Room Conversations
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
July 7, 1977, Vrndavana

Prabhupada: Just see. For cutting the throat of cow, he’s going thousands of miles. This is the civilization. He’s an expert butcher, and he has got service in Australia, and he’ll go. This is livelihood, personal duty. What a nonsense business, and he’s going to… Ma jiva va mara. A butcher is advised, “Don’t die; don’t live. If you live, it is a horrible business, and if you die, you’ll go to hell. So don’t die; don’t live.”

Tamala Krsna: He has a question to ask. He says, “Is it permitted to use shells for making jewelry, crowns, etc., for Deities? Or is it to be considered as the bone of an animal?”

Prabhupada: No, you can do it.

Tamala Krsna: ’Cause they’re very beautiful.

Prabhupada: The bone of animal is the conchshell, and that is used in Deity room. It is… The conchshell is nothing but bone of an animal.

Tamala Krsna: Right. He says that he has a plan. “We want to inlay the thrones for the new temple with beautiful shells if it is permitted.”

Prabhupada: Oh, yes.

Tamala Krsna: He’s says he’s trying to increase the book distribution by arranging a big door-to-door program.

Prabhupada: That is my earnest desire. Fulfill it.

Tamala Krsna: That’s all he has to say. That was all the mail that came.

Prabhupada: You can send him some old newsletter with a note that “How your other Godbrothers are doing. Compete with them in this line.”

Tamala Krsna: Okay.

Prabhupada: Hm. Simply fighting, what gift? Fighting between brother and brother, that is going on perpetually, but do something for the father. By right I’ll take.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah. Satsvarupa’s… Ramesvara sent an article. One of Siddha’s papers, they published an article which was against the devotees.

Prabhupada: Who?

Tamala Krsna: Siddha-svarupa’s.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Tamala Krsna: It was against the devotees’ book distribution tactics. So…

Prabhupada: So you can send them: “This is not good.” Let him know.

Tamala Krsna: So Satsvarupa wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper—it’s a newspaper which is put out by Siddha’s people— saying that “This is not at all proper. You should not…” He gave so many shastric references why it is not good.

Prabhupada: It will be corrected.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, I mean the main… It’s not so serious. The main point is, as you said, they’re chanting and all these other activities.

Prabhupada: Yes. So we shall go now?

Tamala Krsna: Yes. It’s getting late.

Prabhupada: Where is Jao Prasad? [break]

Tamala Krsna: Everything was “probably” in their books.

Prabhupada: “Probably,” “maybe.”

Tamala Krsna: Those are their favorite words. Srila Prabhupada? We’re receiving a number of letters now, and these are people who want to get initiated. So up until now, since your becoming ill, we asked them to wait.

Prabhupada: The local, mean, senior sannyasis can do that.

Tamala Krsna: That’s what we were doing… I mean, formerly we were… The local GBC, sannyasis, were chanting on their beads, and they were writing to Your Divine Grace, and you were giving a spiritual name. So should that process be resumed, or should we…? I mean one thing is that it’s said that the spiritual master takes on the… You know, he takes on the… He has to cleanse the disciple by… So we don’t want that you should have to… Your health is not so good, so that should not be… That’s why we’ve been asking everybody to wait. I just want to know if we should continue to wait some more time.

Prabhupada: No, the senior sannyasis…

Tamala Krsna: So they should continue to…

Prabhupada: You can give me a list of sannyasis. I will mark who will…

Tamala Krsna: Okay.

Prabhupada: You can do. Kirtanananda can do. And our Satsvarupa can do. So these three, you can give, begin.

Tamala Krsna: So supposing someone is in America, should they simply write directly to Kirtanananda or Satsvarupa?

Prabhupada: Nearby. Jayatirtha can give.

Tamala Krsna: Jayatirtha.

Prabhupada: Bhavanan…, er, Bhagavan. And he can do also. Harikesa.

Tamala Krsna: Harikesa Maharaja.

Prabhupada: And… Five, six men, you divide who is nearest.

Tamala Krsna: Who is nearest. So persons wouldn’t have to write to Your Divine Grace. They could write directly to that person?

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: Actually they are initiating the person on Your Divine Grace’s behalf. Those persons who are initiated are still your…

Prabhupada: Second initiation we shall think over, second initiation.

Tamala Krsna: This is for first initiation, okay. And for second initiation, for the time being they should…

Prabhupada: No, they have to wait. Second initiation, that should be given…

Tamala Krsna: Should… Some devotees are writing you now for second initiation, and I’m writing them to wait a while because you’re not well. So can I continue to tell them that?

Prabhupada: They can do second initiation.

Tamala Krsna: By writing you.

Prabhupada: No. These men.

Tamala Krsna: These men, they can also do second initiation. So there’s no need for devotees to write to you for first and second initiation. They can write to the man nearest them. But all these persons are still your disciples. Anybody who gives initiation is doing so on your behalf.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: You know that book I’m maintaining of all of your disciples’ names? Should I continue that?

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: So if someone gives initiation, like Harikesa Maharaja, he should send the person’s name to us here and I’ll enter it in the book. Okay. Is there someone else in India that you want to do this?

Prabhupada: India, I am here. We shall see. In India, Jayapataka.

Tamala Krsna: Jayapataka Maharaja.

Prabhupada: You are also in India.

Tamala Krsna: Yes.

Prabhupada: You can note down these names.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, I have them.

Prabhupada: Who are they?

Tamala Krsna: Kirtanananda Maharaja, Satsvarupa Maharaja, Jayatirtha Prabhu, Bhagavan Prabhu, Harikesa Maharaja, Jayapataka Maharaja and Tamala Krsna Maharaja.

Prabhupada: That’s nice. Now you distribute.

Tamala Krsna: Seven. There’s seven names.

Prabhupada: For the time being, seven names, sufficient. You can make Ramesvara.

Tamala Krsna: Ramesvara Maharaja.

Prabhupada: And Hrdayananda.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, yeah. South America.

Prabhupada: So without waiting for me, wherever you consider it is right… That will depend on discretion.

Tamala Krsna: On discretion.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: That’s for first and second initiations.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: Okay. Shall I send a kirtana party, Srila Prabhupada? [break]

Prabhupada: And his wife takes four bottles of Nax Pomica.(?) If we said that “Dr. Bannerji prescribes Nax Pomica(?) and different (indistinct) to every person,” therefore we finished the Nax Pomica(?) bottle very quickly. He was the biggest customer for Nax Pomica, Tincture Nax Pomica.(?) So he… And he was very famous doctor. And Abhinas Chandra Bannerji, he went to Allahabad very poor condition. Then, by medical practice, he became very rich man. I think simply by the mercy of Nax Pomica.(?) So one must know the right way. (coughs)

Tamala Krsna: How’s your cold, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: There is nothing.

Tamala Krsna: Is it changing the condition at all? We should think how to get rid of it.

Prabhupada: How to rid?

Tamala Krsna: I remember one thing you were taking to loosen the phlegm in Mayapura when you had a cough. You were taking a little hot lemon juice in the mornings.

Prabhupada: You can give me.

Tamala Krsna: I remember that. It seemed to have good effects. It also helped for digestion.

Prabhupada: So any other?

Tamala Krsna: No. Actually I’m right in the middle of doing these accounts, so I probably should…

Prabhupada: (coughing) So this bank manager came. It means they are little serious.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, this is a real good sign. The last request of the head office is a very good sign. The head office is requesting, “Now please take the letter for him to sign…” It means that they’re planning how to get the branch open. And I told this man that “If you get this opened, then surely we will open your branch in our Mayapura center as well in all other centers.”

Prabhupada: That’s nice.

Tamala Krsna: They are a good bank. There’s no doubt.

Prabhupada: That Mr. Neta came?

Tamala Krsna: His name is Mr. Pattak, isn’t it?

Prabhupada: Oh, Pattak, Pattak, yes. That’s all right.

Tamala Krsna: After massage I can come and see you and give some… (end)