770519R1.VRN

770519R1.VRN
Conversation with M.P.
Shri Sita Ram Singh
-
May 19, 1977, Vrndavana
770519R1-Vrindavan [36:10 Minutes]
There must be a full basket of mangoes daily for the children
 
Audio
Sita Ram Singh: I came from Delhi. I got down here: "I want only darsanas."
Prabhupada: [Transl. Sit down.]
Sita Ram Singh: He told me, "He's not keeping good health..." "Of course, I won't speak to him, but simply I will have his darsana." Because you are superhuman being...
[Prabhupada chuckles]
Everyone wants a blessing of persons like you. What you have done, and to remember these things... One feels himself satisfied only after having your darsana. You do me this favor...
Prabhupada: You... You belong to Delhi?
Sita Ram Singh: No, I belong to Bihar. I come from the constituency [Transl. of Sri Jagjivanram. I was the President of the District Congress Committee there. I was a deligate of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee. When Jagjivana Babu left Congress, I too left. I have left with two thousand workers.]
Prabhupada: Oh!
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Then I followed CFDE. Congress For Democracy. As it merged in Janta party. I truly…I often live with Jagjivana Babu. I treat him like chief guest there.] On the way I got down here, and I was so fortunate [Transl. to have your darsana. He is my relation. He is posted here as the Magistrate at Mathura. He will be subscribed today and so I have put up with him. [indistinct] ...he told me, "You can have your prasada here." But "I shall take a part of prasada." But the prasada what I want, I want darsana. And if you have got any sympathy for me, kindly...
Prabhupada: I have got sympathy for everyone.
Sita Ram Singh: Ah, yes.
Prabhupada: Unfortunately, nobody cares to obey it.
Sita Ram Singh: That's right. You are right.
Prabhupada: They have their own program. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah [SB 7.5.31]. Blind men leading blind men. You realize that your Constitution is defective?
Sita Ram Singh: Yes, of course.
Prabhupada: Then what is the use of changing? The same instrument... So our proposal is that unless the means are perfect, the end cannot be perfect. So we are presenting, therefore, the means of Bhagavad-gita, perfect, everything. But they are manufacturing their own way. There are so many parties-Ch.D., D.A.C., Ph.D....
Sita Ram Singh: [laughs] All they have got is party for their own selfish end. Actually it's taking north to south. Though I belong to one of the party, but I must see the truth before them. Because they have all got their own selfish aims.
Prabhupada: They are interested to keep the new position of the party. Who is thinking of the public? Public is in the same distressed condition.
Sita Ram Singh: Same distressed.
Prabhupada: 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's hobby 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 tola [10 grams].
Prabhupada: Twenty-two rupees.
Sita Ram Singh: Twenty-two rupees. That's all.
Prabhupada: Now the same gold is six hundred rupees. So three hundred times more?
Sita Ram Singh: Yes.
Prabhupada: 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: Right.
Prabhupada: 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 drums, 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 fifteen rupees.
Prabhupada: Thirteen rupees.
Sita Ram Singh: Thirteen rupees in our time.
Prabhupada: Ghee, first-class ghee, we were purchasing, one rupee, Bhadua ghee. Now what is the price of ghee?
Indian man (1): Twenty-five.
Sita Ram Singh: Twenty rupees.
Indian man (1): Twenty, twenty-five. Between twenty and twenty-five, depending upon the place.
Prabhupada: That means between twenty-five to thirty times, the price has increased. But income has not increased.
Indian man (1): Not in the real sense.
Prabhupada: No sense. All nonsense.
Indian man (1): No sense. Not at all.
Sita Ram Singh: No sense. No sense at all.
Prabhupada: Simply nonsense. So what is remedy? Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah [SB 7.5.31]. All over the world... Of course, we do not want to criticize, but according to sastra, people will suffer more and more. And they must suffer, because they are becoming godless. They must suffer. That is nature's punishment.
They won't take the real culture given by God Himself, Krsna, "Do like this." Therefore they are godless. They must suffer. Now the suffering is awaiting to the general mass of people. Durbhiksa... Anavrsti-durbhiksa-kara-piditah [SB 12.2.9]. There will be no rain from the sky, and therefore there will be no sufficient grains. Anavrsti-durbhiksa. And in the name of improving the situation, government will tax. Kara-piditah. In this way, so the people in general, they'll be so much harassed that without being able to manage things... Acchinna-dara-dravina gacchanti giri-kananam. "Let whatever I may have to the family eating. Let me go." This is the position.
Sita Ram Singh: What will be the future of India?
Prabhupada: This is be future. Anywhere. Why you are speaking of India? What is spoken in the sastra, that is not for India or for Bihar. It is for everywhere.
Sita Ram Singh: And the situation is going from bad to worse. Will it go...
Prabhupada: Yes. And at the end there will be no wheat, no rice, no sugar, no milk, and you'll have to eat... I shall eat your flesh; you shall eat my flesh. They are eating already fetus of their own sons. What is that?
Tamala Krsna: In some countries in the West...
Prabhupada: Do they not?
Tamala Krsna: In some countries in the West they perform this operation for... What do they call it?
Indian man (1): Abortion.
Tamala Krsna: Abortion. They have legalized abortion. So the unborn fetus, after it's aborted, they're eating as food.
Sita Ram Singh: They have devised also even in India also. I don't know about...
Prabhupada: Therefore I said, "Why do you speak of this country?" This will happen everywhere.
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. If such sinful activities will take place] how one can expect betterment of the nation?
Prabhupada: [Transl. Sin? How much sin have you seen so far? Nothing. So much more sin will be there. Won't they suffer? ] prakrteh kriya... [Bg 3.27]
Indian man (1): Is there any way out?
Prabhupada: There will be Krsna consciousness... Why don't you come? You'll not come. You'll stick to your own principle. Here is the way out: mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam [Bg 7.14]. "No." You'll make your own party, that's all, and suffer. What can be done? You'll never take good advice from Krsna. You'll take advice from Indira Gandhi. That's it.
Sita Ram Singh: This is the reason of this discontentment.
Prabhupada: [Transl. They have nothing. All are poor. andha yathandhair… I don't want to say. If I say you will be offended. But the fact is that one blind man is leading another blind man. It is written explicitly.] Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31].
Prabhupada: They are trying to adjust things by the external feature. [Transl. There are many things to say. People don't want to understand. And if I try to explain them they become angry. upadeso hi murkhanam prakopaya na santaye or by instructing a fool, he simply becomes angry. [Canakya Pandit]. What to do? The remedy is there.] Come to Krsna consciousness and be happy.
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. The remedy is there, but from the beginning the path...]
Prabhupada: [Transl. What from the beginning, do it from now. Whatever has happened, has happened. Everyone makes mistake. But why to continue the same mistake?]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Yes. Mistake should be rectified.]
Prabhupada: [Transl. Yes. If mistake has been committed then accept it and rectify it. You will be successful. But "no, my mistake will go on." So go on. This is the point. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has said "Don't worry. Whatever has happened, has happened," sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam[Bg 18.66]]
Sita Ram Singh: mam ekam saranam vraja
Prabhupada: [Transl. Nobody is following. aham tvam sarva-papebhyo, you must have committed sin, so many mistakes you made, so much mischief you played.] "I will excuse you." But who cares for You? [Transl. "Who is this God, Krsna, I am God." He is God!]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Sinful mentality doesn't go away from the mind. It is a bad habit.]
Prabhupada: [Transl. All are rascals. If I tell, you will feel bad, but actually all are rascals. mudhah. na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg 7.15] …..those who are lowest among mankind, and most sinful, they do not follow the order of God. na mam prapadyante. But they are very learned! mayayapahrta-jnana, they have no knowledge. They are learned in the name only. And whatever ABCD they learned, that also Maya has taken away. mayayapahrta-jnana. Why like that? asuram bhavam asritah. They are envious of God. "What is God? We will kill Him." Kamsa's philosophy. "Oh, as soon as Krsna takes birth let me know. I will kill Him immediately." This is the demoniac policy. asuri bhavam…]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. The mentality Kamsa had, now everyone is having such mentality. [laughs].
Prabhupada: [Transl. There must be. Nature will not spare you, no matter how big wrestler you are.] prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg 3.27]. That is nature's arrangement. ahaṅkara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate. He is a rascal who is thinking, "I am independent." Rascal number one. Everyone is thinking, "Ah! I am independent." What is their independence? Hmm? [Transl. This is the foolishness. They will not hear. If we give good advice…. upadeso hi murkhanam prakopaya na santaye. [Canakya Pandit] By giving instructions to foolish men, they simply become angry. What to do? Now we have started this mission. It is here. Hear with attention what the Supreme Lord is saying. And tell others about it. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission that all of you become guru. This is the order of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You are a Bihari, a neighbor of West Bengal. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is, He is saying; amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. ...In whichever country, whichever village, whichever family, whichever community people have taken birth, deliver them and thus become a guru. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa... You don't have to travel all over the world. Those who have capacity they…..wherever you live, preach there only and deliver them. You become a guru. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. That you become a guru and wherever you live, you deliver them. So one may argue "how can I become a guru? I don't know anything. I don't know what do I have to do? How can I become a guru?" He says "no, no. Don't be afraid. To become a guru is very simple." "How?" He says "yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa" ….. Whatever instructions Krsna has given, you preach that to others. That's all. Then you will be a Guru." Not that you produce gold, show magic, swindle or cheat people. That is not a guru. Those fellows are all cheaters. yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa... What Krsna said, you tell to others. You are a guru. Is it very difficult for us to repeat what Krsna has spoken? It's all written in Bhagavad-gita. We just have to repeat it. Then we become guru. What do I speak? All these foreigners have come here, did I bribe them, or produced gold or showed some magic? I simply told them, "look, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28] or Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead", and they have accepted it. "Worship Him. Build His temple." And they worship Him in the temple. Krsna says; manmana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65] ["Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."]... Someone may argue "these people are Mlecchas and Yavanas. How they can serve the Supreme Lord?" The Lord says, "mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg 9.32]
Don't worry. Sinful people? So what?" These facts are there. These people are bad? On the other hand, some hypocrite comes and says "Sir, the meaning of Kuruksetra is this, and the meaning of Gita is nonviolence." And people accept it. "Oh! What a great speaker!" You see. What Krsna says that they kickout. And whatever the fool says, they accept it.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. It happens because of prejudice from previous lives?]
Prabhupada: [Transl. Nothing from previous life. Simply rascaldom. From this life only. Why do you go to previous life? See the rascaldom of this life, and you suffer. No need to go so far. In the beginning of Bhagavad-gita it is said; dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah [Bg 1.1] Two parties have gathered together with a desire to fight. They came to fight. Where is nonviolence? See how they interpret? What a big rascal! Answer?]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Lord Krsna was personally watching everything there. When Arjun...]
Prabhupada: [Transl. First of all you see. These words, dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah. What is the meaning of yuyutsava? Answer? Wanting to fight. They have assembled there to fight. And nonviolence! Is that the correct meaning? This person interprets in one way, that person interprets in another way, and another person interprets in yet another way. They all have speculated and interpreted as they liked and sent the public to hell. Kuruksetra is still present today. Railway station? And in the scriptures Kuruksetra is addressed as Dharmaksetra. Cultivation of religious principle is still going on there even today. Whenever there is an eclipse, millions of people go there to take a holy dip. And they say it is the body! This is going on. They misguide others and they themselves are misguided. Try to rectify all this. Then your leadership will have some meaning. Otherwise, andha yathandhair upaniyamanah]
Sita Ram Singh: [laughs] Leadership is always in danger in politics. [Transl. I have a doubt. Kindly clear it. Lord Krsna…., when Arjuna layed down his bow and arrows and didn't want to fight the battle, seeing that the opponents were his friends, grandfather and so forth, and he strongly declined to fight then Krsna told him "look, these people are already dead. See all of them dead within My body. You are simply an instrument. So if he was just an instrument, then why did Krsna choose Arjuna only as an instrument?]
Prabhupada: [Transl. You could not understand it?]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. No.]
Prabhupada: [Transl. Arjuna was a ksatriya. It is the duty of a ksatriya to fight.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Yes. Yes. To fight. Krsna said "you are running away from fight. That's why you are….He told him that.]
Prabhupada: [Transl. This Vedic civilization of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, if anyone is to be killed, the brahmana will not kill.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Yes. The ksatriya will kill.]
Prabhupada: [Transl. They will put that responsibility on ksatriyas. Take for example, Visvamitra. He was very disturbed by a witch in the jungle. Do you think Visvamitra had no power to kill her? No! He had! But he approached King Dasaratha and said "Maharaja, one witch is disturbing me so much. Kindly send Ramachandra. Couldn't he have killed her? This is the point. Catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg 4.13] Everyone must perform their respective duties.
[break] So all this knowledge that we have got in India, that you have kicked away. And you have created you own parties.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. What to do Maharajaji? That's why we are not happy.]
Prabhupada: [Transl. Nobody will be happy.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Nobody is happy] in spite of all the best efforts.
Prabhupada: [Transl. Such a profound knowledge we have in our country. We have locked it down. And simply by speculating we have spoiled everything. Neither has it been given to anyone in the world nor has it been utilized by us. This is the position. If at all you want to rectify it, then as you say, you read Bhagavad-gita, you take Bhagavad-gita and study it. Everything is there. See how everything will be successful. It will work. And this is the subject matter of our preaching.] We are preaching Bhagavad-gita as it is. [Transl. You study and check the flaws and qualities. Like others we did not] compromise and give interpretation. [Transl. This is our philosophy. We are realizing that by this we being successful all over the world. In Africa, people with large ears chant Hare Krsna and dance.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. What happened in Africa?]
Prabhupada: [Transl. The tribals with big ears in Africa, they are extremely uncivilized, but they also dance "Hare Krsna." This is my point. What do they know about Krsna? Krsna is God. They don't know anything. They also chant Hare Krsna and dance.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. So all, all over world...]
Prabhupada: [Transl. All over the world.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. ...you have got this culture.]
Prabhupada: [Transl. This is such an important movement from India. But nobody helped me. It is so unfortunate. In America they gave me permanent residence. Not only me, but also they gave to so many Indians. But here they don't allow. This much they should help us. We make so many requests that why don't you adopt this policy of the foreigners? But no, "six months is over, now go back." Just see. Please help in this regard if you can. What have these innocent fellows done? And without them how can this movement go on, such a huge organization? No Indians come forward.]
Sita Ram Singh: They have come for this...
Prabhupada: [Transl. By their support I am pushing on this movement. And as soon as they come, "Okay, three months is over. Go back. What to do? I have to send these innocent people back. It costs ten thousand rupees each. I have wasted five, six lakhs rupees like that.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. At least these people should be exempted, those who are residents they should be exempted. This rule should be exempted.]
Prabhupada: They have been described as Hindu, "Hindu Americans." [Transl. They come here, in the holy place of Vrndavana, and they are chased "get out, get out, get out." Then by whose support will I work? Here no young man will join. They get a job, a wife, and that's it. Life is successful. So many obstacles, dangers. These temples etc that we have constructed by spending lakhs and crores of rupees, this money was brought from the west.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. From foreign?]
Prabhupada: [Transl. At least ten lakhs of rupees per month we bring. They sell books. I tell them "go and sell. Go and sell." They sell books and bring money. That money I bring and spend here. This is the fact. These people are assisting me, so at least give them permanent residence. Take guarantee if required.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. That is fair. If you find any anti national spirit...]
Prabhupada: [Transl. Then you throw them out.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. …then you take guarantee.]
Prabhupada: [Transl. No. Nothing is there.]
Indian man (2): No, but is there any difficulty for getting citizenship?
Prabhupada: No, no, no. We don't want citizenship. What they will do with citizen..., Indian citi...?
Indian man (2): Then what is the difficulty?
Prabhupada: Difficulty is... Let them live here as permanent residents, just like I am American permanent resident. I am not citizen. If I like, I can become citizen. But what is the use of becoming citizen? It is as good as citizen. [Transl. The permament residents give a report yearly that we live here. That's all.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. The period of visa granted to them], within that period they have to go back?
Indian man (2): [Transl. Do they apply that we are extending our stay?]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Yes, of course, they have to go back, but...
Prabhupada: No, extension... [Transl. They come for three months and they get extension for another three months.] Generally.
Indian man (2): They don't give you this for permanent residentship...
Prabhupada: No.
Indian man (2): ...even, say, for two years, four years, five years. Not of that sort.
Prabhupada: No, no. No.
Sita Ram Singh: But they should amend it. [Transl. Okay. whatever it is] ...this should be amended. This must be amended. This should be brought to the knowledge of authorities.
Prabhupada: [Transl. Kindly you all do something about it. It is very essential. I get so much strain. My health broke down because of that.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Anti national, if their activities are not anti national then] why do they not allow them to stay to serve the mission?
Prabhupada: So we have no... We don't think anything in the...
Sita Ram Singh: Morarjibhai Sampatte, he's a religious-minded man.
Prabhupada: [Transl. So you kindly request him on our behalf. Who will listen to us?]
Sita Ram Singh: And he should make a point. But the case, if he gets time of course, [Transl. a representative of your mission should also be...]
Indian man (2): [Transl. Was it rejected by the government that such and such..]
Prabhupada: [Transl. Many times. Thousands of times. Thousand..]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Several times.] So he can relax it because he's in power, Morarjibhai is in power, whatever he has got...
Prabhupada: But who will induce him to relax?
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. He has got religious mentality.] He can relax it.
Prabhupada: He can do everything, but who will induce him to do?
Sita Ram Singh: I don't know when I shall go to Delhi again, but in case if I go, I will bear it in mind. But meanwhile, I shall humbly request you that some of persons of your mission should also go and should bring him here so that he can find out a time to come to this mission. And because after seeing the all activities of the mission, he may be rather much more convinced of the fact that this restriction should be abolished. It is a special case. For the missionary purpose this should be abolished.
Prabhupada: Missionary visa [Transl. also they don't give. They do give to the foreigners. He is also a foreigner. but] because he's Vaisnava, he'll not get.
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. That six, seven lakhs of rupees are unnecessarily misused every year.]
Prabhupada: 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 [Transl. persons. So far Indira Gandhi's policy was that let people practice their own religion.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. No doubt that Indira Gandhi was a religious minded person. Indira Gandhi had...]
Prabhupada: [Transl. So her policy was also like that. But now you have to do something about this based on the constitution.]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. Constitution is the same.] Rather, the Constitution is molded from bad to worse. This point should be [Transl. raised there.] I have got belief on that. So this money...
Prabhupada: [Transl. Here we have established this by going through so many obstacles and problems. And there also. You must have heard. There also many impediments and problems. There was a court case. This happens often. It must be there because they see that Hindu religion is being spread. Very big institution. By worrying about this all the time my health has deteriorated. It's not working anymore.]
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....
Prabhupada: No, you can speak to Mr. Vajpayee. He is in charge of foreigners. [Transl. "Oh Sir, why don't you give them permament residence? What is their fault? They will not take a paisa of yours."]
Indian man (2): [Transl. Now it is election time. After the election this issue can be…]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. This matter should be brought up.] This matter can be brought before Vajpayee because he is charge of the foreign affairs.
Indian man (2): [Transl. Government, President should be in the mood of amendment. If he wants to live here, If somebody is living here then I mean… I understand. Rules needed certain amendment. And I think…]
Sita Ram Singh: [Transl. If a program could be arranged with Morarjibhai, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee…]
[end]