Parikramā – November 29, 1971, Vṛndāvana

711129PK-VRINDAVAN [25:42 Minutes]

Birthplace of Balarama

[Syamasundara aside to tape: November 29 th on the road to Gokula.]

Dr. Kapoor: …the first time. Otherwise we should have taped words…

Prabhupada: I think tape recording was not there.

Dr. Kapoor: It was not in our time.

[break] That parikrama by Prabhupada in 1932.

Prabhupada: I think.

Dr. Kapoor: You were there?

Prabhupada: Not all. I simply… I think you were also there.

Indian man: I was there. My mother was there. I was initiated in Radha-kunḍa, you know. I was initiated…

Prabhupada: Ah. I went there, Kosi.

Dr. Kapoor: You joined at Kosi? I see. That was a wonderful time.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes.

Dr. Kapoor: Such a parikrama has never been organized after that.

Prabhupada: That is not possible.

Dr. Kapoor: Not possible. [break]

[arrival at new location: Dauji. Presently called Baldeva]

Prabhupada: [Transl. This bridge was not there.]

Indian: [Transl. Yes, it is constructed recently.]

Dr. Kapoor: Very old city.

Indian: [Transl. King Kamsa's empire.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Wasn't there before.] Go to Dauji or Gokula? [break]

Dr. Kapoor: [Transl. Dauji would be better first, no sir?]

Indian: [Transl. Yes, yes.]

Prabhupada: [break] [Transl. Only they import petrol from outside.]

Syamasundara: What is Dauji?

Prabhupada: Dauji is Lord Krsna…, Balarama.

Indian man: Balarama. Lord Krsna's elder brother.

Syamasundara: His birthplace?

Prabhupada: Balarama.

Dr. Kapoor: [Transl. You can drive little forward.]

Indian: [Transl. No prabhu, we have reached the temple.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Reached? Okay.]

Syamasundara: What is this place, Prabhupada? Is this where Balarama was born? Balarama was born here? Or He had some pastimes?

Prabhupada: No, it is a temple of Balarama.

Syamasundara: Ah. [break]

Indian: [Transl. Tell them about the pastimes that took place here.]

Guide: This place is the place of maternal uncle of Lord Balarama, and He was born here. This is the place of maternal uncle.

Panḍa: [Transl. Not in-laws place but Balarama's birth place. People say wrongly. When Lord Krsna left Dvaraka and went to Jagadisapuri, at that time Balarama appeared here. This is Balarama's original place. Here both Revati and Balarama manifested. In this corner is the Deity of Revati. She was the daughter of King Raivata of Junagarh [Gujarat]. This is not Balarama's in-laws place. That is in King Raivata's place. This is His real birthplace.]

Dr. Kapoor: [Transl. That's what he is explaining.]

Panda: [Transl. Balarama personally appeared here. He was the seventh child.]

Dr. Kapoor: Birthplace of Balarama.

Prabhupada: Birthplace of Balarama. You are our Vrndavana-panḍa.

Dr. Kapoor: Yes, I am your panḍa. [laughter] I am trying to be your panḍa.

Prabhupada: Doctor panḍa. [laughter]

Panda (2): [Transl. Bhakti Siddhanta Maharaja Gauḍiya matha, Kesavaji Gauḍiya matha, are you from there? I am their panḍa. Kesava Maharaja, Madhava Maharaja, Tirth Maharaja.] [break]

[in bus again]

Syamasundara: Did Nanda and Yasoda live here first?

Dr. Kapoor: Who?

Syamasundara: Nanda and Yasoda?

Dr. Kapoor: In Gokula. That is where we are going now.

Syamasundara: Then why was Lord Balarama born here?

Dr. Kapoor: This is the maternal uncle's place, and He was born here.

Syamasundara: Oh, maternal uncle's place. I see.

Prabhupada: Ah, Syamasundara?

Syamasundara: Yes, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Whatever money is being paid by him, you return it.

Syamasundara: Oh, yes.

Dr. Kapoor: [laughs] He only paid five rupees. [laughs] Should we stop here?

Prabhupada: [Transl. Ha.]

[kirtana] [break]

Devotee: What's the name of this place?

Prabhupada: Gokula. Lord Krsna showed the whole universe within His mouth. [Brahmanḍa-ghat]

Syamasundara: Ah. [laughs]

Tamala Krsna: They're looking for the driver, Prabhupada. Right now he is not in the bus. [to devotee:] Can you blow the horn? [horn sounds loudly] Here he comes. Here he comes.

Syamasundara: Brahma-kunḍa is in Gokula itself? Hmm. Krsna was raised in Gokula.

Indian: [Transl. It should be same as Bhakti Siddhanta's, no?]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, no.] [break] Yes. London, it is always gloomy. You cannot find such bright sun; very rarely.

Dr. Kapoor: Very rarely.

Prabhupada: Now it is December, snowfall there. [break] Early in the morning at ten o'clock, and evening, half-past three. Only, say, about five or six hours day, and eighteen hours night, nowadays.

Dr. Kapoor: Yet it is so healthy there.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Dr. Kapoor: Yet the place is healthier, even though you have too little sun. [break]

Prabhupada: …meat and drink liquor. That makes them. According to Ayurveda, if anyone eats meat he flourishes in growing skin.

Dr. Kapoor: Skin, ah. [break]

Prabhupada: We have got better brain, undoubtedly. [break] Here we have to eat some clay.

Syamasundara: This is where Krsna used to live, in this very place?

Dr. Kapoor: Krsna used to live in Gokula. Gokula is very near, I think.

Syamasundara: Oh, this is not Gokula.

Prabhupada: Here He used to come to play. [break] So why not take bath here?

Devotee: You will take bath, Prabhupada? You can take bath in the Yamuna?

Prabhupada: Why not? It is very cold?

Devotee: No, no. It is not… [break]

Prabhupada: Here Krsna used to eat dirt while playing, and His friend, will complained to mother, "Oh, your son is eating dirt." "Krsna, You are eating dirt?" "No, they are enemies; they are telling lies. This morning we had some quarrel, so they have become My enemies and are telling lies." [laughter] And they charged again, "No, He has taken. He has taken. We have seen." "All right, open Your mouth. I want to see." And as soon as Krsna opened His mouth, she saw whole universe within; therefore Brahmanḍa. [break]

Vrajavasi: [Bengali.

[Transl. This is not just dust, not just dust. It is the gopis' feetdust which the son of Nanda put in His own mouth. Whoever donates here is smeared by the dust of vraja. Had the dust been not there what would be the goal of our lives? All bondage of karma…]

Devotee: Here is another one.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, vrajavasi again. What is the program here, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: If you like, you can take your bath. [break]

Lady devotee: …children Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: We will go to the Yamuna.

Indian devotee: Come on now, come with me. Sarasvati, come with me. Take your bath here.

Prabhupada: Is it very cold?

Sarasvati: Very cold!

Prabhupada: Touch.

Syamasundara: Is it cold?

Tamala Krsna: Warm.

Syamasundara: It's warm, they say.

Prabhupada: Huh? Cold. [laughter]

Dr. Kapoor: Early morning is warm. Early morning about four o'clock, when you have bath…

Prabhupada: Cold water for me is not good.

Dr. Kapoor: Should I make some arrangement to bring some water for you, Prabhupada, if that is possible?

Prabhupada: How can you? That is not possible.

Dr. Kapoor: I will find out.

Prabhupada: No, no, no. We can wash our head.

[break]

Dr. Kapoor: [Transl. There is no deep holes here, no?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. No, no. No ditches. Take off your inner shirt sir.]

Dr. Kapoor: [Transl. Very deep.]

Prabhupada: [Trans_ Very cold.]

Dr. Kapoor: [Transl. No. Not cold.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Sip some [indistinct] water, Maharajaji.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, no.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Bhagavan ate clay here.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I drank everything.]

[break] [sounds of water splashing and devotees bathing]

Syamasundara: [to Sarasvati:] Take your pants off.

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Here is this ghat's brahmana, Maharaja. Whatever you order please give him.]

Tamala Krsna: Everything they can do, they add an extra rupee.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Tamala Krsna: Everything they do, they will add a rupee.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Syamasundara: It's his river? He's charging? [break]

Prabhupada: Why don't you take bath, eh?

Syamasundara: Yes. Everyone should take.

Indian man: You want to go Sarasvati? Syamasundara is going to… [break]

Sarasvati: …want to go down here?

Syamasundara: Okay.

Prabhupada: She is going the other side.

Sarasvati: Go down here.

Syamasundara: Will you come too?

Prabhupada: [to Sarasvati:] Take all bath. Take bath. Syamasundara?

Syamasundara: She took. She took a bath.

Prabhupada: Yes?

Syamasundara: Yes, right there. She took a bath up to her waist.

Prabhupada: Feeling all right? If you take bath like this daily, all jaundice and everything will go away.

Syamasundara: Should I give her complete bath, Prabhupada? Should I give Sarasvati complete bath?

Prabhupada: Why not? [laughter] [break] All go to the bus.

Syamasundara: Okay, everyone to the bus.

Sarasvati: I want to bathe.

Syamasundara: No, too late now.

Prabhupada: ...standing here. You can pay one rupee.

Vrajavasi: [Transl. All together we are twenty to twenty-five panḍas here.]

Prabhupada: Oh, Ksirodaksayi! Ksirodaksayi! [Transl. Who is your head here?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Either you give me or my brother.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Who is your brother?]

Ksirodaksayi: [Transl. Brother come here. Syamasundara! Hey, Syama! Come and stand here. He is hard of hearing. Come here Maharaja, Panḍaji. This is my brother, Maharaja.]

Prabhupada: Give him five rupees.

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Maharaja, not five rupees.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. If you say anything then no rupee. This is your problem.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. I am just asking.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No. Don't say anything.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. You are all kings and emperors.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Because you speak like this no gentleman comes here.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Ok. Please give eleven rupees.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. That's why your pathetic condition is like that.]

Vrajavasi: ekadasa mūdrakani pradatavyani [give us eleven rupees.]

Indian: [Transl. Already given.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Then it's ok.]

Prabhupada: For this botheration, no gentleman will come here. They are losing their business, but still they will do.

Dr. Kapoor: They will never be satisfied with whatever you give-whatever you give.

Syamasundara: They make it so that you don't want to come back.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Syamasundara: The government can't do anything.

Vrajavasi: [to someone:] [Transl. Pay obeisances to Maharaja. May you all be blessed by bhakti. He is our leader, Maharaja. May Radharani be pleased with you. May Yamunamayi bring you here again and again. Maharaja, we bless you from our hearts. Blessings from the heart that may your bhakti enhance. This is our prayer. We don't beg. Brahmanas blessings…]

Dr. Kapoor: [Transl. Without his [Prabhupada's] blessings where will they go?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Maharaja's blessings are with you all. But vrajavasis blessings will add… Vrajavasis are very dear to Me and one who pleases them, he becomes dear to Nandababa. Vrajavasis are dear to Bhagavan. There are more temples here.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. We had your darsana and that's enough.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. You must visit Manda Bihari. What is wrong in explaining? The form which Bhagavan displayed I will show you. I don't ask you anything. But I must explain the glories of the holy place. We are happy. We have done our duty. You should stay here for half an hour. Many people will come to see you.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, we are not...] Kirtana, kirtana. [break]

Dr. Kapoor: This is the place where, while playing with His friends, Lord Krsna took some earth in His mouth, and when He went back, Lord Balarama told Yasoda-mata that "Krsna has taken some earth in His mouth." He said, "No, I have not taken any earth. Because these people, I defeated them by playing, so they are complaining against Me."

Prabhupada: Conspirates.

Dr. Kapoor: And then Lord Balarama told Yasoda-mata, "You see inside the mouth of Lord Krsna." And when Yasoda-mata saw inside the mouth, she found that all the Brahmanḍas: universes and, I mean, Brahma, they were inside the mouth of Lord Krsna. Therefore this ghat, this river ghat, is known as Brahmanḍa ghat.

Prabhupada: You can bathe here. [break] …kirtana and let us go. [kirtana] [break]

[in bus]

Syamasundara: Vrndavana is up the river in that direct…? Vrndavana is up the river that way?

Dr. Kapoor: Yes.

Syamasundara: And where did Yasoda and Nanda's house…? [break] Krsna used to walk here from His house?

Prabhupada: Yes. Playing with His boyfriends.

Syamasundara: How far away was His house? Miles?

Prabhupada: Maybe a hundred miles. [laughter]

[devotees shout obeisances as bus leaves]

Dr. Kapoor: It special you see, like Adhoksaja. So the material conception of distance and time doesn't apply, you see, and the Vrndavana is always in the service of Krsna, you see? So when it is necessary that a particular place is a hundred miles from the feet of Krsna, it will be hundred miles, and when it is necessary it should be only hundred feet, it is hundred feet. Do you follow?

Prabhupada: Krsna is Yogesvara.

Dr. Kapoor: He is Yogesvara, you see?

Prabhupada: And by His mystic power He can do everything.

Dr. Kapoor: Krsna is not subject to time and space, you see, but time and space serve Krsna, you see? It is absolutely different from what it is here. Yes. We have to submit to time and space, but in the case of Krsna, time and space have to submit to Him. You see? [break] This is what you call bajra: millet, grain. What do you call it in…? I don't know. [break] Bajra is Sanskrit word, I think.

Prabhupada: Millet. [break] [Transl. Where are we going now?]

Indian: [Transl. We are going to Gokula.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. I see.]

Indian: [Transl. Gokula…We are on the Mathura road. We will have to take a left turn ahead for Gokula. There is a sign board.]

Dr. Kapoor: [Transl. …is there or not?]

Indian: [Transl. I don't know Maharaja. I have been there ten years ago.]

Syamasundara: What is that? Something is carried?

Prabhupada: From there. Krsna was carried from Kamsa's...

Vrajavasi: [Transl. From Mathura Bhagavan was carried by this river bank. That's Nanda's palace.]

Vrajavasi (2): [Transl. From there Yogamaya was taken to Baldeva and handed over to King Kamsa. Since then the two brothers Krsna and Baladeva lived here. Look, They are lying in a swing. Here they stole butter, tended cows, ate dirt, and performed rasa-lila and many childhood pastimes. Touch and take Yamuna water.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Is this the ancient Gokula?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. This is new Gokula established by Vallabhacarya.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Why did you bring us here?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. You said, take us…]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Who said? Who told you?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. You told me.]

Vrajavasi (2): [Transl. This is old Gokula.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. You told me at Brahmanḍa-ghat. But I said the bus will not reach there.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. So what? We would have walked.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. I told you there. And this also…]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, this also. Is there another Gokula or not?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. Oh that Mahavana you call Gokula. That you have passed by already.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. We would have walked on foot.]

Vrajavasi (2): [Transl. That is Mahavana, Maharaja.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Where are those 84 pillars?]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. That is Katiyara Baba's palace. Not Nanda Baba's house.]

Indian: [Transl. Take us there.]

Vrajavasi: [Transl. I am telling you the truth, Baba. Am I telling lie?]

Prabhupada: Always cheating!

Syamasundara: This isn't Gokula?

Prabhupada: This is not original Gokula.

Tamala Krsna: No. That's Ksirodaksayi wanted to go. Yes, this is not the original.

Prabhupada: Then why they have brought us?

Devotee: They say one-minute walk from Gokula.

Prabhupada: Three miles, four miles. We have come to Gokula. [break]

Syamasundara: Where is Gokula?

Dr. Kapoor: Gokula is from here a one-mile walk.

Syamasundara: One-mile walk? Oh, one-minute walk.

Dr. Kapoor: Not one minute, one mile.

Tamala Krsna: He's saying one mile.

Syamasundara: Is Prabhupada going to walk one mile?

Prabhupada: We have come to see Gokula. It may be one mile or two miles… Why you have brought me…? Why we have been brought here?

Devotee: Why have we come here?

Dr. Kapoor: That is also Ballabhacarya's birthplace.

Prabhupada: That may be, but we want to see the original Gokula.

Vrajavasi: [Transl. This is called Thakurani-ghat.] [break] [end]