Room Conversation – November 2, 1977, Vṛndāvana

They were also hankering

Prabhupada: Jaya.

Sri Narayana: [Transl. How is your health now? How do you feel now? Is there any improvement little bit?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Somewhat.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Little. Yesterday I came to know that you were ready to leave for Delhi at night only and from there to Mayapur. The programme was like that no?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Yes.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Then in the morning I heard that you will stay here.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Yes. I will stay.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Because, there will be strain in the journey. There will be so much strain in traveling…]

Prabhupada: [Transl. It will be little Risk.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Yes. Risk also. I think it is good that you stayed back. The weather is good here nowadays.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Yes. That, the car also broke down. [chuckles]]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. The car was also not good.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. What happened to the car?]

Tamala Krsna: Er, do you know the history?

Bhakti-caru: Yes. First thing they had a flat tire. Then they ran out of gas, and then there was no petrol station. Then they lost the track. They went to some...

Prabhupada: So he missed the plane.

Sri Narayana: Missed the place. Coming from Delhi?

Bhakti-caru: Yes. They were supposed to come here at two o'clock.

Prabhupada: I have got my car, but they arranged for a Mercedes car.

Sri Narayana: Mercedes car, bigger car, yes. Oh, I see. So that means God didn't want you to leave. [Transl. Actually the weather is good here nowadays. The weather in Vrndavana is good nowadays. By God's grace things started to improve. I read out your message in that conference to all, that Svami Prabhupadaji Maharaja could not come personally. His health is not so good. The talk I had with you, I conveyed that to them. Gita culture and Indian culture should be spread all over the world. And the consideration of welfare, the mood of doing good to others that you have taught, should be widely...]

Prabhupada: This is Indian culture.

Sri Narayana: Indian culture, Gita culture. [Transl. You also talked about Gita culture. Both you have said. Gita culture and Indian culture are one and the same. Didn't you say that?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. They are same.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. The main purpose behind them is doing welfare to others.]

Prabhupada: Yes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg 4.7]. [Transl. The Supreme Lord Himself is saying.] Whenever there are discrepancies in the human society-tadatmanam srjamy aham-at that time He appears. Paritranaya sadhūnam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg 4.8]. This is the program. And when He comes, the time is fixed. So unless one thoroughly studies, they cannot accept. Actually, Krsna... Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg 4.1]. This system, Bhagavad-gita, it is yoga, bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is the topmost.

There are many yogas. The aim is how to come to the topmost yoga. That is bhakti-yoga. And Krsna says to Arjuna, bhakto 'si me. What is that verse? Eh? Evam puratanaḥ yogaḥ.

Tamala Krsna: Bhakto 'si me sakha ceti [Bg 4.3].

Prabhupada: Ah. Rahasyam hy etad uttamam. "Because you are My bhakta and friend, therefore I am speaking to you the old system," puratanaḥ. No new system. The people now introduce new system.

Sri Narayana: [Transl. It is Sanatana-jnana.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. What?]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. It is Sanatana-jnana through parampara.]

Prabhupada: Parampara... [Transl. If it comes down through disciplic succession, then it is.] ...puratanaḥ yogaḥ. They introduce their own interpretation. No There is nothing nutan or new required. What is that? Sa te 'ham yogaḥ proktaḥ puratanaḥ. Puratanam. Find out.

Sri Narayana: [Transl. So Svamiji, yesterday everyone saw the two films from here. We were also present. We had seen them in Wardha. All delegates who participated also saw and all of them liked it very much. One of them was about New Vrindavan and...]

Prabhupada: People of the world, they're hankering after this civilization. Unfortunately, we are miser. We are not giving them...

Sri Narayana: All that they should get.

Prabhupada: This is not good.

Sri Narayana: [Transl. You were saying that there is no hunger in our country about these things.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. How will there be hunger?]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. There is so much hunger for these things in the western countries. In the last ten years it has increased even more. And in our country, you said, it is difficult to find a student for training. Because, here we are all trying to imitate the westerners for sense gratification. This is a strange and pathetic situation for us. But in the western country the atmosphere is very much favorable.]

Prabhupada: Where is that Bhagavad-gita?

Tamala Krsna: Here, Srila Prabhupada. Can you give me the verse?

Prabhupada: Yogaḥ proktaḥ puratanaḥ. Find out the...

Sri Narayana: [Transl. I think, is it from sixteenth chapter? It is from sixteenth chapter I think. It was accepted from Iksvaku...]

Prabhupada: Fourth, fourth. Fourth Chapter.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, I have the Fourth Chapter. I'm already in the Fourth Chapter.

Prabhupada: Read from the very beginning, Fourth Chapter.

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. Svamiji, the subject matter of discussion in that conference, Srimanji will tell you in brief, because your, you will feel tired by talking. We don't want you to speak much. We will describe to you what was discussed in the conference.]

Tamala Krsna: I have the verse, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Tell.

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Let me tell you in brief.]

Fourth Chapter, third verse.

Prabhupada: [Krsna bola hai ye puratana. Aur ye sab naya] Krsna has told this ancient story. And all this is new. So yogo nastaḥ paran-tapa. Eh? Then?

Tamala Krsna: Next verse?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Aparam bhavato janma param... [Bg 4.4]

Prabhupada: No. Sa kalena yogo nastaḥ paran-tapa. Read it, parampara.

Prabhupada: Ah. That Puratana, the old system... [Transl. when that is given up.] Yogo nastaḥ pura..., sa kaleneha nastaḥ. [Transl. It is lost. What is the use of the lost thing?]

Tamala Krsna: You have a very nice purport here, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Hmm. Read it?

Tamala Krsna: It says here, "It is clearly stated that the Gita was especially meant for the saintly kings because they were to execute its purpose in ruling over the citizens. Certainly Bhagavad-gita was never meant for the demoniac persons, who would dissipate its value for no one's benefit and would devise all types of interpretations according to personal whims. As soon as the original purpose was scattered by the motives of the unscrupulous commentators, there arose the need to reestablish the disciplic succession.

Five thousand years ago it was detected by the Lord Himself that the disciplic succession was broken, and therefore He declared that the purpose of the Gita appeared to be lost. In the same way, at the present moment also there are so many editions of the Gita, but almost all of them are not according to the authorized disciplic succession. There are innumerable interpretations rendered by different mundane scholars, but almost all of them do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, although they make a good business on the words of Sri Krsna.

This spirit is demonic because demons do not believe in God but simply enjoy the property of the Supreme. Since there is a great need of an edition of the Gita in English as it is received by the parampara disciplic succession system, an attempt is made herewith to fulfill this great want. Bhagavad-gita, accepted as it is, is a great boon to humanity. But if it is accepted as a treatise of philosophical speculations, it is simply a waste of time."

Sri Narayana: [Transl. You said this same thing before also. [laughing] Now svamiji, we will leave today. We pray to the Supreme Lord that may He...]

Prabhupada: [Transl. You don't believe in the Supreme Lord.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Now your life...]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I am just saying.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Yes. [Laughs] This is my heartiest appeal to you that your life's mission is not yet accomplished. You still have a long way to go. You have just started. Now you are in millions, you should be in billions all over the world. You have to improve your health by your complete will power. This is my earnest request to you.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. What I mean to say is that everything is already there.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Yes. Everything is already there. But now your...]

Prabhupada: [Transl. You all are young men. You all accept it.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Yes. We should definitely accept your teachings. But in the last ten years, eleven years what you have done...]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I have not done anything.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. You, [Laughs] The Lord has done everything.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, what I mean to say is that I have simply presented it as it is.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Yes. That is right. You have simply presented it.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. That's all.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. But this mission has to be widely spread no?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Come in, come in. Yes. That is why I have trained and prepared them. You all give co-operation then the work will go on very nicely.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. We will certainly help you. All of them who have come from different places, they all liked it very much. Everyone says it is a very good work and it should be spread.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. And people want it.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Yes. People want it. People in the west are hungry...]

Prabhupada: [Transl. People are fed up.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Fed up.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. This materialism, they are fed up of this.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Fed up, In our country people are not yet fed up. In our country still there is an attraction for such things. You will find drinking of wine...]

Prabhupada: [Transl. They are fools.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Fools. They still run after that.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. British and the foreigners came here and made us fools if not more.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. Yes. Made us fools. [Laughs] But the mirage is there. And they are running after the mirage. But in the western countries, the response you received is simply amazing.

Prabhupada: It is natural.

Sri Narayana: Natural? And it is really marvelous how it has happened. [Transl. That work of yours...]

Prabhupada: They were also hankering. And as soon as they got it, they got life.

Sri Narayana: Yes, they got light. [Transl. This mission of yours has to be pushed on strongly by keeping your good health. So by your will power you get well now. How will the doctor cure you? If you have strong will power you will get better. If there is no will power what will the doctor do?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Yes, what can the doctor do?]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. So by your will power you stand again strongly and push on this mission forward. This is my heartfelt appeal to you. Do not think-my work is done, now others can do the rest. Now your presence and action are very much necessary.

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, no. My support is required, and your support is also required.]

Sri Narayana: [Transl. We will definitely support you. We have pledged that. But you are what you are. None of us can become like you.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Alone what I can do?]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. Svamiji, if you give me permission, may I talk to you something in private.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Do it.]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. Then these brothers….]

Sri Narayanam: [Transl. Should I leave also?]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. No, no. You stay here. With your permission I would like to reveal my mind to you.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Alright.]

[aside:] You can go. They will talk with me something.

Sri Narayana: [Transl. He wants to talk something.]

Tamala Krsna: You want us to go outside, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Sri Narayana: [Transl. You talk to him, I am behind here.]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. Svamiji, you must have thought and decided everything. In my insignificant understanding one or two questions come up. I am going to present to you those questions. By seeing what you have done and how you have pushed forward your mission in last ten years, we have become astonished. It is unprecedented.

[Transl. But I was little worried. I met you yesterday and I felt that your attention towards God is increasing more and more day by day. So in such a situation I cannot understand what is the relationship between you and God? But when the Lord will call you back-this I do not know. Also I do not know if you already know it.

[Transl. But one thing I am worried about is that such a huge organization has come into existence, about that, if you are not present physically then, you must have decided something for which I have no idea, but I am worried that in the whole world this "Hindustan philosophy", so much work has been done towards this.

[Transl. May this good work not be disturbed or scattered. So I do not know anything about this, but I am worried about this. So I though I will express this thought before you. You must have decided something about what will be the future plan. Who knows God may take you tomorrow. He can take you, it's His will. Then what will happen?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, they will take care.]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. They will do that. But will a single person take over or take your position? Or five/ten/twenty people will take the responsibility together?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not say that one single person should do it. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that everyone should become guru. Do you understand?]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu...]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Listen to me. He says you become guru, but you become guru as I instruct you, not whimsically.]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu was alone. You are also alone.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, He said I have no power to do it alone. He said like this. You all come and help Me so that I can preach all over the world. This is the instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. But what you have done, who else has done like that?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No. If you try you can also do it. What is there.]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: [Transl. Every person, God gives him power.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. God power, if I say...]

Ramkrishna Bajaj: Excuse me. [Transl. Please close this.] We are just talking alone with him. [break] [end]