Room Conversation with Indian Guest – July 11, 1973, London

Why do you care for God? Why do you give credit to God?

Prabhupada: So I do not know why these people protest against me. Krsna says, Sukadeva Gosvami says, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says. I do not know what Sahkaracarya says, but...

Indian guest: When, when advaita-darsana was the main doctrine of adi-sahkaracarya, so there should not be any dvaita between brahmana and sūdra. [laughs]

Prabhupada: [laughs] That is, from argument, it is all right. Yes. Why one should see Brahman and not-Brahman? Yes.

Indian guest: There is only one God.

Prabhupada: There is only one God.

Indian guest: Eko brahma dvitiyo nasti.

Prabhupada: Nasti. So...

Indian guest: Only one God dwells everywhere.

Prabhupada: And Krsna says that sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambha..., aham bija-pradaḥ pita [Bg 14.4]. He's the original seed-giving father of all living entities, in any form. So not only human being, but also animals, birds, beasts, Krsna is the original father. Jivera... Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, jivera svarūpa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109]. And Krsna also: mamaivamso jiva-bhūtaḥ [Bg 15.7].

Indian guest: Jiva-bhūtaḥ sanatanaḥ [Bg 15.7].

Prabhupada: So why other jivas should be left aside? Why they should not understand Krsna? And actually, they are understanding Krsna better than many Indians. They have taken very seriously. They do not put any competitor of Krsna. Our Hindus, they put forward so many competitors of Krsna: "Why Krsna shall be God? I have got my own God." Especially after the preaching of this Vivekananda, that "You can create your own God," it has become very simple business to create one God.

Indian guest: Well, then, that time, when Swami Vivekananda went to America, the country was not independent, not liberated. So at that time...

Prabhupada: Who?

Indian guest: Swami Vivekananda, at that time...

Prabhupada: No, who was not liberated?

Indian guest: This country of India. India was not liberated. So...

Prabhupada: So what was the connection with liberation?

Indian guest: Ne. Because at that time there's some proud of nation and some proud of culture. He wanted to...

Prabhupada: No, I don't think in America there was such conception. America had nothing to do with the British ruling. Rather, they declared independence from British rule.

Indian guest: I don't know what was the main idea of Swami Vivekananda at that time, when he preached that, this Vedanta.

Prabhupada: No, I have read his Chicago speech. In that speech, he openly says, "Why do you care for God? You work hard, and why do you give credit to God?" Like that. Rather, one Christian priest protested...

Indian guest: But many times Swami Vivekananda himself went to temples and bowed down before Kali, before Sri Krsna, before Sri Bhavani, and many other temples. He went to Kanya-kumari and prayed before Mother.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

[aside:] Distribute the prasada. Bhagavan ka prasada.

[to server:] Hmm. That's all.

So it is a great pleasure for us. Your Holiness visits us voluntarily. Although I could not invite you, but still, you are so kind, you came. So I am doing my bit, following in the footsteps of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That's all.

Indian guest: It is a great service to Hindu dharma and Hindu society, and humanity as well.

Prabhupada: They are strictly following Vaisnava principles. They... Whenever one comes to become my disciple, the first condition is that no illicit sex; no meat-eating, eggs, fish, nothing of the sort; no intoxication up to smoking cigarette, drinking tea and coffee; and no gambling. So they strictly follow these things. In our Society, there is no tea-drinking even. We don't drink tea. So... Intoxication, pana, chai pana, pana... Pana is intoxication.

Indian guest: Tambūla...

Prabhupada: Tambūla. Yatra papas catur-vidha.

Indian guest: [Sanskrit or Hindi saying Krsna is offered tambūla in the temple]

Prabhupada: No, Krsna can take.

Indian guest: Yes. And that prasada of Bhagavan Sri Krsna...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian guest: ...the devotees can take also...

Prabhupada: No. Prasadam, according to our principle... Just like on Ekadasi day, we do not accept even prasadam, anna. We keep it. So prasadam... Just like in Ekadasi, anna is prohibited, but not the Deity. Deity's offered anna, but we cannot take the prasadam even. So following strictly the principle, even tambūla is offered to Krsna, it is not for us. Yes. Strictly following the principle. The same example: just like on Ekadasi day, anna is offered to Krsna, but we don't take.

Indian guest: The devotees are not allowed to take.

Prabhupada: Not allowed, yes.

Indian guest: Accha.

Prabhupada: Accha.

Indian guest: I'm very grateful to have your darsana. Om namo narayanaya.

Prabhupada: Jaya. Hare Krsna. [end]