771006 - Conversation A - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

771006R1-VRNDAVAN - October 06, 1977 - 88:10 Minutes

(Conversation & arrivals from New Vrindaban)

Prabhupāda: . . . for printing?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: In Australia there is good field.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So why you are not printing more books and send there?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll print more. Now we are printing more books for them. We are printing as many books as they order. So as they increase their order, we increase our print.

Hari-śauri: He's just sending . . . when is that ship leaving?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's leaving on the 10th.

Hari-śauri: There's a ship leaving on the 10th with fifteen thousand Gītās.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And fifteen thousand Rāja-vidyās.

Hari-śauri: That's for our Christmas distribution. That will arrive just in time for the month of December.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: As he orders, we print.

Prabhupāda: And you can send to Europe, America also.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, England. America, we are thinking of printing small books for them, because for America to get lower price on all books they have to print many hundred thousand. And so many books of yours are out of print, out of stock with BBT Los Angeles. But we can get the same price on a lower run. That means that on lower investment we can print the same books, and in this way at least they will have some books in stock of every book you have published. So if somebody wants some book, they won't say that they don't have it, but they can supply it. So I've been writing about this to Rāmeśvara Swami.

Prabhupāda: My point is, I don't wish to keep money in the bank. Invest in printing.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. And now we are making a big go-down in Bombay, a professional go-down for BBT.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bombay.

Prabhupāda: In our?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, in our Hare Kṛṣṇa land. In that gurukula building, because now we have so many books and we don't have enough space, so we're going to start work on the go-down. I just need three lakh rupees, but when Rāmeśvara comes I'll talk to him and then start it.

Prabhupāda: No, three lakhs we have got.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Because this will be a professional go-down then. Also New Zealand is ordering books from India, and the second print of the Bhagavad-gītā, which is going to leave on the 10th of October, that has come out even better than the American, the color work. I'm going to show it to Hari-śauri and you. Actually, we should print some Bhāgavatams also, because many Bhāgavatams are out of print, and I have been using this mail order company. We are advertising our Gītā, and we've already sold more than thousand Gītās in two months. And this mail order company is paying for the advertisement. So they are very keen to also promote the Bhaktivedanta Encyclopedia. But before I do that, I must have all your Bhāgavatams in stock, because as the order comes, we have to fulfill them right away. This is working out to be very, very big, Śrīla Prabhupāda, this mail order technique. That is, we advertise, and the people write . . .

Prabhupāda: And print Hindi books, Gujarati books also.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The Gujarati Gītā will be ready in one month. I have already finished printing the color pictures for Hindi Gītā, Gujarati Gītā and Telegu Gītā. It's already completed. That Telegu Gītā is being printed in Hyderabad, and the Gujarati Gītā is also at the printers. And the Hindi Gītā is being composed. Plus we are doing a Kannada Gītā in Kanarese language.

Prabhupāda: Is it necessary?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We have a temple in Bangalore, and they need it for distribution in Bangalore. But this will be just your verses and translation, like they have done in Telegu two years ago, a small book which they can sell for one rupee or two rupees.

Prabhupāda: Don't keep money unnecessarily. Invest.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, Śrīla Prabhupāda, there's no money. (laughs) BBT is . . . I'm always asking Hari-śauri to make his payment quickly, because we have invested everything into printing.

Prabhupāda: And now we have got . . . sent four lakhs.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Sent four lakhs?

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda just transferred four lakhs from matured fixed deposits.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: To?

Hari-śauri: To Bombay, was it, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Tamāla knows better . . .

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Should we use that four lakhs for printing?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Hari-śauri: For that go-down.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can use it for the go-down, for building that go-down.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, there is no need of keeping in the bank.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Because we can print more books and keep them in stock. And now we are finding out that this mail order technique is selling thousands of books. Like in two months I sold more books than Gargamuni's party did in one year with this mail order technique.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. It is very good.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And now we are doing this for the encyclopedia and for the Hindi books. Like our advertisement came in the third page of the Illustrated Weekly of India. It came in Hindustan Times of that Sunday. Plus, we are sending a mail order campaign directly to people's houses. I mean, thousand Gītās in two months is very, very good, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Hari-śauri: It's just the beginning.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Would you like to see those advertisements? Okay. You saw it earlier. It's the same advertisement in different magazines, and this company is paying for it.

Prabhupāda: Not at our expense.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. I just give them a little higher commission, but we still make lot of money, plus it is giving us so much publicity. So many bookstores are seeing this advertisement and asking us to give them books.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. That's nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Plus it increases our prestige—they see so many advertisements of Bhaktivedanta Swami's Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: So follow this policy. Don't keep idle money in the bank.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: Although drinking nothing, cough is coming.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cough is again coming.

Prabhupāda: No medicine, no drinking.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Swelling is reducing.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not very much reducing. Why you're not drinking anything, Śrīla Prabhupāda? I noticed yesterday you did not drink much.

Prabhupāda: First of all there is no inclination . . .

Hari-śauri: Inclination.

Prabhupāda: . . . to drink anything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You don't feel thirsty at all?

Prabhupāda: And secondly, if I drink, then there is cough.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even when you drink fruit juice there is cough?

Prabhupāda: Um-hmm.

Upendra: Fruit juice . . . (indistinct) . . . today. For three days.

Hari-śauri: Just last night Prabhupāda had Horlicks and milk.

Upendra: . . . (indistinct) . . . no drinks.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a lot of coughing today again?

Prabhupāda: I think so.

Upendra: It's just starting again.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is your conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Maybe when Dr. Ghosh comes he can give some relief from the coughing.

Prabhupāda: You have written him?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The real problem is the digestion. There's no digestion. Anything you take forms mucus. Instead of forming blood, it forms mucus. You're not as warm as you were yesterday, but you're still a little warm. The rest of your body is not warm. Your head is not so warm. Your pulse is very fast. I don't know what to say, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's certainly bewildering. I can only expect somehow Kṛṣṇa has to do something, unless Dr. Gosh with some Western-type medicine can do something.

Prabhupāda: This oil massage is very pleasing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's pleasing for you and for the masseur also. (break) I think we have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa for you and read Bhāgavata, take nice care as much as we are able to, and leave the rest to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. At least we're sure that that is the right medicine. That shawl that mother Satyabhāmā made is very nice. It's the first thing that any . . . first time any ISKCON devotee has spun the wool from the sheep. And her letter was also very nice.

Prabhupāda: It is fur purchased from the market?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Fur? Wool. Wool.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The wool?

Hari-śauri: Where did it come from?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where did the wool come from? We have sheep on our land, Śrīla Prabhupāda, at Gītā-nagarī. So Paramānanda, he takes care of the sheep, and we take the wool from the sheep. And then from the wool she spins on a spindle and makes the thread, and then she made the shawl by knitting the wool threads. In other words, it's completely begun from scratch. We didn't purchase the wool at a shop or anything. It came from the sheep that we're keeping on our land.

Prabhupāda: (break) . . . the only medicine remains, that yogendra-rasa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh.

Hari-śauri: You want to try that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Right now? Soak a little rice?

Prabhupāda: Rice water required. So what is the time now?

Hari-śauri: Almost ten past two. Ten minutes past two.

Prabhupāda: So in a small pot just soak rice water, little. And after two hours use that water. Let me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A little extra strength. Rice water will give you a little extra strength?

Prabhupāda: Yes. One globule, little honey and little rice water. Let me try.

Hari-śauri: A full cardamom?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You know. But this must be smashed very nicely.

Hari-śauri: Yes. I can do that. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: . . . in addition to the telegram. The reason I hesitated was that we were not using this kavirāja, so I was wondering whether there was need to call him. I mean, I have already sent telegram.

Prabhupāda: Second. Second telegram.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Alright. No. I haven't sent a second one yet. Should I do that? I could do it. It's not very costly. Two or three rupees. Might be a good precaution to take if we feel that he is needed here now.

Prabhupāda: Kavirāja's, this mentality I did not like.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which one, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: He was charging five rupees, and because we have gone to him second time, he is charging . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ten. Not only ten rupees, but so much money for the medicine.

Prabhupāda: How much?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty five rupees just for sixteen little packets, doses of medicine. Two days' medicine, fifty-five rupees. Eighty-five rupees for two days' total. No. Seventy-five rupees for two days.

Prabhupāda: We are not hesitating to pay, but this mentality . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, exactly. The point is that if a man has this mentality, then how much can we trust him for medicine? It means he's dishonest man. He's becoming dishonest. Still, some husband must be there, you said. We should have a doctor's help. I still believe that. If possible. After all, we are not doctors.

Prabhupāda: No, we are taking the help of doctor, Āyurveda, by this yogendra-rasa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You are just beginning that now, of course. Tomorrow you might give it up. Then what will be our position?

Prabhupāda: Don't have widow. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa is ultimate husband.

Hari-śauri: Kṛṣṇa is . . .?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The ultimate husband.

Prabhupāda: This here Sac-cid-ānanda, where he is?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is here. You want to speak with him about the kavirāja? We can call him.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Yes. So that cursian massaging?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The powder massaging? Yes. Shall we do it again?

Prabhupāda: Why not?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I like it. I think it's good for you. Can we put some just now? I can do? Okay. (break)

Prabhupāda: He is bho kavirāja, 1971 or '2. No, '50 . . . (break) Yai hok. Asol jinis korecho? (Anyway. Did you do the main thing?)

Sac-cid-ānanda: Uni bolchilen, pac-chay bachor age. (He was saying 5 to 6 years ago.)

Prabhupāda: Hya. Se samay o kaj korto du taka din. Ar aat ana ei samay . . . (indistinct) . . . tarpore . . . (indistinct Bengali) (Yes, at that time he was working for two rupees a day, and 8 annas for this time . . .)

Sac-cid-ānanda: O ektu besi charge korche ektu. (He is charging a little more.)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) . . . ami kichu bollam na . . . car haat, paa . . . (indistinct) . . . tarpore . . . era bollo ye . . . (indistinct) . . . ekhon uni bolchen . . . (I didn't say anything . . . hands and legs, four are . . . (indistinct) . . . after that . . . they said that . . . (indistinct) . . . now he is saying . . .) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: . . . arrange for that?

Prabhupāda: Let the first gate be finished.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I also told him that first do the first gate, then we'll take a second one. (pause)

Prabhupāda: Second gate, how much?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First gate is thirty thousand. The temple was going to arrange to pay. Second gate is bigger, forty-five thousand.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's bigger. The road is bigger.

Prabhupāda: So let it be finished.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The first one. And if it's finished nicely, are we prepared to give them money for that?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. But before taking up work, let them finish one. Let us see how it looks. Okay.

Upendra: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Would you like some mint tea now? I have the mint tea, that podina chāy.

Prabhupāda: What is the benefit?

Upendra: It's . . . you might like the taste, and it's very simple. It's not complicated or anything, certainly not mucus-forming, and it's cooling and refreshing to drink. It's just a nice drink and very simple.

Prabhupāda: So, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, mint tea is water boiled with some mint leaves, so it gets the essence of the taste of mint in boiled water. Sometimes they add a little honey. I think they must have added a little bit of honey. So it's flavored warm water with honey in it. Probably it would be good for you to take some liquid. One should drink some liquid. You are not performing austerities that you don't have to . . . (Prabhupāda chuckles) Just like I think it was Dhruva Mahārāja. He did not take anything. We don't want you to do that, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So this is a nice drink. Sometimes in the past I've had it. It has a pleasant taste, and it's soothing on the stomach because it's warm. More or less, it's boiled water with a little flavor and some honey. It will give you little bit of liquid inside, which isn't bad. Not to drink anything, I don't think that would be good.

Prabhupāda: So give.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You must be feeling empty inside, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I covered your body with powders. How do you find the taste?

Prabhupāda: Not bad.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Want to lay down again? I think that this pillow is not . . . probably layed it wrong. No, no, no. One pillow down, Sac-cid-ānanda. That's it. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja has just arrived.

Prabhupāda: There is nothing lamentable. What is the special news from New Vrindaban?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the report from New Vrindaban?

Kīrtanānanda: Everything is going very nice, Prabhupāda. Your palace is almost finished. Already many, many people are coming every day to see it. At least thirty a day are coming just to see your palace now, and it's not even finished. But it will be finished in a couple of months. People are talking . . . one lady the other day, she went in and she turned to one of the boys and she said, "I cannot tell you what I am feeling." She said, "It is so wonderful. I just cannot express it."

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is wonderful in that quarter. Hmm. Let us see which palace I am going. (chuckling) (break)

Abhirāma: He just went for getting your water, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: I want to take little rest.

Abhirāma: Take rest now. All right. He wants to rest now. He doesn't want to wash. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: After bathing, would you like to go to see Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma today? Very nice. The devotees very much enjoyed seeing you see Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. They like that very much. I think this powder has had a little effect. Maybe after you come back from Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma I can put some powder on, more powder. Yesterday you did not drink very much.

Prabhupāda: Due to that coughing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Today no coughing yet. So if there is no coughing, you can increase a little bit today.

Prabhupāda: Survive. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We're not ready to let you go yet, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We can't resign ourselves to it. All of your disciples are coming. We're not ready yet. Śrīla Prabhupāda, I wanted to show you something.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A very nice statue was made of you, and it's being placed in many libraries and museums. People donate it. Members pay for it to be donated to libraries and schools. It's a bust of Your Divine Grace. It's very heavy. It's made of bronze.

Hari-śauri: Can you see it there, Śrīla Prabhupāda? . . . can move around this way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you see it? Shall I sit you up?

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a cādara you wear on a cold morning. Very ecstatic pose. It's made of metal. (taps it)

Prabhupāda: Strong?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And this says, "His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Author of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of Instruction, Back to Godhead Magazine, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness." This is placed in prominent museums and libraries. There's four different models. This is solid wood, and this will be a bronze plaque, and this is made of bronze, metal. (taps on it) You can feel it. Nice?

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it's very beautiful. Very artistic and nice. First class. Very feeling. It shows a tremendous amount of feeling. It also advertises all of your books, so they place it in libraries. Libraries like to have it because you're a very . . . most prominent author. People, usually they have a book display.

Prabhupāda: Very nice. (indistinct background discussion amongst devotees about where in the room to put it)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhakti-prema Swami came. Gopāla brought him. Shaved his head. He was growing his hairs a little, but now he looks the same as before. Gopāla wants to encourage him. Maybe when you see him, if you encourage him to continue Bhāgavatam, tell him everyone has praised his translating. I thought after you finish bathing and you have tilaka on, I'll bring him. He's brought a gong for you.

Hari-śauri: (changing mattress) It's a special kind of mattress that helps prevent sores.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A little more spacious, yes. Same palanquin. Simply they have increased the size. (break)

Bhakti-prema: . . . chanting every morning. It came in my mind all the time.

Prabhupāda: Live comfortably. We have got nice place, and whatever comfort you want, you'll get. These Americans, Europeans . . . when I was in London, I was thinking of getting you there. Anyway, by Kṛṣṇa's grace you have come. Good for us, good for you.

Bhakti-prema: Gone down over the subject matter about esoteric geography and esoteric history, and I have gotten many good points more.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Perhaps Kṛṣṇa wanted it.

Bhakti-prema: We can put it in very nice way now.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, thank you very much. (break)

Kulādri: . . . dakṣiṇā, eight thousand dollars in dakṣiṇā, for . . . before . . . with the new system of initiation that you've initiated, he asked them to write you a check for $111 for each devotee he's initiating for you. So he has a check for eight thousand dollars for you. One of the girls has taken silver thread and crocheted this silver bead bag with silver thread. (Prabhupāda chuckles) Silver thread on satin.

Prabhupāda: Silver thread.

Kulādri: Yes.

Upendra: Here's your glasses.

Kulādri: Also there is some jewelry for you. (sound of unwrapping) We have taken some of the onyx from your palace and put some precious stones and made a little jewelry box. And here's one ring one of the girls . . . sapphire, star sapphire ring on gold.

Upendra: All made by the devotees?

Kulādri: Made by the devotees, yes. The box is also made by devotees. This is onyx from your palace with gold trim. This they have also made. This is a medallion made with sapphires and rubies on gold. The devotees have also made this. Here's some rubies and emeralds and opals.

Prabhupāda: So, why don't you find out some bride? (laughter)

Upendra: The handwork, everything, is done . . .

Kulādri: Everything is done by devotees in New Vrindaban. And here's a new set of clothes for you Prabhupāda, silk clothes.

Prabhupāda: So this will be . . . at least this one will be given to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. So who will take care of?

Kulādri: Yes, should be taken care of. Or it can sit on the altar, Śrīla Prabhupāda? The box is here. It is also jewelry. It can sit on the altar at Their feet?

Upendra: No, "Who takes care that somebody . . .?" They have one safe, almirah, for the jewelry, small.

Kulādri: At least you can wear the ring, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Kulādri: At least you'll wear the ring. Does it fit?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Other ring?

Kulādri: No, this one you're wearing is . . . just this. He had one request. Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja asked me . . . he said you asked us to pray to Kṛṣṇa before, he said, but he doesn't feel qualified to pray to Kṛṣṇa. But he asked that you please pray to Kṛṣṇa for us, because we cannot pray to Kṛṣṇa directly. We don't know Kṛṣṇa. But if you ask Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa must be sure to fulfill your desire. So would you please pray to Kṛṣṇa to stay with us? 'Cause you're His pure devotee, Kṛṣṇa will certainly grant what you pray for. So on our behalf . . . I think He must want you to come to the palace, Śrīla Prabhupāda, if it is possible.

Prabhupāda: I wish.

Kulādri: You wish? Thank you very much. I think that will make Him very happy.

Prabhupāda: But unless I become little strong, how can I go?

Kulādri: Hmm. So we've also brought some sweets and ice cream, but just now is not so good for you to take it. The ice cream is not so good for you to take just now, so shall we keep it for you?

Prabhupāda: Distribute.

Kulādri: You'll take one little taste, Śrīla Prabhupāda? You'll take one little taste? (Prabhupāda takes taste)

Prabhupāda: First class.

Kulādri: Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So make a list and keep with you.

Kulādri: Inventory. And the checks?

Prabhupāda: Check, out. (pause) We want kīrtana. (soft kīrtana starts) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You're a pure devotee. But as you are always saying, "You should pray," therefore we're not very strong in praying. But you are a pure devotee. So Kṛṣṇa will hear your prayers. If you desire to live, then Kṛṣṇa can make it happen.

Prabhupāda: You are all pure devotees, because you have no other desire.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are very neophyte, though. Now you're not drinking, so how will you live, Śrīla Prabhupāda? If you stop drinking everything, how will you get any strength? You're tired of trying anymore? You don't think it's possible, Śrīla Prabhupāda? (Prabhupāda coughing mucus) (break) (devotees chanting in background)

Prabhupāda: That jewelry, etcetera, Kīrtanānanda gave . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about the . . .? I have them here.

Prabhupāda: Who gave? Kulādri?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kulādri brought them. Silk.

Prabhupāda: Very, very costly thing.

Hari-śauri: Yes. There's some onyx jewelboxes with some diamonds and things . . . not diamonds, some emeralds and things in. And eight thousand dollars' worth of checks.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Checks. These checks are from initiations, I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They're guru-dakṣiṇā for initiations.

Hari-śauri: That big thing has some jewels in it.

Prabhupāda: Where Kulādri kept it?

Hari-śauri: He had them locked away, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He had them locked away somewhere. He was waiting until Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja woke up, because at that time he was taking rest. Then he was going to give them.

Prabhupāda: Where is Kīrtanānanda?

Hari-śauri: He's in his room right now, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think this could be given to the Deities.

Prabhupāda: It can be given everything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Providing they can keep.

Hari-śauri: That's the problem. Everything that's expensive here gets stolen.

Prabhupāda: So many things have been stolen.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then let Kīrtanānanda offer it to his Deity. But the checks I think can be deposited in your account. And these jewels can be given to Rādhā-Vṛndāvanacandra.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That will be nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That will be nice. These jeweled boxes should be given to Rādhā-Vṛndāvanacandra?

Prabhupāda: Everything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Call him.

Hari-śauri: Kīrtanānanda?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you want to keep the checks or give them to him?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The checks. You want to keep them in your accounts or give them to him? They are . . .

Prabhupāda: He is developing. He can utilize it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hmm. That's a fact. That's a fact, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Here is Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja? This valuable presentation may be utilized for New Vrindaban, Vṛndāvanacandra, all the jewelries and the money also. You are developing. I have accepted your gifts, and now you can utilize it for developing.

Kīrtanānanda: Thank you very much, Prabhupāda. If it would please you, I'd like to save it for the mūrti in your palace and use it there.

Prabhupāda: You require money, so you take back and utilize it there. That is my request.

Kīrtanānanda: Thank you very much. Most of all we want you, though.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes, I know that. And if I survive, I have a strong desire to go where you live there and live there. It will be a great pleasure.

Kīrtanānanda: All the devotees feel you are already living there, Prabhupāda. They are already having pūjā there every day, twice a day.

Prabhupāda: That is the way.

Kīrtanānanda: And everyone feels when they come in there that it is a very holy place.

Prabhupāda: You are worshiping Rādhā-Vṛndāvanacandra very intelligently, and the place is being developed very nicely.

Kīrtanānanda: We have some nice pictures here of your palace. Can you . . . do you feel like seeing them now, or would you rather wait till some other time?

Prabhupāda: I can see them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want to sit up, Śrīla Prabhupāda? (break)

Kīrtanānanda: This looks like the king coming to his palace. We are building now a large wall about fourteen feet high all along the road.

Prabhupāda: Here is the palace.

Kīrtanānanda: Yes. It has a big dome on the top. Here's a better picture of it, closer. This was on Vyāsa-pūjā day. All the devotees were there offering respects to Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: Do it very nicely. (break) . . . unique testament.

Kīrtanānanda: All of this detail work, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is being done in gold leaf on white background. This is all marble. This is the main temple room and kīrtana hall. The columns are being covered with marble cut in patterns like this.

Prabhupāda: It will be a very . . . what is called? Attractive spot? What is called? It will be tourist?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes. Tourist attraction. It will. Already it is that. The walls of the temple room, they are all marble. This is your study room. It has a marble floor. This is the marble floor. And the walls are all being done in marble in this pattern. This is the bedroom floor. This is the lower portion of the bedroom walls, and this is the upper portion, all done in these little . . . these is all onyx, and these are marble. And these are the outside doors. It's all ornamental carved concrete.

Prabhupāda: You have got so many artists.

Kīrtanānanda: This is a view of the outside near the top railing.

Prabhupāda: How they learned so much?

Kīrtanānanda: (laughs) Kṛṣṇa's in the heart. Nobody's ever done this before. This is the bracket that goes under the sun shade. This is a view of Bahulaban farm. This is the big guesthouse that is just completed, and this is another new building that has gone up since you've been there. This will be a utility building for all different kinds of shops where they can make jewelry and cast concrete and carpenter shops and all different shops. So we all thank you very much, because it is only by your grace we have gotten this inspiration.

Prabhupāda: Besides that, whenever you require money, you can ask. He'll give.

Kīrtanānanda: Thank you, Prabhupāda. I prefer to give it. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: No. Give and take. (break) You are fulfilling my dream, New Vrindaban. I dreamt all these things. Wonderful things have been done. He is the first student, from the very beginning. When I was in the storefront he was bringing carpet, bench, some gong, some lamp. In this way . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's still bringing gifts.

Prabhupāda: Sevā-vṛtti, service attitude. Jaya. (pause) Live long, serve long.

Kīrtanānanda: Thank you. (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . are also so nice, and whatever little prasādam they get, they are satisfied, New Vrindaban.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They get . . .?

Prabhupāda: New Vrindaban.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hmm. Whatever they give . . . prasādam?

Hari-śauri: They get all their prasādam themselves.

Prabhupāda: That is devotee. So for the time being you utilize the money and checks, everything, for developing. So you have returned?

Hari-śauri: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Haṁsadūta: And we're also considering that a farm is very important there, to have a farm.

Prabhupāda: It is apartment?

Haṁsadūta: Excuse me?

Prabhupāda: Apartment?

Haṁsadūta: No. It's a house. It's quite a large house. Large area.

Prabhupāda: What foot is area?

Haṁsadūta: It's forty feet wide by maybe two hundred fifty, maybe three hundred feet long. It's ten minutes from the center of the city. The plot of . . . that particular piece of land is worth about two lakhs. Then another man . . . there's another man, very rich man. He saw the Bombay project, and he promised to give us a piece of land right on the beach for which he already had zoning permission to build a hotel. It's also a very nice area. But the most important thing, I mean we're trying to get some books published in Tamil and Sinhalese languages. And we do a lot of preaching. Is there something special you want me to do there, Prabhupāda? Do you have some . . .

Prabhupāda: No. There is every chance of making it successful, and the . . . as Kīrtanānanda has developed New Vrindaban, similarly you can do.

Haṁsadūta: Something along that line?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: You mean like a community, spiritual community, like Kīrtanānanda?

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, that would be very good there, because it's also a very ideal climate. Everything grows there very easily because there's plenty of rain, fertile soil, and there's only one city—that's Colombo. And it's a very small city. People are all agriculturalists. The government is also giving land free to encourage agriculture. Simply that it has to be cleared. It's jungle land; it has to be cleared. Shall we try for something like that?

Prabhupāda: What you can do it easily . . .

Haṁsadūta: Do.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This Dr. Kovoor affair has given you some position.

Haṁsadūta: Yes.

Prabhupāda: As an atheist . . . he is atheist.

Haṁsadūta: Yes.

Prabhupāda: His position is lost.

Haṁsadūta: Yes. It's quite lost. Everyone has been enlightened about his flimsy position.

Prabhupāda: (coughing) Our secretary, Kṛṣṇa?

Haṁsadūta: Excuse me?

Prabhupāda: Secretary . . . eh? I just forget his speak . . .

Haṁsadūta: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: I'll get Tamāla. (end)