Morning Walk Conversation
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
October 15, 1972, Vrndavana, (new98)

Syamasundara: Did Vasudeva carry Krsna across the Yamuna?

Indian man: Yes.

Syamasundara: But their home was somewhere, other place.

Indian man: Huh?

Syamasundara: Their… The other Gokula was somewhere else.

Indian man: The Krsna was carried through old Gokula.

Syamasundara: Ah.

Indian man: Old Gokula.

Syamasundara: Not at this place.

Indian man: Not at this place. But for those whom…, for those people who are in, this is the real Gokula. (indistinct), but I think the old Gokula is that. [break]

Prabhupada: …it is available?

Devotee (1): Some boxes.

Prabhupada: Ah.

Indian man (2): Boxes, oh, you leave it there.

Devotee: Huh? [break]

Prabhupada: Gokula, Hari bol. That does not cooperate with the modern…

Indian man: No. It must have changed completely. [break] (kirtana)

Syamasundara: …tell us a little bit about the temple as we move?

Prabhupada: Yes. This temple was constructed by Srila Jiva Gosvami, one of the first disciples of Lord Caitanya, and this is Narottama Samadhi. Here is Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami entombed, and here is Rupa Gosvami entombed. Later on, several other devotees, they are not entombed like them. Flowers from their body, they were placed. It is called Puspa Samadhi. But here, the original bodies.

Devotee (1): Ah. This is Krsnadasa Kaviraja’s body?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Devotee: Original bodies.

Prabhupada: And that side, the original body of Sri Rupa Gosvami. [break]

Syamasundara: …a well?

Prabhupada: Yes. This is the original well.

Passer-by: (Hindi to Prabhupada)

Devotee (1): Did the Gosvamis drink from this well, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Yes. This is… This well water is used for cooking, for… [break]

Devotee (1): And Jiva Gosvami and Rupa, they drank from this well?

Prabhupada: (Hindi with passers-by) This is the place for dining. The Gosvamis, they used to dine here, this room.

Devotee (1): Is this building four or five hundred years old? This very room?

Prabhupada: Huh? Oh, yes!

Devotee (1): This is the original building?

Prabhupada: Yes. Not less than four hundred and fifty years.

Syamasundara: And they used to meet here daily?

Prabhupada: Yes. They, all the Gosvamis, used to sit down there. And Rupa Gosvami’s bhajana, he was dancing here, and after his passing away, he was entombed there. But that tomb is Lokanatha Gosvami. He is also one of the important Gosvamis.

Syamasundara: Rupa Gosvami.

Prabhupada: (Hindi with passers-by)

Syamasundara: Could you tell us any stories about Rupa Gosvami while we are sitting here, or any…

Prabhupada: (Hindi) Rupa Gosvami was a minister. So after retirement he, under the instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he came to Vrndavana.

Indian man: (Hindi)

Prabhupada: Rupa Gosvami. So formerly they were living under trees. That I have already described in Caitanya-caritamrta. Later on, when Jiva Gosvami constructed this temple, he is nephew and disciple, at that time Rupa Gosvami also, he lived with his disciple. Actually, this temple belongs to Jiva Gosvami, and Rupa Gosvami’s temple is at…

Syamasundara: We saw it.

Prabhupada: …Govindaji.

Syamasundara: Yeah.

Prabhupada: And Sanatana Gosvami’s temple is at Madana-Mohana. But when Jiva Gosvami was here, naturally—they were elder uncle— so lived together, and because they, all of them lived here, so other Gosvamis, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, all of them used to meet here. And Gopala Bhatta Gosvami used to live (indistinct), and all other Gosvamis used to be here. And this is explained, Rupa Gosvami bhajana, that chant (indistinct).

Indian man: (Hindi with Prabhupada)

Syamasundara: Are those rooms you live in, were they formerly inhabited by the Gosvamis, Jiva or Rupa Gosvami, those rooms you have now?

Prabhupada: These rooms?

Syamasundara: Yes.

Prabhupada: No.

Syamasundara: These came after that time.

Prabhupada: This is…, rooms were existing, but they used to sit down here.

Devotee (1): Was Vrndavana mostly…?

Prabhupada: (Hindi) In this place, all the six Gosvamis used to sit down and read Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Syamasundara: And, and did…

Indian man: (Hindi)

Prabhupada: Ah.

Syamasundara: At that time Vrndavana was existing as a village or mostly open area?

Prabhupada: Formerly, before Lord Caitanya’s coming here, this was open fields. Nothing…

Syamasundara: So everything has been built up.

Prabhupada: (Hindi) So after the Gosvamis came here, practically, all this Vrndavana city has developed. Before that, it was open fields. (Hindi) You developed this photo here in India also?

Devotee (1): Ah, some of it.

Indian man: At least mine and Swamiji.

Prabhupada: You send some copies here.

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: (Hindi) You can take one photograph alone. Have you got (indistinct).

Syamasundara: This man here. This man.

Devotee: Where?

Syamasundara: Right here. Is he one of your old friends?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Syamasundara: He lives in the…

Prabhupada: In this temple.

Syamasundara: He lives in this temple. This, where the…

Prabhupada: He has left his (indistinct). [break]

Syamasundara: Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu was written here, in this place?

Indian man: (Hindi)

Prabhupada: (indistinct) Imlitala.

Syamasundara: Imlitala? (indistinct) The car is not here?

Indian man: No, he’s just coming the…

Gargamuni: It’s just a very brief walk.

Syamasundara: We can walk.

Gargamuni: It’s very brief walk.

Syamasundara: Is that, is that Maha-rasa place on the way?

Gargamuni: It’s, yes, it’s more or less, Sevakunj.

Syamasundara: Is it, is it, er, should we…. [break] When we go to Bombay, I think.

Prabhupada: (indistinct)

Devotee (2): The place where maha-rasa took place?

Prabhupada: (indistinct)

Devotee (2): So it is of no significance to us then?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Syamasundara: This… Words and films.

Indian man: (Hindi)

Prabhupada: (Hindi) New York, San Francisco, Los Angles, Chicago, Boston, Buffalo, Montreal. Sixty-six all over the world.

Indian man: (Hindi with Prabhupada)

Prabhupada: Oh. Give immediately, on the (indistinct).

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Give immediately. And you come to the Imlitala.

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: (Hindi)

Indian man: (Hindi) (referring to Sarasvati) Don’t eat that She is licking the…

Syamasundara: What, coins?

Indian man: No. Licking the (indistinct) also.

Prabhupada: Oh, how you have come here?

Indian man (3): (indistinct)

Syamasundara: This is a new edition?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Syamasundara: Oh, all the dogs are coming. (dogs barking) Is the driver here? There’s the driver. Should we walk, or…

Prabhupada: (Hindi with guest) [break] …and how it is concerned, we can get many. The thing is, will he get his (indistinct).

Syamasundara: Hm. I’ve been thinking a lot about it.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Syamasundara: I’m thinking that if we developed a very large center here, like a headquarters, it would have worldwide impact.

Prabhupada: Uh.

Syamasundara: Because, just like a throwing a rock in the pond, first of all the devotees of India would all be coming…

Prabhupada: Uh.

Syamasundara: …and it would revitalize the spiritual life of India from this point, and then the whole world would come to Vrndavana.

Prabhupada: So, now next thing, what to do?

Syamasundara: I was thinking perhaps I would like to devote a lot of time to raising funds for such a project—in the United States, England.

Prabhupada: (indistinct)

Syamasundara: Manage.

Prabhupada: Manage? There’s no scarcity of funds.

Syamasundara: Yes. If we built the most magnificent temple and center here, which was full of spiritual life, day and night hundreds of devotees would be there having kirtana, and all the devotees of Vrndavana would come. They’re simply astounded by our kirtana when they come to our house.

Prabhupada: (Hindi)

Syamasundara: What’s this? This is another temple? Imlitala?

Devotee(2): Imlitala.

Syamasundara: Oh, this is not the entrance?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian man: (Hindi)

Indian man (2): (Hindi)

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna.

Syamasundara: Jaya.

Indian: Hare Krsna. Jayo Maharaja.

Syamasundara: That is your Guru Maharaja, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Huh?

Syamasundara: That is a murti of Guru Maharaja?

Prabhupada: Ah!

Syamasundara: Aaah.

Prabhupada: Not like (indistinct). (Hindi)

Syamasundara: (to daughter) Sarasvati, who is that?

Prabhupada: (Hindi with Indian man)

Syamasundara: What is the history of this temple, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: (to Indian man) You say.

Indian: You would like to say in English?

Syamasundara: Ah, yes.

Indian: Not in Hindi.

Syamasundara: If you can speak English, please.

Indian: This is an old place, Vrndavana. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu came here and sat under this tree nearly five hundred years back. He sat under this tree and meditated: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, until midday. Several days He chanted His name and came here and sat. This tree is the old tree of Dvapara-yuga. Under this tree, Radhika and Krsna both met once. This is written in Param-Gita (?) For this reason Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu came here with this reason. He came here and sat under this tree and recited the name Radha-Krsna. When He sat here once, one Vaisnava, name Krsnadasa, name Krsnadasa, he saw, at night, he dreamt of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and became mad to see Him, and he crossed the Yamuna River, Kesighata, and gradually came here and saw the glorious silhouette of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and he made his obeisance to His feet, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu touch him, and he became mad with Krsna-prema, and then Mahaprabhu, from this place, Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu came, went to Radha-kunda, but displayed the name of this before that time.

Prabhupada: He went to Radha-kunda?

Indian: Radha-kunda. He went there and asked the old gentlemen of that place that “Where is Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda?’’ But none of them (indistinct) Radha-kunda.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes, discovery of Radha-kunda.

Syamasundara: From this place He went there.

Guest: Yes, He went there, Radha-kunda, Syama-kunda place. Arista-grama.(?) Aristasura(?) was (indistinct), killed there by (indistinct) Krsna. So He went there and asked the old people in there, but nobody can say that where is Radha-kunda and Syama- kunda. After that Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself said to the field, that “This is Radha-kunda and this is Syama-kunda,” and that this place was low place. There’s some water there. He lifted the waters (indistinct) and said that “These two places are Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda.” In this way, Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda were discovered there. After that He went to Sola, Solaksetra(?), and because and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu came here, so after His visit here He went to (indistinct), and Rupa and Sanatana first came here. And after, following them, all the Vaisnavas came to Vrndavana, and gradually Vrndavana was discovered (indistinct), and places and important places which…, holy places of this Vrndavana and Vraja-mandala was discovered by the followers of Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, (indistinct). They both discovered all the places (indistinct), holy places of Vrndavana. In this way, this place was discovered. Nobody knew this place. Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself came here, sat under this tree because under this tree, Krsna and Radhika met. (Hindi) Once, at the time of rasa, how They met here once at the time of rasa, Srimate Radha, Radhika felt that “I am not be able…”

Prabhupada: “Able to walk.” He carried…”

Indian: “I’m not really (indistinct).” So He left rasa and went out. Sri Krsna saw that there is no Radhika, every, all the gopis were still, Radhika not there, so He left all them and went out and began to search Her. But through roaming about Vrndavana He did not caught Her, and after became very regretted. He sat under this tree, and Radhika afterwards came here and met Him. In this way, Radha Krsna (indistinct).

Prabhupada: (Hindi with Indian) Guru-Gauranga, then Radha-Krsna. Where is my stick?

Devotee (2): Stick? Just here.

Prabhupada: (Hindi) Accha. If you want to take photo, you can take.

Indian: If you wish, you can take photo.

Prabhupada: Is it ready? Film is ready? Where is he? He has gone?

Syamasundara: You can take photos of the Deities if you like.

Devotee (1): He has gone to the other side.

Prabhupada: All right.

Syamasundara: The, the movie camera.

Devotee: It’s really dark.

Syamasundara: Oh, it’s dark.

Prabhupada: (Hindi)

Syamasundara: This is Yamuna River?

Prabhupada: Yes. This is branch of.

Syamasundara: Branch of Yamuna.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian: You come this place. Come this way.

Devotee: Where is the main Yamuna?

Prabhupada: Main Yamuna is (indistinct)

Syamasundara: It’s very strong….

Indian: (indistinct)

Syamasundara: Thousands of years old.

Indian: This is (indistinct) place of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Syamasundara: Oh.

Prabhupada: (Hindi)

Syamasundara: This is a ghata?

Prabhupada: This was formerly a ghata. (Hindi)

Syamasundara: Oh. There’s Yamuna out there, is it not?

Indian: (Hindi) Here is the footprint of Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Syamasundara: Accha.

Indian: He stepped here. Big!

Syamasundara: It’s very large, large.

Prabhupada: (to passer-by) Hare Krsna. Jaya.

Devotee: Jaya.

Syamasundara: Lord Caitanya was very tall, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes.

Child: Hari bol!

Prabhupada: Hari bol! (Hindi)

Syamasundara: Who is that?

Prabhupada: Gosvami. He is one of my eldest Godbrothers.

Syamasundara: Oh.

Prabhupada: He also went to London. Yes. I sometimes speak that he talked with Lord Zetland.

Syamasundara: Aha. But he left no followers there? (aside:) Hare Krsna. Thank you very much. Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Syamasundara: When Krsna used to come here, was His home in Gokula at that time, or Mathura?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Syamasundara: And He used to come here for herding the cows?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Devotee (2): But He did not live here.

Syamasundara: Was there any palace here?

Prabhupada: Huh?

Syamasundara: Was there any palace here of His parents?

Prabhupada: They say there is a (indistinct) (Hindi) Huh? [break]

Syamasundara: Everyone wants some prasada.

Prabhupada: [break] …some small feast.

Indian: (Hindi)

Syamasundara: Sarasvati.

Prabhupada: (Hindi with Indians)

Syamasundara: I should stay here with Subala Maharaja?

Prabhupada: Huh?

Syamasundara: I should stay here with Subala Maharaja?

Prabhupada: As you like it.

Syamasundara: What is that?

Prabhupada: We shall talk.

Syamasundara: Oh. (end)