Room Conversation
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
June 10, 1976, Los Angeles

Prabhupada: That is his blessing. He wanted; I tried. That’s all. Whatever is being done, it is by his desire. Vaisnava sata sankalpa.(?) Whatever he desires, that is to be fulfilled. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [SU 6.23]. Therefore, full faith in guru, that is the prime factor of success. Not any other things, no qualifications, no education, only strong faith in guru. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. This is the secret. So whatever little success is there, that was only this qualification, that I wanted to serve him. That’s all. Otherwise, there was no business of coming here at the age of seventy years.

Hrdayananda: No one could imagine that.

Prabhupada: You have seen all my room in the Radha-Damodara temple?

Radha-vallabha: We looked through the cracks. They’re usually not open. Very inspiring.

Hrdayananda: Radha-vallabha has one newspaper article when you had just arrived in, I think, Butler.

Radha-vallabha: Trivikrama brought it up last…, two nights ago.

Hrdayananda: When you had just arrived, I think before going to New York, and when you were being interviewed, and it said the Swami is welcoming lectures, and it was very inspiring for us.

Prabhupada: The Butler picture?

Radha-vallabha: Yes.

Prabhupada: Another paper was there: “Ambassador of India’s culture.”

Hari-sauri: Yes, that was the same article, in the Butler Eagle. It shows a photograph of you looking through one of your books.

Hrdayananda: Many times the devotees lament that we could not have been there to help you, because there was so much service.

Prabhupada: Yes, you are helping me. (pause) Who can create such fragrance except Krsna? (devotees laugh) Fragrance is coming from here, from the dirt, muddy dirt, and fragrance is coming. Unless there is fragrance, how it came here? The color is coming, the beauty is coming, the fragrance is coming, the arrangement is coming along the stem. Where is that scientist? They are seeing every day, and “There is no God.” Just see, how foolish they are. You do it.

Kirtanananda: In the future.

Prabhupada: (laughing) That is another bluff.

Kirtanananda: Post-dated check.

Prabhupada: Even if you do in future, what is credit? It is already done by somebody.

Hari-sauri: They’re just copying.

Radha-vallabha: They can create fragrance: simply the bad smell of their bodies.

Prabhupada: “In future.” They’re competing with God, and without being success, still: “I am God.” What kind of God you are? And foolish men have no sense; they accept such rascals as God. They do not see what is God. How beautiful flowers, how nice arrangement. You cannot manufacture even one fiber, and still you deny God. Mudha. He’s speaking, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10], “Under My supervision everything is being done.” And you have got experience that unless one supervises, nothing can be done very nicely. So these things are being done under some expert supervision. This part is green and this part it is red. Two colors are being transferred, transmitted. The flavor is not here, but here. What is this arrangement? There is no brain?

Hrdayananda: Superintelligence.

Prabhupada: And still the rascals say there is no God.

Trivikrama: “Just chance.”

Prabhupada: No, what a fool they are. Try to expose these fools. But people have lost their reason, brain, everything. Even if we expose, they cannot understand. Still they will stick.

Bahulasva: What is their hope?

Prabhupada: Hope, last hope is to kill them (makes loud sound with hand or instrument).

Devotee: Chopping off their…

Prabhupada: Kalki-avatara. No more teacher, saintly. With sword, cut. Finish. Wholesale massacre. Being killed by God, they get salvation.

Bahulasva: Even for doing nothing.

Bharadvaja: What kind of salvation?

Prabhupada: Salvation? They realize their spiritual identity. Apana karama, bhunjaye samana, kahoye. Karma-phala, result of sinful activities, very, very strong. Prahlada Maharaja’s prayer… Where is that book?

Hrdayananda: Which one, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: I think it is Tenth Chapter.

Radha-vallabha: The beginning of the Tenth Chapter is here.

Prabhupada: Yes, what is the first verse? Eighth verse?

Hrdayananda: Indriyani manah pranah or yadi dasyasi me kaman?

Prabhupada: No. The Prahlada Maharaja’s prayer? See this contents.

Hrdayananda: It starts in the Ninth Chapter, his prayers.

Prabhupada: Brahmadayah…

Hrdayananda: Yes.

Prabhupada: Read that.

Hrdayananda:

sri-prahrada uvaca brahmadayah sura-gana munayo ’tha siddhah sattvaikatana-gatayo vacasam pravahaih naradhitum puru-gunair adhunapi pipruh kim tostum arhati sa me harir ugra-jateh

“Prahlada Maharaja prayed: How is it possible for me, who have been born in a family of asuras, to offer suitable prayers to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Even until now all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, and all the saintly persons, could not satisfy the Lord by streams of excellent words, although such persons are very qualified, being in the mode of goodness. Then what is to be said of me? I am not at all qualified.”

Prabhupada: Go on, second.

Hrdayananda: Purport?

Prabhupada: No purport, translation.

Hrdayananda: Sanskrit also?

Prabhupada: Or translation. No, Sanskrit also. The mantra, hearing, that is very valuable. These are all Vedic mantras. If you simply hear, it helps you spiritually.

Hrdayananda:

manye dhanabhijana-rupa-tapah-srutaujas-tejah-prabhava-bala-paurusa-buddhi-yogah naradhanaya hi bhavanti parasya pumso bhaktya tutosa bhagavan gaja-yutha-paya

“Prahlada Maharaja continued: One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, luster, influence, physical strength, diligence, intelligence and mystic yogic power, but I think that even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one can satisfy the Lord simply by devotional service. Gajendra did this, and thus the Lord was satisfied with him.”

viprad dvi-sad-guna-yutad aravinda-nabha-padaravinda-vimukhat svapacam varistham manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitartha-pranam punati sa kulam na tu bhurimanah

“If a brahmana has all twelve of the brahminical qualifications [as they are stated in the book called Sanat-sujata] but is not a devotee and is averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is certainly lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater but who has dedicated everything— mind, words, activities, wealth and life—to the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is better than such a brahmana because the devotee can purify his whole family, whereas the so-called brahmana in a position of false prestige cannot purify even himself.”

naivatmanah prabhur ayam nija-labha-purno manam janad avidusah karuno vrnite yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhita manam tac catmane prati-mukhasya yatha mukha-srih

“The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always fully satisfied in Himself. Therefore when something is offered to Him, the offering, by the Lord’s mercy, is for the benefit of the devotee, for the Lord does not need service from anyone. To give an example, if one’s face is decorated, the reflection of one’s face in a mirror is also seen to be decorated.”

tasmad aham vigata-viklava isvarasya sarvatmana mahi grnami yatha manisam nico ’jaya guna-visargam anupravistah puyeta yena hi puman anuvarnitena

“Therefore, although I was born in a demoniac family, I may without a doubt offer prayers to the Lord with full endeavor, as far as my intelligence allows. Anyone who has been forced by ignorance to enter the material world may be purified of material life if he offers prayers to the Lord and hears the Lord’s glories.”

sarve hy ami vidhi-karas tava sattva-dhamno brahmadayo vayam ivesa na codvijantah ksemaya bhutaya utatma-sukhaya casya vikriditam bhagavato ruciravataraih

“O my Lord, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, are sincere servants of Your Lordship, who are situated in a transcendental position. Therefore they are not like us [Prahlada and his father, the demon Hiranyakasipu]. Your appearance in this fearsome form is Your pastime for Your own pleasure. Such an incarnation is always meant for the protection and improvement of the universe.”

tad yaccha manyum asuras ca hatas tvayadya modeta sadhur api vrscika-sarpa-hatya lokas ca nirvrtim itah pratiyanti sarve rupam nrsimha vibhayaya janah smaranti

“My Lord Nrsimhadeva, please, therefore, cease Your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiranyakasipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.”

Prabhupada: You are reading the transcription or original verse?

Hrdayananda: Transcription.

Prabhupada: So this transcription is quite helpful in pronunciation, everything. Exact it is coming. The diacritic marks follow, you can pronounce exactly. Then?

Hrdayananda:

naham bibhemy ajita te ’tibhayanakasya-jihvarka-netra-bhrukuti-rabhasogra-damstrat antra-srajah-ksataja-kesara-sanku-karnan nirhrada-bhita-digibhad ari-bhin-nakhagrat

“My Lord, who are never conquered by anyone, I am certainly not afraid of Your ferocious mouth and tongue, Your eyes bright like the sun, or Your frowning eyebrows. I do not fear Your sharp, pinching teeth, Your garland of intestines, Your mane soaked with blood, or Your high, wedgelike ears. Nor do I fear Your tumultuous roaring, which makes elephants flee to distant places, or Your nails, which are meant to kill Your enemies.”

Prabhupada: Now he’ll come to the point in which he’s afraid of. Next verse.

Hrdayananda:

trasto ’smy aham krpana-vatsala duhsahogra-samsara-cakra-kadanad grasatam pranitah baddhah sva-karmabhir usattama te ’nghri-mulam prito ’pavarga-saranam hvayase kada nu

“O most powerful, insurmountable Lord, who are kind to the fallen souls, I have been put into the association of demons as a result of my activities, and therefore I am very much afraid of my condition of life within this material world. When will that moment come when You will call me to the shelter of Your lotus feet, which are the ultimate goal for liberation from conditional life?”

Prabhupada: Prahlada Maharaja afraid of this material life, not of Nrsimhadeva. Such a fierceful appearance, he knows “He’s my Lord.” No fear, but he’s afraid of this material existence. Trasto ’smi, read it, the same verse, trasto ’smi.

Hrdayananda: Trasto ’smy aham krpana-vatsala duhsahogra.

Prabhupada: Duhsahogra: this material life, the tribulation, it is unbearable. Trasto ’smi, duhsaha ugra. Hm. Then?

Hrdayananda: Samsara-cakra.

Prabhupada: Ah, samsara-cakra. Then?

Hrdayananda: Kadanad grasatam pranitah, baddhah sva-karmabhir usattama…

Prabhupada: “And when I am put into this condition… Not that I am accusing You. It is due to my own fault, sva-karmabhih, by my own resultant action of karma.” Then?

Hrdayananda: Usattama te ’nghri-mulam.

Prabhupada: “Therefore kindly engage me in Your service.” What is the translation?

Hrdayananda: Of the whole verse?

Prabhupada: Of this verse, yes.

Hrdayananda: “O most powerful, insurmountable Lord, who are kind to the fallen souls, I have been put into the association of demons as a result of my activities, and therefore I am very much afraid of my condition of life within this material world. When will that moment come when You will call me to the shelter of Your lotus feet, which are the ultimate goal for liberation from conditional life?”

Prabhupada: Hm. Is there a purport?

Hrdayananda: Yes. “Being in the material world is certainly miserable, but certainly when one is put into the association of asuras, or atheistic men, it is intolerably so. One may ask why the living entity is put into the material world. Indeed, sometimes foolish people deride the Lord for having put them here. Actually, everyone is put into conditional life according to his karma. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja, representing all the other conditioned souls, admits that he was put into life among the asuras because of the results of his karma. The Lord is known as krpana-vatsala because He is extremely kind to the conditioned souls. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, therefore, the Lord appears when there are discrepancies in the execution of religious principles (yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata… tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]). The Lord is extremely anxious to deliver the conditioned souls, and therefore He instructs all of us to return home, back to Godhead (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]). Thus Prahlada Maharaja expected that the Lord, by His kindness, would call him again to the shelter of His lotus feet. In other words, everyone should be eager to return home, back to Godhead, taking shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord and thus being fully trained in Krsna consciousness.”

Prabhupada: Next verse.

Hrdayananda: Yasmat priyapriya-viyoga-samyoga-janma.

Prabhupada: This is description of this material life. Yasmat priyapriya?

Hrdayananda: Viyoga-samyoga-janma.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Hrdayananda:

sokagnina sakala-yonisu dahyamanah duhkhausadham tad api duhkham atad-dhiyaham bhuman bhramami vada me tava dasya-yogam

“O great one, O Supreme Lord, because of combination with pleasing and displeasing circumstances and because of separation from them, one is placed in a most regrettable position, within heavenly or hellish planets, as if burning in a fire of lamentation. Although there are many remedies by which to get out of miserable life, any such remedies in the material world are more miserable than the miseries themselves.”

Prabhupada: Just see (laughs). You want to mitigate some misery, and the process is still more miserable. Is it not?

Hrdayananda: Yes.

Prabhupada: They are trying to solve one problem, but creating another hundreds of problems.

Bharadvaja: What are some of the examples?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Bharadvaja: What is some example of that?

Prabhupada: Just like you create a motorcar for easy transportation, and you have experience: the power problem, the accident problem. If there is no power problem, you get more petrol, and you commit more accidents. And you stop car, then you are unable to move, because you now you have created city. If you want to go to consult a doctor, you have to go thirty miles from your residence. You require doctor, but because you have now car, you have big, big roads. So your doctor, medical consultant, is living thirty miles off. So you have to ride on cars to go to the market, to go to the office, to go to the medical man. So car is required. And as soon as car is there, the accident is there, and there is, power shortage is there, you require big, big roads, so on, so on, so on.

Hari-sauri: Pollution.

Prabhupada: So where is the solution of your problems? It has created more problems.

Kirtanananda: So village life is best.

Prabhupada: That is the best life. That you develop. It will be an ideal thing. You haven’t got to go office fifty miles off. Just get little vegetables and milk, bas, your problem is solved. It is practical. Why you should go fifty miles off?

Radha-vallabha: In New York, to go to work, they go into the subway car, and there are so many people…

Prabhupada: That… Not only, the ferry, steamer, bus, train, subway, cars, there are so many things. I’ve seen it. They start for going to the office early in the morning, and they come back at eleven o’clock at night. And few hours, that is their family life. And that hours are wasted by sleeping and by sex. This is their life. And to forget all these miserable conditions, drink. This is civilization.

Hrdayananda: Horrible.

Radha-vallabha: My father used to get up very early in the morning to go to work, and he would be so tired from going to work, as soon as he got home, he would just eat and immediately fall asleep. I’d ask him why he was working so hard, he would say, “Simply to support the children.” But now he has no more wife, no more children, and he’s still working the same.

Prabhupada: Horrible civilization. Chant Hare Krsna.

Radha-vallabha: They say they have no time.

Prabhupada: (laughs) All right, come to New Vrindaban, we shall give you food. That they won’t come.

Radha-vallabha: They have to work.

Devotee: They are afraid of nature.

Kirtanananda: So Srila Prabhupada, I’m going back tonight.

Prabhupada: Why so soon?

Kirtanananda: To get ready for your coming.

Radha-vallabha: I think that’s all Kirtanananda Maharaja ever thinks of, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Radha-vallabha: I think all Kirtanananda Maharaja ever thinks of is when you are coming.

Prabhupada: I am also thinking of their fresh vegetables and fresh milk. (devotees laugh) Which is not avail…

Hayagriva: Remember the first time you came out, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Huh?

Hayagriva: Remember the first time you came? You walked up the road. Our car, we tried to take you in the car, but it didn’t work, it broke. Power wagon.

Kirtanananda: It got stuck.

Prabhupada: All fresh vegetable, fresh milk, this is celestial. Who has got the opportunity in the city? Automatically. (noise like drums in background)

Devotee: Some kind of parade.

Prabhupada: All right.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. (end)