Narayana (Conversations 1976 - 1977)

Prabhupāda: No, no, Govardhana... Every one is viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva, like that. So all of them on the Viṣṇu category. That's all. Viṣṇu-tayā vibhāti. Viṣṇu-tayā vibhāti. Dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya dīpāyate viṣṇu-tayā vibhāti (Bs. 5.46). These things are there. So Godhead is viṣṇu-tattva. So sometimes Viṣṇu, sometimes Nārāyaṇa, sometimes Govinda, sometimes Kṛṣṇa, like that.

Indian man: That's very nice, because one can understand very well. Because I always took Mahā-Viṣṇu as the expansion of Kṛṣṇa, but still, when I went to Govindāṣṭakam and then also like Brahma-saṁhitā says, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā... (Bs. 5.48).

Prabhupāda: So tomorrow I shall take lunch at 1:00. That's all. Then, by 3:00 o'clock, I shall be ready. (to Indian man:) (Hindi?) Kṛṣṇa is preparing you to join this movement wholeheartedly. It is very nice. Now you have got it?

Jayādvaita: Yes. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja quotes, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). "All these incarnations of Godhead are either plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions of the puruṣa-avatāras, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself." Then he says, "The Bhāgavatam describes the symptoms and deeds of the incarnations in general and counts Śrī Kṛṣṇa among them. This made Sūta Gosvāmī greatly apprehensive. Therefore he distinguished each incarnation by its specific symptoms. All the incarnations of Godhead are plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions of the puruṣa-avatāras, but the primeval Lord is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the fountainhead of all incarnations. An opponent may say, 'This is your interpretation, but actually the Supreme Lord is Nārāyaṇa, who is in the transcendental realm. He, Nārāyaṇa, incarnates as Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Indian man: If I call Kṛṣṇa, I accept Kṛṣṇa as Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then the question comes to me, "Why are you calling yourself Vaiṣṇavas? Why not Kṛṣṇayas?"

Prabhupāda: That already is explained, that Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, They are all viṣṇu-tattva. Therefore Viṣṇu is the common word for everyone. Just like candle. Everyone is candle, but still, this is first candle, this is second candle, this is third candle, like that. So Godhead means all viṣṇu-tattva. They are not jīva-tattva. So therefore those who are devotee of God, they are called Vaiṣṇava.

Hari-śauri: This specific Vaiṣṇava, that refers to Viṣṇu? Worshipers of Viṣṇu?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Viṣṇu asyra devataḥ iti vaiṣṇavaḥ.(?)

Indian man: Throughout Vedas also, Viṣṇu is the yajñeśvara.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: No, these are the references.

Jayādvaita: In here also. Should I read the verse? "All other incarnations are potentially situated in the original body of the primeval Lord. Thus, according to one's opinion, one may address Him as any one of the incarnations." Purport: "It is not contradictory for a devotee to call the Supreme Lord by any one of the various names of His plenary expansions, because the original Personality of Godhead includes all such categories. Since the plenary expansions exist within the original person, one may call Him by any of these names. In Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Lord Caitanya says, 'I was lying asleep in the ocean of milk, but I was wakened by the call of Nāḍā, Śrī Advaita Prabhu.' Here the Lord refers to His form as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu." Translation: "Some say that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is directly Nara-Nārāyaṇa, others say that He is directly Vāmana. Some say that Kṛṣṇa is the incarnation of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's no difficulty to accommodate them.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Nārāyaṇa told me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You know, Prabhupāda, I really feel like I should concentrate lot of my preaching here in New York.

Prabhupāda: Do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What do you think?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Preaching is required, here or there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You once said, "A good businessman, if he knows how to do it, he can make more money sitting in one place..."

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Bali-mardana: Yes, now the government has a policy that anyone they do not like, they put him in jail.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In India.

Bali-mardana: In India. Even that elderly gentleman, Nārāyaṇa, put him in jail. He's so old.

Prabhupāda: The result is that the Congress Party and Indira Gandhi will never be elected anymore. That is sure. Therefore he's postponing election. Now they have lost all their credit. They will never be elected. Congress Party and Indira Gandhi finished.

Bali-mardana: They have lost all respectability.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: "At that time I may be not able to utter 'Kṛṣṇa' or think of You, and now I am healthy, let me finish this business." That means "Let me die immediately. Now I'm healthy, I'm quite fit." This is the ideal. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death, if one remembers Kṛṣṇa, then his life is successful. Immediately he goes to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Ajamila. He chanted "Narayana," and immediately his path to Vaikuntha become clear. So this practice means, whatever we practice all through life, there is chance of coming that remembrance at the time of death, and then it is successful, life is success. If at the time of death one can remember Kṛṣṇa, then his whole life is successful. Our one student, Kārttikeya, his mother was very fortunate. So his mother had nothing to do with this Society, but the boy was attached, and she heard several times "Kṛṣṇa," that this boy is attached to Kṛṣṇa. At the time of her death, she asked her son, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" and died. Just see how fortunate she is. She simply uttered this word, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" then she died. Very fortunate. So on account of her son she got salvation. Otherwise, Kārttikeya told me that he went to see his mother, and the mother was going to ball dance, and the mother did not receive him well. "All right, you sit down. I'll come again."

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, we capture immediately and spend it (indistinct) for Kṛṣṇa. Lakṣmī, Lakṣmī is to be engaged in the service of Nārāyaṇa. Just like Sītā-devi, Lakṣmī she is meant for serving Nārāyaṇa, Rāmacandra. Rāvaṇa thought that "Take away the Lakṣmī from Rāma." He became vanquished, finished. He could not keep Lakṣmī but he became vanquished because she (he) wanted to enjoy Lakṣmī without Rāma. But Lakṣmī cannot stay without Rāma, Nārāyaṇa. That is false attempt. So he became vanquished, with money, with family, everything, personal, everything. So if we want to keep Lakṣmī without Nārāyaṇa, then it will not be very good. Lakṣmī keep with Nārāyaṇa, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, there will be... (end)

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Acyutānanda: Oh, that was the yajña.

Vāsughoṣa: Jeer Swami. Shriman Narayana Jeer.

Acyutānanda: That's not a Bhāgavata-saptāha.

Vāsughoṣa: Yes, Sahasra-Bhāgavata. They had one thousand...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that Donghari Maharaja?

Yaśomatīnandana: That Donghari is very famous in Gujarat, so now he has mostly become famous all over India.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But they are booking thirty rooms in our guesthouse for ten days for the program.

Acyutānanda: You've got new japa beads, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes. From tulasī. It was made in Honolulu. In Honolulu tulasī plants are very luxurious. Hyderabad local people, they are not sympathetic with our temple? Huh? Not sympathetic?

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Acyutānanda: But when their caste guru comes they may come out, because that's a big thing. Narayana Jeer, Rāmānuja-sampradāya, so Rāmānujas have to pay their respects to their own ācārya. The temple is being built. And the location of Hyderabad is such that there are so many guesthouses, because it's near the station, Nampally Station. There are many guesthouses. So from all over India people who stop in Hyderabad, they come to the temple. So from all over Andhra we got invitations from people who had come to the temple. (plane going over)

Prabhupāda: Guesthouse?

Acyutānanda: There's the Vṛndāvana Hotel, and that Ashoka?

Vāsughoṣa: Annapurna...

Acyutānanda: Annapurna Hotel, so many guesthouses.

Prabhupāda: They visit our temple?

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No. How long they can go on with false pretense? And these people, they have no idea what is spiritual life. It is a profession for collecting money. So if you... We do not like to criticize. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kanayalal Munshi, he did not believe there is life after death or he did not believe there is Kṛṣṇa, fact. This is the founder. So what is their knowledge? And Vivekananda made Nārāyaṇa daridra. So this is their manufacturing ideas. They have no sound knowledge, vacant. They are misled themselves, and they will mislead others. This is going on. But if you say that, "You are the only man?" I can say, "Yes, I am the only man" at the present moment. You believe or not believe. And why? Because I am following Kṛṣṇa's instructions. That's all. I do not touch anything. That is our process. What Kṛṣṇa has said, we say, that's all. Therefore there is little success.

Meeting with Endowments Commissioner -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: We have no objection, because our principle is kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha. So Kṛṣṇa bhakti is there in everyone. So leper and non-leper. Just like our Vivekananda, he took up daridra-nārāyaṇa. This is an absurd proposition. Nārāyaṇa is never daridra. But if you put this argument, that Nārāyaṇa is everywhere, so if Nārāyaṇa is everywhere, why you take up only daridra-nārāyaṇa? Why not dhanī-nārāyaṇa also? If you have got so broad vision that Nārāyaṇa is everywhere, therefore we see everyone, so why you particularly take the daridra-nārāyaṇa? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa bhakti is everywhere. It is in the leper or non-leper. So why should we take particularly the lepers? So that is outwardly a social service that they are taking care of the leper. So if that vision it will not be right.

Evening Darsana -- September 1, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Eleventh Canto, yes. When you will remember the verse?

Indian man (3): No, no, number (indistinct) again and again I had gone to (indistinct) and as to that, ultimately there is no difference. As soon as this (indistinct) when it comes. I would like this because I belong to the sect of our country, middle sect, from Swami Narayana. He's based on Rāmānujācārya philosophy which says that all the souls are there, they are the body of the creator Bhagavān. Just as the human ātmā has a body, this means there is the difference also identity. Identity is one and yet they have their own place. That have been the faith (indistinct). Now in many places this sometimes this differentiation remains, sometimes there is things said which wipe it out. I thought you would be the best person to give a guidance...

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is a fact, but provided he is devotee. If he's not a devotee then he will go away, here and there, here and there. That is the habit. And a devotee is satisfied anywhere. A devotee is not that "I'll go to Vṛndāvana, then I'll be satisfied." Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). I did not go to your country taking Vṛndāvana with me. I had to stay in places where in the refrigerator there is meat. And I was cooking. When opened it I saw, "Here is meat. All right, what can be done? Hare Kṛṣṇa." That's all.

Akṣayānanda: But actually you did take Vṛndāvana with you.

Prabhupāda: So if I would have stuck to Vṛndāvana, "No, no, I cannot go anywhere, leaving Vṛndāvana." No, we can go to hell if there is Kṛṣṇa's service.

Room Conversation -- November 15, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, Hare Kṛṣṇas. That will be main thing. At least they will criticize Hare Kṛṣṇa and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) That's all. We want. (Sanskrit) It is said that. (Sanskrit) If we respect chanting, it is very good, even by neglecting chant, that is also good. Just like Ajamila, he chanted. He never meant "Nārāyaṇa." He meant his son, but he got result. Ante nārāyaṇa smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). He never meant that he's calling for Nārāyaṇa. He did not follow up bhakti. But Nārāyaṇa took care of it that "Now anyway he's chanting 'Nārāyaṇa.' He must come to Vaikuṇṭha."

Devotee: This is what (indistinct) in San Diego.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is Sixth Canto. Hm?

Devotees: Sixth.

Prabhupāda: First verse.

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Discrimination comes. So if you have realized God, then you must be learned. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).

Dr. Ramachandra: Śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).

Prabhupāda: Why you make distinction, daridra-nārāyaṇa? Why not dhanī-nārāyaṇa? If Nārāyaṇa is everywhere, why not dhanī? So our vision is either he is dhanī or daridra, he is blind because he does not know God.

Dr. Ramachandra: You want to give light.

Prabhupāda: That's all. We do not discriminate in that way. We discriminate in this way, that "Here is a man who knows about God, and here is a man who does not know."

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is para-upakāra. India's business is para-upakāra. India's business is not exploitation. That is Indian. And para-upakāra means not that daridra-nārāyaṇa bhojana, no. Para-upakāra means to give him knowledge, for want of which he is suffering. That is real...

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke

jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ

manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi

prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

(BG 15.7)

This is his real suffering. He's part and parcel of God. Qualitatively, he's as good as God, but he's suffering. Why he's suffering? Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). He has come to this material world, prakṛti, and or mental concoction he's creating his plan and struggling for existence. This is real suffering. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to save him from real suffering. That Indians should take very seriously and join this movement, and para-upakāra, people need it all over the world. Otherwise, why these young boys, they have joined me? They are finding something, relief by this movement. Otherwise, what business he has got to join with an Indian, poor Indian. I went to their country with forty rupees, that's all. So they are finding something relief. And actually it is relief. So our Indians are not interested. India is supposed to be the, what is called? Benefactor or...?

Morning Walk -- December 30, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. In any condition of life these things cannot be given up. So those who are in sense, gṛhasthas, they must give in charity, at least fifty percent of their income. That was shown by Rūpa Gosvāmī. He, fifty percent. Dānam means not to the daridra-nārāyaṇa. Dānam means to the brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. In our śāstra charity is recommended to be given to the high-class men, brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. They know how to spend money. Therefore dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ tad dānaṁ sāttvikam ucyate. Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are appreciating. So all the charity should come here. Then it is properly utilized. Because we do not use a single paisa for anything of sense gratification. We do not even smoke, we do not take tea, we lie down on the floor. Not a single paisa is spent for our sense gratification. Everything is utilized for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore all charity should come here. Properly spent. But if we misspend, that is our fault. Single paisa we spend for our sense gratification, that is fault of us. And people should give at least fifty percent of their income to this movement.

Morning Walk -- December 30, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The bankers. And Rūpa Gosvāmī did it practically. Some money for emergency, some money... Relatives they also expect. That is allowed. So they should be given something. Not that cent percent. At least 25% to the relatives and 25% for personal. And 50% for Kṛṣṇa. This is the system. So this is called dānam. Kṛṣṇa also says kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. "If you want to give in charity, give it to Me." Kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. Dadāsi yat. "If you have got some capacity to give something, give it to Me." He never said to daridra-nārāyaṇa. I do not know how they manufactured these things. Kṛṣṇa says, "Give it to Me." He's not daridra. He's Nārāyaṇa, but He's not daridra. The principle is to give to the richest Nārāyaṇa, not daridra-nārāyaṇa. But these rascals misinterpret that daridra has become Nārāyaṇa. How daridra can become Nārāyaṇa? This is going on. And therefore there is no effect. There is no effect. See from practical what Vivekananda has done? But they have made propaganda, false propaganda, they have got roads. In a city like Bombay, big road, Vivekananda. But they do not care what Vivekananda has done.

Press Interview -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Anyone who does not know the science, they are not saint. They are cheaters. If they do not know the science, what is spiritual life, what is material life. So their speaking is simply cheating. Therefore we should state the standard, Bhagavad-gītā, the ācāryas. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said ācāryopāsanam. Take the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Śaṅkarācārya. So there must be standard. It is... Some of them are manufacturing some spiritual life. Just like Vivekananda did, daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. Is there any such word in our Vedic śāstras? Daridra-nārāyaṇa? Nārāyaṇa has become daridra? One has to worship daridra-nārāyaṇa.

Press Interview -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Indian man: You don't agree with what has been preached...

Prabhupāda: Why shall I agree? Because there is no such thing in the śāstra. Is there word, any word, in the whole Bhagavad-gītā, daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā?

Indian man: No, but what Ramakrishna Paramahaṁsa...

Prabhupāda: Ramakrishna, how he become paramahaṁsa if he does not know the śāstra? That is the difficulty. Everyone becoming self-made guru, self-made avatāra, self-made saint. That is the difficulty. Without any reference to the authentic śāstra.

Indian man: So it's a very revealing thing, you deny Ramakrishna Paramahaṁsa...

Prabhupāda: I don't deny. You accept, you accept. My point is unless it is authoritatively mentioned in the śāstra, we reject.

Press Interview -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is India's... Anyone who has taken birth in India, first of all make his life perfect by understanding the śāstra. The gist of śāstra is Bhagavad-gītā. And then distribute the knowledge. Para-upakāra. This should be India's mission. India hasn't got to learn from anywhere else. Everything is there. Let him understand the whole philosophy of life perfectly and distribute this. This is India's mission. So I have tried alone on this point. So I have got little success. And before me so many swamis, yogis went there. They came and go. No effect. Now I have created a community which will continue. They're now saying, "American Hindus." Therefore there is opposition. They understand, "Now it will stand." It is not that Vivekananda's daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. (indistinct).

Indian man: Something permanent.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Jaya. (end)

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: And I think, sir, even Śaṅkarācārya has not meant that we must be short of that. He was also worshiping, was he not? He was worshiping Para-brahman.

Prabhupāda: He has given a commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā. In the beginning he says nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ, "Nārāyaṇa is transcendental."

Dr. Patel: But these fellows are misinterpreting later on.

Prabhupāda: The whole world is full of demons. And they are demons. Who declare himself, "I am God," he's a demon.

Dr. Patel: Only one who has actually realized Para-brahman and the, become the real (indistinct) of Brahman, he has got a right to say Brahma... Unless he becomes brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20).

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They are criticizing us.

Dr. Patel: This thing is the God has to reincarnate Himself again to reestablish bhāgavata-dharma.

Prabhupāda: That is everywhere. If you don't mind, your Swami Nārāyaṇa is also like that.

Dr. Patel: All of them. They are. That is why, I mean, liberation is created by God again by incarnation.

Prabhupāda: They create a cheap God. Real God they reject. That is going on.

Dr. Patel: Swami Nārāyaṇa said that (Sanskrit). Only to worship Kṛṣṇa. Nobody else. Unfortunately the disciples... Suppose disciples...

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not śiṣya-paramparā.

Dr. Patel: Śiṣya-paramparā is the right... The same thing is happening in Swami Nārāyaṇa's. They have degraded. Because Swami Nārāyaṇa actually put his two nephews as ācārya. That was wrong. In South with Rāmānujācārya, they have got a śiṣya-paramparā. But they have also degenerated.

Prabhupāda: No... Sons also may become śiṣya provided he's qualified. Otherwise not.

Dr. Patel: (indistinct) the real fellow. Real. They this śiṣya-paramparā in two...

Prabhupāda: Śiṣyān ca putrān ca. There is no difference. But not because he is śiṣya of such person or putra of such person. Not like that. Either śiṣya or putra.

Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Without sat-saṅga, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).

Dr. Patel: Swami Nārāyaṇa has mentioned this such,

kṛṣṇaḥ tad-avatāraḥ ca

jñeyaḥ tat-tattvam api ca

na tu jīvan rūpa-devādya

bhakta brahma-vido 'pi ca (?)

Even the highest bhaktas, the brāhmaṇa-bhaktas, they should not be worshiped more than Kṛṣṇa, and He is also highest. But the followers, you know what they are doing.

Prabhupāda: They are not followers. If they do not follow their guru, then what kind of follower...?

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is culture. "So long I have got money, I am very happy." No! "If there is not a single farthing, still, I'll be happy." That is real culture. That can be done That is possible when one is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He went to the forest to ask Kṛṣṇa to give him a very nice kingdom, but when he met Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa—He wanted to give him benediction—he said, svamin kṛtartho 'smi varaṁ na yace: (CC Madhya 22.42) "Bas, no more vara." So we have got such things. Guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate (Bg. 6.20-23). Never disturbed. That is culture. And "So long I have got money in the pocket, I am very happy"—that is dog civilization.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And the rascals who cannot see behind there is God, they simply see this nature: "The nature is working automatically." It is not the fact. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛti suyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). There is adhyakṣana. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. Even the sun planet, such big illuminative, powerful, it is also rotating by the order of God. So similarly, we are addressing the potencies of the Lord. We cannot jump over God, because potencies are so important. They are actually helping hand to God. So if they are pleased, then God will be pleased automatically. Why we address, "Hara"? "Hare Kṛṣṇa." The Kṛṣṇa's potency, Rādhārāṇī; Rāma's potency, Sītā... Therefore, first of all, Sītā-Rāma; Hare Kṛṣṇa; Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa; Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. We address the first, potency. So if I request your wife, "Mother, give me this help," and if she gives that "This man is very nice," you cannot refuse. You cannot refuse.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Give me this mercy.' " So duḥka se means: "In distressed condition he becomes a devotee." But if he becomes a devotee when he's happy, then where is the question of duḥkha, or distress? Sukha se saba hari bhaje. When you are happy, at that time if you worship Hari, then there is no question of duḥkha. That Vivekananda's policy, daridra-nārāyaṇa-seva. Why not seva-nārāyaṇa? Why He should become daridra? Why not engage in? That he does not know. "He becomes a daridra-nārāyaṇa, and I become his servant." Foolish rascal. A discovered philosophy. (end)

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...parāyanaḥ sudurlabhaḥ praśāntātmā koṭiṣv api mahā-mune. "O great sage, out of many millions of materially liberated people who are free from ignorance, and out of many millions of siddhas who have merely attained perfection, there's hardly one pure devotee of Nārāyaṇa. Only such a devotee is actually completely satisfied and peaceful."

Prabhupāda: This is devotee. It is not so easy. But we are giving chance to everyone to come to that position. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But otherwise it is very, very... Muktānām. It begins from the mukta, liberated. Liberated means no more material anxiety.

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna: "The Vedas are directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, and are self-born. This we have heard from Yamarāja."

Prabhupāda: "This we have heard." This is authority. If you have heard from the authority, that is knowledge. If you have manufactured, that is nonsense. Iti śuśruma. You'll find Arjuna also speaking with Kṛṣṇa-iti śuśruma. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he is such a learned scholar. He also—iti śuś..., that... This is our knowledge: to hear and receive the knowledge from higher authority. In the ordinary way also, the students go to the college, they hear from the professor. That is knowledge. He does not go to a pan-walla to hear.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: After meeting with Mr. Narayana tomorrow I feel that I... What we first asked him for was some free advertisement, free advertising space that sometimes he gets. He says we'll have to write to Madras to the head office.

Prabhupāda: That he'll do... If we get free, you send.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, if they just tell me that will take a week for them to get the answer, then should I wait for a week before starting the advertising campaign?

Prabhupāda: No, the free, that is consideration. Let them give freely. You take advantage.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: OK.

Prabhupāda: So where is Jagadīśa?

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Pṛthu-putra: But they gave similar message, so that means that message was... They were informing that some big disturbances will come in this world and...

Prabhupāda: Let them come. What is there? Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). If you are actually devotee...

Pṛthu-putra: A devotee's not afraid of going anywhere.

Prabhupāda: So why you are discussing them? Let whatever calamity may come, let come.

Pṛthu-putra: The devotees accept this point.

Satsvarūpa: In other words, they are taking information from these persons aside from your books.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: We don't say; you are saying. We don't say. We say that you must be punished without food. You are dying without food. That is your proper justice. We say that. We are not anxious to this daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. We are not. We give. Whatever we have got, we distribute prasādam. That's all. We are not concerned about their daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. That is not our business. Suppose there are so many persons, they are without food in the hospital. Doctor has prescribed, "No food." What you can do there? Can you show your sympathy? "Oh, so many persons are lying without... Let us give." Then you'll be beaten with shoes.

Yogeśvara: Because you haven't understood the purpose.

Morning Walk -- February 2, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes. But you are so rascal that you do not know who should be maintained at your cost. Those who are learned scholars, those who can give you good direction, they should be allowed to live very comfortably, without any want. That is Vedic civilization. Brāhmaṇas... Dātavyam iti yad dānam. Give them charity. All the big, big kings, they used to give charity. Give them cows, give them ornament, give them money, give them gold. Brāhmaṇa-bhojana. Invite the brāhmaṇas, give them sumptuous food. They never said, daridra-bhojana, daridra-nārāyaṇa-bhojana. They never said. And there was no daridra, because the brāhmaṇa was there. There was no question of daridra. Why do you pay the lawyers? Why do you say that "These people are living at our cost"? They're charging big, big fees. Why do you pay?

Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Maithunyam agāram ajñaḥ. The selection of words in Bhāgavata are, from even literary point of view, perfect. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na... This is literary. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. Again plavaṁ plavam. Anuprāsa. This is literary, anuprāsa. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Padam. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām. Just see literary arrangement. And full of meaning. This is Bhāgavatam. Any way you study, from literary point of view, from knowledge, from philosophy, from social, every-perfect. Therefore lokasya ajānato vidvāṁś cakre. Vidvān. One who has learned, Vyāsadeva, vidvān, the first-class learned person. The sātvata-saṁhitām—for the devotees, Vedic cream. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3). Nobody can be like Vyāsadeva; He's incarnation of Nārāyaṇa. Where is such scholar throughout the whole world? Is there?

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Nārāyaṇa: Satsvarūpa Mahārāja was telling a story on the way back from the Ganges that you had said that Gandhi, he was supposed to be mahātmā, but after he won victory, independence, by his activities, then they said, "Now you can stop meat-eating. You can stop cow slaughter throughout India." He says, "No, no. How can we do this? The Muhammadans, the Muslims, they are eating meat."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Nārāyaṇa: So what kind of rājarṣi is this? (break)

Prabhupāda: There is heat and light. And as soon as after evening the sun is off, not from the sky but from our sight, there is darkness. So chi... This consciousness is the rays or shining of the soul. As soon as the soul is off from this body, the shining of the soul or consciousness is completely gone. Have you understood or not?

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now you have got science background, book background, knowledge background—everything is there strong. Make this movement... Art also. Art, literature, science, philosophy, religion, culture, character—everything, strong background. Let everyone come. You have to try to fashion this. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati. If you have got Nārāyaṇa background, then what is the cause of being afraid?

nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve

na kutaścana bibhyati

svargāpavarga-narakeṣv

api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ

(SB 6.17.28)

Prahlāda Mahārāja, so much obstacles by his father at home. Still, he is speaking to his father:

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They are imitating. What Gandhi has done? These things are cheating, spoiled. Then they have now a slogan to drive away poverty. Vivekananda imitated, daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. So Vivekananda started his mission in India hundred years ago. Why there are so many daridras lying on the street at night? Hm? Everywhere. Here you can say, "India is poverty-stricken." That is your imagination. Accepting that, those who are materially opulent, why they are also, they're lying on the street? Why in Bowery Street they are lying on the street? Why in the Bedford Park English boys are lying on street?

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Sharma: That is international library of the RSSR. That is... Huliyansa(?) He's the director. I have seen that letter. With their office. They asked me to translate it. I translated that letter not long ago. And I passed it on, request. So I am aware of what they are doing, and I know what they do not do also. I not only feel the heartbeat of pulse of the people of India, but I feel the pulse of the heartbeat in Communist countries as well. I am very happy that I am here after having missed the name of Lord Nārāyaṇa for six years in Soviet Union, where the people chant only Lenin's name. It is being duly compensated (indistinct). You made this possible. I have gone through ten volumes of your book that you have written. They are really...

Prabhupāda: Which book? Bhāgavatam?

Conversation with disciples of Chinmayananda and Shivananda Ashram -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That Pabai(?) Ashram?

Indian man (2): Tirtha Swami.

Indian man (1): Krishna Chaitanya Shivananda Ashram. Virendra(?). Shri Narayana Caitanya, he has Swami Krishna(?). He has come to London.

Prabhupāda: Now people are taking our philosophy. So your mission also, preach in the same way. People will be benefited. The whole world is taking Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti... (BG 7.7). Preach this. People will take it. This knowledge is there in India, and they require to be educated with this knowledge, and we have tried little bit, and they are accepting. Why don't you do that? They have taken. I said, "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. You worship Him." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Then why do you say like that? And Kṛṣṇa says openly, mam ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. He doesn't even recommend to worship demigods. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajanty anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). So these are imagination, concoction. They are not authorized. Vivekananda advocated daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā hundred years ago. So India is full of daridras. What Mothilal can do? What Vivekananda can do? This is all simply concoction. You cannot do anything.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is the misfortune. They have left the authority, real authority. They have accepted some foolish man as authority. And that is the misfortune. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, the supreme authority. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Why don't you take this? Distortion of our śāstra, distortion of authority, and bringing something foolish, and you are following. Not... You cannot follow. That is not possible. It is not possible. But you are making some authorities. You trying to follow. Even if you follow... That, the same example, just like Vivekananda was advocating daridra-nārāyaṇa. First of all this is a concocted word. How Nārāyaṇa can be daridra? People have accepted. Nārāyaṇa is daridra?

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Then how he manufactured this nonsense word? It is insulting. If I say, "Foolish Jetthi, President, rascal," so is it not insult? Similarly, if you say, daridra-nārāyaṇa, it is insult to Nārāyaṇa. But people are accepting daridra-nārāyaṇa. Just see how they are misled.

Indian man: They have not even proper knowledge, sir.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian man: They have not even proper knowledge.

Prabhupāda: No knowledge. All rascals.

Kārttikeya: Not even proper. No knowledge.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Dwivedi: (Hindi) (laughter)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) ...manufacturing word, nārāyaṇa daridra. Lakṣmī-pati is daridra. Kitna gādhā. (Hindi) ...without checking. (Hindi) (Hindi conversation) We want to reestablish this. This is our mission. Everything is there. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upade... "You simply make your life successful by understanding Bhagavad-gītā and preach this. You become guru." So where is the difficulty? Why don't you do that? Boliye. (Hindi) You quoted from Vivekananda, not from the Bhagavad-gītā.

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Duty, profit, so on, so on. And all these big, big millionaires, they are exacting money from the poor like that, and when they have got money, they spend little for daridra-nārāyaṇa. "Oh, very big man." And our program? Why you making daridra? Daridra? Our policy is this, that "Why should you make him daridra?" First of all make him daridra, and then take credit—"daridra-nārāyaṇa"? Just see how cheating is going on. But we are projecting this path for them: let them remain in their home, produce their own food only and cloth and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is our policy. Our policy means Kṛṣṇa's policy. Let them have sufficiently to eat, and they'll be all satisfied. If the mind is Kṛṣṇa conscious, then they don't want anything, either liquor or meat or anything. No. This is the advantage. And this is not social... What is that?

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Like in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Like rats(?). Is that progress like that? Keep them daridra forever and take credit—"daridra-nārāyaṇa." Just see. Simply bluffing and cheating.

Trivikrama: Misdirected society. Misdirected. So how will we change?

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa con... (break)

Indian man (1): (Hindi) (break) (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Why one? Let him come. (Hindi) I think I speak in English. Otherwise they will not understand. The first thing is that "I am not this body." This is the first instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. And if you do not understand the first instruction, then where is the use of going ahead?

Evening Darsana -- May 11, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Here is the one from whom everything emanates. So why don't you worship Him? Is there any purport?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. "Purport. A learned scholar who has studied the Vedas perfectly and has information from authorities like Lord Caitanya and who knows how to apply these teachings can understand that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything in both the material and spiritual worlds. And because he knows this perfectly, he becomes firmly fixed in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. He can never be deviated by any amount of nonsensical commentaries or by fools. All Vedic literature agrees that Kṛṣṇa is the source of Brahmā, Śiva and all other demigods. In the Atharva Veda it is said, yo brahmāṇaṁ vidadhāti pūrvaṁ yo vai vedāṁś ca gāpayati sma kṛṣṇaḥ. 'It was Kṛṣṇa who in the beginning instructed Brahmā in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated Vedic knowledge in the past.' Then again it is said, atha puruṣo ha vai nārāyaṇo 'kāmayata prajāḥ sṛjeyety upakramya. 'Then the Supreme Personality Nārāyaṇa desired to create living entities.'

Discussions with Devotees and Conversation with Dr. Ghosh -- June 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja (Bengali).

Harikeśa: When we finish this description, our understanding of this description of the universe, and present it to the scientists and to the world, people will become astounded.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) (loud fan noise) What is that jīva-bhūta? They are living entities. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bā... Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat. Without that these jīva-bhūta, these material elements are developed? Where is that? Find out this verse.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Unless there is personal conception, there is no question of bhakti. (break) Bhakti means the way to understand the person. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Mām means person, aham, mām. Vague idea, Brahman; distributed idea, Paramātmā; and the personal idea can be applied here. It is said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). It is not impersonal, not scattered. Particular person, Kṛṣṇa. When Yaśodā-mā was allowing her child to suck her breast, the child was.... And Yasoda mother was enjoying the beautiful face, patting. But all of a sudden she saw within the mouth the whole universe. Immediately she became disturbed: "Another danger is coming." She's not concerned with Kṛṣṇa's expansive, gorgeous.... She's only concern is to Kṛṣṇa, what.... She became disturbed: "What is this nonsense? Again something is coming, danger? Let me remember Nārāyaṇa. He'll save my child from all..." The personal conception is so strong that he (she) disliked to see gorgeous opulence of his (her)...

Conversation: 'How to Secure Brahmacaris' -- June 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That I know because people are now debauch and uneducated. So they want their son to be debauch and uneducated, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu did not want a child like Prahlāda. It was there formerly the misunderstanding took place. Prahlāda wanted to satisfy Nārāyaṇa, and he wanted to become a devotee of Nārāyaṇa. The father is asura. He wanted: "What is this nonsense, to become devotee? I wanted politics, diplomacy, cheating. You are studying." Presently there is a class of men, Hiraṇyakaśipu. They do not like to see their sons become Prahlāda. And our ideal is to create Prahlāda. It doesn't matter there are many Prahlādas. At least there must be... So we have got... How many rooms we have got?

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Did you know that story, the Nārada was going to Vaikuṇṭha? Nārada came back and replied to a cobbler... Cobbler asked him what Nārāyaṇa is doing. "He has taken one elephant and He's drawing through the hole of a needle like this and again taking." The learned brāhmaṇa, he began to laugh. "These are all stories." And the cobbler began to cry, "Oh, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, can..." Nārada inquired, "How do you believe that elephant is being drawn through the hole of needle?" "No, why not? I'm daily seeing by sitting under this banyan tree, and within a fruit there are thousands of seeds. And each seed contains the big tree." Can the scientists make such small seed contain a big banyan tree? So it is acintya. That's a fact. (break) ...thing is inconceivable. And these rascals want to bring them as conceivable. He's conditioned, and he's trying to bring inconceivable thing to his conception. Useless, futile attempt. How the scientist will answer? We take a fruit.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "Actually in America, when you criticize someone who is highly regarded, people are very interested to read it. That is the American spirit. So I think by purposely singling out historical figures who are considered good welfare workers and showing that actually their welfare platform failed, it will make interesting reading and will help to establish the real platform of welfare in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I also want very much to write this book on men..." And then it says here, he says, "I... We decided on a number of historical figures. Because they lacked Kṛṣṇa in their philosophy and activities, their program for welfare failed. I want to deal with the figure of Mahatma Gandhi and also with the daridra-nārāyaṇa philosophy which was taught before his time by Ramakrishna and Vivekananda." He says, "When viewed in the light of Bhāgavata philosophy, these personalities will have to be criticized for their failure to put Kṛṣṇa in their teachings. My question is whether there is any objection on your part to a book which will criticize Ramakrishna and Vivekananda."

Prabhupāda: I think that is not good. You should go positively instead of attacking some particular person. They will never admit that they have been failure.

Room Conversation during lunchtime -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hindi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. I gave him the English edition. And he said he would write as soon as he got back. He got quite a nice send-off, four or five people. Bhagatjī, Guṇārṇava, Tamāla Nārāyaṇa, the temple commander. It's a little (indistinct). And they sat him down in the seat and made sure everything was all right. Everyone gives him a lot of respect. They know that he is your son, so when he walks out everybody was offering their namaskāras. (pause) Śrīla Prabhupāda? I was thinking I wanted to take a little rest. Is it all right? At three o'clock I go up to Bhakti-prema's to try and understand how the universe is going on. So this is a good news, I think. Los Angeles is a good news.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Jaya. (end)

Room Conversation Varnasrama -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Would the blacksmiths do the pūjā to Viśvakarmā, or brāhmaṇas?

Prabhupāda: No, brāhmaṇa will do. Similarly, the spice merchants, they'll worship Gaṅgeśvarī. The gold merchant worships Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who would do that?

Prabhupāda: Gold merchant. The student will worship Sarasvatī. The merchant will worship Gaṇeśa, Lakṣmī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gaṇeśa, hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it would be difficult. Better that we go parikraming around our temple, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandira. That's a little easier. Don't you think that's better? If you get a little stronger, then it may be possible. That will depend on Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa dāsa, we should bring him here. Anyone else you want to see? Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja? Yes. We went to see him just to inquire about the necessary ceremony, and he gave us instruction. I sent Bhakti-caru Mahārāja and Bhakti-prema Mahārāja, and they wrote down everything. But Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja was very concerned. He said he's going to try to come to see you tomorrow. That's all right, isn't it? So Kṛṣṇa dāsa can be called for. Anytime? Okay. He stays at Rādhā-kuṇḍa? We'll inquire... Does he stay at the Gauḍīya Maṭha here?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He does. In Vṛndāvana. Okay.

Prabhupāda: Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja comes; then everything is all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So if I call Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja, is there any need for Kṛṣṇa dāsa to come?

Prabhupāda: He can arrange.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja. Yes, actually he wanted to do that. He gave us instructions, but he also wanted to take part. So better I call Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja than Kṛṣṇa dāsa? Okay. I'll send a car for him tomorrow morning. He was saying he was thinking to come tomorrow, so I'll send a car and say "Prabhupāda requests if it's convenient that you can come this morning." That'll be all right? Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: When you have come back?

Bhāgavata: I just came just now, a half hour before, from America.

Upendra: And he's real skinny, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He's skinny.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Prabhupāda: (Bengali conversation)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wants to see a paṇḍitajī from there. So can you get that paṇḍitajī? You want to see him tonight, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) And Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja, he'll come tomorrow?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He'll come when we... Tonight could he come? You think that's too late?

Bhakti-caru: I think he'll come, if we go and pick him up.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If we pick him up, he might come tonight.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If we go just now with the car, Bhakti-caru goes just now with the car, he may come tonight, Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Go on, kīrtana. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Shall we put a little fan on? Little bit? (break)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (Bengali conversation with Godbrothers, followed by kīrtana, Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī Pada) Where is Tamāla?

Hari-śauri: Get Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. He's just coming, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He's in the other room.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali conversation)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali conversation)

Hari-śauri: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: You have consulted with Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. This morning Bhakti-caru Swami, Bhakti-prema Swami and Śrīdhara Swami went to see him, and Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja described the ceremony for the departure of a Vaiṣṇava, great Vaiṣṇava soul.

Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...entrance right side?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The entrance on the left side entering... Looking towards the Deity, it's the left side. In other words, when you come into the temple it's on left side. There's a big open area. (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's on the same side as the vyāsāsana.

Prabhupāda: Puṣpa, Māyāpure, flower.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: You should call me, and I will come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He described the entire ceremony in detail, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So he knows. When you are ready(?), let him have it. (Bengali)

Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: (Bengali) You have fulfilled all, everything. (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: Don't fight amongst yourselves. I have given the explanation, my will. Execute like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation With Bharadvaja -- October 16, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Don't fight amongst yourselves. I have given the explanation, my will. Execute like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: And then everything will be. They'll guide. Then what there is. (Bengali) Ekādaśī?

Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Ekādaśī.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (Haṁsadūta chants) (end)

Prabhupāda: Hm. Read the next verse.

Girirāja:

nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya

naraṁ caiva narottamam

devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ

tato jayam udīrayet

(SB 1.2.4)

"Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is our very means of conquest, I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa; unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning; and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author."

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No...

Bhavānanda: We have no spiritual intelligence.

Prabhupāda: Complete knowledge-Kṛṣṇa. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. Complete knowledge can be claimed by Kṛṣṇa, even not by Nārāyaṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything is coming. Vedāham. What is that verse? Vedahaṁ sarvāṇi māṁ ca veda na kaścana? The kavirāja went to Pagal Baba? He has praised me very much.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really? Hm. I think everyone praises you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: That is very difficult. You have all taken meals?

Room Conversation With Sri Narayana and Rama-Krsna Bajaj -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: But are you feeling better, Swamiji?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Little, little.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Little better.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Therefore always two attendants, and they are taking care. Otherwise personally I would not...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, please sit down. It's all right. It's here for you to sit, so you can...

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: I don't want you to talk loudly.

Room Conversation With Sri Narayana and Rama-Krsna Bajaj -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: I don't want you to talk loudly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you sit down.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You can sit here.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: I'm very glad to see you here. (Hindi) So, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation With Sri Narayana and Rama-Krsna Bajaj -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Call Akṣayānanda Mahārāja.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Just see our activities all over the world.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: South Africa. Is it not South Africa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Why don't you show them the South African report?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation With Sri Narayana and Rama-Krsna Bajaj -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) ...slaughterhouse... (Hindi conversation)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a temple that was built there. We have a big farm there as well as two temples. This is one of the temples.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Where in South Africa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Near Durban.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Near Durban. Ācchā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they had fifteen thousand people attending at the Janmāṣṭamī celebration. Here you see some go-pūjā. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Without culture they're suffering. If you want to mitigate their sufferings, give this Gītā culture. That is my experience. (Hindi) We have sold this Caitanya-caritāmṛta even in Russian countries.

Room Conversation With Sri Narayana and Rama-Krsna Bajaj -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Without culture they're suffering. If you want to mitigate their sufferings, give this Gītā culture. That is my experience. (Hindi) We have sold this Caitanya-caritāmṛta even in Russian countries.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Russian countries.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here are some of our African publications, Śrīla Prabhupāda, published in Swahili.

Prabhupāda: African, Chinese, Japanese.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: This is really humanitarian.

Room Conversation With Sri Narayana and Rama-Krsna Bajaj -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: When I go for parikrama?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Eight-thirty in the morning, generally. Then all of the participants can have darśana and we also have the darśana of the Deities at that time.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Deity also. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) ...so we can influence whole world.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? We got report that the recent printing of the Bhagavad-gītā will be sold out by June. One million five hundred thousand copies will have been sold in about ten months' time. Fifteen lakhs were sold in ten months just in the United States.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Room Conversation With Sri Narayana and Rama-Krsna Bajaj -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ah, Akṣayānanda Mahārāja...

Akṣayānanda: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: The film and... What happened to...?

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) I do not know. What, what happened to the Hindu...?

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: What is the latest about the Bombay temple (Hindi)?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We haven't heard anything in the last two or three months, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This telegram came from the former mayor-Ganatra? Rajiv Ganatra? He wrote, "Pray God to give you long life to spread Indian culture in every nook and corner of the universe."

Room Conversation With Sri Narayana and Rama-Krsna Bajaj -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāma-Kṛṣṇa: That is the feeling of all, everybody.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: That is Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyate (Hindi) Para-upakāra. This is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, para-upakāra. Especially those who have taken birth in India...

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

(Hindi) This is Indian culture, para-upakāra. Indian culture is not meant for exploiting others. Para-upakāra. That is human life, para-upakāra. And that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Bhārata, especially... (Hindi—Indians leave for darśana; kavirāja and Bhakti-caru enter)

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Twenty-five.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty-five. Okay. Remember that Gītā Pratiṣṭhāna conference? So it's starting tomorrow. I just happened to notice Mr. Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bajaj is here and Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa is here. So probably tomorrow they'll want to come and see you.

Prabhupāda: Where they are beginning?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're all staying in the guesthouse. They've rented the whole guesthouse. The conference is being held in the same room that they held the science conference in. It's a very good credit for us that they're doing this. I just thought I would inform Your Divine Grace. So I'll just give him now twenty-five rupees.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhagavad-gītā lecture every evening in the temple.

Prabhupāda: That is also kīrtana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So I'll inform the organizer that when Rāma-Kṛṣṇajī and Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa come, to inform them that they can come and see you. (end)

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Who was there, this meeting?

Brahmānanda: This meeting? Well, the meeting was led by the three men who came to see you this morning. The center was the man from Auroville, and then Mr. Nārāyaṇa and Mr. Bajaj.

Prabhupāda: So that will be three.

Brahmānanda: Yes. Of the three, Mr. Nārāyaṇa is very favorable to us. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami was noticing it. He preached to him about two or three years ago. At that time he was chief minister for Gujarat, governor.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: They want to see our films tonight. They want to see the film on New Vrindaban, "Spiritual Frontier." They'll show it tonight at 8:30. And they want kīrtana. Mr. Nārāyaṇa, he's very much wanting us to have kīrtana. He said, "That is the thing."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, you should rest, really. Probably all the men will come to see you, so you can talk directly with them. (long pause) (break)

Brahmānanda: They were arguing with me. They would not accept. They were so strong Māyāvāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually this is one way that we ought to be able to... First of all, it would be prestigious on our part to stick to our principles, and secondly, actually people will find that we're convinced when they'll see, "You are Māyāvādī, we have no bus... You are not..." At first they may feel offended, that why shouldn't we let everybody speak.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Who were..., was present all through in the meeting?

Akṣayānanda: Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bajaj was there. Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, you were there?

Akṣayānanda: I was there.

Prabhupāda: So what the gosvāmīs said?

Akṣayānanda: Well, last night they didn't speak anything. They just heard our film and lecture. That's all. They didn't speak anything last night. Actually they are very impressed.

Prabhupāda: Who was impressed?

Prabhupāda: Jaya.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa(?): (Hindi) ...improvement?

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) What happened to the car?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Er, do you know the history?

Bhakti-caru: Yes. First thing they had a flat tire. Then they ran out of gas, and then there was no petrol station. Then they lost the track. They went to some...

Prabhupāda: So he missed the plane.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Missed the plane. Coming from Delhi?

Bhakti-caru: Yes. They were supposed to come here at two o'clock.

Prabhupāda: I have got my car, but they arranged for a Mercedes car.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Mercedes car, bigger car, yes. Oh, I see. So that means God didn't want you to leave. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: This is Indian culture.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Indian culture, Gītā culture. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). (Hindi) Whenever there are discrepancies in the human society—tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham—at that time He appears. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). This is the program. And when He comes, the time is fixed. So unless one thoroughly studies, they cannot accept. Actually Kṛṣṇa... Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This system, Bhagavad-gītā, it is yoga, bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is the topmost.

Prabhupāda: Ah. Rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam. "Because you are My bhakta and friend, therefore I am speaking to you the old system," purātanaḥ. No new system. The people now introduce new system.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Sanātana-jñāna he. Paramparā se.

Prabhupāda: Paramparā... (Hindi)...purātanaḥ yogaḥ. They introduce their own interpretation. No... (Hindi) There is nothing required. What is that? Sa te 'haṁ yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ. Purātanaḥ. Find out.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: People of the world, they're hankering after this civilization. Unfortunately we are miser. We are not giving them...

Prabhupāda: People of the world, they're hankering after this civilization. Unfortunately we are miser. We are not giving them...

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: All that they should get.

Prabhupāda: This is not good.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Where is that Bhagavad-gītā?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Can you give me the verse?

Prabhupāda: Yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ. Find out the...

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: The... Here it says sixteenth (Hindi).

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) And it is natural.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Natural and it is really marvelous how it has happened.

Prabhupāda: They were also hankering. And as soon as they got it, they got life.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. You can go. They will talk with me something.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want us to go outside, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Tactfully deal with them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa did nothing. Don't get involved with them, because you'll get so obligated. It's better to say that "Prabhupāda said that simply he will be on the coordinating committee. He doesn't want anybody else to be on for now." I'll say like that. For now, you don't want anybody else. You are present, so that you alone will be on it. I like that.

Brahmānanda: Don't take Prabhupāda's name off.

Prabhupāda: "And in the absence, we shall select another."