Audio

Prabhupada: Vaisnava acara. [break] ...how nice. This kind of building cannot be constructed. It will require crores of money. Yes. [break]

Indian: ...nobody. Only during their annual fair-varsa mela somebody would come here, they would stay here for a few, couple of hours, and then go back.

Prabhupada: The tank is not with water.

Indian: Yes, they used to have water at both sides of this tank. Now, probably, they are short of water or they have switched on to agriculture. This is also their plot. So many they used to have flowers and tulasi and all that. Now they have come to agriculture-wheat, barley.

Prabhupada: Money. Such a nice tank is vacant.

Indian: I remember my young days. People, young boys, they used to come swim here.

Prabhupada: Oh. [break] Just see. So you may pay them, say, 150, 200 rupees each. Then it will be all maintained, and that much money you can spend.

Indian: And if it's nicely maintained, possibly you can get some return out of it.

Prabhupada: Yes. That way we shall get fruits and flowers.

Jayadvaita: I was seeing yesterday in Radha-Damodara Mandira that nothing is nicely maintained except for your rooms.

Prabhupada: [chuckles] [Transl. Previously I used to live at Radha-Damodara Mandir.]

Indian: [Transl. My father was the principal of [indistinct] college. He is retired now. Now he is the Deputy Registerer at Kanpur University. I went with him to see you two, three times at Radha-Damodara temple.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Oh. What is your profession?]

Indian: [Transl. I am a distributor of phermaceutical service.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I see.]

Indian: Oldest place in Vrndavana. I am not even aspirant of religion or mythology, but I am told people are very much interested in Hinduism there.

Prabhupada: [to a new guest] Jaya. [Transl. Is your health all right?]

Indian (2): [Transl. Hare Krsna.] [break]

Gurudasa: ...should have a nice path all the way around.

Prabhupada: Yes.

[Hindi exchange with vendor selling green beans.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. You grow vegetables here?]

Vendor: [Transl. Yes.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. So what do you do with it?]

Vendor: [Transl. We cook it.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. For the Lord in the temple?]

Vendor: [Transl. Yes.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. You don't sell?]

Vendor: [Transl. Yes, we sell.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Why don't you give us. We will take it.]

Vendor: [Transl. Yes.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Whatever vegetables you give we will take it all to our Radha…Balarama Mandir. You bring it all there and take whatever the cost is.]

Vendor: [Transl. This your…]

Lokanatha: Raman reti.

Prabhupada: Raman reti.

Vendor: [Transl. Raman reti. I see.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Otherwise our man will come and take from you.]

Vendor: [Transl. Yes. You send somebody here.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. So what is the price? How much?]

Lokanatha: [Transl. Should we buy some now for you Srila Prabhupada?]

Prabhupada: Ah? We can buy some now. Hmm? How much…?

Lokanatha: [Transl. We should buy some for you, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: No, we can buy the whole thing. [Transl. How much is this?]

Lokanatha: [Transl. Yes. What is the price of all this?]

Vendor: [Transl. 5 rupees per dhadi]

Lokanatha: [Transl. 5 rupees per what?]

Vendor: [Transl. Five kilos.]

Lokanatha: [Transl. Five kilos.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. How many kilos do you have?] I will talk with him. [Transl. How many kilos you have?]

Vendor: [Transl. After weighing we will know.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. What vegetables are here?]

Vendor: [Transl. This is all I have.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Only this? Only one kind.]

Vendor: [Transl. Yes.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Hmm. It grows too much. So how much did you say for five kilos?]

Vendor: [Transl. Five rupees.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Five rupees. How many kilos are here?]

Vendor: [Transl. Should I weigh it Maharajaji?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Yes.] [aside:] You have got money?

Jayatirtha: Yes.

Vendor: [aside:] [Transl. Go and ask for the weight of this iron. Go quickly and ask. Go.]

Vendor's daughter: [Transl. O mayi] mother….

Prabhupada: [Transl. Put that here. That piece of iron you put it on this side of the scale.]

Vendor & his daughter: [Transl. No Maharajaji, we will weigh with this one kilo of weight only.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Okay. Don't you grow any other vegetables?]

Vendor: [Transl. No other vegetables Maharajaji.]

Aksayananda: [Transl. What is this?]

Vendor: [Transl. They are all the same. Just leaves are sticking with it.]

Aksayananda: [Transl. I see.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Where will you send it?]

Vendor: [Transl. Mandi] [wholesale vegetables market]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Delhi?]

Vendor: [Transl. Yes.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. How much is it?]

Vendor: [Transl. As you wish, Maharaja. I sell for one rupee kilo. You give what you want.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I will give twelve annas] [75 paisa per kilo.]

Vendor's daughter: [Transl. He will pay, 75 paisa per kilo.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Ah? No? Your daughter is very clever.] [laughter]

Vendor: [Transl. She spoke straight forward.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. So how much should I pay?]

Vendor: [Transl. As you like, Maharajaji.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Like, but your daughter doesn't agree.]

Vendor: [Transl. Leave it then if she doesn't agree.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Your daughter doesn't agree. Hmm.] [to Jayatirtha:] So give him two rupees, eight annas: fifty paisa. [Transl. Do you have any money?]

Vendor: [aside:] [Transl. Do you have any change?]

Vendor's daughter: [Transl. No, we don't.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. So we will come daily and take from you.] [aside:] Did you give him two rupees…]

Gurudasa: Bargain.

Prabhupada: My father used to do that. He'd go to a vegetable vendor. He has got a big basket, and he'll say, "What do you want for all, the whole basket." So he is ready, because he'll sit down so long, so at very cheap rate he'll give it. And it was not required in the family so much. My mother became very angry, that "You are bringing so many, so much vegetable, it is being spoiled." But he would purchase like that. If you give him in those days fifty rupees to go to the market, he will spend all the money and bring at home. Hare Krsna. [Transl. Where do you all live?]

Indian: [Transl. We live in Vrndavana. We come here whole year for walking.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. It's a very nice garden.]

Indian: [Transl. But it is somewhat barren at this time, though.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. It is not properly maintained.]

Indian: [Transl. Not properly maintained. At present it's owner…It is being taken care of by a trustee. The government gives very limited money for this. And the trust has no interest in it. Previously this used be a very beautiful garden.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. You require at least twenty gardeners for this.]

Indian: [Transl. Now the gardener doesn't get enough money. He has taken it on a contract basis. Poor fellow with children cannot maintain with such little wage.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. It should be maintained.]

Indian: [Transl. Another thing is the water in this area has become salty.]

Prabhupada: Oh.

Indian: [Transl. Water will be the biggest problem here.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. With salty water you can't grow anything.]

Indian: [Transl. Nothing grows. The whole land turned salty. About twenty years ago this place had…]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Good water.]

Indian: [Transl. ...arrangements for sweet water, gardeners, flowers and bushes. Now it is almost desolate.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Desolate.]

Indian: [Transl. There are lemon trees, guava trees, but at this time guava season is over.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Water…]

Indian (2): [Transl. Now they have made this garden commercial. No more a flower garden.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. The well water is just salty?]

Indian: [Transl. Yes, salty. That too they don't spend money for this. The well is there and water pump is fitted in it, but they don't make adequate arrangements. Rather Bihariji's bagica [garden has better facilities.] They have maintained it very well. As a result, they get plenty of flowers and some income too.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. It should be like that for the Lord's sake. If they hand it over to us we can take care of it nicely.]

Indian: [Transl. Yes, but the problem is that they have a trust. The government has taken it under its own control.]

Indian (2): [Transl. You should make a beautiful garden, Svamiji.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. We are ready to make. You help us to get it.]

Indian: [Transl. There are other places around here somewhere.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Where?]

Indian: [Transl. Nearby your asrama.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Not like this garden. It is very beautiful. Hare Krsna. If you have an acquaintance with the trustees we are prepared to spend.]

Indian: [Transl. No, not special acquaintance.]

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. [break] ...from saintly person.

Vrajavasi: Haribol!

Prabhupada: Haribol. Jaya-ho! Hare Krsna.

Vrajavasi: Jaya Radharani ki!

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. [Transl. Maharaja, do you live here somewhere?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Here.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I see. You perform bhajan here.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Radharani ki jaya. Please come.] Haribol!

Prabhupada: Haribol. Hare Krsna.

Vrajavasi: Haribol. Haribol. Haribol.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Your health is good?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Yes. Good. Lord's mercy. Come this side.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, it's all right. Do you sometimes visit our Mandir?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Yes, I go.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. So we are going to have festival and you all are invited.] [aside:] Oh, when our festival?

Gurudasa: Sixth, seventh and eighth. Tomorrow, next day and the Rama-navami.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Three days. You all come along with your friends. Namaskara. Hare Krsna.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Sriman Narayana.]

Vrajavasi: (2) [Transl. Hare Krsna.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. You too come, Maharajaji.] [break]

Pancadravida: In the Bhagavatam it says that if a person cannot offer a straw mat like that to a saintly person when he visits, he doesn't live in a house...

Prabhupada: But if he hasn't got extra straw, how can he do?

Pancadravida: He may offer obeisances. If he can't do that, simply cry.

Prabhupada: Straw? Straw is offered. [walking through a field] Oh, not taken care of.

Pancadravida: You said if he couldn't..., if he cannot do that, he does not live in a house, but he lives in a tree full of snakes.

Prabhupada: Yes. So he has offered seat.

Pusta Krsna: Srila Prabhupada? In the Bhagavatam it says that although Lord Visnu is the controller of everything, He is particularly in charge with the mode of goodness, and He is associated with maintenance. So is it that in order to maintain something in this material world also, there has to be the touch of the mode of goodness?

Prabhupada: Yes.

When the heart is cleansed of the dirty things, rajas-tamo-bhavah, the modes of rajah and tamah, ignorance and passion, then he is situated in the sattva-guna. There are three gunas. If you become released from the tamo-guna and rajo-guna, naturally you are situated in the sattva-guna. Sthito sattve prasidati. Tada rajas-tamo-bhavah kama-lobhadayas ca ye, ceta etair anaviddham. When the heart is not attacked by this rajo-guna and tamo-guna, then it remains fixed up in sattva-guna. Then...

Pusta Krsna: Evam prasanna-manaso?

Prabhupada: Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. Then he becomes prasanna-manasah, happy mood. Then he can cultivate devotional service. Otherwise not possible. Ceta etair anaviddham sthito sattve prasidati. Unless one is situated in sattva-guna, there is no possibility of peacefulness. [Transl. In the old time it was taught that by the mercy of the Supreme Lord whichever caste you are born in, you gladly remain there and cultivate devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

Indian: [Transl. Cultivate devotional service to the Supreme Lord.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. But nowadays, just bring money.]

Indian: [Transl. Bring money. You are right.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Money. And as soon as you have money you want to buy a motor. If you have more money you buy four motors. One for the wife, and one for the son. Just to impress others. Then one day death comes and snatches him away by kicking him. Everything remains as they are.]

Indian: [Transl. Before, people used to be satisfied. They knew that whatever the Supreme Lord has given me, He has given me sufficient for which I was hankering.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. This they don't understand. Hmm. His main duty was how to re-establish his relationship with the Supreme Lord. This is our Vedic civilisation. Now they have given it all up. Simply sense gratification. Drink wine, eat meat, have illicit sex and so on.]

Indian: [Transl. Now they are heading towards materialism. Completely given up spiritualism.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Ruined everything. The goal of human life…]

Indian: [Transl. But Svamiji, in spite of that majority of people are pious. But the fact is that they are subdued. They don't believe in the modern way of life.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Nothing can remain subdued. Devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is, according to the sastra, ahaituky apratihata [SB 1.2.6] Nobody can subdue it. It's just that one is not interested. Nobody can subdue an interested person. No interest only. Interest is gone. And we are trying to revive that interest-this Krsna Consciousness. Everything has spoiled. Now see, this Tirupati-Tirumala has a huge income. But they are investing it in industry. So much so that they even sell the hair of the devotees who sacrifice it there. They sell it. They sell it and collect money and invest in electronic… Should they spread devotional service to the Lord or invest in electronic?]

Indian: [Transl. Now here also they are trying to do so. The present governor Sri Gopal Reddy is trying to overhaul the system of the present function of the temples. He is visiting here repeatedly and trying to pass a law to enable him to do something like that.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Gopal or Cheddy?]

Indian: [Transl. Gopal Reddy. No. No. Chenna Reddy.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. He came here for our opening.]

Indian: [Transl. So his endeavour…He is also thinking like this. He wants to have the same system here as it is followed in Tirupati Balaji so that the money could be spent like that. Okay. May be his intention is good.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No. His intention is good in this sense that the Mahantas, temple authorities are doing like this. Any Mahanta of the temple who has got money, he simply uses it for wine and prostitution. If not all, but some of them are. I know. So better it is used for industry. Government's advantage. Now there are many big, big Mahantas who are grossly involved in such maya and the government captures them.]

[end]