Conversation – June 28, 1977, Vṛndāvana

'Oh, you are holding Ratha-yatra festival, and you are not inviting us.'

Prabhupada: I have not done it, but I have seen it.

Tamala Krsna: You learned everything by seeing. You said that you learned how to cook by watching your mother.

Prabhupada: Sometimes I used to cook.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, for your family?

Prabhupada: Our family. I asked my mother, "I'll do this, that." They'll allow, "All right."

Tamala Krsna: You said that sometimes you would be walking in the footpath, and you would watch those men cook there.

Prabhupada: Not cook. Somebody's doing some artistic work. I'll stand. I'll see how they are doing.

Tamala Krsna: Artistic?

Prabhupada: Just like knitting. So I'll learn knitting by standing before. They're making some flower of wool, so I'll learn it. And do it at home. That was my hobby. And similarly I learned how to worship Radha-Krsna.

Tamala Krsna: By watching. You watched your father?

Prabhupada: Father and the Mullik's Thakurbhari. "I'll do." I'll ask my father, "Give me Deity. I shall worship." "Yes, take Deity."

Tamala Krsna: How old were you when you got your Radha-Krsna Deity?

Prabhupada: About six, seven years old.

Tamala Krsna: Oh. Was it very elaborate worship?

Prabhupada: Not elaborate. But I'll decorate. I'll keep it in a place. Whatever I eat, I offered. I imitate-ghee lamp, arati.

Tamala Krsna: Putting to rest.

Prabhupada: There was engagement[?] in a small corner of the room.

Tamala Krsna: And then Ratha-yatra. Sounds like a very pleasant childhood.

Prabhupada: Yes. My father's friends, the Mulliks, they used to criticize my..., "Oh, you are holding Ratha-yatra festival, and you are not inviting us."

Tamala Krsna: You didn't invite them?

Prabhupada: It is childish play. Where is invitation? So my father, the children, [laughs] they were playing. "Oh, by the name of children you are avoiding us." It was like that. But the festival was going on. We called the professional kirtaniyas. They performed kirtana. There will be procession of my small children friends.

Tamala Krsna: Miniature Ratha-yatra.

Prabhupada: Hmm. A small ratha the father gave. The height, about this, made of nice, strong wood.

Tamala Krsna: All the boys would pull it?

Prabhupada: Everything small scale.

Tamala Krsna: Small pullers also.

Prabhupada: Eight days, eight kinds of varieties of prasadam, my mother would prepare.

Tamala Krsna: She would take part by preparing.

Prabhupada: Yes. And now... Whether the... Make very nice varieties. Formerly people were engaged in these things. There was another Mullik family, Rajen..., Raja-Rajendra. He was distributing jagannatha-prasada, daily, two thousand portions.

Tamala Krsna: Which Mullik?

Prabhupada: Raja-Rajendranath Mullik. He was also holding very big Ratha-yatra. So we had the opportunity of seeing once.

Tamala Krsna: You must have been dreaming about Puri Ratha-yatra.

Prabhupada: Yes. Whenever I would find some time, I would consult timetable, "How to go to Puri and Vrndavana? What is the fare?" At that time from Calcutta to Puri was three rupees. I think it was four rupees, one anna. And Vrndavana was six rupees.

Tamala Krsna: You had some money saved up?

Prabhupada: Yes, with my father.

Tamala Krsna: You said that your grandmother would give you one gold coin each year.

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

Tamala Krsna: And you'd keep it banked with your mother, and if she ever was angry with you, you threatened.

Prabhupada: Yes. "Bring my money." [laughs] The society was so nice, and everyone was happy. Everyone.

Tamala Krsna: Very loving.

Prabhupada: These Marwaris, especially, they are very good community. They... As family people, they know how to earn, how to become happy by family. I like these Marwaris.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, we also feel at home...

Prabhupada: They're vegetarian.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah. Sometimes I would visit Dalmiyaji in his home. I was so amazed to see how happy his family life is. They have no...

Prabhupada: Marwaris, they do know how to earn money, how to save money, how to become happy at home. The worship is...

Tamala Krsna: And they always have the temple in their homes. The women are engaged.

Prabhupada: And they make general houses in such a way that you get a room and there is everything, arrangement. There is Ḍhava. You don't require to cook. You take food from the Ḍhava. Very nice food. You pay just like a small hotel. They... All their business family... You see. You have seen Calcutta big, big houses.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, yeah.

Prabhupada: They occupy only one room. Their everything is there. Pay for. There is no botheration of cooking or purchasing.

Tamala Krsna: You mean different families occupy one room only?

Prabhupada: Well, different family, different room, but they can live very humbly. Those who have little income, they'll somehow or other take one room, live in. And in that house, everything is there. You can purchase. And you earn money.

Tamala Krsna: Sometimes you see a very wealthy man living in only two, three rooms with his whole family.

Prabhupada: That's all. And generally one room. Otherwise two rooms-one stock room, one sleeping room. They live very economically and save money.

Tamala Krsna: Frugal.

Prabhupada: Frugal, yes. And when there is enough money, they construct their own house. Then they live very luxuriously. In the beginning, no.

Tamala Krsna: Right. And they'll work sixteen hours sometimes.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. As much as possible. Very hard-working.

Satadhanya: And their sons also work with them.

Prabhupada: And whatever money saved, they purchase ornament. They don't deposit in the bank.

Tamala Krsna: Oh. That's one of their things.

Prabhupada: Hmm. That is Indian style. To save money means purchase ornament.

Tamala Krsna: Purchasing one ornament.

Prabhupada: Ornament for the wife.

Tamala Krsna: That could be...

Prabhupada: Because she likes ornament, gold, and they have got molten[?] in the jewelry.

Tamala Krsna: How do you get the money back? Sell it?

Prabhupada: Hmm? 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.

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

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

Tamala Krsna: They don't trust this banking system.

Prabhupada: 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.

Tamala Krsna: Benarsi sari also considered very valuable.

Prabhupada: It is golden, gold border. You can... When you want to..., mean an old Benarsi sari..., you can go. There are persons, they'll take it, and they'll burn it, and the borders will take care, either silver or gold. Still in Delhi we find. Any investment, wear it. Not this plastic plate and paper plate.

Tamala Krsna: Oh. Whenever they buy something, it must have value.

Prabhupada: Must have value. That is Indian investment.

Tamala Krsna: That's the opposite of the Western.

Prabhupada: And whatever you manufacture, you have no value. 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 met. This way, Indian economics.

Tamala Krsna: 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.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes.

Tamala Krsna: Even the village.

Prabhupada: Yes. You'll find description in Bhagavata. They were coming to congratulate Krsna-so nice dress, so nice ornament, so nice foodstuff made of ghee, grains, in our...

Satadhanya: Sometimes the rich Marwari ladies, when they come to Mayapur, once in a while they give some ornament to the Deity. They'll give one ring or one bracelet, gold.

Prabhupada: That was always. They would offer some ornament to the Deity.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, there's the example...

Prabhupada: That Saksi-Gopala. The queen wanted to give her nose pearl. Very happy spiritual society.

Tamala Krsna: Now you are developing that all over the world, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: I have thought it over, over. It was very, very nice. What is this nonsense society? Tin car?

Tamala Krsna: And they're becoming worse...

Prabhupada: And rubber tire, that's all.

Tamala Krsna: The cars nowadays...

Prabhupada: Cannister, tin cannister. In your country these have been all piled up.

Tamala Krsna: The cars.

Prabhupada: Whole cars, useless, piled up. But then they are smashed and again melted and again crushed.

Satadhanya: They build them so that in one year, two years, they break. Then they can sell more.

Prabhupada: Because they have no other business. Punaḥ punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. Chewing the chewed. Make a car, break it, and again melt it and again make another car. That's all. This is their civilization: car-making civilization. No spiritual idea, no ambition for spiritual life. But they'll do. They'll do something. So therefore they are making, breaking more. Make the car; break the car; again make the car; again break the car. Therefore you are habituated to change.

Tamala Krsna: If something is nice, it must be destroyed.

Prabhupada: No, it has... Everything is destroyed, material. [end]