Room Conversation
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
November 7, 1977, Vrndavana

Prabhupada: (Hindi with Shastriji kaviraja)

Kaviraja: (Hindi)

Tamala Krsna: You have to give Prabhupada some strength to go on the parikrama.

Svarupa Damodara: He said in three days.

Tamala Krsna: Three days. That’s good.

Kaviraja: (Hindi with Bhakti-caru)

Tamala Krsna: But whether Prabhupada will eat some? Prabhupada, you will try to eat the Gujarati ruti and dal?

Prabhupada: Hm.

Kaviraja: (Hindi)

Prabhupada: (Hindi)

Bhakti-caru: : (Hindi about different foods with Prabhupada and kaviraja)

Tamala Krsna: You want to try some malapuyas later on tonight?

Bhakti-caru: (Hindi)

Prabhupada: (Hindi)

Bhakti-caru: Prabhupada will let us know. (Bengali) One too hot. Just like the way it was today. (Bengali)

Tamala Krsna: Shrikand. That’s very good for you, Srila Prabhupada, shrikand.

Prabhupada: Oh, shrikand.

Tamala Krsna: That’s a good preparation for you, Srila Prabhupada, very nutritious.

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali with Prabhupada)

Prabhupada: So, where is Bharadvaja?

Tamala Krsna: Bharadvaja is here, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: So you can sing.

Tamala Krsna: Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Softly. [break] Kaviraja says that he has so many nice patients he will not leave. So how he’s treating now?

Tamala Krsna: I have not inquired about that, Srila Prabhupada. His point was that they depend upon his presence for treatment. That means that even if they were to die because he was not personally available to treat them, he did not think that it was very much important in comparison to treating Your Divine Grace. Because they are materialists, so whether they live or die does not affect anything so much. But because you are a great transcendentalist, your presence means that so many thousands of people can be saved. How are you feeling, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Not so good. I am passing stool.

Tamala Krsna: We’ll bring that to his notice. Now that he’s here, all of these things can be adjusted. Actually, Srila Prabhupada, he explains that because of the fact that you have not eaten for so many months, all of your inside has become dried up and shriveled, and therefore you cannot expect that you’ll be healed very quickly. He says it will take time, but it can be done. As far as your passing stool, you are passing so little stool that it’s not very significant.

Satadhanya: Srila Prabhupada, you passed stool once this afternoon and then in the early morning, previous morning, you passed stool. So actually today has not been a lot of stool at all, and it was very small amount.

Tamala Krsna: So he was explaining that because everything is so dried up and shriveled inside, now we have to make your body used to taking in foods again and giving off the natural secretions and other juices that are necessary. It takes time. He feels that it’s certainly possible, and we certainly hope it is possible.

Prabhupada: Turn me.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, Srila Prabhupada. [break] …passing is not a very big amount, Srila Prabhupada. Practically it’s hardly anything at all. But because it requires for you to be cleaned, therefore you’re a little bit bothered by it. Otherwise, in proportion to what you’re drinking, it’s not unusual. Rather, it’s a little healthy, because if you weren’t passing it, then we’d have to make it come by giving douche or something. So the kaviraja explained, though, that gradually he has to work on each thing. I’m hopeful, Srila Prabhupada, even though you say you’re hopeless. Of course, it’s our duty to follow your lotus feet; so whatever your view is, it’s our view. But you have to kindly permit us that in this one instance we can have a disagreeing view that although you are hopeless, we should remain hopeful, although it’s always our duty to have the same view as you have. Are you desiring to have some kirtana, Srila Prabhupada? Or would you like to rest for a while.

Prabhupada: Yes, I want rest.

Tamala Krsna: You want to rest. So we’ll keep it very quiet for a while. I’m just writing some letters, so should I continue to do that?

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: I’m in the next room in case you want me. Bhavananda Maharaja and Satadhanya Maharaja are here. We’ll keep everything quiet for you, Srila Prabhupada. [break]

Panca-dravida: …everything was together. But when you add up our sales, whole zones put together, then they’re as big as New York and the other areas now. They are doing nicely. They’ve also brought you some gifts, one sweater and some warm socks and a scarf for the winter here in Vrndavana.

Prabhupada: So keep it. I shall use it.

Panca-dravida: He also brought one wooden bowl for eating. They brought one wooden plate for eating also.

Bhakti-caru: Where did they put them at?

Panca-dravida: In the office.

Bhakti-caru: That’s all right. Someone has got to go and get it.

Panca-dravida: I can bring it. He also said Hrdayananda Maharaja, he is in Brazil, but he is returning in a little while.

Jagadisa: Srila Prabhupada, would you like us to have kirtana?

Prabhupada: Hm.

Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, we’ve brought some juice, grape juice.

Tamala Krsna: We can sit you up, Srila Prabhupada. That will make it easier to drink. Bhavananda Maharaja and myself are here. We can hold you up for a minute?

Prabhupada: Hm. Drink for a minute.

Bhavananda: Only for a minute.

Tamala Krsna: Is that all right, Srila Prabhupada? Should we hold you up for a minute?

Prabhupada: So if I eat here…?

Tamala Krsna: Laying down?

Prabhupada: What is wrong?

Bhavananda: The only problem is then the tendency is to take less.

Tamala Krsna: It’s easier to drink when one sits up. We can hold you up. (harmonium and kirtana)

Prabhupada: It is warm now. Hm. [break] What Shastriji said?

Tamala Krsna: Hm. I had a nice talk with Shastriji, very detailed talk. He explained that the main… He said we have brought you to him at the very last possible moment. He said had we come six months earlier, so much easier it would have been. He said this time that we have called him just now was just timely that he came back again. He said that the main problem is the kidney. He said the kidney is working, otherwise you could not pass urine. And the medicine which he has given over the past week has had an effect, because the urine is increased. He explains that the whole body, there’s very little blood due to not having eaten for so many months, and there’s great weakness because of this. He says the muscles are all more or less gone; therefore you have no strength, because the blood is not there. And because you’re so weak, he can’t give strong medicine, because it will be too strong for you. He has to give it very, very carefully and slowly, in small doses. He says the kidney, urine goes downwards, and blood goes upwards. So the urine is passing. Now he’s going to give… He started today already giving medicine which will help to form blood. And automatically… He says that… I asked him, “How will we know if it is working? Will Prabhupada feel stronger?” He said, “Not immediately. I can’t give it very much dose.” He said, “I’ll be able to tell it from the pulse.” I guess that’s the kaviraja’s ability, that he can tell from the pulse. He said, “I’ll be able to tell from the pulse that the medicine for creating more blood is being taken up by the body.” Then we asked him… He said that it is better you don’t sit up ’cause it puts strain on the heart. He said it’s better you don’t sit up for the next four days or so. Better that you lay down all the time. And that for feeding you, that we can feed you while you’re laying down. He said it’s not necessary that you take anything solid unless you want it. Liquids are good, he said, for now. Because the whole point is that he has to treat you very, very slowly. There’s no question of rushing anything, because you’re too weak. He said, if you want solids, that things should not be cooked in ghee. There should be no dahi. He gave some restrictions—not so many, but some. He said just like malapuya would not be good because it’s cooked with ghee. I asked him frankly what he thought was your chances. He said that he felt your chances were quite good. He said the whole point is that… He said of course it depends on Krsna. He said, “But the chances are very good. But it will be slow.” I said, “But even if Prabhupada recovers, what does that mean, ‘recover’?” He said, “Recover means to be fit.” I said, “What about like walking?” He said, “Fit means walking, talking, eating, everything.” He said, “If this medicine works, then he should live for at least ten more years.” He said that the treatment will take at least three or four months. It’s a very slow treatment. He felt fairly confident. He feels there’s a very good… He says that he treated one patient who had twenty ulcers, and every single physician said that the man had to die within a week to two weeks. And he made this man take 34 kilos of buttermilk per day, and the man survived. He got rid of all the ulcers and survived. He said he takes your case as very, very serious, though. It’s most…, at the final point. I said, “Well, Prabhupada says that he’s dead. Now he says he even feels practically dead.” The kaviraja said, “He’s not dead. I have seen worse cases even than this, and they could survive. But I have to work very, very carefully. And Prabhupada should keep good spirits,” he said.

Prabhupada: Let us see.

Tamala Krsna: I felt very… I thought that was good, that recovery doesn’t mean simply laying in bed for the next few years, but recovery means actually being fit. He says it’s gradual. He says, “Now, the medicine I’ve given for the kidneys over the past week, the kidney has not gotten worse. It’s improved a little.” He said, “So that…” [break]

Prabhupada: You don’t strain for collecting. Then spiritual progress will be hampered.

Tamala Krsna: Don’t strain for collecting. Then spiritual progress will be hampered. That’s a fact.

Jayapataka: It seems that the temple could be completed within seven years without straining.

Prabhupada: That is nice.

Jayapataka: Then we can have it completed by the five-hundredth- year anniversary of Lord Caitanya…

Prabhupada: Yes.

Jayapataka: …which is in eight years.

Prabhupada: Do it. That is…

Jayapataka: And the architect at Mayapura, he said that the temple that’s inside the big temple, that could be opened up to the public within three years by having just some type of false ceiling, and then the upper stories, work can go on. That means within three years people could start visiting the temple and using it, which will also be a big inspiration to the public. And then the upstairs and complete outside would be completed.

Prabhupada: Do like that. That is very good idea. And different name, you can purchase.

Tamala Krsna: Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust?

Jayapataka: Each of the…, like gosala, handloom, these can be separately formed into societies, which would be easier for bookkeeping and management anyway, and each of those societies can purchase the land on which their handloom or gosala, whatever is, they can purchase that land in that name.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Krsi-go-raksya bhumi Trust.

Jayapataka: Mr. Chowdury tried, but now he’s been transferred from the development commissioner. Now he’s the transport commissioner. So now all he can do is give us a free… He gives us, tax free, vehicles. But he can’t give us the land anymore.

Prabhupada: Tax free?

Jayapataka: Our vehicles in Bengal, we don’t pay any road tax. He’s the transport commissioner, but he’s no longer development commissioner. And if the government gives us some land on acquisition, we’ll take. But I don’t think they’ll give a big amount, neither we should wait for that.

Tamala Krsna: No. That’s also utopian.

Jayapataka: When they see we’re doing something, automatically they want to also help.

Tamala Krsna: And that bridge is a good idea. Pontoon bridge.

Jayapataka: Because so many tourists are coming. The local M.L.A., he told me now there’s thousands and thousands people coming. This last weekend there was… At any time you could see hundreds of people walking on the road to take darsana So now the local man, he wants to build some guesthouse on his own, the government, where they’re going to serve meat and other things. That’s why our temple, we want to… We’re getting our guesthouse all straightened up. If we have a restaurant, then we’ll be able to take all the tourist traffic.

Tamala Krsna: So why don’t you have a restaurant?

Jayapataka: That was supposed to be done this year, but then Bombay took all the funds. Prabhupada sanctioned it already last year. It was a good idea. But Mayapura has become very popular. This is all due to your effort, Srila Prabhupada. Simply due to your efforts Mayapura and Navadvipa is becoming so much more famous and popular. We want to make the Mayapura temple so beautiful and make the city so nice that not only the Queen of England and the President of United States, but even the Russian and Chinese leaders, they’ll all have to come to see this. They can’t avoid. Will that please Bhaktivinoda Thakura? If all the leaders, all these presidents and kings would come and visit the temple at Mayapura, that would please Bhaktivinoda Thakura?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes.

Tamala Krsna: Seems like your activities, Srila Prabhupada, are so much pleasing to the previous acaryas.

Jayapataka: This is the secret you are showing, working towards satisfying the desires of the previous acaryas.

Prabhupada: Tandera carana-sebi-bhakta-sane bas. So you are all bhaktas. To live with you, to serve the lotus feet of the acaryas, that’s good…

Svarupa Damodara: We’ve already become famous as spiritual United Nations.

Jayapataka: You’ve given the secret for success. [break]

Prabhupada: If possible, make some improvement in Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s birthplace.

Jayapataka: I was just thinking about that, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: At least repair it nicely, without any claim of our…

Jayapataka: From the Bhaktivedanta Charity Trust.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: This Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust will be very popular, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Jayapataka: Amongst the Vaisnavas.

Tamala Krsna: Everyone will glorify your name. It will be a great pleasure to give them funds from this Trust.

Jayapataka: Sometime in the future we can, if they are ever agreeable, if we can take the seva of that birthplace, then we should do so.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Jayapataka: In Malda district at Ramakeli, where Lord Caitanya first met with Rupa and Sanatana, there is a temple of Radha-Krsna that… Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami used to worship those Deities. Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura Prabhupada has put a lotus feet of Mahaprabhu there. So we have gone there on two occasions for preaching, and they…, some local people came and said they would like us to take some…, to either take over management or somehow be connected with that because they felt that it required preaching there. They’re very favorable at that place.

Prabhupada: Purchase it.

Jayapataka: When you say Gauda-mandala-bhumi, that means any of the lila places of Lord Caitanya.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: Not just Navadvipa.

Prabhupada: No. No, in Bengal.

Tamala Krsna: What about in Jagannatha Puri?

Prabhupada: That is another. That is Orissa.

Tamala Krsna: It is your great mercy, Srila Prabhupada, that you are allowing us to do a little helping to you in your service to the previous acaryas. We are completely fallen, without any spiritual credit, but still, you are allowing us to help you in a little way.

Jayapataka: Without your intervention we would have no hope.

Prabhupada: Where is Jayapataka’s mother?

Tamala Krsna: Where is Jayapataka’s mother?

Jayapataka: She’s in California. Citsukhananda Prabhu said that… (to Citsukhananda:) You said you saw her in Los Angeles? She is coming to the temple? My mother? What is she doing?

Citsukhananda: She’s coming now. There’s another lady, Mrs. Forkash, and she has been working with Mrs. Forkash, and she’s been attending the programs and also organizing for good publicity for the movement all over America. And she’s been attending major functions that we do. Like we had a major function with all the important people of Los Angeles—movie stars, directors, politicians—and so she also assisted, and she was preaching, speaking about Krsna consciousness.

Tamala Krsna: She’s becoming a devotee.

Citsukhananda: Yes, very much.

Svarupa Damodara: She’s also connected with that Parents for Krsna? There’s one parent’s group called Parents for Krsna?

Citsukhananda: Parents for Krsna, yes. She assists in that Parents for Krsna group.

Tamala Krsna: That is your magic touch, Srila Prabhupada. Anyone who contacts you becomes a devotee. You’re just like the associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Whoever saw them…

Prabhupada: She’s already a good lady. Otherwise how she can have such nice son? (laughter)

Citsukhananda: I asked her if she had met you, Prabhupada. I asked Jayapataka’s mother if she had met you, and she said, “Yes…”

Prabhupada: A fortunate lady. All your mothers, they are all fortu…

Svarupa Damodara: I remember some parents used to come, Srila Prabhupada, in Los Angeles while you were sitting in the garden in the evening. Once in a while, some parents would come and appreciate you so much that you’ve trained their sons and daughters to become a human being.

Prabhupada: Tenants?

Svarupa Damodara: The parents used to come in Los Angeles in the evening while you were sitting in the garden.

Prabhupada: Which garden?

Svarupa Damodara: In Los Angeles.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Jayapataka: One day you’ll be celebrated for saving the whole world, Srila Prabhupada.

Tamala Krsna: Every day, Srila Prabhupada, I receive so many letters praising Your Divine Grace, how you have saved so many fallen souls.

Jayapataka: Even this kaviraja, he said that he has seven patients in Calcutta who are about to die, but he said they’re all materialists, so if they live or die it doesn’t matter much. So he said, “If Prabhupada stays on the planet, then so many hundreds, thousands, countless living entities will get devotional service, get liberation, get elevated.” That’s why he’s dropped those patients to come here. You are the most important. You are the pure devotee.

Tamala Krsna: It’s amazing to think, Srila Prabhupada, that ten years ago you were living in Radha-Damodara temple and just conceiving all of this. Now Krsna has arranged everything. You were sitting alone, having to draw your own water, doing your own typing. Everything you had to do yourself. And now, gradually, the whole world is coming to assist you in serving Krsna. It is most wonderful.

Jayapataka: But still we are not able to serve properly. You have to show us continuously. We are so unfortunate, we are not able to serve you properly.

Devotee (1): Everyone is knowing of your glories, Srila Prabhupada. I was coming in a truck from the airport in San Francisco, and one policeman pulled me over, and he ran an investigation and he came back and said, “I know this isn’t right, but do you have any books by Prabhupada?” So he pulled me over just to get one of your books. And later on I saw him, and he and his friend… He was a sergeant, and they were reading your book at a liquor store.

Tamala Krsna: The policeman pulled him over. He was in a car, Srila Prabhupada. He thought he was going to be arrested, but the policeman said, “I’m pulling you over to ask for one of Prabhupada’s books.”

Jayapataka: Haribol!

Devotee (1): He said that he used to go through the airports all the time and get your books, but he hadn’t been through the airport in so long, he was feeling the separation. So he had to pull us over, because he saw we were devotees, so that he could ask for some of your books.

Citsukhananda: In Los Angeles, at the Spiritual Sky Incense company, there are so many karmi workers also assisting in Spiritual Sky business. So actually they are just coming to work every day without any change of heart. But we started… The receptionist started giving Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers to the people who work there. And this one man who’s a theologian who works there in the bookkeeping department read your book and he said, “This man speaks perfectly. He has no fault. Everything he says is completely right, perfect.” So now they’re coming to the temple, now, because they’ve read your book. Otherwise they didn’t want to associate. But now they read this book, Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, and they’re coming to the temple. They take prasadam. They’ve become very submissive, all the workers.

Jayapataka: Now that your books are being printed in Hindi, in Calcutta, one of our life members, Mr. Tulsan, he got your Hindi Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta, and he’s begun reading, and now he said his whole life is transformed. He said that never he found anywhere that the knowledge was presented so simply and so clearly. All the panditas he could never understand. So now he’s become so enthusiastic he’s purchasing four rooms in Mayapura— two for himself, and he’s making two relatives purchase. And every month he comes out with his family, with the whole family. “Instead of going to other recreation,” he said, “we’ll go to the temple.” And he brings big basket of fruit, and he comes out, and they stay for the weekend and they all attend mangala-arati.

Prabhupada: Four rooms, which side? New?

Tamala Krsna: New building or the old one?

Jayapataka: He’s going to purchase, I think, two rooms in the old building, and then two rooms in the new building he’ll have his friends purchase.

Tamala Krsna: They like the new building also?

Jayapataka: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: I think we’ll have to build more buildings soon, Srila Prabhupada.

Svarupa Damodara: That long building?

Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada was saying that Tirtha Maharaja’s brother says that our gate alone is worth all the other temples, that front gate alone. (laughter) When I told Srila Prabhupada that people say that our new building is like a…, worth a whole train, Prabhupada said, “A double train.”

Jayapataka: When one of the Communist papers was writing a critical report about us, then they said that “They even have a building that’s longer than the Writer’s Building. How they have done this, shamed our state building?” (laughter)

Tamala Krsna: The gate is bigger than the Governor’s gate and the building is longer than the Writer’s Building. Krsna is first. When we build that temple, it will… (laughter) Then everyone will simply be silent. That will end all comment.

Prabhupada: They are already silent. (laughter)

Citsukhananda: Before I came to India, Prabhupada, one Saturday night in Los Angeles about three weeks ago we had a big maha-sankirtana, big chanting party, because President Carter was coming to Los Angeles. So we got there about thirty minutes before he was coming, and we went with about 125 devotees from New Dvaraka. We went chanting through the street right in front of his hotel room. So he came in from the back way, but it was known to us that he heard the chanting, and all the main people from the government saw this chanting of Hare Krsna. We were chanting very nicely, dancing in the street. And everyone was protesting something different, but we were just happy and joyful, and everyone could see that this is positive, this is best thing. Everyone is griping about something, but we are all happy. We have no complaints. So we think that President Carter heard this kirtana party.

Svarupa Damodara: He’s supposed to come to India this month.

Jayapataka: We were noticing now the headline in America in the Newsweek or some magazine was that America is going right. Now people are protesting against abortion. They are demanding that leaders be moralistic. It is a whole trend now. And so we see that just because Your Divine Grace has begun book distribution and preaching in the West, in America, that now the people, they’re becoming more… Qualities of goodness are automatically coming about just because of your preaching.

Devotee (1): At one big fair, Prabhupada, we were distributing your books, and after the fair was over so many people were coming up. So we surrounded the truck with stacks of books and were passing them out. And pretty soon after all the books were gone the people started rocking the truck. They were surrounding it, asking for one of your books. They were demanding that they have one of your books.

Jayapataka: The kaviraja has come.

Kaviraja: (Hindi)

Prabhupada: (Hindi)

Kaviraja: (Hindi conversations)

Svarupa Damodara: How much urine yesterday?

Tamala Krsna: Yesterday was 475.

Kaviraja: (Hindi)

Tamala Krsna: One thousand was liquid taken in.

Bhakti-caru: Yes, 1,000.

Tamala Krsna: One kilo.

Kaviraja: (Hindi)

Tamala Krsna: We washed his eyes with rose water. Prabhupada said he felt a little…

Bhakti-caru: He said that the medicine that he started administering, in four or five days Prabhupada will be fit enough to go into parikrama.

Tamala Krsna: Does that sound all right, Srila Prabhupada?

Kaviraja: (Hindi)

Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada slept the whole night soundly.

Kaviraja: (Hindis conversation) (Prabhupada drinks something and coughs) (Hindi)

Bhakti-caru: Was the stool… How was the stool?

Bhavananda: Last night?

Bhakti-caru: Yesterday.

Bhavananda: It’s in there.

Bhakti-caru: No. How was the…

Bhavananda: Consistency?

Tamala Krsna: One thing you can say. Prabhupada was saying that there was a little… Prabhupada, you said that there was a little trouble for passing urine today?

Bhavananda: He said it’s coming in installments.

Tamala Krsna: Is it painful or anything, Srila Prabhupada?

Jagadisa: Some slight pain.

Tamala Krsna: You can tell Shastriji that Prabhupada was saying that for urine there’s a little difficulty, pain.

Bhakti-caru: In the morning. (Hindi)

Kaviraja: (Hindi)

Tamala Krsna: You want some water, Prabhupada?

Bhakti-caru: Arak is that distilled medicine…

Prabhupada: (Hindi) …choke… (Hindi) …choke… (Hindi)

Bhakti-caru: We have to increase the quantity of that Arak.

Tamala Krsna: That’s for the kidney? Next one we’ll keep. There’ll be more. Prabhupada, you want to try for passing urine?

Prabhupada: Immediately?

Bhakti-caru: No, whenever…

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada? You want to rest now? You’ve been talking for a long time. You want kirtana or not now, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Soft.

Tamala Krsna: Soft kirtana. Shastriji? You can close curtain? (kirtana) (end)