Room Conversation Prabhupada: …he just left home, vanaprastha. In his white dress, he went to Allahabad. But, I think you will remember this incident, when you went to Allahabad? Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, I do. Prabhupada: Yes, thank you. Yes, at that time… Sridhara Maharaja: We took prasadam on the roof. Prabhupada: Oh, yes, thank you (devotees laugh). Yes. In that auspicious occasion we are connected. Before that, in 1920, ah 22, when I was manager in Dr. Bose’s laboratory, young man, and I was nationalist, Congress party. I was a devotee of Mahatma Gandhi and C.R. Dasa. At that time… Sridhara Maharaja: When I was (indistinct). Prabhupada: Yes. Sridhara Maharaja: That was the beginning of our… Prabhupada: No, I was in connection with Congress (?) in 1917. Sridhara Maharaja: Seventeen. Prabhupada: Yes, 17, when Anivesan (?) became the Congress president, yes. Then I became serious in 1920, and I gave up my education. So one of my friends, that friend he is also now, perhaps you know Maharaja, that Naren Mullik? Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, yes. Prabhupada: Yes. He was my intimate friend. So in their house, old Tirtha Maharaja went to beg some alms—they are very rich man. So, he informed me that “One nice sannyasi came to our house,’’ and he was invited, “in Ultadanga there is Gaudiya Matha, so he has invited me. I wish to go there. Why don’t you come? Let us go together.” He was my very intimate friend. So at that time I was a little pessimistic (?), “I know all these sadhus there, I am not going.’’ So he forced me, “Oh, why not come? Let us go.’’ “All right, let us go.” So I went to see His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in 1922 in that Ultadanga building, and that time Prabhupada was sitting on the roof. There was small house (indistinct) room, and we were welcome, because they thought Naren Mullik was very rich man and he has contributed some money. So, we went to see Prabhupada, offered our obeisances. So immediately he said that “You are all educated young men, why don’t you preach Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s message throughout the whole world?’’ So I replied him, “Sir, we are dependent nation, who will hear our message? We can talk all these things after we get independence,’’ because I was politically-minded at that time. So he refuted my argument. Certainly I was defeated, and I took his words very seriously, I appreciated. Then we were offered some prasadam, we came down, and my friend Naren Mullik asked me, “How did you like this sadhu?’’ “Yes, here is a sadhu in whose hands Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s message is there, and it will be done. I think this is very nice.’’ That was my appreciation. Then 1923, I resigned my post as manager in Bose’s laboratory, and I accepted the agency of whole U.P., beginning from Mughalsarai (?) up to Delhi, and I made my head office in Allahabad. So I was always thinking, “Oh yes, I met a very nice sadhu.’’ From the very beginning, that was my impression, that “I have met a real sadhu.” So, actually the words, lava matra sadhu sange sarva siddhi haya [Cc. Madhya 22.54], was actually… I perceived a kind (?) for a moment, and he impressed so much, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, that it was, it continued. Then in 1928, when there was Kumbha-mela… Maharaja, when you joined Gaudiya Matha? Sridhara Maharaja: Twenty-seven. Prabhupada: Twenty-seven. That means… Sridhara Maharaja: (in background, indistinct) Prabhupada: So 1928 there was a Kumbha-mela, I think. And during that Kumbha-mela, Tirtha Maharaja with a party came to my shop, Prayag pharmacy, all of a sudden, and I thought, “Oh, these are the people I saw, Gaudiya Matha. Yes.’’ So, I was so glad. So Tirtha Maharaja asked me that “We are come new here. We are going to establish a temple in Allahabad. We have heard your name, so we have come to you. Please help us.’’ “Yes, I will help you.’’ So in this way I contributed, my attending physician contributed, and some other friends. In this way we became friends, and Tirtha Maharaja, old Tirtha Maharaja had first meeting in my house at Allahabad, with I think the Sarvesva (?) brahmacari and Dhira Krsna brahmacari… Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) Maharaja and (indistinct) Maharaja. Prabhupada: Yes, yes. So, my father was Vaisnava, but when I invited these Gaudiya Matha sadhus, my father thought that I have invited some sadhus of the Ramakrishna Mission. So he was not very interested. When Tirtha Maharaja is speaking, I call my… My father was that time invalid, I called him that “Please come down, there is a meeting of the Gaudiya Matha sadhus.’’ So, he could not resist my request, he came down, but he did not think that some devotees have come. They thought, these Ramakrishna Mission rascals have come. (laughter) So he was not very happy, but I told, he was sitting. He, so the meeting he just criticized. Then when he heard the speech of our old Tirtha Maharaja, our old Godbrother, he understood, “Oh, they are Vaisnavas.’’ Then immediately after the meeting, he came down on his feet. “I misunderstood you sir, that you are the Ramakrishna Mission sadhu. I am so glad to meet you. So that is the beginning of my intimate relationship with Gaudiya Matha. And they are coming, and whenever somebody would come, I would invite them to lecture in my house. In that way Sridhara Maharaja, at that time Ravendra-sundara (?) Bhattacarya, he was also invited at my house, and before (indistinct)… No, I think I invited Bharati Maharaja, and you were with Bharati Maharaja. Sridhara Maharaja: Yes. Prabhupada: Yes. So in this way my connection became developed with Gaudiya Matha. Then, gradually the process began, harisye tad-dhanam sanaih. (chuckles) I wanted to become very big businessman and there was good opportunity. I was very nicely associated with the chemical industry of India. Dr. Bose’s laboratory, Bengal Chemical, V.K. Farr (?), and all of them, they liked my business organization. Then I started big laboratory in Lucknow. So that was golden days, but gradually everything becomes (indistinct). And at last, my Allahabad business was lost. It was not lost on account of some, my debts, I had to hand it over to Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose because I was his agent. So I had some debts, so I tell the, “All right, you take this business.’’ In this way, that Prayag Pharmacy was lost. So I was not going to, I was sitting at home, but this Jaya Raghava (?) Maharaja, at that time Sarvesva (?) brahmacari and Atulananda brahmacari, they used to come to take their subscription, and they were requesting that “Why don’t you come to our matha? Why don’t you come to our matha? You are now free.’’ So, I used to visit their temple. That was not far away from my house… Sridhara Maharaja: In Mahratta (?). Prabhupada: Mahratta (?), yes. Then the intimate relationship with Gaudiya Matha grew. In this way, I think in 1933, yes, the Sir Malcolm Haley came to lay down the foundation stone of Allahabad Matha. Maharaja, I think you remember, yes? Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, we were coming from Vrndavana parikrama. Prabhupada: Yes, parikrama. And the parikrama, that is also another incident that… I, I was not initiated at that time, but I had very good admiration for these Gaudiya Matha people, and before, before 1933 I met Sridhara Maharaja and other devotees, old Tirtha Maharaja. So they were kind to me. Now, the parikrama, I thought, “What these people are doing in this parikrama? Let me go.’’ So I met them in Kosi. Parvata Maharaja, you may remember, and all people were going to see some Sesasayi. Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) Prabhupada: Yes, so at that time Vinode Bhai, later on Kesava Maharaja, he informed that “Prabhupada is going to Mathura tomorrow morning and he will speak Hari-katha this evening. Anyone who wants to remain may remain or otherwise they may prepare to go to see Sesasayi.” So at that time, I think only ten or twelve men remained. Out of them Sridhara Maharaja was one of them, and I thought it wise, “What shall I see, this Sesasayi? Let me hear. Prabhupada will speak, let me hear.” So Prabhupada marked that this boy… Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) to listen to him (indistinct). Prabhupada: He, because he’s a vaikuntha person who could understand that this boy is eager to hear, so he very much appreciated. So when we came back to Allahabad, so Ganesa Babu, he introduced me, that “Here is a nice devotee.’’ So Prabhupada immediately replied, “Yes, I have marked him. He does not go away, he hears.’’ This (indistinct), “Yes, I will accept him as disciple.’’ Then I was initiated. In this way our relationship with Gaudiya Matha developed, and gradually as it developed, the other side diminished. Then, there are long history, it will take time, but I had the opportunity of associating with His Holiness. For several years I had the opportunity. Krsna and Prabhupada liked it to prepare me. Sridhara Maharaja lived as a… Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) Prabhupada: (laughs) …in my house, some may say, a few years, so naturally we had very intimate talks and he was my good adviser. I took his advice, his instruction very seriously, because from the very beginning I know he’s a pure Vaisnava and devotee, and I wanted to associate with him, and try to help him also in so many ways. He also tried to help me, so our relationship is very intimate. After the breakdown of the Gaudiya Matha, I wanted to organize another organization, making Sridhara Maharaja head. And I wanted to mix… At that time Gosvami Maharaja, one of my friend’s house at Sealdah… Sridhara Maharaja, you may remember those things. I wanted to organize in so many ways, but somehow or other… Sridhara Maharaja: I had one house in Station Road belonging to Naren Mullik. (indistinct) very small (indistinct). Prabhupada: Yes, yes, he wanted to rent us only for ninety rupees. I told him, “You just give me the concession. He, at that time he was getting 125, but because I am his friend, “All right, I’ll give you, ninety rupees.’’ So that could not happen somehow or other. So I was trying from the very beginning after the disappearance of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Sridhara Maharaja: First appearance of Back to Godhead (indistinct). Prabhupada: Yes, 1944. I think you were at that time at my house. Yes. So, somehow or other, this intention for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu increased and the other side decreased. Viraktir anyatra syat. But I was not disinclined, but Krsna forced me that you must give up. (chuckles) And these thing is known better to Sridhara Maharaja, how it decreased, decreased, decreased, then almost it become nil, and then I left home in 1950. Whatever was there, “All right, you do whatever you like.’’ In 1954, four years I remained as vanaprastha, (indistinct) four years, from 1950 to 1959. Sridhara Maharaja: In the mean time, Bombay. Bombay light. Prabhupada: Bombay light, yes. Bombay light, that is during my householder life. I opened an office in Bombay for my business and… The (indistinct) Gaudiya Matha was established by us. I am one of them. Sridhara Maharaja also. And we made two parties for begging, collecting alms. Sridhara Maharaja, myself and Gosvami Maharaja. That time he was Atula, Atulacandra Gosvami. So I took them to some of my friends, chemist friends, doctors friends. So I collected about five hundred rupees to this. Sridhara Maharaja would speak, I introduced, and Gosvami, at that time Gosvami Maharaja would canvass (laughter). In this way three combined together, in one day or two days we… At that time five hundred rupees was (laughing) big amount. Sridhara Maharaja: Big sum. Prabhupada: Big sum, yes. So Gosvami Maharaja very much appreciated, and he began to speak highly about me that “Abhay Babu is so expert, he has got so many friends, he has collected so many… So why does he… He should be the Matha in-charge.” In this way. “Why should he not live with us? Why he’s living separately?’’ In this way. So Prabhupada, Maharaja, Sridhara may remember it (laughing), he said, ‘‘It is better to live separately from you people, and he will do the necessity in due course of time.” So I could not understand what Srila Prabhupada meant by that. So his inclination, blessings, were always upon me although (indistinct), but he was so kind. Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) collecting sufficient funds to come back (indistinct). Prabhupada: Yes, he was afraid. Sridhara Maharaja: He asked you. Prabhupada: Prabhupada gave me some money, that he is afraid, “You keep this money. When they need you can…’’ So, by guru Vaisnava, and whatever position I have got it is by guru’s mercy and the Vaisnavas’ blessings, otherwise I am insignificant. So I wish that Sridhara Maharaja may bestow his blessings as he was doing always, and my Guru Maharaja may help me. I can give some service (?). Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) Prabhupada: Yes, I thought that (indistinct) Guru Maharaja wanted and these Gaudiya Math people did not do anything, so let me try in this old age. The inspiration came, and I went. By his grace it has become little successful, that’s all. I have no credit. It is all the blessings of guru and Vaisnava, that’s all. I have no credit. I do not know how things are happening, because I am not at all bona fide position. But it is truly chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba. Sridhara Maharaja: Are you going (indistinct) kindly talk with your men (?). Prabhupada: Yes. Hare Krsna. Sridhara Maharaja: That will be (indistinct) to us, the land of gold and Golden Avatara (indistinct). Prabhupada: I am always (indistinct) to this, my American disciples that you are so much, I mean to say, taken care by God (?), this is… Your position is very good. Now you take to Krsna Consciousness, and you become a perfect nation. That I preach always. By the grace of Krsna, you have got everything. All material opulence. Now make it plus Krsna. Then it will be very nice. Laksmi-Narayana. So, these boys are trying, very sincerely and seriously, and I hope, even I do not live many more years, they will carry out this order. Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) coming down (indistinct) should be (indistinct) Prabhupada: And our (indistinct) Maharaja… Sridhara Maharaja: Prabhupada said, Bhaktivinoda (Bengali). Prabhupada: That he was (indistinct). This is not (indistinct). This is not (indistinct). Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) we are also counted within that… Prabhupada: Yes. Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) Prabhupada: Other times being washed away keno mayar bose, jaccho bhese, and we are being washed away by Bhaktivinoda Thakura (laughter). Sridhara Maharaja: (indistinct) participate. Prabhupada: Yes, that’s all, everything is there, everything is there. So chant Hare Krsna, again. (people begin leaving) Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, arotika is beginning and I (indistinct) the devotees up to arotika, all of them could go up? Prabhupada: All right then. (indistinct) All right chant. (kirtana—end)
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mayapur, March 17, 1973