771110 - Conversation C - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

771110R3-VRNDAVAN - November 10, 1977 - 59:10 Minutes

(kīrtana) (break) Lokanātha is here, over there, Śrīla . . .

Lokanātha: Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Devotee: (whispering) The kīrtana should stop.

Prabhupāda: So? Where did you go?

Lokanātha: I went to Mathurā. I went first to Vṛndāvana and looked for the carts. They were not very good kind. They were made for rough loads. So I went to Mathurā and spoke to one farmer. He had a fairly big size cart and two strong bullocks. He asked for a hundred rupees. He wouldn't come down. So ultimately I agreed for a hundred rupees. And he will reach tonight at eleven o'clock. I asked him to start immediately, but they have pūjā—as we have go-pūjā, they also have oxen pūjā today—so he will only reach at eleven o'clock, and he will be with us all day long tomorrow. I had to give him for one day or maximum daily remit.

Prabhupāda: So what do you think?

Lokanātha: Of what?

Prabhupāda: How many carts you have?

Lokanātha: I got just one today, one for you, and those who serve you, they could also sit besides you in the cart, and the rest could do kīrtana around the bullock cart, and the whole unit, bullock cart and saṅkīrtana group, will move together.

Prabhupāda: So what we have to pay?

Lokanātha: We'll pay hundred rupees, one day. Of course, you want to have it for all the time. Best thing is to purchase a set of bullocks, two bullocks, and a cart.

Prabhupāda: You have got experience.

Lokanātha: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So what is better?

Lokanātha: Well, depends on whether we like to use it for longer time. Then we should purchase. If it is just for a few days, best thing is to hire.

Prabhupāda: Hundred rupees and food.

Lokanātha: No. He has his food for himself and bullocks. So that's for the cart, two bullocks and the driver.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Lokanātha: Yes. This is what they earn for living. Usually they carry different loads from place to another place. Each trip they make twenty rupees, thirty rupees, fifty rupees, according to distance and the load they carry. But it's expensive to keep it for many days.

Prabhupāda: No. If it is inconvenient, we may not keep.

Lokanātha: If it is convenient?

Prabhupāda: Then we shall keep.

Lokanātha: So we'll hire first and see how it goes, works. And if you think it is nice, or comfortable, all right with you, then we could purchase.

Prabhupāda: So how many we are going?

Lokanātha: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How many what?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: How many will be going?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, all the devotees want to go, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice.

Haṁsadūta: That's nice?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Pañca-draviḍa: (aside) We can't all go on the cart; it would break.

Prabhupāda: So how many carts you require?

Pañca-draviḍa: Just one.

Lokanātha: One for now. We also had a meeting, and we were discussing that if we go around just in Vṛndāvana, all will go. But if we keep going from holy place to holy place, then we have to decide whether everyone goes or just a few of us go.

Prabhupāda: So you are hiring for how many days?

Lokanātha: This is only for one day it is hired now. But we could continue to hire the same cart for several more days by paying extra money.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Our experiment . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It certainly is an experiment. Of course, we always like experiments to be successful.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Where he'll go?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Where will we go?

Devotee: What route?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We thought tomorrow to go around the parikramā path.

Prabhupāda: Which parikramā path?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vṛndāvana parikramā.

Lokanātha: Does a cart go?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well that we haven't . . . I've never tried it with a cart. Smara-hari, you say a cart couldn't go?

Lokanātha: No, he says it cannot go.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Smara-hari, who is familiar with the parikramā path, says that a bullock cart would not be able to pass in many of the places.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Pañca-draviḍa: Another route . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, then that means we can't do a Vṛndāvana parikramā.

Smara-hari: For example, in Keśī-ghāṭa there's no . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's experienced. He says . . .

Smara-hari: For walking you can go around.

Lokanātha: This Vṛndāvana parikramā is mainly for walking and circumambulating, and it's not meant for going in a vehicle, motor vehicle or bullock cart.

Haṁsadūta: Suppose we would go to Keśī-ghāṭa or one of the important temples like Govindajī.

Lokanātha: Those are the seven temples.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, another possibility is to go to the places where the main temples are, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the Gosvāmīs' temples.

Haṁsadūta: Tomorrow is Govardhana-pūjā, and a procession through the city of Vṛndāvana would be very ecstatic.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Pañca-draviḍa: On parade.

(indistinct background comments by devotees throughout)

Prabhupāda: Others will come also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah, well, if we go through Vṛndāvana, probably many people will come.

Haṁsadūta: Then we could also get some experience, because if we were, for example, to go to Govardhana, we would have to pass over similar roads.

Lokanātha: This cart does not have cover, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This bullock cart which I hired has no cover on the top.

Haṁsadūta: So we have to cover it.

Bhakti-caru: Lokanātha Swami, you apparently didn't get one question of Prabhupāda. He asked what do you think about this trip. You didn't answer that. You have some experience with bullock carts. What do you think? In this condition Śrīla Prabhupāda will withstand the trip?

Lokanātha: How can I answer it?

Bhakti-caru: No, you know in what condition Prabhupāda is in now.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Bullock cart are usually very bumpy.

Devotee: This has rubber tires.

Lokanātha: If these roads are not bad, and the cart has tire wheels . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Lokanātha: So we're discussing bumping. So won't be much bumping in the cart. Also, we always could go slow. If Prabhupāda wants to make an experiment, we could make one day . . . (indistinct)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: A few hours.

Prabhupāda: I am thinking I am lying here . . . (break)

Lokanātha: . . . should ride in very nice carts, in a chariot.

Prabhupāda: No . . . (indistinct) . . . (laughter)

Lokanātha: I saw one in Maharastra. In Poona. Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. You can purchase immediately. (laughter)

Lokanātha: We'll have to design and . . . they're not ready-made like that.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Lokanātha: The kind which we want, the pull-on kind, with cover on top and nice arrangements, we have to design it and order it, get it made. There's a place called Meerut, on north of Delhi . . .

Prabhupāda: Therefore I sent you. You have got already experience.

Lokanātha: Yes. I can use my knowledge for your service. Because you said let's make an experiment, and if it's all right, then . . .

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Lokanātha: You said you want to make an experiment, so let us make an experiment with this hired bullock cart, and in few days' time . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So where will we go tomorrow if we go?

Prabhupāda: Govardhana?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Govardhana.

Lokanātha: Yes, Govardhana.

Pañca-draviḍa: That's very far. We went on one parade three years ago in Vṛndāvana, with elephants, that Your Divine Grace went. Maybe we could go on that same route.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Govardhana will take about six hours to reach there.

Lokanātha: No, how many kilometers is that?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, it's very far.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty-eight to thirty kilometers.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It takes one hour by car.

Lokanātha: Take five kilometers an hour.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's six hours to get there.

Pañca-draviḍa: And six hours back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Six hours to get there, and then three hours around Govardhana. Nine hours.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And six hours back.

Pañca-draviḍa: And the bulls might need to rest.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You have to rest the bulls, don't you?

Pañca-draviḍa: There's one route we went on in Vṛndāvana, a parade, once. Shorter route. First time, as an experiment, we could go a shorter distance.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's quite a big experiment to make, going to Govardhana the first day, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You feel confident that you can travel nine hours in a row on a bullock cart?

Prabhupāda: I am sleeping here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Lokanātha: He says he's sleeping here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But this is not a bullock cart.

Prabhupāda: The same thing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's the same thing?

Jayādvaita: One thing is that in the Gosvāmī temples they have govardhana-śilā. That's also Govardhana.

Haṁsadūta: Śrīla Prabhupāda? The main concern of the devotees is that whether you will be able to survive such an experiment. But before, you said that you felt that such a parikramā would actually cure you. You said that. So your vision is transcendental, because you are the spiritual master. You're a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So if you say that it will cure you and that it will be beneficial for you, then we have to carry out that . . . whatever you desire. We do not know. We're just on the mundane platform.

Prabhupāda: One-day experiment. It is for one day?

Lokanātha: We have hired it for one day.

Prabhupāda: Rest assured, I will not die in one day.

Haṁsadūta: So we should go to Govardhana? Because tomorrow is Govardhana-pūjā.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And we shall make our cooking there and . . .

Lokanātha: We should start early.

Prabhupāda: He has got experience. Dig the ground and make our foodstuff. Very good picnic.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Very good picnic.

Haṁsadūta: We were planning . . . if we go to Govardhana, we would take the prasādam that was prepared here and bring it there, so that many people can take.

Prabhupāda: I have no objection.

Lokanātha: Or otherwise we can make real picnic. We could collect some grains there from door to door and cook some khicuṛi there.

Prabhupāda: That will be very nice.

Guṇārṇava: There are already many thousands and thousands of people there, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Perhaps it will take a long time to get there because of traffic. I was in Mathurā today. Every ten minutes buses and ṭāṅgās and so many kinds of vehicles were going to Govardhana. There are many, many thousands of people there today.

Pañca-draviḍa: Besides that, the devotees would have to walk nine hours in the sun.

Guṇārṇava: Perhaps the road will be very busy tomorrow, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Phew!

Haṁsadūta: Can't walk?

Prabhupāda: No, let them take their time. They do that. It is very nice picnic.

Lokanātha: From my village there is this pilgrimage called Pandharpur. This is sixty miles. And still, old men, they just travel, walk. Every ekādaśī they go.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Lokanātha: Every ekādaśī they go to Pandharpur, have darśana of Charukmaya, and return on foot.

Haṁsadūta: You have assured us that in one day you're not going to die, and you want to make this experiment, so we should do it.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Haṁsadūta: We'll do it with great enthusiasm. Your Divine Grace is infallible. So if you say that it will help and cure you, then that must be a fact. You've never been wrong about anything, Prabhupāda, so you must be right this time also.

Prabhupāda: So let us make experiment. Don't hesitate.

Pañca-draviḍa: So we can fix up the cart tonight.

Haṁsadūta: Where's the cart? Outside?

Pañca-draviḍa: It's coming.

Lokanātha: It will reach at eleven o'clock here. So I suggest right after maṅgala-ārati we'll go, probably should start.

Prabhupāda: As far as possible, take me in a comfortable position. That's all. As far as possible.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Comfortable position.

Prabhupāda: That . . .

Pañca-draviḍa: Arrange one bed on the cart.

Devotee: We can use this mattress.

Pañca-draviḍa: This mattress can go in nice arrangement.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pañca-draviḍa: Umbrella.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is not the best. There is other mattresses that are as good or better than this. The temple has many gadis. We'll get them.

Pañca-draviḍa: We can make nice arrangement. This will purify Govardhana Hill, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Tīrthas become purified by the presence of . . .

Lokanātha: . . . another tīrtha.

Pañca-draviḍa: Yes. Prabhupāda will go to the tīrtha.

Jagadīśa: You're a Vaiṣṇava like Arjuna and Hanumān, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Tomorrow is a great festival.

Lokanātha: Tomorrow is Govardhana-pūjā festival.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are in Vṛndāvana, and we shall not take part? We must take part.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hmm. "We are in Vṛndāvana and we are not taking part? We must take part."

Pañca-draviḍa: So we should all go to Govardhana?

Prabhupāda: Why not? Who is here?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: About thirty or forty devotees, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We're just like puppets, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We are all unfit to make any decision. Whatever Your Divine Grace instructs us to do, we just follow.

Prabhupāda: So, Lokanātha, what do you say?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: What do you say, Lokanātha Mahārāja?

Lokanātha: We should make experiment to please you.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Lokanātha: That will be ever-new experience for us also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: It will be historic. (pause) Many people have been invited to the temple here. Many people have been invited to attend the function here at the mandira.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Thousands of people are expected to come tomorrow.

Pañca-draviḍa: That can also go on.

Prabhupāda: When they have invited?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: To Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: When?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Tomorrow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "What time?" he's asking.

Lokanātha: What time people are invited?

Bhavānanda: At 11 a.m.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At around noontime, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a big feast at one o'clock.

Prabhupāda: So half of our men may come back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Half of the men may come, and half should stay. All the Vṛndāvana devotees can stay, and all the visiting devotees should go.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Exactly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right, we'll make that division, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

(indistinct background comments by devotees)

Prabhupāda: Keep that palanquin.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Keep the palanquin on the cart?

Prabhupāda: Cart?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Palanquin.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where should we keep it? With us on the cart?

Prabhupāda: Carry it.

Haṁsadūta: Bring it along.

Pañca-draviḍa: We'll bring it along. (background discussion)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda's going to want to get out and go in the palanquin.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So when we'll come back from Govardhana?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Tomorrow night.

Haṁsadūta: Next day.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So after circumambulating Govardhana, we will return to Vṛndāvana or stay out?

Jagadīśa: If we're going to take prasādam there's no time to come back.

Prabhupāda: What do you think?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Prabhupāda says "What do you think?"

Pañca-draviḍa: Maybe we could stay overnight.

Lokanātha: When we are there, out, we'll decide.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He can't come back tomorrow night.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's helpful for the devotees to know, just so they can bring something to wrap around when it gets to be nighttime. It's not the middle of the summer, you know. It is . . .

Lokanātha: We have two, three vehicles here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm saying it's something that should be considered now, and not when we get there. You said when we get there we'll see.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We should make all the plans complete.

Prabhupāda: That you consider.

Bhavānanda: We should go with plans for staying overnight.

Prabhupāda: Why you are asking me?

Lokanātha: I think we'll have to stay there.

Haṁsadūta: Yeah, definitely.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We definitely have to stay there.

Haṁsadūta: Six hours to go, three hours around, that's nine. Six hours back . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It'll be more than that.

Haṁsadūta: It's not possible to come back. So one night, spending one night in Govardhana.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The devotees are crashing after two hours.

(background conversation about taking the cars)

Lokanātha: The devotees should be prepared to stay overnight there. Under the trees. (laughter)

Haṁsadūta: We're supposed to be gosvāmīs. We have to stay under a tree. Different tree every night.

Lokanātha: When we were traveling from Vṛndāvana to Māyāpur we stayed many times. Outside we'd live under the tree. It's nice.

Bhakti-caru: Yes, but if just one window is open at night, Prabhupāda starts feeling cold in spite of the blankets.

Lokanātha: You are making . . . (indistinct)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be very cold in the early morning hours.

Haṁsadūta: We'll bring the van, and Prabhupāda can stay in the van overnight, or we'll find some place.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Where we'll find some? All the āśramas will be overcrowded.

Devotee: There's thousands and thousands of people.

Pañca-draviḍa: We can sleep around the van. Prabhupāda is like a desire tree. He satisfies everybody.

Lokanātha: That cart could be turned into house. Have bamboo sticks; cover it with blankets.

Prabhupāda: So begin to plan.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think Lokanātha Swami should make the route, completely planned out, and the place also where we're going to picnic, so that everything has to be arranged well ahead of time.

Prabhupāda: So do it.

Pañca-draviḍa: Yes, we'll prepare the cart tonight, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Lokanātha: When we started the bullock cart you said: "Go to the heart of the village." And we said: "What is this heart?" You said: "Wherever there is well, water, we should camp, we should stay." That is where we could remain clean.

Prabhupāda: That you have experience. I have no experience.

Lokanātha: Maybe you sent me to experience this bullock cart program so that you could . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lokanātha: . . . in future go on bullock cart.

Prabhupāda: For me it is experiment.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We should also request kavirājī to come along?

Prabhupāda: Invite him.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He can come in the van. (laughs)

Pañca-draviḍa: Then it is all decided. You want to take some rest, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Haṁsadūta: Can we have some kīrtana, Prabhupāda? (indistinct background comments by devotees) (kīrtana)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, are you finished passing urine? Yes. (break) Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Daṇḍavat.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said daṇḍavat.

Prabhupāda: Ar ke ache? (Who is there with you?)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ar keo ni . . . (indistinct) . . . to tini gechen . . . (indistinct) . . . Faridpur. (Nobody else is there . . . (indistinct) . . . he has gone to . . . (indistinct) . . . Faridpur.)

Prabhupāda: To apnar ki experience, parikrama? (What is your experience with the parikramā?)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Parikrama? (laughs) . . . apnara jodi bhalo moton system, technology . . . kintu oi kaviraj allow korbe? (Parikramā? (laughs) . . . if you use some nice system or technology . . . but will the kavirāj allow it?)

Prabhupāda: Kaviraj manche na. (The kavirāj is not agreeing to it.)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Apnar upor nirbhar kore. (It depends upon you.)

Prabhupāda: Amar to mone hoye je ei khane shuye achi, gorur gadi te shuye thakbo. (I think that I am lying down here and after that I will lie down on the bullock cart.) Make an experiment. More jai to Govardhan pujo niye nebe. Apni jaben amader shonge? (If I die, Govardhan will accept the offering. Will you go with us?)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Ha, agga pele ami jabo. (Yes, with your permission I may go.)

Prabhupāda: Ashun. (Please come.)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Kotar shomoye? (At what time? When do we start?)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: What time we start?

Bhavānanda: Five o'clock.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Panchtar shomoye. (At five o'clock.)

Prabhupāda: Ei khanei aj ke thakte paren. (You can stay here today.)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: (indistinct Bengali) . . . niye ashini (. . . have not brought it.)

Prabhupāda: Kauke pathiye din. (Just send someone.)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Na ami giye niye ashte pari. (No, I can go and bring it myself.)

Prabhupāda: Na, apni ar koshto . . . (No, you don't need to trouble yourself . . .) somebody may go and bring his mālā-japa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bring him . . .?

Prabhupāda: Bring him his beads.

Haṁsadūta: Where are they?

Prabhupāda: Where they are?

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: At Imlitala. I can go. I can go and come back.

Prabhupāda: So you can go in car.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll send . . . yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Your mālā are at Imlitala.

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Yes. Let me go there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll take you by car. You can get your mālā. You'll stay overnight here.

Haṁsadūta: Someone could pick it up for him in a rickshaw.

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: I can go.

Prabhupāda: Apnar bedding ache? (Do you have bedding?)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Bedding? Ha, bedding to ache amar. (Yes, I have bedding.) Bedding . . . (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll bring him by car. He can get his things and bring him back. He'll get his bedding.

Prabhupāda: His bedding and beading. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bedding and beading.

Jagadīśa: Bedding and what?

Upendra: Beading.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct Bengali) . . . all right? . . . o prasad. Age prasad khan . . . (that prasād. First of all, take prasād.)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Na, ami niye ashi. Ami niye ashi giye. Jabo ashbo ar ki . . . (indistinct) . . .) (No, let me bring. Let me go and bring. I will return in a moment . . .)

Prabhupāda: Jeta apni bhalo bojhen. (Whatever you feel is appropriate.)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We're sending someone.

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: No, no, I'll go personally.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we'll go with a car. He can come and collect his things.

Haṁsadūta: He should go on the rickshaw.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why?

Haṁsadūta: Because it's a very narrow place.

Prabhupāda: So make arrangement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Jayapatākā: Prabhupāda, ekta anurodh korte pari? (Prabhupāda, can I make a request?)

Prabhupāda: Ki? (What?)

Jayapatākā: . . . that if you feel any pain or experience any difficulty, then we can bring you back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, you bring a car.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I'm not obstinate. (laughter)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) (break)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct Bengali) . . . prasadam.

Pañca-draviḍa: Bring some prasādam now.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Someone's bringing prasādam, Prabhupāda.

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Uni jane eshob byapare. (He knows everything about this.)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct Bengali) . . . Sādhu-saṅga sādhu-saṅga sarva-siddhi . . . (CC Madhya 22.54). Shob rokom . . . (indistinct) . . . (All types of . . . (indistinct) . . .) either the experiment success or . . . onek boro Parikrama . . . (indistinct) . . .(. . . very big Parikramā . . . (indistinct) . . .) (break) Aj kal Sharbaran kothay? (Where is Sharbaran these days?)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Sharbaran oi Siuri. Math koreche. Shekhane thaken. (Sharbaran is in Siuri. The Math has been opened there. He stays there.)

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Bhaloi achen. (He is living nicely.)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Hmm, bhaloi achen. Bhaloi achen bhablei gondogol. Je mon niye royechen, tar shob gondogol. (Yes, living nicely. Actually there is a lot of trouble. The kind of mentality he has, everything is troublesome.)

Prabhupāda: Ki gondogol? (What trouble?)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Gondogol mane she bolche ami rekhe diyechi (laughs). (indistinct) . . . ekhon abar bolche na ami dini. Hare Krishna. Ei to obostha. (By trouble I mean to say that he is now claiming to have kept everything (laughs) . . . (indistinct) . . . now he is saying that he did not give anything. Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the condition.)

Prabhupāda: Ekhon bolche deyni? (Now he is saying that he did not give anything?)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Na. (No.)

Prabhupāda: Koto . . . (indistinct) . . . (How much . . . (indistinct) . . .)

Haṁsadūta: He's staying here tonight?

Bhakti-caru: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: Someone has to take him to Imlitala to get his things.

Jayapatākā: Apni to ajke thakchen ekhane? Ami mal ta niye ashbo. Keu pathiye debo, sheta shohoj hobe? Na apni jaben? (Are you staying here tonight? I will bring your luggage. If I send someone, will that be better? Or will you go yourself?)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Hmm. Agge, jabo . . . gelei holo . . . (indistinct) . . . ta niye nebo. (Yes, I will go . . . no problem in going . . . (indistinct) . . . will bring it.)

Jayapatākā: Gadi ekbar jabe, apni . . . (The car will take you . . .)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Hete hete jabo. (I will go walking.)

Jayapatākā: Gadi ache to apni . . . (When there is a car, why should you . . .)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Rastay jam ache . . . (indistinct) . . . (There is a traffic jam . . . (indistinct) . . .)

(background discussion between devotees about going in car)

Prabhupāda: Rastay khub bhidh? (Are the roads very crowded?)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Hmm, khub bhidh. (Yes, very crowded.)

Jayapatākā: Should there be kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Jayapatākā: You like kīrtana?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

(indistinct background discussion between devotees about Akṣayānanda and cars) (break)

Prabhupāda: Prasad peyechen? (Have you taken prasādam?)

Bhakti-caru: Ha peyechen, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (Yes, he has taken prasādam Śrīla Prabhupāda.)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Ha peyechi. (I have taken prasādam.)

Bhakti-caru: I have . . . (indistinct) . . . him, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . (indistinct Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: . . . to go.

Prabhupāda: To request not to go?

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Ji.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I'll tell you, I'm getting so upset sitting in the room upstairs. I mean I just . . . I was walking around . . . two of the devotees told me this road is so bad that if you go on this road, you're going to be jolted back and forth. The road is terrible. I mean, I just can't understand, Śrīla Prabhupāda, why it has to be tomorrow that we have to go. Of anybody wants you to travel, I do. My whole desire is to take you all over the world. I want to take you on parikramā, but why do we have to go when you're in this condition? I can't understand it. It just . . . I was standing outside. This kavirāja, he has worked so hard. He's so much disappointed. He can't understand why he . . . he says that now, today, you've taken half a kilo of milk. No mucus has been produced. No stool is being passed. He says tomorrow he wants to give you a medicine that will begin to build the milk into muscles. He's going to get you to a point where you can take two kilos of milk a day. And he says very soon you'll be able to have the strength to actually do parikramā. So why are we throwing everything out the window, that we must go tomorrow? I cannot understand.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Bhakti-caru: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (laughs)

Bhavānanda: Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: I cannot refuse all your request.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And we cannot refuse your request. We will take you all over tīrtha-yātrā, to all the places. Just that you get a little stronger. You'll be free of all management. You simply go to tīrthas and take darśana of all the Deities in India. And everyone will stay in their respective places. They'll manage. But we just want you to be stronger.

Prabhupāda: All right. That will satisfy you? (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bābājī Mahārāja also, you also thought that? We did not talk to him.

Bhavānanda: We were just on our way down the stairs to come and see Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: Bhavānanda?

Bhavānanda: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: You are satisfied?

Bhavānanda: Now I am, Śrīla Prabhupāda, yes. (laughter) I was in too much anxiety.

Prabhupāda: No, no, I cannot put you in anxiety. You have done so much. You have suffered for Māyāpur so much. I cannot put you in anxiety. So I shall do what you like. Ki bolen Babaji Maharaja? Era shob dan hath, ba hath. (What do you think Bābājī Mahārāja? They are my left hand and right hand.) Left hand, right hand—I cannot refuse.

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Ha, na thik i boleche. Na, na . . . (indistinct) . . . bhalo lege jache. Ektu jodi aro shombhabona . . . ar ei jerking bhoyonkor bhai ar rastao kharap. (Yes, they are saying the right thing. No, no . . . (indistinct) . . . it is working nicely. If there is some possibility . . . and this jerking is so dangerous. The road is also horrible.)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean I'm amazed, Śrīla Prabhupāda. A half a kilo of milk you've drank today—no mucus, no stool. And that is wonderful. You could not have done this two weeks ago.

Bhakti-caru: Yes, when I told the kavirāja he got quite amazed. He told me, "Don't give any more milk. It might . . ." But Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted some milk now, so I'll give.

Prabhupāda: Where is kavirāja?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's out again getting medicine. I mean, this man, Śrīla Prabhupāda, Adri-dhāraṇa says he sits up all night worried about you, thinking, taxing his mind how to give you just what you require.

Prabhupāda: No.

Bhakti-caru: Yesterday, when I went to call him at 4:30, I saw him sitting on his bed.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All night. He goes in the jungle four, five hours looking for roots, herbs to give you. He's so sincere.

Prabhupāda: So many well-wishers, I cannot refuse. This is not my business. Ki bolen Babaji Maharaja? Apni shob . . . (What do you think Bābājī Mahārāja? All of you . . .)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Ha. Shob Krishner iccha. (Yes. Everything is the plan of the Lord.)

Prabhupāda: All right. You take Bābājī Mahārāja. That will be my going. (laughter)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Jaya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, the bullock cart will go tomorrow.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To Govardhana.

Prabhupāda: Yes, other devotees can go. I cannot go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they'll go on your behalf, but you will go one day. That we promise you.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Our greatest pleasure will be to take you on tīrtha-yātrā, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We wanted so much to go with you on that.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we're so much attached to you that you practically drive us to madness sometimes. Tonight we were becoming mad.

Prabhupāda: No, no, I shall not do that. Bābājī Mahārāja? Dekchen era kirom bhalobashe? (Just see how much they love me.)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Dekchi to. Shobi adhbut Maharaja. Eder to ei rokom bhabei shikhbar o . . . (Yes, I am noticing it. Everything is amazing Mahārāja. They are trained like this . . .)

Prabhupāda: Ar ei Bhavananda recently, ki suffer koreche . . . eke bare. Take refuse kora . . . loke gaye thuthu diye . . . (And this Bhavānanda recently suffered so much. To refuse him . . . people literally spat on him . . .)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Shob Bhagavan dekhben. (The Lord is seeing everything.) (laughs)

Prabhupāda: So you will take bath in Rādhā-kuṇḍa on my behalf.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll get you better, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and you will also be able to take bath personally there. We'll see you get better.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa will make all of our words come true, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Bhakti-caru: Dudh niye ashbo, Śrīla Prabhupāda, ekhon? (Shall I bring the milk Śrīla Prabhupāda?)

Prabhupāda: Ha, niye asho. Kaviraj eto khatche, take refuse kora. (Yes, bring it. The kavirāja is working so hard.)

Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: Hmm, o ja . . . na, na . . . (indistinct Bengali) (Yes, he is so . . . no, no . . .)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, this kavirāja, we're so . . . I mean, we're fortunate to get this sincere man.

Prabhupāda: Where is kavirāja?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's out getting more . . . he's out working, at work.

Bhavānanda: Adri, see if he's here, kavirāja.

Adri-dhāraṇa: (indistinct) . . . get a minute.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: As soon as he comes, he can come and see Prabhupāda. (end)