Letter from Yugoslavia—“Books!”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
June 30, 1977, Vrndavana

Prabhupada: …full. They are seeking after comfort, but on the contrary, they have to work like an ass.

Satadhanya: To work hard.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Satadhanya: They have to work hard.

Prabhupada: Like an ass. Have you not seen the ass? Can anyone work like that? The animal is so small, and the load is ten times than his body’s weight. You have not seen? If you weigh the animal’s body and the load, the load is ten times more than his body. This is the punishment. And again, the man who is loading him now, he’ll have to become an ass and take the load. This is called karma-bandhana.

Tamala Krsna: He writes, “Many days… After working for more than one day at several universities, my presence became too obvious, and this becomes politically and legally dangerous, although in some little cities I became practically the talk of the town because people had not seen one with a dark body as mine, speaking only English and a little French.” He’s very dark. [break] He says, “Most important at this school was that after four days of trying to meet the Indologist, we were successful. I met the man and his assistant. They kept stressing that we were…” [break]

Prabhupada: If required, you can show this line to Mr. Koku(?). In foreign countries they are no more interested in philosophical speculation. Actually they are not, neither in America nor India.

Tamala Krsna: No.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Tamala Krsna: Right, Srila Prabhupada. “Lord Caitanya did not let them escape, so He…”

Prabhupada: Our books are sold not for philosophical speculation but practical solution of the problems. The philosophical classes are now being closed everywhere.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, that’s a fact.

Prabhupada: The professors are starving. No students are interested in philosophy. Rather, they take admission in the technological class.

Tamala Krsna: Or even in meditation in classes. They want some practical realization.

Prabhupada: Yes. Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Should I go on reading, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Hm. Hm.

Tamala Krsna: “Seeing that the… Lord Caitanya did not let them escape so easily, seeing that the books would be very interesting, he requested both standing orders and several small books. Before leaving the city, I went to two international book shops. One book shop bought several books, and the other shop, an enterprise, wanted to translate two of your books into Yugoslavian language.”

Prabhupada: Eh? What is that?

Tamala Krsna: “One bookshop bought several books, and the other shop, an enterprise, wanted to translate two of your books into Yugoslavian language.”

Prabhupada: What is that book?

Tamala Krsna: “Gugalana(?), one of the few cities which had a theological seminary, was overpowered…” He doesn’t say which one.

Prabhupada: So make arrangement immediately. We shall allow them to translate and publish.

Tamala Krsna: He says, “Gugalana, one of the few…” [break]

Prabhupada: And Srimad-Bhagavatam is going, what is called, strong.

Tamala Krsna: Very welcome (indistinct). He says, “The Yugoslavians, more than any other…” [break] “He felt such books should be read by everyone.”

Prabhupada: All philosophical.

Tamala Krsna: “He gladly bought the Srimad…” [break]

Prabhupada: …supposed to be intelligent or scholar and does not read my books, his knowledge has no profit. That’s a fact. Asampurna. He remains still in darkness. That is a fact.

Tamala Krsna: His learning is imperfect.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Tamala Krsna: If such a person doesn’t read your books, his learning is not complete—imperfect. Asampurnam?

Prabhupada: Sampurnam is perfect, when he completes reading my books.

Tamala Krsna: Asampurnam means incomplete.

Prabhupada: Imperfect.

Tamala Krsna: “She also,” this person who said that, that all the intellectuals should be familiar with the books, “she also bought the Srimad-Bhagavatam standing order and promised to advertise your books among her colleagues.”

Prabhupada: Just see how Krsna…

Tamala Krsna: “Even more pleasing was my conversation with the chairman of the Comparative Literature program. He bought both standing orders for the department library, and he wants to speak with his colleagues, who are interested in India. He feels both or one of them…”

Prabhupada: This will increase India’s cultural program. And the government is not… You have to show to the government.

Tamala Krsna: “The day ended with a visit to the Philosophy Institute. The professors were in a meeting, and they did not want to speak with me, but finally I rather abruptly started showing them the books anyway.” He burst into their meeting.

Prabhupada: How much obstacles he had. His feature is not attractive, he speaks another language, and he presents the most tough subject. And still, Bhagavata is going through. So many hard knocks.

Satadhanya: It is the topmost mysticism.

Prabhupada: You can write to Mayapura. I think on the hill there are punar, punar navas.

Satadhanya: Punar navas.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Satadhanya: What is that, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: A kind of herb, creeper, creeper that grows, punar nava. It is known practically to all cultivators. If they can collect punar nava, collect and send immediately. Ask Mayapura.

Satadhanya: Punar navas.

Prabhupada: Punar nava.

Tamala Krsna: Hiranyagarbha’s going back there in a day. We have a boy going there in one day.

Satadhanya: It is good medicinally?

Prabhupada: For me. This medicine, what I am drinking, that is punar nava.

Satadhanya: So tomorrow this one boy is going to Mayapura, and he can bring that message. They can immediately send.

Prabhupada: Yes. As much as possible. Then I can prepare this medicine. And I know that is the medicine for my disease, punar nava.

Tamala Krsna: How do you spell that, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: P-u-n-a-r n-a-v-a.

Satadhanya: Oh, punar nava.

Prabhupada: Punar nava.

Tamala Krsna: It’s a plant?

Prabhupada: It is a creeper. It is spread on the hill.

Satadhanya: Nava means birth.

Prabhupada: No, not that. Don’t go “birth” or “death.” It is the name only, punar nava. It is a herb, creeper, and this is the medicine for… It is available here also.

Tamala Krsna: So they should get it here, then.

Prabhupada: Yes, I have asked him.

Tamala Krsna: Accha. “The day ended with a visit to the Philosophy Institute. The professors were in a meeting, and they did not want to speak with me.”

Prabhupada: Just see. The first reception is they do not like to speak with him. Of his bodily feature and language… But the end is good reception.

Tamala Krsna: “But finally I rather abruptly started showing them the books anyway. One chief professor became a little angered and dashed over to me. He started pulling my books out of my case, and he shouted, ‘Son, you are pushing us.’ But in seconds later he shouted, ‘Send us all these books.’ ”

Prabhupada: (laughs) Just see the fun. He rushed there and began… And…? It is a humorous.

Tamala Krsna: “So I made arrangements with the book store to fulfill his desires. The next, University of Pristina. After riding all night in the train…” This boy is going through a lot of hardship all along. He said sometimes for two or three days he did not sleep. “After riding all night in the train I arrived on the campus at four a.m. in the morning. Before anyone could interfere with me, I studied the school very closely. In two hours’ time I knew where all of my targets were. So when the professors and students arrived at 6:30 in the morning…”

Prabhupada: 6:30 in the morning?

Tamala Krsna: He says, “I was ready for them. My first meeting was the most important one.”

Prabhupada: It means that they do… These communist countries, they work so hard.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah.

Prabhupada: They rise up, 4:30, prepare for going to work. Then work begins at 6:30. Is it not more load than the ass? Still they have to do that, by force.

Tamala Krsna: Says, “I was escorted to the Dean’s office. He was also the chairman of the Philosophy and Sociology Institute. He requested both standing orders for the Institute.”

Prabhupada: (laughs) They are getting standing orders, all.

Tamala Krsna: “And he wrote me a note for the librarian. This note influenced the librarian to take not just the standing orders or all of the books, but they have agreed to take every book that we have in each of the different languages also.”

Prabhupada: How intelligent.

Tamala Krsna: Every language, all the books in all languages. “Feeling a little satisfied that this school had been properly inoculated…”—he called it an inoculation—“…I picked up my two bags and ran to the train station.”

Prabhupada: When all these standing orders will be supplied and they read it, we’ll get more first order.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah.

Prabhupada: So our book prospect is very nice future. So BBT must be very careful for distribution like this. Such reception, who is that author, he’ll not be engladdened all over the world? Against odds. Against odds. It’s simply Krsna’s arrangement.

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, I just have to see if my room is being flooded.

Satadhanya: I’ll go see.

Tamala Krsna: Can you just check and have that boy start mopping? As soon as it… See, that’s why they were banging yesterday. And they’ll have to bang some more tomorrow. The room becomes flooded as soon as it rains, due to the faulty pipes.

Prabhupada: Now rectify the fault.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: The whole…

Tamala Krsna: Oh, yeah. See, they told me this is the first time… (aside:) What happened?

Satadhanya: He’s taking care.

Tamala Krsna: He was there. This is the first time that you were here during the rainy season. So normally, I guess… This year, it couldn’t handle it any more, the wall. In five minutes, ten minutes’ time, one bucket of water comes in. So much comes in through the wall. So one man has to stay there.

Prabhupada: One man has… So how to stop it?

Tamala Krsna: I know. The pipe has to be replaced.

Prabhupada: So do it nicely so that in future it may not.

Tamala Krsna: All right. It’ll be a little banging. I told them tomorrow morning, when you’re in massage, when you’re in the garden, then they can do. I don’t want them to do it while you’re in this room. “Feeling a little satisfied that this school had been properly inoculated, I picked up my two bags and ran to the train station with great enthusiasm, because now I was going to meet Gurudasa Goswami, who had come to Yugoslavia to join me. Not having the association of the devotees for many weeks…,” all by himself, “…this thought of meeting…”

Prabhupada: So try to engage Gurudasa also as your cooperator. Yes.

Tamala Krsna: That’s a good word. If you said “assistant,”…

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: …Gurudasa would feel bad. “As your cooperator.” He says, “Not having the association of the devotees for some time, the thought of meeting a devotee of Lord Krsna’s was compelling me to move faster and faster towards the train. Now Gurudasa Swami and myself are together, and we are vigorously agitating our minds in thinking about so many ways of working together in the next Communist country,…”

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: “…Bulgaria.”

Prabhupada: Now, if you work cooperatively, you’ll get more strength. It is raining?

Satadhanya: Yes, Prabhupada.

Tamala Krsna: He says the next country is Bulgaria. “So as to give the maximum number of people a chance to participate in Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana program, as we are so fallen and incompetent…”

Prabhupada: The chanting, did they give?

Tamala Krsna: In Bulgaria?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Tamala Krsna: Not yet. No devotees have ever entered. “As we are so fallen and incompetent, we beg that you will keep guiding us and allowing us to continue to serve you. We remain always desperately begging for your mercy. Your selfish servant, Ghanasyama dasa, BBT Library Party.” You want to try and translate this evening, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: What should I do?

Tamala Krsna: I think you should translate for… [break]

Prabhupada: Absolute. Param satyam dhimahi.

Tamala Krsna: It seems like for the first few years you were… Our movement was very much engaged in establishing our centers, but now it seems that we can concentrate on actually pushing forward the knowledge we have to give.

Prabhupada: Centers were meant for that purpose, for giving knowledge, not for show, a church, a show. What is knowledge?

Tamala Krsna: Now we have our centers established.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: So we can concentrate on…

Prabhupada: Giving knowledge.

Tamala Krsna: …vigorous preaching.

Prabhupada: So I am not in favor of sending… They are not receptive at the present time. Here in Europe, although they are Communist, they are now hankering after some knowledge. These rascals are very uncivilized.

Tamala Krsna: Chinese.

Prabhupada: China, Japan. They are not taken as civilized.

Tamala Krsna: No, they are not, especially the Chin…

Prabhupada: Dog-eaters, candala. The dog-eaters are the lowest of the mankind. They are dog-eaters. In Europe they do not eat dog. And they’re Indo-European stock. These are dog-eaters. They’re rejected. We accept them as living entities, but their quality is the lowest. So they are not yet prepared to receive such exalted knowledge. Better let that book be pushed slowly. Let them become fit gradually. Then we’ll go. For the time being, they are not fit. They can be expert in… You see in your country, so many Chinese are now… What was their business? There… They went there as craftsmen, as carpenter, as…, not as professor or teacher of philosophy.

Tamala Krsna: Mostly… A lot of them have these laundries also.

Prabhupada: That’s it. Laundry. They are dentist.

Satadhanya: Shoe-maker.

Prabhupada: Shoe-maker. That is their business, low class.

Tamala Krsna: Restaurant.

Prabhupada: Yes. Now the Indians are going there as professor, as teacher.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, lawyer…

Prabhupada: Lawyer.

Tamala Krsna: Doctors.

Prabhupada: Doctors. That is the difference.

Tamala Krsna: Actually Indians are a big threat to these countries.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Especially England and America.

Prabhupada: Canada also.

Tamala Krsna: And Canada, yeah.

Prabhupada: In Canada all big, big professors in university, they are Indians. In the education they are expert. That means they have got brain.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, the Indians have the best brain.

Prabhupada: And these shoe-makers, dentists, (indistinct) them. Technician, that’s all. Phalena pariciyate. What class of work he is engaged?

Satadhanya: The Japanese, they’re good at technology.

Prabhupada: Yes. They are… They are good technician. There is no doubt. Sony. They can produce these things. (pause) Give me a shirt. (pause) So as one of the executor of the will, after making that scheme, you can give them, that “This is the scheme.”

Tamala Krsna: Give to whom, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: These, my boys. That’s all.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, when Vrndavana comes, I’ll talk with him and explain.

Prabhupada: (Bengali)

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali)

Prabhupada: (Bengali conversation)

Tamala Krsna: Will you let Vrndavana see the will when he comes?

Prabhupada: That I shall see later on.

Tamala Krsna: So I won’t…

Prabhupada: Eh?

Tamala Krsna: I have a rough copy. I will not show unless you say something to me.

Prabhupada: No, no. No.

Tamala Krsna: Okay.

Prabhupada: You can… You are making that copies?

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, tomorrow morning I’ll have to get the copies…

Prabhupada: So you can keep few copies more.

Tamala Krsna: In case to give…

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, okay. I’ll make one for Ramesvara for duplication, and the rest, I’ll make a few for keeping here. Srila Prabhupada? When the visiting GBC man comes, he can assist me, work with me, and also, can he do what Satadhanya Maharaja is doing?

Prabhupada: Not necessarily. Whatever he can do, that’s all. You are also doing.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, I like to do.

Prabhupada: So that is not… Nothing is compulsory. The important things…

Tamala Krsna: Oh.

Prabhupada: Your taking care of me, that is your kindness to us.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, that is our greatest pleasure. That is your mercy to us. It’s for our purification. I feel like all of this service is simply the greatest mercy for our purification. That place was far away, where they had to go for the medicine.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Tamala Krsna: Mahaksa told me it was…

Prabhupada: And how is that, he has not come back?

Tamala Krsna: Well, I asked Mahaksa, “How is it?” He calculated that it would take three hours, each way, to go. Far distant place. So they left about noon. So three hours, three hours. Then he may have taken some time to make it, three-four hours. So they might come back nine or ten tonight.

Prabhupada: Find out the key.

Tamala Krsna: This temple is really something. Tonight…

Prabhupada: Hm?

Tamala Krsna: Every evening, from six to seven, Bhakti-prema Maharaja, he gives lecture in Hindi. The place is packed.

Prabhupada: Oh?

Tamala Krsna: Oh, every night it’s packed solid. And all high-class people. There’s no low-class people there. And they all listen very attentively. And he’s lecturing. He gives lecture seven nights a week. Then there’s arati, and the people flock. Even more people come for the arati, because they love to see the Westerners jumping up and down, and they love to see the arati. Both things are big attraction. And then there’s an English lecture. Then people leave by then, because by then it’s 7:45. Everyone has to go home. So the devotees are there for English class, Bhagavad-gita class. This temple has a tremendous life already. It’s really very successful. I was wondering that isn’t there some kind of system where we can give everyone who comes some prasadam?

Prabhupada: I introduced that.

Tamala Krsna: They are doing. They give for free.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: But the thing is, you know… I feel like some people, they… Oh, yeah. They sell and they give. Selling is in a nice cup. You can buy maha-prasadam. And beyond that, they also give to anyone who wants.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: I guess it’s going on. They do that at one time in the evening. See, they don’t do it…

Prabhupada: That’s all right. That is all right. Little prasada from our side should be given.

Tamala Krsna: But it’s not done throughout the day. It’s only…

Prabhupada: No, no, no. That is not possible.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, it’s not possible?

Prabhupada: No. Give something in the evening.

Tamala Krsna: But I just wanted to ask a question. Then I’ll have it clarified. When I was at a Birla temple in Bhopal, what they did is… Supposing someone comes here at four o’clock in the afternoon, five o’clock. Now there’s no prasadam distributed at that time, but at that time the pujari could give a little of those white sweet.

Satadhanya: With a tulasi in it.

Prabhupada: That is formality.

Tamala Krsna: That’s not genuine. Yeah, it wasn’t very nice.

Prabhupada: Cheating. That is cheating.

Tamala Krsna: All right. I feel bad that people should not get prasadam.

Prabhupada: No, they must. In the evening, at the time…

Tamala Krsna: They do give. I have seen. Big buckets.

Prabhupada: Manage nicely.

Tamala Krsna: And this big gurukula as well, if we can organize that, phew!

Prabhupada: The whole Vrndavana Gosai, they are perturbed that this temple is becoming very popular.

Tamala Krsna: How are they feeling about it, the Vrndavana Gosais?

Prabhupada: Envious. They know the future. This will be the first- class temple. This is already.

Tamala Krsna: This temple will be more important than Bankabihari.

Prabhupada: Hm, hm.

Tamala Krsna: I’m sure.

Prabhupada: Yes. They are simply exploiting, and our mission is to give. That is the difference. They know their deficiency, that their business will have to… Common sense.

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada? It’s about nine, past nine o’clock now. Maybe you’d like to…

Prabhupada: We can go.

Tamala Krsna: …go upstairs now. Then you can translate for a while. [break]

Prabhupada: “When I go to call to the…, mean, my nature’s call, I go on horseback, I ride on a horse. And for passing stool, I go on a horseback.” (laughs) I am a sannyasi, beggar, but I am carried. “Carry me four, five miles.” (Bengali) Get this pan.

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, I have a little more work to do now.

Prabhupada: Hm, you can go now. You can all go. You can sit down here for some time and begin work.

Devotee: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. [break]

Tamala Krsna: In Dhruvaloka.

Prabhupada: What is that?

Tamala Krsna: Dhruvaloka’s fixed. We have some nice reports for you. First, little book distribution from the sankirtana newsletter for the week. This gives a report of the week of June 6th to June l2th. Now, one thing you should know, whenever these reports are read, only thirty-five temples reported, not all of them. [break]

Prabhupada: That should not be his business. It may be inferior. If not inferior, not with the… Then it is mentioned in the… [break] Still more. [break] And that is all written, Hindi, English. They can go home to home and distribute Hindi books to the ladies. They can be engaged in that way. [break] Therefore any so-called yogi (indistinct).

Tamala Krsna: We are delivering unadulterated. Here is another report from Hamsaduta. [break]

Prabhupada: …to exhibit, you have to pack. Do it nicely. Krsna will bless you. [break] …and book for all men. That is important. People may… (breaks)

Satadhanya: Nectarean.

Prabhupada: And this means that ambrosia. And you are all Mohini- murti, distributing ambrosia. These scriptures should be brought to the (indistinct) system, and they’ll get opportunity to meet with them. So how…?

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, I also… It could mean… According to Gopala, from Africa, that prasada…

Prabhupada: Prasada from…

Tamala Krsna: From all over.

Prabhupada: Has he come with some news?

Tamala Krsna: No one knows, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: How they’ll do? They have no asset. Engrossed with bogus things, cheating. That was my ambition. You have seen that Delhi shop? He was preparing first-class ghee, and all, hundred… So we are giving the real spiritual life. Automatically there is response. Customers will come. And (indistinct). And you can cheat somebody. (pause)

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, the Syamasundara Deity in temple today was beautiful.

Prabhupada: That Deity is very, very nice, Syamasundara. Yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami.

Tamala Krsna: When you see that Deity, are you… Do you call it Syamasundara or Govinda?

Prabhupada: And Syamasundara is good name.

Tamala Krsna: More appropriate.

Prabhupada: Nitai-Gaura, Radha-Syama, Jaya Krsna-Balarama. (laughter) That includes all our Deities. Nitai-Gaura, Radha-Syama, Jaya Krsna-Balarama. The “jaya” word is in the middle with this “Jaya, Haribol.”

Tamala Krsna: Jaya is very auspicious.

Prabhupada: I don’t think there is any other temple in India, in this quarter… I can say, in India… (end)