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Umbrella (Lect, Conv. & Letters)

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:

You have to hear Bhāgavatam daily, regularly. That is the injunction of Bhāgavatam. You have to hear from, not from the professional men, professional reciters. Bhāgavata-saptāha, and then, after one saptāha, you do your all nonsense things and he takes some money for livelihood, for maintaining his wife and children. And so many umbrellas, so many suits, so many utensils, and sell in the market, get some money, and maintain them. This kind of bhāgavata-sevā will not help. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order is bhāgavata pada giyā bhāgavata-sthāne (CC Antya 5.131). If you want to realize what is Bhāgavata, then you must go and learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a person whose life is Bhāgavatam, not the professional Bhāgavata reciters.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Los Angeles, August 25, 1972:

When there was torrents of rain, Vṛndāvana was being overflooded, and all the inhabitants became so much disturbed. They were seeing to, looking to Kṛṣṇa, because they did not know anything beyond Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I am lifting this mountain. Let it become a big umbrella of the whole state, or whole village." The atheist will say these are all stories. No. They're not stories. Because God is supreme, He is supreme physist, He knows how to make this mountain weightless. He knows the art. Just like so many gigantic planets are floating in the sky. That is a fact. Now who is floating? You cannot float even a small thing in the air, but such gigantic... Not only one, millions and trillions, they are floating. Who has made it possible, floating? So, God can do that. Therefore He is called all-powerful, the great.

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:

So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he saw that the principles of Kali-yuga, meaning adulteration, prostitution, animal-killing, drinking, intoxication, gambling, these things are coming gradually... Because the age Kali-yuga, this is Kali-yuga. Just like before winter there is some wind, very cold. One can understand, "Now winter is approaching." So of course, you cannot stop winter, but you be careful so that you may not catch cold, coughing. You dress yourself nicely, have warm cloth. It is no use fighting with the seasonal changes. That is not possible. Just like it is raining. It is no use to fight with the cloud and rain, stop it. That is not possible. But you can take raincoat, umbrella, so that you may not be affected. That is your business. So Kali-yuga has entered. Kali-yuga has entered all over the world. Not now. Five thousand years ago, during the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Gradually, people are degrading, only on these principles: illicit sex, animal slaughter, intoxication and gambling. These are the four pillars of the platform of Kali.

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:

Some unscrupulous persons, they recite Bhāgavata-saptāha, and the audience gather also for some material benefit. They take it as auspicious activity, śubha-kārya. They don't care for neither the speaker nor the devotee. They don't care for understanding the science of God. They are after some material profit. The professional reader, he reads, he takes some contribution, some money, some clothing, some umbrella, some shoes, some food, some money. In this way, he collects a very lump sum for his maintenance of his family, and the audience also thinks that "By hearing Bhāgavatam, I'll be very much profited materially." This is going on. Bhāgavata-saptāha. Bhāgavata-saptāha, imitation. Parīkṣit Mahārāja heard for one week Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. So they are imitating this one week. But where is Parīkṣit and where is Śukadeva? Both of them have got some ulterior purpose to hear Bhāgavata. Therefore it is not affecting. They are hearing Bhāgavata for thousands of years, but still, they are where they were formerly.

Lecture on SB 2.9.16 -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Sudāmā: I don't think it will take place because it is supposed to be held in a large park.

Śyāmasundara: It is very wet. Shall we go to Hawaii today?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? (laughter)

Devotee: Maybe we'll find a big umbrella.

Prabhupāda: So... (pause) You read this verse, number nine?

Sudāmā: Number nine.

Prabhupāda: It is not working?

Śyāmasundara: The speaker works, but the reel is not moving. I think that belt is making noises or is cut loose or is broken. It often happens with these belts. In Hawaii we can get another one.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Los Angeles, June 11, 1976:

What Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā? First of all, He establishes Himself that "I am the Supreme Lord." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So, the Māyāvādīs, they also think that "I am also Kṛṣṇa. I can also speak." No, that you cannot do. Just like we are singing this song daily, gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. It is... Kṛṣṇa is playing with the gopīs. The sahajiyās, they take it very easily. But giri-vara-dhārī, oh, that is very difficult thing. He raised the whole Govardhana Hill in His finger; that nobody is imitating. But gopī-jana-vallabha, very easy. "You are gopī, I am Kṛṣṇa. Let us enjoy." This is sahajiyā. This is sahajiyā. That is going on. Parakīyā-rasa. All rascaldom is going on. But one should understand that here is Kṛṣṇa. He can dance with the gopīs and He can lift the Govardhana Hill also, simultaneously. That is also for pleasing the gopīs. When there was incessant rainfall, all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana became so disturbed, and they had no other friend than Kṛṣṇa. So they appealed, "Kṛṣṇa, do something!" "Yes!" Immediately, He raised the whole hill as umbrella. "Come on under this." So that is Kṛṣṇa. So don't imitate Kṛṣṇa, but hear Kṛṣṇa, what says, then our life is successful. We cannot imitate God. We have to simply follow His order. That is dharma. And if you imitate Kṛṣṇa, that is adharma. Don't try to imitate. There are two words in Sanskrit, anukāraṇa, anusaraṇa. Anukāraṇa means imitation, and anusaraṇa means follow. We have to execute anusaraṇa, follow. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29).

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

Giri-vara-dhārī. Just see. Gopījana-vallabha. The gopīs and their husbands and sons, so they were in danger when there was torrents of rain. They were very much perplexed. They approached Kṛṣṇa: "This is the danger. What You can do?" "Yes." Immediately He lifted the Govardhana Hill as umbrella: "Come on under this." Gopījana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. This is Kṛṣṇa, that as soon the gopījana, they are in dangerous, He is immediately, although seven-years-old boy: "All right, I am making a big umbrella." Giri-vara-dhārī. This is Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa.

So the conclusion is that try to please Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. Don't try... Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). We have tried to improve our condition of life, even becoming the demigods, but don't think the demigods are without danger. We have learned from history, Bhāgavata, the Purāṇas, Indra was so many times perplexed. Even Brahmā was perplexed. You cannot avoid dangerous position within this material world even if you are a person like Brahmā. That is not possible. But if you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then everything is all right. So our business should be not to become very, very great person within this material world, because that will never be possible. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate, upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). In the higher planetary system or lower planetary system, whatever you desire, you can get a big position but never safety, never peacefulness. You'll never get. Do you think that in our this modern world... There are many, many Birlas and other, Tatas. Do you think they are happy? (end)

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.62-67 -- New York, January 6, 1966:

So Sanskrit scholars would come in such celebrated places, and they would challenge for arguing on the śāstras. So the rule was that two parties will argue, and the defeated party will become the disciple of the victorious party. That was the system. So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was sixteen years old, this Keśava Kāśmīrī came to Navadvīpa to challenge. In other places he was victorious. He became champion. And then, at last, he came to Bengal, Navadvīpa. So that scholarly discussion will take place.

Now notice is already given that "Keśava Kāśmīrī has come here," and he had an umbrella, and the four sides was covered with gold, and the one side is remaining. As soon as he becomes victorious in Navadvīpa, that side also will be covered with gold. So the people of Navadvīpa, learned scholars, they first of all thought that Nimāi Paṇḍita... Caitanya Mahāprabhu was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita because He was boy, sixteen-years-old boy, very learned scholar, especially in logic He was very learned scholar, logician. He was so... Even in His sixth year, with His class friends He will establish one theory; again He will cut it; again He will establish; again He will cut it; again the same, in His own way. He was so learned scholar, logician. So the elderly scholars of Navadvīpa, they designed that "This Nimāi Paṇḍita should be forwarded first to talk with Keśava Kāśmīrī because He is a boy. But He is a very nice boy. He is a very learned boy.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

It is exactly the same Vṛndāvana, but because it is on this material world, it appears that there is sometimes danger. So when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, on this planet, so there was some danger. Actually there was no danger because Kṛṣṇa was present. But it appeared like that. So there was torrents of rain for seven days. The Indra, the demigod who is in charge of the watering department of this universe, he... (someone laughs) Don't laugh. It is very serious. So he became very angry. Kṛṣṇa stopped demigod worship, Indra worship, so he became very angry. So there was torrents of rain for seven days continually, and Kṛṣṇa took up a hill which is called Govardhana Hill—if sometimes you come to Vṛndāvana, you will see the Govardhana is there—as the umbrella on the, what is called finger, ring finger? No. Small finger. So jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī, gopījana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. Immediately lifted the big mountain as umbrella like this. So when Kṛṣṇa was present, although He was playing like an ordinary human child or human being, still, when there was need, He manifested His godly power. That is God. When it was needed to protect the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, He lifted a big hill, and since then His name is Giri-vara-dhārī. Giri-vara-dhārī means that hill, and He sustained that hill. He was at that time seven years old from material calculation.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: That, if there is water, that water is this well. How can there be more than this? And maybe big well, that's all. But that is his conception. So this conception will not help. You cannot create God. Just like we have got God, Kṛṣṇa. As soon as there was necessity to give protection to the inhabitants of whole Vṛndāvana, the torrents of rain, and it requires a big umbrella, and immediately He lifted the whole mountain: "Come on, under this, let Me see how long this torrents of rain go on. I shall hold." That is God. He... So He was seven-years-old boy. He was not a meditation God. Nowadays that the rascals are becoming God by meditation. What is meditation God? God is always God. Does it require meditation to become God? There are all these rascals, they are preaching, "You meditate and you become God. You think that 'I am moving the sun, I am moving the earth, I am...' " This is rascaldom. But Kṛṣṇa, He is not that kind of God. He is always God. Now it is necessary, "All right. Lift this." This is God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. Whole strength is there to lift the mountain. That is God.

Purports to Songs

Spelling of Arati Song -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Here is Advaita Prabhu.

Pradyumna: Śrīvāsa.

Prabhupāda: Śrīvāsa, there, another Lord's devotee. Śrīvāsa.

Pradyumna: Chaterjra.

Prabhupāda: Chatra-dhara. Chatra-dhara means he is bearing the umbrella.

Pradyumna: Śrīvāsa is?

Prabhupāda: Śrīvāsa, you know? Śrīvāsadi-gaura-bhakta. He is the chief devotee of Lord Caitanya. Śrīvāsa. He is Śrīvāsa.

Pradyumna: So it says, "Nearby, Advaita Prabhu and Śrīvāsa are bearing an umbrella."

Prabhupāda: That means Advaita Prabhu is nearby, and Śrīvāsa is also nearby, and Śrīvāsa is bearing the umbrella on the head of Lord Caitanya.

Pradyumna: Śaṅkha. Kibā śaṅkha.

Prabhupāda: Śaṅkha. Śaṅkha means the conchshell.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Eh? What is that?

Haṁsadūta: Under, under his direction. Any monies or properties under his direction.

Atreya Ṛṣi: That would be a separate oath. That would be a separate thing, Prabhupāda.

Haṁsadūta: Maybe that should just be left out because if we're going to have some legal document like an umbrella, then that will take care of all those things.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Well, that should be in the pledge, in the agenda.

Prabhupāda: No, no, GBC... Does GBC members deal with money?

Haṁsadūta: No, he does not personally. He doesn't have anything personal.

Prabhupāda: No, no. I mean...

Brahmānanda: But he puts his signature.

Atreya Ṛṣi: No, no. As GBC, we do not deal with money. In other words, if you're dealing with money, it's the temple president.

Prabhupāda: The GB...

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1975, Honolulu:

Siddha-svarūpa: They are junk tours from Japan. (break) ...finding security in his radio.

Prabhupāda: What is that security?

Siddha-svarūpa: It's false security. (break)

Prabhupāda: And there was no necessity. Still, we shall go. It is very pleasant. (break) One umbrella, if you push, it will open, and if you push down, it will come back. Machine. (break) ...mantra is described in the śāstra just like a potential medicine. If you take it, either you know it or not know it, it will act. And another example is given. Just like fire. If one, the father knows, "This is fire," and throws to the grass, it will be burned. Similarly, if a child—he does not know what it is—if he throws, then that will also burn. (break)

Ambarīṣa: I won't become become involved in any other project besides Kurukṣetra? Just Kurukṣetra.

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Ambarīṣa: Jaya, okay. Not even New York.

Prabhupāda: New York is still doubtful.

Ambarīṣa: Yes. (break)

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes, Sixth Canto, Ajamila. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...got this coat?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gurukṛpa Mahārāja. He got it made in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. I see that it is not American. (break) ...umbrellas. (break) ...this place?

Jayatīrtha: This is a place where they have social functions.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) So many dogs, "best friends." (break) ...they have erased, "No dogs on beach," "Dogs on beach." (laughter) Just see how lawful they are. (break) How many books are pending? Rāmeśvara?

Rāmeśvara: I think we have just added one more in the Sixth Canto since you have started translating it.

Prabhupāda: No, no. How many books are pending?

Rāmeśvara: Still about seventeen.

Prabhupāda: So?

Rāmeśvara: We have just sent Madhya Two...

Prabhupāda: They are not complete?

Rāmeśvara: You have finished them.

Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Śaṅka: Many, Śrīla Prabhupāda

Prabhupāda: That's nice. It is very nice flower.

Śaṅka: Also campa trees, many campa trees, down here, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Ah, thank you. Grow such flowers. (break)

Harikeśa: (Whispers) Got an umbrella?

Prabhupāda: What are these trees?

Harikeśa: We should bring an umbrella.

Prabhupāda: These... (break) There is no understanding? (break)

Dr. Patel: Japan also.

Prabhupāda: Japan also. Well, everyone is against us.

Dr. Patel: No, these boys who are recruited newly. They don't have much about the idea of Vaiṣṇavism.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That's a fact. But what can I do? They are my helper.

Press Conference -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:

Indian man: (indistinct-loud static)

Prabhupāda: No, but just like you know in the rainy season there will be heavy rainfall, but you can protect yourself. You can get raincoat, you can get umbrella. Then you will... (break) So you cannot stop the rainy season, but you can protect yourself. (break) ...so many Africans. We have many Africans, devotees.

Guest (3): Yes. Americans.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Have you got any picture?

Brahmānanda: We have photographs of our temples in Kenya.

Cyavana: We have about thirty disciples in Nairobi, Africans.

Brahmānanda: You should see the film.

Cyavana: Yes.

Brahmānanda: If you come this evening, we have a nice film about our movement all over the world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We go interior to African village.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 11, 1976, Mayapur:

Jayapatāka: Hah, down. Cleared out.

Prabhupāda: So it is cleared. You men can live there.

Devotees in distance: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Jayapatāka: They have big umbrella overhead.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they did it. They did it in South India when I was there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Nellore. That was wonderful.

Jayapatāka: We can make such arrangement?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Ācāryopāsanam. That is in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ācāryopāsanam. It is not self-aggrandizement. The ācāryopāsanā goes to Kṛṣṇa directly. Therefore it is needed. Not that it is a pompous thing. Ācāryopāsanā. Kṛṣṇa says. That is the way of knowledge. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23).

Pañcadraviḍa: How does that work, that if somebody has the association of a pure devotee for only a lava, one-eleventh of a second, that he attains all perfection?

Prabhupāda: If he is so sincere.... Just like dried wood immediately ignites. And if it is moist, it does not. It is the quality of the wood. One takes three hundred years; one in three minutes. That's it. (break) One is dry from the material moist of contamination, he becomes immediately ignited in spiritual...

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gurudāsa also called.

Rāmeśvara: Lutheran Church.

Prabhupāda: Where he is now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's in Detroit. He told me to book his ticket to London on the same flight that you were going on.

Prabhupāda: I came here in the evening, with umbrella and in the morning I saw the whole street is white.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: White-washed, you thought it was white-washed?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: From the snow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He thought that someone had poured white wash.

Prabhupāda: When I first saw from the window that the street was all white, "How is that? One white-washed?" (laughter) Then when I saw in the street, "Oh!"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You never saw snow.

Prabhupāda: No.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They did it in Russia.

Krishna Modi: Because their theory is this: That this God and all these religious matters, this is a opium and this is a kind of, you may say it that in the umbrella. Religious in the name of...

Prabhupāda: And what they have done, the Communists?

Krishna Modi: They have not done anything. They should not do anything. It is not their duty.

Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say, countries like Russia and China, what actual progress they have made?

Krishna Modi: That is... They say like that, that we are giving very good food to everybody, very good house, and living, and all their (indistinct), education, medical free. We are giving the to common men...

Prabhupāda: Medical (indistinct) is free. Free medical service, education... (break)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...and in the offices of big, big professors and all, it looks so much lower than in America or Canada.

Krishna Modi: And in the comparison of India?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, in some respects I found them even lower than India. You'll be amazed... I visited all the leading libraries of Russia and Leningrad. Moscow University Library, all the big libraries. These libraries don't have any foreign exchange for ordering these books. They all want to order... They were begging me for free books. They said, "Why don't you give us a donation or exchange." They have a book exchange that if they give their books then we give our books. Each library gets such little foreign exchange allowance to buy books from abroad.

Prabhupāda: A taxi driver, he was asking some bhakshish.

Krishna Modi: In Russia.

Prabhupāda: And I was talking with Professor Katovsky. I asked him please call for a taxi. So he said, "Swamiji, it is Moscow." That means taxis are not available. Then he came down with me and from the gate he showed me, "You take this shortcut when you go to your hotel." He could not call a taxi. Taxis are not available. He said, "Oh, it is Moscow."

Room Conversation with U.N. Doctor -- September 29, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So I went to that place in Geneva.

Doctor: Geneva has got so many specialized agencies of the United Nations, like the I.L.O. and so on.

Prabhupāda: Do you think United Nations is making any tangible progress?

Doctor: Sir, it at least brings people together under one umbrella to discuss. If you did not have that...

Prabhupāda: But discussion, that I have already explained.

Doctor: Sir, maybe, but if you don't discuss, you'll fight. Because if aim we don't meet at all then they will have the struggle.

Prabhupāda: No. If you have no idea how to come to the conclusion, ciraṁ vicinvan. You can forever go on discussing, you'll never come... You do not know what is the aim. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31).

Doctor: Maybe so, but if two people instead of coming to blows come together to talk, it is a step in the right direction.

Prabhupāda: No right direction because he does not know what is the aim.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is the difficulty. Everyone is doing that.

Guest (1): Yes. We have many propagations of Gītā in this country.

Prabhupāda: He is preaching his own ideas and taking Bhagavad-gītā.

Guest (1): Under the umbrella of Bhagavad-gītā he does it.

Prabhupāda: Smoking gāñjā with a friend's hand because there is smell, so the friend's hand will smell. (Hindi) (laughter) This is going on. (Hindi)

Guest (1): There will be immediate protest the moment... This film has got the connotation that Hare Kṛṣṇa means... Now, these boys, by their own conduct and by their own hard work, whosoever has come into contact with them have realized that this is genuine and actually...

Prabhupāda: No, you see, something cheating which is going on for long time, to stop it, it will take some time.

Guest (1): Yes. Unless and until the people who are well-to-do...

Prabhupāda: We have got one little test. You can also use that. Kṛṣṇa says,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
(BG 7.15)

So you make one test, whether he has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. If he has not done, then he is in these four categories. What are they? Duṣkṛtina, great sinful; mūḍha, rascal; narādhama, lowest of the mankind. And if you say, "Oh, these are so big, big learned scholar," now māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. Why? Āsuraṁ bhāvam, asura. Asura's business is to deny Kṛṣṇa and to kill Kṛṣṇa. So all these people, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā, and they are trying to kill Kṛṣṇa. (devotees chanting) Is it not a fact? All these big big leaders, they'll speak on Bhagavad-gītā, and they will never say that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You surrender to Him."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Also, he also. He also takes. So if it is practiced, it keeps health very nice. I was taking all along. Since I was attacked, heart, they said you should be kept from catching cold.

Hari-śauri: You wanted that description of Vāmanadeva as the dwarf brahmacārī? It says, "Mother earth gave Him a deerskin, and the demigod of the moon, who is the king of the forest, gave Him a brahma-daṇḍa, the rod of a brahmacārī. His mother, Aditi, gave Him a cloth for underwear, and the Deity presiding over the heavenly kingdom offered Him an umbrella. O King, Lord Brahmā offered a waterpot to the inexhaustible Supreme Personality of Godhead. The seven sages offered Him kuśa grass, and mother Sarasvatī gave Him a string of rudrākṣa beads. When Vāmanadeva had thus been given the sacred thread, Kuvera, the king of the Yakṣas, gave Him a pot for begging alms."

Prabhupāda: In Kanpur there is a brahmacārī aśrama. Sometimes gṛhasthas, they invite the brahmacārīs to feed them, and when a brahmacārī is initiated, they give them this pot. So that brahmacārī aśrama, the man who is maintaining, he occasionally collects these pots, so, and he sells all these pots to a brass merchant. People give sacred thread, a pot. As they give in charity to the brāhmaṇas, they give in charity to the brahmacārīs.

Hari-śauri: It says, "Kuvera, the king of the Yakṣas, gave Him a..."

Prabhupāda: Another system is: during the initiation time, somebody becomes godmother of the brahmacārī and gives some money.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam.

Prabhupāda: No, any knowledge. Just like modern scientists, they do. When they discover something, they give it. Go from university to university. Whatever... They may be wrong. They want to give it. That is the way. In India such vast knowledge, it is kept for professional Bhāgavata readers. How much harm they have done! Some professional Bhāgavata readers, it is their profession. And they will gather some woman and talk of rāsa-līlā and Bhāgavata reading. Some lady, old men, some woman, they will gather and sit down with their grammar,(?) karma-kāṇḍa. So that his material position will be better off. And the reciter will gather so many dozens of (indistinct) and umbrella and cloth, and take it away and sell it in the market, and employ it for his son's marriage, daughter's marriage. And this is called Bhāgavata. This is going on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is there some verse in the Bhāgavatam which states that the Bhāgavatam reciter must be a very qualified person?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Svarūpa Dāmodara said, "You read Bhāgavata from a person who's life is Bhāgavata." Bhāgavata paḍa giyā bhāgavata sthāne.(?) In Rādhā-Dāmodara temple one brāhmaṇa was reading Bhāgavatam daily as a meeting.(?) For half an hour. And half a dozen woman would sit down. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...we will anxiously wait a report on..."

Prabhupāda: No, what is the trustees?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The BBT trustees means of the different publishing arms of the BBT. French trustee is Bhagavān...

Prabhupāda: Oh, BBT.

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The residents of Vṛndāvana, they were never fearful.

Prabhupāda: No. (laughs) They know Kṛṣṇa is there. As soon as there is danger... There is torrents of rain. Innocent, they do not know. Kṛṣṇa: "Yes! Come on." They come, "Come on under the umbrella. Let there be rain. Now they are safe." Then Indra could understand, "Oh, the challenge... My Lord..." He was surprised that "A boy, cowherd boy, these people, they're worshiping as God? Oh, that may be..." Brahmā challenged, "This cowherd boy..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Didn't they know who Kṛṣṇa was?

Prabhupāda: Who Kṛṣṇa was, they knew it. But "This cowherd boy is Kṛṣṇa?" Just like we are also despising these so-called avatāras. That does not mean we do not know Kṛṣṇa. We know actually Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we despise all these rascals, "avatāra." Their master is Kṛṣṇa they know. They're servants. Otherwise how they are devatā? But the mistake was that "My master has come, has become a cowherd boy and playing with insignificant and boys and girls, and He is my master?" That is going on. Sūrayaḥ. Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. You know this, the Bhāgavata? Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Great, great stalwart demigods, they also become bewildered to understand. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Just like such a big lawyer, he is asking, "Whether Kṛṣṇa is fictitious or fact?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People are so...

Prabhupāda: Everyone takes this Kṛṣṇa, Bhāgavata and Bhagavad-gītā is a story.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They have no training.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- Los Angeles 5 December, 1968:

In answer to your question, let me say that Lord Visnu is served by Sesa who is also an incarnation of Visnu. His business is to supply all bodily comforts to Lord Visnu. Sesa, or Ananta, serves Visnu as His Mattress and protects Him from all atmospheric disturbances by making His heads like a canopy or umbrella. In this way, He supplies umbrella, bedding, slippers, and everything else personally required by Lord Visnu. This information we get from scriptural sources. So keeping pace with this scriptural injunction, you may paint nicely as Krishna gives you instruction.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Jayapataka -- Bombay 24 March, 1971:

Acyutananda Maharaja wanted to come to Bombay during the ceremony and I think you also thought like that. I have no objection if you come here to join this ceremony, only thing is whether in your absence Calcutta work will suffer? If you come here, you can bring our dandas and umbrella which are left there with the books in storage.

Letter to Nayanabhirama -- Bombay 4 April, 1971:

The suggested ceremonial gifts for the Spiritual Master are as follows: grains; fruits; spices; ghee; flowers; clothings and garments; bedding, shoes, umbrella; asana; sacred thread; utensils; lamp; bead bag; kunti (neck) beads; incense; ornaments; money. No, the third floor is not too high for my quarters. When I was in Montreal I was on the fourth floor.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Bombay 8 December, 1974:

Regarding the BBT and the Society corporation, yes I want this kind of umbrella corporation. But if there is any difficulty, we have got BBT already tax exempt in India. If there is difficulty in getting BBT tax exempt in USA then we have got it here. You say that the lawyer suggests that BBT be a satellite organ of ISKCON, but does that mean that BBT is separate from ISKCON or not? Ramesvara gives the hint that ISKCON may go into liquidation. I cannot think of it. But, anyway, I cannot at any cost risk BBT if ISKCON goes into liquidation. Why risk the BBT by amalgamating it into ISKCON? Therefore I want to keep BBT separate.

Page Title:Umbrella (Lect, Conv. & Letters)
Compiler:Sahadeva, Mayapur
Created:09 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=11, Con=13, Let=4
No. of Quotes:28