Room Conversations
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
April 22, 1972, Japan

Prabhupada: …count how you got this.

Sudama: Tamala Krsna sent these from Los Angeles three years ago.

Cintamani: They’re staying in closet. (?)

Prabhupada: So who will paint?

Sudama: Cintamani will paint.

Prabhupada: So take note. So eyes are all right. Eyes are all right. It is all right. Simply you have to, all the hairs to make black up to the…It is all right?

Cintamani: Yes.

Prabhupada: Then His hands should be red.

Cintamani: What about this? She’s holding?

Prabhupada: She holds the sari, skirt. Give me some cloth.

Sudama: Some cloth.

Prabhupada: Like this.

Cintamani: Oh.

Prabhupada: This is the… Do it. And this hand is betel nut.

Cintamani: Betel.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Cintamani: What color should it be?

Prabhupada: Green.

Cintamani: Green.

Prabhupada: Yes. Green. Green. In dancing mood, She is offering a betel nut to Krsna. And Krsna is dancing and playing with flute. So this should be white and red. These are petals. It should be red. And this should be white. And a little black line. Is that all right? Then this. They should be all red. And the nails should be white, nails.

Cintamani: Also…

Prabhupada: Hands red and nails, yes, you can make white. You can… Go on. So any other?

Cintamani: I made wigs, but maybe they are too long.

Prabhupada: What is that?

Cintamani: I made hair. But I don’t know how long it should be.

Prabhupada: That you can see Krsna’s picture.

Cintamani: Picture of Krsna? Is His hair curly?

Prabhupada: Yes. Curling, (indistinct) black.

Cintamani: Is this too long?

Prabhupada: Too long. This is also too long.

Cintamani: Too long. How long should it be?

Prabhupada: It should not come below, Radharani, the waist.

Cintamani: Oh. And Krsna’s?

Prabhupada: And Krsna’s should be up to the neck.

Cintamani: Thank you. Krsna wears tilaka like we do? Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Yes. Radharani only red spot.

Sudama: We have some…

Prabhupada: Any other questions?

Sudama: Yes.

Bhanu: Srila Prabhupada? Since we are going to have three altars, then we should also have three different plates, a different plate for each altar?

Prabhupada: Yes. That is already known to you. Bhanu knows very well. You have seen in Los Angeles. Why three plates? If you can spare more plates for each, that will be nice. Just like one for Radha and for Krsna, one for Jagannatha, one for Balarama, one for Subhadra, one for guru, one for Gauranga, Panca-tattva, five. If you can increase, you can manage, that is nice. Otherwise one plate to guru is sufficient. If you cannot spare. If you can spare, you can increase as many plates as you can. Otherwise one plate to guru is sufficient.

Devotee: On ekadasi, we can offer the Deity grains?

Prabhupada: Oh yes. But not guru. Ekadasi observed by jiva-tattva, not by Visnu-tattva. We are fasting for clearing our material disease, but Radha-Krsna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu… Caitanya Mahaprabhu also may not be offered grains because He is playing the part of a devotee. Only Radha-Krsna, Jagannatha can be offered grains. Otherwise, Guru-Gauranga, no. And the prasadam should not be taken by anyone. It should be kept for next day. What is that?

Cintamani: I tried to make a flute for Krsna because He doesn’t have a flute. Is that okay?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Sudama: We will order one flute from India.

Prabhupada: Why India? You can get it here. Any goldsmith can do.

Bhanu: In the morning the Deity should be woken up not before five? The Deities should be woken up at five in the morning? Some temples it is 4:30, some temples five.

Prabhupada: Just one and a half hours before sunrise. If the sunrise varies, then the waking time also should vary.

Sudama: So according to season, we should…

Prabhupada: The rule is that one and a half hours before sunrise. So that you have to make, when the sunrise, then just one and a half hour before, mangala-arati.

Sudama: So that’s when the arati begins, when the curtains are opened and we start offering.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Sudama: One and a half hours before sunrise is when the arati begins. Then you wake them up before.

Prabhupada: No, no. Just waking, arati begins. And you can offer something.

Bhanu: We should offer the plate after the arati?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Devotee: After.

Devotee: Is it all right for the Deities’ hair to show?

Prabhupada: Huh?

Devotee: Sometimes, at some temples, the Radha-Krsna Deities, sometimes Their hair shows.

Prabhupada: Shows?

Devotee: Yes. Like Radharani’s hair is down in front. Is that all right?

Prabhupada: That doesn’t matter. That is for beauty, as it is possible. Better keep it that side. Just like Radharani’s hair… There is picture. That gopis, they have got their hair that side. Radharani is also one of the gopis, but she is the dearmost gopi. That’s all. Otherwise, she is also gopi. Then? What else?

Sudama: Bhanu had a question about something.

Bhanu: Does evening arati vary according to the sunset? Or it is just…

Prabhupada: No. Sunset.

Sudama: And how many full aratis should we perform, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Three main: mangala-arati, bhoga-arati and sandhya-arati. These are main. Then you can offer sayana-arati before going to bed. sayana-arati. And these four, and dhupa-arati just after lighting, or before lighting. Then, after rest in afternoon, dhupa-arati. After dressing, dhupa-arati. So two, three dhupa-arati, and three, four full aratis. Three must be, and four also, four, full aratis. And dhupa-arati at least three, four. In this way.

Bhanu: The full arati will be in the morning, mangala-arati, there will be the noon arati, supposed to be one in the evening. When should the other full arati be?

Prabhupada: When the Deities are going to bed. Before going to bed. Yes. sayana-arati, it is called sayana-arati. Sundara-arati, bhoga-arati, mangala-arati. You write down. Mangala-arati early in the morning, bhoga-arati at noon, offering prasadam, then sundara-arati just after half an hour or one hour sunset, then sayana-arati.

Pradyumna: One hour after sunset?

Prabhupada: Yes. One hour or half an hour. It must be dark.

Pradyumna: Oh, the sayana-arati.

Prabhupada: No. Sundara-arati. Sundara-arati must be as soon as it is dark. And then sayana-arati. Sayana-arati. Sayana means going to bed.

Pradyumna: What time should the sayana… The time?

Prabhupada: Afternoon.

Bhanu: Should the Deities be offered grains for breakfast?

Prabhupada: No. Grains…Grains only bhoga-arati and at night… Puri also grain. It is also grain. And during daytime, capati, rice, dahl, like that. Breakfast, fruits, milk, sweets, breakfast. And early, mangala-arati, condensed milk. And breakfast, butter, sugar candy, casein. You are calling Krsna, the Supreme. You must offer Him nice things. Not a poor man gets like Him. He’s the richest man. If a poor man can be supplied so many things, how the rich man should be offered? And as far as possible, distribute prasadam. [break] People should be called.

Sudama: So we should take the Deity prasadam and our prasadam and go to all the houses?

Prabhupada: No no. You invite them, that “Anyone, you are welcome. Take prasadam.” We can announce. Then you can judge how many people are coming daily. You should announce that “Anyone can come and take prasadam at noon.” It is the duty of a grhastha to loudly cry, “If anyone is hungry, please come. We have got still food.” That is the duty of a grhastha. If one does not come, then the chief of the house, he takes prasada. If somebody says, “I am hungry,” so he should offer his own food. “You eat.” This is duty of grhastha. Bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanti. Those who are cooking for themselves, they are simply eating sinful things. That’s all. Bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat. So hospitality is one of the duties of the householder. Atithi. Atithi means guest without any information. That is called atithi. Tithi means date. So if I go to your house, I inform you that “Such and such date I am coming there.” But atithi, he does not inform you, all of a sudden comes. So you should have to receive him. That is called atithi. Pantha. People are moving… Formerly, if some of the walkers in the street, suppose he has become hungry, so he enters anyone’s house. So “I am hungry sir. Give me something to eat.” He’ll immediately, “Take.” Pantha-bhaga. There is a stock of foodstuff which is called pantha-bhaga. If somebody comes all of a sudden, he should take.

Pradyumna: The temple should always have some prasadam there?

Prabhupada: Temple must have. Even ordinary grhastha. That is Vedic civilization, not that we cook for ourself, for my husband, for my wife and children, eat it sumptuously and go to bed. No. Even grhastha, he should be always prepared to receive guest. Yes. And even a guest comes, your enemy, you should receive him in such a nice way that he will forget that you are all enemies. Grhe satrum api praptam visvastam akutobhayam. This is Vedic civilization, not that “Beware of dog. Please don’t enter here. You are forbidden to come here. And if you come, I shall shoot you.” Sometimes they do that. This is not human civilization. It is cats’ and dogs’ civilization. So actually we are teaching what is human civilization. But we must be also like human being, not cats and dogs. Otherwise how can you teach? If I am like cats and dogs, I cannot criticize others as cats and dogs. I must be first of all human being. Then I shall teach others how to become human being. I must become first of all devotee. Then I shall request others to become devotee. Apani acari jive sikhaila bhakti. First behave yourself perfectly; then teach others to become perfect. That is preacher. Now we are selling The Process of Creation but if I do not know what is the process of creation, we do not read, if you go to sell some book, then if he says, “What is the process of creation? You explain,” and if you say, “All right, let me consult my book…” Kuto gata vedyah para-hasta-gatam dhanam. Para-hasta-gatam dhanam means, “I have got enough wealth.” “Where it is?” “It is in other hands. It is not in my possession, in others’ possession.” This kind of possessing wealth has no value. Similarly, when somebody asks you some question, if you say, “Let me consult my book,” that knowledge has no value. “Let me consult my book.” So all these books are there. You see one sloka studying, knowing. It takes one hour. So there are millions of slokas. How much you have to study. So these things are to be noted. This Krsna consciousness movement means perfection, all round perfection. Then people will much appreciate. There is no doubt about it. And we can go anywhere, everywhere, because we are pure. We are giving the right thing. So is there any artist here who can draw? You can?

Cintamani: Little bit.

Prabhupada: So can you make a rough sketch just of this building and in front a temple with arches. I will take and give you photograph. You have got those photographs, Syamasundara?

Syamasundara: You haven’t given me yet.

Prabhupada: Second set of photographs that was taken?

Syamasundara: Oh, oh, of the temple. Yes, I have.

Prabhupada: Yes. So you can make drawing.

Cintamani: Make a sketch of this end…

Prabhupada: Yes. And in front a temple, high arches, big temple. I will give you the photo. Where is the photo?

Syamasundara: I have negatives. I have to get some photos made.

Prabhupada: No, you got some photos made?

Syamasundara: That other boy in Sydney, Syamalalananda, he has.

Prabhupada: Anyone takes, but he sleeps. He doesn’t deliver. I wanted to send immediately to Bombay.

Syamasundara: Bombay has a set of photos in the temple.

Sudama: If you have the negative, we can get them developed while we’re at Dai Nippon, thirty minutes. If we take negative today, we can get them developed very quickly at Dai Nippon while we are waiting.

Prabhupada: All right. That’s all right. You take it.

Syamasundara: Get several sets.

Prabhupada: So when we have to go to Dai Nippon?

Sudama: The car will come around noon, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: So send Nanda Kumara to give me massage. I will be ready.

Sudama: Srila Prabhupada, we set the date of installation for the third, next Wednesday, beginning from 4:30 in the afternoon.

Prabhupada: 4:30?

Sudama: Yes.

Prabhupada: All right.

Sudama: And is there any special thing we should make, prepare for the installation? I think the other… This one boy Steven is taking initiation on that day.

Prabhupada: So that will be nice.

Bhanu: Srila Prabhupada? Is it all right to offer the Deity condensed milk that is already condensed?

Prabhupada: Hm? No. Call… Where is Nanda Kumara? I shall take massage. (end)