Sannyāsa Initiation and Conversation with Svarūpa Dāmodara – May 29, 1977, Vṛndāvana

Nobody dies without illicit sex or intoxication

Prabhupada: Janme janme prabhu sei. Spiritual master who has opened the eyes, he is, spiritual master, the life of the disciple. Do not... He cannot be like that. Janme janme prabhu sei. Life of the disciple. Cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei. Nobody can repay the indebtedness of spiritual master, even by getting a duration of life like Brahma. There is a verse in Srimad... Brahma... Brahma-sam... Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, there is a verse. Sei... Sei guru. All right.

Yasodanandana: "The Lord has suggested, therefore, that by the influence..." [break]

Prabhupada: ...meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. Find out throughout the whole world if they can give up these bad habits by adopting any other means. But one who has taken to the bhakti-yoga, they have given up very easily. Is it not?

Hari-sauri: Yeah, immediately.

Prabhupada: Anartha upasamam saksat [SB 1.7.6]. Nobody dies without illicit sex or intoxication. Anartha, unnecessarily they are habituated. There is no need, but by bad association you have practiced this, habituated, cannot be given up. LSD... Government spends so much, millions of dollars, that "These hippies may give up." Not successful. See practically. And as soon as they come to our camp, they give up. Is it not?

Jayapataka: Yes, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Anartha upasamam saksat. In every step anartha. This material life means anartha. There is no need, but anadi karama phale. Due to our karma we are put into this unfavorable condition, and it is very difficult to come out of it. But if you take to bhakti-yogam adhoksaje, immediately. Who is taking, without any force... How practical it is. Anartha upasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje.

Prabhupada: The same bhakti-yoga. This is practical.

Jayapataka: Now there's another group.

Yasodanandana: Jaya om visnupada paramahamsa parivrajakacarya astottara-sata sri-srimad... [break]

Prabhupada: They do not know. They'll not pay. All dry flowers they'll supply you and take American money. He'll not pay. Anyway, satisfy yourself. So it is raining?

Hari-sauri: It's beginning to.

Devotee: Starts now?

Devotee (2): A little bit. A little bit it was raining. [break]

Prabhupada: Where is Bhavananda?

Tamala Krsna: He is at the fire sacrifice.

Prabhupada: Fire sacrifice not yet finished?

Tamala Krsna: No.

Prabhupada: Then when it will be finished?

Tamala Krsna: Usually after they put on their dhoti, then the fire sacrifice begins.

Prabhupada: No, no. Fire sacrifice... Let it be finished. Who told them before fire sacrifice begins they should put on...

Tamala Krsna: I don't know who.

Prabhupada: Nobody has got...

Tamala Krsna: Bhavananda said that they should come here.

Prabhupada: No, they should attend the fire sacrifice.

Tamala Krsna: He hasn't begun the sacrifice yet.

Prabhupada: You go and begin and then come. Fire sacrifice finished. Our...

Indian devotee (1): Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: He said that fire sacrifice not yet... They'll do...

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, I know when I got sannyasa, first...

Caitya-guru: I was also thinking it should be...

Prabhupada: All right. All right, you shall go. So one by one, they should change their cloth. Can you help them?

Tamala Krsna: Yes.

Prabhupada: In the meantime let me go to the latrine.

[break] ...I think. [Transl. Read again.]

Bhakti-caru: Etam sa asthaya paratma-nistham...

Prabhupada: [Transl. Read quickly.]

Indian devotee (2): Etam sa asthaya...

Prabhupada: Etam sa asthaya paratma-nistham.

Indian devotee (2): Etam sa asthaya paratma-nistham.

Tamala Krsna: Adhyasitam pūrva...

Prabhupada: Adhyasitam pūrvatamair maharsibhiḥ.

Indian devotee (2): Adhyasitam pūrvatamair maharsibhiḥ.

Prabhupada: Aham tarisyami...

Devotees: Aham tarisyami...

Prabhupada: Duranta-param...

Devotees: Duranta-param...

Prabhupada: Tamo mukundahghri...

Devotees: Tamo mukundahghri...

Prabhupada: Nisevayaiva.

Devotees: Nisevayaiva.

Prabhupada: Now chant properly.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Read again.]

Devotees: [repeat same verse]

Prabhupada: The meaning, that "I am taking this sannyasa for the purpose of crossing over the ocean of nescience." Etam sa asthaya paratma-nistham. Paratma-nistha, Bhagavan, Paramatma. Simply to serve Krsna. So here are three danḍas. One danḍa, person. There are four danḍas. He is person, "I am." And the other three danḍa, my mind-kaya manaḥ vakya-my body and my words. "So I dedicate my mind, my body and my activities, paratma-nistha, only for the service of the Supreme. So being situated in that position, following..." Pūrvatamair maharsibhiḥ. It is not that I have introduced something new. All big, big acaryas, they took sannyasa for this preaching work-Ramanuja, Madhvacarya, Sahkaracarya even. And that is pūrvatamair maharsibhiḥ. Mahajano yena gataḥ sa panthaḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186].

We have to follow maharsibhiḥ. So "All acaryas of India, they have taken sannyasa, so I am also taking sannyasa. The business is paratma-nistha." So what will be the benefit? Aham tarisyami duranta-param: "This ocean of nescience is duranta-param. It is very, very difficult to cross over. But I'll cross over." How? Tamaḥ. This is darkness, tamaḥ. Mukundahghri-nisevayaiva: "Simply by serving the lotus feet of Mukunda." Mukunda means "one who can give liberation, mukti." Mukunda. So chant again this.

Devotees: [repeat same verse]

Prabhupada: Again.

Devotees: [repeat same verse]

Prabhupada: Again.

Devotees: [repeat same verse]

Prabhupada: So now... Whose danḍa it is?

Bhakti-caru: Mine.

Prabhupada: Take this danḍa. Then... Hmm. Come on. [Transl. Bas. Now everything is complete [laughs] Your name will be] ...Prema-bhakti Swami...

Dr. Premayogi: Yes.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Oh no.] ...Bhakti-prema Swami.

Dr. Premayogi: Bhakti-prema...

Prabhupada: [Transl. yes.] Bhakti-prema. [Transl. And your name will be, Bhakti-caitanya Svami. Is that all right? Bhakti-caitanya Svami. And you are Bhakti-prema Svami, will you remember? Your name will be, eh, what is the name I gave you?]

Bhakti-caru: Ksira-cora-gopinath Das.

Prabhupada: Bhakti-caru Svami. Bhakti-caru Svami. [Transl. So what is your name?]

Caitya-guru: Bhakti-caitanya Swami.

Prabhupada: Your?

Bhakti-prema: Prema-bhakti Swami.

Prabhupada: And your?

Bhakti-caru: Bhakti-caru Swami.

Prabhupada: So now you can go attend the, yes, sacrifice. Then, conveniently, you have to take the gayatri-mantra, and he has to take the gayatri-mantra. Then it will be all right.

Bhakti-caitanya: So come again to take that...

Prabhupada: Yes, after initiation. And here is...

Tamala Krsna: He already got gayatri.

Prabhupada: Oh, he has got?

Tamala Krsna: Yes, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Oh. [Transl. So only you need gayatri mantra. Come later. Now go and preach enthusiastically.] Hare Krsna. Help them, all senior sannyasis. If there is some mistake, correct them. Cooperation and... [Transl. Is everything all right? Got neckbeads etc?] Everyone. That's all. There is mala? Give them mala each. Yes. That's all. Give them.

Caitya-guru: [Transl. Srila Prabhupada, there is one boy who has already received Brahmin thread in Mayapur festival. He sat in the initiation ceremony. But after that he was not given the gayatri mantra. He is going with me to Chandigarh.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. You give him. You are recommending him?]

Caitya-guru: [Transl. Yes. I am taking him today with me. So I will give him later.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Come later.]

Caitya-guru: [Transl. This evening I will go back.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Yes, in the evening I will give. Work very enthusiastically. You have got qualification. Utilize it.]

Caitya-guru: [Transl. Your blessings.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Blessing is there for everybody.] [to Tamala Krsna:] He has already gone?

Tamala Krsna: No, he... Srila Prabhupada, Bhakti-prema Swami wants to know if he can get the gayatri now, if you want to give him gayatri...

Prabhupada: No, first of all attend.

Tamala Krsna: All right. [break]

Prabhupada: Where is the gayatri-mantra sheet?

Caitya-guru: Where is gayatri-mantra? Thread?

Prabhupada: Gayatri-mantra sheet. Let them come [indistinct]. All right, finish this business. Finish up. [Transl. Everyone do kirtan, Hare Krsna loudly.] All together, chant Hare Krsna.

[kirtana begins] Loudly.

[break] [prema-dhvani prayers]

Devotees: Raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau.

Prabhupada: That's it.

Devotees: Jaya. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! [offer obeisances] [break]

Prabhupada: So now you can disperse. I'll give him.

Hari-sauri: Gayatri-mantra.

Devotees: Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Prabhupada: What is time now?

Brahmananda: Quarter of ten.

Prabhupada: That's all right.

Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Bhavananda: You said you wanted to shave and have your head shaved today?

Prabhupada: Yes, I'll do it after. [break]

Svarūpa Damodara: Yes, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: So?

Svarūpa Damodara: So why don't you develop?

Prabhupada: That's a fact. Anḍantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs 5.35]. Even within the atom there is living entity. Just like within the seed there is living entity, and when the seed gets favorable circumstances, the life is there. It fructifies. Different seeds, different life.

Svarūpa Damodara: This is true only, though, in the earth planet. In the earth.

Prabhupada: Earth?

Svarūpa Damodara: In this planet.

Prabhupada: Everywhere. Jalaja nava-laksani [Padma Purana]. Everywhere there is water and there is... That's all.

Brahmananda: But there is not water on every planet.

Prabhupada: That is rascals' theory, all rascals. Wherever there is planet, there is water, there is everything. If there is no water, wherefrom the sand comes? Scientifically? What is the sand? Hmm?

Brahmananda: The composition of sand?

Svarūpa Damodara: Composition is silica.

Prabhupada: Silica. What is silica?

Svarūpa Damodara: Silica contains one atom of silicon and two atoms of oxygen, but in the case of an acid, it contains two atoms of hydrogen.

Prabhupada: Acid is liquid.

Svarūpa Damodara: Silicic acid.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Svarūpa Damodara: Silicic acid, it forms with water and silicon.

Prabhupada: Yes. So... And without water, where silica comes? They are all rascals. Wherever there is silica, there must be water, dried up or existing.

Svarūpa Damodara: It's true, though, that there is water, but not as much as we find...

Prabhupada: But that is another. Water must be there. Without water, there is no question of silica.

Svarūpa Damodara: I was thinking that... Just like in the sun planet, you said the body has to be fiery, like the sun, so in that sense the...

Prabhupada: That does not mean there is no water.

Svarūpa Damodara: There is water, but it's very small amount.

Prabhupada: Small or big, that is another thing. There must be water. Even within the fire there is water.

Svarūpa Damodara: So life has to develop through that water.

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Svarūpa Damodara: Through that water, that small amount of water, the life has to develop.

Prabhupada: There is no question of... That small amount is sufficient, according to the circumstance. Just like in the desert they don't require much water, the camels. Once drunk, they can go on the desert for three days. You cannot do that. There is water. Otherwise how watermelon is coming?

Brahmananda: Even the cactus plants, they're able to grow, and they store the water...

Prabhupada: Everywhere there are these... These rascals, they do not know. Everything is there, every planet.

Svarūpa Damodara: The five gross elements is present in all the...

Prabhupada: Ksitir apo 'nalo vayuḥ [Bg 7.4]. Must... [aside:] Give me. Give me sugar candy water.

Indian devotee (4): Sugar candy water?

Prabhupada: Hmm.

[break] Everywhere there is life, there is everything, varieties. Here you see in the water there is life, in the land there is life, in the air there is life, within the silicate there is life. So many, many millions. These crabs... What is called? Crab?

Svarūpa Damodara: Crab.

Prabhupada: How they are living? As soon as you walk, they go within the sand.

Svarūpa Damodara: Recently they also found out that there are some..., called bacteria. They live in a very unusual circumstances. They can survive to 150 degrees. And sometimes they live inside ammonia, ammonia solution, without water. They can survive.

Prabhupada: Not without water. There is water, but not as much. Just like on the land there is water, but in the sea there are so much water. So there is life; there is life. We don't say that in the land there is no water. Everywhere is everything. So this evolution, jalaja nava-laksani, it has developed the same way. The first life comes out. Then everywhere there is life. The transportation from higher planet to lower planet-water.

Svarūpa Damodara: Water?

Prabhupada: Hmm. The rainfall. With the rainfall, those who are fallen souls, they are coming down. Then takes shelter within the atom. Then again grows.

Svarūpa Damodara: It's interesting that science says also that in the beginning there was only hydrogen. So actually water is... Its main composition is two parts of hydrogen...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Svarūpa Damodara: ...one part of oxygen. So if the soul is coming through this water, through rain from higher planetary system...

Prabhupada: Ksine punye punar martya-lokam visanti [Bg 9.21]. They elevate, again fall down. This is going on. Mrtyu-samsara-vartmani [Bg 9.3]. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg 15.6]. But when they go to Krsnaloka, then they are... [break]

Svarūpa Damodara: That also corresponds with another theory, a scientific theory, is that the origin of life comes from other planets. That is one theory. Not Darwin. This is not Darwin.

Prabhupada: Darwin... Grand rascal. All speculation. Transportation I told.

Just try to explain to them.

[break] ...interesting. I can give you the ideas; you put in the scientific way. But whatever idea I give, that's a fact. They have stopped making propaganda about going to Mars?

Brahmananda: Going to Mars? They've stopped propaganda?

Svarūpa Damodara: Yeah, they are a little silent.

Prabhupada: [chuckles] Hoax. First hoax was little successful. Now they say it will not be very successful.

Svarūpa Damodara: One aspect in science that they're worried more nowadays is called biomedical ethics. That means they are worried about so-called this genetic engineering. They say by this engineering they can develop some small insects or microbes that will be great harmful. It will be very harmful in the society. So these big, big schools like MIT and Harvard, they are... Some of the leading scientists in this field, they're very much concerned about this new development. [end]