Room Conversation
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
January 23, 1977, Bhubaneswar

(kirtana in background)

Bhagavata: It was written in the paper that one naga, he has died from cold. He was wearing nothing. (laughs) He has died.

Prabhupada: In Magha Mela, er, Kumbha Mela?

Bhagavata: Kumbha Mela, yes. One naga. He died due to cold. It became very cold one night after you left, so cold that the naga, he died from having no cloth.

Prabhupada: He must die. They imitate.

Bhagavata: Yes. He is a cheater.

Prabhupada: No sadhana, bhajana, and simply naga.

Hari-sauri: They smoke chillums, so they’re so intoxicated that they don’t…

Gurukrpa: I saw one naga. They said he was smoking a cigarette for twelve years. Not a chain smoker, “cable smoker.”

Prabhupada: Markata-vairagya, the renunciation of a monkey.

Bhagavata: You have explained in Fifth Canto. Verses are there. Renunciation like a monkey.

Gurukrpa: One man had his arm up for twelve years. He had his arm up with his hands closed, and his fingernails had grown, and his arm was flat for keeping up for twelve years like Hiranyakasipu.

Hari-sauri: We saw one man in the Ramanuja camp, too. He hadn’t sat down for eighteen years. He carried a small swing with him, so wherever he went, he would go underneath a tree and hang the swing and lean on it. And he’d not sat down for eighteen years. (laughter) He had bandages all over his legs.

Bhagavata: They have concocted this. It is not written in Vedas anywhere.

Prabhupada: No, there are. Hiranyakasipu did it.

Bhagavata: That is a Vedic…?

Prabhupada: Yes. But what did he gain?

Bhagavata: He got this. (laughs)

Prabhupada: What did he gain? Became a raksasa and was killed.

Gurukrpa: Srila Prabhupada, I went to Jagannatha Puri today, and I looked at this land that Gargamuni was looking at, and I don’t think it’s a very good idea because it’s too central. It is right with all the hotels, and therefore the atmosphere there is not a very serenic atmosphere. But just maybe one mile down the beach I saw, which is still on the main road… It is within ten minute rickshaw. The atmosphere reminds one of Lord Caitanya, and the water there is much cleaner because it is away from the sewerage of the main city, similar to our Vrndavana, not far off, but five or ten minutes. It is the best place in Puri.

Prabhupada: So put this matter in the GBC meeting.

Hari-sauri: I found the address of one man who offered us some land. You remember in Bombay you wanted someone to look at this land.

Prabhupada: Yes, yes, yes.

Hari-sauri: Well, I found that address. This morning I gave it to Gargamuni, so he has to check that out yet. The land’s about a half mile from railway station towards the sea. So he’s going to check…

Prabhupada: So give him. He can go and see.

Hari-sauri: When they’ve seen everything, perhaps you’d like to go just to look at the different sights, see what you like.

Prabhupada: First of all you see whatever he selects, “This is the best.” Then I’ll…

Bhagavata: That area around Puri Hotel there has depreciated due to tourism. Due to the tourists coming, that area around Puri Hotel, everyone walking, and ladies and men together…

Prabhupada: Eating everything.

Bhagavata: …eating everything and taking bath together in the lake. Not a very good atmosphere. The boys and girls are walking hand in hand.

Prabhupada: They go to enjoy sex.

Bhagavata: Yes. It is a maha-tirtha, but they go there for…

Prabhupada: Sense gratification.

Bhagavata: …sense gratification.

Prabhupada: No, we can develop here. Here also people…

Bhagavata: At Bhubaneswar.

Prabhupada: One magistrate came. There were many respected people came.

Bhagavata: Tonight?

Prabhupada: Yes. If we make here nice arrangement, nice preaching, people will come here. People will come when there is real teaching.

Hari-sauri: In Vrndavana no one was coming to Raman Reti until our temple was there. Now thousands come.

Prabhupada: Nobody was coming. What…? Why they will come Raman Reti?

Hari-sauri: It was a very dangerous area, actually, to come to.

Prabhupada: And Bon Maharaja is there for the last forty years. Nobody came. Nobody goes there. (laughter) It is always locked, great failure. So much money he has squandered, lakhs and lakhs.

Hari-sauri: No kirtana, no Deities.

Prabhupada: And he wanted to attract foreigners. And not a single foreigner.

Bhagavata: He has started “oriental philosophy.”

Gargamuni: I dropped him at the train station.

Prabhupada: It is crowded?

Gargamuni: No.

Bhagavata: Abhirama is going tomorrow to Calcutta. On the way he will stop at Remuna.

Prabhupada: Why?

Bhagavata: He will inform them that you will come on which day. On the day, third or fourth of February, after this function is over, he will inform them that you are coming. Then night of the function I will go ahead and see that everything is…

Prabhupada: That you arrange with the secretary. So Brahmananda’s going to America. For the time being he should go.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes, he said he will go for some time. He just told me. [break] You are famous for starting from nothing. (Prabhupada laughs) In New York there was nothing, and you started.

Prabhupada: Yes, nothing.

Gargamuni: In Mayapur there was nothing. Here there is nothing and it is started.

Hari-sauri: Vrndavana there was nothing.

Gargamuni: All over the world you are famous for that.

Hari-sauri: In Bombay there was nothing.

Prabhupada: Yes. Bombay. (laughs)

Gurukrpa: Bombay was worse than nothing. (laughter) It’d been better if there was nothing in Bombay.

Prabhupada: No, you are rich man’s sons, Americans. We are poor Indians. My father was not a rich man, but your father, all are rich man’s father, rich man.

Gurukrpa: You are the father. You are a rich man. We have nothing.

Prabhupada: No, I may be rich man’s father, (laughter) but my father was not rich man. (laughs) I may be called rich man’s father.

Bhagavata: It is due to you, Srila Prabhupada, that we have… Any opulence that has come, it has come by your grace.

Prabhupada: Not… Krsna’s. They were surprised that we are spending twelve lakhs of rupees, India.(?) That’s a fact.

Gargamuni: They understand that kind of talk. Their eyes lit up. They all became wide…, very alert when you began speaking of money.

Prabhupada: And our daily income is six lakhs. They cannot imagine, but actually this is fact.

Bhagavata: They want to use it as an excuse why they should not take up spiritual life—“If I renounce, how I’ll live? Therefore I cannot take this spiritual life. I will not be able to live.” That is their excuse.

Prabhupada: No, even in your country. Here there is poor country. Even in your country, Los Angeles, the neighborhood shopkeepers… (end)