Room Conversation
with Mr. Tombe (M.L.A.)
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
December 25, 1976, Bombay

Mr. Tombe: After all, even if it is thrown out…

Prabhupada: That is also answered in the Srimad-Bhagavatam by very strong word. Bhagavata says, sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh. If the public is like dogs, camels, hogs, and asses, so what is the value of their election? He’ll elect another big dog or camel. So there is chaos.

Mr. Tombe: Then how to throw out good leadership?

Prabhupada: Yes. Good leadership means you must learn how to lead people. Yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah. If the srestha, the leader is ideal, then others will follow. But if the leader is not ideal, if he is not in the awareness of things, then people will be misguided.

Mr. Tombe: So how can we chalk out a program of, say, training of leaders from the villages…

Prabhupada: Yes. You have to take lessons from the biggest leader, Krsna. Aham adir hi devanam. He’s the leader of the demigods also. We have to take lesson from… That lesson is there, Bhagavad-gita. But we do not take it. We manufacture our leadership. That is the defect. What Krsna said… Everyone is proud of reading Bhagavad-gita, but the purpose of Bhagavad-gita is how to kill Krsna, that’s all. That is their… All these. What can I say? These misleaders, they are doing that. Leadership is already there. Krsna. Just like Arjuna is learning from Krsna. So if you learn from Krsna you become perfect leader. But we do not take Krsna’s instruction. We manufacture our own ideas. That is failure. Otherwise in our country so many learned sages, especially Krsna is there, and their books are there, their instructions are there. We do not take them. Still we become leader. So what kind of leading? He’s imperfect. So he cannot lead. Then there will be some mistake and chaos. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu said… He said bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. You understand little Bengali?

bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara [Cc. Adi 9.41]

So Indians, they can make their life perfect by following this Vedic literature, and they can lead the whole world. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s. First of all you become perfect by taking lessons from the Vedic literature. And then you do good to others. But without making yourself perfect, if you try to do good to others, that is chaos. Then again comes, andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. Some blind men following another blind man. What will be the result? The present Indians, we have lost our own culture. We have rejected our own culture. Still we are leading people. There is chaotic condition. So this Krsna consciousness movement is to correct this mistake. So leaders like you should cooperate.

Mr. Tombe: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Yes. Then things will be perfect. India, if the whole world can be saved from this chaotic position, India can do. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. But that India leaders first of all make his life perfect. Then it will be all right. Just like our… Of course, I’m not proud, but I am alone. I started this movement alone, without any help. But because I am giving them the perfect information, whole world is taking it. Otherwise, from practical point of view, one man without any help, within ten years he cannot do like this. That’s a fact. But I have no difficulty because I am following the Supreme Leader, Krsna. People may say that I’ve done wonderful, but there is nothing magic. Because I am following Krsna, the Supreme Leader, so far it has become successful. So everyone can do that. Where is the difficulty? Evam parampara-praptam. If we follow the parampara system it is not difficult.

Gopala Krsna: These are all of Prabhupada’s books. Eighty books.

Prabhupada: Eighty-four books we have, I have written within ten years. And our publication house, Krsna consciousness is the first in the world for publishing religious and philosophical books. We are selling not less than six lakhs worth books daily.

Gopala Krsna: This is Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, publishing division.

Mr. Tombe: I have got only a few of them now. I would like to pick up…

Gopala Krsna: Here, these are… We only have sample copies in India. So I’ll tell Giriraja to bring you some. These are only sample copies for Prabhupada’s display. (end)