Brahmānanda: ...offered him respect. This Bajaj, he was speaking something to him, offering him some respect. This morning they just had their organizational meeting, and they've asked one of our representatives to come and speak about our activities. So Akṣayānanda Swami will speak, and he will speak in Hindi. One of the things they mentioned... 'Cause I was saying this morning that we're having difficulty also getting the younger people to join, so they thought that one reason is that our men are not able to speak the Indian languages. These people are also very attached to Indian language. They're pro-Indian language. So if he speaks in Hindi, that will be an influence...
Prabhupāda: He is Māyāvādī, this... What is? Akhandananda?
Brahmānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: You met him?
Brahmānanda: I didn't see... You remember you went to that Kurukṣetra meeting?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Brahmānanda: About two years ago? Mainly the same people are here also that were there at that meeting. Then this Swami Cinmayananda...
Prabhupāda: He has not come.
Brahmānanda: No. They were just talking about him.
Prabhupāda: Don't bother to come here, then.
Brahmānanda: But they treated you with much respect, though. They said that they had wanted Your Divine Grace to come because you are also a member of their steering committee. (indistinct) They also had a proposal to produce a series of different books, small books, pamphlets, forty, fifty pages, comprising selections from the Bhagavad-gītā. And these would be for specific types of persons. The books would be Bhagavad-gītā for students, Bhagavad-gītā for businessmen, Bhagavad-gītā for scientists, like that. So they want us to produce the book for the scientists, taking various quotes from Bhagavad-gītā with a short explanation of the verse. So I said one problem is that all the different groups who are assembled here will all have different interpretations of the verses. What about this? And they said, "No, no, we shouldn't interpret." I said, "Well, one reason that the young people are not taking up this Bhagavad-gītā is because they see that everyone is giving a different interpretation. Nobody is presenting it as it is, so they're confused." I was in Kashmir, I was speaking with some young boys. They were telling me they're confused by religion. They don't respect the paṇḍitas in the temples—they're all simply after money. They have no respect for religion, Hindu religion. So I mentioned this to all of them. They are all Māyāvādīs. And they argued with me. I presented arguments. They would not accept it.
Prabhupāda: They want to avoid criticism.
Brahmānanda: I argued right back with them. I said, "You..." They were saying that we shouldn't interpret Bhagavad-gītā. I said, "Then why are you saying that Kṛṣṇa means 'divine consciousness'? Where does Kṛṣṇa say 'divine consciousness'? He says, mām, aham. He doesn't say 'divine consciousness.' He says 'to Me.' "
Prabhupāda: And all the ācāryas say. We have to follow the ācāryas. Very good. They do not answer. And they... Is it not?
Brahmānanda: But they don't listen to you. We tell them the truth, but they don't want to hear it. They just want to come and become important by their attending this meeting, become puffed up and speak their own ideas and think that they're accomplishing some real...
Prabhupāda: That may be (indistinct).
Brahmānanda: One of the delegates, he is sitting there, and he was spinning thread on a hand spinner. Then afterwards he stopped and even he fell asleep during the meeting. We were arguing about personalism and impersonalism, and Mr. Bajaj, he interrupted that "Now, you shouldn't... The purpose of this meeting is not to discuss Bhagavad-gītā but just to discuss how to promote Bhagavad-gītā."
Prabhupāda: No idea of... He has no authorized.
Brahmānanda: One thing they recognize is that the young people of India, they want to see the experience of Bhagavad-gītā. Just like Arjuna in the beginning was bewildered and in the end he agreed. So that experience... I said, "Yes, and we have had the same experience, because as Westerners, in the beginning we didn't even the know the name Kṛṣṇa, and now we are serving Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day. So obviously there was some great experience. So that has been given to us by Śrīla Prabhupāda." And then he recognized, "Yes." I said, "So we are... We can actually give our experience." So then he suggested that some publication be made actually dealing with the experiences.
Prabhupāda: That we are giving. This Bhāgavata discourse...
Brahmānanda: I think now that our books are coming out in the Indian languages and are being distributed, I think this will cause young Indians...
Prabhupāda: Young Indians are not... They have already published these things. Scientific investigation of matter.