770103 - Conversation B - Bombay
Prabhupāda: Why should be checked? This is the point.
Girirāja: I don't think that the court will decide against us.
Prabhupāda: If they decide that... There are many other court judgments in our favor. Then we must adopt civil disobedience. There is no other, second way. "Capriciously you cannot impose anything against the law, against the judgment. If you do, then we shall also disobey." That should be the last resolve.
Hari-śauri: I remember when we were first beginning in Melbourne we were harassed very tremendously by the Council.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I know that.
Hari-śauri: And they were putting us in jail and everything. And actually every court decision was against us too. But somehow or another, we just went out on saṅkīrtana, every day distributing. We were getting booked, then fined. Then we wouldn't pay the fines, so they would come and they would raid the temple at two o'clock in the morning and try and take us away to jail. And... It went on for months. And then in the end there was so much publicity about it... When we went to jail we were fasting. So there was so much publicity that the Council became very embarrassed that they couldn't get rid of these boys and girls. They became so embarrassed that they stopped their harassment, and we carried on with our saṅkīrtana activities. So actually, if we just determine just to stick with it, then there's nothing they can do. What can they do to us unless they kill us? I don't think they can do that.
Prabhupāda: So your wife came... [break] This is Indian attitude. They do not care for the modern, civilized way of life, wasting time reading some nonsense book or going to the bars, the cinema, talking unnecessarily. They do not like. Those who are old style, they do not.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I know many women who are very good cooks, I have tasted...
Prabhupāda: They have no time to waste time in that way. They must be inclined that "I must prepare something nice so that my husband, my children or my, all friends will be very pleased." That is their policy. I wanted that all our girls, they should be expert. And in America they are doing that. They should learn the art of cooking and prepare very nice foodstuffs, daily change of menu. And the children should be so trained up that no more birth. And that is life. They can produce hundreds of children, it doesn't matter, but must be responsible that "The children should be saved. This is the last birth, no more birth. I'll train the child in such a way that next life he's going to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead." That is parent's duty. Otherwise they should not become parent. That is contraceptive: "I am not fit to train my children in that way, so I shall not produce cats and dogs." This is life. Why shall I produce cats and dogs? And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was gṛhastha, he produced Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. That is one... So in this way, if there is ideal institution, ideal mode of living, it is happy; everything is all right. That is gṛhastha. Produce Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "If I can produce kṛṣṇa-bhakta as children, then I'm prepared to marry and produce hundreds of children." And if we cannot, then we shall not produce even one children. Just like Vasudeva and Devakī in their previous life. What was the name? Their determination is "If we can get a child like God, then we shall produce. Otherwise we go on, tapasya. And when Kṛṣṇa came, "What do you want?" "I want You." "Who is like Me? I shall appear. I shall appear." Anyway, we have got such huge establishment. Utilize it very properly everywhere. Another thing, that in Vṛndāvana... You remember the corner land, parikrama, last time? That is available by acquirement.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The corner land to the left? Left of Gurukula? Or...
Prabhupāda: No Gurukula... When we go to the chuni,(?) in front of...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Ha, ha, ha. In that direction.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is agricultural land.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Right opposite...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hari-śauri: Where that gate is.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Right before the gate. That is... I was under the impression that belonged to some Christian man.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. That is first. After crossing the road, the corner.
Hari-śauri: Where the parikrama path is.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That is available for...?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually that would be good if we get that. It's right next to our temple.
Prabhupāda: So why not try for that? You can get it, I am sure.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I'm going to Vṛndāvana in ten days.
Prabhupāda: So if we can get that land, then we can divert our sewer in the land and utilize it for nice agricultural purposes. So instead of spending lakh of rupees for municipality, why not acquire that land?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Acquire or buy? Acquire.
Prabhupāda: Acquire means you have to pay, but government...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but acquire usually takes a long time.
Prabhupāda: Not long time. They'll give us, because it is lying vacant.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: On the sewage problem in Vṛndāvana, we'll have to make, do something quickly because even the Gurukula will not be able to open till we can...
Prabhupāda: So you can do it immediately. But go on, purchase. It is lying vacant.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay, that's a very good idea. But we'll still have to put a pipe underground coming out.
Prabhupāda: That is not much, a few you, few yards only. And then introduce it and distribute that water, the whole land, and you will get good agricultural produce, very good. You can have very good business.
Hari-śauri: That can be used for agriculture?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. This water is very valuable for agricultural purpose. Nature has made in such a way. Aiye. All rejected water, you can utilize for agriculture.
Hari-śauri: I think in the West they have a law that says you can't use human sewage.
Prabhupāda: Kick out the West. We are doing here, in India. The municipality is doing that also in Vṛndāvana. Everywhere it is. In Calcutta there is called dhāpāra māṭha. Dhāpāra māṭha, formerly, anything produced in dhāpāra māṭha, that was not used for Deity. The superstition that "These vegetables are grown in filthy water, nasty..." But the vegetables were-cauliflower so big, so big. Everything, very luxuriantly, very tasteful and solid and big... Dhāpāra māṭhera (Bengali). They used to take. In Bengal, generally, the land is very fertile to produce vegetables. But this, the more the filthy things of the city were thrown there, and the cultivator used to grow very nice... That is utilization of this filthy water where there was sewer ditches formerly. In the village they diverted from the water in the field, and they got good crops. Generally they pass stool in the field. The cow's, cow dung and man's stool and everyone's stool, they are wrapped gathered together in the rainy season. It became fertile. (Hindi)
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We will try for the land.
Prabhupāda: Immediately. That is... That will be proper utilization. And in the court, unless they arrange for this dirty water out, why shall I pay tax? We shall stick to this position.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We are sticking to it. The only harm to us is our Gurukula is going to get delayed now, the opening.
Prabhupāda: But in the meantime you...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And also we are running out of time because we can't let water accumulate the way it is.
Prabhupāda: So why you can't? We have purchased that land. They have to...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that is... We'll try for that now.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That means... We have purchased that land. By force you can drive out? We are trying for that. Go to the court: "We have regularly purchased that land. What can be done? The municipality is not doing anything." We have to fight like that.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we are fighting.
Prabhupāda: Why you should be afraid?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. I mean the water... We're having all the trouble with the man in the back.
Prabhupāda: That I am speaking, that he's trouble. Why he should be giving us trouble? We purchased it. Take land; take money. And we have to purchase the land for this purpose. We are doing other arrangement; that is our mercy. But even that land... The municipality is obliged. Otherwise we can throw the water on the street. That is municipal's duty. Otherwise why shall I pay tax? We shall do everything, we shall pay tax, and we shall suffer? What is this?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We're not paying tax. We are fighting it in the court.
Prabhupāda: So in this way we have to fight. We should not be afraid for these rascals. Why you should be afraid? If they take to guṇḍā -ism, we shall engage fifty guṇḍās. "Come on. Let us see." We have to maintain that spirit. Anaye yei kare prabhu anaye yei sahe.(?) The Rabindranath Tagore's one poetry: "One who does wrong and suffers wrong, he is wrong." One should not do anything wrong; one should not suffer anything wrong. That is human. If somebody does harm to me, wrong to me, I cannot suffer it. I shall not do any harm to anyone. That's all right. But if you want to give me suffering, I must fight you. Why shall I suffer it? That is kṣatriya spirit. Yuddhe cāpy apalayanam. "If you are challenging, 'All right, come on,' I accept this challenge." We have to do like that. Now, this bāniyā spirit... Our Bhagatji, he purchased that land, and he's afraid of him. What is this? Bāniyā spirit. But you are kṣatriya.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He has to... I'm not there all the time. They come to his house to...
Prabhupāda: No, you argue with weapon. Beat them. We shall see. Go to the police that "This is nonsense."
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, we've done that.
Prabhupāda: So how is that?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: At the present moment he's okay; he's quiet.
Prabhupāda: No, we should beat them. If somebody, atatayi...(?) You unnecessarily attack me; I must first kill you. That is my duty. Just like you have done here, Setterji. "I'll bring my revolver." So that is argumentum baculum. Here they wanted to put us into trouble, and he was in great trouble. So he came, he stood: "All right, come on. We shall fight. Bring my revolver." He did that. So we have to do like that. Why shall I tolerate unnecessary injustice. Take that spirit. And in meantime apply. That is the solution. Why shall I spend for them? And unless they arrange for the sewer lines, we're not going to pay tax.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that's our position.
Prabhupāda: Let us go on, one court after another, one court after... If there is fight, we must be prepared to fight. (Hindi) If required, take Setterji. He'll help.
Setterji: Girirāja.
Girirāja: He's very heroic. He was very heroic.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is kṣatriya. (Hindi) You take him.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.
Setterji: In the Pakistan time, I fight forty, fifty men.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is kṣatriya spirit. If you want to fight...
Setterji: Yes, always.
Prabhupāda: You killed?
Setterji: Yes! So many times.
Prabhupāda: So you have got experience. Huh?
Setterji: Sometimes I have walked on the dead body.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā. So many dead bodies.
Setterji: I have seen about four men at the Pathan border, and the... One, this Korabhari, this ṭāṅgā, Victoria,(?) came with six Muslims. And they challenged us. Very... "We will kill you." We said, "Yes, come. You kill us; we will kill you. We fight." We were ready at that time because revolver was there and the Kurari Kundasa was there. One, my friend, he was from Gujawala(?). He showed this Kundasa, and his head cut out, and he was running...
Prabhupāda: Ācchā. Still running?
Setterji: Running! In Mahābhārata (?) I was heard that body was running. But actually I have seen at that time. Head was cut and the body was running.
Prabhupāda: Just see. (laughter) And then he fell down.
Setterji: Then he fell down. And of that, the other men went.
Prabhupāda: That, how he was running with his mind, just see.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: With his mind.
Hari-śauri: The mind is in the heart.
Setterji: And we have saved all the fellows because...
Prabhupāda: That, these rascals, they do not know...
Setterji: Because if they first, they put us, then our men will do it. So we do first.
Prabhupāda: Killing.
Setterji: Yes. And the one man get out from the ṭāṅgā, who first cut out his head. Then... And all the others ran out. (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Yes. (Hindi) Actually. It was also very disastrous.
Setterji: To fight... When fight is there, then...
Prabhupāda: That is also Kṛṣṇa conscious. You see how many demons are killed by Kṛṣṇa.
Setterji: "Come on." You challenge. You see? I've declared. If they challenge us I am ready, "Come on." At the temple I challenged, "Come on! And you are 150. We don't be afraid."
Prabhupāda: So... (Hindi) You have lost your kṣatriya spirit.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Having Setterji with us... When he has (?) relax for few days, rest for few days.
Prabhupāda: Huh? If you have lost your kṣatriya spirit, then take him.
Setterji: When he came with that barrister to give you to notice... (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)... Mantrer(?) was so against, that "We must stop this." Yes. I heard from that doctor that he was insulted by Seti, "Either Seti should go..." Like that, he has repeated me. He gave me hint that Seti... (Hindi) And you know that. The doctor, what is that doctor? He suggested. He's Mantrer's(?) man. Yes. Yes.
Setterji: He was also play the game in the land, that...
Prabhupāda: He gave hint that "Give Mantrer two lakhs of rupees." Yes. He was canvasser on behalf of Mantrer. He wanted two lakhs.
Setterji: Which we'll not give you a single paisa. We will fight to you. "Come on."
Prabhupāda: So I think you make this point. But best thing is that if you can acquire that land, that is the best solution. We can utilize that land?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, for agriculture. That's very good.
Prabhupāda: It is just in the corner.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can have a small gośālā there also.
Prabhupāda: Anything we can do.
Setterji: Gurujī, one night at the Pakistan front we stay in one place, and forty, fifty men came there, Kuraris and Kundasas. And another fellow which was with me, he was asked to be one of them. So when they came we recognized and we were ready with the revolvers and... The men came and they want to kill us, and we shoot them, five men dead, that time, and the rest ran away. And I took my child, this Brijmohan. He was five days old only. And I took my wife on the back...
Prabhupāda: Five days?
Setterji: Five days. And I took my wife on the back and child in my hand, and the way was so difficult, and the darkness. And then we... Six miles...
Prabhupāda: What about your other children and daughters?
Setterji: They were also with us.
Prabhupāda: But they were grown up.
Setterji: My father took my..., that child who was one year old.
Prabhupāda: Oh, father, mother, everyone, whole family. Then how trial they had.
Setterji: Six miles from there, and then we got a...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: A lot of these Punjabis had to go through this. During the Partition a lot of Punjabis had to face the fight and killing them off.
Prabhupāda: No, in Bengal also there was fight.
Setterji: Huh? First Bengal? Was in Punjab.(?)
Prabhupāda: Noakali there was great fight.
Setterji: After this war I cannot slept six months perfectly.
Prabhupāda: Mind was so disturbed.
Setterji: Because these, that scenes, came always...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. In vision.
Setterji: ...in dreams that "We were fighting; we were killing, they are killing; we are killing."
Prabhupāda: Just see how much struggle.
Setterji: Sometimes we wake up fighting, fighting.
Prabhupāda: I had such experience. I had some experience in my childhood in 1911. I was thirteen years old. There was a riot. So our house was there in Mahātmā Gandhi Road, and all sides Muhammadans. We are simply... The Mulliks and our house are simply some respectable men. Otherwise it was surrounded (surrendered?) by... That is called Kwalabala and Bastik, all Muhammadans, backside fully Muhammadans. So the riot was there, and I went to play. There is a square, Marker(?) Square. So I did not know the riot has taken place. I was coming home. So one of my class friends said that "You do not go to your house. That side is rioting now." So because we are in the Muhammadan quarter, this fighting between two parties, that was going on. It is usual. So I thought it may be like that, that two guṇḍās are fighting. I have seen. One guṇḍā is stabbing the other guṇḍā. I have seen. And they are pickpockets. When you are passing they would... I have seen, he is pickpocketing. (laughter) And they were our neighbor men. So I thought "It must be like that. This is going on." But when I came the crossing of Mahatma Gandhi... At that time Harrison Road it was. Harrison Road and Holi..., Holiday, Halliday Street, yes. So one shop was being plundered. Putamat putamat putamat... " So I was child, a boy. I became... "What is this happening?" In the meantime all, my father, mother, members: "Oh, the child has not come." They became so mad, they came out of home expecting, "Wherefrom the child will come?" So what could I do? When I saw, then I began to run towards our house, and one Muhammadan, he wanted to kill me. He took his lāṭhi and actually... But I passed through some way or other. I was saved. So as soon as I came before our gate they got their life. So without speaking anything I went to the bedroom, and it was in the month of... It is winter. So I... Without saying anything I laid down, wrapping myself with quilt. So that time I was rising: "Is it ended? The riot is ended?" I was asking. I remember. So I would have been killed in that riot. So I have got experience of this riot. That is the first riot in Calcutta, in 1911.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We haven't had any such experience.
Setterji: I was passing on my car after Pakistan from Laul(?) and they put bomb, hand grenade, and the back glass broken, but we...
Prabhupāda: Saved. Kṛṣṇa saved. Unless Kṛṣṇa saves, who can? So I had the experience of riot in Calcutta in my childhood.
Setterji: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: At any moment.
Setterji: "Who are afraid from death? Come on!" challenging... (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Soldiers, they forget that "We have to die." They fight for... That is another madness. In Hindi it is called kunchariya.(?)
Setterji: Kunchariya. (Hindi) That is... Ah.
Prabhupāda: Soldiers they do that. It is unnaturally he becomes. They become mad after killing. (Hindi) ...kṣatriya spirit. They must be trained up kṣatriyas. If he is bāniyā, he cannot do it.
Setterji: (Hindi) ...who have challenged us. So "Come on."
Prabhupāda: (laughs) So you are real husband. You gave protection to your wife.
Indian lady: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation for few sentences)
Prabhupāda: Can you make one cāpāṭi ?
Hari-śauri: I should make it, or Pālikā or...?
Prabhupāda: Yes, Pālikā. [break] ...business, that requires so many other things. But if you take to agriculture you can do it immediately. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya. That... We are going to do that. Kṛṣi... This is beginning, family life, maintenance, body and soul together. This is the beginning. Business is there when there is excess. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam BG 18.44 . First of all you take care of the cows and engage yourself in agricultural products. Then when there is excess production, you trade, get some money for other purposes. But you... Agriculture means you work for producing food. That is wanted. Why immediately go to trade? Trade is required when there is excess product. Everything is there. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya. And the kṛṣi you can produce independently. You simply work. You have got your hands and legs. You till the ground and throw some seed, and it will come. One kilo seeds, you'll get one hundred mounds. Then, when the product is excess, you trade. Everything is there. If you produce food grain, you'll eat nicely and you'll be strong. You'll be able to work more. Our point is take Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Everything will be perfect. Not that Kṛṣṇa is advising immediately sarva-dharmān parityajya BG 18.44 . For that stage you are not prepared. That I know. But in your present stage what you'll do, that is perfect.
Girirāja: You mean I should leave everything and start a farm?
Prabhupāda: Where is the question of leaving? Agriculture... You take to agriculture—that means you leave everything?
Girirāja: Well, what I have now.
Prabhupāda: And what you have got? You are asking that "I require now food." That means you have nothing. You have no food even. (aside:) Oh, you have brought it very quickly. Very nice. All right. [break] Live very comfortably, eat very comfortably and work. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Simply wasting time, the civilization... śrama eva hi kevalam SB 1.2.8 . Working hard and wasting valuable time of... Misguided. Andhā yathāndhair upanīya... When I think of their position... So every Vaiṣṇava should be para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. So you like it?
Hari-śauri: For thirty paisa it's very good. For the price it's very good.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, it's very good in other ways, full color. We're going to sell it for a rupee, and...
Prabhupāda: Kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye CC Madhya 6.254 . The unhappy for the unhappiness of others. They love them, unhappy without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is a fact. The rascal may agree or not agree. That's a fact. Ghostly haunted.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Jaya. [break] Where is this temple? London? No.
Hari-śauri: Which one? Oh, that's the German castle. Schloss Rettershof.
Prabhupāda: Oh, France.
Hari-śauri: German.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, yes. I think it is rightly done.
Hari-śauri: For mass distribution it's very good, for mass distribution. How many copies he's...
Prabhupāda: One lakh. (end)