View source for I'll tell you another story about Mahatma Gandhi. My Guru Maharaja invited him in our matha

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{{terms|"I'll tell you another story about Mahatma Gandhi. My Guru Mahārāja invited him in our ''maṭha''"}}
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[[Category:I Will (Prabhupada)]]
[[Category:I Tell You (Prabhupada)]]
[[Category:Another]]
[[Category:Prabhupada's Stories]]
[[Category:about]]
[[Category:Gandhi]]
[[Category:My Guru Maharaja]]
[[Category:Invite]]
[[Category:Gaudiya Matha]]
[[Category:Prabhupada and Gandhi]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Room Conversations, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Room Conversations, 1971]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in India, Gorakhpur]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - His Life]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1971_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1971 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1971 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="RoomConversationFebruary171971Gorakhpur_0" class="quote" parent="1971_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="5" link="Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur" link_text="Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur">
<div class="heading">I'll tell you another story about Mahatma Gandhi. My Guru Mahārāja invited him in our maṭha, Mahatma Gandhi. So Mahatma Gandhi inquired... The, my godbrothers went to invite him. "What you are doing in your maṭha?" They replied that "We are worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa." So he inquired, "Are you pulling on charka?" They said, "No sir," He said, "Charka is my God. If there is no charka, I am not going there." He said like that.
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<mp3player>https://vanipedia.s3.amazonaws.com/clip/710217R1-GORAKHPUR_clip1.mp3</mp3player>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur|Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">
Guest: I also read ''Gītā''. What's the difference? I mean, Mahatma Gandhi . . .

Prabhupāda: He never surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. I wrote him letter, "Mahatma Gandhi, you have got so much influence. You just preach the gospel of Kṛṣṇa . . . ''Bhagavad-gītā''. Now we have attained ''svarāj''. You don't be in politics." But he was still in politics after attainment of ''svarāj''. And his assistants became disgusted because he was interfering, and therefore he was killed.

And that is open secret. If he would have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, "All right. Now I have worked for ''svarāj''. My people have got ''svarāj''. Now let me work for Kṛṣṇa . . ." He never did that. You cannot say that he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He should have taken immediately ''sannyāsa'' and preached ''Bhagavad-gītā'' if he was actually surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. What did he do for Kṛṣṇa? We have to know from practical point of view.

I'll tell you another story about Mahatma Gandhi. My Guru Mahārāja invited him in our ''maṭha'', Mahatma Gandhi. So Mahatma Gandhi inquired . . . the, my Godbrothers went to invite him. "What you are doing in your ''maṭha''?" They replied that, "We are worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa." So he inquired, "Are you pulling on ''charkha''?" They said: "No, sir." He said, "''Charkha'' is my God. If there is no ''charkha'', I am not going there." He said like that.

Devotee: What is ''charkha''?

Prabhupāda: Yes, spinning. Because he was spinning daily. Just like you are chanting sixteen rounds, he was spinning sixteen rounds. And he said frankly, "Are you spinning ''charkha''?" They said: "No, sir." "Oh, then I am not going there. My God is ''charkha''." That is practical. We have got experience. And actually he was refusing. Just like we are insisting, "You must chant Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mantra'' sixteen rounds," he was . . . there were so many ''charkhas'' daily selling. People took it very seriously. We also took ''charkha'' and that, what is called?

Devotee: Handloom.

Prabhupāda: Handloom. And there was very good business. So many ''charkhas'' and that handloom was sold in the shops, because everyone was purchasing and purchasing. And they were stacked and thrown away some time after. So . . . because Mahatma Gandhi asked, everyone did. You see? So he also asked our ''maṭha'' people that "Are you spinning a ''charkha''?"

They said: "No, sir." "Then I am not going." He refused the invitation. Does it mean he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa? He surrendered to ''charkha''. That's all. And if you say: "''Charkha'' is also Kṛṣṇa," oh, there will be no more argument.