770123 - Conversation B - Bhuvanesvara

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

770123R2-BHUVANESVARA - January 23, 1977 - 10:35 Minutes

(kīrtana in background)

Bhāgavata: It was written in the paper that one nāga, he has died from cold. He was wearing nothing. (laughs) He has died.

Prabhupāda: In Māgha-melā, er, Kumbha-melā?

Bhāgavata: At Kumbha-melā, yes. One nāga. He died due to cold. It became very cold one night after you left, so cold that the nāga, he died from having no cloth.

Prabhupāda: He must die. They imitate.

Bhāgavata: Yes. He is a cheater.

Prabhupāda: No sādhana, bhajana, and simply nāga.

Hari-śauri: Well, they smoke chillums, so they're so intoxicated that they don't . . .

Gurukṛpa: I saw one nāga. They said he was smoking a cigarette for twelve years. Not a chain smoker, "cable smoker."

Prabhupāda: Markaṭa-vairāgya, the renunciation of a monkey. (laughter)

Bhāgavata: You have explained in Fifth Canto. Verses are there. Renunciation like a monkey.

Gurukṛpa: One man had his arm up for twelve years. He had his arm up with his hands closed, and his fingernails had grown, and his arm was flat from keeping up for twelve years like Hiraṇyakaśipu.

Hari-śauri: We saw one man in the Rāmānuja camp, too. He hadn't sat down for eighteen years. He carried a small swing with him, so wherever he went, he would go underneath a tree and hang the swing and lean on it. And he'd not sat down for eighteen years. (laughter) He had bandages all over his legs.

Bhāgavata: They have concocted this. It is not written in Vedas anywhere.

Prabhupāda: No, there are. Hiraṇyakaśipu did it.

Bhāgavata: That is a Vedic . . .?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But what did he gain?

Bhāgavata: He got this. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: What did he gain? Became a rākṣasa and he was killed.

Gurukṛpa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I went to Jagannātha Purī today, and I looked at this land that Gargamuni was looking at, and I don't think it's a very good idea because it's too central. It is right with all the hotels, and therefore the atmosphere there is not a very serenic atmosphere. But just maybe one mile down the beach I saw, which is still on the main road . . . it is within ten-minute rickshaw. The atmosphere reminds one of Lord Caitanya, and the water there is much cleaner because it is away from the sewerage of the main city. Similar to our Vṛndāvana—not far off, but five or ten minutes. But yet it is very . . . it is the best place in Purī.

Prabhupāda: So put this matter in the GBC meeting.

Hari-śauri: I found the address of one man who offered us some land. You remember in Bombay you wanted someone to look at this land.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes.

Hari-śauri: Well, I found that address. This morning I gave it to Gargamuni, so he has to check that out yet. The land's about a half mile from the railway station towards the sea. So he's going to check . . .

Prabhupāda: So give him. He can go and see.

Hari-śauri: When they've seen everything, perhaps you'd like to go just to look at the different sights, see which you like.

Prabhupāda: First of all you see whatever he selects, "This is the best." Then I'll go.

Bhāgavata: That area around Purī Hotel there has depreciated due to tourism. Due to the tourists coming, that area around Purī Hotel, too many . . . everyone walking, and ladies and men together . . .

Prabhupāda: Eating everything.

Bhāgavata: . . . eating everything and taking bath together in the lake. Not a very good atmosphere. The boys and girls are walking hand in hand.

Prabhupāda: They go to enjoy sex.

Bhāgavata: Yes. It is a mahā-tīrtha, but they go there for . . .

Prabhupāda: Sense gratification.

Bhāgavata: . . . sense gratification.

Prabhupāda: No, we can develop here. Here also people . . .

Bhāgavata: At Bhuvaneśvara.

Prabhupāda: One magistrate came. There were many respected people came.

Bhāgavata: Tonight?

Prabhupāda: Yes. If we make here nice arrangement, nice preaching, people will come here. People will come when there is real teaching.

Hari-śauri: In Vṛndāvana no one was coming to Rāman Reti until our temple was there. Now thousands come.

Prabhupāda: Nobody was coming. What . . .? Why they will come Rāman Reti?

Hari-śauri: It was a very dangerous area, actually, to come to.

Prabhupāda: And Bon Mahārāja is there for the last forty years. Nobody came. Nobody goes there. (laughter) It is always locked. Great failure. So much money he has squandered, lakhs and lakhs.

Hari-śauri: No kīrtana, no Deities.

Prabhupāda: And he wanted to attract foreigners. And not a single foreigner.

Bhāgavata: He has started "Oriental philosophy."

Gargamuni: (referring to another devotee) I dropped him at the train station.

Prabhupāda: It is crowded?

Gargamuni: No.

Bhāgavata: Abhirāma is going tomorrow to Calcutta. On the way he will stop at Remuṇā.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Bhāgavata: He will inform them that you will come on which day. On the day, third or fourth of February, after this function is over, he will inform them that you are coming. Then I will go the night of the function. I will go ahead and see that everything is . . .

Prabhupāda: That you arrange with the secretary. So Brahmānanda is going to America. For the time being he should go.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes. He said he will go for some time. He just told me. (break) You are famous for starting from nothing. (Prabhupāda laughs) In New York there was nothing, and you started.

Prabhupāda: Yes, nothing.

Gargamuni: In Māyāpur there was nothing. Here there is nothing and it is started.

Hari-śauri: Vṛndāvana there was nothing.

Gargamuni: All over the world you are famous for that.

Hari-śauri: In Bombay there was nothing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Bombay. (laughs)

Gurukṛpa: Bombay was worse than nothing. (laughter) It'd been better if there was nothing in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: No, you are rich man's sons, Americans. We are poor Indians. My father was not a rich man, but your father, all are rich man's father, rich man's son.

Gurukṛpa: You are the father. You are a rich man. We have nothing.

Prabhupāda: No, I may be rich man's father, (laughter) but my father was not rich man. (laughs) I may be called rich man's father.

Bhāgavata: It is due to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that we have . . . any opulence that has come, it has come by your grace.

Prabhupāda: Not . . . Kṛṣṇa's. They were surprised that we are spending twelve lakhs of rupees, Indians. That's a fact.

Gargamuni: They understand that kind of talk. Their eyes lit up. They all became wide . . . very alert when you began speaking of money.

Prabhupāda: And our daily income is six lakhs. They cannot imagine, but actually this is fact.

Bhāgavata: They want to use it as an excuse why they should not take up spiritual life—"If I renounce, how I'll live? Therefore I cannot take this spiritual life. I will not be able to live." That is their excuse.

Prabhupāda: No, even in your country. Here there is poor country. Even in your country, Los Angeles, the neighborhood shopkeepers . . . (break) (end)