rascals who delude their followers by posing themselves as Kṛṣṇa in order to enjoy rāsa-līlā. In many instances they were checked by the government, arrested and punished.

Krsna Book 54:

The friendly kings of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas were represented by Bhīṣma, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the five Pāṇḍava brothers, King Drupada, King Santardana and Rukmiṇī’s father, Bhīṣmaka. Because of Kṛṣṇa's kidnapping Rukmiṇī, there was initially some misunderstanding between the two families, but Bhīṣmaka, King of Vidarbha, being approached by Śrī Balarāma and persuaded by many saintly persons, was induced to participate in the marriage ceremony of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī. Although the incident of the kidnapping was not a very happy occurrence in the kingdom of Vidarbha, kidnapping was not an unusual affair among kṣatriyas. Kidnapping was, in fact, current in almost all their marriages. Anyway, King Bhīṣmaka was from the very beginning inclined to hand over his beautiful daughter to Kṛṣṇa. In one way or another his purpose had been served, and so he was pleased to join the marriage ceremony, even though his eldest son was degraded in the fight. It is mentioned in the Padma Purāṇa that Mahārāja Nanda and the cowherd boys of Vṛndāvana joined the marriage ceremony. Kings from the kingdoms of Kuru, Sṛñjaya, Kekaya, Vidarbha and Kunti all came to Dvārakā on this occasion and met with one another very joyfully.

Krsna Book 60:

The pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī in Dvārakā are accepted by great authorities as manifestations of those of Nārāyaṇa and Lakṣmī, which are of an exalted opulence. The pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana are simple and rural, distinguished from the polished urban characteristics of those of Dvārakā. The characteristics of Rukmiṇī were unusually bright, and Kṛṣṇa was very much satisfied with her behavior.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Yes. To go back to Godhead means you don't get this material body. So long you get this material body, you have to change. That is the material nature. Anything which is material, it has got a date of birth and it has got a date of annihilation. And in the via media there is growth, their existence. So this body, not only this body, even this material world, it has got a date or creation, and it will be annihilated. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It comes into manifestation once, and again it is destroyed. This is material existence. When you go back to home, back to Godhead, you haven't got to accept this material body. Your spiritual body is already there within this material body. And in that spiritual body you shall exist along with God. That is the highest perfection of life.

Revatīnandana: Are there any other questions? Yes?

Guest: (too faint)

Revatīnandana: Um... Well, it's an unusual question.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Revatīnandana: He wants to know if you believe that the Virgin Mary who is the mother of Jesus is the same as Pārvatī.

Prabhupāda: Maybe, we have no objection.

Revatīnandana: Yes? (question is asked) He wants to know more about those who are asleep and those who are awake in our eyes. What is a sleeper and who is awake?

Prabhupāda: One who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious, he's sleeping.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Now the question is, "Yes, I understand that my grandfather is spirit soul and this body is material. Still, by nature I'll be unhappy if my grandfather is killed and my teacher is killed. I'll be unhappy." So Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna that this kind of unhappiness, distress, is this world. You cannot avoid it. These are necessary distresses. The example He's giving that severe cold. In the winter season, in the month of January or some month, the winter is very severe, intolerable. Sometimes somewhere it is below 30 degrees zero. But what is to be done? The people in such part of the world who live... Just like in Canada it goes sometimes 30 degrees below zero. Does it mean that they'll close their offices and work and everything? No. Everything is going on as usual. One has to tolerate. That's all. In India also, in India and other parts of the eastern countries. Just like Arabia, Iraq or... During summertime, the temperature is 135. You cannot imagine 135. In India we have experienced temperature, I have experienced up to 118 degrees. Not always, unusually. But 110 degree is usual during summertime, 110 degree. Usual temperature. So does it mean... The scorching heat, you cannot get out on the street. But still, one has to go to office, one has to go to work. There are some cases of heat stroke.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

The spiritual planet, they are full of living entities: they are all liberated, nitya-mukta. And those who are within this material world, planets, they are nitya-baddha. Nitya-baddha, nitya-mukta. There are two kinds of living entities. The nitya-baddhas are only few, but the nitya-muktas are many, many. This material world is only one fourth energy of the creation. The three-fourths energy is in the spiritual world. And here in the one-fourth energy there are innumerable universes, and each universe is full with different types of planets, and each planet is full of living entities. But these rascals, they say it is..., there is no living entity; it is sand and rocks. So this is not the fact. You have to understand from the Vedic literature about the planets, where which planet is existing, where is spiritual world, where is material world. All informations are there. Don't speculate and simply think that this planet is full of living entities, all other planets are vacant. This is most unusual argument. There is no meaning. But we are not concerned with that. We have got our own information from the Vedas.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, when it is cited in the scriptures that Lord Brahmā rides on a swan, a haṁsa, is this, are we to take this to mean it is a real swan, or is it something symbolic?

Prabhupāda: Not symbolic, it is fact. Why do you say symbolic?

Devotee (2): It's rather unusual.

Prabhupāda: Unusual, what experience you have got? You have no experience. Have you got any experience of other planetary system, what is there? Then? Your experience is very teeny. So you should not calculate Brahma's life and other things by your teeny experience. Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the duration of life of Brahma, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ... (BG 8.17). Now, Brahma's life, it is stated in the śāstras. We have already explained that we accept the authoritative statement of śāstra. Now, Brahma's life is stated there. Arhat means his one day is equal to our four yugas. Four yugas means 4,300,000 years, and multiply it by one thousand, sahasra-yuga-paryantam. Sahasra means one thousand. And yuga, yuga means the 4,300,000 years makes a yuga. And multiply it by one thousand: that period is Brahma's one day. Similarly, he has got one night. Similarly, he has got one month. Similarly, he has got one year. And such hundred years he will live. So how you can calculate? How it is within your experience? You will think something mysterious. No. Your experience is nothing. Therefore you have to take experience from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. Then your knowledge is perfect. That I have already said. Don't try to understand with your teeny experience everything. Then you will be failure.

Festival Lectures

Sri Vyasa-puja -- New Vrindaban, September 2, 1972:

We don't manufacture knowledge, because how we can manufacture? Perfect knowledge means I must be perfect. But I am not perfect. Every one of us, when I was speaking, because... We are not perfect because in our conditional life we have got four defects. The first defect is that we commit mistake. Any one of us who are sitting here, nobody can vouchsafe that he has not committed any mistake in life. No, that is natural. "To err is human." In our country, even a personality like Mahātmā Gandhi, he committed so many mistakes. So to commit mistake is not unusual. It is usual for any man. Then again, one is illusioned. Illusioned means accepting something for something. Just like every one of us, we accept this body as ourself, but actually we are not, everyone. On this bodily concept of life the whole trouble is there in the whole trouble is there in the world. I am thinking "Indian"; you are thinking "American"; he is thinking "dog"; he is thinking "cat"; because on this bodily concept of life. So this is illusion because I am not this body, you are not this body. Because at the time of death we can understand the body is there, but my relative is crying, "Oh, my son is gone." "My father is gone." Where he is gone? The body is there. Where is your father gone? No. Then we can... After death we can understand that "My father or my son was not this body. He was something else." So this is called illusion.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Questions and Answers -- Montreal, August 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Suppose if we take film, very long film, what will be the cost?

Dāmodara: Well, in an eight-millimeter, the size film that you saw last night, the other night, it's not very expensive. It costs a little more than a dollar a minute for, you know. So if there was an hour and a half film, it might cost $150. Not much. But to make a film of the quality that's seen in the theater, it's very expensive. An hour and a half film, it's not unusual, a hundred thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Oh!

Dāmodara: That's quite a bit of difference. You see, when you have sound on a film it makes it very expensive. And the proper lighting. It takes a long time to make a film that has the right quality. It's expensive.

Prabhupāda: So why don't you get a financier? We can give so many ideas of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and we have got our players.

Dāmodara: Brahmānanda mentioned that I should write to some foundations, groups...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1971, London:

Haṁsadūta: Cause right now he's working full time, eight hours and day and still he's...

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Haṁsadūta: So if that's okay.

Prabhupāda: If he requires some money, give him. What can be done? That is not unusual. A gṛhastha, he requires some money.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, I understand. I just wanted to know if it was acceptable.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Why not acceptable? No. Yes. Yes. That's all right. Let him take. We are paying Hayagrīva also. What can be done?

Haṁsadūta: And another thing I wanted to ask you about, Prabhupāda, is that Maṇḍalībhadra, he wants to make your literature perfect, which is natural because we want to make the nicest presentation. But the devotees are saying that the translation... For instance, this Easy Journey to Other Planets, has been in the process so long, it has so many times been reworked, that it's no longer palatable to them. They don't even read it. They'd rather have the English version. So I know that Your Divine Grace has said you have full faith in his ability to do the work...

Prabhupāda: No, no. If you... you find out somebody else. He can also do.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Paramahaṁsa: He's leading kīrtana downstairs, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. Then...? You can, you can lead. Or anyone can lead. (break) So you like this kīrtana?

Professor: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Professor: It's very unusual in Sweden.

Prabhupāda: So you are, you are a devotee. Kindly cooperate with us, and overflood Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are educated. Your word will be accepted more than ours.

Professor: Yeah. How does one order these books?

Haṁsadūta: We have them here or...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paramahaṁsa: We just received shipment from Germany.

Professor: You stock them here?

Prabhupāda: Yes, all the books are there.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Catholic Cardinal and Secretary to the Pope -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Dhanañjaya: You can have this.

Cardinal Pignedoli: Yes, I have. Thank you.

Bhagavān: There are many copies of Bhagavad-gītā, but the unusual happening with this version is until this was presented, there was no devotee...

Prabhupāda: Professor Dimock has said very nicely.

Monsignor Verrozano: Yes, we have also many translations. Yes.

Prabhupāda: You have not brought by the fruit?

Nitāi: Yes, Satsvarūpa Mahārāja did.

Monsignor Verrozano: We have here one translation of the commentary of Professor Zehner(?) from Oxford.

Prabhupāda: Here is my foreword by Professor Dimock.

Yogeśvara: This is a professor from Chicago University who wrote the foreword to this edition. He makes an interesting comment.

Prabhupāda: You read, read it.

Dhanañjaya: Yes.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: On the 29th.

Yogeśvara: One day, 29th of June. Ratha-yātrā festival like in Jagannātha Purī.

Professor La Combe: Today it is better here, little warmer. (indistinct) unusually cool for this time.

Yogeśvara: How are you feeling? When we went to visit you in your office, it wasn't sure whether you could come because you were not feeling very well.

Professor La Combe: I am not very well.

Prabhupāda: What is your age?

Professor La Combe: I got cold.

Prabhupāda: No, age.

Professor La Combe: Oh, I shall be seventy after three weeks.

Prabhupāda: Oh. I am also seventy-eight. But your health is better than me. You have got your natural teeth?

Professor La Combe: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then very good. (laughter)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- July 19, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. The ordinary ocean does not increase, but this ocean increases. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Vardhanam means increasing. (dog barks) So they keep also dog? I was thinking there was no dog.

Paramahaṁsa: They're strays.

Dhīra Kṛṣṇa: Many dogs live around this campus, an unusual number, a very large number.

Paramahaṁsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in what śāstra is that recipe given for gold?

Prabhupāda: In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Not recipe. The comparison is there in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Perhaps purposefully the recipe is not given so that you can take and misuse this. (laughter) And forget chanting. Because as soon as you get gold, then you are no more interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the infection of gold.

Paramahaṁsa: But I have gold.

Prabhupāda: No, you have gold. (laughs)

Morning Walk -- November 2, 1975, Nairobi:
Prabhupāda: So in this age there is no question of love. It is not that the husband and wife lives together, no. Unless the girl is grown up, she is not going to the husband. She remains with the father and mother. Sometimes they meet, and the wife is taught, giving some sweetmeat to the husband-official. Official. The parents of the girl: "Just go up to your husband and offer this." So she comes as obedient servant. But gradually they get the connection. In this way the love develops, and when they are fifteen, sixteen years old, they are allowed to live together. Because both of them have already developed that "She is my wife," "He is my husband," psychologically. And there was no question of divorce. The love is so strong, they cannot dream even that "I have to leave my wife," "I have to leave my husband." They cannot dream it. They may fight. The husband and wife fighting, that is not unusual. Therefore Canakya Paṇḍita says, "Fight between the husband, wife, never take it seriously." Daṁpatye kalahe caiva baṁbhāraṁbhe laghu-kriya: "They'll make all arambha, but it is not very important. Don't take." Next moment they will again live peacefully. So according to Indian culture, there is no divorce. There is no question of divorce. Both the husband and wife, they cannot dream of divorce. The love was so strong. Even Gandhi's life, he fought with his wife and pushed her out of the house: "Get out, I don't want you." And Kasturabhai, she began to cry on the street, "Where shall I go? You have driven me away." Then Gandhi said, "Come on." Finished. (laughter) He has written in his life.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: The knowledge is already there in the Vedic literature, but there was no discussion, at least in the Western countries. So I am trying to.... We have got so many books, eighty-four books, writing on this science. (aside:) Show him our books. They are being accepted by high learned circle. (break) ...written not jokingly. It is a great science.

Mike Barron: Where do you.... You might think this unusual. Where does it come from, though?

Prabhupāda: The Vedas, Vedic literature.

Mike Barron: What goes into this?

Prabhupāda: Vedas. Vedic literature, Sāma, Yajur, Ṛk, Atharva, Upaniṣad, then Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā, so many. There is no cultivation of this knowledge.

Devotee (3): If we could.... If we put the stool up here, and then you can sit on facing that way, Mike?

Mike Barron: Hmm.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I'll do it.

Prabhupāda: How people are advanced? They should take very seriously.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Recently, in New York, my parents came to visit me. You know they.... Actually they didn't come to see me, they came to the restaurant, but I happened to be there. (Prabhupāda laughs) So, ah, they related a very unusual incident that one of their friends is a lawyer in New York. So they were having dinner with him the other day, and he mentioned that recently he had gone to Las Vegas for a vacation. In Las Vegas there are many gambling casinos. So when he was about to depart on the plane, one of his friends gave him a five dollar bill and told him that "In order that your gambling to be fortunate, the first good person you see there, you give this five dollar bill to him, and it will automatically bring you good luck." So the man went to Las Vegas, and when he got out at the airport, one of our devotees approached him, and this gentleman happens to be a lawyer who's fighting against us to keep us out of the New York airport, he's representing the airline company. So he didn't know it was one of our devotees because they were in the regular clothes, civilian clothes. So the devotee said, "Please, we're doing good work, educating people, you kindly give a donation." So the man thought: "Well, my friend gave me this," he gave him five dollars, and naturally, the devotee gave him a book. So the man didn't look at it, but he went into the taxi, the lawyer, and then when he looked he realized-(laughter) he was supporting the enemy. And another incident they related is that they go on vacation to South America. So there were in the Amazon, in the jungle, in the Amazon...

Hṛdayānanda: Oh, I heard this when I...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...and they, right in the middle of the jungle, suddenly the devotees were there. (laughter) Hṛdayānanda's men were there preaching, and they said they could not imagine that they were in this most unusual place, no one was around, but suddenly the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees were. (laughter)

Hṛdayānanda: They told me they met Tamāla Kṛṣṇa's mother.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Rādhāvallabha: If he gets a book in an unusual place, they always say, "You people are everywhere."

Rāmeśvara: When we tell the public that we only have maybe ten thousand devotees, they are very surprised there are so few Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, because they see us everywhere.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Therefore we're the most enthusiastic missionaries in the world.

Prabhupāda: (break)...say that all the ten thousand devotees, each of them is a moon, not a star.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're very lucky, we rented a garage one block away which can house four buses and twenty vans. Only one block away from it, its very unusual. Otherwise...

Prabhupāda: You have taken the whole garage?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, otherwise it's not possible to get parking space in New York. See the "Hare Kṛṣṇa" now, Prabhupāda, on the side of the building?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jayānanda, maybe you should park on the right side. We can walk across the street rather than getting out.

Rāmeśvara: Yes, good idea.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pull over if you can on the right side, then Prabhupāda can see the building from across the street. (break) Yes, at least for the next five or ten years.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Then you'll have to change again.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then we want the Empire State Building. (laughter) We have a nice banner which flies in front of the building also. I think you should park on the right side, Jayānanda, unless... All right, park on the left. See the banner?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (end)

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Everyone should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Not only the... President or not President, everyone, that is the objective of human life. He must know himself what he is.

Interviewer: Now, that leads up to another question I wanted to ask you, do you think that the, one of the attractions of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the rather exotic, Hindu, unusual customs in the West. I mean these customs are unusual in the West and they have a sort of exotic appeal, a fascination for young people.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that ignorance is there both in Western and Eastern. It is the ignorance of the human society.

Interviewer: But do you think it's unusual, the fact that it's an Eastern, mysterious Eastern religion has an appeal to American young people.

Prabhupāda: Why do you bring Eastern religion Western religion? It is a science. Two plus two is equally important both in the East and the West.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Now, where these things will be kept?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In our garage. No problem. That's one of the advantages of our garage. It's one block away and it has ten thousand square foot of area, so we can store all the carts easily.

Hari-śauri: Good storage is very important.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And one block away in Manhattan is very unusual.

Prabhupāda: Be careful that termite may not attack.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. I'll make a note.

Bali-mardana: There are not many termites in New York. We are fortunate. In Hawaii there are many termites. But here you don't usually have to protect wood against termites. Here the wintertime kills them. It gets so cold.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, very cold.

Morning Walk Around Grounds -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: They're established.

Bhagavān: Yes, and he's building them houses. (breaks)

Prabhupāda: I think it's unusual in Europe.

Bhagavān: It's like this every July and August, very sunny. During these months most people in Europe come to France. (break) ...storage house.

Prabhupāda: What does he manufacture?

Bhagavān: Manufactures boats and plastic things.

Prabhupāda: What is box?

Devotee (2): Spiritual Sky, incense boxes.

Bhagavān: It's a quarry for stone. The same kind of stone that the chateau is built from.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Room Conversation -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Seems they're always carrying little snippets of information about what we're doing. Before there was a report about the restaurants, and here there's two reports about..., one about the Jagannātha festival in New York and one about the proposed Vedic university in Kurukṣetra. These were on consecutive days. The one about New York, it says, "Washington, July the 19th." That's where it's reported from. It says, "New York saw on Sunday an unusual spectacle of three brightly colored chariots being pulled along the city's prestigious Fifth Avenue from Central Park to Washington Square, a distance of about five kilometers, by members of the Hare Kṛṣṇa group. The rathas, built in Orissan style with giant wooden wheels, attracted large crowds of spectators all along the route. It was a novel experience for the New Yorkers. Many resident Indians who are not members of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement enthusiastically gave a hand in the pulling. The Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees were celebrating the feast of Jagannātha in the traditional Indian way. The police and the city administration readily cooperated. In a city that is coming to be known for its tolerance of diverse cultures, chariot processions promise to be an annual event. While a few citizens booed and some altercations were reported, the spectacle was well received by the New Yorkers. 'I think it is great,' the New York Times quoted a man as saying. The person, who identified himself as a visitor to New York and was not a Hare Kṛṣṇa fan, referring to the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, added, 'They are all happy and dancing, and that's what life's all about.' Later a vegetarian feast was served to the admirers."

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Beat him with shoes on his face. Because He has created and He has no need to enjoy. Why He has created? He's your father's servant, that He's created for you? He has created for His enjoyment. That is the tendency everywhere. I create something for my enjoyment. But I can allow others to enjoy also with me, that is another thing. How can you say that God has simply created for your enjoyment? What is his claim? Is there any practical example in the world, that somebody creates something for others? Is there any example? Why do you claim in this way, which is unusual? What is the ground of your this rascal philosophy? Wherefrom you get this idea that I create something for somebody else? I create for myself, for my enjoyment. But I can allow you to enjoy with me. That is another thing. A father creates family for his own enjoyment. Wife, children, he wants enjoyment—society, family. Therefore he takes the risk of maintaining so many people. He feels some enjoyment, therefore he takes the risk. Otherwise he has no business. Why should he create unnecessary trouble to maintain a family, maintain wife, children and society? The principle is if you create something, it is created for your personal enjoyment. But I can allow my sons, my wife, my family members to enjoy with me. But the basic principle is for my enjoyment. This is natural. Where do you get this philosophy that...? What you said? That God cannot enjoy.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But as soon as you say "mythology," there is no Kṛṣṇa.

Guest (5): Don't say "mythology," I mean to say, my meaning was that they are distorting all our religious... They are making films, putting something, unusual things and cheap things. We can reform them and bring...

Prabhupāda: No, unless (indistinct) it will not to the art.

Guest (5): You can bring these (indistinct) into the art.

Prabhupāda: No, that you can use your art.

Guest (5): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Just to give some incentive but the thing is unless we practice...

Guest (5): That is the most important. Practice is of... That is the essence. Of course, that is the essence but to bring to the essence something should be (indistinct) people to the right path.

Prabhupāda: It can be a part of the propaganda.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Jayapatākā: He talked personally with Bhaktisiddhānta, I heard, in Sanskrit many years ago. He's a disciple.

Prabhupāda: He's Indian or...?

Jayapatākā: Well, it's an unusual story that that man was a pilot in the World War, and he was flying over Himalayas or something, and he saw Kṛṣṇa in his mind's eye or something, and then, then he was shot down, he saw Kṛṣṇa, and then, when he landed, he searched out who he saw, and he came to Vṛndāvana or something and saw the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, and he became initiated at Rādhā-Rāmaṇa temple.

Prabhupāda: Rādhā-Rāmaṇa

Jayapatākā: This is that guru story. Now he only made a few disciples, and he always was chanting. Also Panditji, he knew more. I don't know so much about his guru but I've heard a little bit that his foreigner became a guru or became a Vaiṣṇava.

Prabhupāda: Nixon?

Jayapatākā: His previous name is Nixton, he initiated name was Krishna Prem.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. He was in Almora.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Hari-śauri: So it goes on, (continues reading) "In Judaism we find the blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn, and in the orthodox synagogue there is separation of men and women. Differences of dress are expressed amongst orthodox Jews and amongst various Christian orders. Our own Pilgrim ancestors differed in dress form the popish gentry of their time. I have studied and tested the Hare Kṛṣṇa people and have not found them to be weird or insane, only different form the mainstream. Like any other evangelical or proselytizing religion, their converts could only become converts if they choose to believe. For example, no one can drag a person to a Baptist Church and brainwash him into taking God into his heart, he has to want to accept willingly. No one is ever held against their will by the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. I have never seen it, nor have my colleagues ever seen it. In examining the various members of this religion, I have not found one who appears to be brainwashed or dopey like. In fact their mental health and normality astounds me. If you cannot accept Kṛṣṇa, God, they will sympathize with you and hope that you will eventually find Him and will wish you well as you go on your way. There have been devotees who have left the movement and have said negative things about it, but the sour grapes syndrome is not unusual for dropouts anyway. I wonder how many West Point dropouts vilify the Army, or how many Seminary drop outs leave and disdain their religion? After a rational person spends time with the Hare Kṛṣṇa people and learns to understand them, he could never believe them to be guilty of the charges which have been made here in New York recently."

Prabhupāda: That's all right, positive.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: They'll come to da...? No.

Devotee (5): We went to the villages there to announce about our program.

Devotee (4): Hampi. We were in Hampi, Karnataka State, and big rocks like this were there and the people over the years constructed literally hundreds of small temples, some big. Some they cut directly into the rocks and then put in the mūrti there.

Mahāṁśa: There is one Nṛsiṁha temple over here which is very unusual. It is inside of... There is a big rock, and it is right inside the rock and if someone wants to have darśana, he has to crawl inside to see it. The rock goes like this and he has to actually crawl in to see the Deity. Seems to be very, very old. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...on our?

Mahāṁśa: Yes. This is all ours, all this.

Devotee (4): The government is making propaganda for hard work, so they should come and with hard work they can make nice temple from these rocks.

Prabhupāda: You show the example. They will see. (break) ...like it, eh? These boys?

Devotee (4): Oh, yes, very much.

Prabhupāda: Do you like it?

Boy (1): Yes, sir.

Prabhupāda: You? Young

Boy (2): Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: This is described in the śāstra. If one hears of the Yadu-vaṁśa, he becomes purified. And Kṛṣṇa is addressed, Yadupati. Then?

Hari-śauri: "Having taken birth in that family, how could Kṛṣṇa have been induced even by the gopīs? It is concluded therefore that it was not possible for Kṛṣṇa to do anything abominable. But Mahārāja Parīkṣit was in doubt as to why Kṛṣṇa acted in that way. What was the real purpose? Another word Mahārāja Parīkṣit used when he addressed Śukadeva Gosvāmī is suvrata, which means to take a vow to enact pious activities. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was an educated brahmacārī, and under the circumstance it was not possible for him to indulge in sex. This is strictly prohibited for brahmacārīs, and what to speak of a brahmacārī like Śukadeva Gosvāmī. But because the circumstances of the rasa dance were very suspect, Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired for clarification from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Śukadeva Gosvāmī immediately replied that transgressions of religious principles by the supreme controller testify to His great power. For example, fire can consume any abominable thing. That is the manifestation of the supremacy of fire. Similarly, the sun can absorb water from urine or from stool, and the sun is not polluted. Rather, due to the influence of sunshine the polluted, contaminated place becomes disinfected and sterilized. One may also argue that since Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority, His activities should be followed. In answer to this question, Śukadeva Gosvāmī has very clearly said, īśvarāṇām, or the supreme controller, may sometimes violate His instructions, but this is only possible for the controller Himself and not for the followers. Unusual and uncommon activities by the controller can never be imitated. Śukadeva Gosvāmī warns that the conditioned followers who are not actually in control should never even imagine imitating the uncommon activities of the controller. A Māyāvādī philosopher may falsely claim to be God or Kṛṣṇa, but he cannot actually act like Kṛṣṇa. He can persuade his followers to falsely imitate the rasa dance, but he is unable to lift Govardhana Hill. We have many experiences in the past of Māyāvādī rascals deluding their followers by posing themselves as Kṛṣṇa in order to enjoy rasa līlā. In many instances they were checked by the government, arrested and punished. In Orissa, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda also punished the so-called incarnation of Viṣṇu who was imitating rasa-līlā with young girls. There were many complaints against him. At that time Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was a magistrate, and the government deputed him to deal with that rascal, and he punished him very severely. The rasa-līlā dance cannot be imitated by anyone. Śukadeva Gosvāmī warns that one should not even think of imitating it. He specifically mentions that if out of foolishness one tries to imitate Kṛṣṇa's rasa dance he will be killed, just like a person who wants to imitate Lord Śiva's drinking of an ocean of poison. Lord Śiva drank an ocean of poison and kept it within his throat. The poison made his throat turn blue, and therefore Lord Śiva is called nīla-kaṇṭha. But if any ordinary person tries to imitate Lord Śiva by drinking poison or by smoking gañja, he is sure be vanquished and will die within a very short time. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's dealing with the gopīs was under special circumstances."

Prabhupāda: It is not for public show. That is the idea.

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is general program. And if there is some special, that we shall I am all right so long I am able to write. But I do not stop writing book unless I am not all right. So generally arrange like that, and specifically, we shall meet once daily, half an hour to one hour. There is no difficulty. But not continually people coming. That is bad.

Girirāja: I agree with that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, people respect that, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It is not unusual that someone should have a program like that. Rather, they take advantage of your very, you know, compassion and mercy, but they used to come two or three hours every evening and sit.

Devotee: They'll appreciate it more. Now you are working on Tenth Canto, so you can stop seeing other people. They'll appreciate that. (break)

Prabhupāda: I think I shall be able to work from today. Now I have got very nice place, full freedom. So there will be no difficulty.

Morning Conversation -- April 29, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. And we don't care for the lunch. What is the... I am sitting idly. I haven't got to work hard. I don't require food, little fruits even. Those who are working, they require food to get strength, but I am sitting idly, and brain is working. So so far my physical necessity, there is no necessity of food. But I may not so depend on that going to the bath, toilet. I require... And that is also not required. There are many persons. That Rajda... I... He was also... I have seen many men. For rising up, they require help.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, that's normal in old age. That's not unusual.

Prabhupāda: I can walk. There is no difficulty. But getting up... I can... If I try, I can get up also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, you would do it even in Māyāpur. Sometimes you would ring the bell and no one came. You'd get up yourself.

Prabhupāda: That is also not difficult.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But why should you take that risk?

Prabhupāda: No, I shall not. I fell down...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I know, in Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: ...in Calcutta. That is bathroom, very slippery. Anyway, why shall I take the risk?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we don't want that.

Conversations with Kirtana Groups -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: How they are living? As soon as you walk, they go within the sand.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Recently they also found out that there are some, called bacteria. They live in a very unusual circumstances. They can survive to 150 degrees. And sometimes they live inside ammonia, ammonia solution, without water. They can survive.

Prabhupāda: Not without water. There is water, but not as much. Just like on the land there is water, but in the sea there are so much water. So there is life; there is life. We don't say that in the land there is no water. Everywhere is there different. So this evolution, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi, it has developed the same way. The first life comes out... Then everywhere there is life. The transportation from higher planet to lower planet, water.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Water?

Prabhupāda: The rainfall. With the rainfall, those who are fallen souls, they are coming down. Then takes shelter within the atom. Then again grows.

Conversation -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Temple is very attractive. People come in. They walk all the way around, looking at all the paintings, talking about them...

Prabhupāda: This new architecture(?)...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's the most unusual temple in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: And it is not meant for making money. It is meant for giving service. And that is the difference.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The pāṇḍās, they don't tell the people to throw money here. In the other temples they make an arrangement with the pūjārī that anything you get from someone, "If I bring him," it's a commission. But we don't make any deals with them, so they don't tell the people. So if anybody throws anything, it's out of their own feeling. That's more respectable.

Prabhupāda: They are giving in the churches more and more.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now, when anyone visits Vṛndāvana, they have to see Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, compulsory.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bengali's price.(?) Still, they are purchasing. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's been raining very, very heavily in Bombay. Because of this, all the ships, everything, have been getting delayed. It's very heavy rainfall. Last seven days it's raining continuously, day and night.

Prabhupāda: That is Bombay. Three days, four days raining continually, that is not unusual in Bombay.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We are now printing the small books for Australia also. Hari-śauri just sent me an order for twenty thousand Rāja-vidyās...

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...which I'm going to ship by third week of August. August we'll ship thirty thousand small books to Australia.

Prabhupāda: No, give first attention to the question, printing.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I'm doing that.

Prabhupāda: Other things you can do, but you... This your only main business. Now do it very pleasingly so that you can... So whatever you have done, it is very pleasing.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Turn me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) ...passing is not a very big amount, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Practically it's hardly anything at all. But because it requires for you to be cleaned, therefore you're a little bit bothered by it. Otherwise, in proportion to what you're drinking, it's not unusual. Rather, it's a little healthy, because if you weren't passing it, then we'd have to make it come by giving douche or something. So the kavirāja explained, though, that gradually he has to work on each thing. I'm hopeful, Śrīla Prabhupāda, even though you say you're hopeless. Of course, it's our duty to follow your lotus feet; so whatever your view is, it's our view. But you have to kindly permit us that in this one instance we can have a disagreeing view that although you are hopeless, we should remain hopeful, although it's always our duty to have the same view as you have. Are you desiring to have some kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Or would you like to rest for a while.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I want rest.

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969:

In the material world the same thing is expressed in a perverted form. But in the Spiritual world to accept one's inferior position does not mean envious mentality upon the other. Unhappiness experienced by devotee on account of feeling himself inferior is not unusual rather such mentality is impetuous to further development of devotional service.

Letter to Himavati -- Hawaii 23 March, 1969:

Keep Narottama das very nicely. He is a very good boy, sometimes he is attracted by maya but this is not very unusual thing. So kindly try to protect this boy as much as possible, and when you come to N.Y. he may also come so that I may see him again.

Yes I received the package of clothing, and they are too much beautiful, but still must be a little longer. The first set which you made for Them was the perfect fit. So I am sending them to you, so that you can measure from this first set of clothes and make more in the same size. I think this will solve the fitting problem.

Letter to Himavati -- Hawaii 23 March, 1969:

To become agitated is not very unusual thing, but to control it, that is the real thing.

I hope this meets you in very good health, and I shall be anxiously awaiting our meeting together with your husband and yourself in New York.

Letter to Lilavati -- Los Angeles 31 July, 1969:

I thank you very much for your letter dated July 23, 1969 and the photographs of your little daughter. These photographs were so nice, and I was very much engladdened to see how jolly Subhadra is. You write that she is already very enthusiastic about Sankirtana Party, so train her up very nicely. If such a pious child is trained properly as you and Murari are doing, then surely she will play a very worthy role in our society and in helping to improve the world condition by the propagation of Krishna Consciousness. It is not unusual that a little child is often very jolly, but in the material situation this jolliness passes very quickly. But in Krishna Consciousness, because the spirit soul is by nature very jolly and blissful, this jolliness only increases more and more as the bliss of serving Krishna increases more and more. So now your daughter has a very good opportunity to make final solution to her births in the material world, so keep her very nicely. Krishna will be kind upon you for this.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- Los Angeles 11 July, 1970:

Yes, I would like each and every one of our books to have pictures as many as possible. That is my desire. Our KRSNA book with pictures has been very much attractive. Brahmananda took delivery of only 25 copies from Japan and immediately within two days all copies were sold. It is simply to the pictures. People become attracted with these unusual transcendental pictures at first, also even without reading the book they become inclined to purchase it. This is one point. Another point is that picture gives the explanation of the passage very quickly. So try to insert as many pictures as possible in all our books and other publications.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Madhucara -- Bombay 4 February, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 1/25/72, and so far we have record, we have not received your letter of 1 1/2 months back containing $5 check; so you may cancel that check and issue another if you wish. As we are always moving about, it is not unusual for the mail to become diverted, sometimes for months.

Letter to Upendra -- Calcutta 19 February, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter of February 2, 1972, and I shall answer your questions as follows: (1) "Panjika" is a calendar. (2) As for your question about Santa Rasa and the opinions of Rupa Goswami and Sridhara Swami, I don't remember. You can send me the appropriate passages. There is no reason why Acaryas cannot differ on certain points. (3) Dhoop arati may be performed in the morning if there is unusually great complaining, but it is better to hold full arati, but quietly, as in Bombay they play a tape-recording of myself singing arati softly and hold full arati. We should not try to diminish our standard of deity worship once it has reached a certain program, and it is especially nice to wake up Radha and Krishna with full arati with everyone dancing, but quietly. (4) You may wait until I arrive there before installing deities. (5) So far foodstuffs offered do the needful. Whatever is available and also very nice, that is offerable, as long as no meat, fish, eggs, garlic, onions, or other very objectionable foodstuffs are there. Salads are all right, and there is no condition on which type of rice, the best available under the circumstances, that's all. What matters is that everything is very nicely prepared and offered with great loving devotion, that is wanted.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Sivani -- Tehran 14 March, 1975:

To take shelter of the Spiritual Master means to follow his instructions. So, you should be very careful to not deviate even a little bit from the order of your Guru. You should be very careful to chant 16 rounds daily and read all of the books carefully. You should attend mangala arati and classes. And you should follow the four regulative principles without deviation. If you do these simple things, you will make steady advancement in Krishna Consciousness and there will be no fall downs. Regarding your young boy, do not be sorry because he is a little mischievous. This is only natural for a young boy. It is not anything unusual. Pray to Krishna that he may become a great preacher and try yourself to train him for that by being Krishna Conscious mother.

Letter to Mr. Kimmel, Mrs. Kimmel -- Mayapur 2 April, 1975:

I have received your kind offering of guava jam through your daughter, Urvasi devi dasi. I wanted to thank you very much for becoming so much interested in our Krishna Consciousness movement. Actually, because Krishna Consciousness is the nature of the soul, it is not unusual that one becomes attracted to the method. We are trying very hard to give everyone in the world, in all walks of life, a chance to hear the message of Krishna and to take up the process which is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita for becoming freed from the cycle of birth and death, and thus go back to the kingdom of God to render eternal service to Him. I sincerely hope that you will continue the process as your good daughter has done and achieve the perfection of human life.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Subhavilasa -- Mayapur 16 March, 1977:

Why should anyone work at a place where meat is served? Are there no other jobs? There is never any good reason for this. There is no unusual circumstance for eating where meat is served. Such places should be avoided altogether.

Page Title:Unusual
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:19 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=12, CC=3, OB=6, Lec=5, Con=26, Let=10
No. of Quotes:62