Room Conversation – November 6, 1977, Vṛndāvana

If there is no appetite, how there will be strength?

Kaviraja assistant: [Hindi]

Tamala Krsna: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada? Satadhanya Maharaja and Bhakti-caru went to Mathura and they called Calcutta. They spoke with Adri-dharana? So he's going to bring the kaviraja here.

Prabhupada: Kaviraja has no telephone.

Bhakti-caru: Yes, Srila Prabhupada, he has one telephone. He has telephone at home and in his chamber also. But when we rang up, he was not at home.

Tamala Krsna: Therefore we thought it best not to lose any more time but to call Adri-dharana, because he's proved to be very capable person-and he was living with the kaviraja when he was here-and we want Adri-dharana to bring the kaviraja personally anyway. We also, Giriraja and myself, were just with the registrar, and we made the correction on the name without any difficulty, so now it's correctly given as "Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust." I wanted that because whenever we gave money from the Trust, I wanted to make a plaque with your name on it, Srila Prabhupada. I thought that would be a nice thing to do. This way, now your name will be properly given. So Srila Prabhupada? So the kaviraja will be coming quite soon, and I was thinking that you've been a very good patient, taking all of the medicines which he prescribed. So we should not discontinue it until he comes, because that way we can say to him that you have taken everything exactly as he recommended. That way, he'll know certainly how much his medicine has been effective. If we stop the medicine, then he won't be able to tell exactly. And as he'll be here quite soon, I think that we should just finish taking the medicine until he comes.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Another thing that we were thinking, Srila Prabhupada, that we could see that you don't have much strength for sitting up very much at all. So what we were wondering was that just for the few times that you have to drink, whether we could sit you up for a minute. Not for longer than a minute. Not that you would have to have pillows behind you or anything. Bhavananda Maharaja and myself can help you to sit up. And just for a minute, while you drink, you could sit up and then lay down again, just until the kaviraja comes. Our only feeling is that let us just try this medicine till the end. Let us see if it works. Let the kaviraja come, and then he will, you know, give us some guidance from there. To sit up for any length of time is not possible. We could see that this morning. But if you try, we can help you to sit up. Bhavananda and myself will both be behind you, and just while you drink, and then lay down immediately. So that will give you a little strength, drinking something.

Prabhupada: I am, lying down like this, comfortable.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. So we will keep you laying like this all the time. Just a few times that there's something to drink, we'll personally pick you up. Then you can drink easily, and we'll immediately lay you down again. You won't have to sit up for any reason except just only for drinking. Will that be all right? And we'll help you, Srila Prabhupada. It won't be any strain. You feel comfortable laying like this?

[pause] Srila Prabhupada, your hands are just like lotus petals. [break]

Prabhupada: If there is no appetite, how there will be strength?

Tamala Krsna: No, unless there is appetite, there cannot be any genuine strength. Let us see what this kaviraja finally says, Srila Prabhupada. We have to say that he seems to have at least given medicine which has done what he said it would do. That much we have to admit. He did not promise that the medicine would give strength yet. Let him come and let us see. He's a very honest man. He admitted that he cannot guarantee that he can save Srila Prabhupada. He said, "But if anyone can, I promise you that my medicine is effective. I make it myself, and I do it according to the Vedas. So if Krsna desires, then medicine will have effect of saving Prabhupada." So that's honest, at least. He's not claiming to be some magician. Neither his medicine causes any pain, I think. Sometimes not so tasty, but not painful.

Bhakti-caru: [Transl. Srila Prabhupada? Please open your mouth]

[Prabhupada drinks]

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Bhakti-caru: [Transl. Little water]

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada? Upendra wanted to clean you a little bit. Is that all right? Then after about a half hour or so we'll come back. He's going to clean you now.

Upendra: [whispering] Soap.

Prabhupada: That's all right.

Tamala Krsna: Okay.

Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada? When Upendra gives you your bath, there's some parts of your body he'd like to use soap on. Is that all right?

Prabhupada: Soap? Why?

Bhavananda: Some parts. Like on your upper leg is getting caked from oil and dirt. Just a little soap will take that off, and it will be nice and clean.

Prabhupada: No, hot water is sufficient.

Upendra: We can't use hot water. It's a dry sponge, just a hot sponge.

Prabhupada: If you can manage, I'll not...

Tamala Krsna: Okay. So we'll be back in a little while, Srila Prabhupada, after you get bathed. And we will not ask you to do anything exerting. Sometimes only Bhavananda and I will personally sit you up for a minute only to drink something. And then kaviraja will be here very shortly. Then he can give the advice what to do. We simply want to give one try with this kaviraja. If it doesn't succeed, then we simply... I'll lock my office, and we'll simply chant hari-nama. But as we are a little hopeful, that is our... We can't stop being hopeful, Srila Prabhupada. I was seeing a picture of Your Divine Grace sitting in a vyasasana in New York, handing the initiation beads to some devotee. You had a very big smile as if you were joking with him. So I was just thinking how nice it was, that you could again be able to sit and talk nicely with all the devotees. So like that, hope is there in our hearts.

Prabhupada: That's it.

Tamala Krsna: In any case, we'll make sure that you're not made uncomfortable, Srila Prabhupada, and not disturbed in any way. And we won't be the cause of any disturbance. So we'll come after a short time, Srila Prabhupada. [break] [kirtana with harmonium playing] [break] [end]