Short Discussions – May 24, 1977, Vṛndāvana

If there is some official objection..

[soft kirtana in room continuously]

Prabhupada: This spread, they... First of all they wanted to give us a cheap rate, eh? And now they are doing: "We shall be taking your leader[?]." That is not cheap.

[pause] [break]

Jayapataka: ...then there will be no permission.

Tamala Krsna: Is he still in town?

Jayapataka: Yeah, she said... The administrator... For one... After the elections they should be safe. But Mr. Choudhury said that so far as for the temple, that little pieces in the center, he said that can easily be arranged. But for the big temple...

Prabhupada: The center?

Bhavananda: We might do that in pieces.

Jayapataka: Yeah, there was some sanction given. That government khas [personal] land, that land is supposed to be given to us. It has been recommended to be given to us. That order has come to the local land officer.

Prabhupada: Where it is?

Jayapataka: It's scattered all around. In that area that we wanted, nine hundred bighas, [6,48,900 sq. feet] say about a hundred or about sixty bighas scattered, three bigha, two bigha. It is government khas land, so they recommended giving that to us. But because of the elections, that's not making progress.

Bhavananda: We're getting lots of lemons.

Prabhupada: Hmm. What you are doing with them?

Bhavananda: Nimbu pani, and all the devotees get piece of lemon with their main meal. We have now... Everyone has gathered. All of the preaching parties have come back, and we've... They're all dispersing again on Friday. So when everyone is there, we have close to 275 residents.

Prabhupada: Everyone is satisfied.

Bhavananda: Everyone is satisfied.

Prabhupada: Anyone.

Jayapataka: The gurukula put on a drama just the day before we left. What was the play? Ramayana?

Bhavananda: Valmiki Dasyu Ratnakara.

Jayapataka: Dasyu Ratna, Dasyu Ratnakara and Narada Muni, how he became Valmiki, that... Two or three gurukula students and two or three teachers, in Bengali.

Bhavananda: English, Western devotees speaking Bengali. [Prabhupada chuckles] Very successful.

Jayapataka: That who will take his papamsa? Neither his wife nor his son nor his old father, no one would take the share of his sin.

Bhavananda: Only his money.

Jayapataka: So he took shelter of Narada Muni and became Valmiki Muni.

Tamala Krsna: Good news, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: A translation has come from the...

Prabhupada: Hmm. Very good.

Tamala Krsna: He wrote a little note. Do you want to hear it?

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: "Dear Mr. Secretary, First of all I take the privileged opportunity of tendering with folded hands my most respectful pranama to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swamiji Maharaja, who was so kind to me during his stay here. Next I sincerely apologize for not being able to complete the task entrusted to me earlier, the reason being that I was taken ill for two days. Thirdly, I confess that living out of touch with Hindi legal words, I could not properly reflect..., correct and appropriate Hindi equivalent words at some places, and therefore I have tried to explain the purport. The translation rendered and tendered..." Very nice way of speaking it.

Prabhupada: Hmm. He is a lawyer and judge.

Tamala Krsna: "...rendered and tendered herewith may not be treated as an authoritative, verbatim translation. [Prabhupada chuckles] There is much scope for improvement. For the present it may be used and circulated in a narrow circle."

Prabhupada: We don't want much improvement. Your translation is...

Tamala Krsna: Then he says...

Prabhupada: So arrange for...

Tamala Krsna: Printing it.

Prabhupada: ...pamphlets for huge distribution.

Tamala Krsna: This will be made into a separate little pamphlet all about the court case.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: Any photographs, perhaps, of the persons involved? Any need of that? I think we can leave it up to Gopala. He's in charge of printing.

Prabhupada: No, not... We have to wait.

Tamala Krsna: We should give a little background introduction of the court case and then this translation of the final verdict of the judge.

Prabhupada: And "Translated by such and such judge." It will carry some weight.

Tamala Krsna: Yes.

Prabhupada: What is his name?

Tamala Krsna: Sardar Singh. Judge Sardar Singh.

Prabhupada: What is the spelling?

Tamala Krsna: S-a-r-d-a-r.

Prabhupada: Sardar.

Tamala Krsna: Singh, S-i-n-g-h. He says, "I will come to Sri Vrndavana by the 20th of June, and then I will be able to correct the mistakes and use proper words after seeing the dictionary. Lastly it is prayed that my name not be associated with the translation." Do we have to abide by his desire?

Prabhupada: If there is some official objection...

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, he says in it that "so that the people may not make adverse comments," because it's not, you know, it's not verbatim. He's done it quite lengthy, though.

Prabhupada: You can write, "Translated by a qualified judge."

Tamala Krsna: It's a wonderful court decision. He sent the original back also.

Prabhupada: So do the needful.

Tamala Krsna: So did you say you didn't want Gopala to translate it, Srila Prabhupada..., to publish it?

Prabhupada: Hmm? Why do you misunderstand?

Tamala Krsna: I couldn't hear. That's why I'm asking.

Prabhupada: You asked me whether photograph should be given. I said, "That cannot be decided by Gopala."

Tamala Krsna: I see.

Prabhupada: I don't think photograph is required.

Tamala Krsna: No. Simply a little introduction about what the...

Prabhupada: Introduction is there. Nothing. As it is.

Tamala Krsna: Just as it is. Okay. Little... It'll be a pamphlet for mass distribution.

[pause] He did a lot of work, Srila Prabhupada. Twenty-eight pages long, translation.

Prabhupada: You can ask Dr. Prem Yogi to give a suitable heading.

Tamala Krsna: Okay. I'll let him go through it, and then he'll give a heading.

Prabhupada: That's all. [break] [end]