760716 - Conversation - New York

Conversations by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Conversation

760716R1-NEW YORK - July 16, 1976 - 15:18 Minutes

(Conversation After Interview with Religious Editor, Associated Press)

Prabhupāda: Because they are accustomed to the business of hammering the bricks from time immemorial, they think, "This is the business. How is that this man is not engaged in this business?"

Hari-śauri: Even after he'd understood the analogy that the man was in the prison and hammering bricks, he was still thinking that, "Well, shouldn't he still be hammering bricks?" He was asking that. He was still thinking like that. It's amazing.

Rādhā-vallabha: He couldn't understand any of the analogies.

Prabhupāda: That is the karmīs. Even the Orissa politicians, they accused Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because the Orissa politician . . . it is a fact the Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the King of Orissa during the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he was politically very strong. At that time the Muhammadans were conquering different parts of India, but they could not enter Orissa or the southern India. They were very strong. So this Mahārāja Pratāparudra politically was very strong. So the modern politicians of Orissa, they accuse Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to Orissa and Mahārāja Pratāparudra became influenced by Him, Orissa fell down. They accuse sometimes that Orissa's political position became weakened on account of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's influence on Mahārāja Pratāparudra. They say. The modern politicians of Orissa, they also do not like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.

Hari-śauri: Śrīla Prabhupāda? There's this editor from that Trans-India magazine downstairs, but also that . . . the doctor is there as well. So would you like to see the doctor, or would you like to do another interview, or . . .? They tried to . . . they were trying to contact the Trans-India to have him come another day, but apparently it doesn't seem as though they did it. So they've come hoping to get an interview.

Prabhupāda: So that you decide, which is important.

Hari-śauri: No, I . . . we'll see if we can arrange it. Would you like to see the doctor?

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, the Trans-India if he wants.

Hari-śauri: I'll see. Whatever I can . . .

Prabhupāda: They can wait, or one of them may come. (aside) So what is the news?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: The karmīs decided they want to have a meeting.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that GBC meeting.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: No, no. My karmī friends, on the 19th in New York.

Prabhupāda: Oh, your business.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: They always decide on perfect timing. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: That's nice. I shall prefer to see the Trans-India first, because they will give some publicity to our movement.

Rādhā-vallabha: So we'll tell the doctor to please wait?

Prabhupāda: Yes. All right, he has gone to where?

Rādhā-vallabha: He may bring the doctor up first.

Prabhupāda: All right, let him come. So who is the chief man dealing with this? Who is the chief secretary, all these visitors?

Rādhā-vallabha: Bali-mardana has been greeting them, because Rāmeśvara is involved in the GBC meeting.

Prabhupāda: So you have been in the GBC meeting?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, I was earlier.

Prabhupāda: What is the subject matter?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: We discussed Jagadīśa Prabhu's request to primarily attend his engagement with gurukula, and we also discussed Satsvarūpa Gosvāmī's desire to attend primarily Library Party.

Prabhupāda: It is good proposal.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: We discussed various difficulties that have been happening in Australia, and that Tamāla Kṛṣṇa should go there and help for . . . just for a visit, just to help. And then they will report to you.

Prabhupāda: What is Iran's business? Going on? I got some good report from Nandarāṇī that she is in contact with the Shah's daughter, princess. Is that a fact?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Well, Nandarāṇī Prabhu is doing very well. She's got a gurukula, a school for the Indian children—they are being well attended. Also Mahārāja, Parivrājakācārya Swāmī, he has been in touch with the Shah's daughter, and he's been preaching to them.

Prabhupāda: Shah's son-in-law is interested, I have heard.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, he is interested.

Prabhupāda: That's good. They are enlightened, the daughter and the son-in-law both?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Well, they are both interested, but they are also very much . . .

Prabhupāda: Biased. They are also biased.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is natural.

Hari-śauri: The Trans-India people, they'll come tomorrow at four-thirty, if that's all right.

Prabhupāda: Yeah.

Hari-śauri: And the doctor's on his way up now. He'll be here in five minutes.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Dayānanda Prabhu is doing very nicely.

Prabhupāda: Very nicely.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Very, very first class.

Prabhupāda: What he's doing now?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: First of all, he's helping in every program we have. He's very cooperative, very intelligent boy.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he's very good boy.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: And he's also working as a computer man, very good job.

Prabhupāda: Oh, a good salary?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, very good salary.

Prabhupāda: He knows computer?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Yes, he's good electrician.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So where he is employed?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: He's employed with one of my clients.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So what salary?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Sperry, Sperry Univac.

Prabhupāda: What salary he is getting?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Ah, he's getting about twelve, thirteen hundred dollars now.

Prabhupāda: Salary? Yes. He was getting in America six hundred.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Getting double.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: And he will get a lot more and more. He will get a lot more. And he is . . . we have our regular programs, he brings people from business, we all bring people, and the prasādam and chanting and lecture. It's very nice.

Prabhupāda: And so Nandarāṇī is also working?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: She is happy. She, for a while she taught at a karmī school. From that school . . .

Prabhupāda: She has got experience.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, she's very good. Very first class.

Prabhupāda: Both of them are very intelligent. And Nandarāṇī is more intelligent than her husband. (laughs) I know that.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: I find that he is very intelligent, Śrīla Prabhupāda, really.

Prabhupāda: Ah, Dayānanda.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: He is intelligent, but Nandarāṇī is still more intelligent. (laughs) I know that. Both of them are intelligent, but this girl appears to be more intelligent. That's all right. What about their daughters?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: They are there. They're very happy.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: In Tehran.

Prabhupāda: They have gone there?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: They have come.

Prabhupāda: Oh, when?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: About two months ago, a month.

Prabhupāda: I saw them in Los Angeles.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, they left.

Hari-śauri: Must have been just after we left there.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: A month ago, five, six weeks ago.

Prabhupāda: They have got two daughters.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes. They are there. They also attend gurukula. They have it regularly now. (indistinct background comments among devotees)

Bali-mardana: So that reporter was very impressed. He's a very big reporter. He works for the API, the Associated Press. They give their news to papers all over the world, the news.

Prabhupāda: So let him represent properly.

Bali-mardana: Yes. You have given him a very unique interview, I think, with your analogies.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is there. Why they think Eastern, Western, Jewish and . . .? We are talking of the human being. That is the misunderstanding going on, that this is Hindu religion, Eastern religion. Kṛṣṇa begins from the word dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Find out this. The rascals are taking Hindu, Muslim, Christian. Dehe, the body, and the inner force of the body, He's beginning His teaching. Where is the question of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Jewish? Still they are misunderstanding, "This is Hindu."

Bali-mardana: It is very hard for them to understand.

Prabhupāda: This is science. Read that.

Hari-śauri:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

Prabhupāda: Now, kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, boyhood, childhood, youthhood, old age, is it for the Hindus? The Christian do not become child, do not become youth? (guests enter) Aiye. Aiye baithiye. (Come, come sit.)

Hari-śauri: This is Dr. Bhagat.

Prabhupāda: Bhagat. You are from Gujarat?

Dr. Bhagat: Gujarat, yes.

Hari-śauri: He's one of our Life Members also, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: She's your wife? Child? How many children you have got? How many children you have got?

Dr. Bhagat: One.

Prabhupāda: Only one?

ekaś candras tamo hanti

na ca tārā-gaṇair api

varam eko guṇī-putro

na ca mūrkha-śatair api

(Cāṇakya Paṇḍita)

There is no need of hundreds of rascal child, children. One is sufficient. Varam eka. Varaṁ guṇī-putra, he must be qualified. And who is guṇī? Who is a devotee and learned scholar. Ko'ta putreṇa jātena, yo na vidyā na bhaktimān. What is the use of such rascal child if he's not a devotee, neither learned? Khanena cakṣuṣā kiṁ cakṣuḥ pīḍaiva kevalam. What is the use of blind eyes? It is simply troublesome. So let there be one child, but he must be like Prahlāda, like Dhruva Mahārāja, and then child production is beneficial. Otherwise, if we beget children like cats and dogs, what is the use? That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's instruction. Another example is given: ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārā-sahasrasaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, it is sufficient to give light to the whole sky. What is the use of millions of stars? So, it is very good that you can take care of one child and make him a great devotee and learned scholar. Then it is successful.

So Dr. Bhagat, I get some pain. It is . . . (break) (end)