Room Conversation – October 21, 1977, Vṛndāvana

Money, there is no scarcity

Tamala Krsna: Australian books are sold out. I was thinking that you would be thinking about that. He has to print in bigger quantities.

Prabhupada: Great amount. You have to appoint two, three more printers.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. Gopala says that the problem is not the printers, because they have offset presses, so to them, to print ten thousand, twenty thousand, fifty thousand doesn't really make much difference. The real issue is that he only had a certain amount of money up until now to work with. Now, if he gets more money available, he can easily print more books.

Prabhupada: Money is there.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. I mean, that was his point up until now, because once you have an offset press, it's just as easy to print fifty thousand as ten thousand. It doesn't really change their situation so much.

Prabhupada: Money, there is no scarcity.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. [pause]

Prabhupada: Why kirtana has stopped?

Tamala Krsna: Why kirtana stopped?

Prabhupada: Tired?

Upendra: No.

Tamala Krsna: We're not tired.

Upendra: They are hanging on for every word you say, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Upendra: They are hanging for every word you say.

Prabhupada: Hanging?

Tamala Krsna: They were eager to hear your words.

Prabhupada: Oh. Hmm. [break] [Transl. Dispensary is started?]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. That as you will order.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I have already said.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Alright. Let me go and come back. You all arrange. Certainly.] With the greatest pleasure. [Transl. It's your order.You tell them and they will…]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I have already told them.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. You have told? Okay.] With the greatest pleasure. [Transl. What could be more than this?]

Jayapataka: [Transl. You open here in one room.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Yes, one here and one there to treat the boys. But you have to make arrangement for my accommodation.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. We have many rooms.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Sure. You tell Tamala Krsna and I will settle with him.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Any room you like you can have.]

Dr.G. Ghosh: Thank you. [Transl. If I have a place to stay, that's enough. I don't want anything else.]

Prabhupada: Trans_ We have many rooms.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Certainly I will stay here. Today let me go.]

Prabhupada: You are welcome. You are welcome.

Dr. G. Ghosh: Very good. Thank you. I will work to my best ability.

Prabhupada: [Transl. An experienced Doctor like you...]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. I don't want anything. I want to serve. And chant the Lord's holy name. He has given me so much and I want to appreciate. That's all, nothing else.]

Jayapataka: Dr. Ghosh said he would even invest ten, fifteen thousand rupees in a dispensary, make it a very nice one.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Jayapataka: He said he would donate money also for..., even ten, fifteen thousand rupees, for making nice dispensary.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. That is little bit what I have.] I am at the end of my resources. [Transl. I have already given thirty, forty thousand rupees. Whatever I have I will give.] I am ready. [Transl. But my point is.] You should also come forward and cooperate with me. [Transl. That's all.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Surely.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. This is mutual.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. So start it.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: Servant I am.

Prabhupada: [Transl. You start and slowly everything...]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Alright. It is His work, He will inspire me to do. What difficulty do you feel at present? Feeling weakness in the body?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Physical, you all are saying. Doctors and Kavirajas, that I should eat. But I cannot eat.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Whatever you can you eat. Little little frequently.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. That is the trouble.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: Every half an hour, an hour, just two teaspoons. [Transl. Let me see your tongue. Your tongue is clear. Jaya guru.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. It depends on my ability to eat.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Yes nourishment. See, to burn a lamp you have to supply oil and wicks. You understand? If oil is finished, if wicks are finished then how will the lamp burn? This is the point. Whole truth.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. The Doctors and Kavirajas are saying-you eat. But I cannot eat.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Eat little little.] Small quantities frequently. Small quantities frequently. [Transl. They are serving and caring you nicely.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Service, there is no flaw.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Great. Even the kings do not get such service. [laughs]]

Prabhupada: [Transl. What kings..]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. It is the mercy of the Lord, mercy of Krsna.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Always eight to ten people are serving. You just come and start.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Alright.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Any room you like you can take.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. You order Tamala Krsna, you just tell them about it.] To Tamala Krsna: You just take orders from him. Whatever he says, it will be done. You see, I am always at your service. And so whatever you get instruction, I... Today I am going to Allahabad...

Prabhupada: You, immediately come. Immediately come. [Transl. Come and start it.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: Okay. All right. Hare Krsna. Consider me as your servant. I'm always ready to serve you. [Transl. Then it is Lord's wish. I don't know how long this body will remain. Slowly the oil and wicks of life is coming to an end. But I have no worry. His work He gets it done. It has been like this throughout my life. I have not been bed ridden even for a week.] I've never been confined to bed in these long years. [Transl. I have never tasted my own medicine] I have given medicine to lakhs and lakhs of people, but I myself have never taken any. No occasion. [Transl. Such is His mercy. Whatever He will inspire I will carry out.] I am always ready. I am free now, absolutely free, [Transl. Whatever service I am allotted] with full energy.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Your life is very successful. Your children are grown up.]

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. I have no worry. He has given me so much, more than I deserve.]

Prabhupada: Your family life, successful. My family life, failure. [laughter]

Tamala Krsna: Your spiritual family life...

Dr. G. Ghosh: [Transl. Bless me so that I can do some service and at the end I can roll at His lotus feet. Alright. I take your leave then. Jaya.]

Prabhupada: We started life together. His life, family life, is very successful, and my family life is...

Jayapataka: So better to have an unsuccessful family life, Srila Prabhupada, and be successful in Krsna consciousness.

Prabhupada: And done big, big business. Eh? Whatever Krsna wanted to bring me, to do this work. Anyway... So I was sleeping?

Upendra: Yes, Srila Prabhupada.

Tamala Krsna: You slept many, many, many hours. How do you feel?

Prabhupada: Yes, feel good. In the morning part there is sleep; at night there is... Never mind.

Tamala Krsna: That's your old habit.

Prabhupada: Even it is scratching... Yes. When I sleep, then do not disturb.

Upendra: When he sleeps, don't disturb.

Tamala Krsna: No, no. He doesn't get disturbed when he sleeps. [pause]

Jayapataka: All the devotees are eager that in this way, if you can frequently eat little bit, little bit, then gradually you can gain some strength.

Prabhupada: What is the time now?

Tamala Krsna: About 9:20. Nearly 9:30. You've slept a long time. And you slept at night pretty much also, Satadhanya Maharaja reports. Would you like to hear some special kirtana?

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Tamala Krsna: Baradraj is here. He can sing any song you'd like to hear especially this morning.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Is there some special request?

Prabhupada: Baradraj is the best artist.

Tamala Krsna: Baradraj?

Prabhupada: Best artist.

Tamala Krsna: Best artist. He also sings very sweetly.

Prabhupada: Artist means that.

Tamala Krsna: Would you like to hear Hari Haraye Namah? Should he play with harmonium?

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: Okay. And we'll all accompany?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Okay. [background whispering] [kirtana] [break]

Prabhupada: So urine is being stopped.

Upendra: Prabhupada just tried for urine and passed about 10.

Prabhupada: This is the last.

Tamala Krsna: Should I just see why? If I look at the book I can give you some information.

Prabhupada: Not in the book. Yes, you can see.

Tamala Krsna: Yesterday you took about 650 cc's to drink. You passed in urine about 450, plus you passed stool, another 150 to 200. So yesterday you passed almost as much as you drank, so there's nothing balance left today. Today you've taken about 100, 200 cc's to drink, and you've already passed over 100 of urine, so it's not very surprising that you're not passing much urine right now, 'cause you haven't drank very much.

Prabhupada: So it depends on my drinking.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, definitely. If you don't drink, then you won't pass urine.

Prabhupada: Then? I cannot drink. I am drinking.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. As much as you're drinking, you're passing urine. As you're drinking, you're passing urine.

Prabhupada: But I have no desire to drink even.

Tamala Krsna: Then you won't pass urine.

Prabhupada: Then?

Tamala Krsna: Urine comes from... It's a liquid. So you have to take in liquid.

Prabhupada: Eh. Then consult kaviraja.

Tamala Krsna: I don't understand what you... You want to pass urine without drinking?

Prabhupada: No, I am prepared to drink.

Tamala Krsna: So then drink. Drink something then.

Prabhupada: Give me.

Tamala Krsna: Okay. Then after a while you'll pass urine automatically. Just like remember the day that you set your record of 1,000 cc's that you drank? On that day you passed also nearly 500 cc's urine. So depending upon how much you drink, that much you'll pass as urine.

Prabhupada: Then what is the value of medicine?

Tamala Krsna: You mean if you don't take the medicine will... Your question is that "If I stop taking medicine, will I continue to pass urine?" I think so. Medicine was... There was a... For some time your urine had become very dark. So the medicine was supposed to clear it up. Now your urine is clear. And, of course, the medicine was also supposed to help you to recover your strength, but that has not happened. At least we cannot see that there's any noticeable change in your strength.

Prabhupada: Nava-yogendra? The presentation which you have brought may not be required here. Better sell them and engage there.

Tamala Krsna: Sell them and engage there in Mombasa.

Nava-yogendra: What? Which I brought here?

Tamala Krsna: You mean those plates and things, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Anything, presentation, for the time being there is no need. Better invest the money there to develop.

Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada wants you to invest whatever... 'Cause he's not eating so much, he says. So better to use the money and invest it in Mombasa for development there. That temple is very good, I think.

Prabhupada: Kaviraji's medicine was helping stop the passing of...

Tamala Krsna: Kaviraji's medicine was what, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Helping through medicine passing of urine. Of course, I'll drink, but what is the use of then the allopathic?

Tamala Krsna: Well, as I explained, the purpose of the allopathic was that during the time when your urine became very dark, we wanted to make it, you know, take away the poisons that were causing the urine to become dark. Now your urine is not dark anymore. That was one main thing. And the other thing was that we were hoping somehow to get you back to more strength, give you more strength by taking away whatever disease was there.

Prabhupada: Jaya Nitai-Gaura. Sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda, sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda.

Tamala Krsna: Drinking is very good. Whatever you go, kaviraji, allopathy, or Hare Krsna devotees, all of them recommend drinking some liquids or eating. Of course, eating is... You are having a little difficulty eating, of course. Eating or drinking is good.

Prabhupada: Let kirtana go on.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, I told them.

Prabhupada: Jaya Nitai-Gaura. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs 5.38], [Tamala Krsna recites with Prabhupada], am syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. Syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam. Still the syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam is going on; otherwise, we are simply some bones, nothing else. Everything is finished. Jaya Nitai-Gaura and ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Tamala Krsna recites with Prabhupada] nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu, krsnah svayam sama... [Bs 5.39].

[aside:] You can give massage.

Hmm. So what is the next drinking?

Tamala Krsna: What is the next drinking? Make something nice.

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Bhavananda: It's cold custard.

Tamala Krsna: Want some cold custard?

Prabhupada: Whatever you give, I'll take.

Nava-yogendra: Srila Prabhupada? This dream that you were walking... I became very happy.

[background whispering]

Bhavananda: This is grape juice.

Tamala Krsna: Okay, some grape juice, Srila Prabhupada. That is the old reliable.

Prabhupada: So?

Tamala Krsna: You'll have to sit up. Is that all right?

[break] These are very favorite preparations. Today is Rama Vijaya Utsava. Also the appearance day of Sri Madhvacarya. So you should have a feast today, Srila Prabhupada. [laughter] So maybe Pisima should do some cooking to celebrate this day. It is a very big... Dr. Ghosh told me that amongst the Bengali community...

Prabhupada: No, all over India.

Pisima: All over India.

Tamala Krsna: And also Durga-puja is today.

Prabhupada: Vijayotsava. Today Ramacandra conquered over Ravana.

Tamala Krsna: So to celebrate that, shouldn't Pisima do some cooking?

Prabhupada: Hmm. Lugdu.

Tamala Krsna: And you'll taste a little of each thing?

Prabhupada: Hmm. I'll take. [break]

Tamala Krsna: ...today, Srila Prabhupada? Maybe the medicines are having some good effect.

[break] Today is Vijayotsava.

Pisima: [Transl. What should I cook? All kinds...]

Bhavananda: Utsava.

Tamala Krsna: Rama Vijayotsava. Speak in Hindi.

Nava-yogendra: [Transl. Today is Rama Vijaya Utsava.]

Prabhupada: Hard of hearing. [laughter]

Bhavananda: [loudly] [Transl. Today Rama Vijaya utsava. So much prasada.]

Pisima: [Transl. So much prasada.]

Bhavananda: [Transl. You cook so much prasada.]

Pisima: [Transl. Okay.]

Bhavananda: Laddu. Sweet.

Pisima: [Transl. Gourd and milk?]

Bhavananda: Laddu.

Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada asked for laddu.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Bundi laddu.]

Nava-yogendra: Laddu, laddu.

Pisima: Laddu?

Nava-yogendra: Bundi laddu. Prabhupada.

Pisima: [Transl. Oh, I see.]

Bhavananda: Luci?

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Pisima: Luci.

Tamala Krsna: Okay. She will cook a feast to celebrate the day, Srila Prabhupada, and you have to also take part. [break]

Prabhupada: ...such a way he'll call laughing. Gravity should be maintained.

Devotees: Yes, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: And laughing means taking things trifling. That is not allowed. This is the etiquette. That is what we are teaching. You are simple, but this is the etiquette. Understand me right or not?

Tamala Krsna: Yes, Srila Prabhupada. We understand very well. We apologize for that we were taking too lightly. [pause]

Prabhupada: So, whatever Nava-yogendra has presented, let it be sold and utilized...

Tamala Krsna: For Mombasa. Okay.

Prabhupada: Mmm. Sometimes presentations are sold at higher price by bid. Yes. That is the way.

Tamala Krsna: By bid.

Baradraj: [aside:] Amongst the devotees? [indistinct whispered discussion about how to do this]

Tamala Krsna: The most valuable thing, you gave to Gurukrpa Maharaja-conchshell. But he did not pay anything for it.

Prabhupada: That's all right. He'll worship. Jaya Nitai-Gaura.

These mantra should always be chanted. That will do great benefit to me. Hmm?

Tamala Krsna: Yes, Prabhupada. Should we chant them now?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Okay.

Baradraj: Those two, or all the Brahma-samhita?

Tamala Krsna: All the Brahma-samhita? Or those two in particular?

This is from Caitanya-caritamrta. Then Brahma-samhita:

Then again from Brahma-samhita, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu [Bs 5.38]. These mantras should be recited so that I can hear, you can hear, occasionally. And kirtana must go on. And physically, massage. Sometimes that Brahmi oil massage on the head.

[break] Tran..., whatever I have done in this state, is it going right?

Tamala Krsna: Jayadvaita?

Jayadvaita: Everything that you've translated is edited so far, except for the last two sittings. It's coming out very nicely. Now by your instruction to concentrate on Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's commentary, I think it will become even more clear, because Pradyumna will be able to give the English more easily.

Prabhupada: So do it.

Tamala Krsna: You want to do some just now?

Prabhupada: Yes, one or two lines. Let us...

Tamala Krsna: Okay. Yadubara wanted to film you translating. Is that all right? You don't mind. Okay. We can have a little light here while he films for about a half a minute? It wouldn't disturb you.

Prabhupada: Yadubara is good devotee.

Tamala Krsna: Yadubara is a good devotee. Very dedicated devotee. You remember he cooked bati-chachari very nice also for you. He was cooking for you in Rishikesh, massaging. Very intelligent.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: His wife is also intelligent, Visakha.

Prabhupada: Yadubara has become first devotee.

Tamala Krsna: Has become what, Srila Prabhupada?

Devotee: First devotee.

Prabhupada: First devotee before his wife.

Tamala Krsna: First devotee before his wife, yes. You convinced him. He did not come here thinking to become a devotee. Remember, he came for photography work.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: But his good fortune was that he chose to photograph you, Srila Prabhupada, and the devotees. So he became very attracted. [background whispering]

Prabhupada: Hmm? What is that?

Hari-sauri: Just going to get him.

Tamala Krsna: We're just getting Pradyumna.

Prabhupada: Yadubara has freedom.

Tamala Krsna: What, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Yadubara has freedom to do anything.

Tamala Krsna: Yadubara? Has freedom to do anything.

Prabhupada: Ha.

Tamala Krsna: [chuckles] I think that will make his service very enhanced to know that. [break]

Jayadvaita: This is the best association, to be associated with you while you're serving Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Brahmananda: You always wanted this, Prabhupada, to have your editors with you in the same place where you are doing your books.

Prabhupada: Bhaktivinoda Thakura therefore said, miche mayar bose, jaccho bhese. The whole world is being washed away by the waves of material nature. Mayar vasana. Vairaja.[?] When we understand that everything is being washed away... That is visva-rupa. Krsna went... From mouth everything is coming out. If you want to stop it, then this is the chance, human life. Hmm. This is visva-rupa. [break] ...the same field. [break] [kirtana]

Tamala Krsna: What, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Chant loudly. [kirtana gets louder] [break]

Bhavananda: Very early this morning. [break] Tamala and all of us have met and thought that "Let us..." Our position is to serve you according to your desire. Since you didn't request any medicines, we felt that we shouldn't try to...

Prabhupada: No.

Bhavananda: From what we've seen, today you've rested very much deep sleep, and the vomitous nausea has disappeared. But you haven't passed very much urine today. One reason is that you were taking that mild dialysis medicine. For the past three days you've been taking medicine to help you pass urine. So usually when you stop taking that medicine, it takes a day or two for the urine function to start naturally again.

Prabhupada: No medicine.

Bhavananda: Sorry, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: No medicine. What is that medicine?

Bhavananda: I'm sorry?

Prabhupada: What is that medicine?

Bhavananda: There's so many medicines, but today you haven't taken any. There is medicine for the infection in the kidney. There's medicine for the heart. There's medicine for passing urine. There's medicine for preventing any cough in the lung. There's vitamin supplement.

Prabhupada: So how many I shall take?

Bhavananda: That's five different medicines. We felt yesterday that your... When the doctor came, you told us that to take so many medicines is disgusting, and that it bothers your brain. And I know that I personally felt that my position is simply to follow your instruction and command as my very life and soul, not to try and force my idea or my feeling onto Your Divine Grace. So we all of us felt that you had given us so many hints.

Prabhupada: So medicine, kirtana.

Bhavananda: Medicine is kirtana. Enechi ausadhi maya. [kirtana] [break]

Prabhupada: The sleeping medicine he has given?

Bhavananda: No, Srila Prabhupada. There's no sleeping medicine.

Devotee: No medicine at all.

Tamala Krsna: See, Prabhupada, today you haven't taken any medicine. So Bhavananda Maharaja is simply..., was asking whether if you want any medicine.

Prabhupada: What for?

Tamala Krsna: So that's why we didn't give you any. It was our opinion that you probably didn't want any. Just like this morning you asked me for misri-jala at five, six o'clock when I was on duty. So normally they give you a pill also for helping to pass urine. So my reasoning was that, well, you didn't ask me for the pill, you simply asked me for misri-jala, so I just gave you misri-jala. Formerly, even if you didn't ask, we were encouraging you, "Please take medicine, please take medicine, please take medicine." So today we decided that whatever you ask, that we will do. So therefore, as you did not ask for medicine, we didn't give any medicine. This is not done on any doctor's instruction, that we're giving or not giving, but simply we felt whatever you ask us to do, you have perfect knowledge and perfect understanding, and everything we've ever done in this movement is on your direction, so you direct what you want to be done. If you want the doctor to come, then the doctor will come. If you want to take his medicine, then you can take. And we can give our opinion, but it's not our duty to... It's not good for us to over..., to too much push something upon Your Divine Grace. If you want to have the kaviraja, then we can call the kaviraja. Whatever Your Divine Grace considers to be the best course of action, that should be taken up. At least that was our understanding.

Bhavananda: Under your direction, Srila Prabhupada, you have single-handedly spread Krsna consciousness over the entire world. And our position has always been to try and follow your instruction to the letter as our life and soul.

Tamala Krsna: You're not unconscious, so the question does not arise that we have to decide on our own what to do. You're perfectly conscious. So we should simply take your direction. I think we can wait until tomorrow and see what the results of not taking any medicine are. If you want to, you could do that. [break]

Bhavananda: Our Bengali devotees, they brought you big basket of dab. Can they have some kirtana?

[break]

Visvambhara [Pisima's son]: [Transl. What I am saying is if you need me here any time, just send a message with Bhakti-caru Svami and I will come immediately. There will be no problem. This I will tell him also. Apart from this do you want me to tell anything to anybody?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I have nothing more to say.]

Visvambhara: [Transl. That I will explain to Vrndavana. Any instruction about bhakti or something?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I have kept sufficient money so that they will have no problem for lifetime.]

Visvambhara: [Transl. That as soon as I reach I will inform them.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. The money should neither be spoiled nor should they suffer. They have no intelligence. You all are intelligent. Just guide them.]

Visvambhara: [Transl. Alright. From our side whatever is necessary we will do.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. There is no dearth of money.]

Visvambhara: [Transl. Yes.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. If he can improve his Business, money can be given.]

Visvambhara: [Transl. Yes.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Money and comfortable living, this arrangement I make. I am still present.]

Visvambhara: [Transl. That is true. My mother will be staying here for a few days.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Let her stay as long as she wants.]

Visvambhara: [Transl. I am also going to tell Bhakti-caru Svami that if anytime I am needed or anything I will come immediately.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Yes.]

[end]