771004 - Conversation - Vrndavana
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No? You want to bathe now? So Upendra will bathe you, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: What is time now?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The time is about ten o'clock in the morning. I think tomorrow we can go to see the Deity, Śrīla Prabhupāda. [break] More swollen than I've seen it in months. Last night you said was havoc. Do you have any headache?
Prabhupāda: No, I don't have any...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you want to sit up now, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for bathing? Abhirāma and Upendra will clean you now, Śrīla Prabhupāda, change sheets. Everything has to be cleansed.
Prabhupāda: It is dirty?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think so. Yes. So we'll be in the next room, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (offer obeisances) [break]
Haṁsadūta: ...self-independence. But we can see as you explain to us, when they get this education they become just like a dog going from door to door looking for a morsel of food. The island of Shree Lanka is very, very green, because they have a lot of rainfall. Right now it's rainy season and very lush. All fruits, vegetables grow there. But the government has a foolish policy. They produce tea and tobacco and rubber and all useless rubbish things. They could produce food ten times for the population, but they don't...
Prabhupāda: Anywhere, not only Ceylon.
Haṁsadūta: They still have wild elephants in the jungles. Here is Bhagatji, Prabhupāda. Bhagatji has come.
Prabhupāda: In which paper the arrest of Indira Gandhi?
Bhagatji: Indira Gandhi was arrested last night at eight o'clock.
Haṁsadūta: Which paper reported?
Bhagatji: In the radio it came at once, throughout whole India. And she was released in morning on bail.
Prabhupāda: Who gave her the bail?
Haṁsadūta: Who gave the bail?
Bhagatji: So many persons.
Brahmānanda: How much was the bail?
Haṁsadūta: It appears that she's becoming popular again with the public.
Bhagatji: On 2nd of October she went to Agra, Śrīla Prabhupāda. She went to Agra. When you got down from the train at 7:30, she was coming on nine o'clock on Taj Express from Delhi. After that, there was so much of crowd going on for her. In Agra there were fifty or sixty thousand people waiting for her, too.
Haṁsadūta: She's becoming popular again.
Bhagatji: The question is about this dearness, these costly things, going, prices higher and higher.
Bali-mardana: Yes. The prices are going up, so the people are becoming dissatisfied with this Janata government.
Haṁsadūta: Just prior to her being arrested, a few days, she has publicly announced that "The government doesn't have the guts to arrest me." She said, "The government doesn't have the guts to arrest me." So this arresting her will make her more popular. She is very intelligent lady. And her little sister, this Shreemav Badranayiki, she was the prime minister of Shree Lanka. She is also coming back. These two women went to school together. They were in the same class.
Bhagatji: From Ceylon.
Haṁsadūta: Yes. It's an amazing coincidence. This woman prime minister of Śrī Lanka, she follows everything Indira does. When Indira Gandhi held elections, she also held elections. She lost; she lost. She's coming back; she's coming back. They're very friendly, two ladies running these two countries. Sometimes when preaching I tell the public, "What kind of country is this? The land of the rājarṣis and some lady is running the government."
Prabhupāda: Hm, don't touch politics.
Haṁsadūta: Oh, all right. We should stay clear of the government. They are too dangerous.
Prabhupāda: Cultural... We, our culture and philosophy. To be arrested is not new thing for politicians.
Haṁsadūta: She also said in that speech that in India it's not a shame to be arrested. In India this is not considered something bad. It's acceptable. And it's a fact.
Prabhupāda: Everywhere.
Brahmānanda: The governor who came to see you in Bombay, practically his only qualification is that he was arrested. He was in jail for nineteen months. Before, he was a very small man. Now he's a big man simply because he was in jail for nineteen months.
Haṁsadūta: The new prime minister, we met him a few days after he was inaugurated. We gave him Kṛṣṇa book and a nice letter. He doesn't smoke or drink. He's a Buddhist. He seems to be a, relatively speaking, a nice man. But he's quite old. He's also seventy years old. But, Prabhupāda, eventually, our movement practically around the world will attract the attention of the government.
Brahmānanda: They will not like.
Haṁsadūta: They won't like it. Just like Germany, it's actually the government. The people are innocent. But these governments, they can see the danger in Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.
Bali-mardana: Would you like Haṁsadūta to chant some more?
Prabhupāda: Hm, hm. Yes. (Haṁsadūta chants) [break]
Girirāja: On the one hand, the full management of the society rests with Your Divine Grace. But on the other hand, as a society, there is also a bureau which passes resolutions. So they were confused as to the relationship between Your Divine Grace and the Bureau. So they wanted to clarify some of these issues with their legal department.
Prabhupāda: Is there any difficulty?
Girirāja: There's no difficulty. They are... They appear to be... Actually they're not really capable to manage this bank on their own, so...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Another grievance is that we have been asking them to give us interest on our savings accounts here. We have about ten savings accounts. And for about one year now they have not given interest because now they say that the rule is that for anything above two lakhs of rupees they don't give interest. And they showed a law from the..., bank law saying that they didn't have to give interest for money in a savings account beyond two lakhs. So I explained to them that every bank in India that we bank with does give us interest.
Girirāja: See, their final position is that they want to help us, but they cannot go beyond the rules. And actually, they showed a letter from the Regional Manager not to pay that. But I feel that when we meet the chairman or the general manager...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Of the whole bank.
Girirāja: Because they will want our business, they'll be willing to go out of the way to satisfy us. And these local people, they say that if their higher authorities approve of these things, then they will be very happy to help us.
Prabhupāda: Make it clear. Organize gradually. Shift the money to other banks so they may not know. And that is the best policy.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the best policy, Prabhupāda said.
Prabhupāda: No, immediately there is no more fixed deposit?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not immediately. Now the next ones will be in 1979 and 1981.
Prabhupāda: What is the advice?
Girirāja: Should we read it?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Girirāja: They just confirmed that they transferred the two amounts, and they gave the date, and they gave that it's transferred to the Central Bank in Bombay and the account number.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were very impressed with Girirāja. I mentioned to Mr. Gupta here that Girirāja's father was the biggest lawyer in Chicago. So they also felt that he was like a lawyer. So they were very impressed by him, and he was dealing with them in a very patient but intelligent way. So they just... Actually they realized more things today, I think, than ever before about the position of our society. They got a little bit more knowledge. And they also revealed more today about how they were thinking 'cause of the way Girirāja was talking with them. I think it was the most... It was a very progressive conversation. They are awaiting a telephone call that we would be going with them to Delhi tomorrow morning.
Prabhupāda: Wrote it?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have to call them to confirm that we will be going. Should we utilize the car, Śrīla Prabhupāda, or go in the train?
Prabhupāda: No, you can go by car.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The road is open. Upendra is here now. Should we give him the kismis(?) to make?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Upendra...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's the kismis. Prabhupāda said mix with honey and smash.
Prabhupāda: Four kismis .
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whole kismis.
Prabhupāda: Not whole. Four.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Four kismis.
Prabhupāda: And equal quantity, honey. Make a paste.
Haṁsadūta: Equal quantity, honey.
Prabhupāda: Little honey. Not very much.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not much honey. So we'll call them now to tell them that we're going. [break]
Haṁsadūta: We have one book now ready to be composed and printed in Singhalese language.
Prabhupāda: Bring that.
Haṁsadūta: Yes. It's now going to be composed. It will take a little time because outside of Ceylon no one speaks Singhalese, so we have to work with the local printers to get it composed.
Prabhupāda: Āp. Yes. (Hindi)
Bhagatji: (Hindi conversation)
Bali-mardana: Yes, the GBC men are coming.
Bhagatji: That place, I'm talking about that place, whether we should take it or not. Prabhupāda said...
Bali-mardana: I think Prabhupāda's... The GBC are coming here, so let them consider. Make a presentation. Gopāla is coming in a day or two. By tomorrow he should be coming. Because Prabhupāda, now it's too much for him to think about it now. Scratch with your nails.
Haṁsadūta: Prabhupāda, you've become so thin. You've become so thin. You have to become better.
Bhagatji: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (pause) [break]
Hari-śauri: Of course, you have so many disciples around the world who are always praying for your health, so ten brāhmaṇas would not achieve very much. He repeated also what he said before, that the period up until next March would be very difficult time.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Hari-śauri: He said that up until next March, that would be a very difficult time. But if Your Divine Grace goes beyond that time, then for three or four years, then health will return.
Prabhupāda: Back side itching.
Hari-śauri: All the back? Are these astrological charts very much applicable for a devotee, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: No.
Hari-śauri: Because Kṛṣṇa can do anything.
Prabhupāda: Yes. [break] Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Don't waste money for this astrology.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. In London when we were going to get the astrologer to do, when I heard it was expensive, then we cancelled. How much money he is asking here?
Hari-śauri: He didn't say a price. He said it would take two or three days to do a detailed chart.
Prabhupāda: It is useless. Better arrange as many hours as possible to chant kīrtana. That is...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Today we did kīrtana starting in the afternoon till the evening. So do you want more than that?
Prabhupāda: I can hear day and night.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So should we arrange...? Maybe we should arrange starting in the morning going till night.
Prabhupāda: That is according to your convenience. But kīrtana is very sweet.
Hari-śauri: Last June we were doing twenty-four hours.
Prabhupāda: That is real business. These astrologer are karmīs. We have nothing to do with the karmī.
Hari-śauri: Their measurement of happiness and distress is how much nice wife and children they get and how much money they get.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Bhāgavata reading and kīrtana ... Hm. Hm.
Hari-śauri: They don't understand that the real happiness is giving everything to Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Don't waste time and money in any other way.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes I find that you're sleeping, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So I was just wondering—at night, when you do most of your sleeping, whether we should still do kīrtana . I was thinking that we could do it up until nine o'clock at night and then begin in the morning again.
Prabhupāda: No.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You'd like it to be throughout the night?
Prabhupāda: Um hm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. We'll have enough people here so that we can do it. We will start this tomorrow, Śrīla Prabhupāda, tomorrow morning, because it's difficult to arrange now. Most of the devotees have begun to take rest.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They'll definitely like it, though, because they like to be with you.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I also.
Hari-śauri: Within one or two days every GBC and sannyāsī will be here to come and do kīrtana .
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They've come to take care of you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, so many fathers.
Prabhupāda: Please do that.
Hari-śauri: That is our greatest pleasure.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some very nice telegrams came. Should I read them to you?
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're very nice, from your disciples. [break] "Marathon to petition Lord Kṛṣṇa for your rapid recovery. The results were a total of 70,122 books distributed."
Prabhupāda: Hmm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says, "87,000 points on the saṅkīrtana for the week." It says, "This is the new all-time record for the most books ever made distributed in one week by any temple in the history of the society, and we pray that this news will please you. And we humbly beg you to remain with us for many more years."
Prabhupāda: Who sends?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was sent by the devotees in London, Śrīla Prabhupāda, who you were with. You went to them for two weeks, and they developed so much attachment, they all went out all the time to distribute books for one solid week. They distributed over seventy thousand different types of books in one week's time, the London devotees. They said this was their way of petitioning Lord Kṛṣṇa to please cure you.
Prabhupāda: Where is Upendra?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Upendra? He went out. (aside:) You want to get Upendra? There are more telegrams. That was a telegram. Should I read the others?
Prabhupāda: Um hm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This one is from... You know Candanācārya? He writes, "Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our obeisances. We all wish we could come and be with you at this time, and we are all praying day and night for your speedy recovery. If you leave now, what will happen to us? Hare Kṛṣṇa," he said.
Hari-śauri: Here is Upendra.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Upendra is here.
Prabhupāda: You can itch back side.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Scratch. Śrīla Prabhupāda? I think that on behalf of Lord Kṛṣṇa you can take service from the whole world. At least, we all want to serve you so much. Next is a letter, telegram, rather, from... This one is from Berkeley temple, New Jagannātha Purī. It says, "Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our fallen obeisances. Please excuse our offenses. By your potency, every single magazine is distributed this weekend. This weekend we distributed 4,888 big books and 15,063 magazines. We are praying for your health to improve. Your worthless servants at New Jagannātha Purī." It seems, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that even in your illness you're increasing the preaching.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Paramānanda has come to India.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He'll be coming to Vṛndāvana soon. So you know his wife, mother Satyabhāmā?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She sent you a gift. Do you want to see it?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, it's something that she made for you. Should I bring it?
Prabhupāda: I shall see it tomorrow.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Anyway, all of the devotees all over the world are simply praying now. They have been placed into great transcendental anxiety, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They are simply praying for your recovery. Do you think that this powder has been successful, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Not yet.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) But now it is very dry, so what does that mean, that we have to apply fresh again? Or even when it's dry does it have effect? (pause) Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was thinking to take rest now. It's about 9:30. Is that all right?
Prabhupāda: Hmm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll be in the next room if you want me for anything. (end)