Rupees (Conversations 1977)

Expressions researched:
"rupee" |"rupees"

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually the BBT's turnover now is around four lakhs. A year ago we opened this BBT account with only two thousand rupees in the bank. Now it's gone to four lakhs.

Prabhupāda: Books which are sellable, you can print in quantity. That will be cheaper. These books I think will be...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We're going to sell this for one rupee, fifty paisa.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Indian: Yes. Prabhupāda, I am taking two books. (mixed Hindi and English)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we purposely did not have a spine here. We wanted to keep the cost low. You know you cannot get everything. If you want to keep the cost low, then you have to make some small sacrifice.

Prabhupāda: (yawns) We want first quality.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But for Hindi books, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we find pricing is also very important. Because in Hindi and Bengali books, they cannot sell for more than a rupee or rupee, fifty. In English books...

Prabhupāda: So at what price you are selling?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is costing us seventy-eight paisa. So BBT will sell it to the temples for eighty paisa, and the temples are free to sell it for one, one-fifty. So we're charging reasonable price, so we can go after quantity.

Prabhupāda: No, if it can be sold at two rupees, you spend little more.

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Seventy-five cents. So multiply it by six.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It comes to about six rupees.

Prabhupāda: It's costly. I think here it must be cheaper.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There're very few... How many color illustrations in it?

Prabhupāda: Just take quotation. If you can, you print here.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And if it is for export, it will be even cheaper.

Prabhupāda: We can take quotation.

Room Conversation -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So if we can get that land, then we can divert our sewer in the land and utilize it for nice agricultural purposes. So instead of spending lakh of rupees for municipality, why not acquire that land?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Acquire or buy? Acquire.

Prabhupāda: Acquire means you have to pay, but government...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but acquire usually takes a long time.

Prabhupāda: Not long time. They'll give us, because it is lying vacant.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: On the sewage problem in Vṛndāvana, we'll have to make, do something quickly because even the Gurukula will not be able to open till we can...

Prabhupāda: So you can do it immediately. But go on, purchase. It is lying vacant.

Room Conversation -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He gave hint that "Give Mantrer two lakhs of rupees." Yes. He was canvasser on behalf of Mantrer. He wanted two lakhs.

Setterji: Which we'll not give you a single paisa. We will fight to you. "Come on."

Prabhupāda: So I think you make this point. But best thing is that if you can acquire that land, that is the best solution. We can utilize that land?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, for agriculture. That's very good.

Prabhupāda: It is just in the corner.

Room Conversation -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, it's very good in other ways, full color. We're going to sell it for a rupee, and...

Prabhupāda: Kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye (CC Madhya 6.254). The unhappy for the unhappiness of others. They love them, unhappy without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is a fact. The rascal may agree or not agree. That's a fact. Ghostly haunted.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. (break) Where is this temple? London? No.

Hari-śauri: Which one? Oh, that's the German castle. Schloss Rettershof.

Prabhupāda: Oh, France.

Room Conversation with C.I.D. Chief -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Where is that telegram we have received yesterday?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I was telling him our book sales are eight to ten lakh rupees a day. All by Gurujī, all. Can you imagine, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes one book a month. (break) One lakh seventy thousand big books. 90,737 medium books. 63,322 small books, and 437,420..., that is, four lakhs of Back to Godhead. Total in one week: seven lakhs and 9,236 books. In one week...

CID Chief: There won't be such a big...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda produces one book a month still.

Prabhupāda: Now... I am talking to you as a CID official. Now, here is my dictaphone. I... (clicks dictaphone switch) It is not working. (Prabhupāda plays back section of Bhāgavatam dictation he has made) This is a Sanskrit verse. (synonyms) Tatra(?) saumika. So the whole night I write books, and then this is typed. In the daytime they are typing. And then it is composed, and then it is made into book, and we take so much trouble to sell it, as you got the selling of, and we collect money and they send money, ten lakhs of rupees in India, and I construct the temple, not only here.(?) So is that my fault?

Room Conversation with C.I.D. Chief -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Abroad. They got life. There was no temple. There was no hari-saṅkīrtana. Now they are feeling obliged. In London every Sunday all Indian community, they come. And during the Janmāṣṭamī, ten thousand people. Ten thousand people and the contribution was... What is? Twenty-five thousand pounds or...? One pound equal to twenty rupees.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Fourteen rupees. Now it's fourteen rupees. It's coming down every day.

Prabhupāda: And they are giving... Practically our temple is going on by the contribution of the Indians. They are giving goods. Rice, dāl, and ghee and our... No scarcity.

CID Chief: The Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Deity(?) which is close to most of the Indians. It's a common...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sometimes they ask that "What is your position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, in India?" And in India everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Everyone.

Room Conversation with C.I.D. Chief -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Every house. Even there are Muhammadan house, they observe Janmāṣṭamī. I know that. One professor in Allahabad, Kavi or something like... I went to his place. He's a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There's one big movie star... Not very big. Sanjaya Khan. He's Muslim, but he wears a pendant of Kṛṣṇa always. He's our member. He's promised us a donation of ten thousand rupees after his picture is released. Many Muslims we have members now.

Prabhupāda: No, he's Indian Muslim. We have got Iranian Muslims. They are our devotees, many there.

CID Chief: Well, sir, I would like to remain here, but now I have to go to my office.

Prabhupāda: So give prasāda. Bring prasāda.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Prasāda also.

Prabhupāda: No, bring here. Jaya.

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is knowledge. But then going on, (Hindi): "Everyone dies. I will die. What is that?" But why you shall die? You live. And Kṛṣṇa gives the formula. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Take this process. This body is material; you have to give it up. But no more material body. Why don't you take this science; how it is possible? Why do you not contribute this science to the whole world as India's contribution? They need it. Why you go beg? Give something. In Berkeley University, one Indian student, "Swamiji, what this hari-kīrtana will do? We require now technology." So I replied, "Yes, you have come to beg here. I have come to give something. I am not a beggar like you." So we are working... Of course, we are Indian, we are poor. That is another thing. But I never went to beg something from them. I never asked them any money. I never asked them. They give me money because they understand that I am giving something. Do you know how we are selling our books? Daily, five, six lakhs rupees collected. They are getting the money. I have given them the knowledge. (aside:) Bring that telegram. In one week how many books we have sold? Because they're hankering after this knowledge. This is Indian culture, or some dancing party goes, that is Indian culture?

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: At that time in India it was eight thousand rupees only, very strong car.

Trivikrama: From America it came?

Prabhupāda: Yes, American cars were selling during British days, Ford, Buick, Chevrolet. These cars were selling. Dodge. In 1925 I purchased one Buick car, eight thousand rupees.

Dr. Patel: Small cars were everywhere 1700 rupees in 1936-37.

Prabhupāda: And Ford car was very cheap.

Dr. Patel: Thirty-two hundred rupees. V8 Ford cars were sold in Bombay market for thirty-two hundred rupees, three thousand two hundred. Now you send a car for repairs, the bill will be six thousand, seven thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: What can be done? Things have gone high, I was calculating the other day, twenty times.

Hari-śauri: Thirty times.

Dr. Patel: More than that. Thirty times, yes.

Prabhupāda: Thirty times, yes. My father's income was from 250 to 300, and we were living very comfortably.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Per month.

Dr. Patel: It was more than sufficient, those days.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that three hundred rupees means... What you calculated?

Hari-śauri: Well, at 250 rupees it came to seven and a half thousand rupees now.

Prabhupāda: That's right. Even low as 250 it comes to seven thousand rupees. So who has got seven thousand rupee income now?

Dr. Patel: In my house we spend monthly more than six thousand rupees. I studied for my graduation in the college at fifty rupees a term fee for six months. I'm paying for those small kids going to the family schools seven hundred rupees per month.

Prabhupāda: Our family was taking two kilos and a half milk daily. Two annas per kilo. Ghee was selling, first-class ghee, in Calcutta... Just in front of our house there was a grocer shop. We were purchasing in that tin, but if some required, I would go immediately.

Dr. Patel: Fourteen rupees I think it was. Fourteen rupees is twenty kilos.

Prabhupāda: Less than that. Ten seers.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Trivikrama: Cow ghee?

Prabhupāda: No, buffalo's... Cow ghee we were taking with rice. But it was not available in quantity.

Dr. Patel: Many was so very cheap then. After I graduated myself when I was university scholar, I was given seventy-five rupee scholarship per month and a free bungalow with servants and all these things. It was all right for me till I passed my M.D., seventy-five rupees only.

Prabhupāda: This cow's milk in Bengal, it is compulsory-before beginning your meal, little cow milk, er, ghee mixed with rice and smashed potato. It is very nice.

Dr. Patel: And then we do serve..., after that we take out a part of it for the cow back, and a little for...

Prabhupāda: Ālu bharte bharta. (?) In Bengal it is called ālu bharte bharta. If you don't have anything, just have smashed potato, little ghee and rice. That's it. It is sufficient, very nutritious. And at last, little milk. Very nutritious.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The coconut trees makes the place paradise, palm trees.

Dr. Patel: I've got the place, sir. When you came to my house my wife immediately planted twenty-two coconuts all round. Now we get coconut, they'd be more than two thousand rupees per year.

Prabhupāda: We are getting eight thousand.

Dr. Patel: Yes, you are very good. Mine is hardly half an acre.

Prabhupāda: The other day Girirāja told me we have got eight thousand.

Hari-śauri: A year.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: But these coconuts, there would be more coconuts if they are looked after, all these, putting fertilizer on and watering them. All these houses behind here, they should be very planned out. This is all filthy. Behind it is very filthy. All these tenants will be segregated on one side, this side. And those living, they will be taking possession and...

Prabhupāda: No, instead of taking one building, we are in possession of the all the buildings. Then that is my policy, that we must remain on the head of every building. Therefore I constructed. They cannot say absolutely it is tenant, no. Mixed. We are therefore occupying the head of every building, fixed building.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Two rupees, three rupees.

Dr. Patel: That one which you bought. This, this, behind, where you call. Nine annas. Nine annas a square yard.

Prabhupāda: Nine annas. (laughs)

Dr. Patel: So my place, I bought in 1958 for fifteen rupees. Today it would take me four hundred, five hundred rupees a square yard, only within these two, three years, twenty years.

Prabhupāda: Mr. Nair told me that "I have purchased not more than twenty rupees per square yard. So I shall charge you seventy rupees. It is my profit."

Dr. Patel: Seventy rupees also you were wise as compared to the modern, present prices.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He cheated me. Ten years before I gave him about one thousand rupees. He never paid me. And these sons are also number, pākā, and they are observing the death ceremony. What you have written?

Jagadīśa: "Dear Sirs: I am instructed by His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda to thank you for your postcard dated such and such, and we condole for your bereavement in the absence of your father..."

Prabhupāda: Eh? "I am? I am?" What is it?

Jagadīśa: "And we condole for your bereavement in the absence of your father, the late such and such."

Prabhupāda: Principal N. Bannerji.

Jagadīśa: "You know that your father was intimately related with Śrīla Prabhupāda, and he assisted him with..."

Prabhupāda: "And Prabhupāda assisted him."

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Trivikrama: All night he is translating. At night he is translating all night.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) ...machine. At night we translate. In daytime they type, and they send to the press, and the books are printed. Then they sell. So in this way I am bringing ten lakhs of rupees per month and investing in constructing these temples.

Trivikrama: Many temples. All over India.

Indian (1): All over India. In Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, there is something going on.

Prabhupāda: And that is finished. Our temple is the biggest and the nicest.

Indian (1): Idea is the nice. Devotion is the biggest. So everything naturally...

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Indian (1): (Hindi) I will advise my people...

Prabhupāda: Why advise? Why not come practically?

Indian (1): Why not practically they should come?

Prabhupāda: Advise gratis, that will not do. (Hindi) ...temple... We have spent fifty lakhs of rupees. There is very big guesthouse behind the temple.

Indian (1): To continue all the mission and... That is...

Prabhupāda: All over the world.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Seventeen lakhs copies of our literature sold in one week.

Guest (1): What is the daily income here? They would be interested to know the daily income for their own selves, daily income for the book sales.

Prabhupāda: Oh, book sale? Five to six lakhs. Now, you can just imagine from the sales.

Guest (1): And how many people it must be going. This magazine is hardly one dollar. In America one rupee. (Hindi?) ...magazine for them.

Prabhupāda: So this is documentary. And the Europeans and..., they are not fools and rascals that they are interested in purchasing other religious book, not their Bible. You see? So it has got very great potency. So under the circumstances, we should now make combined effort that it can be pushed on more organizedly. I am doing now alone with the help of these... But no Indians are coming. This is the difficulty.

Guest (2): I think, with all due respect, many Indians are trying to do things in their own religious sect or in their own districts.

Prabhupāda: Nobody is doing.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (clears throat) So, how business is going there?

Haṁsadūta: Well, there's no money, so not much can be done. The last two days there was no prasādam distribution in the evening, and so the last two days I was there, nobody came. The problem is that since Your Divine Grace left there, the same people would be cooking, these sweeper people. And now they don't want to cook anymore because they work all day, and they say, "We can't work all around the clock, twenty-four hours." So they stopped cooking. And together with no money... So the whole thing has just come to a stalemate. So now another problem is that the saṅkīrtana party which we sent out is also not... It came back yesterday, also not going on properly. I know this causes Your Divine Grace anxiety, but I just think I should speak frankly about how I feel about the situation. I think Mahāṁsa is a very nice devotee, but he does everything himself. He's always jumping over everything, and before it can be discussed, he's already done it. Just like he flew here. He flew here, and it costs a lot of money to fly from Hyderabad and back. It costs, I think, about five hundred rupees. And there's no need for doing things in that way. So I don't know exactly how to work with Mahāṁsa. It's not that I fight with him. I just don't know how to work out things so that it comes out in a practical way.

Prabhupāda: What is the use of investing money there? I have already given fifty thousand.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now the money which we have transferred, so that is... You are three signatures.

Haṁsadūta: We are three signatures, yes.

Prabhupāda: So...

Haṁsadūta: From that money, nothing has been spent yet except five thousand rupees which went for the first well which was dug, which is not particularly good. They went to a 105 feet, and the well is suitable for about three acres of land. Now, since just this small trip that I made from Hyderabad to Bombay, I can understand the reason that nothing is growing in that part. It's because there's no water. Even if you dig, you don't get much water. That big square well, which is already there right behind the gośālā, there is no water in it. It does not fill up. It doesn't fill up. It's not the kind of well you pump out and then it fills up.

Guest (6) (Indian man): I could not go because without discussing this farm in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: All right, you take rest.

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

Gurudāsa: Yes. Whatever is possible. So there's a couple of other points. Number one—because you were speaking about the devotees becoming like Rāvaṇa on the roof, we're doing our own cooking. I have our own men. And one assistant cook I hired for a hundred rupees. This assistant cook is a very nice man.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Gurudāsa: He's so submissive.

Prabhupāda: I can cook my food in fifteen minutes, in so many varieties.

Gurudāsa: You used to do that.

Prabhupāda: Not fifteen, forty-five.

Gurudāsa: You used to do that in your cooker.

Prabhupāda: I yesterday... Yesterday I did, and it was so nice. Everyone appreciated.

Gurudāsa: Acchā. Well, you can do whatever you like. The cooks wanted things like 4,500 rupees with pots, and I said, "This is outrageous!" So, no. So now our own men...

Prabhupāda: 4,500?

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

Prabhupāda: Gargamuni said somebody has paid ten thousand.

Hari-śauri: There was supposed to be some man who was going to give five thousand or ten thousand rupees.

Gurudāsa: For food relief or...?

Prabhupāda: I do not know.

Hari-śauri: For something.

Gurudāsa: There's one man who paid for a tent, life member. And Gargamuni Mahārāja gave me ten thousand rupees for food relief yesterday. Now...

Prabhupāda: Oh. Then that... I was... He got ten thousand rupees.

Gurudāsa: He gave it to me yesterday. I have it right here.

Prabhupāda: What about Saurabha?

Devotee (1): He called last night from Delhi.

Prabhupāda: Oh. He's there in Delhi?

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

Prabhupāda: Oh. He's there in Delhi?

Devotee (1): Yes. He just came back yesterday. He'll be coming here soon.

Gurudāsa: Now, previously the budget... I figured it out with the ones who are cooking. You wanted puris and halavā and subji, something like that. But we didn't have enough before. So I was going to make puṣpanna. Is that all right? Or would you rather... Now, with the ten thousand rupees...

Prabhupāda: Puṣpanna for visitors also? No, they will have objection to take anna. They'll take puri, śāk, halavā.

Gurudāsa: What do you want?

Prabhupāda: Purī, śāk, halavā is... It can be distributed to anyone. Puṣpanna, some may take, some may not take.

Hari-śauri: There's some special reason?

Gurudāsa: Well, it is due to our budget.

Prabhupāda: No, budget not. The puri-śāk is pakkā, and puṣpanna is kacchā. They think like that. That kacchā, there is distinction of jata. One jata, one caste, will not take other caste anna. That is Indian thinking. But puri-śāk, everyone.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh. So there is facility for exchanging dollars?

Gurudāsa: Yes. I'm trying to cash this draft. I went to three banks, and as I say, I had some traveler's checks, and because there was no money there I cashed my own traveler's checks and left it with them, so they... You want dollars into rupees? Yes, that's possible.

Prabhupāda: What is the rate?

Gurudāsa: It was 8.78 the other day. It fluctuates from day to day, but 8.78.

Prabhupāda: That is good rate, 8.70...

Gurudāsa: Better than before. That was for traveler's checks. It may be slightly less for cash.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Traveler's checks are always higher.

Gurudāsa: So I'm going back today. As soon as Gopāla Kṛṣṇa gives me the lakṣmī, money, I'll go back. Bhāgavata's doing a very nice job.

Prabhupāda: We have to go to Orissa, Bhuvaneśvara, afterwards.

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

Prabhupāda: I thought we could save the expenditure. But that is not possible.

Gurudāsa: No, we wouldn't actually save so much because the time it would take for the devotees to go there to eat prasādam is three hours, and then the tents are not so good. It would mean a savings of six hundred or eight hundred rupees on tents, and it's completely impractical.

Prabhupāda: And besides that, the Māyāvādīs... Eh? Inconvenience.

Gurudāsa: Yes. And they would not appreciate our preaching all the time.

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī bhāṣya śunile haya sarva nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). Sarva nāśa.

Gurudāsa: If they have a similar verse to that, then they would be very unhappy.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Gurudāsa: I'm saying if they had, "Do not hear personalists' bhāṣya," they would become very unhappy.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) ...that within the Kṛṣṇa's mouth there are millions of brahmāṇḍas, they think it is simply fictitious. Doctor, saheb, you are feeling all right?

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

Prabhupāda: We are not interested with the door. You are doormen, dvar-men. We are inmates. That Vidyāpati has sung, kata catur anana, mari mari yāvata. Catur anana means Brahma. They also die. And kata means "how many." (pause) So what is the amount of the bank that he transferred?

Devotee (1): Twenty-five thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: But I heard, it was thirty-five?

Devotee (1): There was originally three fixed deposits. One of them was broken six months ago. We used it, BBT. So there was two remaining left for twenty-five. Originally there was thirty-six, and then one was broken. That's already been accounted for.

Prabhupāda: And our Madras center is now closed?

Devotee (1): Yes. There's no center there now. Mahamsa Swami, he's sending two men there regularly to help set...

Prabhupāda: Collect.

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

Dr. Patel: I tell you, this vicious propaganda of the government... I have got a small hill, fifteen bigas, on a highway, Bombay highway, with canal waters irrigating my land and a well with pump and everything. Last year we spent nine thousand rupees on fertilizer and all things and other paraphernalia, and pay for the servants. And they got paddy worth six thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: Three thousand lost.

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

Dr. Patel: Because the prices was so down, you see, and fertilizer they are selling at a very high rate. Before it was available, a bag, for fifty rupees or fifty-one. Now it is more than eleven-ten. They don't want that a man in the city should be employed for less than five rupees a day. It's very expensive. And they don't work also. They used to work very hard in ancient times. Now they come at ten o'clock, go at five. Before they used to come early morning at six, seven o'clock and work up til five in the evening, and you used to feed them afternoon.

Gurudāsa: Use gobar instead of...

Dr. Patel: No, gobar is not that much available.

Gurudāsa: Gobar means cows. Get a cow.

Dr. Patel: We use gobar. All of us keep cows. But there is not sufficient for that.

Gurudāsa: You can eat six thousand rupees' worth of rice yourself?

Dr. Patel: No, you can't. You have in the market. No, I cannot eat even this much because I can't bring it here to Bombay. There is a barrier. You can't export from one place to another. This is the government. And our rice is just like the (indistinct) quality.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Dr. Patel: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: You go and eat there. (laughter)

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That's nice, but the money is not in your hand.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He sends twenty thousand rupees every month and... These are books that... Last month only he hasn't sent us. These are books that are already sold.

Prabhupāda: So realize this money. Otherwise, what is the value of this money if you cannot realize?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Also we're doing a lot of printing in Bengali and other languages.

Prabhupāda: So anyway, they are selling books. They must pay.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Yes. So I was... If we could get a loan of one lakh for two or three months, because now we are printing the Gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto.

Prabhupāda: So that I can give, loan. I am giving...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Within two or three...

Prabhupāda: But you never return.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And gṛhastha devotees who are actually engaged, you can give them some expenditure.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I think what you said, fifty rupees a week, is okay.

Prabhupāda: That is sufficient.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: With one child, fifty rupees a week.

Prabhupāda: For child only?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Those who don't have children, their expenses are low so they should get less.

Prabhupāda: They have no expenditure. What expenditure? They are getting free boarding and lodging. Maybe little. But that our ISKCON can supply. Of course, one who has got children, they require little. So manage like that, that there is no profit. That's all. Keep account in that way. So this one lakh of rupees, if you take, when you'll return?

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: All right. Now if he recommends, I'll give.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And since the Vṛndāvana temple opened, we did about three, four lakhs' worth of construction, without taking one penny from you.

Prabhupāda: I am giving one lakh rupees per month.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no. That is for Gurukula. Plus we contributed about three lakhs to Gurukula's construction. Two lakhs.

Prabhupāda: Now we are paying two lakhs per month.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In the initial stages the Gurukula construction was done from the money that we had collected in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: No, from the beginning I am paying.

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

Prabhupāda: Faith. Yes. Faith means firm faith. Faith does not mean... Anyway, ādau śraddhā. This śraddhā, if we increase this śraddhā, you have to associate with sādhu.. And who is sādhu? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva samantavyaḥ. He is sādhu, who is simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. He is sādhu. Api cet sudurācāraḥ: "Even though you find there is some discrepancies in his character, because he is fully engaged in My service, he is sādhu." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ (BG 9.30). If he has got other engagement, he is not sādhu. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: (Brs. 1.1.11) "Other engagement zero." That is sādhu. The sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). You have to associate with such sādhus who are cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅgaḥ tato bhajana-kriyā. If you mix with the sādhu, then you'll learn the activities. Sādhu-mārgānugamanam. The sādhus are rising early in the morning; they are attending maṅgala ārati, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then dressing the Deity and having ārati and so on, so on, so on. This is called bhajana-kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt: then all these material activities will stop. Because if you are engaged in spiritual act..., where is your time for material activities, for drinking wine and eating meat and going to the restaurant and...? No time. These boys, although they are trained up from childhood how to eat meat, how to drink, but now they have no time. They never ask me, "Swamiji, give me one rupee. I shall go to the cinema."

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

Prabhupāda: Grace means he'll willingly give you mercy, and mercy means you ask for mercy. Kṛpa-siddha. Sādhana-siddha and kṛpa-siddha. You are trying to earn one lakh of rupees—that is sādhana. But if somebody is gracious he can give you: "Take one lakh of rupees. Don't work hard." That is grace. That is kṛpa. You are ambitious for one lakh of rupees or somebody graciously give you: "All right, take." There are many persons. So that is grace. Otherwise, you earn by your hard labor. That is sādhana. Similarly, by association, by sādhana-bhakti, you attain perfection, and by grace also, you can attain perfection. Two ways. So those who are kṛpa-siddha, they are more fortunate. (Hindi) Preach this Bhagavad-gītā as it is. People will be benefited. You'll be benefited. Don't make unnecessary interpretation, misguide others and spoil your own life. That is very unfortunate. What is the difficulty to accept Bhagavad-gītā? There is no difficulty. Unfortunately we interpret in different way and take it other way. So our little attempt is to spread Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and whatever it may be, it is being accepted in the Western countries. Not by all. But the people in general, now the... Feeling the weight, they have now began opposing.

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

Guest (10): This is magic itself.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes, it is magic. It is magic undoubtedly. But I never created any gold or some other... And neither I do know it, how to do it, although there is no scarcity of gold in my pocket. I started this business with forty rupees. So I'll go to take massage. Thank you very much. (Hindi) ...prasāda. Show. Show the film. You are going to show?

Girirāja: Haridāsa took the projector, so I don't know when it's coming.

Prabhupāda: Why he has? (end)

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Phone number.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I have that. Telephone 617796. Now one question on pricing. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are selling it to the libraries for forty-five rupees.

Prabhupāda: No, no. It is not the question of library. What is the general price?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The general price is...

Rāmeśvara: Lower.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. The general price is higher. What's the U.S. registered price? They're just asking that... It comes about seventy rupees.

Prabhupāda: Don't make duplicity pricing.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Exactly. That is why I'm discussing with you right now, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Our pricing will be consistent. So I think forty-five rupees is reasonable. Above that, in India people will hesitate on buying. I'd like to get everyone to think it is available at...

Prabhupāda: Why forty-five? We can reduce more even, do you think.(?)

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: He's already charging the libraries forty-five rupees.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So we can't go below that...

Prabhupāda: No.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...because then they...

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Right on that, there's already a profit of more than twenty thousand rupees. So just with export...

Prabhupāda: So you can return that twenty thousand rupees I have given you for Jayapataka. (laughter) Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, we will invest that as further expansion, but if you want...

Prabhupāda: Then you should also take it as loan.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This all, advertisement?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Certainly. It is business.

Rāmeśvara: From one pocket to another.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Trivikrama: This is a rupee and a half.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: These covers I did in Bombay. These are books from the other covers. They came out very good. Ādi-rasa was telling me, in a week we'll also do the black and white in Bombay, because the quality is going to be better.

Prabhupāda: You make expert, on quality expert.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We are doing all the Gujarati covers in Bombay now, and I wrote to Jayapataka. We can even do the Bengali printing here.

Prabhupāda: In India, Bombay is best. There are many offset printing houses.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, Australia, from India it is nearer, half-day(?).

Rāmeśvara: What is your printing cost on Bhagavad-gītā?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: About 11.50, eleven rupees, fifty paisa. But the export edition is going to be cheaper because when you export, you get a lot of duties, so...

Prabhupāda: Now, in export and exchange with paper, good paper.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can import paper. The government will let us import paper for exporting without any problem. But I'm just saying that the export edition of Gītā is going to cost us about two rupees less than the Indian edition for Indian market because...

Prabhupāda: So why not import paper? It will be very nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Because on paper now there's high duty, but if it is for export, the government...

Prabhupāda: Then America can order from you also.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Because once BBT India starts making profit, then the burden on BBT America will also be lessened. BBT India can start giving money for construction and other things. I foresee that if BBT India goes on, next, in 1977 we should make a profit of at least twenty-five lakhs rupees, twenty-five to thirty lakhs.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. And open center village to village, town to town. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) See first printing is very first class and it is distributed very widely. Not shabby thing. No. Just like our Godbrothers, they printed... They have no printing; still, whatever they print, all shabby.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Full of mistakes.

Prabhupāda: Full of mistakes. Full of mistakes, the get-up is not good, but they'll sell. And they print only in Bengali.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

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

Rāmeśvara: Their big propaganda is that "India is so poor and they are so stupid, they are giving all their money to the temple, so they are remaining poor, so what is the use of this religion?" That was the propaganda, that "Religion is the opiate of the people."

Prabhupāda: Yes, they do not... Therefore they are... The Indian rascals, they using this income of Bālaji for industry. They are bringing, that "The poor people, on account of their innocence, they are blindly, so..." Communist movement is against us because we are constructing costly temples, crores and rupees. This could have been utilized in industry. That is their protest. Temple construction was practically stopped in India. And I have again revived. Nobody was interested to construct temple anywhere within the recent at least hundred years or fifty years.

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

Rāmeśvara: They chant and also work the fields.

Prabhupāda: So they, in the beginning, if they are not working... They'll work. We shall supply food, everything. And that... That is well beginning. In Hyderabad they are coming daily, two hundred people. And I kept with them fifty thousand rupees and told... But as soon I came, they have stopped, this, our Haṁsadūta. I do not know what is the reason. He said, "There is no money." I gave them fifty thousand rupees. He said, "There is no money." He's not good manager at all. It has been proved. He's not a good manager. Everywhere failure.

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

Prabhupāda: Actually India is poor. When we give food, how voraciously they eat. They cannot eat. They have no resources to eat nicely at home. That's a fact. Half-fed. At least half-fed. In the villages they are not fully fed. They have no sufficient clothing, no food, that's all. The rascal politicians, realizing heavy tax, and that is divided amongst them. It is not going to the poor. They are imitating Western way of life. They have got huge expenditure. So whatever money is coming, they are spending for their luxury, and poor men... The Gandhi's movement, boycott British goods, but they took it: "Boycott British goods and take our goods." So the consumer goods were the same. Gandhi helped to stop the British capitalist in favor of the Indian capitalist. The consumer remained in the same position, rather, worse. The foreigners, they are thinking that "These people are poor. They cannot pay more to me." And these rascals, Indian capitalists, in the name of nationalism, Birlas and others, they exploit. And they give contribution to Gandhi, Gandhi's staff, Jawaharlal Nehru's staff. And they took the opportunity that "I shall pay this rascal one lakh, and I shall utilize the ten lakhs." That's it. So the object of exploitation remained the same. Rather, by artificial inflation of money market put common men in plight, because the other day I was calculating... The things have gone high priced, thirty times, but the income has not increased thirty times. The other day I was calculating. My father's income was, utmost, three hundred rupees. So we had no scarcity. In our standard of life there was no scar... What standard of...? That standard of life is still... Now that three hundred rupees is... He calculated.

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

Hari-śauri: We worked out the price of gold.

Prabhupāda: Yes, gold standard. Gold standard... At that time gold was selling... My mother was purchasing gold for ornament at twenty rupees per tola. Now the gold in India is six hundred rupees.

Rāmeśvara: Thirty times.

Prabhupāda: Thirty times.

Rāmeśvara: So that three hundred rupees is like nine thousand.

Prabhupāda: Nine thousand. And who has got nine thousand rupees' income?

Rāmeśvara: Per month?

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.

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

Prabhupāda: You take average, thirty times more. Cloth, you could purchase very nice cloth, one rupees six annas. Now that is thirty rupees. So in this way proportionately, average thirty times, everything. Everything has increased thirty times. So I am speaking when we were child, say eight years—seven years, eight years old—or up to ten years. So I am now eighty-one. Seventy years ago and now, the difference is thirty times. We were purchasing milk, two annas per seer, and now it is three rupees per kilo. That is also, we do not know whether it is milk or some white water.

Hari-śauri: In most cases it's white water.

Prabhupāda: And we were purchasing real milk (indistinct). So nice.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: In 1920 I came to Bhuvaneśvara. So I was thronged with so many beggars. So at that time I promised, "If I bring at least"—in those days—"more than one thousand rupees to distribute to the beggars, then I shall come. I'll not come." (laughs) I thought like that. Means whatever money I had I will distribute. Still, they are thronging, the beggars. So much beggars have now come. Beggars. Very poor country.

Gargamuni: We could have very big prasādam distribution there, in Purī. Right on the beach we could set up a whole prasāda distribution.

Prabhupāda: If you arrange for prasāda distribution, you become very popular.

Rāmeśvara: None of the tourists who are Westerners ever takes Jagannātha prasādam, do they?

Prabhupāda: No, if there is good prasādam, they'll take.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Now take this.

Gargamuni: And we printed the book. I saw it. But then the war broke out a few days after it was ready, so I had to leave all the copies there. When I go there I will try and find it. Maybe it is still there. We spent about five hundred rupees. Five, six hundred rupees.

Prabhupāda: What Pakistan has gained by this separation? Actually they have not gained.

Gargamuni: By the separation.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: Of Bangladesh?

Prabhupāda: No.

Gargamuni: Or of India?

Prabhupāda: India.

Room Conversation -- January 20, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No, then you can take... What is the price?

Gargamuni: Well, I can only estimate. I have not gone deeply into it. But it will cost a few lakhs of rupees.

Prabhupāda: Few lakhs?

Gargamuni: Yeah. (Prabhupāda laughs) Well, it's a huge boat. But it can go on the sea. And we can do the whole coast of India. We can go all around the coast and do all the villages.

Prabhupāda: Why so much? Few lakhs?

Gargamuni: Well, it's a huge thing. It's made of solid teak wood. It's a huge thing.

Rāmeśvara: It's dangerous, going on the sea.

Gargamuni: No, not if you have proper navigation. And this sea is not so... It's not a rough sea.

Prabhupāda: Bay of Bengal is rough.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. The exchange... The more demand, more price. So suppose here is a spectacle. I am demanding ten rupees. So both of you are customer, and you are asking for this spectacle. Then I am increasing my price. So if you can pay me by printing paper, you'll accept any price. That means artificially price is increased. Is it not?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Hari-śauri: So the idea is that with coins the man who has the goods, he can't...

Prabhupāda: Therefore... Suppose he has got ten coins; you have got ten coins. I am wanting fifteen coins. So there will be no competition. I have to accept either from you or you, ten coins.

Hari-śauri: Right. Because there's only that much money.

Prabhupāda: But if I increase price and if you print... If you have got power to print, "All right. Take fifteen coins, er, fifteen rupees." But you print and pay me. But if the gold, the coin, is there, you cannot increase on that.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Our Hayagrīva is not getting any employment. Nobody's interested. "Eh. What is the use of higher mathematics, all this, these things? We have to earn money."

Rāmeśvara: Physics, computer technology, all these things are big.

Gargamuni: And they're prepared to spend lakhs. Some of these technical books cost more than a hundred rupees a volume.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They're charging.

Gargamuni: But they'll buy them.

Prabhupāda: What is the use of philosophizing? Even that Professor O'Connell? He came to me, that "Why don't you give some students?" Means he's going to be dismissed very soon. But he has no students.

Hari-śauri: He came and asked Prabhupāda why don't we send our men to the university for Ph.D's.

Prabhupāda: I could understand his position. Now he's going to be dismissed.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: I first of all approached him for publishing my book. So he said that "I have no arrangement for publishing nice English book." So he recommended Dalmia to help me publish it. So my first expenditure was six thousand rupees. So he gave me four thousand. In Dalmia Trust, he was one of the members, this Poddar. So he immediately rubbered that, that "Give Swamiji for the first publication." But I did not know that it would be six thousand rupees. I thought maybe four, five thousand. So he gave me four thousand, I think. So balance, two thousand, I repaid after selling the books.

Hari-śauri: You had to get a loan? A loan for that two thousand, or...

Prabhupāda: Loan means printer. I had no other... (end)

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Very nice place.

Gargamuni: Yes. It's very nice. Very peaceful.

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed there, and Nityānanda Prabhu stayed. Mādhavendra Purī stayed. It is very important place.

Gargamuni: On our way down here we also stayed overnight. On my way down here.

Prabhupāda: Very good. So what do you pay?

Gargamuni: I gave them donation of twenty-one rupees for the night. I gave for the... (end)

Evening Darsana -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: More than that. You were in the welfare department. What is the minimum?

Satsvarūpa: It keeps going up. I think it's more like forty, fifty dollars for one person.

Prabhupāda: Forty means at the rate of nine rupees.

Guest (2): Nine-fifty.

Prabhupāda: No, not fifty. Per week, yes.

Mr. Pandiya: In Western countries they give wages in terms of weeks.

Prabhupāda: Yes, weekly.

Guest (1): So spiritually they are innocent, comparing with India. We have become complicated after passing through many cultural ups and downs.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Due to these blind leaders. You see Bhagavad-gītā.

Room Conversation -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No, I may be rich man's father, (laughter) but my father was not rich man. (laughs) I may be called rich man's father.

Bhāgavata: It is due to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that we have... Any opulence that has come, it has come by your grace.

Prabhupāda: Not... Kṛṣṇa's. They were surprised that we are spending twelve lakhs of rupees, India.(?) That's a fact.

Gargamuni: They understand that kind of talk. Their eyes lit up. They all became wide..., very alert when you began speaking of money.

Prabhupāda: And our daily income is six lakhs. They cannot imagine, but actually this is fact.

Bhāgavata: They want to use it as an excuse why they should not take up spiritual life—"If I renounce, how I'll live? Therefore I cannot take this spiritual life. I will not be able to live." That is their excuse.

Prabhupāda: No, even in your country. Here there is poor country. Even in your country, Los Angeles, the neighborhood shopkeepers... (end)

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: What they have done, these...? They were getting, minimum, fifty thousand rupees daily.

Hari-śauri: Oh, at least.

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 26, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Hm. That is going on. Big, big patent medicine, they will explain scientifically and give to the doctor and make experiment, and they will go on making experiment. I know this. This is their business. They'll write, they will call for the medical students—they have learned new, new words—and they'll pay to make a literature with bombastic scientific word, and they'll prepare literature. This literature will be distributed and give their medicine, and they may pay them for false propaganda. This is going on to introduce new patent medicine. I know that. Simply water they will inject to get money. The patients have come, innocent, illiterate—"How want to be...? Do you want to be cured very quickly or little less?" He's a laborer. He says, "Yes, sir, if you cure me." "So then injection will be required." He has no disease, and they'll give some water injection, yes, and take fee. Because as soon as there is question injection, he'll charge at least four rupees, five rupees. He has no disease. They will inject water and take four, five rupees. In India I have seen.

Gurukṛpā: If you need... If you have one infection in America, you know what you need—some penicillin, something to kill the infection. But the doctor will have to make all sorts of experiments to tell you what you already know.

Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Everywhere. Why you say, speak India or in England? The human intelligence is the same. There is no change. They have made like this: "East," "West" and "England," and... The psychology is the same. The ass is the same. The camel is the same. The dog is the same. We are talking of these dogs. Do you think that in Europe the dog is different from Indian dog? (laughs) They have created another problem. But we take: "You are all dogs. Either you be Indian or England or German, you are, after all, after dog. Your mentality is dog." They have created that "Indian dog is better than the English dog" or "English dog is better than German." What is better? It is dog. You are doglike and hankering after some job in America and amongst Europeans. The Indians are all doing that, the same education. Recently for a post of five hundred men there were three lakhs of applications. This is education. And you'll find uneducated Indian, still he's independent. You will find in Calcutta especially we have seen. Yes. In the morning they'll purchase a bag of potato. Say, he invests twenty rupees. Nowadays he'll sit down in a corner and make two rupees' profit. He invests twenty rupees, and he gets twenty-two. He's satisfied, poor man. Then in the, say, ten to twelve he'll purchase some dāl. He'll go home to home. He'll make another two rupees' profit. In the evening he'll take some kerosene oil, and he'll sell. Evening everyone requires kerosene oil. He'll make another two rupees. So he's illiterate. He makes six rupees' profit, five rupees' profit, and if he can, ten rupees' profit. And takes some chana cho(?), some peanuts, sit down. In this way he's independently earning five to ten rupees.

Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Just see practically. The uneducated, he's earning because he knows that "If I go with application, what education I have got? Nobody will like me." He's hopeless in that way. "So let me try in my own way." He's earning ten rupees. And the other man, he's starving and taking help from the government, eating at the cost of father. This is education. Otherwise he is becoming hippie. Is that education? And in the Vedic system—education for the brāhmaṇa, how to learn to be truthful, how to control senses, how to become educated in Vedic knowledge. It is for brāhmaṇa. Bas, education, a few men selected. Kṣatriya, he has to learn how to fight: "Go. Fight. Go in the forest and kill animals and lie, try again, learn how to kill." Education. Vaiśya—"Go to the field. See how the plow is moved, how to give protection to the..." Finish education. And śūdra, he has to work under the order of the master. Master says, "Do this": he'll do it. So where is education required, high education, university degrees? And the government is maintaining big, big building, big, big professor, and the professor is... What is that? You told me? Gargamuni was telling.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

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. No, no, you do not know what is law. I'll teach you today good lesson." He criticized him, "Mr. Ghosh, you have brought the whole library?" "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law." This is a famous argument. So they cannot deny that "Why you have brought so many books to bother me?" No. "You have to hear. It may take twelve years to hear, but you have to hear. This is law."

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Sometimes it may be fact. There is no wonder. But we have to proceed with the figure. If I dream that I am getting one lakh of rupees, so it is better if I get five rupees in figure. Is that all right?

Pṛthu-putra: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Simply dreaming I am getting one lakh of rupees, that is good, or actually, if you get five rupees, that is good? Which is good?

Pṛthu-putra: To get the actual five rupees.

Prabhupāda: So don't depend on the subtle thing. See practically what you are getting.

Satsvarūpa: What I thought was most dangerous is...

Prabhupāda: Most dangerous... Those who are neophyte, they will be always in danger.

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So simply hear them. That's all. One big barrister, he was my friend. He is dead, M. C. Chatterji. He's a very big barrister. He used to charge sixteen thousand rupees for one appearance. So he was stating about when..., that he came to Vṛndāvana, and he met one boy, and "He asked me some sweets, I gave him sweet. Later on, when I was coming back to Delhi, I saw that boy was running on the train." He said. Such a big barrister, he said like that. "Oh, he was so..." Posturing like this. What can I say? "Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy was running after you in the train?" This is going on. Another friend's wife, she came to Jagannātha Purī. So Jagannātha Purī, those who are rich men, they are allowed to go near the Jagannātha. So that lady said that "While I was circumambulating, Jagannātha was snatching my cloth." Jagannātha became so much attached with that blackish woman that He began to snatch his (her) cloth. So many stories I know. So what can be said? "Why did you not remain with Jagannātha? Why you came back?" This is going on. So I have got experience of many such stories. Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy was running with his train. I have to take. And Jagannātha was snatching her cloth. They are very poisonous things. I was never fortunate with such incidences. I am simply trying to carry out the order of my Guru Mahārāja. That's all.

Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: Prabhupāda, these are the vehicles that I can get for three thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: Then you have to repair.

Gargamuni: Yes, but still, this vehicle, if it was being sold... (break)

Prabhupāda: Authority is sufficient. And if he's imperfect, he cannot be authority. So change of authority means everyone is imperfect, so why shall I do like that?

Satsvarūpa: That's even... That's their philosophy. There's a saying, "Nobody's perfect."

Prabhupāda: No. That you do not know, who is perfect. That is your ignorance. We know. If I know who is perfect, why shall I take your advice, "Nobody is perfect"? Kṛṣṇa is perfect. I know from authorities, from perfect persons.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: A flight from here is only 220 rupees. And they're paying for six people, round trip.

Prabhupāda: Five hundred per head.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Ah, yes. About five hundred, a little less.

Hari-śauri: That's very nice.

Prabhupāda: So make that arrangement. We shall go. Very good.

Gargamuni: And maybe from there, on our way by road, we know some people in Shillong. And maybe from Imphal you can go to Shillong for some programs, in Shillong.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: On the plane. When I went also, we were in the same plane, because he was making a bridge in Manipur. So he invited me to come to his place in Calcutta, in Balliganj. When also I came back we were in the same plane. It just happened. So he started talking to me that he lost about forty thousand rupees because bridge was broken, and so he said he was feeling very bad, very sad. He was telling me all stories about "Whether I should prepare my life for the future, or whether I should wind up, as he is. Then I started talking about that we always want to be happy, but somehow we misunderstand about our basic position, what position we shall take up, whether... He said he has great difficulty in making decisions, "Whether I shall decide this," so many problems, not knowing what to decide. So we started talking about the real nature of knowledge. The real knowledge is to understand the real difference between this life and matter, the fundamental principle of knowledge.

Prabhupāda: This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke

jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ

manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi

prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

(BG 15.7)

This is our position, that I am part and parcel of God. God is happy, ānanda-maya. So part and parcel should be ānanda-maya. But-manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). I have come to this material world. I am creating so many isms by the mind and acting with the senses, and there is struggle. This is the... Everything is there. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Prakṛti-sthāni, being placed in this material atmosphere, he simply struggles. Therefore we are giving the solution: "You give up this struggle. Go back to home, back to Godhead."

Morning Walk -- February 2, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Why do you pay? One man is earning ten rupees a day, but when there is some case he is paying fifty rupees a day or fifty rupees per standing a lawyer. Why does he pay? No, you say to them that "We are brāhmaṇas. The more you pay us, you'll be benefited." What do they say? That "You are living at the cost of others"?

Gurukṛpā: Yes. We are taking from the society.

Satsvarūpa: They don't recognize our activity as work, honest work.

Gurukṛpā: Think we're cheating. Many people interrupt our book sales, saying "These people are simply taking money."

Prabhupāda: Where do they say? In your country?

Gurukṛpā: Yes. They come, and they stop the sale: "Don't give him anything. He's cheating."

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Room Conversation -- February 4, 1977, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: So to approach a puffed-up man, falsely puffed-up man. Just like sometimes father begs from the son, "Oh, my dear child, oh, you are very... Give me this hundred rupees' note. You'll spoil it." But the child does not know that father is not beggar. The child thinks, "My father is begging. All right. Take it." This is childish. We are not begging. It is a means to approach the rascal puffed-up men. We are not begging. And what is that? If I sell one book, is that begging?

Satsvarūpa: No.

Prabhupāda: Call them. Because people are falsely proud, therefore we approach them in a humble way... That also, we do not beg. We give something and take something, exchange, and give something which is appreciated by the greatest learned circle. And you are saying we are begging?

Satsvarūpa: Sometimes they don't give books. They just give a flower or...

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That is also humble way.

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Where you have?

Jayapatākā: Where... Just the place would have to be... Their place is a bit irregular. Seeing the ultimate plan, we have to find out one place. It would be in this area somewhere. Now they're keeping records of how much is spent on agriculture, and how much is received. So what is the profit or loss, that can be ascertained. And actually that's not such a threat because I know that many of the things he is doing by contract. If at some time we need outside laborer for, say, harvest time, we need to harvest—so we pay them ten rupees or twenty rupees to harvest one bighā. So there is no question of labor. That is the contract.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: In so many ways we can...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: ...go around that.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: What is the price of one tin kerosene?

Bhavānanda: It's sold by liter. I don't know. About 90 paisa per liter, one rupee per liter.

Prabhupāda: And one tin, how many liter?

Bhavānanda: It depends on how many liters the tin holds. Five liters, twenty liter tin.

Prabhupāda: So price has not increased very much.

Bhavānanda: No.

Prabhupāda: Because in our childhood we used to purchase one big canister, Monkey Brand. That was considered to be very first-class. Less smoke. Four rupees and two annas.

Bhavānanda: But now it's difficult to get.

Prabhupāda: Formerly they used to stock huge stock in Calcutta. Burma Sale. And new tin, if you exchange the container, then six annas less. Not very costly. Of course, in those days it was costly, taking consideration of the purchasing power of money. Four rupees, I remember, a few annas. My father did not like to purchase anything retail. For his daily necessity he'll purchase, he would purchase potato, one bag. So one bag means, maybe, one rupee, eight annas. (laughs) One anna per seer, kilo, I have purchased. Rice, fifteen mounds he will purchase. And what is the price? Three rupees, four annas. First-class rice. Coal, this coal, coke. Five annas per mound, purchase one cart load, fifteen mounds. The other day I was calculating. My father's income was, utmost, three hundred rupees per month in those days. And taking gold standard, my mother was purchasing gold from my cousin—he has gold shop-twenty rupees per tolā, first-class gold. Now it is six hundred rupees per tolā. (break) ...in those days thirty rupees per month. For thirty rupees, clerical staff, if you increase thirty times, how much it comes?

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Nine hundred rupees. So where the clerk is getting nine hundred rupees?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is upper middle class.

Prabhupāda: Nobody, no clerk is getting nine hundred rupees. Maybe officers, superintendent, they are getting. So actually people have not increased their income. That means they have become poor. Thirty rupees' clerk is very good position in those days. And sixty rupees' clerk, that is superintendent. The things were cheap. And two hundred rupees, officer, big income. The high-court judges were getting four thousand rupees in those days. What they are getting now? I don't think their salary has increased. Maybe five thousand, six thousand. The governor was getting ten thousand. High-court judges were getting four thousand. And secretaries were getting five hundred to one thousand.

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: That's why they think we are CIA, because they think we're getting money from somewhere, from government.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Our Tīrtha Mahārāja accusing me that I have got two crores of rupees from American government to start this movement. (laughs) Even my Godbrother says, what to speak of others. Nobody is living such nice house, all of my Godbrothers. (laughs)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: None of them have done that.

Prabhupāda: They were unable. Neither they have got idea of aristocratically, how to live aristocratically. You won't find in any one of my Godbrothers a place like this. This is aristocratic. This is Indian aristocracy. Table-chair is not aristocratic. This is more comfortable. And cheap also.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And they thought, "Oh, how beneficial the English, British Company. They're giving us so much facility." And English education, they wanted to conduct their office affairs. They required some clerk. They did not want any highly educated. "Work here—ABCD—that's all. 'Yes, no, very good.' Bas." (laughs) So... And as soon as you learn "Yes, no, very good," you get fifty rupees' salary. So they gave up living in... That time fifty rupees is now five thousand. Yes. So they all entered school, English education—"ABCD, yes, no, very good. Bas." And this is British policy. Otherwise India was very happy.

Morning Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And I gave him 22,000 rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gopāla Kṛṣṇa?

Hari-śauri: Yes. He was supposed to put it in all the newspapers.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He didn't mention anything to me. I was there only for one day, but he did not mention it. I can write him if you want. He'll be coming here...

Hari-śauri: The 25th or 26th.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Ten days. I'm sure he must have done it, if you have told him to.

Prabhupāda: We cannot understand what is the position of this land acquisition. They'll remain silent?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's some political thing behind it. That's sure.

Prabhupāda: The political was Ramakrishna Mission and Tīrtha Mahārāja.

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That is rascal, cāparāsī, in the court. He'll think that "High-court judge is simply sitting. He's getting four thousand, and I am getting twelve rupees, although I am working hard day and night." That is cāparāsī made. It is not high-court judges. Cāparāsī will think like that, that "He's sitting simply from ten to two o'clock and doing nothing, simply sitting idly, and sometimes speaking something, and he's getting four thousand. And actually I am working hard day and night and getting twelve rupees?"

Tripurāri: Envious. Just envious. (break)

Prabhupāda: Why he said dhīra, sober, cool-headed? These rascals are cats and dogs. They are not civilized, even big, big professors, they say, "Swami, after finishing this body, everything is finished." Has he got brain? And they're Communist leader. Identifying with this body. This is the actual platform of that body, dehātma-buddhiḥ. And they're described in the śāstra as no better than the asses. So next point will be that where you think beyond your capacity, we begin our education from there, seeing the... Our education begins from that. First of all try to understand what is spirit. Then it will... And our whole process is how to transfer one person from the material platform to the spiritual. Therefore they are thinking "brainwash." The fools, they cannot understand where our education begins.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Again "coming." "In future." You are misled by these rascal words. Even if you do in future, what credit is there? It is already there. Why I shall wait for the future? It is already there. If some... We are sannyāsīs, begging, so if you go to somebody—he says, "Yes, I'll pay you one hundred rupees in future. I am trying to get the money"—shall you wait for that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Means no payment.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I'll go to a man who has got already. Why shall I wait for you? Even if you are so sure that in future you'll be able to manufacture a machine, a human body, so already you are trying to check the population. It is being produced so profusely that what will be credit for you even if you manufacture, (laughter) rascals? Even if you manufacture in future, then what is the credit for you? Here millions of machines coming automatically. You are trying to check it. What is the credit? Bhavānanda, you...?

Satsvarūpa: They say they're trying to do a better one than this.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you cannot do.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Just like this Gauḍīya Maṭha has become. They have no other way of income except begging in different way. Now they have taken to this business, parikrama. They earn something, lump sum, by calling men to parikrama, and they pay, say, two hundred rupees. Out of, a hundred rupees they save, minimum, and that is their whole year's livelihood.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is not a good business.

Prabhupāda: They are... They have come because they have no books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One very good business that we are developing in New York is prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That restaurant, mostly for drinking tea and pakorā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And there's a few in the office area in Fort where they give you...

Prabhupāda: Regular.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...thāli. One rupee fifty, thāli.

Prabhupāda: Thāli?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thāli. They give four small puris, three sabjis...

Prabhupāda: Oh. That is called... Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...and a little rice and half a popper. But it's not very filling, and it's not very nice.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Not first class.

Evening Darsana -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: Na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. "You, Me, and all these kings, they were existing—the individual. You, Me, and... They're existing now, and they'll continue to exist." So where there is oneness? All individual eternally, as aṁśa, aṁśī, this finger and the body. You can say this finger is my body, but finger is not the body, whole body. Finger is finger. Not that if Kṛṣṇa's body is eternal, the finger is also eternal. Not that today it is finger, tomorrow is whole body. That is defective, Māyāvāda philosophy. Finger always exists as finger. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, His finger is eternal, but the finger and the body is the same material. They're not different. They become different when they come to material world without touch of Kṛṣṇa. This finger is finger even it is cut, but it is useless. When this finger is cut and fallen in the ground it will be said, "finger of Swamiji or somebody." It is not anything... But because it is cut from the whole, it has no value. One screw from this machine is the same screw. But when it is separate from this machine, it has no value. But when you want to add to it—you go to purchase that screw—it will cost you five rupees. But without this machine, nobody cares for that screw. So our position is like that.

Evening Darsana -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Former paisa, when sixty-four paisa was one rupee. Now hundred equal to one. The purchasing power of money was big. Now thirty percent has gone up, but people's income has not gone up so much. Thirty percent, thirty times. Formerly gold was priced twenty rupees per tolā. Now it is six hundred rupees. So thirty times. But people have not increased their income thirty times. My father was earning two hundred fifty to three hundred per month. So we were middle class. So now thirty times of three hundred means nine thousand. So which middle-class man has increased so much? Middle class man now, if he's earning one thousand rupees he's considered very well-to-do. But what is that one thousand rupees? Nothing. My father had from one business, one hundred rupees, from another business sixty rupees, and we had a house rented, eighty rupees. Eighty rupees, sixty rupees and hundred rupees. How much? Two hundred forty, plus something more. Utmost, three hundred. And in our house four, five guests was always present. It didn't matter. Besides that, he was inviting some Vaiṣṇava, some sādhu. He married four daughters, and we were eating very sumptuously, daily two and half kg milk. Two annas per kg. Very nice milk. This man was coming from outside Calcutta. So we were so many children. We would stand, "Give some phāo:" Two half kg's milk and half kg phāo. He wouldn't mind.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: How he may... Some more money is spent or less money, that doesn't matter. We want to see whether the result is there. I understand in that way. Phalena paricīyate. Account... You may spend ten rupees more or less; it doesn't matter. I never kept. I want to see the result, that's all. I was asking Tripurāri that whether this opposition has hurt our book selling. He said no. Is it all right?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I'd say that's a... It hurts initially, but then we rebound. On the whole, it does not hurt.

Prabhupāda: That we want to see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, on the whole.

Prabhupāda: Our real damage is there. Otherwise let them do whatever they like.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say, take five lakhs and print and distribute. All languages.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Someone was giving me the report today that in Delhi the boys go out, and each man sells eighty to a hundred rupees' worth of books.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They go out in a party, just like in America.

Prabhupāda: Now we have got Hindi books we can sell very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They hold kīrtana and then distribute.

Prabhupāda: You called Vāsudeva? He has already ordered two thousand each.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Gargamuni: We're going to have... At the Calcutta Book Fair we finished decorating our pandal. It promises to be very successful. We're just opposite the Americans, who have spent fifty thousand rupees, the American Embassy. And next door to us is the German Embassy, and on the other side is the British Embassy. So we're in a very good spot, and we'll have all our books. We'll have the displays as well as the movie, the BBT movie, and we have our men there, who will take orders and sell books. It starts tomorrow afternoon. And we'll have a press conference also and release these figures.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Rādhā-vallabha: Want to hear more?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Six rupees. And a small mṛdaṅga I gave to my youngest son-three rupees. (laughter) So it is long..., not long ago, say about forty years ago. So it was, smaller, three rupees, and bigger, ten to twelve rupees, like that. So what about your purchasing house?

Bali-mardana: Oh, yes. You are purchasing. I am only the agent. Here is the...

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Bali-mardana: From outside it looks very good. From the inside, it needs a lot of work. That is...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Per pound. What is the price here?

Devotee (4): About eighteen rupees.

Bhāgavata: Sixteen or eighteen rupees a kg.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The same price in America also, about a dollar a pound.

Prabhupāda: No, in India?

Bhāgavata: Sixteen or eighteen rupees, one kg.

Hari-śauri: They're getting that Holland ghee for about twelve rupees a kg.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's the same price here also, about a dollar a pound.

Hari-śauri: That's not pure ghee. That's dalda.

Prabhupāda: That is not pure ghee?

Hari-śauri: No. That's dalda.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So Australian dollar, about ten rupees?

Bali-mardana: No, it is less. Now, devalued.

Jayatīrtha: Same as an American dollar now.

Bali-mardana: One dollar, eight. One dollar eight, US. Eight cents.

Prabhupāda: So about ten rupees, Indian ten rupees.

Bali-mardana: Although the rate in India they give less, for some reason, because it was just devalued. So it's about 8.90 for cash, about 9.70 for Australian travelers checks.

Prabhupāda: No, the Amer..., is ten rupees. It is one kilo?

Bhāgavata: This is two kilos. Four pounds, 6.5.

Prabhupāda: So about five rupees per kilo. Very cheap.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bhāgavata: That's forty rupees... No... Kg...

Bali-mardana: Forty per kg.

Bhāgavata: No. It's forty rupees for two kgs.

Bali-mardana: Yes. Twenty.

Bhāgavata: Twenty rupees per kg. If you tried to buy some ghee in India now, butter ghee, you'd have to pay about twenty-five rupees.

Bali-mardana: But this... The export... The Australian ghee in Australia is cheaper. This is export quality, is much higher quality. Higher...

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bhāgavata: Another point, though, is Śrīla Prabhupāda, that the membership needs to give two thousand rupees at one time. But there is a class of gentlemen who are not in that bracket of earning that they can pay two thousand rupees at one time but can afford to pay, let's say, five hundred rupees down payment and, every month, a hundred rupees or fifty rupees. For one book every month, fifty rupees a month they can pay without difficulty.

Prabhupāda: So make that.

Bhāgavata: There's a class of men who will do that. Every month, they will pay fifty rupees for one book.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Middle class people.

Bhāgavata: Yes. Middle class we cannot approach for membership. They cannot afford to pay at once two thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good.

Rāmeśvara: In America and in England they are making life members, but very rarely does someone give the whole fee at once. They have already...

Prabhupāda: Doesn't matter.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So I started... Was I rich?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Forty rupees.

Prabhupāda: Wherefrom...? Forty rupees. So it is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. So if we work sincerely, Kṛṣṇa will supply us.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That point we have seen proven more than anything else. You've always said this, and more and more, Kṛṣṇa is supplying everything.

Prabhupāda: No, it is, after all, Kṛṣṇa's. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). It is His property. As soon as He sees that "Here is My real servant." "Give him all facility." It is stated in the... Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām... (BG 10.10). You know? Nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham. Everything is there.

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Dhīra means who is restful, not restless; dhīra, whose brain is cool, sober. Just like a high-court judge. He is sitting simply, and the cāparāsī, he is busy. The cāparāsī gets, say, two hundred rupees, and he gets five thousand rupees. But he is doing nothing, a dhīra, 'cause his importance is many, many times greater than the cāparāsī. So dhīra means sober. If we become sober, not restless, then it is possible to understand. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. There are two classes: dhīra and adhīra. Adhīra means always foolishly busy, and dhīra means sober. He's trying to understand what is God. That is dhīra.

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Scholars and universities... He's also big scholar, archaeologist, very big scholar. (break) ...beginning it was not so heavy. It is heavy. So even it is double weight, at that time it would cost thirty rupees. Now thirty into thirty times, nine...

Hṛdayānanda: Nine hundred.

Prabhupāda: So according to that proportion it would have cost one thousand at the present moment, value. So why so much, four hundred dollars? Four hundred dollars means three thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, the thing with this coin is that they did not mint very many copies.

Prabhupāda: That's another thing.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes, yes. It is very nice. I simply asking them that "Print books. Whatever money I have got in bank, let me spend." I am asking always. Always. So anyway, money is... Bhagavān is giving. Now I have asked them to invest at least five lakhs of rupees for printing these Hindi and Bengali books.

Harikeśa: I just suggested also that Gopāla Kṛṣṇa could...

Prabhupāda: Instead of keeping in the bank, keep books stock. It will save. That principles let us follow. Simply keep the book that it may not be spoiled, it may not be stolen. Otherwise it is our..., as good as government currency notes. Take that. As soon as there is money, convert it into books.

Harikeśa: I was thinking also that Gopāla Kṛṣṇa could buy the milk powder from Bali-mardana by printing books for him. He could print the books in India for Australia...

Prabhupāda: I have suggested already, already suggested that "Take milk powder and ghee from Australia, and every center distribute prasādam like anything." And in India at least, if you give them nice puri and chānā preparation and sweet preparation from milk, oh, they'll be so glad, both poor man and rich man. Yesterday I was eating kacuris. What is this kacuri? Made of ghee. Samosā, made of ghee; rasagullā, made of... Cow is so important. She can deliver so many nice preparations, sweet and salty. The whole world does not know how to eat. Like rākṣasas they are killing the poor animals. So we have to teach. This is an introduction of new type of civilization for making life successful.

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: Haṁsadūta Mahārāja planned(?) that there's much debt in the Hyderabad temple. They owe one lakh of rupees.

Rāmeśvara: They owe Prabhupāda five lakhs.

Brahmānanda: Well, just on rations they owe one lakh.

Pañcadraviḍa: One lakh on rice.

Haṁsadūta: The whole situation is very deteriorated.

Prabhupāda: So why he does not come?

Haṁsadūta: Both with money and men. His best men all want to leave. His staunchest support, they have all become just completely discouraged. They want to go away.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Haṁsadūta: They all want to go, his men. And the temple is very badly in debt, and it has not had a proper president for a very long time.

Prabhupāda: This cannot be.

Room Conversation -- March 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Five thousand. Is that education? Better not to be educated. Those who are not educated, they purchase ten rupees' worth of potato and sit down anywhere and half... (laughter) Five rupees. Yes.

Guest (1): All vegetable are...

Prabhupāda: You take some dāl. Go to house to house, dāl. They have no scarcity. And after spending so much money, living at the cost of fathers, mothers—unemployed. No job. No food. Then plan something, Naxalite, this party, that party. Join some political movement and help Indira Gandhi. They are paid to make propaganda. They are paid. And they earn money by smuggling.

Guest (1): But that all has vanished now. That plan has failed now completely.

Prabhupāda: Not failed. Another man will come. Because the unemployment is there. Practically, when we were boys, children, we were purchasing mustard oil, eight annas for two-half, two-half only, kilo, first-class. In Calcutta, Kanpur mustard oil. So my father would give me eight annas. I shall go to the shop and purchase. Now that quality, even taking it..., he's now selling thirteen rupees per kilo. Will the change of government bring this thirteen rupees to three annas? Then what is the benefit? The same stool, this side or that side. People are not going to get any relief by this change of government. So we are not concerned about thirteen rupees or three annas or... Some way or other, people are getting their things. That's all right. But the real loss is to remain in animal mentality and forget the aim of life.

Room Conversation -- March 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is my mission. I am doing that. I am bringing money from America. Nobody's paying me. It is not joke, ten lakhs of rupees. Who brings?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Even big export companies don't bring so much.

Prabhupāda: And they'll be glad. They have got money and they are getting culture. I am trying for United Nations. That is real attempt of United Nation, not this United Nation; all rogues and thieves and cheaters, barking dogs. I am trying for the United Nations. Help me. This is real United Nation. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). It is United Nation. So I began this movement very humbly, loitering on the street of New York. Now it has come to this stage. Let us cooperate together nicely.

Hṛdayānanda: Your Bombay project is very impressive. We've just taken a tour.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I persistently took that place. Nobody encouraged me. He is all. (laughter) Nobody helped me. I hesitated little, that "If I am persistent to take it, they will not cooperate. It may be failure." So still I took it. And only fifty thousand and one lakh of rupees I gave this thief Nyer: "All right, take it. Come on. Whatever I have got, you take it." Still he thought, "Oh. I'll get money."

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Instead of going on Monday, we shall go on Wednesday.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that is fixed up now. I think Saurabha will be quite relieved. Śrīla Prabhupāda, the turn-out at the pandal has been quite good. Many good class of people have been coming. So Girirāja Prabhu and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu are thinking to extend the pandal on about another week, because there is not any extra costs more than about a thousand rupees, since the main cost is in actually building it. So Bhavānanda Mahārāja and myself felt that they could continue the pandal, and you wouldn't have to attend. Perhaps on the last day, which would be very big again, next Sunday, you could come. But they could, the devotees themselves could speak as they....

Prabhupāda: I know that very nice. I want it may be possible for you.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Why it should be closed?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. You once told us in Delhi that if we could arrange to continue it throughout the year, that would be good.

Prabhupāda: You want to do that, then do it. I don't mind. Every week, you can... At least...

Room Conversation First Day in Juhu Quarters -- March 30, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They're actually much better than any of the professional men.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. We played caitanya-līlā in our younger days. So we brought one very famous man, Amritlal Bose. He is one of the three chief men who started theatrical performances in Bengal. Amritlal Bose, Girish Candra Ghosh, and one some Pathan. This Amritlal Bose was a big author also, for writing comic books. And very expert lecturer. So somehow or other, we contacted him, and we used to call him, (Bengali:) dādā-mahāśaya. Dādā-mahāśaya means grandfather. He was of our grandfather's age. In the evening he was drinking. Very luxurious. So when he came, he said, "Yes, I will give you direction. You are all aristocratic family. But you must know that what is the difference between this professional and this aristocratic family." So he explained that "Caitanya-līlā, in the public theater, anyone can pay eight annas." That eight annas was third-class ticket. Eight annas, one rupee, two rupees and five rupees.

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Ten thousand dollars means one lakh of rupees. So we shall save from that luxury department. And this is solid work, yes. It must be done. Without any hesitation, without any impediment. That will increase our prestige of the movement. And go in good dress because people...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In suits.

Prabhupāda: In suit, yes. You get first dress, then address. (laughter) But tilaka must be there. You dress like up-to-date gentlemen, but tilaka must be there. That is our trademark.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some hair for him is all right? Little bit of hair.

Prabhupāda: I don't think hair is required. Nowadays many gentlemen shaven.

Room Conversation with Scientists, Svarupa Damodara, and Dr. Sharma -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now in our childhood, when we were ten-years-old boy, my father used to purchase high kilo saraṣera tela, for eight annas. Can these rascals do to that standard? Eight annas, first-class Kanpur mustard oil. Now that oil... Not that quality oil, still, they are being sold thirteen rupees per kilo, instead of three annas.

Dr. Sharma: They were always, even in a small village, there were five or ten good people were to do the kīrtana. You know, they had a knack of one particular instrument, they could get up and all on the Janmāṣṭamī and so many festivals they used to have kīrtana. And all, you know, small village, even nook and corner of the country, bubbling with life, religious life. This is only twenty-five years ago, even thirty years ago it was there. And look now...

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) It is better late than never. (Hindi) We are sending our men from village to village. Not only here, also in the European countries.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Gopāla. Nowadays nobody is... I do not know what is the arrangement, but if it is available...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Probably you could get it. Somebody is probably paying fifteen rupees or twenty rupees a month for it.

Guru dāsa: He is very favorable, Gopāla. He has your old telegram receipts. He saves them. Just like a devotee would save anything you write, he has them also.

Prabhupāda: Did you talk with him?

Guru dāsa: Not about the rooms. I just know him. Because I didn't receive the instructions until yesterday.

Prabhupāda: He formerly offered me that "You deposit in the name of Deity ten thousand," he would give me the Sevā-kuñja. So at that time ten thousand was not..., dream for me. So let him remain as he is doing, but we can do something with. You can improve by repairing and everything.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: All the Veda, all the students for four Vedas.

Guest (1): No, if it is a school, I can give it here in the library for research, because this will be a useful thing. They are not easily available, because published in '64. Originally it was published in 1906. After sixty years they are brought up the cheaper copy for edition by American collaboration. America has given the money. Therefore it is only costing forty rupees.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Guest (1): No, they have taken hundred crores of rupees from State Bank of India.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Sixty lakhs.

Guest (1): No, hundred crores in one day after election. Hundred crores of rupees taken from State Bank, and there is a big inquiry about that.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: After which, this election?

Guest (1): Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hundred crores!

Guest (1): Congress Party has taken out. State Bank, the biggest bank in India.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Withdrawn from the bank.

Guest (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: How State Bank gave them?

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Whatever that State Bank kept that money and gave that. So there is no fault of the State Bank. State Bank has no fault.

Guest (1): No, but they can't give so much money in one day to the party. Particularly after the election debacle. That money will go out of India and transfer into foreign funds. Because there are all brokers here. Suppose you have got hundred rupees. You can exchange pounds and get it in London. Anyone can do it. So this money was used for that purpose. If it was known that elections are lost and this money will not be utilized in India, they would not have given.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: America gave a lot of money to the Congress Party because Sanjay Gandhi was very friendly with America, with agent of many American companies.

Prabhupāda: America was against Indira?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. In the last one year they had changed. Because of Sanjay. One good thing about Sanjay Gandhi was he was completely anti-Communist. He was pro-American and pro cap-free society. So India's relation with Russia was getting loose and with America was getting tight. Because of Sanjay Gandhi. So that was one good thing.

Prabhupāda: Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). What is the goal of life, they do not know. Svārtha-gatim. Everyone says, "I must see first of all my self-interest." But he does not know what is self-interest. That is not unnatural. If I say that "I must see first of all myself," you cannot blame me, because everyone does that. But you must know what is your svārtha-gatim. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). So it is in paper published that they have been forbidden to go out?

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They will deposit in Bombay.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, any branch. Like this is more attractive, because a branch may be close to their house. They just go in and say, "Take this ten rupees and give to Rādhā-Rāsavihārī temple in Juhu." So the bank... I spoke to three banks. They agreed. So this condition also they must agree, because this will be a very novel way of getting donations in Bombay area. They do this in the south.

Guest (1): (name of a temple)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. I cut that advertisement. I was very attracted when I saw it. Do you think it is a good idea?

Prabhupāda: Hm. Go to...

Devotees: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Guest (1): Slowly about the program is that. I am trying to liquidate my assets in Allahabad because all this my dead father, dead mother, brother, all the properties are gone now. So when that is free, I'll take up this property here.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Talk -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Let me work with these foreigners, because you have taught Indian independence, and they are not coming. Therefore these foreign boys, they are helping me. So let them remain. What harm they are doing? Let them have permanent residence helping me. Their life, money, everything, why don't you allow me? Unnecessarily they have to go away and come again.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are throwing five lakhs of rupees that could be well utilized every year.

Prabhupāda: We are not... We have no interest in politics. What interest do we have in this phantasmagoria? We are not so fools. And there are so many people, they are taking part in politics. Is this sane?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the argument I always use when we are preaching to get someone to join. They say "Well, we want to be a doctor or we want to be..." I say there are already so many millions of doctors, so many, but there is only...

Prabhupāda: And doctor is canvassing, "You become my patient."

Room Conversation -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They want to be cured immediately. Go to the doctor. "Give me injection, give me tablet, cure me immediately." That is the Western treatment. Immediately stop it. Here also. A man, a worker, he's earning twenty rupees a day, and the doctors also take advantage of this rational. "You want to be treated quickly or let...?" And naturally he will say "Quickly." "Then you have to take injection." Injection means each injection at least five rupees. He may inject water.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They do that sometimes.

Prabhupāda: They do that. This is going on. They do actually, I know. Unnecessarily, little distilled water, and take from him five rupees. If he gives him mixture, he cannot charge from him. But these innocent persons, they have earned. "You want to be treated very quickly or slowly?" He says that "I am earning twenty rupees per day. If required, I will give you so much money. And give me quickly." Everything cheating and... I know. I was in the medical line. Dr. Bose admitted. He was talking with me very freely because I was just like his son. "My dear boy, I sometimes cheat. We are most sinful." He said like that. "As soon as we find some rich person, unnecessarily we harass."

Room Conversation -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is the duty of ācārya. Otherwise he is not... Not that three dozen ācāryas in Māyāpur. Each one has a temple and a few dozen... Not few dozen—one dozen disciples. Bring some rice and eat. They are ācārya. That day I said that, khāi laya khasi bhaja,(?) then everybody became angry. Collecting some money, taking to the holy place, collecting fifty rupees and keeping twenty rupees and spending thirty rupees. This is... In this way they are making livelihood, ācāryas. They say, "Whatever is in our capacity, we are doing." The capacity means when they are speaking that the cockroach is as good a bird as the Garuḍa. Cockroach is also a bird and Garuḍa is also a bird.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I am confident this will go on, provided our men are following the process which I have given to them, following the rules and regulations, chanting. Books they have got sufficient already. Simply have to repeat. You haven't got to manufacture. Any fool you are. Nobody can...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Imagine if you would have had one, that one crore of rupees from that Tirupati, Tirumali, every month they have that money available.

Prabhupāda: Hm? You want to speak?

Upendra: Cannot imagine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's one and a half million dollars nearly, per month.

Prabhupāda: Money will come. We don't care for these rascals checking. But we must be very sincere. Money is coming, it will come. Kṛṣṇa has given us avenue, these books. We shall sell all over the world huge quantity of books. But they should give us this money, this Tirumala. They are creating anartha, situation which has no utility.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: In the history it is unique. Crores of rupees' property, and all over the world, buildings, temples. It is all Kṛṣṇa's. Nobody can harm them. It is not for me. There is no history. In one, ten years only, books like this, which are being received with so much adoration. They are simply Kṛṣṇa. If I want to take credit personally, this is wrong, sir. So money does not come in that way unless Kṛṣṇa gives. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). If Kṛṣṇa wants, He can give the whole world. My father used to say, "God has got ten hands. If He wants to take away from you, with two hands how much you will protest? And when He wants to give you with ten hands, with two hands how much you will take it?" That's a common... But people are after money.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This unnecessary expenditures like Sanskrit department and art department, this should be curtailed. We require money for Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "4) Every BBT division must make a monthly BBT report showing the income and expenditure and reviewing Press activity. All forms must be stated in US dollars except the Indian statement, which should also be stated in rupees." One of the reasons for this, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is that the only two, or I should say, the only three BBT divisions, or four, that gave regular reports was English, that was Rāmeśvara; Spanish, Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja; German was Jayatīrtha; and then Harikeśa. But the French were not giving any kind of regular statement. They have never given any statement.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, Bhagavān said he didn't have the necessary accountants.

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I am sitting here whole day and night, so they will come according... They are busy men. They must have program according to their convenience.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, this is the checks. The amount remaining in the bank is 371 rupees and 19 paisa. Should I make out the check?

Prabhupāda: Why check? There is standing visa(?). Check, they will come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, the reason why we need the check is that this letter is only signed by Your Divine Grace, but this check is signed by the joint signers, Śyāmasundara and...

Prabhupāda: Then inquire. What is the...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think one check should be written out for those...

Prabhupāda: Pay to yourself. That's all.

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So you can stay there. We have a good place.

Girirāja: He sent... I didn't bring them with me. He sent two of his books with a message, and he said that he wanted your blessing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When you give them to me, we can write him a letter inviting him to come, thanking him for the books. Śrīla Prabhupāda, this telegram arrived. Remember that letter from Mahāṁśa requesting 75,000 rupees for his farming? So we've replied him. The letter's going to be given to you today for signing. First of all agree to the principle of the loan, then I'll give you... So a telegram arrived. "Please expedite letter dated 9/4/77."

Prabhupāda: So do it.

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

Mr. Rajda: Correct. Actually ...

Prabhupāda: No Indians are coming. I am bringing men and money from there, and government is driving them: "Get out!" This is my position. And if one boy goes back and again comes—ten thousand rupees. In this way I am losing five to six lakhs of rupees per year—for nothing. This is the co-operation of the government.

Mr. Rajda: But why the government is driving them out?

Prabhupāda: This, your so-called visa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They won't give us the proper visas so we can stay.

Prabhupāda: Just like I have got in America permanent residence. So why not give them permanent resident?

Mr. Rajda: Correct. But this problem could be settled very easily.

Prabhupāda: Kindly do that. At least...

Mr. Rajda: No, I didn't know. Just now I came to know. This... I can touch this...

Indian (1): That's why we want some concrete things from you.

Mr. Rajda: That's why...

Prabhupāda: That will be a great help immediately.

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

Prabhupāda: Bring some paper. Write it. Immediately begin to do this. They are coming from very rich, respectable family. They have not come here to earn money for exploit India. They have no business to do this. I can guarantee that they will bring money from America and live here—not touch a single paisa of India. Now, suppose there are one hundred Americans, and if I am bringing ten lakhs of rupees per month, then what is the per capita?

Mr. Rajda: Per capita will show...

Girirāja: Ten thousand.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian (1): I... Yeah, complete list. That is why I asked you, "What first step you wanted to?"

Prabhupāda: Kindly help.

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

Prabhupāda: And I am unnecessarily spending five to six lakhs of rupees.

Mr. Rajda: No, this was not mentioned, never mentioned before me. I will definitely take it up when I go to Delhi. And then on 25th, the first thing I'll do...

Prabhupāda: No, we approached that Brahmananda Reddy.

Mr. Rajda: Reddy's not there. They are all gone.

Prabhupāda: No, before that I met him.

Indian (1): Now Your Grace will have to speak either with the prime minister straight, and he will swiftly done.

Mr. Rajda: No, that was the... The prime minister himself will nullify(?). No, he will immediately grasp what is the... 'Cause I have already talked...

Prabhupāda: When I was in Delhi, there was one day a meeting at Brahmananda's place, so I personally requested. So he noted down. That's all. So he's the chief man, home member.

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

Prabhupāda: So we have to touch all these. Then poverty... And "Drive away poverty. Give them more money." More money means cheating. You are employing; I am employed. Begins from government. More money and printing, they are coming. If I have got power to print paper and distribute it as money, you are dissatisfied, getting hundred rupees, you want two hundred, so what is to me? I print and give you. This is artificial inflation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: More money means printing more bills.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: What is that? The idea is cheating. The cheating business begins from the government. And why people will not learn to cheat? This is cheating. I am giving you one paper, one hundred rupees, dollars, and you are happy: "I have got so many ..." I am giving you check, ten thousand dollars. You got ten thousand dollars. Now I give you a paper. But it is going on. We have made machinery in such a way that it will go on in hundred rupees or ten thousand rupees. Just like this fixed deposit. I am giving actual money; they are giving a receipt. And it will increase. What increase? The same paper. And gradually inflation is going on. They'll pay at the inflation rate.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, they say they're paying at the investment rate.

Prabhupāda: That is, mean, their plea. Really, today... Just like in our childhood my father had three hundred rupees, and that three hundred rupees is now ten thousand. So if my father would have deposited three hundred rupees at that time, automatically he has become ten thousand... So if you pay me instead of three hundred, say, six hundred or eight hundred, what is your loss? It has already become ten thousand.

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

Prabhupāda: My father with three hundred rupees, he was... What he was doing? If you want to do that thing now, you'll require ten thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That means some cheating is going on.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Government, through the government.

Prabhupāda: Somewhere or other. Things are there. The rice are there, the dāl is there, the cloth is there, but what he purchased at three hundred rupees, now you have to pay ten thousand.

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

Prabhupāda: We are not discussing that, but you are cheating—that is practical. You are cheating. Your government is cheating, giving a piece of paper, cheating me that "You get hundred rupees."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And their cheating in so many... Just like they were paying ninety rupees for a vasectomy, to make someone impotent, to make them sterile, they're giving ninety rupees. They're saying "This ninety rupees is worth... It's worth it to become sterile if you take this ninety rupees."

Prabhupāda: That is paper.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now, that's cheating. A man can produce a son. A son has got real value in so many ways, but instead they'll give that paper worth...

Prabhupāda: Cheated with ninety rupees, and he's no more...

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

Prabhupāda: Two thousand rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they want five thousand. Same land.

Prabhupāda: Land value has increased.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they say that land, buying land, is better investment than putting your money in the bank, so much increasing.

Prabhupāda: And they'll not allow. Rather, I cannot purchase land instead of keeping in the bank. They will not allow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they won't.

Prabhupāda: You can purchase, at most, sixty bighās. That's all.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Just see. It is their manufacture?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The planetarium and temple alone will be estimated to cost rupees seventy crores."

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. But it is not going to be Kṛṣṇa's temple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that's the point.

Prabhupāda: And they have manufactured this?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says here, "The whole city is expected to... The temple... The planetarium will be ready in three years." But how is that possible to be built...? And that "The whole city will be done in ten years." Says here, "A Vedic city with fifty thousand brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras living around a Kṛṣṇa temple."

Prabhupāda: So they have criticized that "Your city, there will be forty...," "Aurobindo..." You have seen it?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: No.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There Hare Krishna movement is nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, it says that "The Hare Krishna movement is responsible for promoting knowledge of India and India's culture abroad." I mean, it is farce, because according to this article, we have to now come up with seventy crores of rupees and spend seventy crores in three years. So we cannot come up with seventy crores of rupees. Neither anyone could build that quickly. I mean, it's a farce. How could anyone build a temple of that proportion, a planetarium of that size, in three years' time. I mean, anybody who knows about building will know. We can't even build this building in three years.

Prabhupāda: It will be fantastical. Therefore they, "It is going to meet the same fate." (pause) You do not know what is the temple will be? You do not know?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: Hm?

Prabhupāda: That temple, what will be the Deity, you do not know?

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: We shall give whatever Rajda will settle with them.

Girirāja: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Girirāja: The normal rate... It's 220 yards. The normal rate is about a hundred rupees a yard. So it'd be 22,000 rupees.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all right. Give him.

Girirāja: I'm sure that on that basis we can definitely settle now.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Make a settlement.

Girirāja: We'll try for less...

Prabhupāda: No.

Girirāja: ...but if we pay the normal rate we can definitely settle it now.

Prabhupāda: No, normal rate we shall pay. Finish.

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: How it can be... This money must be reserved for scientific propaganda, twenty thousand rupees. They have agreed to save half, and half is twenty thousand. This must be saved.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Somewhere between fifteen and twenty thousand.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I asked him offhand how much he thought he could save. He said, "I think I could reduce the expenses by half."

Prabhupāda: Half, this should be set aside for scientific...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll have to see if he... I mean, that was a very quick statement that he made on the telephone.

Prabhupāda: No...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I'm just saying that on his behalf. I hope he can make it.

Prabhupāda: Now we have now Hindi books. So make nice propaganda. Because they supply from... All temple may be short. So we are also supplying some books for... So here we shall have to compensate by selling Hindi books. Or English books. We have to make some... Let Gargamuni be alert. If money's not coming from there, we shall have to supply money from here.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now we do not care for them. Our temple is now crowded. That is in beginning just to show that we are going through real ritualistic... I spent ten thousand rupees on that performance just to make a show.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They charged ten thousand rupees?

Prabhupāda: Yes. What can I do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It was a good show.

Prabhupāda: If I do with our men, then it will not be recognized as temple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, oh, yeah, that's a fact. No, it was properly done.

Prabhupāda: "Any or other, take. Finish that business." Now I don't want. I don't care for them. Our temple is always crowded. My achievement is there. In the beginning I spent. Now every, all over India, they are praising me.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was shocked to see that the mangoes... Did you see the price that they're being sold for? They are now selling in the market here for one hundred rupees a dozen.

Prabhupāda: (in disbelief) Hm?!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One hundred rupees a dozen they are being sold for, and they are being sent to the Gulf states, to the Arabs, and the Arabs are paying up to five hundred rupees a dozen for Alphonso mangoes. Fifty rupees per mango they are willing to pay. So the newspaper commented that "It may be that the poor people will not eat mango this year." Mangoes are so costly, over double the cost of last year.

Prabhupāda: Fifty rupees, twenty-five rupees per mango—who will pay?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nobody. Of course, here in India they won't be so costly. The most costly ones are selling for one hundred rupees a dozen, so about eight rupees apiece. But then you can get lesser quality, and once the season is more in, then it will be available. But they are becoming increasingly costly. But isn't that an unheard of price? In your childhood I don't think they were that costly.

Prabhupāda: One rupee, dozen.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And later on, '53 or so, we saw, one rupee, half a dozen.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very cheap.

Prabhupāda: So now they are getting fifty rupees. Time will come: even if you pay five thousand rupees, you won't get one mango. That is coming.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They won't be around anywhere.

Prabhupāda: That is stated in the Bhāgavata. Even you pay five thousand rupees, you won't get. And if you get, it is simply the seed; no pulp.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Another Godbrother, he asked me fifty thousand rupees to maintain his temple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How much?

Prabhupāda: Fifty thousand. So I said, "Yes, I can give you fifty thousand, but this is mleccha money. You'll be polluted. Best thing is that give. We can maintain. I'll immediately deposit fifty thousand." He has stopped. (laughs) "We are mlecchas. I am the leader of the mlecchas, so my money will pollute you. But if you are feeling difficulty, you hand over the temple to us, and on condition I immediately deposit fifty thousand in the name of the temple."

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

Mr. Dwivedi: No, not new. Temple is also about two hundred years old. And it has a beautiful story behind it. This was the (Hindi), this Pauri. So the cashier, he spent the whole treasury in building up this temple. And when the news went to the yajñirdatta(?)... Then they did not meet very so frequently as they started meeting now in our life. Every six months they tries to come over there. So he took a diamond, and the cashier, then he died. Yajñirdatta was very sorry. He gave, he granted a yajñir(?) for that family of the temple, about six thousand rupees every..., a yearly yajñir for this much amount, some land and yajñir and all that. So this is a public temple that way.

Prabhupāda: There is another story like that, Rāma Mandir. Rāma Mandir. In South India. What is that state?

Mr. Dwivedi: And at Gwalior also we have got a beautiful temple of Lord Kṛṣṇa. We call it Sanātana Dharma Mandir.

Prabhupāda: So we shall see that temple.

Mr. Dwivedi: But that is with the only Kṛṣṇa with cakra-sudarśana in His hand.

Prabhupāda: Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa.

Conversation: Bogus Gurus -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. There is such a thing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because I am unknown, so he helps me in every respect. So Vaiṣṇava accepts everyone as guru, śikṣā-guru, dīkṣā-guru, then tīrtha-guru. This is no harm. But what is this rascal, "No, no, you cannot sit down here. You take the flag and pay me hundred rupees?" if you are so rascal, who can save you?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tīrtha-goru.

Prabhupāda: Tīrtha-goru, that is called. That risk is there because in India there are so many places, holy places. If you are not expert, you'll be victimized.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about this svarūpa-siddhi?

Prabhupāda: Svarūpa-siddhi, that is bogus. Svarūpa-siddhi is not that you do all nonsense things and svarūpa-siddhi... Svarūpa-siddhi means when he is actually liberated, he understands what is his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is svarūpa-siddhi. Sākhya... So that is far away. Unless... If he's such a fool, then where is svarūpa-siddhi?

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I follow this. To accept me as guru I have to flatter you—I don't follow. If you want to hear me, then you become my disciple. Otherwise go to hell. Don't want. Here many big men came. And big men means the businessmen, big... I refused "If you cannot follow the instructions..." When they are in office there is some income. Nanda, he is driven out from office after some time, at least twenty years. Then he was given post. Long time. What he has done? He has taken from Haryana government some crores of rupees and he has made his own statue, fifty thousand. He has made his own statue. (laughs) He appreciates his own activities. This is their politician. Just like our Bon Mahārāja. He has done so. He does not wait for his death. He knows, "After death everyone will forget me. So let my, let me make my own statue, a tīrtha in this āśrama." He wanted to...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has a statue?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is... He has done. Like this Nanda has done this. And he's sticking to his whimsical policy. I wanted to mix with him, and I thought that he'll be useful. Useless. Mānava-dharma "man's religion" I asked him several times that "Is there any dog's religion? You have manufactured that." Religion means man's religion. That much he can do. Mānava-dharma. He is educated, intelligent, buddhi—with no brain. I have studied. And he's a good man also, but no intelligence. I have studied all these rascals. So long they are in office, by the power of office they are useful. Otherwise they are useless. Just like my books they are appreciating. They have never seen me. Not that because I am guru of some temple... They appreciate my work. That is real appreciation. "What you have done? What remains behind? All for the...(?)" Anyway, do something.

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I think he wanted 150 rupees two ways.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Huh? Yes. So I say sixty, sixty-five rupees one way times three, because first class is three times the cost. So I'm giving him two hundred rupees per person, and he'll give me the receipt and change.

Prabhupāda: No, in the ticket there is price written. In the ticket.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the ticket, yes. And he's also honest man. But I will check. (long pause)

Prabhupāda: The reservations should be four. Three opposite. Throughout the car also(?).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no, no, no. We're going to get two full compartments, four and four. No, we're not... Because I want both compartments full, because we have so much expensive luggage and machines, we could not let anybody else into our compartments, and they must be locked at every... That's understood. Rāmeśvara called you the other night, and we gave him the answers to our call. He said that Gurukṛpā Mahārāja was requesting that I write him a letter saying that they actually require the second $100,000 for construction.

Prabhupāda: No mail?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's no mail today because yesterday was Sunday. (long pause) (end)

Conversation: Animals' Expertise -- April 28, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They are expert more than us. You cannot go. Suppose there is one lakh of rupees downstairs. You can get it. You cannot go in one minute. They can do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So they're better than us?

Prabhupāda: They're expert. Suppose if I, if somebody informs that "In the corner of the temple there is one lakh of rupees. Somebody has left," you cannot go in one minute. It will take at least ten minutes. But here it is kept-immediately. So how much expert they are. Just imagine. So why you are so proud that you are scientist, you are expert? You nothing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here they come again.

Prabhupāda: Everyone is working under nature's law. They are working under nature's law in such a way. You cannot do that.

Morning Conversation -- April 29, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is luxurious. (break) ...the āṭā dough. So after it is cooked... They have got ghee. That ball soaked in ghee and the ḍāl, it is so nice when taken. That is called baṭī. Very quickly made. And after eating, with that ash the two or three utensils, mean the loṭā and the plate, they'll cleanse it very nice and walk away. And that food is sufficient for twenty-four hours. Within twenty-four hours he will not be hungry and feel very strong. The two things. And you can cook anywhere without any difficulty. In India, especially in village, you can get so many dried cow dung. So fuel is ready. The āṭā is packed up. And ghee in a pot. That's all. How simple life. Simply they'll sit down where there is water, and they'll take water. Then everything is arranged. No hotel. Or even there is no āṭā, they keep their own ghee, homemade, pure. Āṭā can be purchased anywhere in the village. There is no need of carrying āṭā. So this preparation for tourists... Tourists, Indian tourists, means going to some holy place. They have no other sightseeing, no program. All villagers, they are still... The pilgrimage in holy places, now no educated man goes. Very rarely. All these villagers by thousands... They... You see this Tirupati, Tirumala. All the contribution by the villagers. By their hard-earned money they keep something for going. You have seen Tirupati, Tirumal...? Standing for hours to contribute in a line. Hundreds of people. They'll come, contribute something. Then they'll shave their head, see the Deity, have some bath in the adjoining lake. Then they'll take prasādam. That is very big tank. Everywhere. In India, wherever some famous temple is there, there is a tank. Now the haircutting, that lakhs of rupees are sold to foreign countries is hair. Heaps. These managers, they are selling the hairs. Very big business.

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Phew! This boy, Patita Uddhāraṇa, has spoiled thousands of rupees for months. He has no knowledge or intelligence, and he's going around. We're thinking that this man is the foremost...

Prabhupāda: Useless.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To fly him from Madras to here and back is twelve hundred rupees, and Patita has been traveling for months all over India. Who knows how much they have spent on him? And he doesn't have the intelligence to ask the questions which Your Divine Grace just asked. Otherwise he could have known from the beginning that the man doesn't know a thing.

Prabhupāda: He cannot, cannot explain.

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He does not know anything. Now he goes away. He goes back and he... Why he has come?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For your blessings, twelve-hundred-rupee blessing. There are learned men in India. There's no doubt. There must be learned men.

Prabhupāda: All bogus.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like that...?

Prabhupāda: Bokā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's that one man, Gangeshvara..., Gange..., that one blind...

Prabhupāda: Gangeshvarananda.

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. So I'm not moving the press because it is very cheap for us for six rupees a page, a plate of forty rupees. I just had one other question on the BBT. Sometimes these... Sometimes the temples don't pay the BBT, and their bills climb up to sixty thousand, seventy thousand rupees, and...

Prabhupāda: Don't pay?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. My... I have told the temples that "BBT will give you as many books as you want, but once you sell, the cost must go to BBT and the profit goes to the temple." But sometimes the temples don't pay. So...

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, they take it very easy, like they're doing in America also. So I wanted to stop sending them books or at least threaten them that I won't send them books.

Prabhupāda: No, if you have... Why threatening? You settle up with temples authorities.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Somebody has promised there. So as you get help, you go on. But it must be begun.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So tonight we can discuss it. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...the mess. He has paid only one hundred rupees from his pocket, and he's everything, and he has squandered so much.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who?

Prabhupāda: The Sanjay Gandhi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That, I haven't read that yet. Is he going to be put in prison for...?

Prabhupāda: I think so.

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Chanting.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But as soon as there is restriction, that means, "Don't do it." Otherwise naturally they have got sex desire. What is the use of giving shastric injunction? That means to control him. The meat-eating... So everyone has got tendency to eat meat, but why śāstra should agree? Restriction means stop. The government's opening liquor shop—so much restriction in a heavy duty. The government charges excise duty. The liquor is produced, utmost, one rupee, eight annas, per gallon. This I know. I know. And government charges excise duty, sixty rupees. So it becomes sixty-one rupees spoiled. Then they have got to make profit. Huge profit government... They haven't got to do anything. The liquor manufacturer, he has to maintain the establishment, and everything he has to do. But when the actual liquor comes, it is there. This is the working system. The excise inspector is there. So unless the... When he takes liquor out of stock, that excise inspector shall come. He has his own key, just like bank, such custody. So in this way... And you have to pay duty first. Suppose stock is there, liquor, hundred gallons, say, thousand gallons. If you want to take ten gallons, so the excise inspector will see whether you have paid duty for hundred gallons. Then you'll be allowed to. So government, for nothing, has... They make huge profit. This is Kali-yuga government. They think that "To condone these are very common practice. Let them be drunk. Let them drink." They encourage them. And government means big ministers, secretaries. They get the profit and divide amongst themselves. So who cares for public? Similarly cloth. What is the cost of one...? One rupee per pound. But if you weigh one cloth, what is the weight? Not even one pound. And they charge twenty rupees.

Evening Darsana -- May 9, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: You simply repeat, "Sir, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being, God." What is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no superior authority than Me." You simply say, "Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority." That's all. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām... You preach, "Come here in the temple. See Kṛṣṇa's Deity and always think of Him." Where is the difficulty? Now, these Europeans and Americans, what I have done to them? I have not given any bribe. I say, "Here is Kṛṣṇa. He is God." They accept it, worship Him. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Just if you cannot do anything, just offer one obeisances, namaskāra. Any child can do. They have done it, and they are going ahead. (Hindi) Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa is there, perfect upadeśa. (Hindi) As Kṛṣṇa says, you try to assimilate it and distribute it. There is no diffi... (Hindi) Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nān... (Hindi) Eighty-four books, each book, four hundred pages, in ten years. And we are selling, collecting by selling books, five to six lakh of rupees daily in foreign countries. What is that qualification? We have tried to convince people that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). (Hindi) "The Supreme Being is Kṛṣṇa." Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. (Hindi) Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). (Hindi) Form. Formlessness. Formless is another feature, but real feature is Śyāmasundara. Yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpam.

Evening Darsana -- May 12, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: We simply repeat. That is our business. We are not learned scholars. But our mission is to repeat the words of Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order. He says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "You become guru." "Now, how shall I become guru? I am neither learned nor Vedantist, neither sannyāsī. How can I become guru?" "No, no, you have no difficulty. You, on My order, become guru simply..." Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Bas. "You become guru. Whomever you meet, you simply try to convince him what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. Then you become guru." So we request everyone the same thing. And become guru. It is very urgently necessary. I... People are becoming godless, atheist, nonbelievers, and they are suffering. So every village, every home, every neighborhood, they require guru. But who will be guru? One who repeats the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Yāre dekha tāre kaha. It is very easy. So people are accepting all over the world the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. These books we are selling. Daily our collection is five to six lakhs of rupees. Now this recent publication, how many copies we have printed, this?

Evening Darsana -- May 12, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Devotee (2): As tourist people.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Three months. Utmost, six months. And we are losing five to six lakhs of rupees per year for this injustice. I have pointed out the government that "In America they give permanent residentship to so many Indians. I am also. I have got that blue card, formal residence in America. So why don't you give them permanent residence? They are my assistants." "No." This is our misfortune. I am preaching Indian culture all over the world, and I am bringing at least ten lakhs of rupees, foreign exchange, for my Indian activities, but there is no help from the government. This is our position.

Evening Darsana -- May 15, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: If you practice muṣṭika, naturally you become very stout and strong. There are many wrestlers. They have got very strong body. But yoga does not mean that. Yoga means to find out the antaryāmī, Paramātmā, within the core of the heart. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). This information we get from the śāstra, that God is also situated within the core of the heart of every living... Sarva-bhūtānām. It is not that God is sitting in the core of the heart of the human being and not in the core of the heart of the dogs. He is there also. But the difference is that the dog cannot find out; man can find out. Therefore he is educated, taught about the yoga system so that constantly he can meditate upon antaryāmī, viṣṇu-mūrti. Perhaps you have seen the picture. We have got that picture. But that is the purpose of yoga, not to make the body strong or the mind very powerful. That is automatically done. Aiye. It does not require separate attempt. Just like if you get one thousand of rupees, ten rupees is already there. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If you get Kṛṣṇa, then you get all perfection. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Catur-vidhā bhajante mām. Four kinds of men, catur-vidhā, sukṛtinaḥ. If there is piety on the background, not the rascals or sinful man... Therefore śāstra always recommends to be pious, because a pious man has got the future chance of understanding God.

Conversation with M.P., Shri Sita Ram Singh -- May 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Rather, they are more distressed. Take for example, in our childhood my father's income was, utmost, three hundred rupees. So we were not very rich men. But we had no want. Father was maintaining his family, getting children married, distributing the wealth. Everything very nice. And we never felt any want. In this mango season, because father saw it that "There must be a full basket of mangoes daily for the children," so we were jumping, playing and eating mangoes. And now, taking consideration of gold standard... At that time my mother was purchasing gold, twenty rupees...

Sita Ram Singh: Per tolā.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-two rupees. Now the same gold is six hundred rupees. So three hundred times more?

Sita Ram Singh: Yes.

Prabhupāda: If my father's income was three hundred rupees, increased by three hundred, it becomes nine thousand. So where is the nine thousand rupees income for a middle-class man?

Sita Ram Singh: Quite.

Conversation with M.P., Shri Sita Ram Singh -- May 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Nine thousand rupees', ten thousand rupees' income is for very, very big man. But comparing, say, sixty-seventy years ago, we were a middle-class man, so a middle-class man has not increased his income from three hundred rupees to ten thousand rupees. That means everybody has become poor. So where is the advancement? Simply beating the drum, will this...? In our childhood we have seen mustard oil, first-class, made in Kanpur. We were purchasing, eight annas per two and a half ser.

Sita Ram Singh: And now it has gone to ten rupees.

Prabhupāda: No, thirteen rupees.

Sita Ram Singh: Thirteen rupees in our time.

Prabhupāda: Ghee, first-class ghee, we were purchasing, one rupee, Vardwa(?) ghee. Now what is the price of ghee?

Indian man (1): Twenty-five.

Sita Ram Singh: Twenty rupees.

Conversation with M.P., Shri Sita Ram Singh -- May 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Missionary visa... (Hindi) That because he's Vaiṣṇava, he'll not go.

Sita Ram Singh: You see, seven lakhs of rupees are unnecessarily used every year.

Prabhupāda: And just now I have got news. We have got a branch in Ceylon. So we thought that instead of going back to U.S.A. or Europe, let him go to Ceylon and renew the visa. So I hear that they have been forbidden, not to issue visa to our boys. (Hindi)

Sita Ram Singh: (Hindi) Rather, the Constitution is molded from bad to worse. This point should be repaired. I have got feeling for that.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Sita Ram Singh: When I go next time to Delhi I shall write letter. I have got address of this mission here. I shall write a letter here, and one of the representatives will go. I will give that...

Prabhupāda: No, you can speak to Mr. Vajpai. He is in charge of foreigners. (Hindi) (Hindi conversation to end)

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But the disease is not ordinary. It is always fatal. But by His especial mercy anything can be done. That is another thing. Lost appetite means life finished. (pause) Tāvad tanu-bhṛtāṁ yad upekṣitānām. If Kṛṣṇa neglects, then nobody can live, but if He likes that "He must live," anything can happen. That is possible. Anityam asukhaṁ lokam imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām. Anityam asukhaṁ lokaṁ bhajasva mām. Otherwise failing. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. (pause) (break) (Hindi) (break) ...London. Guru Mahārāja sending him regularly seven hundred rupees per month. In those days seven hundred means at least...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty times?

Prabhupāda: That was in 1936. Rice has increased after 1940.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At least it was twenty thousand rupees' value now.

Prabhupāda: All of a sudden rice has increased in 1942 by Churchill's artificial increasing his bribe to recruit soldiers. I have seen. Within two hours the price of rice, from six rupees it came to fifty rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Completely artificial.

Prabhupāda: I was in the grocer's shop purchasing, and all of a sudden the grocer says, "No, no, I am not going to sell any more." He got some information. So that time, six rupees per mound, first class...

Bhavānanda: Mound.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Per mound. Very first class rice. So he was not going to sell. A few hours after, I went to purchase-fifty rupees. From six rupees. Government appointed agents to purchase it and stock it. So people, being harassed, they'll come to military. This was Churchill's...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Those British were very clever.

Prabhupāda: Artificially created a famine in India. I have seen.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So Bon Mahārāja was getting seven hundred rupees monthly. That's amazing. Your Guru Mahārāja had to send the money from India to the West. We... You're bringing the money, but for Bon Mahārāja he had to send the money the other way.

Prabhupāda: Every month, regularly. He was playing harmonium. And the report: "Swamiji is playing on harmonium." Therefore Guru Mahārāja became very much disgusted: "Call him back."

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: They like the set, you know. One rupee for one book, they stop and think, but if they pay four rupees, 4.50 for four books, they think they're getting a lot for their money. But one rupee for one book is more difficult.

Prabhupāda: And Bangladesh?

Bhavānanda: Now Jayapatākā Mahārāja is here. He's filled with glowing reports, glowing, "the new frontier, new preaching frontier."

Prabhupāda: Muhammadans also.

Bhavānanda: Yes, he said Muhammadans invited him to speak, and they're very... They don't even know who is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It's been so long since Partition, and they've been cut off. They don't even... One Muhammadan lawyer bought a Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Wanted to read about Him, he said.

Prabhupāda: Full set? Full set?

Bhavānanda: I think one book.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And whole Bangladesh is a picture.

Jayapatākā: It's just so green, all rivers. And everywhere I saw rice field and jackfruit and mango, everywhere filled with fruits, very luscious.

Prabhupāda: And cow's milk.

Jayapatākā: Oh, oh, no buffalo. Only cow's milk. And pure ghee there is six rupees per ser.

Prabhupāda: Those who are fish-eaters, they can eat sumptuously fish. There is no scarcity.

Jayapatākā: Most of all, they're liking your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They like the books. Everyone is very eager for books. When we bring out this Gītā, that will also be very, very popular. Whatever books we bring there, as soon as we're there, they are immediately sold. I had no books. We had sold out all the books, so I only kept one copy to show, and I said, "We can't give you the book. You buy it by subscription, and we'll send it to you later." Ninety people took subscription, without giving any book, just on the basis of seeing one book. They're so eager.

Prabhupāda: Which one? Bhagavad-gītā?

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: To pay the electric charge. So he was paying about sixty-four rupees' electric charges. They were using hugely.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Including water.

Prabhupāda: No, no, electric.

Jayapatākā: Per year.

Prabhupāda: Per month.

Jayapatākā: Sixty-four rupees!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sixty-four rupees a month!

Guest (1): (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Five hundred rupees per dozen.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are paying five hundred rupees, a dozen mangoes.

Prabhupāda: They don't mind. "We must have mangoes." Money is very insignificant thing. Gold is the... And as soon as there is enough money, there is debauch, debauchery. Still there are Oriental moral principles. Girls who have become modernized... Otherwise they do not mix with any man. Their husband, that's all. And covered body, they are, very beautiful girl. And those who have become modernized, they are just like European girls. There is no difficulty to become modernized. They have got money. And they tour from one country to another extensively. Formerly for Muhammadans, drinking was the greatest sin. Now it has become... Drinking is strictly prohibited amongst the Muhammadans, according to their religious system. And sex? Before Muhammadan religion was introduced, they used to have sex even with mother. And woman could be purchased as slaves. Marketplace, women were standing for being sold.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Why it is remaining to be done?

Mahāṁśa: They have asked for fifteen thousand rupees instead of nine thousand because we put a value of the land on six lakhs, and they have valued it as ten and a half lakhs. So I just wrote a letter to Your Divine Grace, asking whether we should pay them the amount and go ahead or...

Prabhupāda: Pay on protest.

Mahāṁśa: On protest.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mahāṁśa: That... Yes, the advocate said if we go to the higher court, we will get a transfer.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Pay immediately and protest. They'll return immediately. Pay on protest.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...make the whole land, people, very happy. You show this example all over the world, this example, in America. Don't spoil money. Show by example. Enough science and enough motorcar, that's all. No more wanted. This is wanted. Kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Bring water from the sky. Keep always land moist and green. This is wanted. It is not my desire. It is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Here Vyāsadeva says, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). These rascals, they do not know. They do not consult śāstra, therefore manufacture. In Chandigarh so much land lying vacant. Thirty years already passed. And they are developing the cities. And another four hundred years will be required. The land is lying vacant. And they are making two governors, five commissioners, six ministers and..., drawing fat salary. This is government. Government means to draw fat salary at the expense of poor people. Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. Rājanya dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. Just like the rogues and thieves, they by force take money from us, these rascal, under some law, they'll take, this government. They will live at any cost. Never mind forty rupees (indistinct) a week. They have got cheap money. Print note and give him forty rupees. What is that? "You want forty rupees? Eh, take forty rupees." This is artificial inflation. They have got power to print notes. "Pay gold forty rupees." "No, that is illegal. Take paper." Means a cheating business from the government. He's giving him piece of paper, and the rascal is thinking, "I am making one thousand rupees." Formerly, in our childhood, we have seen a currency. They will offer, "What you want, gold, silver, or currency?" These three things were offered. If you want gold coins, take gold coins. If you want silver coins, take silver. And if you want currency, you take. We have seen it.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, give them money.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I have already given seventy thousand rupees.

Rāmeśvara: The situation is that the seventy thousand rupees is already invested in Gītār Gāns, and all the rest of the money Gopāla has...

Jayapatākā: Gītār Gāns and Bhāgavat Darshan and...

Prabhupāda: So you are not selling?

Rāmeśvara: They are.

Prabhupāda: Utilize that money. You have taken already seventy thousand. That's all.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: He's already paid twenty-one thousand rupees of it back.

Prabhupāda: So you can take fifty thousand also. If they have returned twenty-one thousand, you can pay fifty thousand, loan more.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can pay fifty thousand...?

Rāmeśvara: He'll take a loan.

Prabhupāda: Give and take, give and take, give and take.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The thing is, I've given them seventy thousand...

Prabhupāda: That's all right. They have returned twenty-one thousand.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were expert like that.

Prabhupāda: No, they were very good politician. (pause) I can say, in the British period there was no scarcity, and leniency. I recall the way. Didn't require... And when they like... With three hundred rupees they were so happy. Now you calculate that three hundred rupees means ten thousand. So where is that ten thousand rupees?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, only the wealthier...

Prabhupāda: For children one anna tiffin is sufficient. One anna. (looking at monkeys) You see?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, a whole family of them. This is their feeding place, the garbage can here. They don't come when they see people, though. Around all the holy places I always see a lot of monkeys and cows in India. Is there some reason, special, about... I mean, cows, there's obvious reason, but what about the monkeys? Why are they around the holy places?

Prabhupāda: Because they are fed by the visitors.

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The landlord took advantage. He was receiving rent, eighty-nine rupees or eighty rupees. He charge me 125. And another room, he was getting fifty. So he charged me seventy-five. Little room.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dollars.

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes, dollars. Eighty and fifty, 130. He charged me two hundred.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, you were paying too much. 'Cause I was living right there. I was not paying so much. I was paying sixty-five dollars.

Prabhupāda: How many there was...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For four rooms.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...material body. So as soon as there is material attraction, the village organization will not stand because the other material attraction is industry. So because he's materially attracted, he'll say that "If I do industry, I get hundred rupees. Why shall I plow for five rupees?" That simply they do not know. Gandhi's plan failed there. If materially they are after material enjoyment, so if he gets hundred rupees, he thinks that "I will enjoy more. Why shall I be sticking to the service?" Then the village program will fail. They will go for the hundred rupees. That civilization they do not know. After all, they are all rascals. They won't take lesson from us or from the Vedic culture. Therefore it is failure.

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

Prabhupāda: Educated means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Brāhmaṇa will give real knowledge, and kṣatriyas will govern. For vaiśyas and śūdras, there is no... It is waste of time. Formerly it was done so. The vaiśyas, they have got a son, goes to a shopkeeper: "Please here let my son work with you. He doesn't want any salary." So he gets engagement. Then, by seeing, seeing, he becomes little important. And the proprietor gives him some hand expense. And then, one day, he becomes very expert. He starts his own business. That was the system. Why he should go and waste time for education? A boy is given to a carpenter. He learns very easily. A weaver, he learns very easily. A shopkeeper, grocer, he learns very easily. That is education. Why he should waste time for academic education and create unemployment? So long he's not educated, he has got enough employment. Still they take in the morning, say, half a mound of ḍāl and goes home to home: (Hindi) So by saying, after mound of ḍāl, he makes up these two, three rupees' profit. That's all. Where is unemployment?

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

Prabhupāda: That is required. But it will be a failure unless they are taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That... Gandhi's failure was there. He did not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because the material civilization means pravṛtti-mārga, and spiritual civilization nivṛtti-mārga. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalām. So pravṛtti... Suppose he is in the village. He has to work with plow. And in the city, Goodyear Tire Company offering him twenty rupees per day. So he'll see that "What is the use of working with this plow? Let me go to Goodyear Tire." Then here the business will be finished. That is the position of India. So much land is lying vacant because there is no worker, and all the rascals have gone to New Delhi or big cities. And overpopulation? "Give them sterilization." Here there is no men to work and they're sterilization... How the leaders... And who is leader? Another debauch number one, Gandhi, Mrs.... And she has produced a Sanjay Gandhi. Very precarious si... So there will be no scarcity of simple living and eating. We shall give nice food, milk, and place. So bring student and teach them. Then gradually increase. They will preach throughout the whole world. The defect of the society, modern—the rascals are worshiped.

Conversation with Surendra Kumar and O.B.L. Kapoor -- June 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: As we have got...

Dr. Kumar: No, I tell you, there are people... You see, if you tell them that "Come on, we shall spend a lakh or two lakhs of rupees on this temple. Are you agreeable?" they will say, "No." I have that experience. Why? Because if a temple is not in good condition, they go out, meet people and say, "Look here, this is the condition of the temple. Could you not donate something?"

Prabhupāda: No, I tried. Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple, I have tried.

Dr. Kumar: It's a regular source of business for them. And if the temple is renovated, that source will stop. It is in their interest that the temple may never, is never renovated so that...

Surendra Kumar: They can continuously beg over.

Dr. Kumar: Continuously beg.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want me to read this, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Talk About Varnasrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Raja Rajendranath Mullik. He was also holding very big festival, Ratha-yātrā. So we had the opportunity of seeing once.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You must have been dreaming about Purī Ratha-yātrā.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Whenever I would find some time, I would consult timetable, "How to go to Purī and Vṛndāvana? What is the fare?" At that time carriage(?) was three rupees. I think it was four rupees, one anna. And Vṛndāvana was six rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You had some money saved up?

Prabhupāda: Yes, with my father.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You said that your grandmother would give you one gold coin each year.

Prabhupāda: Not gold coin. This copper coin, looking like gold.

Talk About Varnasrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Because she likes ornament, gold, and they have got molten(?) in the jewelry.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How do you get the money back? Sell it?

Prabhupāda: Hm? There is no question. It is saving. Suppose you want two hundred rupees. After spending, if there is three hundred rupees, invest hundred rupees in ornament.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But how do you save enough money to get the house if you have all ornaments?

Prabhupāda: You keep it. Don't deposit in bank.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't trust this banking system.

Prabhupāda: No, formerly there was no bank practically. Now they... Generally, ordinary man, whatever little saving is there, they will invest in metal utensils, in ornament, in Benarsi sari, like that.

Talk About Varnasrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And whatever you manufacture, you can show back. Suppose this tape recorder. If it is working, it has value. What is the use of it? Who cares for you? If it is in working order, it has value. Otherwise, (taps microphone) who cares for it? But if you have got gold, silver, metal... There was a small banker's. You require... I am poor man. I require only two rupees, but I have no money. You take one utensil and go to a small banker. He will keep this pot. "Give me two rupees." The pot is only five rupees' worth, so he'll keep it. He'll give you two rupees. So your immediate necessity is... This way, Indian economics.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I've noticed that the people in the villages, when they come to fetch water, they have very nice pots. The ladies are wearing some bracelets. Gold, I think, it must be.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: What is the special feature of restaurant?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I haven't figured that out. I know what it is though. The special feature is this, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There's a number of things. One thing, there's no other place in Vṛndāvana where you can sit in such a good atmosphere. That room is very large. The tables are first class, marble. There are very nice decorations, and the service is very good. And they serve ice water. And the prasādam is also better than at the Jaipuria guesthouse or most of the other guesthouses. And it's very inexpensive, four rupees for as much as you want to eat, palatable. And it's right in our own guesthouse. The people live here, and then they don't have to go anywhere. They just walk down to the dining room, and they get very good prasādam, good service, inexpensive, good atmosphere. It's become a very popular place. But it's too hot for me. I have difficulty eating the sabji because it's very spicy, but I think it's liked by the Indian people.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Trivikrama: There will be no shortage of money. There's so much... Just yesterday a man gave five thousand rupees. And he wasn't even a big man. Small man. Big man, we can get. There's so many.

Bhakti-caitanya: (laughs) Yes, practically because we have no small big man.

Prabhupāda: So it is very good premise. So why Gopāla should be sorry that "I go"? Is there any reason?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, he'll feel that he's worked in Delhi before. He developed the Delhi temple. If he feels he can work with it, they'll be...

Prabhupāda: If he can also join, what is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He won't... I'm speaking... I'm just... We don't want him to become disappointed. I know in the past sometimes Gopāla gets disappointed.

Trivikrama: He has so much to do in Bombay with the book, BBT.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: And what about his complaint about books?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I've discussed that with him, but I... I think also that you have to send some money to the GBC.

Bhakti-caitanya: No, money means that... Money I have to send. I owe fifteen thousand rupees. I haven't got. Then fifteen thousand, I can send it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the point is that you have outstanding bills.

Bhakti-caitanya: No, that is the only fifteen thousand rupees up to two days.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why not...? Maybe that will encourage...

Bhakti-caitanya: Yeah, I give them up, last time when Gopāla was there about month ago, I gave him about five thousand rupees. I gave. But I keep some, you know. The point is that if I will get the books, from the books I could make up money. If I will go like as this...

Prabhupāda: No, no. What is your debt to the BBT?

Bhakti-caitanya: Fifteen thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: So why don't you pay?

Bhakti-caitanya: I will pay it.

Prabhupāda: Then let him.

Room Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is real program. You must always be fit. So he has taken how much, loan?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jayapatākā Mahārāja? Well, he's taking two different loans. One loan is for vans. Took fifty thousand rupees. He's now paid off ten thousand. Every month he's sending regularly five thousand. He's done that regularly now. And then he's taken another loan...

Prabhupāda: For printing books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...for printing books.

Prabhupāda: One lakh of rupees, hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it isn't that much, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It was about forty-five thousand rupees so far.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, he can take any amount of money, provided he returns.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If somebody has said, then I shall know that he has practiced.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So this is what Prabhupāda's going to look for.

Mr. Myer: We actually have a two-way program. One is to get in more money, and the other is to save what's going out. Because the parade(?) all through the mission are not even thousand in a month in some months. It's only 845 rupees in a month. On the average it's only 1,600. And prasāda, about 2,600. Main money was coming in saṅkīrtana parties. They keep going out and they mail in a lot of money. Some money is coming from donations. But the generation here is very limited. I think that's what we really need to attract. How would you like, get that initiated boy to start work for you?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't know what Prabhupāda... I mean... So Mr. Myer should begin.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And Your Divine Grace will talk with Akṣayānanda Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: This night I'll speak.

Conversation about Old Days in Calcutta -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that was the training in the childhood. This Ratha-yātrā, Rādhā-Govinda sevā, prasāda distribution. Only the new thing I am doing-writing of books by the order of Guru Mahārāja. Otherwise, whatever I have introduced, I was trained up in childhood. I simply imitated. I am simply surprised. Now nowadays, even a low class... Formerly all our maidservant and neighborhood maidservant, they had two business, one prostitute and one maidservant. Otherwise they could not maintain. Simply by becoming maidservant, no sufficient income. We were paying them for not whole time three rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow!

Prabhupāda: Per month. So one house, three rupees, another house, three rupees, another house... In this way their income was ten to twelve rupees. Well that was not sufficient.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not much.

Prabhupāda: So they had to allow the prostitution. But they were happy. But in that income in those men, they had a guru. The guru would come.

Room Conversation with Devotees -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caitanya: They do that. There was one Indira Gandhi's..., like as a guru, Dhirendra Brahmacari, and now every day news, bad news, are coming in the newspaper, we understand, because he becomes very much close to Indira Gandhi and his son. All his yoga-āśrama in Kashmir... He built up big āśrama, and the government, they were giving him aid, many lakhs rupees, every year. Now this Janata government took over. He had a... They took over the land and everything, and now they are going to send even back here, because he was so much mixed with the politicians.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhakti-caitanya: From there we can see that result.

Prabhupāda: So if we mix with these politicians, very bad. Better not to mix. But sometimes this is very important thing, and we have already presented our case. Let us see how he does it. Everywhere you should be very careful about mixing with the politicians. What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a bottle of rosewater. I asked him to get it from Seth Visanchand. I asked this man, "Seth Visanchand sent this?" The boy who brought it said, "I'll just make inquiry."

Prabhupāda: They are so careful.

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

Prabhupāda: Maximize collect... If you increase collection, that money comes, extra.

Mr. Myer: Yes.

Prabhupāda: But by decreasing expenditure, you save money. That is real saving.

Mr. Myer: No, (indistinct) rupees is not the savings. At present the excess in expenditure only will come, as it stands now. So we have to find a regular means. It's very possible if some of the...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's saying that whatever the case is, more money is being spent here than is being made.

Prabhupāda: So save it. First of all save it. More money, to increase, that is not difficult for us. We go to beg, "Please give us." We can get.

Akṣayānanda: So the idea is to save it.

Prabhupāda: Real thing is how to save it. In business circle they say, "To earn money is not difficult, but to spend money is difficult." That is intelligence. To earn money is not difficult because we do not earn. Whatever Kṛṣṇa gives, we take it. But if Kṛṣṇa's money is not squandered, misspent, that is intelligence. So we have to see first of all present... I know that. So much money is squandered. Just like the other day. To secure one eye glass... It is four annas' worth. We have spent at least twenty rupees. In this way our money is being squandered.

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

Prabhupāda: That is not problem.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...that you're just sitting here in Vṛndāvana, but every month you're getting ten thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: And if I ask...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Without asking.

Prabhupāda: If I ask, I can get more money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was just looking today, and I noticed, every month, at least ten thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore I say... It is practical. To earn money is not difficult, at least for me. But to save money is difficult thing, because that is not in my hand. So let us see how much money we save. Increase the income, that we can do. And there is no problem. I think this is a maxim that "To earn money is not difficult. To save money is difficult." Whatever property we have now made, Kṛṣṇa has given us. But now, to maintain this, to save this prestigious position, that is difficult. Little mismanagement, there may be so many difficulties. You are a businessman, so he knows very well.

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

Akṣayānanda: He's very experienced.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I started this movement with forty rupees. You know that Scindia Steam Navigation Company?

Mr. Myer: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So they gave me a free ticket, and the government allowed me to take with me, forty rupees. In this state, condition, I started for New York. You see? No friend, no secre..., no hotel, nothing, arrangement. This was the beginning. Then I went there. So I do not know how it happened. Now we have got forty crores. It is all Kṛṣṇa's mercy. I never expected that my books will be sold and appreciated all over the world. So that is being done. People are appreciating the whole movement. Even in our country our government, it has come to their notice, cabinet ministers. So my point of view was that in Delhi there is a confectioner's shop. You had been in Delhi?

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

Prabhupāda: And "Get out. Get out."

Mr. Myer: This "Get out..."

Prabhupāda: And "Get out" means another ten thousand rupees. He has to go out, again come back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a big harassment.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like now...

Prabhupāda: How much harassment.

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

Prabhupāda: You are doing business. (Bengali conversation) Why you should remain in that flat with two, three rooms? That ambition is not there. That endeavor is not there. (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda started with forty rupees.

Prabhupāda: I went to... You know. So in what way I went? With a tin box and some literature. And how I have come back? You rascal, you have no eyes to see. You have seen how I went and how I came back. This is practical. I worked for this. I labored for it. It all depends on one's capacity. Otherwise immediately I'll give you charge. You cannot do here anything. So you'll get this letter. That's assurance. (Bengali) Keep it as document. That's all. I'll stamp it. All right, I shall meet again with you. Give him that.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes. That is real happiness. You should know what is happiness. Whatever we're getting, that is sufficient if... Simply to keep your status quo nicely. That's all. This is secret of happiness. I must not be poverty-stricken, neither I shall hanker after becoming very, very so-called rich. That is happiness. That arrangement is there. Your present position will never be disturbed, you'll improve, and you get, after seven years, 2,500 rupees per month. What do you want more? This is simply idea, that "My father has got so much property for me." And even if your father leaves so much property for you, if you have no luck to enjoy it, you'll be Harendranatha Singh. That you have seen, that your maternal uncles, what they have done? They're all rich men's son. My father-in-law left sufficient property. But what did they do? Simply drunk and die. Where is happiness? Is that happiness, do you think? Now still they are suffering, his family. If Kṛṣṇa has saved you from that...

Vrindavan De: With provocative disturbance.

Prabhupāda: Just see. To enjoy happiness they are sitting in that house. Your grandfather left such a nice property. But they are not happy. And they disturb you. You came out... (coughs) Practically seeing, you are happy more than them.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is the duty. But not that you can get happiness. Happiness is in your hand, in your fortunate... That is a different thing. Don't think that "My father left so much property. Let me eat and drink and go to hell." That is not happiness. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). Everything explained. Read books. Be devotee. That will bring happiness. And economically you may not be disturbed that you're poverty-stricken, you have to beg something or... No. Whatever is absolutely... More than that. More than that. One man does not require 2,500. Nowadays, even it is very expensive, one thousand is sufficient. Although everything is expensive, one thousand rupees sufficient for a person. You are each getting that. So the plan is all right. Now you try to become devotee. That will bring happiness. Otherwise there is no happiness.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Solve this problem. And don't be poverty-stricken. That's all. That is happiness. There is no need of... So we, the members of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are living hundred times happily than anyone else, hundred times. They cannot dream. They are envious. In Los Angeles the neighborhood men, they're envious, that "These people, these devotees, they do not do anything, and they are living so comfortably—so many cars, nice palace, nice food." They inquire. They do not know. Don't expect in that way happiness. That is futile, that "Our father will leave lakhs of rupees and we shall get the interest and enjoy and then drink and go on." That is not happiness. Work hard how to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy in this way. Kṛṣṇa will give. And yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). He knows what is your need. Depend on Kṛṣṇa, but don't sit down like lazy. Yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). This is instruction. We are trying to teach the whole world that "Be Kṛṣṇa conscious, and keep your status quo very nicely without any being poverty-stricken, and that is happiness." That is happiness.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. Not just a business.

Prabhupāda: No. That is not my proposal. Why shall I engage you in business, karma-bandhana? That is not. If you can give little service, that is benefit. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. They are doing without any personal profit. You are gṛhastha. You can take some profit. That's all. But it is service. Anyone who will give some service to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he'll make progress. Therefore I'm trying to engage everyone in this movement some way or other. A little help, svalpam api. It is such a nice thing. With that spirit you do and live comfortably. There is no question of unnecessarily taking a life of poverty-stricken. There is no necessity. But there is no necessity of luxurious life. And luxurious will already come for devotees. That I have already example. Who can live more luxuriously than ourself? Where is that? It is practical. All over the world we are living like princes. Princes even cannot live like that. All our devotees, and what to speak of myself? Six crores of rupees one house, who can possess? How many men there are in the world who has got many houses, each six crores of rupees? Hm? Bolo.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Now this Ambarīṣa, Alfred Ford, he is prepared that "Here is two hundred seventy crores of rupees for you. You take it whenever you like." Two hundred seventy crores. He has got his property. He has offered, "You take it immediately, and I'll give you." So you are engaging that money to construct a huge building in Washington for showing this planetary system. What shall I do with the money, two hundred seventy crores? (chuckles) Three hundred million? No?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: About thirty million. But he has other, plus other... That he has, money in the bank.

Prabhupāda: So wherefrom the money is coming unless Kṛṣṇa sends? Did I go to America with some money?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Forty rupees.

Prabhupāda: That's all. And one tin box. (laughs) Give up this mistaken idea that "If we get some large sum of money from our father, then we shall be happy." That is not... That is wrong idea. Happiness depends on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You can take advantage from your father that you may not live uncomfortably. That's all, that much. That I am making sufficient arrangement. In your present position you'll never be disturbed. Now try to become happy by advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is required.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Pramattaḥ. These persons are mad, pramattaḥ. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa mattaḥ. Mattaḥ means mad, and pra means still more, more than mad. Kurute vikarma. They are engaged in so many nefarious activities—black market, white market, stealing, burglaring, so on, so on. Vikarma. Idam adya mayā labdham idaṁ prāpsye punar dhanam. This is asuric thing. If one can squander away crores of rupees like Harendra Singh... Suppose if I give you each one lakh of rupees, how long it will take? You can squander away in one day. Take some regular income. Be comfortably situated. Advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bas. That is happiness. In your whole life you'll never be disturbed for economic condition. That I am arranging. That's all. That "I am suffering for money." No. It will regularly. Is not that scheme? So what is next Mukherjee? Hyderabad (Hindi) It will be great service to Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Neither he has any philosophy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. None at all.

Mr. Myer: Actually South is full of it. They have got a Theosophical Society, there's the Aurobindo Society, there is the J. Krishnamurti Trust. Many, many things are there. But each one of it is just a very shallow... J. Krishnamurti has never written a book himself. Always another person writes about him, his thoughts, his speeches. So only thing is that they started many, many years ago, fifty years ago. So they have bought some piece of land and started some schools, and like that they have created some systems. But basically it's very difficult. One cannot make any advancement with such people. But all, everywhere in India today tendency is people just go and ask for some personal gain. In Tirupati people go there, they say "If I get a son, I will come and pay some money." And some people say, "If my husband gets all right, I will come and do something." Some women go there, they just take off all their diamond necklaces and pour it. In one day they will sometimes collect a crore of rupees. It's unbelievable. So that is the type attitude people developed. Then that legend also says Lord Viṣṇu married, and for a marriage He has taken a big loan. So whosoever is helping Him to repay it, he gets a good from the...

Prabhupāda: Lord Viṣṇu. Who is that?

Mr. Myer: Lord Veṅkateśvara. That is one insult. They say that for a marriage He has taken so much money, and He's to pay back...

Prabhupāda: A person, man? A man has said?

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Delhi temple is going on nice?

Bhāgavatāśraya: Oh, yes. We are redecorating everything inside. We've painted to about four feet off the ground with some gloss paint and then nice distemper. And I've spent, oh, a lot of money, around two thousand rupees on the whole temple. Temple room, Deity room, kitchens, everything, we're painting it all. And now Bhakti-caitanya Swami, he will have his office there. BBT office will be in Delhi. It is very good arrangement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe I should show you the pictures first. I've brought your glasses. These are the photographs, Śrīla Prabhupāda, of the Deities to be installed in Fiji. He's sending to you for your approval. First, this is Śrī-Śrī-Guru-Gaurāṅga in day dress.

Prabhupāda: First class. Just like life.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Phew. Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Very, very nice. They're superexcellent. Not only excellent but superexcellent.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Now she has got right appointment. She's very intelligent girl. And give her proper assistance. She can do very nice work.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "So far, I have credits of over three lakhs of rupees with BBT in our first year of distribution." He's given over three lakhs business.

Prabhupāda: Now print books and have enough stock.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That's what he wants. He complains that there isn't.

Prabhupāda: No. Then you have to manage that department also. How... There must be sufficient stock, not depend on one press. That Mr. Myer's... What is the address? Do you know?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. He wants to bring us samples from...

Prabhupāda: Very soon I shall send you good address of printing Bhāgavata in Bombay. So at least three, four, printing printers should go on, continuously printing our books. If you have money, you spend it for reprinting books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says that he has three lakhs' rupees credit so far, and "our accounts receivable still amount to two lakhs." So five lakhs in one year.

Prabhupāda: So invest. Invest in printing books.

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

Prabhupāda: That's what I... Similarly, weaver, that cloth weaving, "kat, kat." The wife is spinning, her husband is weaving, the children is weaving, and combinedly at the end of the day there is a cloth. And people were satisfied with simple necessities. They would not charge very much for the labor. And one nice cloth requires half a pound cotton. Half a pound cotton means maybe one rupee. Another one rupee for the labor. So now they are paying twenty to thirty rupees. Unnecessarily he has to earn this money and pay to the millionaires, and he will keep three dozen motorcars, so another man will be engaged in motorcar industry. In this way time is being wasted without any search after spiritual realization. Time is wasted in such so-called technology advancement. And the real purpose of life, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā, that is missing. And when you present that "This is the most important business of life," they say, "It is brainwashing." And they fight to check us, Communists and others, that "It is useless, God consciousness." (break) (long pause) So... Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. Because they are missing the aim of life, they are committing suicide. And this varṇāśrama-dharma was planned in such a way that everyone would be spiritually advanced.

Room Conversation about Grhasthas -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Pagri, yes. To get a place there... Bombay is so important that if you want to get a place you have to pay no less, fifty thousand, lakh of rupees to stand. Then do business. Very important. Anything you do, you must have land first of all to stand. Otherwise what you'll do? To stand in Bombay you have to pay lakh of... Don't you see—we drive away the tenants—how much we recompense. We pay compensation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We have to pay a lot of money...

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...so that they can pay for some other place.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's true. Nowadays it's very difficult.

Prabhupāda: This is system in Bombay. Without paying, you cannot get even inch of land.

Room Conversation about Grhasthas -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bribe is very bad word. "Under table." (chuckling)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Under the table. Unofficial.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mean I am paying on the table hundred rupees and under table two hundred rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think you know everything spiritual and material.

Prabhupāda: Hm? So my fear is that after training our men so much, if he's lost, that's a great loss. Then future of society becomes very hopeless.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So the principle is that if a householder has outside employment and can pay, then he can live inside our temple buildings.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. What is the wrong?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At least for five or six years now the system has been that no man and woman should live together in the same building as where the Deity is.

Prabhupāda: That is the system. Temple is meant for retired men. Brahmacārī, sannyāsī, vānaprastha.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say, third-class printing, fourth-class paper. And if we give first-class paper, first-class printing, there is scope.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, if we give these books for fifteen rupees...

Prabhupāda: Whatever you give, they'll purchase.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It's very cheap.

Prabhupāda: The Hindi-speaking people, they are not poor. Mass of people may be poor, but we want to approach respectable persons. They are not poor. They will pay. Why third-class printing, fourth-class matter? Our first-class matter, first-class printing. We have got better scope than Gita Press.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Don't take less important this Hindi publication. You stock. I shall take charge of selling books.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I want to eat, but I cannot. Very good. Very good. Although I cannot eat, simply hearing the names, I am satisfied. Very good. He's doing nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "However, the collections are poor. Only sixty-five rupees. I was wondering if we could also get some of the Food Relief money being sent to India to Śrī Lanka."

Prabhupāda: Why not? Oh, yes. America's money collect and send. So that is my proposal, American money and give this culture. They are squandering so much money. Channelize to spend through this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Their money will be properly utilized and our Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be spread.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "People say they have never had such wonderful tasty food. If we can get money from Food Relief, it should be sent directly here."

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. First thing is you get ghee.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: One man is kneading flour, five sers, and he's getting two hundred rupees' salary, and paratha and halavā. This is management, going on. Now today it has been checked. They are eating paratha and our men are starving. He is getting two hundred rupees, three hundred rupees. This is management. What can be done? And he has... Three dozen manager, four dozen cook. This is... That's all. I am giving you report which he has given to me. Money is squandered like anything, and live blindly, and "Still, I want everything for myself." Everything is in my notice. I can feel now actually (indistinct) is coming. Anyway, we want... In India, the affairs are most mismanaged. That we see. In foreign countries they are doing very nice. In New York, in Los Angeles, in Chicago. Now there is Toronto report. This Toronto report... I do not know how things are managed there very nicely, and here..., three dozen cook. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa's grace is always there, but we spoil Kṛṣṇa's grace. That is our business. "But Kṛṣṇa is giving us so much grace. Let us spoil it." That is our proposal. If there was no Kṛṣṇa's grace, how this institution would have come into existence? It was not possible, such a big institution, all by one man's endeavor, starting with forty rupees. Simply Kṛṣṇa's grace. So don't spoil that. This... This... That's not good. Then Kṛṣṇa will not help. Just like the father gives you money. If you squander that, He'll be very sorry. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so kind by giving me this opportunity." You should take things like that, not that "For nothing the father has given me so much money. Let me squander it." Have to work much for it. So anyway, Mr. Mani has said.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Prabhupāda: That means your situation is not bad. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it's not very bad. (end)

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Anyway, Ratha-yātrā has been performed. This is good news. Thank you. (break) Each standing order is for eight hundred rupees, seventeen books. So four thousand. So how much it becomes?

Dr. Kapoor: These boys are doing very good work. How much enthusiasm they are putting in.

Prabhupāda: There is two, three groups working in the Communist country. So we are getting very encouraging report, especially for Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So what is the price of four thousand sets at eight hundred rupees?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it's about thirty-two lakhs' rupees, four thousand...

Prabhupāda: So beyond imagination. (laughter) We printed Caitanya-caritāmṛta, twenty thousand copies. Out of that, five thousand copies are already sold, and we have collected at least forty lakhs of rupees. And India also we are getting orders even from Bangladesh, Dacca, Dacca University. So by Prabhupāda's āśīrvāda things are going very encouraging. What we have sold in the last one week? The last report?

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Fifty-one thousand, five dollars each. What is the?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's about a quarter of a million dollars. Two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Two hundred fifty thousand dollars, and if you exchange in rupees?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In rupees? About twenty lakhs, more than twenty lakhs.

Prabhupāda: In one week. So unimaginable.

Dr. Kapoor: I don't think any other publisher...

Prabhupāda: No, we are the first publisher in the world. That is already recognized.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Oh, yes. Use government paper.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Because in India...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What's the price of this book?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We are going to sell it for sixteen rupees or twenty rupees. Actually our life members love these books.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I was in Calcutta. Adri-dhāraṇa Prabhu told me that the Marwaris love it, even in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the ladies can read at home.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the cover for First Canto, Part Three, is already printed. I'm going to take 1.3 now, but we've already printed the cover. This is 1.3.

Prabhupāda: This I want. Books are coming.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In the shop it sells for four rupees, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Yaśomatīnandana: We'll sell it for two rupees to our men.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: One-fifty. I've sent you a newsletter to all the temples.

Yaśomatīnandana: We'll sell for two rupees.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We want bulk orders.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How much do they cost?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The BBT cost I'll tell you later.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: These are all from your books, and this also advertises your books because on the back it's written, "Painting from..."

Prabhupāda: Such and such book.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You can make an ideal place. Very good.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Very good temple. And actually the farm is worth five or six lakhs' rupees. All surroundings all good. And another good thing I found was in Hyderabad the neighboring villagers were against us when we went there, but here they're all favorable. They all say "Hare Kṛṣṇa." When you walk, they greet you enthusiastically.

Prabhupāda: Gujarati people are Vaiṣṇava by nature.

Yaśomatīnandana: One boy that is there, they invite him for prasāda, and then they fan him.

Prabhupāda: Do it nicely. All facilities will come.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No. It is complete government.(?) Where is that book? Very nicely done.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Very nice.

Prabhupāda: Nobody can say it is Indian.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You can't say it's printed in India. Actually even our export quality now is very good. Actually there's a plastic coating on the top.

Prabhupāda: You cannot imagine that India has published.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The First Canto Bhāgavatam which you printed in India were... Also we are keeping the cost low. This is very, very important. This whole book, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we've done within eight rupees, fifty paisa, which is quite reasonable. (end)

Meeting With Governor of Tamil Nadu -- July 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Because every year I am losing five to six lakhs of rupees for their going, again coming. Just like he's acting my secretary. Now his visa is finished. He has to go, and again he has to come back. And that means ten thousand, more than ten thousand. So in this way so many workers are...

Governor: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: So they will never do anything harm and never take part in politics.

Governor: I know it. I know it.

Prabhupāda: So kindly try to help.

Governor: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: That is wanted.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Lot of money give and throw. What can be done! I know.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can explain to Tamāla Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're asking twenty-two lakhs of rupees.

Prabhupāda: No, give twenty-two crores, I don't mind. Then do it.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It will be paid back starting...

Prabhupāda: All right.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Rāmeśvara promised us to pay it back.

Prabhupāda: All right. That's all right.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Then we can get the building complete in October.

Prabhupāda: Whatever money you have got, you squander. I don't mind. I know that the kitchen, so much money is squandered, and that is given. Squander. And increase the period of squander. That I know. So don't bother me now with your money. But finish within that period. That's all.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If they are idle, then you can give engagement. Otherwise don't bring engagements. If they are idle—there is no work—give them. Not that you bring engagement and then... We want to be free from engagement, but if there is idle men, doing nothing, give them engagement. Now that we have got so many work. Simply unnecessarily, paid men are there for cutting vegetables. They have got so much... Means management is a rascal. Our men are idle, and they're bringing paid men to cut vegetables and paying two hundred rupees. This is management. First of all, whatever business is already there, engage them. Then bring further engagement. Now he has understood the situation. Do it very carefully. Don't make plan for squandering money. There are so many engagements. They're not doing anything. They're bringing one paid man to do the work. And you are finding out another engagement. Apply some brain.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ah. Then it's all right.

Prabhaviṣṇu: Actually I think that in the case of Nepal, it's possible to change Nepal money back into Indian currency without much trouble.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good. Then we can send as much money as you want. If that's a fact, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that they can change Nepalese money into Indian rupees without any loss, then we can send him whatever money he requires, because regularly we have to send so many thousands of dollars every month for construction to India. So if he can change money into rupees, then we can give him any amount of money—if necessary. (break)

Prabhaviṣṇu: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Bangladesh the people would welcome us with kīrtana everywhere we went. They came into the streets and held kīrtana, and then they offered garlands to the devotees.

Prabhupāda: And offer them prasādam without discrimination. Some Muslim also will be friends.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And rate have been...?

Bhagatji: The rate of the grain has gone so high. Last year the rate of wheat was forty rupees; this year, seventy-eight rupees. Gram (flour) fifty rupees; this year, eighty rupees. And, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that everything has gone so high. Yaba, this barley, was thirty rupees; this year, fifty rupees at present. And it is only up to April. And new rate will be coming in the month of April. So this means after seven months.

Brahmānanda: Why is it so high?

Bhagatji: The rains have destroyed all crops.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, do you want tilaka?

Bhagatji: From Delhi, only day before yesterday the road was clear. Again it is raining. Delhi to Mathurā, that road.

Brahmānanda: The road is clear?

Bhagatji: Because it was blocked.

Hari-śauri: It was blocked. Yesterday they got through, but only just. The day before it was blocked. Now today again it's raining.

Prabhupāda: The buses stopped?

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Another grievance is that we have been asking them to give us interest on our savings accounts here. We have about ten savings accounts. And for about one year now they have not given interest because now they say that the rule is that for anything above two lakhs of rupees they don't give interest. And they showed a law from the..., bank law saying that they didn't have to give interest for money in a savings account beyond two lakhs. So I explained to them that every bank in India that we bank with does give us interest.

Girirāja: See, their final position is that they want to help us, but they cannot go beyond the rules. And actually, they showed a letter from the Regional Manager not to pay that. But I feel that when we meet the chairman or the general manager...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Of the whole bank.

Girirāja: Because they will want our business, they'll be willing to go out of the way to satisfy us. And these local people, they say that if their higher authorities approve of these things, then they will be very happy to help us.

Prabhupāda: Make it clear. Organize gradually. Shift the money to other banks so they may not know. And that is the best policy.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: In our?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, in our Hare Kṛṣṇa land. In that Gurukula building, because now we have so many books and we don't have enough space, so we're going to start work on the go-down. I just need three lakh rupees, but when Rāmeśvara comes I'll talk to him and then start it.

Prabhupāda: No, three lakhs we have got.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Is it necessary?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We have a temple in Bangalore, and they need it for distribution in Bangalore. But this will be just your verses and translation, like they have done in Telegu two years ago, a small book which they can sell for one rupee or two rupees.

Prabhupāda: Don't keep money unnecessarily. Invest.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, Śrīla Prabhupāda, there's no money. (laughs) BBT is... I'm always asking Hari-śauri to make his payment quickly, because we have invested everything into printing.

Prabhupāda: And now we have got..., sent four lakhs.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Second. Second telegram.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. No. I haven't sent a second one yet. Should I do that? I could do it. It's not very costly. Two or three rupees. Might be a good precaution to take if we feel that he is needed here now.

Prabhupāda: Kavirāja's, his mentality I did not like.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which one, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: He was charging five rupees, and because we have gone to him second time, he is charging...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ten. Not only ten rupees, but so much money for the medicine.

Prabhupāda: How much?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty-five rupees just for sixteen little packets, doses of medicine. Two days' medicine, fifty-five rupees. Eighty-five rupees for two days' total. No. Seventy-five rupees for two days.

Prabhupāda: We are not hesitating to pay, but this mentality...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, exactly. The point is if that a man has this mentality, then how much can we trust him for medicine? It means he's dishonest man. He's becoming dishonest. Still, some husband must be there, you said. We should have a doctor's help. I still believe that. If possible. After all, we are not doctors.

Prabhupāda: No, we are taking the help of doctor, Āyurveda, by this yogendra-rasa.

Room Conversation Arrival of Jayatirtha and Harikesa -- October 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that I wanted.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You wanted that. They give a chit. They pay at the guesthouse. They pay at the guesthouse, and then they take prasādam in the hall with the devotees, same as everybody. I think they pay three rupees, and they get as much as they want to eat. We are an āśrama. We're not trying to run a big business here. Isn't that right, Śrīla Prabhupāda? I haven't heard anybody complain. And all the devotees take together. Very nice atmosphere.

Prabhupāda: Best system. So Jayatīrtha, you liked?

Jayatīrtha: The prasādam?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śaktimātā:(?): Usually about one or two in different places. As far as life members, it used to be we had to go fight and make life members. Now they come to the temple and they pay their baise o baise(?) rupee and they say, "I want to be a member."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bengali people also?

Śaktimātā: Bengalis also. Mostly still Marwadi.

Prabhupāda: Bengalis have no money. (laughter)

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And they are very sincere. What do you charge?

Parivrājakācārya: About sixteen rupees, fifteen tomands(?). It is very little price. It's very small.

Prabhupāda: For one plate?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: One plate. Very reasonable price. But many people give donations. And many of them take the books. We have your books. They take, and they read it, and they love it.

Prabhupāda: Success.

Hari-śauri: What kind of people do you get?

Prabhupāda: High class.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, in Ceylon. And this Dr. Kovoor was saying that life comes from chemicals. So Haṁsadūta Mahārāja challenged him that "If life comes from chemicals, then I will give you ten lakhs' rupees if you come to this hall and you make chemicals into life."

Purī Mahārāja: Life. (laughs)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So he challenged him to a big thing, and in the newspapers every day for two or three months there was discussion between Haṁsadūta Mahārāja on behalf of the belief that life comes from life, not from chemicals. Life comes from Kṛṣṇa. So he defeated this man, big scientist.

Purī Mahārāja: Ācchā. Ah, good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And the man did not come.

Prabhupāda: You can read one newspaper article.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then he gave him big challenge. "Rupees five lakhs' challenge to Dr. Kovoor."

Purī Mahārāja: (laughs) Dr. Kovoor. He cannot be called as "doctor." How could he be a doctor?

Haṁsadūta: Quack. Quack doctor.

Prabhupāda: There is a story. A bridegroom was selected. So, the other party, bride's party, they inquired how the bridegroom was quite qualified. So they said, "He's a doctor." Then they inquired, "What kind of doctor? Doctor of philosophy, doctor of medicine or...?"

Purī Mahārāja: Doctor which way?

Prabhupāda: So he said, "No, no, no. He's not all these nonsense. He's a big doctor." "What is that?" "Conductor." (laughter)

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: These books will be sold to the people for one rupee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What people?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: To the Indians.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about this conference?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we have a big box here. It will be sold to everyone for one rupee, which is very cheap.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These were ready in time for the conference, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We have a big box here. So we have this in English and Hindi now.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Little attempt, less success.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We gave him a loan of forty-five thousand rupees, and then another twenty-five is coming. But that's all...

Prabhupāda: So you'll get money. Print.

Jayapatākā: One of our parties has gone to Bihar, and they sold about twelve thousand books and they ran out. They just now ran out of books, so they went to Bombay to get Hindi books, but there was no stock. So they came here to... Spent four hundred rupees going there, they found no books. Then they came here to Delhi, and they got two thousand books from Vṛndāvana here, what stock they had.

Prabhupāda: So why stock lacking? Why this mismanagement? There is no question of shortage of stock. I give you open order. Print more than necessity. If you do not print, what shall I do?

Bhakti-caru: Should we start printing Hindi books in Calcutta, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: I do not know where to be... But get it printed in huge stock.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Let him bring. There is fifty thousand rupees in Orissa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Jayapatākā: That fifty thousand rupees was supposed to be for construction. Bhāgavata Prabhu has collected about 35,000 rupees on his own that he's put into the account there so far. More is also being collected. It was previously promised that whatever he would collect for construction, then that amount would be matched from BBT fund or from your...

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, Vanamali is no use.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No use. Don't even bother calling him. The only question is that we have given him such expensive ingredients to make that medicine. The musk is worth many hundreds of rupees. Gold and pearls. So the real question in our minds is if this medicine is genuine. We want to know whether the medicine he has prepared is genuine or not.

Prabhupāda: He said it is not.

Doctor Visit and Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That I cannot allow. They're allowed to live, that's all. Then, after that, whatever...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, what happens if, on their own, they sublet it to someone else? Supposing on their own they make an agreement with someone. Say someone pays them twenty thousand rupees and they move out? That they won't do...

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...because they won't be able to get another apartment. Yes. I don't see how they would sublet it. There would be no purpose to it. They might, though.

Prabhupāda: No subletting.

Doctor Visit and Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Than that must be stopped. Sublet, they cannot.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Supposing, you know, they move out completely and someone pays them a thousand rupees a month? And with that thousand or more they get some other place?

Prabhupāda: Then they'll have to vacate.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, once they pay corporation taxes, they can claim tenancy. And a tenant... I can give you an example. In Calcutta, in Albert Road, where we currently have our temple, it was being rented by one member friend. Then he let Jayapatākā stay there, and then we took over. Of course, he was paying rent, but still, they can also be looked upon as a tenant because they'll be paying taxes.

Prabhupāda: Then you pay tax. Cut down from their pension. Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, it could be done.

Prabhupāda: We pay, and you cut down. Other tenants are there. But not tenants-occupier. What they are doing?

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You are welcome.

Jayapatākā: Dr. Ghosh said he would even invest ten, fifteen thousand rupees in a dispensary and make it a very nice one.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Jayapatākā: He said he would donate money also for, even ten, fifteen thousand rupees, for making nice dispensary.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, Prabhupāda doesn't want. (talking in background amongst devotees) I already suggested that in London to Prabhupāda, and he wouldn't do it. I mean it's very difficult to arrange these things in India, private plane, you know, without a lot of advance, like twenty thousand, thirty thousand rupees.

Hari-śauri: Private plane? Yes, and then it would have to be a propeller plane, too. They're hellish. Phew! We traveled on those to Chandigarh.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This country you can't do these things like that. So...

Brahmānanda: Then directly from Dum Dum to Māyāpur?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Then we go direct from Dum Dum to Māyāpur. We don't even have to go into Calcutta. Is that all right? So do you agree, Śrīla Prabhupāda, with the idea then, that the sooner we transfer there, the better, to Māyāpur? As far as the kavirāja goes, let us see if we get a local man from Calcutta, failing which, Smara-hari plus one other devotee will go to Śrī Raṅgam, and from a very reliable kavirāja, in their presence, they will have it made. Smara-hari, you see, is from Gurukṛpā and Yaśodā-nandana's party, so he has got experience sitting and watching people making the silver onto the throne. He knows how to sit and watch not to get cheated.

Prabhupāda: No, the thing is the man who would prepare, he must be experienced. That is wanted. And sincere. Then it will work, either you prepare there or here. When our men...? (devotees talk among themselves softly about who should go to Śrī Raṅgam)

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What medicine the poor man would take. So he said, "Poor man or rich man, it doesn't matter. The price of it is about forty-eight rupees per tolā, because the gold that is given, it's given back at the end." It's just passed through, the gold. It's not utilized itself. So forty-eight rupees a tolā. This is what he said, very big Marwari kavirāja.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that I have heard.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So this Rāmānujī kavirāja was charging five hundred rupees a tolā. And Vanamali, when we gave him gold, he never returned any gold. So... This is the position, cheaters.

Prabhupāda: Vanamali was also.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...supplied?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja has just given us four lakh rupees' loan. So I have given you a report, which he has. We have twenty-two books in print now in various...

Prabhupāda: "A loan payable when able."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: "When able." Prabhupāda... (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I wouldn't agree to that. I'm very strict...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We are paying back the loan in time with interest.

Prabhupāda: Ātreya Ṛṣi, this kind of loan is very good.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I could not follow what he said.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says... He found out that the Bombay temple owed the BBT seventy thousand rupees. So he says when he heard that you had decided that you wanted to live and not leave us, he got very encouraged and inspired. So he decided on his own that he wanted to pay back this money to the BBT for you. He says, "I have been encouraging all the preachers here at ISKCON Bombay to go out and collect the money to pay off this debt to the BBT. Śrīla Prabhupāda has made all this arrangement very easily because of his encouragement to us. Even devotees who have engagements where they are not likely to make a life member are making life members very easily and are collecting money. And even persons not expected to become members are now becoming members. This is all due to the desire in the hearts of the preachers here in Bombay to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. And by the grace of Śrīla Prabhupāda, everything is coming very smoothly. This is confirmed in our hearts that without Śrīla Prabhupāda, we cannot do any single work in this movement. Śrīla Prabhupāda gives us encouragement just to kindly agree to stay with us. So yesterday, on Daśarātrī, we collected over 21,000 rupees and made ten members." (Prabhupāda laughs) He says, "We cannot express in English what we are feeling in our hearts, but we are all very encouraged to go out and collect for Śrīla Prabhupāda and expand his life membership program, and we are all very thankful that Śrīla Prabhupāda has been merciful and..." (break)

Trivikrama: By your mercy.

Prabhupāda: No. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavat... Any devotee can become. That letter, mayor's letter also, it carries weight. What is his name?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ganatra? That telegram he sent?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. And the Statesman report, it is very very...

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And we discussed a number of points. One thing is that I talked to him about Panchashil flat. So I explained to him that he should feel the responsibility for paying for the living there, as we have given him this nice place. So he's agreed to do that. And I told him that whatever he pays, the receipts should be in your name, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Apparently the receipts have been issued in the name of M. M. De. So I told him don't do that, because if they get the receipts in their name then they become the tenant. I don't want that. They're living there as our guest, not as tenants. So he agreed to that. As soon as I mentioned it, he understood what I was talking about. M. M. is a little clever. So then I told him, however, that the permanent electricity was never hooked up. Permanent electricity line was never installed. So since that was an initial giving of the flat, I told him that if he paid for half of that, we would pay the other half. I said but first of all he has to pay and send me the receipt showing that he's paid. It's about 650 rupees.

Prabhupāda: Six hundred and fifty?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Half. It's thirteen hundred total. This is for permanent connection of electricity. The flat never has had a permanent connection. The whole building is not permanent. It's a temporary line. So all the...

Prabhupāda: Yearly?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we got the 870 rupees. That we received here.

Vrindavan De: But took from Prabhupāda personally.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. But so far, the payment to the BBT has not come.

Vrindavan De: No, BBT is being arranged. I shall send check.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think your outstanding bill is about 25,000 rupees.

Vrindavan De: Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So that has not been paid.

Prabhupāda: So, why you have not paid?

Vrindavan De: That is also on a check basis. On its encashment I shall send a draft to BBT. I got some outstanding checks. So it takes time, at least a month or more than a month.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Regarding this loan, you were to make twelve percent out of it. Right? You were going to make twelve thousand rupees' profit.

Vrindavan De: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: On the investment.

Vrindavan De: One lakh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But you're not making one lakh profit.

Vrindavan De: No. Profit is twelve thousand, yes, twelve to fifteen thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But now by these postal receipts, you're making 27,000, apart from your brother's amount. Yours, your mother's and your sister's will give you 27,000.

Vrindavan De: No. I want that loan for the time being. I shall pay it back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But that loan... You have to understand something. The Society cannot loan...

Prabhupāda: All the money he can take, loan.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because, Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Society cannot loan money for a business like this. This is not our Society's business at all. You're not... Of the one lakh of rupees' worth of books, only six thousand rupees is from ISKCON's books. So how can we loan one lakh of rupees? We can't start loaning money for these kind of businesses. It's against the Society's memorandum and rules that money can be given to individuals for their personal businesses. This is a charitable society. It's bounded by the Society's charity laws. So, Prabhupāda, whatever money he has, he has got as a binamida of the Society. He may donate the money in the sense of giving a stipend to family members. That's different. But as far as giving loans for business purposes to an individual private business... I mean we would lose our charitable status, because the accounts are audited every year. So it will look very... In fact, if we do that, then they may raise objection to the stipend also. Now they can't raise objection, because it's given as a stipend to the family, former family of this ācārya. They won't say anything. But if we start taking Society money and loaning it to a private business, which is the way they'll see it, then they'll raise objection. Furthermore, then we'll have to charge interest, and if we charge interest, that gets us into a lot of trouble also. As a Society, we're not supposed to be doing business, profit-making business.

Prabhupāda: So when the certificates matures, what is the amount?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The amount, I believe, is about 43,200 rupees.

Prabhupāda: So this much can be given to him.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So that is 47,000?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 43,200 rupees.

Prabhupāda: So seven thousand you can give, contribution. In that way...

Vrindavan De: Whatever the amount I may take, I can pay back by 10th or 15th April, positively.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He'll get 43,200 by the 7th of November.

Vrindavan De: Because we have got an order from the National Library of Calcutta worth one lakh. So...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So supply him half the order to begin with.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But in business field, if the bank sees that you have got fifty percent, they will advance. If you have got fifty percent, any transaction, you wait to do some business...

Vrindavan De: One thing, Tamāla, you know, I would like to have Prabhupāda's car for the time being.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But Prabhupāda said you had to pay five thousand rupees to BBT. That you haven't done.

Vrindavan De: After paying of this amount the car may be arranged.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But first of all you have to pay the money.

Vrindavan De: All right, I will... (Bengali )

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We already told you if you paid that money, Prabhupāda said then you can have the use of the car. But they have not received that money from you. I mean, actually, the fact of the matter is that you have got a 25,000 rupees bill outstanding which you have not hardly paid anything for in over a year. Now, from the point of view of business, this is not very good business.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The letter is already there. I've sent him a letter with... I sent the letter, so he knows that. The letter is there. But they have to receive five thousand rupees from you, and then they'll release the car.

Vrindavan De: Because if the confirmation of the amount received by mail reaches very late, the...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But you have not sent the money, Vrindavan. So why you're worried about the letter reaching late? First of all send the money, then worry about it. There's no worry. Once you send the money, the letter will come. I don't think that you can doubt that the letter will come. The main point is that the money has to come first. You have no reason to suppose that the letter will be delayed. It will come. They already know it. As soon as they receive five thousand rupees, the BBT, Bombay, will immediately inform Māyāpur, "Five thousand rupees been received. The car may be given." They know that. It's set up. It's a set-up. And you have to live up to your side to pay the five thousand rupees. It's not very much. It's not that much.

Prabhupāda: Now, with the help of Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and who else? Chandra. You can...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Take this order, I think.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You give me. He'll go.(?)

Vrindavan De: Because I came, spending so many money...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it won't be hampered. I promise.

Vrindavan De: I came by air-conditioned chair car. Took a hundred rupees.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You can return to Delhi in the after...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, because I know you can get reservations immediately to go to Calcutta from Delhi. (aside:) You were just there. You know that. Because there's so many trains going, Delhi-Calcutta, and if you purchase the ticket here or if you purchase the ticket from Mathurā you'll wait ten days. Remember how we had to wait?

Vrindavan De: Last time I paid ten rupees as bribe.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He has become Communist.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're giving him no..., 250 now, but 750 is put in fixed deposit for him. The total is a thousand rupees he's getting. He only gets 250. But the other part is put into fixed deposit for seven years. I don't want to change that letter to the bank, because we've given it as a standing order now.

Prabhupāda: He can simply get...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Two-fifty.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's all that any of them get right now. And the rest goes into fixed deposit.

Prabhupāda: And they may remain, lifetime.

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So about that traveling?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Travel exp... I talked to him, and I explained to him that he's taken ten thousand rupees for traveling expenses and twenty-five thousand rupees books, thirty-five thousand rupees, and he's paid six thousand rupees in two years. I said, "This is not good business." So he said, "Then stop the traveling money." I said, "I'll stop it temporarily. You start paying some money. Then again we can give you the money." I said, "We want to give you the money, but do some business first." So he said, "All right." No, he's pretty pleased to get this big amount now for making this contract. This is a big amount that he got, half a lakh nearly. From this, he can make more profit, and then he'll pay it back by April, and then we'll give him nine thousand rupees free donation. Each of them gets nine thousand rupees as per your original scheme. So they are being looked to nicely. Actually there's no difficulty. They have very few expenses.

Kavirāja: (Hindi)

Bhakti-caru: Śrīla Prabhupāda? (kavirāja chants viṣṇu-mantra) (Bengali) (Prabhupāda drinks something) Śrīla Prabhupāda? (Hindi—Prabhupāda, Bhakti-caru, and kavirāja) (break)

Prabhupāda: I think whatever money you give Vrindavan for business, he'll spoil. He has already spoiled. They are getting, altogether, about two thousand rupees even without any business—his mother, one thousand, and they four, 250 each. So let them chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and eat and sleep. That's all. He has already spoiled.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...book sales and sells twelve to fifteen thousand rupees a month. It's very nice to see these foreign people coming to Vṛndāvana, having read your books, coming here. It's like a perfect fulfillment of your books. They're so much impressed with the subject matter that they want to see this Vṛndāvana. Especially they have read Kṛṣṇa book. To them Vṛndāvana is like a magical world.

Prabhupāda: Hindi book is selling nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm-hm. He said so.

Prabhupāda: Four hundred, five hundred—no joke.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no joke. That Bengali Back to Godhead is very good also. This one has come out very nice, the layout and everything. It's very good.

Prabhupāda: He writes nice.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Only one problem with Bhāgavata subscription is theft in the mail. It's very difficult to get it, for it to reach its destination.

Prabhupāda: No, they make contact. For twelve rupees they'll get twelve copies.

Bhavānanda: When they contact.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: That's good idea.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And Śrīdhara Mahārāja could not finish. He has spent five, ten thousand, I think. Finished. In this way we shall serve Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhū... And the interest will come to charity. What is the interest of ten and a half lakhs?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's, every month... One of the... One of the interests for the five lakhs is 4,166 rupees, and the other is 4,666. So that's 8,800 say, times ten is 88,800, plus another sixteen. So about one lakh, five thousand per year.

Prabhupāda: That means twelve thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Per month you mean?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, per month, it would be about nine thousand rupees a month.

Prabhupāda: No, more.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Do it very conscientiously.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We'll begin with... We'll already have one lakh. So the first year we've already got, to begin with, one lakh of rupees. If you like that idea, to begin with that.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Whenever there is money, spend it. Is that idea all right?

Bhavānanda: Yes. I always am for spending money for projects for Your Divine Grace. I especially like this idea of Yoga-pīṭha Bhaktivedanta Hall. Very nice. Isn't it, Tamāla?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. Yes. It's very nice idea because people come to Māyāpur, they don't only go to our ISKCON temple. Even when they go to other temples, they should have a good impression of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.

Prabhupāda: Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā: "Life, money, intelligence, and words." So I am old man. My life has no value. You young men, utilize your...

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Where is podda? (?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your sister. I'm just calling right now. (break) (long pause-Śrīla Prabhupāda is sleeping) ...of the different businesses of Vrindavan? Well, first of all he was getting money for traveling expenses. So I have written a letter to Mr. Bekkar, the manager of the Central Bank of India at Camac Street, informing him that henceforward the interest from the fixed deposits in the name of BBT should be stopped from giving it to Vrinda Book Company, and instead the money should be transferred by mail transfer to the Central Bank of India, Gwalior Tank Road, to BBT account. I gave all the details. That's one letter. Then furthermore, I also addressed a letter to the Punjab National Bank, Brabourn Road, informing them that the Rs. 500 should be stopped from being given to Shrimati Radharani De, because... I didn't mention this, but the reason is that she'll be getting one thousand rupees from Indian Overseas Bank. And I'm sending that letter...

Prabhupāda: Oh... Has Indian Overseas arranged?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, because we've already given them a scheme which accounts for everybody. Better to have the whole thing done in a very organized way from one bank, rather than a little here, a little from there. That is simply confusing. Besides that, the... It's just a lot simpler, you know, if we do it this way. That is my opinion, because we've already given a scheme to Indian Overseas. We've put fixed deposits worth a certain amount which bring one thousand rupees interest. So now, if we have to tell them a whole new scheme, then it becomes confusion. It's easier simply to inform the Punjab Bank to discontinue sending the five hundred rupees.

Prabhupāda: And unless they send, Overseas...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no. I am not sending a letter to Punjab Bank. The letter is being sent to Girirāja with the clear instruction on cover letter, "Only send this letter to Punjab Bank after you have it confirmed that they have begun to dispatch Rs. 1000 per month." The same way we did for Sulakshman De. When we stopped sending it from here and we began sending from Bombay, we only told them to stop when it had begun to be sent from another bank. In other words, she'll get the money first from Indian Overseas before the other payment's stopped.

Prabhupāda: So how she will get?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rs. 1000 per month.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh. So she is informed?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. All of them are informed. Then I've also sent a letter to the Central Bank of India—again I'm not sending it to Central Bank; I've given it to Girirāja—that when they start to get the 250 rupees a month from Indian Overseas, then we will stop sending the 250 from Central Bank of India. In other words, everything will be done from one bank, right on our land. It's a lot easier to deal with this way. It's much cleaner. Then... Let me see what else. I also sent a letter to M.M. De today. I requested him to please tell me what his bank account number is. I also... He's dealing with most of the business of Panchashil flat. According to Vrindavan-candra, M.M. deals with these matters. Apparently he has a little more legal mind. Probably he's more intelligent. Anyway...

Prabhupāda: No, who?

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

Prabhupāda: Three thousand or five thousand... (Hindi) Three thousand eight hundred.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Three thousand at fifty rupees each.

Bhakti-caru: Eight hundred rupees a set times three thousand.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) I increased my duration of life according to horoscope (Hindi) ...this feeble condition... (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here is Akṣayānanda Mahārāja, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Ah, Akṣayānanda Mahārāja...

Akṣayānanda: Yes, Prabhupāda.

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

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ha.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 'Cause you're giving him about, he gets about 800 rupees a month from the BBT for travel expenses.

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So I have some experience with myself as organizing books distribution.

Prabhupāda: Hm, hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So when we would spend with our Rādhā-Dāmodara party, we used to spend about five thousand dollars a month for travel expenses, but for that five thousand dollars we would make a hundred thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In other words twenty times whatever we spent on travelling...

Prabhupāda: And if he does not give substantial order then stop it.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then don't give.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I told him, "Vrindavan, you're netting 800 rupees so for that 800 rupees you must be booking ten to twenty thousand rupees worth of orders."

Prabhupāda: So if he's not giving, then stop it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So I said to him if you're getting ten to twenty thousand, either, two things are happening, either you're not getting the orders, then what is the use of spending 800 rupees?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Or the other thing is that you're getting the orders but you're not giving any money to the BBT.

Prabhupāda: Then be satisfied with stipends, two hundred, three hundred, live in that house and then like that nothing wrong.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I fully depend on your discrimination. I, if he's not giving bill then just stop it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I told him that if you do business, you take the 800 rupees but doing business means you'll pay the BBT some bills.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If you're not paying any bills it means you're not doing business. He is...

Prabhupāda: Very carefully the... I want they may not...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Squander.

Prabhupāda: ...suffer for want of stipend and place. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Do like that and I fully depend on you. If he's not giving business what is the use of?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is spen... I think he's just taking the money and using it for some other business. He can't be spending 800 rupees and not doing any business.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And if he's spending the 800 for travelling and not booking order then what is the use of spending the 800 rupees?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Tell him frankly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Then stop everything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I told him. I said, "You think about it tonight and tomorrow we'll talk again."

Prabhupāda: Hm. Hm. Do everything very cautiously.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh yes.

Prabhupāda: It is not that out of affection we shall squander money.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In over a year he has paid two or three thousand rupees. That's not business. He's taking 800 rupees a month for so long for travel expenses, and he's paid maybe two or three thousand rupees total. I mean it's crazy business.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anybody can see it's not good business.

Prabhupāda: So stop it all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I talked with him in a nice way though. I said, "Now you tell me, Vrindavan." I gave him the points. I said, "So you think about it tonight and you let me know tomorrow." I'm talking in a nice way with him because I feel that in... I want them to be happy. I can see they're not so intelligent so they should not...

Prabhupāda: At least five thousand rupees business must be given otherwise... That's all.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: At least five thousand rupees business must be given otherwise... That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Immediately there should be business. If a man spends nearly a thousand rupees for travelling every month, he must be making fifteen, twenty thousand rupees. But he is not giving any money at all to the BBT. So where's the one thousand rupees going that he's given? He couldn't be using it for...

Prabhupāda: So we have given in charge and now stop it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was giving him travel money now for about two years. And he hasn't given any money to the BBT out of it so I, I really question. I'll talk with him further.

Prabhupāda: You deal.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I know how to do this because I was doing the saṅkīrtana, so I know what should come from the money he's spending. It's the same idea as anywhere in the world. You spend, it's business, business, whether it's dollars or rupees. I'll try...

Prabhupāda: That man who has kept, he's working as assistant, he is plundering.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I think so.

Prabhupāda: He's a foolish man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well the thing is Śrīla Prabhupāda, he's not that intelligent. He's going to be plundered, I mean that's the unfortunate part. That's why we just have to help them and at the same time...

Prabhupāda: Try to help but not squander.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I give you full freedom. As you learn. But arrange that they may remain in that house, lifelong and get each two hundred and fifty. Only my wife five hundred, that's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What happens after when they start getting seven hundred fifty rupees after seven years, they may squander a little bit. But we'll be...

Prabhupāda: No, that is already invested. I read government paper.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: OK. Those three things.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: OK. Good. When the seven hundred and fifty rupees is put in fixed deposit for them, it's put in their name so it belongs to them and you can just tell the bank...

Prabhupāda: Then let them...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Let them have it.

Prabhupāda: After seven years.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Where they are beginning?

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

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You know, the fact that he turned to Communism... Probably he's intelligent but frustrated. That's why they turn to this Communism. And he has a very good upbringing, so much association. I mean Vrindavan had no association, but M.M. had a lot of association, not only with Your Divine Grace but with your Guru Mahārāja and Godbrothers. So perhaps with proper, little cultivation, he might...

Prabhupāda: You give him the scheme and ask him if he wants to discuss this with me.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Money?

Akṣayānanda: Yes. We were using his land for a sewer, water waste. So we had given him two thousand rupees' security. We were going to buy that land. You remember once Your Divine Grace came to see it. We were going to put all that waste water and make a garden and all this. So now we have connected with the municipal sewer line, so there's no need for that land, and that problem is solved. So we took the money back that we had given as a security. I have been there for the last two or three hours, so I was unable to come.

Prabhupāda: They have returned the money.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll just get it, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: All right feeling.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that all right? Says, "Book distribution, worldwide." Says here... These are the world totals for the month of September, Śrīla Prabhupāda. In the month of September all over the world they distributed the following number of big books: 215,914. 216,000 big books in one month, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Medium books: 226,000 in one month. Small books: 237,000. And Back to Godheads: 433,000. Now I calculated, Śrīla Prabhupāda, also the total amount of money realized by the BBT. In the month of September the BBT sold, the temples sold 675,000 dollars' worth of books. In rupees, I figured out it's fifty-nine lakhs the BBT sold. Now, the temples, when they..., if they sell a book, they get double the amount of money. You know what I mean? If the BBT sells the book to the temple for say $2.50, the temple gets $5.00 when it sells the book. So I calculated that the temples collected $1,350,000 from selling your books in the month of September, which comes out to one crore, seventeen lakhs collections from book sales. Then I was calculating what this would mean... (end)

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa's giving us... I figured out, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that if we... Just like we did in September, I multiplied times twelve to see how much money in a year your books are selling. And the BBT, in one year, can expect to make, around the world, about $8,100,000. In rupees that comes out to seven crores, seventy thousand rupees. Seven crores, seventy thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: What karmī can earn so much!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What karmī can earn so much. For the temples, that means that by selling your books, the temples will collect about sixteen million dollars in one year. Or in other words, fourteen crores, nine lakhs, forty thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: They'll believe?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, believe it or not, it's a fact.

Prabhupāda: Fact, yes.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gaura-govinda: I talked with that Śyāmasundara and Anantadeva. He said thirty-six groups are there, nirjoks, pāṇḍā groups. And administrator is there. They want something and all groups want something. (whispering) One lakh of rupee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One lakh of rupees to see Jagannātha. But we can see Jagannātha in any temple in the world. Why do we have to pay one lakh of rupees? Śrīla Prabhupāda? I was saying that we don't have to pay one lakh of rupees to see Lord Jagannātha in Los Angeles.

Prabhupāda: Let them pray to Jagannātha for my cure immediately, or as soon as possible, I shall do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If they pray to Lord Jagannātha for your cure...

Bhavānanda: Immediately or as soon as possible, then he'll do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. First they should do the praying.

Prabhupāda: Let me be in health. Then I'll do that.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is that? (Tamāla Kṛṣṇa laughs)

Girirāja: Well, no, they... My father has increased the fortune, so he was trying to tempt me again, but I wasn't interested. But I think in the end he may give in to Kṛṣṇa, because we were in... We were helping Prabhaviṣṇu by giving him dollars, and he would give us rupees. So we were in a shop, and my mother was making a check, which she was giving to me to give to Prabhaviṣṇu. So the owner of the shop thought that the check was for him, and he started making some objections. So my father said, "No. In our system the husband gives to the wife, and the wife gives to the son, and the son gives to Kṛṣṇa." (laughter) So everyone laughed.

Prabhupāda: Just try to manage.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is the rent of the house?

Girirāja: The rent? It's about twelve hundred rupees, but that's less than one thousand Indian rupees, and it's right on the way to the Paśu-pati-nātha temple, which is the biggest temple in Nepal.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Very famous temple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You've heard of it, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm. People go there to see.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śatadhanya: There's also some news from Māyāpur. Seventeen of the Muhammadans, those Muslims, they have been arrested. Now they're released on bail, but they were officially arrested in Māyāpur. And also Jayapatākā Mahārāja says that the site where they are thinking of building that big temple in Māyāpur, some land has just become available for sale, about fifteen bighās of land. And it ranges from fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred rupees per bighā. So Jayapatākā wanted me to tell Your Divine Grace.

Bhavānanda: Fifteen bighās, that's five acres.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So why not purchase?

Bhavānanda: Right where the, where we want to put the temple. It must be a group of men that the prices vary per bighā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why not purchase?

Śatadhanya: Jayapatākā Mahārāja is very anxious to purchase that land. It's exactly where the site for the big temple, at that location. Fifteen bighās.

Prabhupāda: Whether he can purchase?

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Dollars. Every time he thinks about it, he adds fifty feet, and it goes up twenty million. So now all the distributors in the world, they were very eager to see the temple built, but at the present time it requires so much money at seventy million dollars and 450 feet that no one can think of even starting it for five years. But if the temple was 300 or 350 feet and twenty-five or thirty million dollars, which I don't think anyone—it would be the biggest building even in India and the biggest temple in the world—then it could be started immediately, feasibly. Four temples in America said that if they just get five women each, that means twenty women from the Society, then they could each pledge 25,000 rupees a month for..., in collection. That means $125,000. Plus BBT's $100,000 a month and Gurukṛpā, that would be enough immediately even in the coming year to start the construction of the temple, simply if Saurabha was asked to just make the temple on a thirty million dollar budget, which would be 350 feet or 300 feet. And this is really inspiring the book distributors to have this temple begun, and to complete it within your lifetime, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: My lifetime... (laughs) It is now very brief. At any moment I can...

Jayapatākā: We're all praying that Kṛṣṇa will give your strength back. (break) ...neophyte devotees. Without your inspiration, association, it'll be very difficult.

Prabhupāda: That Muhammadan, what is his name?

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He is selling the land also?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is he selling?

Jayapatākā: Right now he's still asking four thousand rupees, but he seems to be weakening. But he hasn't come down yet in his price. He's not coming around so much because now they have to go regularly to the jail.

Bhavānanda: How often?

Jayapatākā: They were going once a day. Now it's once a week. So it's a big trouble for them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Including him?

Jayapatākā: Yes, he's one of them. He has to go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's one of the men who was...

Jayapatākā: Oh, yes.

Bhavānanda: He's one of the main instigators.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You should tell him that if he sells at 2000 rupees a bighā that we will not be so severe with him.

Jayapatākā: To say stuff like that is very dangerous. They use that, how to say that, in court.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa worked with this man. He was harassing us and now he is harassed.

Prabhupāda: Up to three thousand you can take. Four bighās.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I could come later on if you think it's better.

Prabhupāda: No. (break) (Hindi) Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Give facility for him, ten rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This gentleman?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ten rupees.

Prabhupāda: And some fruits.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Uncut.

Prabhupāda: Uncut, yes.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Now stop talking. (long pause) You have given him ten rupees?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: To that brāhmaṇa?

Girirāja: Yes. He gave ten rupees.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Tamāla gave him ten rupees?

Girirāja: Yes. Śrīla Prabhupāda? Would you like soft kīrtana now, or quiet?

Prabhupāda: You were reading something?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nearly ten thousand rupees a month.

Prabhupāda: Why ten thousand?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think it's quite ten thousand. I think it's less. Eight or nine thousand. Four rupees....

Prabhupāda: No. It is... Plus interest of the money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Plus interest of the... Of which money?

Prabhupāda: The deposit money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fixed deposit money. Well, of course, but that we would have gotten anywhere. But from the point of view of rent it is certainly very substantial rent. That was your scheme, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facility. Utilize it.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So? Where did you go?

Lokanātha: I went to Mathurā. I went first to Vṛndāvana and looked for the carts. They were not very good kind. They were made for rough loads. So I went to Mathurā and spoke to one farmer. He had a fairly big size cart and two strong bullocks, and he asked for a hundred rupees. He wouldn't come down. So ultimately I agreed for a hundred rupees. And he will reach tonight at eleven o'clock. I asked him to start immediately, but they have pūjā—as we have go-pūjā, they also have oxen pūjā today—so he will only reach at eleven o'clock, and he will be with us all day long tomorrow. I had to give him one day or maximum...

Prabhupāda: So what do you think?

Lokanātha: Of what?

Prabhupāda: How many carts you have?

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So what we have to pay?

Lokanātha: We'll pay hundred rupees, one day. Of course, you want to have it for all the time. Best thing is to purchase a set of bullocks, two bullocks, and a cart.

Prabhupāda: You have got experience.

Lokanātha: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So what is better?

Lokanātha: Well, depends on whether we like to use it for longer time. Then we should purchase. If it is just for a few days, best thing is to hire.

Prabhupāda: Hundreds rupees and food.

Lokanātha: No. He has his food for himself and bullocks. So that's for the cart, two bullocks and the driver.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Lokanātha: Yes. This is what they earn for living. Usually they carry different loads from place to another place. Each trip they take twenty rupees, thirty rupees, fifty rupees, according to distance and the load they carry. But it's expensive to keep it for many days.

Prabhupāda: No. If it is inconvenient, we may not keep.

Lokanātha: If it is convenient?

Prabhupāda: Then we shall keep.

Lokanātha: So we'll hire first and see how it goes, works. And if you think it is nice, or comfortable, all right with you, then we can purchase.

Prabhupāda: So how many we are going?