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Not less than

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.5.36, Purport:

The major portion of our monetary income, not less than fifty percent, must be spent to carry out the order of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Not only should we give the profit of our earning to this cause, but we must also arrange to preach this cult of devotion to others because that is also one of the orders of the Lord. The Lord definitely says that no one is more dear to Him than one who is always engaged in the preaching work of the Lord's name and fame all over the world. The scientific discoveries of the material world can also be equally engaged in carrying out His order. He wants the message of the Bhagavad-gītā to be preached amongst His devotees. It may not be so done amongst those who have no credit of austerities, charity, education, etc. Therefore, the attempt must go on to convert unwilling men to become His devotees.

SB 1.7.8, Purport:

When Mahārāja Parīkṣit was ruling the world as the King of Bhārata-varṣa, he chastised the personality of Kali. According to revealed scriptures and astrological calculation, the age of Kali is in its five thousandth year. Therefore, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled not less than five thousand years ago. Mahābhārata was compiled before Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the Purāṇas were compiled before Mahābhārata. That is an estimation of the date of compilation of the different Vedic literatures. The synopsis of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was given before the detailed description under instruction of Nārada. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the science for following the path of nivṛtti-mārga. The path of pravṛtti-mārga was condemned by Nārada. That path is the natural inclination for all conditioned souls. The theme of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the cure of the materialistic disease of the human being, or stopping completely the pangs of material existence.

SB 1.9.48, Purport:

And Gāndhārī was so true to her husband that she followed him even in his perpetual blindness. Therefore in her actions she was a great ascetic. Besides that, the shock she suffered because of the wholesale killing of her one hundred sons and her grandsons also was certainly too much for a woman. But she suffered all this just like an ascetic. Gāndhārī, although a woman, is no less than Bhīṣmadeva in character. They are both remarkable personalities in the Mahābhārata.

SB 1.9.49, Purport:

Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was not a mere tax collector. He was always conscious of his duty as a king, which is no less than that of a father or spiritual master. The king is to see to the welfare of the citizens from all angles of social, political, economic and spiritual upliftment. The king must know that human life is meant for liberating the encaged soul from the bondage of material conditions, and therefore his duty is to see that the citizens are properly looked after to attain this highest stage of perfection.

Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira followed these principles strictly, as will be seen from the next chapter. Not only did he follow the principles, but he also got approval from his old uncle, who was experienced in political affairs, and that was also confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa, the speaker of the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā.

SB 1.10.11-12, Purport:

Under the circumstances it is easily understood what must have been the position of the Pāṇḍavas, who were constant companions of the Lord. They could not even think of separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, since the attraction was more intense for them because of continuous personal contact. Their position in separation from Him was no less than that of the gopīs of Vṛndāvana. The Lord being absolute, however, separation from Him is as good as personal contact. His remembrance by His form, quality, name, fame, pastimes, etc., is also attractive for the pure devotee, so much so that he forgets all forms, quality, name, fame and activities of the mundane world, and due to his mature association with other pure devotees he is not out of contact with the Lord for a moment.

SB 1.18.28, Purport:

He was not an ordinary guest, nor was he an enemy of the ṛṣi, and therefore the cold reception by the ṛṣi astonished the King greatly. As a matter of fact, the King was right to get angry with the ṛṣi when he needed a glass of water very badly. To become angry in such a grave situation was not unnatural for the King, but because the King himself was not less than a great saint, his becoming angry and taking action were astonishing. So it must be accepted that it was so ordained by the supreme will of the Lord. The King was a great devotee of the Lord, and the saint was also as good as the King. But by the will of the Lord, the circumstances were so created that they became ways to the King's becoming unattached to family connection and governmental activities and thus becoming a completely surrendered soul unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The merciful Lord sometimes creates such awkward positions for his pure devotees in order to drag them towards Himself from the mire of material existence. But outwardly the situations appear to be frustrating to the devotees.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.20.3, Translation and Purport:

Vidura was born from the body of Veda-vyāsa and was not less than he. Thus he accepted the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa wholeheartedly and was attached to His devotees.

The history of Vidura is that he was born of a śūdra mother, but his seminal father was Vyāsadeva; thus he was not less than Vyāsadeva in any respect. Since he was born of a great father, who was supposed to be an incarnation of Nārāyaṇa and who composed all the Vedic literatures, Vidura was also a great personality.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.15.16, Translation:

The city was full of courtyards, wide roads, assembly houses, and not less than one hundred million airplanes. The crossroads were made of pearl, and there were sitting places made of diamond and coral.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.61.1, Translation:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Each of Lord Kṛṣṇa's wives gave birth to ten sons, who were not less than their father, having all His personal opulence.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 3.41, Purport:

After that, ārati is performed, and the prasādam is distributed amongst family members and guests. According to the Vedic principles, there must always be a guest in a householder's house. In my childhood I have actually seen my father receive not less than four guests every day, and in those days my father's income was not very great. Nonetheless, there was no difficulty in offering prasādam to at least four guests every day. According to Vedic principles, a householder, before taking lunch, should go outside and shout very loudly to see if there is anyone without food. In this way he invites people to take prasādam. If someone comes, the householder offers him prasādam, and if there is not much left, he should offer his own portion to the guest. If no one responds to his call, the householder can accept his own lunch. Thus the householder's life is also a kind of austerity.

CC Madhya 24.330, Purport:

A serious disciple must be alert when selecting a bona fide spiritual master. He must be sure that the spiritual master can deliver all the transcendental necessities. The spiritual master must observe how inquisitive the disciple is and how eager he is to understand the transcendental subject matter. The spiritual master should study the disciple's inquisitiveness for no less than six months or a year. A spiritual master should not be very anxious to accept a disciple because of his material opulences. Sometimes a big businessman or landlord may approach a spiritual master for initiation. Those who are materially interested are called viṣayīs (karmīs), which indicates that they are very fond of sense gratification. Such viṣayīs sometimes approach a famous guru and ask to become a disciple just as a matter of fashion. Sometimes viṣayīs pose as disciples of a reputed spiritual master just to cover their activities and advertise themselves as advanced in spiritual knowledge. In other words, they want to attain material success.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 16:

Consequently the residents of the villages came to see the new Vaiṣṇava. It is the Vedic custom to bring grains or fruits whenever one goes to see a saintly person, and since all the villagers saw that the hunter had turned into a great devotee, they brought eatables with them. Thus every day he was offered grains and fruit, so much so that no less than ten to twenty people could have eaten there. But following Nārada's instructions, he did not accept more than what he and his wife required to live on..

After some days had passed, Nārada told his friend Parvata Muni: "I have a disciple. Let us go visit him and see if he is doing well."

Easy Journey to Other Planets

Easy Journey to Other Planets 1:

The Russian astronomer also confirms that all the planets—which are estimated to be not less than one hundred million—are inhabited. In the Brahma-saṁhitā there is indication that in each and every one of the infinite number of universes there are infinite numbers of variegated planets.

The astronomer's view was seconded by Professor Vladimir Alpatov, a biologist, who maintained that some of the above-mentioned planets had reached a state of development corresponding to that of the earth. The report from Moscow continued:

It could be that life, similar to that on Earth, flourishes on such planets. Doctor of Chemistry Nikolai Zhirov, covering the problem of atmosphere on the planets, pointed out that the organism of a Martian, for instance, could very well adapt itself to normal existence with a low body temperature. He said that he felt that the gaseous composition of the atmosphere of Mars was quite suitable to sustain life of beings which have become adapted to it.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 53:

When the horses were yoked and the chariot was ready to go, Kṛṣṇa helped the brāhmaṇa up and gave him a seat by His side. Immediately they started from Dvārakā and within one night arrived at the province of Vidarbha. The kingdom of Dvārakā is situated in the western part of India, and Vidarbha is situated in the northern part. They are separated by a distance of not less than one thousand miles, but the horses were so fast that they reached their destination, a town called Kuṇḍina, within one night or, at most, twelve hours.

King Bhīṣmaka was not enthusiastic about handing his daughter over to Śiśupāla, but he was obliged to accept the marriage settlement due to his affectionate attachment for his eldest son, who had negotiated it. As a matter of duty, the King was decorating the city for the marriage ceremony and acting in great earnestness to make it very successful. Water was sprinkled all over the streets, and the city was cleansed very nicely. Since India is situated in the tropical zone, the atmosphere is always dry.

Krsna Book 75:

Once upon a time, King Yudhiṣṭhira was sitting on his golden throne in the palace constructed by the demon Maya. His four brothers and other relatives, as well as his great well-wisher Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, were present, and the material opulence of King Yudhiṣṭhira seemed no less than that of Lord Brahmā. When he was sitting on the throne surrounded by his friends and the reciters were offering prayers to him in the form of nice songs, Duryodhana came to the palace with his younger brothers. Duryodhana was decorated with a helmet, and he carried a sword in his hand. He was always in an envious and angry mood, and therefore on a slight provocation he spoke sharply with the doorkeepers and became angry. By the craftsmanship of the demon Maya, the palace was so decorated in different places that one who did not know the tricks would consider water to be land and land to be water.

Sri Isopanisad

Sri Isopanisad Introduction:

He can sit down in Goloka Vṛndāvana, and at the same time He is everywhere, all-pervading. He is original, the oldest, but whenever you look at a picture of Kṛṣṇa you'll find a young boy fifteen or twenty years old. You will never find an old man. You have seen pictures of Kṛṣṇa as a charioteer from the Bhagavad-gītā. At that time He was not less than one hundred years old. He had great-grandchildren, but He looked just like a boy. Kṛṣṇa, God, never becomes old. That is His supreme power. And if you want to search out Kṛṣṇa by studying the Vedic literature, then you will be baffled. It may be possible, but it is very difficult. But you can very easily learn about Him from His devotee. His devotee can deliver Him to you: "Here He is, take Him." That is the potency of Kṛṣṇa's devotees.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

Then the next, next offer was that "If you are defeated, you lost your wife." So they lost their wife. And similarly, they were put: "Now, this time, if you are defeated, you have to go to the forest for twelve years." So there was a great plan behind them, and the Pāṇḍavas were defeated in so many ways, and they were harassed, embarrassed for not less than twenty years. And now they were to fight, face to face. Now he is not prepared to fight. That means he has become miserly, mean he is deviating from his duty. Now. So he is conscious that "Practically, I am deviating from my duty." Kārpaṇya-doṣa: "This is my miserly behavior." Doṣa. Doṣa means "It is a fault on my part. I should not have deviated from this fighting, but my sentiment does not allow me to fight with my kinsmen." So here is a perplexity. So kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ, dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ: (BG 2.7) "Not only I am miserly, but I am deviating from my duty, dharma."

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

Be rest assured. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: (BG 10.10) "A devotee who is engaged always in My service, I look after, how his necessities of life will be fulfilled." A practical example is that in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we have got one hundred centers, and each temple, not less than twenty-five, up to 250 devotees live. So we have no fixed up means of income, and we are spending in all the branches eighty thousand dollars per month. But by grace of Kṛṣṇa we have no scarcity; everything is supplied. People are surprised sometimes that "These people do not work, do not take any profession, simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. How they live?" So that is no question. If cats and dogs can live at the mercy of God, the devotees can live very comfortably by the mercy of God.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

That is natural. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that "I spoke to sun-god." So others will say, "Oh, this Kṛṣṇa is also another insane person." That is natural. So in order to clear this idea, Arjuna is asking, "How it is that You spoke this science to sun-god? Because I know that You took Your birth just about, say, seventy or eighty years ago." When Kṛṣṇa was speaking this Bhagavad-gītā, He was not less than ninety years old. He remained on this earth for 125 years. So Arjuna was His contemporary friend and cousin-brother.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Therefore he is surprised: "Kṛṣṇa, how You are saying that You spoke this science to sun-god?" That is a question of millions and millions of years ago because if we take, accept this statement, that means Bhagavad-gītā was spoken not less than forty millions of years ago. Vivasvān manave prāha. Because "The sun-god said to his son, Manu," and if you simply calculate the age of this present Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, it comes to four hundred millions of years or more than that. So he is surprised. So he is clearing the matter: "How You spoke it?" Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this system is being followed. We have got a very nice business. Spiritual Sky. We are making good profit, millions of dollars. Therefore our expenditure is going on. We sell our books and we sell our Spiritual Sky products. In this way, we meet not less than eight to ten lakhs of rupees expenditure per month, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are not idle; neither we allow anyone to become idle. It is not this business that go to the temple and ring the bell and close the door and go to smoke gāñjā. No, it is not like that. It is not like that.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

Unless one comes to this standard of civilization, varṇāśrama-dharma, that is animal civilization. So we prefer animal civilization. Therefore we are living like animal also, fighting like cats and dogs and suffering like cats and dogs also. This is the position. Nirāśīr yata-cittātmā. Control. I shall accept as much as I require, not more than that, not less than that. Controlling the citta, intelligence, and ātmā, mind or self, self-control.

Nirāśīr yata-cittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ. Parigrahaḥ means unnecessarily collecting something, atyāhāraḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

And Kṛṣṇa is providing food for everyone. Avaśya rakhibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. Kṛṣṇa is providing everyone.

Just like in our society.... This is practical. We have got about hundred branches, and each branch, we have got not less than twenty-five men, up to two-hundred-fifty. But we have no, I mean to say, provision store. Every day we depend on Kṛṣṇa. If food comes.... This is called ākāśa-paḍi.(?) The food must be dropped from the sky. This is called ākāśa-paḍi.(?) And Kṛṣṇa will send. If Kṛṣṇa sends, then we eat. But you will be surprised that we have to spend not less than $80,000 per month, but Kṛṣṇa is supplying. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Why Kṛṣṇa will not supply? If Kṛṣṇa is supplying to the elephant in the forest, and those who have dedicated their life to Kṛṣṇa, they will not be supplied with the necessities? Why not?

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

So you can do this. You collect money not for your eating but for distribution of prasādam. That is required. And if you do that, Kṛṣṇa will send you. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). There will be no need. We have got about 102 centers, and each center, there are so many people, up to 250, and not less than fifty. So Kṛṣṇa is sending their food. There is no scarcity. We do not do any business. We do not go to serve in the office, but Kṛṣṇa is sending. One hundred and two centers, average hundred men—how many? Hundred into hundred? Hm. So ten thousand men we are feeding daily, apart from distribution to others. So Kṛṣṇa is sending them. So you can attain. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. He'll give you supply. You have to attempt only. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and distribute prasādam, your movement will be success.

Lecture on BG 7.8-14 -- New York, October 2, 1966:

I give you one practical example. When my Guru Mahārāja, my spiritual master, was living... I am speaking about fifty years before. We were all young men at that time, and one of my Godbrothers, he was also young man, Dr. O. B. Kapoor, and his wife was also young. So his wife wanted to speak with my Guru Mahārāja. My Guru Mahārāja was at that time not less than sixty or more than that, and the girl, my friend's wife, she was not more than twenty-two years. But actually, she was just like his granddaughter. But she proposed, "Sir, I wanted to speak with you something confidentially." My Guru Mahārāja said, "Oh, no, no. I cannot speak with you confidentially. You can speak whatever you like here." Just see. "I cannot speak." Now the so much age difference, so much, I mean to say, affection, still, he refused: "No, no. I cannot talk with you confidentially because you are woman."

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

Therefore there was monarchy. The king would learn from the brāhmaṇas how to rule over the citizens. That was perfect. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Rāja and ṛṣi. Or rāja means king and ṛṣi means saintly person. So either the ṛṣis did know or the kings did know. Or a king who is not less than a ṛṣi, he could know and he could rule over. That is the Vedic injunction. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. But without being rājarṣi, without being highly qualified, nobody can understand.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

Just like we have got our New Vrindaban. This year we have seen practically how these American boys and girls, hundreds and thousands, always who are remaining, not less than five to seven hundred... And for one week continually, in Janmāṣṭamī, we observed Janmāṣṭamī festival. Actually it was as good as this Vṛndāvana, because the chanting of the holy name was going on and hearing about Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was going on. There was tulasī plants, devotees, śrī-vigraha. Everything was there. So actually, it was replica of Śrī Vṛndāvana.

So therefore the most important thing is, to make advance in devotional service, to increase the appetite for hearing. Viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed ratim, kathāsu ratim. Kathāsu means, rati means attraction to kathāsu, that means hearing. Śravaṇam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

That is our propaganda. We are requesting not only the Hindus or Indians, but we are requesting everyone all over the world, "Take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and try to understand." We are therefore publishing so many books. We are very fortunate. I am very glad to inform you that we are selling our books, not less than forty to fifty thousand rupees daily. So our books are being well received, because in the Western world outside India, they never heard of this idea that God can be approached personally, we can talk with Him, we can live with Him, we can play with Him. These new ideas, of course, novel to the Western world. Therefore they are taking very careful attention. So why not India? Do not waste your time this way, that way. And the process is very simple. The process is very simple.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

We have got more than one hundred branches all over the world, and each branch, there is expenditure... In Los Angeles, we spend twenty thousand dollars per month. In New York, we spend ten thousand per..., dollars per month. Or more than that. Similarly, on the average, we spend not less than ten thousand dollars per each branch. But we have got calculation. We, we are spending seventy thousand dollar, dollars per month. So Indian exchange means seven lakhs of rupees. So we need money. And we are getting money also. In Europe, in America, the process of getting money is not the, like here, that I go to any gentleman, "Give us some donation." That is not possible. You cannot enter even one's house without introduction. Then you are trespasser. If you enter anyone's house without permission, he can kill you. This is the law. And every door, there is signboard: "Beware of the dogs." So it is not possible to go and beg, "Sir, give us something." But fortunately, we have published books, about twenty books, four hundred pages each.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

Now we have created facility of transport; therefore we have to go to work three hundred miles away from home. This is the position. But they have no brain. They're thinking they're advancing. (chuckles) Advancing in this way, that "For my livelihood I have to go three hundred miles, three hours at least, not less than three hours. Or six hours I have to spoil. Then I can go to my office. Then I work there whole day, and again come, again six hours. Then I come at night to sleep along with my family for three hours." Yes. This is our facility. Yes.

One... There is a story. Not story, it is a fact. One day, one grown-up child was asking his mother, "Who is this gentleman?" The father was there. So the mother said, "He is your father, my dear child." So he did not see his father until he grew three years or four years old. Because when he was child, the father was rising early in the morning. At that time, child was sleeping. And he was going to office, and when he comes back, the child was sleeping.

Lecture on SB 1.9.2 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1973:

Distressed condition, or happiness also, so-called happiness... Here there is no happiness. Everything is distressed condition. But we are so fool that we consider distressed condition as happiness. This is called māyā, distressed condition as happiness. For example, suppose you have to go to see a friend, and nowadays, friend or anything, not less than ten miles. So you have to go ten miles, and then see your friend, and then do your work. So I am taking the trouble of going ten miles to see a friend or thirty miles to see a medical practitioner, but I am very much proud of my car, that I have got a car. I don't consider that although I have got car, still, I have to waste so much time. I have to take so much trouble. And there is every possibility of accidents. So many calamities are awaiting me. But we think that "Now we have discovered this horseless carriage, we are advanced." Similarly, if you study every item, you will find that although you have created by the modern scientific advancement a little comfort of life, side by side, we have created many discomforts.

Lecture on SB 1.9.48 -- Mayapura, June 14, 1973:

Pradyumna: "Gāndhārī, although a woman, is no less than Bhīṣmadeva in character. They are both remarkable personalities in the Mahābhārata."

Prabhupāda: That's all. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

"All his good qualities became void." All his good qualities. Naṣṭa-sadācāra. Why naṣṭa-sadācāra? Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ: "Simply by association with a prostitute." Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. This Bhāgavata was written five thousand years ago, and this story... Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, "I am speaking an old story." That means this incident of Ajāmila was not less than fifty thousand years ago. At that time, five thousand years ago, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating "a very old story." And very old sto..., at least forty thousand, fifty thousand years old. So just see how Vedic civilization was planned from the very..., time immemorial. Simply by association of illicit sex life so many qualities became null and void.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

"They do not belong to the CIA Department. We do not have any such information and there is no need of any action. And so far their finance is concerned, we understand that they are selling their literatures and public contribution." That is the fact, actually. We are selling our books about, three, more, not less than three thousand dollars daily, and that is giving us our financial help. We have no other means of income. Although we have got expenditure not less than one hundred thousands of dollars per month throughout the whole world.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

So I say to my American and European disciples always that your nation, American nation, you have got your birth in a very rich nation or rich family. In America, every family is rich because there the poorest man earns monthly not less than four to five thousand of rupees, according to our (indistinct). The poorest man. And what to speak of the richest man. So janma, aiśvarya, śruta, śrī, these things are achieved out of pious activities. Therefore, in the Vedas, the karma-kāṇḍa vicāra, performing great sacrifices, they are mentioned. (Sanskrit) Performing yajña. In order to keep ourself happy within this material world, we have to perform yajña. That we are forgetting. There is no yajña performance. Therefore, as we are forgetting to live according to the direction of the Vedas, we are meeting with so many dangerous ways of life. Take for example, in our country, 20 years ago, there was no fight between Punjab and Bengal.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.149-171 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1967:

What is that book you have brought from library? No. That's all right. Oh, you have forgotten your book? Library book? Huh? Who brought that book which is lying in my room, apartment? Anyway, there is a picture of Vṛndāvana. That picture, there is a temple. This temple was first constructed by Sanātana Gosvāmī. That is the oldest temple in Vṛndāvana, not less than five hundred years old. And it was desecrated by the Aurangzeb, Emperor Aurangzeb. Then another new temple is now constructed where Madana-mohana is residing. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu authorized Sanātana Gosvāmī to go to Vṛndāvana and excavate the city. Before Lord Caitanya, the places of pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa was forgotten. People knew only that "In these quarters Kṛṣṇa was born and His pastimes was played here." But no particular places were excavated. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu... After Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent Sanātana Gosvāmī, the importance of that tract of land known as Mathurā-Vṛndāvana became very important.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.149-171 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1967:

At Benares He was overcrowded with persons. Always there was tumultuous sound, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." And Caitanya Mahāprabhu left Benares and came back to Jagannath Purī. Jagannath Purī and Benares is not less than about eight hundred miles distance. So in those days there was no railway, no other conveyance. Caitanya Mahāprabhu had to travel through the jungles, and He came back to Jagannath Purī.

ei līlā kahiba āge vistāra kariyā
saṅkṣepe kahilāṅ ihāṅ prasaṅga pāiyā

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu thus came back, and the author says that after this incident we shall discuss in another chapter about the activities of Lord Caitanya, and so far His Benares visit was concerned, this is the end.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 11 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1970:

He is the original guru, spiritual master, of Vedic knowledge. How he was living? In a cottage in Badarikāśrama. But just see his knowledge. He has written so many Purāṇas, and Bhāgavata-Purāṇa is one of them. The Vedānta philosophy, Mahābhārata, each and every verse if you study, you can study for the whole life. Similarly, in some book he has written 100,000's of verses, not less than 20,000, 25,000 verses. And each verse is so full of meaning that one has to learn it throughout his whole life. This is Vedic culture. There is no comparison of knowledge, not only in spiritual knowledge, in other department also—in astronomy, in mathematics. It is not that in the olden age there were no aeroplanes. We get so many information from Purāṇas. Their aeroplane was so strong and so, I mean to say, speedy, they could easily reach other planets. Arjuna went to the heavenly planet. So material knowledge, advancement, is not that there was no advancement of material knowledge in the Vedic age. It was there, but they did not take much care of it.

Festival Lectures

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day, Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

Those who have visited Vṛndāvana, that temple is still existing in broken state. It was seven story. The four stories have been broken by Aurangzeb. But whatever three stories are still remaining, if we want to construct such type of temple, it will require at least four crores of rupees, not less than that. So in South India also, there are many big, big temples. It is not possible to construct such temples at the present moment. It is very expensive. But in our country, all the kings and rich men, they were interested in constructing temple. At the present moment, the tendency is practically absent. In big, big cities, development, improvement is going on, but very few people are constructing temple. This tendency of godlessness is increasing all over the world. In European countries also, America, first when I visited one county... It is known as Butler. So Butler County, it is a very small county. Still immediately I saw there are about half a dozen churches, very big, big churches. They were very old churches.

Ratha-yatra -- New York, July 18, 1976:

Formerly one king of the name Indradyumna, he started the temple of Jagannātha in Orissa at Purī. Perhaps some of you who have gone there, they know there is a very, very old temple, according to modern calculation, not less than two thousand years old. There is the Jagannātha Deity. The King was very much anxious to establish a temple of Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadrā, but there was a contract between the sculptor and the King that the sculptor would go on working in closed door and the King should not disturb him. But when many days passed the King felt, "What this worker is doing?" So he forcefully opened the door, and he saw that the sculptor could not finish the Deity. So this form of Jagannātha, Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadrā, was unfinished. They were going under construction, carving, but the King forcibly opened the door. Therefore the King said, "I shall worship this unfinished Deity. Never mind."

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

So they had no other source. They approached Kṛṣṇa, "Protect us. Kṛṣṇa, protect us." So at that time Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I will give you protection." So He was, although a boy of six or seven years old, He lifted that hill. That is... We are... If any time you go to India you will see the hill. It is not less than at least five, six miles area, very big hill. That hill was lifted by Him, and He kept that hill in His hand for seven days. And then everything was cleared. Then Indra prayed Him.

So there are many things after this. So today Kṛṣṇa lifted this hill; therefore His name is Giridhārī. Giridhārī means who held the hill. Giri means the hill, and dhārī means one who holds up. So today is that, is the annual ceremony of today, this Govardhana-pūjā. So we follow that principle. Because we are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to follow His instruction.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

The Gosvāmīs, they showed us the way. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka. So many rounds we must chant, at least. Haridas Ṭhākura was chanting three hundred thousand times. We cannot do that. That is not possible. So we have made a minimum, sixteen rounds. So those who are being initiated, they must chant at least sixteen rounds. If they can increase, it is better. But not less than that. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. So these things should be observed, and always pray to Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, I have taken shelter of You. Kindly guide me." And He is prepared to guide. He says, "If a devotee surrenders and wants My guide..."

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:

You have no experience. In India we have got experience. Each and every monkey has got at least hundred girls with him. Hundred, one hundred. So what we able to enjoy? Every, each, they have got party, and each party, one monkey has got a least fifty, sixty, not less than twenty-five. So a hog's life, they have got also dozens of... Dozens. And they have no distinction, "Who is my mother, who is my sister, who is my relative." You see? So they're enjoying. So do you mean to say that human life is meant like that—like monkeys and hogs and cats and dogs? Is that perfection of human life, to satisfy sense gratification? No. That we have enjoyed in various forms of life. Now? The Vedānta says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is for inquiring and understanding Brahman. What is that Brahman? Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ brahma or parama, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahma.

Lecture -- Boston, April 25, 1969:

We can prepare. Of course, these boys and girls, they are not very expert, but still, whatever they have learned, and they are supplying prasādam to your American boys and girls, and people, they are appreciating very much. In Los Angeles—that is our biggest temple in your country—we get in every love feast day not less than two hundred guests. They come from far away with their car and they take. They like it. You see? So if you accept this austerity, that "We shall not eat meat, but we can have very nice foodstuff from grains, from fruits, from vegetables, milk, sugar, so many nice foodstuff," you will forget. Simply you have to learn. That is not very severe austerity. Simply our process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how from this present consciousness we want to change to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So these austerities are required: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, February 23, 1971:

Vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. "And Vivasvān, the sun-god, said this philosophy to his son Manu, and Manu said to his son Ikṣvāku." Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So from this formula, if we study Bhagavad-gītā, then taking the age of Manu, Vivasvān, Ikṣvāku, it becomes not less than forty millions of years. So Bhagavad-gītā is not a new thing. It is coming down from an age forty millions of years back. (break) And besides that, we are represented in Tokyo, in Canada, in Europe, in America, like that. We have got fifty centers all over the world.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, February 23, 1971:

There also we are paying one thousand rupees rent. So now we are in rented house. Out of about five (fifty) centers all over the world, we have got about five centers which is our own. Otherwise, we are in the rented house. For our expenditure is very high. In each centers, according to Indian exchange, we spend not less than five thousand and up to twenty thousand per month. But we are pulling on by selling our literatures, books, and little contribution from the public.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 11, 1971:

There is no illicit sex life amongst our students. There is no meat-eating, there is no intoxication, including coffee and tea and cigarette, and there is no gambling. And they are practiced to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting not only as you have seen some of the samples. We have got fifty-two branches. In every branch we have got not less than twenty-five up to hundred. So this is the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. It is not story, but it is fact. How it is obtained? It is obtained by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

Purāṇa-puruṣam, the oldest person, because He is the original. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca, but He is still young man. You have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. You will never see Kṛṣṇa as old man. When Kṛṣṇa was in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra... You have seen the picture. Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot of Arjuna. At that time His age was not less than hundred years. He had great-grandchildren. But you have seen the picture. He was looking like a boy of sixteen to twenty years. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is described in the Vedic literatures as nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Kṛṣṇa's body... Therefore His body is spiritual body. The spiritual... When you get your spiritual body, you also get nava-yauvanam. Those who are associating with Kṛṣṇa in the Kṛṣṇa planet or those who are associating with Nārāyaṇa in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, they are also ever-young. Their bodily features are exactly like Nārāyaṇa. It is called sārūpya-mukti.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 25, 1975:

And it is not difficult for them, because we have given this English translation of this book. We have got at least eighty books of four hundred pages, and they are preaching very nicely. And by the grace of Kṛṣṇa... You'll be surprised to understand that we are selling books, not less than one lakh of rupees per day. So the preaching is going on very nicely. We request all Indians to take part in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be yourself happy, be yourself guru, and deliver all other persons who are in ignorance. And to become guru is not very difficult.

Lecture -- Nellore, January 4, 1976:

So it was... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has entrusted this missionary work to everyone. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). So there is good field for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They want it. They are reading our Kṛṣṇa conscious books very nicely. We are selling not less than 100,000 worth books daily. They are purchasing. So I wish that in India people should take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be... Every one of you should become Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go to the outside countries and preach this. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa consciousness does... You haven't got to manufacture something by your fertile brain, speculating. That is useless, nonsense. Simply you take what Kṛṣṇa has said and preach it. You become a guru and you deliver the whole world.

Speech to Devotees -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

We have about sixty-five volumes, books, each book four hundred pages. And they are introducing in the universities, colleges, library. Even sometimes they are beaten. In this way these boys, they are helping this movement. And perhaps you'll be surprised that our sale collection from the books is not less than one lakh of rupees per day, sometimes five lakh of rupees per day. So this movement has captured the ideas, spiritual ideas of the Western people, by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And as His foretelling or you are expecting, ambition, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma, that is being done. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) And unfortunately in India they are not received very well. The government is thinking they are, what is that? CIA. A CIA has become (?) to become Vaiṣṇava dancing in Vṛndāvana. (laughter) Just see their intelligence. And Purī also, they are not allowed to enter in the Jagannātha temple. These things are going on.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So similarly, there is a ghāṭa which is called Daśāśvamedha Ghāṭa at Prayag. He instructed about the science of devotional service to Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Hayagrīva: Now how old is Rūpa Goswami? Is he an old man?

Prabhupāda: Oh, he was old enough. He was not less than fifty years at that time.

Hayagrīva: I see. All right. Anything else in the second scene, fourth act?

Prabhupāda: That is it... And then He came back to Benares.

Hayagrīva: Who?

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Yes. In that you'll find.

Hayagrīva: Now this third scene, meets Sanātana Gosvāmī, that's in Benares. And Sanātana is how old?

Prabhupāda: Sanātana was older than Rūpa Gosvāmī. He was the eldest. He was not less than about 65 or 70 years old. He was old man. Sufficiently old man.

Hayagrīva: Yes. And of the instructions to Sanātana Gosvāmī are in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. All right. Now...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Similarly, the fourth scene, the teachings with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, that is also in there.

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Hayagrīva: How old is this man?

Prabhupāda: Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī? He was also old man. Not less than sixty years old. Yes.

Hayagrīva: And what was his role again in the town? What was he... He was a Vedantist?

Prabhupāda: Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He was a Māyāvādī sannyāsī. He accepted Caitanya Mahāprabhu's principle and he offered his respect. He touched His feet. And he also joined. But there is no mention that he became officially a Vaisnava, but he accepted the philosophy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya officially, he became a Vaisnava.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: God dictates you and you pay. That's all.

Journalist: I must say that that answer to that question is a very ambivalent answer.

Prabhupāda: (chuckling) Yes. I came here... You will be surprised. I came here with seven dollars only and the whole establishment expenditure is not less than, I think, five thousand dollars monthly. At least.

Journalist: That's sixty thousand a year. I mean, is it donated?

Prabhupāda: Five thousand is very minimal. I think it is more than that.

Hayagrīva: I have no idea.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because we are paying... This temple, we are paying four hundred, simply rent. Similarly each and every place we are paying three hundred, four hundred rent.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Radio Interview -- February 12, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, yes. That is the fact. I invite everyone, old and young, but generally the youngsters, they are attracted.

Interviewer: Have you any idea what the number of the people are nationally?

Prabhupāda: So far initiated members, they are about, not less than hundred. But there are many others, admirers. In each center there are at least fifty to sixty members.

Interviewer: I assume that being an initiated member means that the individual has acquainted himself sufficiently with your teaching and gone through certain disciplines? Is that?

Discussion with BTG Staff -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Prabhupāda: Anyway, you are the in-charge of this composition. You or Jaya-govinda? Who is in charge of the composition?

Jayadvaita: Mostly I am doing it.

Prabhupāda: Accha. Then you get easily not less than thirty pages daily, complete. That will satisfy. Is that all right?

Jayadvaita: That's all right.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then our books are, biggest book, four hundred pages. So thirty pages daily means, what is that? Within fifteen days you can complete.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Prof. Kotovsky: ...because of influx of refugees from Bangladesh.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But we had our saṅkīrtana festival for ten days, and people participated very wonderfully. We... Our gathering was not less than thirty thousand people daily, and they are so much interested in hearing about our... Lecture things, we are lecturing from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. We are... Our preaching method is on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So people are responding from every part of the world, especially the American boys. They are especially interested. And England also, and Germany, and France. From here I shall go to Paris. There we have got center. What is the name of that place? Paris? Recently they have taken.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because our government, India government would not allow to take money to go outside. So somehow or other I got the P-form sanction, and one big shipping company, they allowed me free passage. So I came here with great difficulty. Of course I was very comfortably situated on the sea, but still, because I am not accustomed, I got sea sickness. So the travel was very miserable. Still I came. Then for one year, I was going here and there, there was no fixed-up position, and then in 1...9, I came here in 1965, September, then 1966, July, I incorporated the society and started my preaching in a storefront, and... Second Avenue. And then gradually the students came and it developed, one branch after. Now we have got sixty branches, and our expenditure is very heavy. According to Indian calculation it is about 700,000's of rupees. We are paying every rent, we have got in each center not less than twenty-five devotees, up to hundred, hundred and fifty. So it is going on by Kṛṣṇa's grace.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:

Mohsin Hassan: Thank you again. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...First Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third, Fourth, Fifth. These five big, big books, not less than thousand pages each, and Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, eleven hundred pages. So, and each book will cost us twenty thousand, twenty-five thousand. So any amount of money we (indistinct) we can engage in printing books.

Mohsin Hassan: Yeah, it seems to me this is the biggest problem, the cost of operations.

Prabhupāda: Never mind. Kṛṣṇa is giving. You have seen our publications?

Mohsin Hassan: No. I have seen the books. I have most of them.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Prabhupāda: Yes. In different cities.

Guest: And they live together there?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. We have got devotees in each center, not less than twenty-five and up to two hundred.

Guest: I see. Oh, as big as that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: Now, taking up my thoughts on the crude difficulties of management. First of all there is the very crude necessity of getting money to run these institutions.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: Just like nobody tries for becoming unhappy, but unhappiness comes. Nobody tries, that "Let me become unhappy." But people become unhappy. Why? He does not try for it. Similarly, that happiness also, even if you don't try for it, it will come. So śāstra says, "You don't bother yourself for worldly happiness or unhappiness. Whatever you are destined, you'll get it. You try for develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which in other life, in the animal life, you could not do." In the animal... (break) ...advised... If the animal is advised that, "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious," he cannot do it. He has no power. But a man can do it. Therefore the man's main business should be how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not for so-called economic development. Economic development will come automatically, what you are destined to have. This is our philosophy. We don't try for any economic development. All our members, we have no concern what we shall eat tomorrow, although we haven't got any source of income. We are pushing this movement all over the world. We have got about one hundred branches and similar devotees are there, each branch, not less than twenty-five. What is that?

Morning Walk -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Devotee (1): Is this building four or five hundred years old? This very room?

Prabhupāda: Huh? Oh, yes!

Devotee (1): This is the original building?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not less than four hundred and fifty years.

Śyāmasundara: And they used to meet here daily?

Prabhupāda: Yes. They, all the Gosvāmīs, used to sit down there. And Rūpa Gosvāmī's bhajana, he was dancing here, and after his passing away, he was entombed there. But that tomb is Lokanātha Gosvāmī. He is also one of the important Gosvāmīs.

Śyāmasundara: Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi with passers-by)

Introduction Speech By Dr. Kapoor and Conversation -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So I had no money, (laughter). But one nice boy—his name is known all over the world, George Harrison—he has promised to give me loan.

Dr. Kapoor: Kṛṣṇa has all the money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So actually, we are spending not less than seven lakhs of rupees per month throughout the whole our institution. But by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, we are selling our books very nicely.

Dr. Kapoor: That's very encouraging. That's most encouraging.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are selling our books, average, at the rate of 25,000 rupees per day.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes. He had no spiritual knowledge. So therefore it has not been successful. They are preaching in the Western countries... As far I know, in America they have got ten or twelve branches. I am working for the last six years only. I have got already fifty branches. And each branch, there are devotees like them, not less than twenty-five, up to two hundred, three hundred, all dedicated souls.

Professor: And what about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?

Prabhupāda: I don't take account of these because they are not standard.

Professor: Oh, I see.

Room Conversation -- September 1, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. Very green, clear.

Guest: Always a different color though. Always a little different isn't it?

Prabhupāda: Well, reef I have seen. It is about, not less than two hundred feet.

Guest: Really? They say under the water is beautiful, the light, and the color.

Prabhupāda: They go under the water?

Guest: They go, yes, under the water, in skin-diving. The coral, coral? Grows coral doesn't it? They say it's all, very beautiful. Jaya. Well, thank you, Prabhupāda, jaya.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Give him prasāda. Thank you.

Śrutakīrti: Take a little sweet.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 19, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Mat-karmabhiḥ karmāṇi siddhim... (break)

Prabhupāda: Sarva-karma-tyāga. Where is Girirāja? These boys collecting not less than thirty thousand per month, but not a single farthing for him. This is sarva-karma-phala. Is there any man, businessman?

Mr. Sar: Yes, yes. He stays in utter poverty.

Dr. Patel: Sarva-karma-phala-tyāgam eva.

Prabhupāda: He does not care for his body even.

Mr. Sar: Yes, he does not care.

Prabhupāda: I forced him to go to U.S.A. and get...

Room Conversation with Monsieur Roost, Hatha-yogi -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: This is plain understanding. Just like physician says that "If you eat these things, then you will not be cured." A physician should straightly speak to the patient, "You should not do this. Then you will be cured." If he does not agree, then he will not be cured. It is like that. If you remain sinful, then you cannot make any spiritual progress of life. That is going on. All the swamis, yogis, and... Don't mind. I have seen. They keep them in the sinful life and talk very, very, big, big words. That will not help. Sinful life must be stopped. Then yoga practice will be successful. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhiḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you are yogi, if you want siddhi, then you must eat and sleep and accept things—yukta. Yukta means "as it is required, not more than that, not less than that." That is yukta. We don't say that you stop. No, we don't say. We give them eatables. We don't say there is no sex life. Sex life is there. But married, simply for begetting children. Otherwise, no sex life. Not for sense gratification. If these things go on... In New York there is a yogi. I do not wish to name his... But in the paper it was published that he was having sex with his disciple. Is it not?

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: So He predicted and by His great will it is being propagated.

Professor La Combe: How many officials (?) are there?

Prabhupāda: We have got about hundred branches, and each branch, there are not less than twenty-five up to 250. So average, if you take one hundred, then it is ten thousand, yes. And all of them are young, within thirty, within thirty. So... And they are trying to understand the philosophy very nicely, even these girls. She knows. In India, even the big, big learned scholars, they are-Indian scholar, I mean—they were surprised when some of my students, the young students, girls and boys, were speaking in Navadvīpa.

Professor La Combe: You have all been to India?

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: We have no other... Even in the Indian Parliament, the question was raised that "How is that this international society is spending lavishly? What is their income?" There is a rumor that Americans are sending these CIA, what is this? (everyone laughs) Rascal people, they think the CIA has come to dance and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (everyone laughs) So, of course the reply was given that we have no information that these people are CIA but we know that they are maintaining themselves by selling their literature and public contribution. That's all. And we have got 102 centers like this. This is not very... If you go to our Los Angeles center, New York center and other, Vṛndāvana center and Navadvīpa center, not less than 200 men are there always. And we are providing with their food, shelter. We give education to their children.

Room Conversation -- June 20, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: That is in the jungle, nobody could reach, and they gave us that place.

Guest: (laughs)

Prabhupāda: And still there were no less than (indistinct).

Guest: (laughs)

Prabhupāda: It was not easily accessible, the motorcar cannot go. You have to leave your car three miles away (indistinct)

Guest: I know the place.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He knows that.

Morning Walk -- June 29, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes, in the beginning there is no love. Let him work on the direction of God's representative. (break) Therefore it has been warned, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. The Deity of Viṣṇu, if one thinks, "This is made of stone; this is made of wood; this is made of metal," and spiritual master as ordinary human being, these are hellish considerations. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Guruṣu means the spiritual master. Nara-matiḥ, a ordinary human being. And vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. And Vaiṣṇava, a devotee—"Oh, he is brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava. He is European Vaiṣṇava. He is this Vaiṣṇava, that..." No. These are forbidden. Vaiṣṇava is Vaiṣṇava. Spiritual master... They are all transcendental. In... of course, in this country you are introducing new, but in India... Just like we had been at Tirupati, Tirumala. Many thousands of people were coming, and their daily collection is not less than 100,000 rupees.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Reporter -- March 9, 1975, London:

Prabhupāda: Denmark, Holland, and Rome, then Switzerland, Geneva. So we have got several branches here.

Reporter: Are many people joining you?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Just see, many people here. Each center we have got not less than fifty men, up to 250. Similarly, we have got in Australia and New Zealand, all over the world. In India we have got six. In India I have got six. In Vṛndāvana, Calcutta, Bombay, Navadvīpa, Hyderabad—in so many places.

Reporter: Is the work you recommend your followers to do purely spiritual, or do you...

Prabhupāda: This we simply say, that "God is great. You are servant. Don't be befooled that you are God. Don't be befooled like that." That is our program.

Room Conversation with Dr. Copeland, Professor of Modern Indian History -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Then I began translating from 1968 or '69. And I published my first book in 1962. Then next was in 1964. And then the third volume was published in 1965. And then I came to America. And then I translated all these books, whatever you see, about fifty books. This is about eleven hundred pages. Other books are not less than four hundred pages.

Dr. Copeland: Oh, yes. I have many in my shelf like these. Where and when did you learn English?

Prabhupāda: In Calcutta. I was educated in a college. My professors were all Europeans.

Dr Copeland: Which college?

Room Conversation with Dr. Copeland, Professor of Modern Indian History -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: That's all. If Kṛṣṇa wants, He will give us food, or we shall starve. We are not going to serve. This is the proof. We are spending not less than twenty lakhs of rupees for maintaining our establishment throughout the whole world, but we do not know what is our next moment's income. We do not know... We have eaten today. We do not know whether we shall have any eatable next day. This is our position. If it is available, we shall eat; otherwise we shall starve. This is our position. Still, I don't seek any employment, "Give us some service to maintain our..." No, we don't do that. We never do that. When I was alone, I was not doing that. I was living alone. I had no income, no friend, no shelter. Since I left my home, since 1954, I never cared for anyone maintaining me. And there was no resource, fixed income, nothing of the sort. I depended on Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, in the whole society we are feeding daily ten thousand men.

Room Conversation with Dr. Copeland, Professor of Modern Indian History -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No, that is... That was... About hundred years ago Vivekananda came, and he stayed in New York, but these people... When I came, I asked, "What is...? Do you know Vivekananda?" They said, "No, we do not know." I had to find out, search out, where is Vivekananda's center. It was not very prominent. Nobody was going. So for hundred years they worked, this Ramakrishna Mission. They could not establish even half a dozen centers in America. And I established forty centers within six years. And in each center there is devotees not less than twenty-five, up to 225. In Los Angeles we purchased one church. The church was sold because nobody was coming. And since we have taken... If you sometimes go to Los Angeles, you will see it is packed always. The same people, the same church—why it is packed now? And why it was sold without any attendance? What is the difference? I have not brought these men from India; neither I brought that church from India. The church was there, and these people were there.

Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Those who are endeavoring for realizing God, they are first-class men. Those who are less intelligent—they are trying to rule over the material world—they are second-class men. And those who are engaged in producing food and cow protection, they are third-class. And those who are useless for any of these three occupational duties, they are called fourth-class. And those who are still lower than that, they are called fifth-class, sixth-class, like that. So our educational system should be so arranged that there may be first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class men, not less than fourth-class men. Then the social structure will be in order and everyone will be peaceful, aiming at the point, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Unless there is such structure of the society... Just like in our body we have got four divisions, the head, the arms, the belly and the leg. All of them are required. But the position of the head and position of the leg are different.

Morning Walk -- October 28, 1975, Nairobi:

Prabhupāda: I know that. In Calcutta, Kukumcha. This firm was very big. One of the richest Marwari. So eighty years old, he wanted to change the hormone to become young. Not only... There are many Marwaris. You know the (name witheld)? (name witheld)? His elder brother, (name witheld). His only business is to keep one wife and have a big establishment. He has got four, five wives—one Bengali, one U.P., one Marwari, one this—and each wife's establishment not less than ten thousand per month. And his business is morning to this wife and evening to this wife and noon to this wife, this wife. And he is old man. The wives do not care for him, and she is doing everything whatever, with the secretary. That's all. It is going on. I have seen. I was guest in his home, and this rascal is doing this. He is earning money, black market, white market, this mar... At any cost, and spending like this. That's all.

Morning Walk -- November 3, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Modern man. Modernizing? (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Yes. You know him, this boy? He's a great-grandson of Henry Ford. He has contributed to our society not less than two crores of rupees.

Dr. Patel: He has got money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi)

Dr. Patel: And Chapkhanna(?) cannot be very not good. Not very good. Your printing is wonderful. From where... Where is that place? From Japan?

Prabhupāda: America and Japan. We want wonderful books.

Dr. Patel: Very good.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk at Radha-Govinda Mandir -- March 24, 1976, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) This Rādhā-Govinda Deity is very old Deity of the Mullik family. I think not less than two hundred years ago this Deity was established by the mother of Kashinath Mullik. I think you might have heard, another Kashi..., original Kashinath Mullik. I think his father's name was Gaura Mohan Mullik. Am I right?

Indian man: Citra Das.

Prabhupāda: Citra Das. No. No, Kashinath Mullik's father? So gradually this whole quarters belonged to this Mullik family. Still in front of this temple there is Gangara(?) building. That is also the property of Rādhā-Govinda. And as I have shown in coming, our house was just behind the present Govinda Bhavana. And we had the opportunity of seeing this Rādhā-Govinda from very childhood. When I was three or four years old I used to visit this Rādhā-Govinda daily.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: No. None of us have any fixed income, but we are traveling all over the world, New York, London, Calcutta. It is just like going from this quarter to that quarter. Our men are moving like that. Immediately coming, one dozen men from Germany, one dozen from London, and immediately going. We are paying so much money to the airplanes, and we have got so many centers. So how it is going on? On Kṛṣṇa's grace. We depend on Kṛṣṇa. Our income, daily collection, is not less than one lakh of rupees, and we are spending everything.

Reporter (8): One lakh daily.

Prabhupāda: That is minimum. Sometimes we collect five lakhs daily.

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So where is? Arrange to bring him. Otherwise they will not believe.

Dr. Patel: No, no, we believe you, sir. But we want a darśana of it. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: So ask. Bring it in the meantime. (break) ...not less than one lakh of devotees, at least, so crowded.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Where is that at, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Where is that?

Prabhupāda: Māyāpur.

Dr. Patel: That is on holy day, no?

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Prabhupāda: Twice. When the Deity was installed, I installed personally. Then I think I came last year here.

Interviewer: You're the leader of how many disciples or devotees throughout the world?

Prabhupāda: Personally, I have got not less than ten thousand. But I was deputed by my Guru Mahārāja to make propaganda in the Western countries. So this movement... Of course, I have started in the Western countries, but in India it is very common movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everyone knows.

Interviewer: Are you at all concerned about the, what seems to be an increasing number of gurus and swamis throughout the world?

Prabhupāda: That I could not follow.

Room Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, generally. So there are ninety chapters. That means minimum fifteen volumes, and maybe more. We have presented Kṛṣṇa book, just a summary study, not explained. But when it will be explained, with each and every śloka, purport, then it will be not less than fifteen volumes. Tenth Chapter is the face of of the Lord. We have described the legs, hands, belly, that's all, and Tenth Chapter is the face, smiling face. Therefore we should not jump over the face all at once. It must go from the legs, gradually, and then face, then forehead, then hair. Eleventh, Twelfth, Twelfth Chapter, finished, the whole body of Kṛṣṇa. Hmm. So thank you very much.

Devotees: Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: That is tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam (SB 5.5.1). If you want to purify your existence, then you must practice tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa yamena niyamena (SB 6.1.13). That is tapasya. First beginning is brahmacarya. Therefore according to Vedic system, brahmacārī first—to teach how to become brahmacārī. Brahmacārī guru-gṛhe vasan dānto guror hitam. The children should be trained up in such a way that they will be able to control the senses and act only for the benefit of guru. That is brahmacārī. They have no personal interest. So they are collecting daily not less than one lakh of rupees, up to five lakh, these boys. But their expenditure at my direction. Not a single paisa they can spend in their own discretion. They are laboring hard to get this collection, but the money is mine. This is the arrangement. Now in Hyderabad they immediately require two lakhs. The money is there, they can take it, but they are asking by telegram my permission. I'll give them, but this is the arrangement. Guror hitam, brahmacārī. Vasan dānto guror hitam.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So what is progress? In India still, in so fallen condition, we have got practical experience. If there is some arrangement... Sometimes we arrange Hare Kṛṣṇa festival. Each day not less than twenty thousand, thirty thousand, forty thousand people come. Although these, mostly these foreigners, they are chanting, and we are speaking in English, still, to hear the kīrtana, they come from remote villages. In Calcutta I have seen. That is natural tendency of Indians. Bhārata-bhūmi, anyone who has taken birth in India, naturally Kṛṣṇa conscious. By artificial means, they are being suppressed. Just like this Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, they have questioned that... What they have said?

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At least three thousand. I think even perhaps more, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes, not less than.

Kīrtanānanda: Say five hundred dollars a month?

Prabhupāda: And I was not getting any return.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How were you getting so much money?

Prabhupāda: My income, poor income, from my business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. (aside:) Prabhupāda took us past Seventy-second Street, showed us this place.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: I used to keep some prasādam, anyone would come I would give.

Kīrtanānanda: After class also you always distributed some prasādam. After kīrtana and class.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I was clapping my hand. In meeting, I used to collect not less than six dollars, not more than twenty dollars. And that was...

Rāmeśvara: Daily.

Prabhupāda: Not daily.

Kīrtanānanda: Three times a week.

Prabhupāda: Three times. (break) ...used to come sometimes.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: So He is existing with all the incarnations, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. So Rāma is not less than Kṛṣṇa, but He is incarnation. This is the conclusion.

Indian man: Because I was trying to refer to Govindāṣṭakam, Where it says, (sings) śrī kṛṣṇa rādhā āra gokuleśa gopāla govardhana-nātha viṣṇu, jīveti amṛtamedhadevo govindaṁ dāmodaram ada vetti(?). He's saying, śrī kṛṣṇa rādhā āra gokuleśa gopāla govardhana-nātha viṣṇu. That is what I was trying to see that is really... I know that say Kṛṣṇa's expansion is Mahā-Viṣṇu, but still, why do they say govardhana-nātha viṣṇu? That I was trying to understand. Please don't misunderstand me.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is Vaiṣṇava picture. Vaiṣṇava is always humble. (looking at picture) Jagannātha Purī.

Bhagavān: They are distributing these books for no less than ten dollars each.

Jayatīrtha: Ten dollars each? Fifty francs.

Bhagavān: Fifty francs, ten dollars. This is Gaura-Nitai, New Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Baltimore?

Bhagavān: At the farm.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda is bringing in more foreign exchange than even big business export concerns.

Prabhupāda: I'm bringing regularly not less than ten lakhs of rupees per month.

Krishna Modi: Sending to India. We must tell them all these things.

Prabhupāda: You tell.

Krishna Modi: That is the thing. This is the Brahmānanda... I already told yesterday that some members must be briefed and they must tell something so that my hands may be strengthened and so that I may...

Prabhupāda: It is a great credit that I am selling my books and bringing ten lakhs of rupees from foreign country in India.

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Whatever your father and mother has chosen, that's all. He's your worshipable husband. This is the... This point I wanted to bring. And her father was surprised. "How is that? I got you married with an old man? Somehow or other, circumstances I was obliged. How is that you have picked up one young man?" He chastised her like anything. Then when he came to understand that the same old man has become now young man by medical treatment, then he was satisfied. So you cannot change. I have seen it. One, my father's friend, he was very old man. My father was also... He was at that time not less than sixty-five. But his wife died, and he was married with another young girl. But his sister forced him to marry. That "Unless you marry, who will look after you? You have no children." But I have seen that young woman who was married with that gentleman... In our childhood we used to called her didi. Didi means elder sister. So the relationship was very thick and thin. But that old man, not less than sixty-five, and this young woman, utmost twenty to twenty-five.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: There is no difference. The same thing. Kṛṣṇa is God. (break)

Interviewer: What is, sir, the number of your disciples round the world?

Prabhupāda: Dedicated life—not less than ten thousand. And admirers, there are many millions. Recently one American politician has remarked in Houston, that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is spreading like epidemic. So unless we take some steps it may take our government." (laughter)

Interviewer: Who was the man who said it?

Hari-śauri: A government official in Houston.

Prabhupāda: No, no, what is his name? You can give.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: And by this collection, from this collection, we are bringing money in India. We are bringing money in India not less than ten lakhs of rupees per month. Our buildings and temples are going on in Bombay, in Vṛndāvana, in Navadvīpa. So we have got at least ten lakhs of rupees expenditure for these temples, and that I am bringing from foreign countries. So if by laboring hard at night in this dictaphone, I write books and I sell them in the foreign countries and I bring the money here for spending in India, do you think it is faulty?

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No, if you offer him little more, if you pay...

Mahāṁśa: Ten rupees less.

Haṁsadūta: He said for ten rupees he will sell it.

Prabhupāda: Not less than that?

Hari-śauri: We might get it for seven or eight. We said five, he said ten. We used to get it for...

Mahāṁśa: Now he'll come all the way here.

Prabhupāda: He's going?

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Spend for this purpose, propagation. That is my mi... And if I would have taken some royalty, then my daily income would have been not less than 75,000 per day.

Guest (9): After income tax, little would be left.

Prabhupāda: There is no income tax. We are charity.

Guest (9): 75,000 daily, you said.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because five to six lakhs daily collection. If I take minimum fifteen percent, what it comes to? Big, big authors, they get twenty-five percent.

Room Conversation with Mr. Tombe (M.L.A.) -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: These are all of Prabhupāda's books. Eighty books.

Prabhupāda: Eighty-four books we have, I have written within ten years. And our publication house, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the first in the world for publishing religious and philosophical books. We are selling not less than six lakhs worth books daily.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, publishing division.

Mr. Tombe: I have got only a few of them now. I would like to pick up...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Here, these are... We only have sample copies in India. So I'll tell Girirāja to bring you some. These are only sample copies for Prabhupāda's display.

Room Conversation -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but that... It doesn't have to be spread out. This is...

Prabhupāda: One hour... To explain seven verses may take more than one hour. It will take not less than two hours.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We want to have, in total, three hours of total yoga a day, including practice and class, like two hours in the morning, one hour in the evening.

Prabhupāda: So practice two hours and one hour class. And the yoga class, they should be given the seat caila, jina, ajina, kuśottaram. Seat. One straw... That... What is called? Kuśa...

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That is sufficient long time to know a place. At that time what was the population of Allahabad? About ten lakhs?

Prabhupāda: No, not so.

Dr. Patel: No, less than that. Ahmedabad was only four lakhs' population before. Now it is twenty lakhs.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere the population is increased. Why?

Dr. Patel: People have more interest because of the industrialization.

Gurudāsa: They attract people. They think they will be happy in the city.

Dr. Patel: Not that. Because they get more easy jobs in the city. You see, jobs.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no, no.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: Bank rate is not less than 16%.

Rāmeśvara: He is only offering 12% a year.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, he'll give us more than the bank rate. Whatever rate the bank lends at, we'll get more than that. That's understood.

Prabhupāda: He may mean... "More than bank rate" means bank allows to their customer not more than 10%. But if you take loan from bank...

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Take loan... The interest is...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, the borrowing loan. He will give more than that.

Prabhupāda: The borrowing loan is not less than 16%.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: 15%... Yes. He'll offer 25%.

Rāmeśvara: I think this is a good idea because the printer will be indebted to us.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And now we also need his help to make... I went all over India looking for printers.

Prabhupāda: So do it immediately.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That three hundred rupees is equal to nine thousand rupees now. Now, a middle class man, who has got nine thousand rupees' income? Maybe one thousand, two thousand... (break) ...same thing, thirty times. The same ghee is selling not less than twenty-five, up to thirty. Thirty times. Take anything, rice, dahl, wheat, two annas per seer. And now they charge two rupees, three rupees per kilo. So from two annas to two rupees, sixteen times more.

Rāmeśvara: America also...

Prabhupāda: No, sixteen, thirty-two times.

Rāmeśvara: Thirty-two times.

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: So what, these nonsense politicians? They lost the money and inconvenience to others. These rascal politicians, they can do anything whimsical. They were getting money, not less than fifty thousand, not smaller than daily fifty thousand. From business point of view they could have raised the toll. They could get more money. What is the use of stopping?

Hari-śauri: Well, they raised the price of oil instead.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Hari-śauri: They raised the price of oil instead.

Prabhupāda: Muhammadan, they... Brain fag. And they are thieves. The captains said that they are all thieves, these Egyptians.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: I'll write to New York and tell them to emphasize it even more.

Prabhupāda: Bring all these books in the court. Sometimes in Calcutta, high-court judge was a big lawyer. In those days he was earning not less than one thousand rupees per day, say sixty, seventy years ago. That one thousand means thirty times nowadays. Thirty thousand a day. He was very big lawyer. He was offered a judgeship in the... "No, no, no. I don't call for it." He was earning. The judges were getting at that time four thousand per month, and he was earning one thousand daily. So why should he give...? (coughs) So all the judges were friends. So in one case he brought so many books for argument. So the judges were friends, so he very mildly criticized, "Oh, Mr. Ghosh, you have brought the whole library?" "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law." (laughs) This was the... He addressed, "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law.

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And New York temple is going nice?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think very nicely, yes.

Prabhupāda: People are coming regular?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh yes. We get on Sundays not less than six or seven hundred people come every Sunday. And...

Prabhupāda: Indians and Americans.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. About, say, half and half.

Prabhupāda: That's good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Good turn out.

Prabhupāda: That's good. Similarly Los Angeles, and other...

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Hari-śauri: "Just to teach you law."

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. There was big lawyer. In those days he was earning not less than thirty-thousand per month. Rajbery Ghosh, Doctor. He was Doctor. So in one case he brought so many books in the court, the judge remarked, "Well, Dr. Ghosh, You have brought the whole library?" "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law." (laughs) No, any statement we give, it has to be considered. They cannot neglect. So you can simply put these books, eighty-four books: "This is our statement. You read them. Then give your judgement." How do you think? Did you consult any lawyer?

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "To Ratansingh Rajda, Member of Parliament, Bombay. Dear Sri Rajda, We thank you very much for visiting us at Hare Krishna Land and for sympathetically hearing our divine master Śrīla Prabhupāda. His Divine Grace mentioned several difficulties which are impeding his great work, and you have been kind enough to promise to remove these obstacles. 1) Our men are regularly being asked to leave India. How can we manage such important projects when our men are forced to leave? Every year we have to send so many men away from India and then again we have to bring them back. For every man who comes and goes like this, we have to spend Rs. 10,000, and in this way we are wasting not less than Rs. five to six lakhs each year. Our men should be given permanent residence in India.

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I was cooking in my hands. So for one man sitting I was cooking not less than for ten to fifteen men.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What was the idea?

Prabhupāda: The idea is everyone wanted some food prepared by me. They wanted my preparation. All right, do it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All the devotees in the early days.

Prabhupāda: No, not devot... When I was doing here and there. Like Dr. Mishra's place.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was very fond of your cooking.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: How many executors?

Girirāja: I think he suggested two or three.

Prabhupāda: No, he suggested not less than three, up to seven or eleven.

Girirāja: Oh.

Rāmeśvara: Originally we told him that all the GBC are executors, and he said, "But out of them, just pick a few. It is a technical thing." 'Cause the GBC are already mentioned as the heirs or the managers of what you are giving.

Prabhupāda: So I'll give you seven names.

Room Conversation with Mr. Myer -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Then I asked Brahmānanda that "Why not print it nicely?" So he said that "Unless we print twenty thousand, nobody will take this work." And "All right, order twenty thousand." Now, from twenty thousand or five hundred, what is the quantity now we are printing?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not less than five hundred thousand a month.

Bhakti-caru: Two million.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes more.

Bhakti-caru: Mahārāja, in all languages it's two million.

Prabhupāda: And so beautiful printing, picture and... The beginning was three hundred, and Gargamuni, he took away somebody's hand cart.

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Tirtha Maharaja -- New York 23 November, 1965:

Now we have got our English Srimad-Bhagavatam and there will be no difficulty to impress the audience with our Siddhantas and any intelligent man impressed with our Siddhantas will certainly change his life's mode of action. I think you may take up this suggestion very seriously and immediately start the centre and other things will automatically follow. And above all this is to satisfy the transcendental desire of Srila Prabhupada who desired very enthusiastically to start centres like that in the foreign countries. If you want to start the centre on rented house, the rent will not be less than three to four hundred dollars but the space will be one fourth of the house as we want to purchase. If you agree kindly confirm it by wire so that I can ask the broker to stay the house for some time for sale to other party.

1966 Correspondence

Letter to Sir Padampat Singhania -- New York 20 January, 1966:

The thing is that the idea of constructing a magnificent Temple in New York quite befitting the first city of the world, will cost you not lakhs but crores. Because here the cost of land and other materials and the labor charges all are fabulous. The labor charges here is not less than 12 dollars a day i.e Rs 60/ per day. Besides that you cannot get a vacant land in the New York city. You have to purchase a constructed house then dismantle it and then construct a Temple of your liking. I know it very well that by Grace of His Lordship Sri Sri Dvarakadhisa and by the mercy of Laksmiji Rukmini devi, your honour is quite competent to spend even crores and crores for this purpose but we must remember the difficulty of Exchange. At this stage of critical hours the Government will hardly allow us to spend such huge amount. If they at all sanction the exchange they may allow for lakhs only and therefore I have suggested the estimate as seven lakhs only.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 25 January, 1967:

In the morning class there are not less than 25 students and in the evening there are 30 to 50 students. And I think they are gradually understanding the philosophy seriously. Sriman Mukunda Das has in view a plot of land about sixty acres for the society and he wishes to organize our community camp there. It is very encouraging.

Please reply this letter point by point and let me know the progress of the house purchasing negotiation. Hope you are doing well with greater enthusiasm even though I am absent. Please take care of Jadurani so that her painting work may go on very nicely. She is entrusted with great responsibility. More in my next.

Letter to Carl E. Maxwell-Payne -- San Francisco 17 February, 1967:

It is understood from letters of Brahmananda that the Lawyer of Mr. Taylor has now agreed to convey the title of the property on cash down payment of $105,000. I think you should get a sale contract on this basis and take maximum time, not less than, three months for final payment. If required you can pay earnest money at most $750.00 which you have on our behalf.

If there is sale contract, my students here and in New york will be able to raise the fund very seriously. In the absence of any sale contract everything appears to be in the air and Mr. Taylor or his lawyer can change his word as he has already done. I think that is the best solution of the present deadlock. I am forwarding a copy of the letter to my students in New York. Hope you are well.

Letter to Nripen Babu -- San Francisco 18 March, 1967:

Last time when I was in Vrindaban, you know how much attractive and pure Sankirtana was performed by my disciples. To arrange for 50 men's prasadam nowadays means daily expenditure not less than Rs 100/- daily or Rs 3000/- per month.

I do not wish to disturb the position of the sevaits of Radha Damodara Temple, but simply if I am given the facility to live there with my disciples, it will be my pleasure to serve Their Lordships Sr Sri Radha Damodara to my best capacity. Now it is up to you all sevaits to decide on this fact.

Letter to Sri Krishna Panditji -- New York 15 April, 1967:

He is interested in importing musical instruments from India. If you can immediately arrange to supply from Delhi things like Aggarbatti, Dhupa, Musical instruments, Varanasi Sari, Bronze cymbals, Printed matters, Printed cloths from Agra and Farukhabad etc, you can do very good business and make profit not less than Rs 200/- per month or more. Add only 5% on the purchase price or sometimes less than 5% on purchase values and you will be do good business. But if you can not write in English how you will make correspondence with them. You must write in English or get it done by some one who knows English. Unless you write in English how can you deal with them. Please note down the following address immediately and correspond with him giving reference of my name.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- New York 5 May, 1967:

I am very much pleased to learn that our comments on the Bhagavad-gita are being appreciated by the audience in Montreal. Regarding printing, if I print the Bhagavad-gita in your country, it will cost not less than 12,000 dollars, out of this I have already secured about 5,000 dollars from one of my students at San Francisco and still I require 6 to 7,000 dollars. I do not know how to secure it, but the only hope is that I have my books. If you can organize the sales of my books, either you or Pradyumna, then there is no question of scarcity of money. I can go on printing so many books. But because the books are not selling nicely, neither there is sufficient money, so I am handicapped. Anyway, let us depend on Krishna and when He will desire, everything will be very nice.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Montreal 30 June, 1968:

Hayagriva has not yet replied my letter. Please ask him to write. He has many things to do in the library cases and I want his assistance greatly in this matter. I am planning to go to London in August. Srimati Annapurna's father. Mr. Louis Weble is trying to get a good house for us. I wish to go there with a party of not less than 6 and not more than 12 heads. I wish to establish a center there which is my long cherished ambition.

Letter to Jayananda -- Montreal 17 August, 1968:

You know that we worship Radha's Krishna. We should always understand that Krishna is sold to the loving service of Radha, therefore Krishna cannot be alone. And the Gaudiya Vaisnavas they want to see Krishna as Radha's property. Therefore, if Mr. Patel can present a Pair of Radha Krishna Murti, not less than 18" in height, never mind even They are made of yellow brass metal, that will be very nice. And if They are made of silver, that is still more nice. And it will be my great pleasure to install the Murtis in the temple as soon as They are ready. If it is possible to rent a bigger place for our temple, even without possessing the same as our property, I think that will be a great facility. I understand that new men are now coming in the temple. You may consult with the Patels about this and do the needful. Thank you all very much for your doing nicely in San Francisco.

Letter to Sri Krishna Prasad Bhargava -- New York 3 September, 1968:

And by the Grace of Krishna we may be able to establish more centers in the very near future. I do not know where from you secured these nice Murtis, but I would like to have such Murtis at least 20 pairs, with height of not less than 24 inches. So if you kindly give me the quotation for such Murtis from the manufacturer where from you secured these Murtis, I shall arrange to send you the required money, either directly or by negotiation through some friends in India. It is my ambition that Indian Vaisnavas may contribute at least one pair of Murtis, following your nice example, and we can establish them in each and every center of our Society. If we do not find such persons to contribute such Murtis, then the Society can arrange to send you the required money.

Letter to Sivananda -- San Francisco 14 September, 1968:

You will be glad to know that the 6 devotees who started for London by the end of August, 1968, have already met together in London and their address is as follows: Michael Grant, 80 Herne Hill, London S.E. 24, England. They are also very much hopeful for the Indian cooperation whose number there is not less than 200,000 to 500,000 Indians. So I shall start for Europe, either for Berlin or for London as I may be required by the devotees there. And I shall be glad if you be in regular touch with me at least once in a week, by writing me letters.

Letter to Sivananda -- San Francisco 18 September, 1968:

The same system can be followed if it is possible. You are completely right when you think that if by begging alms we can provide ourself, we should not accept any job. So far I can understand from the indication in your letter, that if you form a party of Sankirtana, and walk in the street, I think you can get not less than 50 to 100 marks daily. If five or six men who are sympathetic to you and as some of them has already assured that you can count upon them, the best thing will be to form a local trust party, including those gentlemen and yourself, of 12 heads, and immediately start your work. In the meantime, we shall have our book, Bhagavad-gita as it is, and Teachings of Lord Caitanya, ready. That will sell also.

Letter to Advaita -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

That is to say, the three volumes already published of Srimad-Bhagavatam maybe printed in one volume. And the paper should be that Indian thin paper. And the pages shall not be less than 1000. Of course, the composition all in Roman type, we shall avoid not the Sanskrit type. Simply we shall put transliteration, translation, and purport. In this way volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. 12 volumes, of Srimad-Bhagavatam will be published. So we can do the needful. And so far Back To Godhead is concerned, it is already known to you how to do it.

Letter to Uddhava -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

The cost of binding should not be more than 40 cents. And the best thing will be some of our students learn binding also. The book size of Srimad-Bhagavatam will be exactly as it is, at present, but it may be that the pages may be increased. Because next printing I am thinking three volumes in one. And the papers may be just like Bible paper, thin, and pages will be not less than 1000, and we shall print in one volume; the binding should be very first class, and similarly, part by part, we shall have to print 12 parts, altogether. So if some of our students becomes expert in binding, that will be very nice. I think Devananda, who is in Boston, he has some knowledge in binding. Binding is not very difficult task. Anyone can do it, but I do not know how it will be successfully done. But the cost of binding must not be more than 40 cents.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Seattle 16 October, 1968:

I have already written them again, that they do not be lethargic; be enthusiastic. And do something for the society. So you can also write to them that they have gone there on a mission to work for the society, so they should try their best to remain in India and work for the society. Simply if they approach big business firms in Bombay, I think they can collect not less than 100 to 200 Rs. daily. But they must be enthusiastic. If they become dead bodies, then it is not possible. I do not know why American boys should be so much lethargic. And I don't think Acyutananda can be engaged as leader in any group. He can work only as assistant. So you write them as far as possible. Otherwise, let them come back—what can be done? I have already written to them.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 14 December, 1968:

Yes you negotiate for the building there. And if you have got a temple then you can write for Deities. The installation will take place when I go there. But if you order Deities, order Them not less than 20" high for Radha and Krishna. I have also written them about this.

The thing is, what for you will contact this Vinode Vani dasi?* What kind of help do you want from them? They are already not cooperating. The history of this Vani dasi is that she is an old lady, and has a house and has hung a sign, Gaudiya Math, but that is all. So make clear to me exactly what sort of help you want to get from her, and I will advise you duly. In the meantime, you can one day make a courtesy visit to her, and see what is the situation with her, if her place can be used for our purposes.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- Los Angeles 15 January, 1969:

Nanda Maharaja (an old man of not less than 50 years) is observing celebration. Many cowherd boys are coming with milk and curd on a balancing stick on their backs (see enclosed picture). Nanda Maharaja, who is the chief amongst the cowherd men, is giving them presentations of cloth, ornaments, fruits, etc., and there is feasting going on. Some of them are enjoying by throwing butter upon their friend's bodies.

Letter to Sraman Maharaja -- Los Angeles 15 January, 1969:

You will be glad to know that our London center is working for the last 5 months, and by the Grace of Srila Prabhupada, some English man there has agreed to donate a house for our temple there which is worth not less than Rs 800,000. The preaching work in other parts of our activities are going on, especially in Los Angeles, New York, Montreal, Boston, London and Hamburg. We have an invitation from Guyana, So. America, as well as from Hawaii where we have already got our own temple. Back To Godhead is being published both in English and French language and very soon He will appear in the German language. Our disciples in Hamburg are proposing to purchase a printing machine, and they have sent me the news for my approval. So by the Grace of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, His mission in this part of the world is progressing slowly but surely.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 18 January, 1969:

In New Vrindaban it is simply a question of providing a suitable place. I think that if we spend $1,000.00 for this purpose a very nice accommodation can be constructed there for locating our press. Whereas if we start in some city like New York or Los Angeles, for such accommodation we have to pay not less than $500 rent per month. So by spending two months rent we can have our own place with facility for further expansion. So these things have to be considered. There is now ample time, at least four months, so we should carefully think over these things.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 18 January, 1969:

If this experiment is successful we can continue, otherwise we shall vacate the house. But also we must find a suitable person to go there. If she agrees, we can begin to make arrangements.

Our publication project is to finish Srimad-Bhagavatam. If we publish one volume for one canto, still it will not be less than 12 volumes. Besides this we have Nectar of Devotion and two or three more books. This means all together another fourteen of fifteen volumes at utmost. Of course this will take time, but it is our ambition. If the MacMillan Company is interested, they can immediately publish at least one volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam to make an experiment. They can either print the second canto in one volume, or the first canto may be edited by Hayagriva into one volume. So if they like, we can immediately hand over to them these manuscripts.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1969:

So in the future, say after the next issue, we shall stop taking advertisements because it is not satisfactory. If we print, however, 20,000 copies, we can accept one page of advertisements, fixing up our rate at not less than $100 per page. And this advertisement also must be to our scrutinization. We cannot accept advertisement from anyone and everyone, rather it will be our motto to avoid advertisements. So far as I know, in India, the Kalyana Kalpataru paper edited by Hanuman Prasad Poddar, does not accept any advertisements. Nor do they review any nonsense book published by others, and they have got respectable position. Similarly we have to create a respectable position for our Back To Godhead.

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 17 February, 1969:

I thank you for your letter dated February 10, 1969, and I am very glad to learn that your Sankirtana Party is taking shape, and you hope to inaugurate the on the streets program in a few weeks. Now you should also start program for selling our Back To Godheads along with the Sankirtana as Tamala Krishna is doing here. Along with Sankirtana Party, they are selling daily not less than 100 copies. Sometimes the sale is 120-30 copies. Besides that, Purusottama is distributing Back To Godhead to some distributer in Los Angeles. My next program is to distribute at least 20,000 copies of Back To Godhead from four centers, namely New York, London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. So each of these centers will contribute $750 and they will get 5,000 copies free delivery to destination.

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969:

From practical experience I see that in Los Angeles on the average they are selling minimum of 50 copies daily, or in other words sometimes they are selling 100, sometimes 150, sometimes 85, sometimes 40, etc. So in this way, on the average they are selling not less than 1500 copies per month. Now the price is going to be fixed at 50 cents, so I have asked Tamala to contribute to me $750 against delivery of 5000 copies of Back To Godhead. By selling only 1500 copies at 50 cents, they cover the whole $750. The balance 3500 copies left for distribution either may be used for profit or they may be distributed freely. In neither case are we losers. But this program must be executed. I think you have got now license for kirtana on the street so you can now follow the same principle. In other words, I am just claiming this contribution as your pet child. My father was very much affectionate, and in my childhood, whatever I wanted from my father he would at once give me.

Letter to Cidananda, Dindayal, Aniruddha, Makhanlal -- Los Angeles 23 February, 1969:

I am begging from you $750 per month against 5,000 copies of Back To Godhead. Out of this 5,000 copies, if you simply sell 1,500 copies you immediately realize your $750. The balance of 3,500 copies will be in your hands. If you can sell them at any price, not less than 30 cents per copy to stores, then whatever amount you realize will be clear profit for the Temple. If still there is some balance copies, then these copies we can distribute free by post to heads of the society, schools, colleges, libraries, and so many other institutions. So we have to make a list of them, and take concession rates from the post office. In this way we can make vigorous propaganda with Back to Godhead. Besides that, if you can introduce Sankirtana and classes and Back to Godhead in Berkeley, that will be another great advantage.

Letter to Yamuna -- Hawaii 13 March, 1969:

She and her Gujarati devotees have invited me to go to Africa so I told her that if I go to London then I may go to Africa from there. I have in my mind to form a very strong Sankirtana Party in London. Namely, the members who are already there, joined by the L.A. party and some others—some from Montreal, some from New York, to make a strong party of not less than 25 boys and girls. We wish to make a world tour with this Sankirtana Party—that is my ambition. I do not know what is Krishna's desire, but if it is successful, I am sure to push our movement very nicely this will be the way.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Hawaii 23 March, 1969:

Yes, within those days stated in your letter of March 20th you can add more engagements as you like. I have no objection. I have not yet received word from Rupanuga, in this connection, but you can plan on your program as it is set up. In N.Y. we have got engagement and they are paying $100 for a meeting, so you try to settle fees not less than $50 per lecture. So you can engage the whole duration of my stay there, and I shall deliver every day one lecture.

Regarding Jadurani's coming here, Govinda and Gaurasundara will consult with you, and when things are duly set up, she may come here for some time. They will write you in this connection.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- New Vrindaban 20 June, 1969:

This money was to be for a down payment on purchasing an IBM machine for our books, and therefore I now need some money. If you have got some extra money, you can help me. You have encouraged my writing books, and for printing each book will require not less than 6 or 8 thousand dollars. Under the circumstances, I request all centers that as soon as they have extra money, it should be sent to me. Immediately I wish to publish Nectar of Devotion second edition of First Canto, and first edition of Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. So if you will help me in this matter, it will be very nice. After this, I wish to publish Krishna. In this way I want to prolong the publication work. I am going to Los Angeles to collect some money, and similarly I am requesting you also to help in this matter.

Letter to Murari -- Los Angeles 11 July, 1969:

In San Francisco it is going to be unique thing in this world. Regarding a house, you look for a place. Krishna will provide for the funds. Now, because Los Angeles has got a nice church, the situation has improved very hopefully. They are getting all help. In Sankirtana they are collected sometimes $250 daily, and selling BTG not less than 150 copies daily. Boston is not a small city, and it is better than Los Angeles because you have so many students there. So try to organize very nicely.

I have not heard anything from Lilavati for some time. How is your daughter, Subhadra? I received one check from Jadurani for $30 for my maintenance fund, and thank her very much for this. I have sent two tapes to Satsvarupa with a note to Jadurani. Please ask them to take care of them and do the needful.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 22 July, 1969:

I do not think that putting the advertisement on the cover as you have mentioned it will be very good. Everything should be exactly like it is, with the addition of the index. But the cover, the printing and the paper should be exactly as they are in the present edition. The price for the softcover copy should not be less than $2.95. Another thing is that if MacMillan Co. has decided to not print our Bhagavatam, then this also will have to be printed by ourselves immediately.

Letter to Manager of The Bank of Baroda -- Los Angeles 8 August, 1969:

I think the credit balance quotation by you, Rs. 280.55, is not correct. The last balance in my credit on the 24th of July, 1965 was Rs. 502.55. Since then I have added further amounts, and I do not find any amounts drawn since then. Therefore, the balance should be not less than somewhere around Rs. 800. I request you to send me immediately a statement of account and oblige. In the meantime I am enclosing a separate advice for transferring the balance of the League of Devotees to my personal account.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- London 7 December, 1969:

Then the hungry man said, "Oh, I have lost my caste, and still my belly is not satisfied." The idea is that if we have to accept some service, there must be proper remuneration. Otherwise, our free service is open in the temple. Anyone can come and take advantage. Generally in the universities they pay the teachers from $800 to $2,000 per month, so at least they must pay via media not less than $1,000 per month. Anyway, don't bother about it. Go on with your business. But I thought that I required some money for my Book Fund, so I could gather some money in this way. But this will not satisfy my hunger, so forget this incident.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Los Angeles 10 January, 1970:

I go, every morning, for a walk in the nice neighborhood called Beverly Hills. So everything is alright here, temperature, atmosphere, facilities, by Krishna's Grace. The Temple here is also well managed. Every day they are going to perform Sankirtana on the streets, twice, and, on the average, they are collecting not less than $200 daily. So, our only means of subsistence is Krishna's grace and all our needs are fulfilled by the Lord. I am getting reports from all other centers that all of them are selling Back to Godhead everyday from 50 to 400 copies per day, according to the importance of the local situation.

Letter to Japanese brothers and sisters -- Los Angeles 10 March, 1970:

Later on Vivasvan taught this philosophy to his son Manu, who again taught this philosophy to his son, King Iksvaku, who ruled over this earthly planet. The original ksatriya kings were all descendants from King Iksvaku, the father of the dynasty in which Lord Ramacandra appeared. That is a long history comprising a period covering not less than 40 million years according to Vedic scriptures. Lord Krishna also appeared in the same family a little more than 5000 years ago; and because the cult of Krishna Consciousness became broken in course of time, Lord Krishna again re-established the same formula by teaching His dear friend Arjuna for benefit of the entire human society.

Letter to Sri Dhruva -- Los Angeles 7 April, 1970:

I beg to thank you for your letter dated 28th March, 1970. I am so glad to learn that Sri Birlaji feels that there is a need for an imposing Hindu temple in London.

The minimum expenditure for such a temple will not be less than L1,000,000. So far I have met with the Hindus in London, they are not very rich. Most of them are engaged in service and some of them are doing business, but still it will be difficult to raise this L1,000,000 from the local Hindus. If, however, Sri Birlaji assures to contribute 50% of the expenditure, I think I shall be able to raise the balance funds somehow or other.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 17 April, 1970:

Whatever the Spiritual Master gives in His own hand, it should be accepted immediately as His grace. In the beginning in New York I was cooking myself and was distributing at least one or two capatis to all my disciples, at that time not less than a dozen. Gradually, Kirtanananda Maharaja took charge of the cooking and learned the art very nicely from me, and he educated all others how to make our present Prasadam. So in the beginning I was cooking, so there is no objection to take from the Spiritual Master. It is a question of love that sometimes I cook, you eat and sometimes you cook, I eat. Our Krishna Consciousness movement is based on complete fellow feeling and love, but there is a word maryada which means respect which should always be offered to the Spiritual Master and elderly members.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Professor G. G. Kotovsky -- Bombay 23 April, 1971:

This ancient Krishna culture and philosophy is the oldest in the world or in the universe. At least from a historical point of view it is not less than 5,000 years old.

Perhaps you may know that I have started this cultural movement since 1966 and it is already spreading all over the world. Krishna culture is so popular in India that even the government attracts many foreigners by Air India timetable to visit Vrindaban, the land of Krishna culture. Enclosed please find one page from the latest Air India timetable (April, 1971) wherein the Krishna culture is depicted for general attraction.

Letter to Laksmimoni -- Bombay 1 May, 1971:

In big temples like Jagannatha Puri the devotees circumambulate and sometimes touch the Lotus Feet of the Lord, but in a small temple that is not possible. If you need help in caring for Tulsi devi, you can write Govinda Dasi in Hawaii for instruction.

Deity worship can be learned at not less than ten years by children. Before that they can assist. They can learn how to bow down, how to dance and chant, how to make garlands, clean arati utensils, etc. In this way they can be engaged. These are also different parts of Deity worship.

Regarding Satyaloka, one is in the material world and one is in the spiritual world. The spiritual Satyaloka is eternal; the material Satyaloka is not, although it is so-called. Satyaloka is another name for Vaikuntha.

Letter to Batu Gopala (Ed Englehart) -- Los Angeles 8 July, 1971:

I am so glad to note that you are planning a Hare Krishna festival in Detroit, on the order of the ones we held in India (Bombay and Calcutta). We had a very large tent, displayed our literatures, had kirtanas and arati ceremony for Radha and Krishna, spoke some on Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and distributed prasadam sumptuously, and not less than 20,000 and as many as 40,000 came daily to participate; it was so successful. And our magic was simply this chanting and dancing; that's all. So you can do likewise in Detroit as far as possible and it will be a great event. Perhaps soon we can such big festivals in all the big cities in your country also.

Letter to Tamala Krsna, Gurudasa -- London 23 August, 1971:

So think over this matter how best to organize such an institution as St. Xavier's college. Our mission is solid. Our philosophy is not utopian. Our men are being trained for exemplary character. So we shall have a unique position all over the world provided we stick to the principles, namely unflinching faith in Spiritual Master and Krishna, chanting not less than 16 rounds regularly and following the regulative principles. Then our men will conquer all over the world.

Letter to Jayapataka -- London 2 September, 1971:

Whenever our men go to visit Lalita Prasad Thakura they must take some presentation, cash or kind, worth not less than Rs. 50/- at least. Some nice presentation should be always given. Not that you go empty handed. It is customary to make a presentation to the Deity and Spiritual Master. Lalita Prasad Thakura is son of Bhaktivinode Thakura and younger brother of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati so he is considered my spiritual master.

Letter to Sudama -- Nairobi 3 October, 1971:

You are alone doing such marvelous work and it is impossible for a person without being blessed by Krishna. So you should always be conscious of this special favor upon you and continue to work more vigorously to get more and more blessings of Lord Caitanya and his disciplic succession. Remain fixed up in your spiritual regulative principles. Chant not less than 16 rounds regularly and preach this cult of Krishna Consciousness to the Japanese people to the best of your knowledge and you will get more and more strength in the matter of preaching work.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Nairobi 8 October, 1971:

So let Mandali Bhadra be seriously engaged in translating work and recruit some German devotees to help him so that we can print all our books in German language and you can develop the Hamburg center very nicely. You know very well that I went to India this time empty handed but we spent there not less than five lakhs Rupees during my 10 month stay and all the money was collected simply on the strength of our books and literatures. So when you have got literature and books, there is no question of poverty in our society. Simply we have to organize things nicely and manage carefully. I hope henceforward you will not feel at all discouraged. All of you there push on this movement in Germany which is the best country in Europe. The most intelligent class of men are there. Try to convince them about our philosophy.

Letter to Govinda -- Delhi 20 November, 1971:

Yes, Srivas Pandit has sikha. Vaisnava must have sikha. Advaita Prabhu has a full white beard. He was an old man. He was practically older than the father of Lord Caitanya. He was an elder gentleman in the town of Navadvipa, elder of the brahmana community. All should wear Tulasi kunti beads, not less than two strands. Three, four strands or my Guru Maharaja had five strands. Only Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda wear crowns and nosepins. Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda can be decorated with all kinds of jewelry. For Krishna Tulasi and Rama Tulasi the the worship is the same. There is no difference between Rama and Krishna. Both are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply they are expansions of the same Absolute Truth.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Kulasekhara -- Bombay 10 January, 1972:

The more we sell books, the more we advance in KC, and the more we help others to have solid information how they may take advantage of their human form of life and achieve the supreme perfection. So I want that you should now increase very greatly this selling of books and literatures. I have heard that in San Francisco they are selling daily not less than 75 Krsna Books. So I am very much encouraged to hear this. Now take this spirit of transcendental rivalry and consult with Dayananda and the others there in England to be the first-rate book-sellers.

Letter to Kirtika -- Calcutta 16 February, 1972:

I have given them everything, so they shall be able to answer all questions, and if they cannot answer from their experience, then I have given answer in my books—and still if they cannot answer, they may ask me. But now we are expanding very rapidly with so many centers throughout the world, and every day I am receiving not less than ten to fifteen important letters. I am always very much encouraged to hear from my disciples and to reply them, but now I am old man and I have inclination for philosophy and translating, and if all day and night I am reading and answering and signing letters then I cannot utilize this, the fag end of my life, to give you so many nice literatures like the Vedas, Upanisads, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other books in our own Gaudiya line, like Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Visvanatha Cakravarti and others.

Letter to Lalita Prasad Thakura -- Calcutta 4 March, 1972:

Now you can expedite the lease agreement immediately so that before returning to U.S.A. in about three weeks' time I may advise my assistants to take up the work seriously and begin construction and other things.

Next time when I go to you I shall stay not less than one week.

Letter to Giriraja -- Bombay 23 March, 1972:

Now Brahmananda is in charge here, and there is a huge land and we are occupying it in tents and small cottages like Mayapur cottage and the work is immense. So Gargamuni is collecting also not less than two Life Members daily, but his collection goes toward our Vrindaban construction work. So now things are not going very nicely in Nairobi because Brahmananda has left, so I shall have to send him back there tomorrow, therefore I wanted that you should come here to assist Madhudvisa and __ by collecting profusely, and I think there will be no difficulty here because there is such rich population. Madhavananda can go from Mayapur to Calcutta to help Bhavananda collect there, and you shall come here at the soonest.*

Letter to Bhagavan -- Honolulu 12 May, 1972:

I was just talking with Gaurasundara how this can be done. I think Scindia has got ships to Detroit, so if you can find this out I can arrange for some shipping to India. You can contact Tamala Krishna in Mayapur for getting photos and information from him about our food-distribution program there and how we are feeding the needy persons in that area daily not less than 2000 persons. The USA government is giving us free foodstuffs and grains for distribution, so why such big motorcar companies should not also help if your government is agreeable? Even they cannot donate, we can purchase at cost price or for some token price, but immediately I want that some cars and vans be sent to India, there is so much need for them there.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Los Angeles 1 July, 1970:

Now you approach the government leaders and convince them in this way, and that will be the greatest achievement. They have got so much money for spending for human welfare activities, and practically we are demonstrating that they have given us foodstuffs in India and we are distributing them daily to not less than 500 men, and if they would give us more we could also increase more and more. Your government has got inclination to assist the unfortunate people of the world, and that is very nice idea, now they should understand also that we are very much anxious and capable to assist them in their great and noble endeavor by rendering our services amongst the unfortunate citizens.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Revatinandana -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

Just now I have received some more requests for giving first initiation from Dhananjaya, and now I am receiving weekly not less than ten to fifteen such requests from new students. So it is becoming very expensive to send so many sets of beads such long distance, and it has become little bothersome for me also, so I think now you may be appointed by me to give first initiations to new disciples by chanting on their beads on my behalf. In America Kirtanananda Swami is going that. So now if there are two of you that will give me great relief. Kirtanananda will chant on the beads for new devotees in America, Canada, like that, you can chant on the beads for the European continent new disciples.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Sydney 18 February, 1973:

I am very pleased also to see that you are keeping such an orderly account, and as far as further financing is concerned I have arranged with Karandhara das, and he is sending 5000 copies of Bhagavad-gita As It Is to India, and Karatieya Mahadevia in Bombay, one of our life members, has agreed to distribute 3000 of these Gitas at no less than 50 rupees apiece. So that is one and a half lacs and I am sending one letter to Karatieya informing him that all money collected for these Gitas should be sent on to you in Vrindaban and it is up to you along with the other GBC men in India to arrange the sale of the balance of these 2000 Bhagavad-Gitas and I think this will provide the necessary finances. I will be travelling here in Australasia for a few weeks then I will be returning to Calcutta by March 2nd. So when I return to India we may discuss this matter in more detail. But in the meantime you should work with the senior men there in India to get some concrete plan to finance this program.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- New Delhi 2 November, 1973:

We have settled up the Bombay affairs and purchased the whole land at a cost of 17-18 lakhs, bribing so many claimants. It was a very hard knot. Now by the grace of Krsna the land is in our possession. We are the proprietors. Arrangements are being made to construct a gorgeous temple with the help of local patrons. The estimate of the Bombay temple is not less than 50 lakhs over and above the 18 lakhs we have already spent on this project.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Prof. O.P. Goel -- Perth, Australia 10 May, 1975:

Besides that, our men should go from village to village with Sankirtana party, hold festival, namely distribution of Bhagavat prasadam and induce them chant and join with us in vibrating the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. In India, they are not less than 95% villagers and Mahatma Gandhi wanted this village organization. I think this is a solid program. The people must eat sumptuously—not voraciously and make them fit for working and chanting. In this way, they will be purified and everything will be nicely organized. We require some men only like your good self to co-operate with this movement. The necessary things in this connection will surely be supplied by Krishna. Simply we want some sincere worker like your honor. Up to date, I am working chiefly with my foreign assistants and disciples.

Letter to Radheswaranand Goswami -- Perth, Australia 10 May, 1975:

Besides that, our men should go from village to village with Sankirtana party, hold festival, namely distribution of Bhagavat prasadam and induce them to chant and join with us in vibrating the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. In India, they are not less than 95% villagers and Mahatma Gandhi wanted this village organization. I think this is a solid program. The people must eat sumptuously—not voraciously and make them fit for working and chanting. In this way, they will be purified and everything will be nicely organized. We require some men only like your good self to co-operate with this movement. The necessary things in this connection will surely by supplied by Krishna. Simply we want some sincere worker like your honor. Up to date, I am working chiefly with my foreign assistants and disciples. In India, for them there is language difficulty, otherwise they are ready to work in Indian villages also.

Letter to Bhagavata -- Denver 1 July, 1975:

Round about our temple there are many apartment houses constructed. Will you enquire about an apartment not less than three rooms and up to four rooms and find out what is the price and what are the terms.

Letter to Dinanatha N. Mishra -- Laguna Beach 26 July, 1975:

The Governor of U.P., Dr. Channa Reddy was present for two days for the opening ceremony. All the goswamis and sannyasis like Akhananda Swami all attended the ceremony. We have got a guest house there containing about 80 rooms, and the recent report is that not less than 500 men are coming daily to visit the temple. Prasad is being distributed to the poor, and others are purchasing prasada (pakki) to the extent of Rs. 100/- per day. We are selling our books also.

Now I wish to establish some temple of Ramacandra, Sita Ram. Of course it depends on the mercy of Lord Ramacandra. Therefore I am still requesting you to join our movement completely retired from family life and engage yourself in translation work for the rest of your life.

Letter to Mahamsa -- Vrindaban 9 December, 1975:

So I wish that he may go there and do his best to show his ability.

You have taken a loan from me to the extent of 2 laks but I think you have not returned even a part of this. So kindly send me as statement of accounts. I require a huge amount for the Kuruksetra project, not less than one crore, so now I wish to get it back.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Syama Sundarji -- Vrindaban 15 November, 1976:

You'll be surprised to know that these books and my magazine Back To Godhead are selling daily 5-6 lakhs of rupees in the foreign countries. Out of such proceeds I am bringing foreign exchange of not less than 10 lakhs per month for construction work in Bombay, Mayapur, Vrndavana, etc. So, this is all due to the blessings of Srila Prabhupada. I have no credit in this connection. These American boys are helping me in this endeavor, therefore, until they are admitted to the Jagannatha Puri temple I'm not inclined to go there.

My disciples are trying for this purpose. The government officials are in favor. Maybe it will be soon.

Page Title:Not less than
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:28 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=9, CC=2, OB=5, Lec=35, Con=59, Let=58
No. of Quotes:168