Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
June 27, 1973, Navadvipa

Prabhupada: …German center, (Bengali) ekta United States.

Sridhara Maharaja: Three in America.

Prabhupada: Three in America.

Sridhara Maharaja: Another three, Another…?

Prabhupada: Another three in Europe.

Sridhara Maharaja: Three in Europe. Six.

Prabhupada: One in India.

Sridhara Maharaja: India, one.

Prabhupada: Yes. (Aside) (Bengali) Why you are keeping there?

Sridhara Maharaja: India, one. Seven.

Prabhupada: Seven. And Africa, one.

Sridhara Maharaja: One.

Prabhupada: Eight.

Sridhara Maharaja: That will be at. (eight)

Prabhupada: And one, Australia.

Sridhara Maharaja: Australia.

Prabhupada: New Zealand.

Sridhara Maharaja: Nine, New Zealand ekta. (one)

Prabhupada: And one…

Bhavananda: Canada.

Prabhupada: Canada.

Devotee: Africa and South America.

Bhavananda: Ah, yes, South America.

Prabhupada: South America. What part?

Sridhara Maharaja: South America. South America, kon jaegaeta (?)

Bhavananda: Australia and Southeast Asia also.

Prabhupada: Argentina.

Sridhara Maharaja: Argentina.

Devotee: And Japan. Japan.

Prabhupada: Japan includes now…

Devotee: Western United States.

Prabhupada: Western.

Bhavananda: Western United States?

Prabhupada: Yes. Including Hawaii and Japan. Japane lokera…

Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Russiate, there is big loka. I have got a student there. They are very much strict about religious things. When I went to Moscow…

Sridhara Maharaja: Well, reaction will come.

Prabhupada: Reaction already come. They do not…

Sridhara Maharaja: Sure to come… Reaction, reaction.

Prabhupada: So they found one of my Bhagavad-gita in the immigration. So immediately he called police. (laughs) Then he, he examined. He allowed, “All right, it is all right. It is such a rubbish.” But they are not very happy country, as they advertise.

Sridhara Maharaja: What is happiness? God is happiness.

Prabhupada: Now, apart from materially, they’re poor.

Sridhara Maharaja: Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha…

Prabhupada: This is…

Sridhara Maharaja: …anudarsanam. So they are poor in intelligence. This is sattvic intelligence. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam.

Prabhupada: Anudarsanam.

Sridhara Maharaja: Divide up higher kind of intelligence.

Prabhupada: The Russian professor…

Sridhara Maharaja: And the scientific fineness that is also in the jurisdiction of matter. But a more subtle and subtler knowledge is possible.

Prabhupada: Now we are presenting through two of my scientific students, Doctor of Chemistry, that matter is, the source of matter is spirit. This is our theory. Generally they believe the life, life comes from matter…

Sridhara Maharaja: Life comes from matter.

Prabhupada: Matter. But we, we are presenting, “No, matter comes from life.”

Sridhara Maharaja: Apparently. This is not appropriate. This is Vedanta. Vedanta…

Prabhupada: Janmadyasya yatah.

Sridhara Maharaja: I said that just examine the healthy body. This material world is an excema expect(?) in the healthy body.

Prabhupada: Yes. Material, material atmosphere means diseased condition.

Sridhara Maharaja: Diseased condition, very negligent or diseased condition, very negligent part, forming very negligent part of the whole, this material world, where creation and dissolution is compulsory.

Prabhupada: Bhutva bhutva praliyate.

Sridhara Maharaja: Creation and the dissolution is compulsory. That is a negligent portion of the real universe.

Prabhupada: ekamsena.

Sridhara Maharaja: Otherwise, if a major portion of a body is bad, then that cannot stand. So the major portion of the universe must be healthy, wholesome. And the negligent part is the diseased portion. That is the world, where the majority lives.

Prabhupada: One fourth part.

Sridhara Maharaja: The, the possession of Satan. It is under possession of Satan. Satan means having vikrta-jnana. That is misunderstanding. Misunderstanding is perverted. Misunderstanding is set out. Understanding is there, but it is perverted.

Prabhupada: Dehatma-buddhih.

Sridhara Maharaja: Dehatma…

Prabhupada: Dehatma-buddhih.

Sridhara Maharaja: Dehatma-buddhih. Rather, rather the enjoying principles, offensive.

Prabhupada: Sense gratification.

Sridhara Maharaja: Enjoying mood. That is the basis of this. And mood of renunciation. That is a vapor state. That is nothing only. And the real life is the life of self-dedication and service. And the service not of any part. Or service not for any part which is like me, but for the whole, for the Divinity. As Krsna says in Gita,

athava bahunaitena kim jnatena tavarjuna vistabhyaham idam krtsnam ekamsena sthito jagat

Who lies, whose bed is infinite. Sesasrita, Ananta. Infinite gathered together. And though He seems to, to have a figure, but figure that, that sort of figure which can contain many, many number of infinite of our conception. Krsna is a figure talking with Arjuna, a limited figure, but Visvarupa emerged from Him. How? A big Visvarupa emerged from a limited figure? So such limited figure, that is God. Vrndavana. Vrndavana has been described as only sixty…, say…

Prabhupada: Eighty-four miles.

Sridhara Maharaja: Thirty two miles. Thirty-two miles.

Prabhupada: Somebody says eighty-four.

Sridhara Maharaja: Athar-krosa (?) Vrndavana,

Prabhupada: Ah, Saloka. (?)

Sridhara Maharaja: …thirty-two miles. But Paravyoma, which is to be understood as Vaikuntha, means infinite, many of the paravyomas is accommodated there within that thirty-two miles area. Square miles area, or something like that. That, we must be conversant with that sort of understanding. Any number of length of rope coming, but only two fingers less. Only two fingers less. Another big rope added. Again that two fingers less. This is all categorical principles. We have to be acquainted with. Then we shall go to read Bhagavatam or to… (Bengali)

Prabhupada: Drive the flies.

Sridhara Maharaja: How it is possible. Eka vigraha tanra ananta svarupa. In one figure, He accommodates numberless of figures. Eka vigraha tanra ananta svarupa. But all these appear to be real and it will be shown to them who has got real sraddha. Sraddhamayo ’yam lokah. The world of faith. And that is substantial, not imaginary. What we say to be concrete, that will be reduced to ashes and imaginary. It will evaporate, both the scientists, material scientists, as well as the rsis. But this will evaporate one day with sun, moon, everything. This will evaporate, but that subtle thing stands forever. Sraddhamayo ’yam lokah. The experience of the region of faith stands forever, undisturbed. The world of experience is evaporating every second. And for the being who is dying every moment, every second dying, the what is to be told to us to be reality, that is, means dying every second. That sort of reality is given to us by these great persons of the present universe, big scientists, and big leaders of the knowledge(?) world. In India there is a saying that once a big mountain, he he or she expressed that she will produce a child. Parvate musika bhave. She has got fame just before producing child. Then the people thought, “Oh, what a big child must come when the big mountain, she feels pain to produce a…” Eh?

Prabhupada: Labor pain.

Sridhara Maharaja: Labor… “Then a big child must come.” At last it was seen that a mice, a mouse was produced. So the big, giants of the present world, so-called leaders of the scholars…

Prabhupada: Scientists.

Sridhara Maharaja: …scholars, with world, they are producing like a mouse. That is a dying substance, in this form or that form.

Prabhupada: Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30].

Sridhara Maharaja: Ah, this is sheer deception, a deception to be a challenge to the real thinkers. We should abhorrently throw it out at once. It is within the boundary of janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. Throw it off.

Prabhupada: So I, I try to impress upon them this fact, that this Krsna consciousness movement is a challenge for this deception. They’re simply deceived.

Sridhara Maharaja: All sorts of deception. Even Vaikuntha. Paravyome (Bengali) And the calculation, even they, the self is, a sort of calculation comes between the, the servitor and the object of service, then also it throws us down. In Krsna consciousness, that sort of calculation is also absurd. Where there is love, there cannot be any calculation. It is autonomous. Autonomous anuraga. Cultivate, do. No sort of calculation of any benefit. The calculation disturbs autonomy.

Prabhupada: (Bengali) Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya devi-mahesa-hari-dhama… [Bs. 5.43]. (Bengali) About our temple contemplation, it will be almost a skyscraper building.

Bhavananda: Will be.

Sridhara Maharaja: Eh?

Prabhupada: Skyscraper building in temple shape, with four divisions. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya devi-mahesa… [Bs. 5.43] So Mahesa-dhama, how it will be depicted? Parvati-wise. (?)

Sridhara Maharaja: It has been already described by Sanatana Gosvami in Brhad-Bhagavatamrtam. After crossing Brahmaloka,

Prabhupada: There is Mahesa-dhama, in between.

Sridhara Maharaja: Mahesa-dhama. And the devotee, Siva is devotee.

Prabhupada: Yes, everyone is… Siva’s devotional prayer is there in Fourth Canto, about the four sons. What are those?

Sridhara Maharaja: Devi-dhama. Viraja to viraja, nirvisesa. The last conception or the highest conception of Devi-dhama is what are the conception of viraja; prakrti ends there… Then begins…

Prabhupada: Karana, karanarnava.

Sridhara Maharaja: Karana, karanarnava. Then it begins Brahmaloka, the halo of the spiritual world.

Prabhupada: Effulgence. Yes.

Sridhara Maharaja: Spiritual world. And that is also some, some, somewhat nirvisesa. And then, after crossing that, the Siva is on the other, higher side or he is in lower side. That is differentiation…

Prabhupada: Siva is…

Sridhara Maharaja: Differentiation on two sides is Siva. This side also, Master of Devi, and this side also. He is searching after something and when the differentiated world ends in Brahmaloka, there also Siva is devotee. This side, Siva is a yogi. He’s searching after. And then, there, he’s going to meet Narayana, to face (indistinct).

Prabhupada: Both sides, he’s a devotee.

Sridhara Maharaja: This side, he’s not such a devotee. But that is pure devotee on the other side, Vaikuntha.

Prabhupada: Ah. Sadasiva.

Sridhara Maharaja: Sadasiva, Maha-visnu. On the other side, he’s a devotee. Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh.

Prabhupada: Maha-visnu and Sadasiva, the same.

Sridhara Maharaja: Same.

Prabhupada: Advaitacarya.

Sridhara Maharaja: Advaitacarya. On the other side. and this side, sometimes revolving. The other day, I told a gentlemen that Siva is rather the leader of the opposition party.

Prabhupada: Yes, in Daksa-yajna, that is the curse.

Sridhara Maharaja: In Daksa-yajna and in many a place, many demons is encouraged by him. We find.

Prabhupada: But when Pracetas, Pracetas, they met Siva…

Sridhara Maharaja: That, that is that Siva, devotee Siva.

Prabhupada: Oh, they…

Sridhara Maharaja: Markandeya also in Bhagavatam, Markandeya worshiped Siva. But that is the devotee Siva. It is clearly mentioned in Bhagavatam. Markandeya’s worshiping Siva. But that Siva is the pure devotee of Narayana.

Prabhupada: Pracetas, Siva, the Pracetas met in this material world or in the spiritual world? They met in the material world.

Sridhara Maharaja: I can’t remember that particular… But Siva, this side also Siva, in the nirvisesa, on the lower side of the nirvisesa is also Siva, and the higher side of the nirvisesa is also Siva. Then Narayana.

Prabhupada: Here, he’s Bhutanatha, leaders of the atheistic-class of men.

Sridhara Maharaja: Atheistic class. And his paraphernalia is Nandibhrngi, bhuta, and his, and his eldest son is Vinayaka, and he misguided… The leader of the misguided, Vinayaka, Ganesa.

Prabhupada: Oh, Vinayaka. Vi-gata…

Sridhara Maharaja: Vinayaka. Not proper nayaka. Vikrta-nayakah.

Prabhupada: Vikrta-nayakah.

Sridhara Maharaja: Vinayanikapamode-suddha-prabhu, (?) that are protected by Krsna, and they, they…

Prabhupada: But in Brahma-samhita Ganesa is described: vighna-nasa.

Sridhara Maharaja: Vighna-nasa, but with the help of Nrsimhadeva on his kumbha.

Prabhupada: Oh, I see. Yat-pada-pallava-yugam vinidhaya.

Sridhara Maharaja: With the help of His lotus feet, he’s able to… Otherwise, he’s Vinayaka.

Prabhupada: (laughs) Vinayaka. Ganesa.

Sridhara Maharaja: (Bengali) posasas ca…

Prabhupada: Misleader.

Sridhara Maharaja: Misleader, misguider, Ganesa, his eldest son. And he give support, Siva. Just as C.R. Das, he encouraged the Subash Bose and the other members of opposition party but he himself was a little common person.

Prabhupada: So, Satsvarupa Maharaja, how do you like this place?

Satsvarupa: Very transcendental.

Sridhara Maharaja: (Bengali) Srutakirti, where is Srutakirti?

Prabhupada: Here is Srutakirti.

Sridhara Maharaja: His health, you have to arrange what will be…

Prabhupada: Srutakirti wants to serve you, provided you go with us, USA (laughter) He says, “If Maharaja goes with us, then I shall take care of him.”

Sridhara Maharaja: In another life. Some other life. (laughter)

Prabhupada: Ne. (Bengali)

Indian: (Bengali)

Sridhara Maharaja: (Bengali conversation continues for some time) (Devotee shows some vegetables)

Prabhupada: Oh, patal is there? Oh. (Bengali conversation with a little English, talking about success of the movement around the world, which vegetables to eat during Caturmasya and other topics for some minutes)

Prabhupada: How within five or six years…?

Sridhara Maharaja: (Bengali) The intellectual barrier has been crossed and from there, it is being extended to this mundane world of ours. (Bengali)

Prabhupada: One intelligent boy, you have heard his name, George Harrison, he’s one of the greatest musicians at the present moment, of the world. I think so, eh?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: George Harrison. So he’s becoming, he’s very intelligent, so he’s becoming interested. Now recently he has given us a house in London which is fifty-five lakhs.

Sridhara Maharaja: (Bengali)

Prabhupada: Which is worth two hundred thousand pounds. Two hundred thousand pounds ordinarily, it is forty lakhs. And in the market value, because pound is selling in India thirty, twenty-eight, at least twenty-five, in that way…[break]

(Bengali conversation for some time)

Prabhupada: …Bhaktivedanta Book Fund account (Bengali). “Five thousand dollars. You take advance. Deposit. And take my orders.” So I gave him order, “Books worth fifty-two thousands of dollars, advancing five thousand dollars.” And they gradually supplied to India. And from U.S.A. we gradually, little by little, we paid. So that became the asset, of books. And I advised them that “You go and present these books to respectable gentlemen to become a member, and they’ll become.” And actually that plan became successful. Now the same members, they have not only paid eleven hundred. Now some of them, they’re paying eleven thousand. Recently one gentleman belonging to the Birla family… Eh?

Bhavananda: L. M. Birla.

Sridhara Maharaja: The other day, the family came there and Jagan(?) went there…

Prabhupada: No, no. Another family. They came to our Calcutta center. In how many motors they came?

Bhavananda: Seventeen.

Prabhupada: Seventeen motor cars, whole family. And after seeing the Deity they presented a check for eleven thousand rupees. So by Krsna’s grace, money is coming. There is no scarcity. And they are spending here in Mayapura. So with that five hundred, five thousand dollars, whatever asset is Indian now, that is from five thousand…

Sridhara Maharaja: Also you have proved also that capital is on the other world. Capital is also… So it is being supplied.

Prabhupada: Now, these books suppliers, Dai Nippon, they give us credit up to $200,000. $200,000, in our Indian exchange, it is twenty lakhs of rupees. So they give us credit. We take books from them and distribute and then pay. In this way, it is going on. In Los Angeles alone we are selling… How many books daily?

Devotee: Two thousand, maybe. Fifteen hundred a day.

Prabhupada: Two thousand pieces, and the collection is about eight thousand dollars, no, eight hundred dollars. Eight hundred dollars. So they’re very anxiously taking our books. A new literature. They have no such idea, what is God, what is bhakti. How they can be explained. Our Bhagavad-gita As It Is, publisher MacMillan, within one year… Last August they, the first edition. And… Not yet August. By this time, they have finished two editions and the third edition is in the press. That will be available in July.

Sridhara Maharaja: Edition of a very number…,

Prabhupada: Fifty thousand.

Sridhara Maharaja: Fifteen thousand.

Prabhupada: Fifty. Five, zero.

Sridhara Maharaja: Marvelous success.

Prabhupada: And Bhagavata also, we have got six volumes. So people purchase the whole set, sixty dollars. Sixty dollars for the whole set? No? How much?

Srutakirti: They sell it for thirty dollars.

Prabhupada: Thirty dollars, yes. So this is very encouraging that our books are… (Bengali) The books are selling like anything, these books.

Sridhara Maharaja: Hotcakes. (laughter)

Prabhupada: Hotcakes, yes. We are ordering to Dai Nippon, because they are giving us facilities, 100,000 copies each. And distributed all over the world. The whole world, Australia… The whole… Australia is English-speaking. Whole America is English-speaking. England, English-speaking. And Europe also, half, English-speaking. India, more than half, English-speaking. So in this way, English literatures, worldwide circulation we are getting. And besides that, we have published in German language, in Spanish language. Just yesterday I received Spanish Back to Godhead. People are liking it very much. So here is something.

Sridhara Maharaja: Who is in charge of this publication?

Prabhupada: Publication… I have made one Trust, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Sridhara Maharaja: Who is the leader?

Prabhupada: I am there, and one, my sannyasi sisya, Bali-mardana.

Sridhara Maharaja: Where is that Bali-mardana?

Prabhupada: Bali-mardana. Bali-mardana and another, Karandhara dasa Adhikari. So actually he’s the manager, Karandhara dasa Adhikari. He is looking after.

Sridhara Maharaja: At America.

Prabhupada: In Los Angeles. He’s very intelligent boy. He knows everything. He knows accounts, He knows how to construct building. He knows how to manage. He knows how to publish. Everything.

Sridhara Maharaja: Versatile.

Prabhupada: Versatile, yes. And he’s not very old. And he wants to take sannyasa also. He’s a grhastha, he has got a child. And: “Just wait. We shall arrange for your… You are already sannyasi.” He lives apart from his wife. So he’s very nice boy.

Sridhara Maharaja: So I do not have here one copy, regularly.

Prabhupada: Oh, why, why not Back to Godhead?

Sridhara Maharaja: Last time I requested, but they have forgotten.

Prabhupada: It is…

Sridhara Maharaja: (Bengali) Once letter to me that in Benares Candrasekhara and Navadvipa Candrasekhara, uncle. The Benares Candrasekhara, the lekha sudra, and the Mahaprabhu’s maternal uncle Candrasekhara Acarya…

Prabhupada: Candrasekhara, yes.

Sridhara Maharaja: Eh? …Has been misplaced.

Prabhupada: Oh, Candrasekhara Acarya and sudra…

Sridhara Maharaja: And Candrasekhara…

Prabhupada: Where?

Sridhara Maharaja: Has been told to be this Candrasekhara, a servant Candrasekhara.

Prabhupada: Benares Candrasekhara was a vaidya.

Sridhara Maharaja: Vaidya.

Prabhupada: And he is…

Sridhara Maharaja: This is… Uncle,

Prabhupada: Uncle, uncle. In Back to Godhead, you have seen it. Maybe.

Sridhara Maharaja: So much clear conception in such a small period of time, that they have acquired. This is a marvelous thing. The Damodara also, ISKCON has said in such a way, this Damodara Svarupa and the Pandita Damodara. Generally, these are for public, but minute reader only can differentiate.

Prabhupada: Damodara. Svarupa Damodara and Damodara Pandita.

Sridhara Maharaja: Damodara Pandita. Two different, but one is Lalita. Another is a manjari of Candravali, Pandita Damodara.

Prabhupada: Opposite party.

Sridhara Maharaja: Opposite party. And this is the leader of this party, and he…

Prabhupada: How they came together? Caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna.

Sridhara Maharaja: Bon Maharaja once misplaced that very…

Prabhupada: In which book?

Sridhara Maharaja: In this…

Prabhupada: Eh? In which book. Or he spoke in a speech or what?

Sridhara Maharaja: In speech must be, but…

Prabhupada: But he hasn’t got many books.

Sridhara Maharaja: No. One “Paramo Dharma” in Bengali, and “First year in England,” “Second year in England,” in this way…

Prabhupada: That is not a…

Sridhara Maharaja: One (indistinct) in German language.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Sridhara Maharaja: What is there, I do not know. “First Year in England.” “My First Year in England.” “My Second Year in England.” And it was very disgusted to Prabhupada, this…

Prabhupada: Prabhupada, yes.

Sridhara Maharaja: And his servant.

Prabhupada: And therefore he was called back.

Sridhara Maharaja: Nothing, “I met that such and such person on such and such date. I met on that… I, that is one lecture there.” Everything: “I, I, I…”

Prabhupada: And there was a picture: “Swamiji is playing on harmonium.”

Sridhara Maharaja: And Tirtha Maharaja is trying a, feed (be?) a pigeon or something like that, and staring… These were the pictures while London preaching. And the money…

Prabhupada: So our present Tirtha Maharaja, Bhakti-Vilasa-Tirtha Maharaja, he’s representing Prabhupada. At least, he tries to pose himself. So Bon Maharaja’s activities, in comparison to that, my activities certainly better. And Bon Maharaja was given so much reception. But he did not give me any reception. How he can claim to be Prabhupada’s representative?

Sridhara Maharaja: Bon Maharaja was given reception because Prabhupada…

Prabhupada: No, Prabhupada appreciated anyway.

Sridhara Maharaja: Anyway.

Prabhupada: But here there is no appreciation.

Sridhara Maharaja: He’s representing, he’s representing the mission, he thinks. He thinks so, but he’s so poor in his preaching capacity that he cannot accommodate any other in his camp than him and Vinohe(?). I heard a story of Maharashtra. In old days, there was a good king who encouraged the panditas very much. And he had got in his assembly a scholar, one Balarama. He always looked after this, that. No pandita can have any entrance to that Maharaja. And he professed himself to be, he is the biggest pandita in the land. So once Kalidasa… At the time of Kalidasa. Kalidasa, when he heard, then he found a plan. And went to that pandita, that “I a poor brahmana. I want some, some sort of money from the king. You are all in…”

Prabhupada: Recommend.

Sridhara Maharaja: “Please recommend me.” “Oh, yes. And then what sort of scholarship you have got? Do you…, can you compose any poem?” “Yes. I can.” “Then do it.” Then: uttisthottistha bhu-rajan mukham praksalaya atha, roditi na ghare kukurana vaidyuhi na vaidyo hi.(?) This stanza. What is the meaning? (laughs) The uttisthottistha rajan. “Oh King,…”

Prabhupada: “Get up.”

Sridhara Maharaja: “Wake up, wake up. Get up.” bhu-rajan mukham praksalaya atha. “And…”

Prabhupada: Wash up.

Sridhara Maharaja: “…cleanse your mouth. Wash your mouth.” And ta what is this ta? “Well, keep it in your hand.” Roditi na ghare kukura… “The ta must come here.” Roditi na ghare kukura ta mughi. “That ta is placed there in advance, that ta must come here.” Roditi na ghare kukura ta. “But for the canda, and it has been removed there. And that one word, the place was empty. So this ta has been positioned, has been placed there.” Roditi na ghare kukura. “And what is this Ca vai tu ki, ca vai tu ki? No.” “This is ca-vai-tu-ki, all these letters only to pada, for pada purana. So this fourth pada, I could not fill up. So these four things have been placed here.” ca vai tu ki, “Oh, that’s very good I’ll put it to the king.”

Prabhupada: He saw it is very intelligent.

Sridhara Maharaja: “How, how a scholar I am I! I wrote this is the specimen of other scholars.” (Bengali—recites some verses) And this sort of poems was produced by him in the court. The king was charmed. This man was perplexed. So Tirtha Maharaja (?) is like Balarama. And he, and he…

Prabhupada: Nobody should be allowed. (laughter)

Sridhara Maharaja: And when he find man comes around him, then he will be nowhere to the… He’s, he’s, he’s knows one thing, that Haritaki. You know that story of Haritaki.

Prabhupada: Yes. (Laughs)

Sridhara Maharaja: He knows this canar-dharma. (?)

Prabhupada: Yes.

Sridhara Maharaja: Canar-dharma is everything to him, just as Haritaki to that fabulous Kaviraja. (Bengali)

Sridhara Maharaja: And he has got one thing, I…

Prabhupada: Yes. Tusarkanti (?) very much appreciates.

Sridhara Maharaja: Whom?

Prabhupada: No, this canar-dharma. Because that Gaura Maharaja, you know.

Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, I know.

Prabhupada: He told me that he was given…

Sridhara Maharaja: He wanted election of Vasudeva Prabhu, Gaura Maharaja and that Bhagavanananda, but Parasurama. But anyhow, he escaped and he came to Tirtha Maharaja, his former relative, old Tirtha Maharaja, former relative. Then Tirtha Maharaja told him that “What about my guru?” “Well, if your guru on one side, another bullock in another side. And if you can plow and produce some crops, and that can be offered to Mahaprabhu, then your guru may have a path of relish.” (laughs) See what Tirtha Maharaja says, “This is blasphemy.” “No, it is true, but this is very cruel. But this is truth.”

Prabhupada: Yes.

Sridhara Maharaja: If he’s presently the pakka Mayavadi, if he’s used passively by a great man then only in that way he can come this side. Not in front walking. Not by front walking. Only by back drawing, he can be taken to this side only. It is quite true. That… So Cinmayananda. Now Gaura Maharaja, he knows me better, and he, he’s a paid Goswami of those Patrika persons.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Sridhara Maharaja: And they are exploiting him. He’s exploiting them.

Prabhupada: This time, in their meeting, they made me chief guest. But I did not attend.

Sridhara Maharaja: That’s a lower position.

Prabhupada: In, in a big meeting, they made me chief guest.

Sridhara Maharaja: He wants to show, so that, “I have got…”

Prabhupada: That, that…

Sridhara Maharaja: … such big man.

Prabhupada: Omkaranatha…

Sridhara Maharaja: Was president, was made president.

Prabhupada: And that uh…

Sridhara Maharaja: And yourself, Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja invited to be vice-President. I heard.

Prabhupada: Oh. Madhava Maharaja went there.

Sridhara Maharaja: Went there.

Prabhupada: Yes. He lectured. And I did not go.

Sridhara Maharaja: And Tirtha Maharaja did not go.

Prabhupada: I do not know. Tirtha Maharaja did not go?

Bhavananda: They were made Vice-presidents, but Srila Prabhupada was asked to be chief speaker.

Sridhara Maharaja: Once when I was in a hut here, then Anandamani came to Navadvipa, and one devotee, Mano-ranjana, he wanted to bring Anandamani here. I refused, that “I won’t be able to pay any respect to her. She’s a pakka Mayavadi.” I, I saw that she, with a cow in her back and with the flute…

Prabhupada: Yes, there is a picture like that.

Sridhara Maharaja: Picture. So it is abhorrent. I refused that I won’t, however she may be… She was not so great as she is now famous but I refused. What I need for him, for her? Hare Krsna. Tirtha Maharaja is of this type, this type. I had one Sanskrit sloka devoted to Prabhupada: Gauri-ganga-tate nava-braja navadvipe tu mayapure sri caitanyam atha prakasa-kamaru jivaika-kalanaudhi, sri-siddhanta-sarasvatiti milito gauri gurvanyaih bhartur amriba prabhata gagane rupanuga-pujitau.(?) Siddhanthi, (Bengali) He told the composer of this poem, “He has got not a place in the matha of Prabhupada.” Who can praise him in such a poem, “He cannot, he has no place…,”

Prabhupada: Place.

Sridhara Maharaja: “…of accommodation in his own, in the matha of Prabhupada.” (Bengali) Adrsti-parihasa. What will be the English expression? Adrsti-parihasa. Kasno…

Prabhupada: Desire.

Sridhara Maharaja: I have got another sloka. That is, that will be very effective to have a clear conception of Prabhupada’s mission. Nikhilo bhuvana-mayacchino vicchino karteji vivhala bahuta mukti mohan tadatri, siti-liti-vidhi radha radha-radhe sadhane vilasatu dviji tam bhaktisiddhanta vani. (?)

Prabhupada: Apnara composition.

Sridhara Maharaja: A clear picture of Prabhupada’s mission. Visi siti mayachinna vichinna kartr. And vibudha bahula vimudhe means scholars. Vibudha bahula vigdha mukti mohana dart asiti…

Prabhupada: The mohan.

Sridhara Maharaja: Eh?

Prabhupada: The mukti (Bengali conversation continues with Sanskrit verses praising Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati) …garden like this, surrounding. Like I see so many fruit trees.

Sridhara Maharaja: Ah, yes. Do it gradually. And the more beautiful, they will do it in their time.

Prabhupada: Eh? This is very beautiful species.

Srutakirti: Yes, big birds and…

Prabhupada: Eh?

Devotee: Engineer was saying that if we have a big tree around the building, then it blocks the view of the building. We will make such beautiful building and no one will see it through the trees.

Sridhara Maharaja: What does he say?

Prabhupada: If we cover with gardens, big, big trees, then the beautiful building will be covered. So therefore he wants to keep it barren. (laughter)

Devotee: That is how the engineer always sees his engineering.

Sridhara Maharaja: You see, Vrndavanam, Gauravanam, the vegetable class is not eliminated. They have got their part to play, and that is not to be neglected. At night… At night…

Prabhupada: I think, Maharaja, after your coming here, all these trees have grown.

Sridhara Maharaja: Only these trees…

Prabhupada: Only the mango tree I remember…

Sridhara Maharaja: Others have grown. At night in the forest pastimes, holding a principal part of the Krsna-lila. And when pasturing the cows, then also, forest is necessary. So it will arouse in your mind the memory of Vrndavana and the Gauravana. They have got their part to play. And what Uddhava says? (Sanskrit) “I aspire after the birth of a shrub or creeper or a grass in this land because I may have chance of being, having been tread by Your, those divine damsels. Then their feet dust will be on me.” So that is a necessary and important part, this vegetable kingdom.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Sridhara Maharaja: …of Vrndavana and Gauravana. They will arouse in your mind the first real memory of Krsna and His pastimes.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Sridhara Maharaja: And help you, help you. Green. (Sanskrit) But real sabuja is there in Vrndavana, the source of all sabuja. This sabuja will die, will be dried out.

Prabhupada: Wither away.

Sridhara Maharaja: The source of real sabuja, kisora sabuja, constant sabuja, constant greenness, is only there, kisora. Nitya kaisore sthiti. Eh?

Prabhupada: (Bengali)

Sridhara Maharaja: Everyone is a kisora. Kisora means youth. (Bengali)

Prabhupada: Pre-youth.

Sridhara Maharaja: Pre-youth.

Prabhupada: Pre-youthtime, kisora.

Sridhara Maharaja: Pre-youthtime. And there it stands. (Bengali)

Prabhupada: Have we got bael nuts also, with our garden?

Devotee: Separate.

Prabhupada: Oh, separate. Yes, bael nut is separate. That police officer, Ashe(?), district magistrate…

Sridhara Maharaja: Was re-elected. (Bengali) …on the real basis of this downpour of the civilized people here. (Bengali conversation for some time)

Prabhupada: If you manufacture one palanquin… Palanquin. You know palanquin? Then sometimes you can carry Sridhara Maharaja there. Yes. It will be great service and benefit for you. Because he’s, he’s very now…

Sridhara Maharaja: Feeble.

Prabhupada: Feeble now. So palanquin is all right. He can be carried in palanquin.

Sridhara Maharaja: Hare Krsna.

Prabhupada: Now, this is the palanquin.

Sridhara Maharaja: It will be a ludicrous exhibit, sitting demonstration…

Prabhupada: No, why? All aristocratic kings, they were carried by palanquin.

Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, it was previously.

Prabhupada: And…

Sridhara Maharaja: Now the motor car has taken place and the more

Prabhupada: Motor, motor, there is jerking.

Sridhara Maharaja: …helicopter.

Prabhupada: Now, now we, this, recently, before coming here, one of my students, Syamasundara, he took me from the airport on helicopter to my temple, and he spent one thousand pounds for that rascal thing. Unnecessarily. “Why you have spent unnecessarily?” No.

Sridhara Maharaja: What this mundane man?

Indian: (Bengali) (end)