I had only forty rupees with me, and a return ticket in the Scindia Navigation Companies. So for two, three months, six months, there was no response. I was simply maintaining myself by selling my books

Expressions researched:
"I had only forty rupees with me, and a return ticket in the Scindia Navigation Companies. So for two, three months, six months, there was no response. I was simply maintaining myself by selling my books"

Lectures

Festival Lectures

I had only forty rupees with me, and a return ticket in the Scindia Navigation Companies. So for two, three months, six months, there was no response. I was simply maintaining myself by selling my books. But these young boys, American boys, gradually they joined me in 1966. I was chanting in a park—what is that, Tompkinson (sic) Square?

Lecture Festival Appearance Day, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati -- February 11, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then I started this Back to Godhead magazine in 1944, on this very birthday of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and I was looking forward for the opportunity how to implement this order of my Guru Mahārāja. Then in 1965—before that I was translating Bhāgavatam—and when three books were published, then I prepared myself to go to America, singlehanded. Not for getting any material reputation, but simply to try, because I knew my Guru Mahārāja was very, very anxious to preach this cult. So when I saw that there were other, my big Godbrothers—I cannot say that they could not do anything, at least there was no any tangible result—then at the age of seventy years, I thought, "Let me try if I can do something." So I left India in 1965 and went to New York, thinking, "What shall I do? I do not know what for Kṛṣṇa has brought me in this place without any friend, without any money." I had only forty rupees with me, and a return ticket in the Scindia Navigation Companies. So for two, three months, six months, there was no response. I was simply maintaining myself by selling my books. But these young boys, American boys, gradually they joined me in 1966. I was chanting in a park—what is that, Tompkinson Square?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, and these boys, gradually they came and joined and danced with me. Then, the New York Times they published first of all. I think our Brahmānanda—Bruce—and our Acyutānanda—what is . . . Bernard?

Devotee: Charles.

Prabhupāda: Charles, yes. They were dancing first, hand to hand. Then this news was spread very nicely. One paper, Voice, they printed that, "We understood that God is dead, but now I see," the reporter said: "that Swami Bhaktivedanta has brought back God in his saṅkīrtana." This was the remark. Then gradually we developed, and next branch was established in San Francisco. First in New York; then in Canada, Montreal; and Boston. Here is one my student, old student, is present, Satsvarūpa Mahārāja. This boy was very enthusiastic from the very beginning.