Room Conversation Tamala Krsna: Lay down? (pause) Then I calculated what it would mean for the whole year. Prabhupada: Now we have to open temple in every village. Tamala Krsna: Temples in every village? Prabhupada: Yes. Then spend money. Tamala Krsna: And then spend the money. Prabhupada: Don’t keep money. Spend it. The karmis, they spend for sense gratification. You spend for Krsna. Tamala Krsna: Well, there’s plenty of money to spend. Prabhupada: Karmi. Tamala Krsna: We also have plenty. Prabhupada: No, no, karmi. Tamala Krsna: Yes, I understand. I said there’s no shortage of money. Prabhupada: No. Tamala Krsna: Krsna’s giving us… I figured out, Srila Prabhupada, that if we… Just like we did in September, I multiplied times twelve to see how much money in a year your books are selling. And the BBT, in one year, can expect to make, around the world, about $8,100,000. In rupees that comes out to seven crores, seventy thousand rupees. Seven crores, seventy thousand rupees. Prabhupada: What karmi can earn so much! Tamala Krsna: What karmi can earn so much. For the temples, that means that by selling your books, the temples will collect about sixteen million dollars in one year. Or in other words, fourteen crores, nine lakhs, forty thousand rupees. Prabhupada: They’ll believe? Tamala Krsna: Well, believe it or not, it’s a fact. Prabhupada: Fact, yes. Tamala Krsna: Actually I don’t think these men like Bajaj or any of them could possibly make this much money even in material activities, what to speak of spiritual. Spiritual, they lose money. They have to support it. But we have such a genuine religious movement that it supports itself. We don’t require to construct big materialistic enterprises. We simply preach, and Krsna supplies all the money. Jayadvaita: Bajaj is just burdening the world with motorcycles, and you’re providing the highest subject matter for hearing and chanting. Prabhupada: Where there is need of money, send there. I mean to say, just like Africa and other backwards… I am simply dreaming, and you are actually on the field. Tamala Krsna: We are actually what? Brahmananda: On the field. Tamala Krsna: Yes, but that’s because we’re in your dreams. If you weren’t dreaming like this, we would be on the material field. Jayadvaita: It’s like Maha-Visnu is lying down. The whole material world is being expanded by His dreaming. So you’re lying down here, and the whole ISKCON activities are being expanded by your dreaming. Tamala Krsna: (chuckles) (pause) Do you want to hear some of the newsletter? It says here… This newsletter is written by Ramesvara. It’s especially meant for encouraging book distribution, Srila Prabhupada. It says, “Later on in the morning, Prabhupada sent for Gopala Krsna Prabhu and explained to him that he wanted to print as many books as possible. ‘My point is,’ Srila Prabhupada said, ‘that I don’t wish to keep money in the bank. Invest in printing.’ So in this way, although… Then Prabhupada went on, referring to Harikesa Swami, after he presented six new hardbound German books to His Divine Grace, ‘He is very intelligent boy. My Guru Maharaja is so pleased. He used to say whatever money is there was to be used for printing books. He was so happy to print books. So you do it all very nicely. I printed my books, and now you do it. These are first class and there is no defect. German printing is very favorable. This is all right. Thank you very much.’ It says here, ‘Harikesa Swami told Prabhupada that now he has to become more healthy to finish the Bhagavatam. Prabhupada replied, ‘Healthy? I have nothing to do with this body. I have to do with the spiritual world.’ Bhagavan prabhu mentioned to Prabhupada how many books his zone was distributing. They are trying for twenty thousand big books in one week. Prabhupada was very encouraged and told him, ‘Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati will give them all blessings. He wanted this very much.’ An hour later Hrdayananda Maharaja was in the room and told Prabhupada that they had printed 100,000 copies of Krsna book in Portuguese. Prabhupada said, ‘Thank you very much. Printing of books is our life force.’ Prabhupada looked through the books and again he asked, ‘How many published?’ When he heard 100,000, ‘Oh, how they are selling, and what is the price? Very good collection? Print more books. This is life. This material body—only bones. So go on and this is life. We are not concerned with bones and stones. Our concern is the living force. The living force is actually sustaining these bones. Bones are not life. Print books as I have shown the way: half again for printing and half spent for propaganda as you like. In this way go on.’ Then he turned to Jayapataka Maharaja and asked him if he was doing that. He told him, ‘Whatever propaganda is needed, you go out and spend, but print books and distribute. Whatever English books we have got, if we translate into Bengali, you have got enough stock.’ Jayapataka Swami replied ‘Yes, we have got a treasure house,’ and Prabhupada said, ‘In this way, in all languages, distribute. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. Chant Hare Krsna.’ ” It says here, “Prabhupada is translating the Third Volume of the Tenth Canto, and Volume Two is now just being printed and will be available for shipping to all temples on November llth along with a new book written by Srila Prabhupada called the Teachings of Lord Kapiladeva. Fifty thousand copies of each volume have been published.” Prabhupada: Fifty copies? Tamala Krsna: Fifty thousand. Prabhupada: Oh. Tamala Krsna: It says here, “This is the year of Europe,” Srila Prabhupada. It says here, “Here are the totals for book distribution in North America.” And Europe is leading. The number one zone is Bhagavan Prabhu’s. Number two zone is Jayatirtha Prabhu’s, England. And the number four zone is Harikesa’s zone. So Europe is leading the distribution. Maybe sometime later on today you can do a little translating, Srila Prabhupada. No? Actually the kaviraja recommended that you shouldn’t do that for a few days. Does that sound right? Okay. Anyway, I think Pradyumna and Jayadvaita have some work to catch up with, so they have enough to stay busy. Should we chant japa now, Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada: Hm. [break] Brahmananda: Well they were very stubborn. They simply insisted that there were two paths, and they were quoting Bhagavad-gita. I said, “Well, that may be so, but of the two paths, your path is the most difficult, and you’ve called the conference to spread Bhagavad-gita, so why are you spreading the most difficult path of Bhagavad-gita? Why not spread the most easiest?” Tamala Krsna: What did they reply to that? Brahmananda: At that point Mr. Bajaj interrupted and said that we shouldn’t discuss Bhagavad-gita but just how to promote Bhagavad-gita and how to cooperate. Tamala Krsna: While they are busy discussing, we are busy doing it. We have not had any trouble distributing the Bhagavad-gitas. Even though we have not attended their meetings, the distribution is going on very well. Svarupa Damodara: Practical application is more important than theoretical knowledge. Bhakti-caru: That also they don’t have. Brahmananda: Mr. Narayana recognized that about our Society, that we are applying Bhagavad-gita. He said, “I see from very early morning hours you are applying Bhagavad-gita,” because he attended the mangala-arati. Tamala Krsna: He was very impressed. He is naturally a devotee, Gujarati. He’s naturally a Krsna devotee. He can appreciate the importance of arati and Deities. Brahmananda: That man from that asrama… Tamala Krsna: Aurobindo. Brahmananda: Auroville. He was poisonous, very poisonous. Mr. Bajaj wanted to conduct the proceedings in English just so that I would be able to understand, because I was sitting as your representative, but that man refused. Tamala Krsna: What did he say? Brahmananda: Well, he just spoke in Hindi, and he said something in Hindi to Mr. Bajaj that “I want to speak in Hindi,” and he continued speaking in Hindi. Tamala Krsna: All artificial platform, surface. “Hindu, Indian, Hindi.” Brahmananda: He was very envious, that Auroville, of what is going on. Jayadvaita: They’re nothing. Tamala Krsna: They are nothing. No one ever heard of them outside of India. Prabhupada: Aurobindo never preached in Hindi. Tamala Krsna: (laughs) He was speaking in English? Prabhupada: Um hm. Tamala Krsna: You should have said that. “Why don’t you follow your master? He spoke in English.” That would have been a good point. You could say, “We are following our spiritual master. He speaks in English. Why don’t you do the same?” Prabhupada: He wrote all books in English. Tamala Krsna: And who can understand those books? Brahmananda: You remember I brought to you, Srila Prabhupada, that book I was studying in college when I first came to you. I brought one of Aurobindo’s books, Message of Gita. And you asked me to open the book and read one page. So I read the entire page out loud to you. Then you asked me to close the book. Then you said, “Now repeat what you have just read.” And I couldn’t. Tamala Krsna: You once described Aurobindo’s writing, Srila Prabhupada, giving the example of your childhood friend from school. He had to take the examination. So because he… Instead of writing normally, he made up so many big words, and the professors thought, “Oh, he’s very intelligent.” Prabhupada: (speaks some made-up words) Tamala Krsna: Did you hear that, what Prabhupada just said, Jayadvaita? Jayadvaita: No. Tamala Krsna: You didn’t follow the Sanskrit? Jayadvaita: I couldn’t hear. Brahmananda: It’s very important. If you can’t understand it, it means it’s important. (laughter) Tamala Krsna: They make up a language. Aurobindo has done like that. His writings are simply so many long words that no one can understand. Therefore they think, “Oh, he’s very intelligent. Important philosophy.” Your books are so simple and nice, Srila Prabhupada, that even little children take pleasure in hearing Krsna book and find no difficulty in understanding. And the biggest scholars, they are also praising. These are your books. I found that Sriman Narayana was not so envious. Prabhupada: No. Tamala Krsna: But the others were too much. He’s not envious. He actually appreciated. He’s very eager to come to Mayapura, Srila Prabhupada. Brahmananda: During our festival. Tamala Krsna: Yes. He wants to… Especially he said, “I want to come when all of the devotees are there.” He’s actually appreciating, just like that Mr. Ganatra. He also appreciates very much. Mr. Bajaj is thinking to make a tour around the world of all of our centers. Actually what they have been trying to do for thirty, forty, fifty years, Srila Prabhupada, you have done here in India in the last six or seven years. They don’t have one such temple as Krsna-Balarama Mandir, and you have created hundred. Jayadvaita: Prahlada Maharaja was telling his father that “You can have conferences all you like, but still you can’t understand Krsna.” Tamala Krsna: Would you like to hear Tenth Canto, Volume Two, Srila Prabhupada, a little bit? Or more of Kapiladeva? Kapiladeva would be nice. Ten, two? Prabhupada: Any book. Tamala Krsna: Any book. You know, Srila Prabhupada, I was thinking, I’m going to write Ramesvara that we should have in Los Angeles a Bhaktivedanta Swami Library with all of your books, many volumes of each book in all the languages. Each different bookshelf will be different languages. Some part of the library will be Spanish publications, German, Dutch, Swedish, Russian, different languages of Europe, Indian languages. And then we’ll also have a part of the library for archives. At least one or two copies of every single edition of all of the books. All the previous Back to Godheads, as many as we have even from your original ones published in India. In this way make a Bhaktivedanta Swami Library. People can come and read your books. No matter who they are, what language they speak, there should be at least one library like this. Reading rooms we can have all over the world, and we should have some library also like this. Brahmananda: They have that for all… Like great presidents of America, they all have a library, memorial library, where all their letters, all their papers, everything is kept. Truman has it, Kennedy has it, Johnson had it. Jayadvaita: That microfilm is there also, Yadubara has it. [break] Tamala Krsna: You said that we should always keep you surrounded. We should never leave you alone and always keep you surrounded. So Atreya Rsi told everyone that, so all the temples, they’re going to be sending some devotees to be with you each month. So I think fifty, sixty devotees every month will be with you. So I was wondering if when they come, sometimes they’re here, if they chant softly, is it all right if they are in the room? If they chant softly, then even when you feel like resting you’ll be able to rest. Because they have come… They’ll be coming from five, ten thousand miles to see you. So that’ll be very pleasing if they can be with you a few hours each day and chant quietly. Would that be all right? [break] Prabhupada: Resting. (Bengali) Dr. Kapoor: Can hardly speak. Tamala Krsna: Yes. Resting is good in this case. Best thing. Maybe I can read some nice news, Srila Prabhupada. Would you like that? This is a very nice report, Srila Prabhupada, from Peru. Dr. Kapoor said anyone would fall in love with it at first sight. (laughter) Panca ought to see the Tenth Canto. This is a new edition of Tenth Canto that has just come out. You’ll find some illustrations at the very beginning. Dr. Kapoor: I think you have excelled all other publishers in this art. (laughs) Tamala Krsna: These are Spanish publications. We were just reading. These are the books that they were distributing, that they were talking about, Krsna book in Spanish, three parts. There’s also some Spanish nectar that came. Upendra: It’s in the other room, I think. Dr. Kapoor: Which other languages have you translated Prabhupada’s books in? French? Tamala Krsna: Well, there’s I think twenty-seven languages. French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish… Dr. Kapoor: Oh. All the books are translated? Tamala Krsna: No. Gradually, one by one. This is Dvarakesa. He’s in charge of the translating department for East Europe. Which languages do you translate? Dvarakesa: Russian and Hungarian. And others translate into Yugoslavian and Polish, Czechoslovakian. Tamala Krsna: He has preached in some of those countries already. Panca-dravida: Now Bhagavad-gita in Arabic also. Tamala Krsna: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese. Twenty-seven languages altogether. One by one, they’re being translated. Some are doing… Of course, the German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, these are the main languages. And Hindi. These books are going quicker in translation. Shall I finish reading this report, Srila Prabhupada? [break] Dr. Kapoor: It’s a miracle what is happening, Prabhupada. Prabhupada: Yes. Tamala Krsna: There’s another report, from Africa. Should I read it? It says, “The sankirtana movement in the dark continent.” This was written by Jalakara and Syamalal. Syamalal is a Bengali devotee, Srila Prabhupada. You may remember him from Calcutta? He’s gone to Africa to preach, and he and this other boy Jalakara travel together all over Africa. Prabhupada: Yesterday… No, yesterday some prominent men, Dalmiya. Who came? Tamala Krsna: Dalmiya was here, Rama-Krsna Bajaj, Sriman Narayana, and some gentleman from Auroville Society was here to see you. I think they were participating in that conference, Gita-pratisthana. Dr. Kapoor: I was also invited. I’m sorry I couldn’t come because my wife was very ill. Tamala Krsna: Dr. Kapoor could not attend. His wife was very ill, he said. He couldn’t attend the conference. Srila Prabhupada, maybe you should rest now a little bit. Okay. (Bengali) Prabhupada: I’m tired. Bhakti-caru: Accha. Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada? Would you like to take some nice pomegranate juice? Very good. [break] Tamala Krsna: Any difficulties? Prabhupada: Everything difficult. Tamala Krsna: This is a gradual recovery, Srila Prabhupada. We can’t expect suddenly that overnight there will be recovery. I feel finally that we’ve understood a little bit what has been the difficulty. I really think this kaviraja has had a little understanding like that. And I think that this Ayurvedic medicine can effect a gradual change for the better. Let us try. We’re trying now. We’re patient, and if you’ll be patient also, then I think we’ll see a good change. Is that all right? Prabhupada: What can be done? Jagadisa: Do you feel better, Srila Prabhupada? Little more strength? Tamala Krsna: No, the strength is not supposed to come yet. You shouldn’t expect strength yet, because strength can’t come unless you eat. There’s no reason for him to feel strong, because he isn’t eating yet. The kaviraja explained that in order for Prabhupada to eat, first of all the liver and the kidneys have to be properly healed. Then automatically there will be appetite. If there’s appetite, then Prabhupada will eat. [break] Bhakti-caru: (Bengali) Gaura-govinda Maharaja. Prabhupada: (Bengali) Gaura-govinda: It’s okay. Bhagavata has arrived. Bhagavata has arrived, so I came to have darsana. Prabhupada: (Bengali) Gaura-govinda: We have been to Jagannatha Puri, and some jagannatha-prasada we have brought for you. Will you take some? Prabhupada: (Bengali) What work he gives? (Bengali) Gaura-govinda: Now we’ll begin construction. Our architect- engineer, Samjata, was there. He was making plans, but unfortunately he passed away the last 23rd. So… Prabhupada: What happened? Gaura-govinda: He suffered from fever. He had some fever, high fever. So he fell unconscious. The doctor came and gave some medicine. The fever was checked, but he gave some high-power medicines that affected his brain, and so he couldn’t speak. He just collapsed and stayed still. We came to the hospital that night. Doctor tried his best. He gave saline and oxygen. He stayed the whole night, but at the daybreak he passed away, when the morning came, just on the morning, 23rd morning. It was ekadasi day. That day he passed away. The day Bhagavata reached. The very moment Bhagavata reached there, he passed away. Prabhupada: Doctor gives treatment, not reliable. They make experiment. Gaura-govinda: Yes. Bhakti-caru: (Bengali about jagannatha-prasada) Prabhupada: Not… Kono… Give me some taste. I lost taste. Bhakti-caru: (offers misri-jala) Gaura-govinda: It is Bhaktivikasa Mahayogi Maharaja at Bhadrak who has donated that matha at Bhadrak? We have started new center? He has come with me to see you. Prabhupada: Oh. Where is he? Gaura-govinda: Here. Prabhupada: Bhaktivikasa Maharaja, dandavat. (Bengali) Bhaktivikasa: (Bengali) Prabhupada: (Bengali) What is the position of Bhadrak? Gaura-govinda: Bhadrak, there are three devotees now, Atma-tattva, Krsnadasa and Rohini-nandana, and they were preaching and making some members. Bhadrak is a good place for preaching. And I also come there. Just on the 1st November, there was a festival that on that day Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived there when He was going from Jagannatha Puri to Vrndavana. They observe that festival. So they have invited us to speak in that meeting on that day. Bhagavata and I came. There was a great festival and we do nagara-sankirtana in the evening. In the meeting Bhagavata spoke and then I spoke. This was very nice. Prabhupada: People are coming? Gaura-govinda: Yes, people are coming. In Bhadrak they have eight acres of land there. It’s cultivated land. If we can manage ourselves, then that will be nice. Now this Maharaja has given it to other agents. They’ll take half and give the half. Nobody was there to look after it. So if we look after it now personally, and take it up ourselves, then it will be managed nicely. And there are two cows also, it has got. Prabhupada: The arrangement is nice. Gaura-govinda: It requires a little modification. We made some constructions there for brahmacaris. There is one Deity room, that is pakka house, and one more… [break] (whispering) …Anantadeva and Dr. Syamasundara. Tamala Krsna: Yes, I’ve been writing them. Gaura-govinda: Yes, they have written letters to Prabhupada. (whispering) Tamala Krsna: You can talk out loud. You can talk now. You said Anantadeva and Syamasundara dasa Brahmacari, they were dealing with the pandas. Gaura-govinda: Pandas. So recently Syamasundara Brahmacari wrote me a letter to come to make Bhagavata if I went there. He made proposal that we start nirjok seva(?) there at the Jagannatha temple, Anantadeva’s proposal. Tamala Krsna: Nirjok seva? What is that? Gaura-govinda: Nirjok seva means we’ll purchase a fireplace, chimney, and also a little cooking. And we’ll give him rice, dal, sabji, cooking prasadam, and that would be offered to Jagannatha, Lord Jagannatha. Then they would use the prasadam. They would distribute it or… That is nirjok seva. That matha has appealed like that, “Do this thing.” Then they will recognize us, and get permission to enter. Tamala Krsna: Who will get permission? Gaura-govinda: There is a committee there. It is panda’s committee and temple management committee. Tamala Krsna: But who will be allowed to enter? Gaura-govinda: That will be passed in that committee. Tamala Krsna: No, but they will allow Western people to enter Jagannatha temple? Gaura-govinda: Yes, yes. They have talked with that Anantadeva, but they want money. Tamala Krsna: They want nirjok seva or they also want money? Gaura-govinda: By giving us permission, nirjok seva, means indirectly they want money. They’ll take money. Then they’ll give us permission to do nirjok seva and also, that way, entrance into the Jagannatha temple. Tamala Krsna: Oh. So how much money? Gaura-govinda: I talked with that Syamasundara and Anantadeva. He said thirty-six groups are there, nirjoks, panda groups. And administrator is there. They want something and all groups want something. (whispering) One lakh of rupee. Tamala Krsna: One lakh of rupees to see Jagannatha. But we can see Jagannatha in any temple in the world. Why do we have to pay one lakh of rupees? Srila Prabhupada? I was saying that we don’t have to pay one lakh of rupees to see Lord Jagannatha in Los Angeles. Prabhupada: Let them pray to Jagannatha for my cure immediately, or as soon as possible, I shall do that. Tamala Krsna: If they pray to Lord Jagannatha for your cure… Bhavananda: Immediately or as soon as possible, then he’ll do that. Tamala Krsna: Oh. First they should do the praying. Prabhupada: Let me be in health. Then I’ll do that. Tamala Krsna: Do you understand? Prabhupada says that the answer is that first of all they should pray to Krsna for Prabhupada’s cure, pray to Jagannatha for Prabhupada’s cure immediately, for his health. And then, when he is physically fit, then he will do the needful. But first of all, by their prayers to Jagannatha, they should make him physically fit. Is that right, Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada: Hm. Tamala Krsna: Who did you have talk with, Anantadeva or Syamasundara? Gaura-govinda: Anantadeva. Prabhupada: Who is Anantadeva? Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada said, “Who is Anantadeva?” Gaura-govinda: Anantadeva… They have written letters to you, from that Syamasundara Brahmacari and Anantadeva. Tamala Krsna: But Anantadeva is connected with which group? Gaura-govinda: He is a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Tamala Krsna: He’s disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta or Bhaktisiddhanta’s disciple’s disciple? Gaura-govinda: No, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Tamala Krsna: Directly. Gaura-govinda: Yes. Tamala Krsna: Gaura-govinda Maharaja says he is your Godbrother, Srila Prabhupada. There’s thirty-six pandas? Gaura-govinda: Thirty-six groups nirjoks. Tamala Krsna: Nirjok? Gaura-govinda: Yes. [break] Prabhupada: …moment I am sick. When I am well enough, I shall do something. Hm? Tamala Krsna? Tamala Krsna: Yes, that’s a very proper answer. So in order for you to be able to do something, they should pray to Jagannatha. Srila Prabhupada? Giriraja is here. Prabhupada: Oh. Giriraja? Giriraja: Yes. Prabhupada: How is your health? Giriraja: Oh, I’m better, improved. Prabhupada: What is the news of Nepal? Giriraja: Oh, well, they have a very nice program there. They have a nice house with many rooms, and the Nepalese people… Prabhupada: How many rooms? Giriraja: About nine big rooms. And they do street sankirtana every day in the main street, and they distribute literature. And the Society is not yet registered there, but I went with Prabhavisnu to a lawyer, and we’ve set up the formalities for getting registered, but the government is presently reviewing the registration law, so it might take a few weeks before they accept our case. Prabhupada: On the whole, it is favorable. Hm? Giriraja: Oh, yes. There is a tremendous scope. And the royal family is very powerful. They run the whole country, and, of course, they’re Hindus. So I also went with Prabhavisnu to meet one relation of the Queen Mother, and this lady was very enthusiastic about our activities. So I discussed with Prabhavisnu the strategy how to approach the royal family, and… It’s a Hindu state. They don’t claim to be secular, like in India, so… Tamala Krsna: Hopeful. Giriraja: Yes, it is hopeful. Then he has one local boy who has joined, Nepali, and he’s a very nice boy. I mean, there’s so much field for preaching. There’s the royal family, then there’s membership for the business community, and there’s sankirtana and book distribution for the general people, and then also there are many hippies there. So we could recruit devotees from amongst them. Tamala Krsna: The hippies seem to be still our best customers, Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada: Hm? Tamala Krsna: The hippies seem to be still very good customers. (Prabhupada laughs) Giriraja: That’s because Prabhupada’s patita-pavana. And the temple atmosphere is nice. It’s mainly sankirtana. There are no women there, so very good atmosphere. They have a nice program. They have a love feast program, and many people are coming. I think they can have two or three hundred people coming very soon. And the people are very simple and good natured. Everywhere we went, people would chant Hare Krsna. Tamala Krsna: They recognized the devotees? Giriraja: Yes. And they’re not envious. It seems that in India many of the people are a little envious of us, but everywhere we went in Nepal, it seemed that the people were very happy to see us. Tamala Krsna: Have you ever been there, Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada: No. Tamala Krsna: You’d like to go sometime? Prabhupada: Why not? Tamala Krsna: Okay. We’ll include that on our world parikrama. Giriraja: Actually, the relation of the Queen’s mother whom we met, she was also asking about people coming who could give good lectures and enthuse everyone. So I said that you yourself would probably like to come when you’re feeling better. So she was really wild about that idea. I’m sure that they would give you a real royal welcome. Tamala Krsna: Very good field it sounds like, Srila Prabhupada. Trivikrama: What about the language? Is there problem with language? Giriraja: No. The educated people speak English. In all the schools they teach English, so all the youngsters speak English in Kathmandu. And then most people in Kathmandu, even if they don’t speak English, they speak Hindi. And there are just a few who only speak Nepali. But Prabhavisnu has arranged for The Perfection of Yoga to be translated into Nepali. Tamala Krsna: He sounds like he’s doing very good, Prabhavisnu. Giriraja: Yes. Tamala Krsna: Good man. Giriraja: He’s very good. So he’s eager to get that in print. Then they’ll be able to distribute literature to everyone without exception. Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada? Do you remember when Prabhavisnu was here you told him to go with “the courage of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother”? He remembers those words. Prabhupada: Yes. Tamala Krsna: “Courage of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother.” Prabhupada: This is the word of a great poet. Tamala Krsna: Giriraja’s parents took him there, Srila Prabhupada, and they made another offer to him. Prabhupada: What is that? (Tamala Krsna laughs) Giriraja: Well, no, they… My father has increased the fortune, so he was trying to tempt me again, but I wasn’t interested. But I think in the end he may give in to Krsna, because we were in… We were helping Prabhavisnu by giving him dollars, and he would give us rupees. So we were in a shop, and my mother was making a check, which she was giving to me to give to Prabhavisnu. So the owner of the shop thought that the check was for him, and he started making some objections. So my father said, “No. In our system the husband gives to the wife, and the wife gives to the son, and the son gives to Krsna.” (laughter) So everyone laughed. Prabhupada: Just try to manage. Giriraja: I had a very nice dream last night in which Your Divine Grace appeared. And you were walking around the premises of the Vrndavana temple, and there were some doll exhibits. So you were saying that they should improve the quality of the exhibits, because this is their sadhana. So I felt that you were, actually, you were telling me that I should improve the quality of my service and that this was my sadhana, but to be, you know, polite, instead of saying it directly, you were pointing out to their service. And then you started to speak very directly and very boldly, and you were saying… You quoted the verse, yare dekha tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128] And you were saying, “This is my order, so you do it for me.” I mean, I felt that you were saying that since it was your order and we were doing it for you, even though it’s very difficult, but it would be successful. Prabhupada: Anyway, there is a beginning in Nepal. Try to implement. Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada? When you took prasadam today did you find a little taste? Not yet. Did you have any avocado? Prabhupada: That was little tasteful. Tamala Krsna: Hm. You’ve been thinking about having that for a long time. You talked about it on and off before. Avocado is said to be very good, nutritious. Prabhupada: What is the rent of the house? Giriraja: The rent? It’s about twelve hundred rupees, but that’s less than one thousand Indian rupees, and it’s right on the way to the Pasu-pati-natha temple, which is the biggest temple in Nepal. Prabhupada: Hm. Very famous temple. Tamala Krsna: You’ve heard of it, Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada: Hm. People go there to see. Tamala Krsna: How is it on the way? Directly on the way? Giriraja: There’s a crossroads which all the traffic passes to go to that temple, and our temple is about just a few hundred yards from that crossroads. Tamala Krsna: We could put a sign on the road. We have a whole building? Giriraja: Yes. It’s a bungalow. Tamala Krsna: Hm. In a compound? Giriraja: Yes. In the compound they’re growing flowers and vegetables. Tamala Krsna: Wow. How many acres? Giriraja: Well, it’s about half an acre, but whatever land they have, they’re using. Tamala Krsna: They have a lease? Giriraja: I don’t know if they have a lease, but the owner of the house is a Vaisnava, and he’s very… Actually his house is next door, and his house is called Visnu-nivasa. And when he built the second house, he wanted it to be used as a temple, and he called it Bhagavan-nivasa. Tamala Krsna: So he’s very pleased with the use of the house. Giriraja: Yes. Tamala Krsna: How many members they’ve made there? Giriraja: Well, he’s only made two members. I think he’s going to get into it a little more. He doesn’t have to be registered to make members, because the two members he made… Tax exemption has to be… Each case is considered individually. There’s no system, but the lawyer and other people I spoke to felt that, since it was a Hindu state, and since they wanted to encourage such activities, that they would give us tax exemption. There’s even a community of Marwari businessmen. So Prabhavisnu had made one or two members by giving receipts from Calcutta, since we’re not registered. So I suggested that he should concentrate on the Marwaris for the time being, and he can give receipts from Calcutta, and that would be good practice, because they are the most willing to become members. And then, by the time he got registered, he could start approaching the Nepali businessmen. Tamala Krsna: How will the Calcutta receipt help them? Giriraja: Well, I don’t think… Tamala Krsna: They care much. Giriraja: No. Just to give them something official. He has seven boys there now, and a few of them … Prabhupada: They are taking their prasadam and living there? Giriraja: Yes. They have nice meal in the morning and evening, and then in the day the main activity is they have the chanting party, and around the chanting party they distribute literature. Tamala Krsna: Very nice beginning, all-auspicious. Trivikrama: Is the weather very cold? Giriraja: It’s not very cold. The climate is very healthful. In fact, two devotees were there who were in India for some time and they felt a little weary, and they both said that they felt that their health and strength had increased. Bhakti-caru: It’s a beautiful city also. Giriraja: Yes. It’s very peaceful and clean. Tamala Krsna: Sounds like a good place to take you sometime, Srila Prabhupada. Giriraja: The air is very, very pure. They hardly have any industry there, and very few motorcars. It’s very unspoiled. So the air is clean and the people are also nice. Until a few years ago, there was no system of compulsory education, so the new ideas, Western ideas, have not come very much there. Bhakti-caru: Srila Prabhupada? (Bengali) Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, would you like a little soft chanting? Prabhupada: Hm. Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, you haven’t passed urine in some time. Would you like to try? Prabhupada: There is no… Bhavananda: No need. (end)
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
November 3, 1977, Vrndavana