Chapter Four

August 25th, 1976

We arrived in Delhi at 9:30 p.m. By the time we got to the new temple at 21A Feroz Gandhi Road, Lajpat Nagar III, it was about 10:15 p.m. yet there was still a big turn-out of 2–300 local people to greet Śrīla Prabhupāda. He was very pleased to see this. It is practically the first time we have had such a response at our own temple in the capital. Lokanātha Swami was also present with his traveling party and the many new bhaktas he has recruited. 

The crowd of devotees were so enthusiastic that Śrīla Prabhupāda allowed them to offer guru-pūjā to him in the temple room before he went up to his quarters. Once in his room he talked a little with Gopāla Kṛṣṇa prabhu and Gargamuni Swami, who has just arrived from Calcutta. Then he took rest. By the time I completed his evening massage it was 1:20 a.m. 

August 26th, 1976

This new temple is a big improvement over the old Bengali Markets building. The place is in good condition and in a good neighborhood. It is a two-story, semi-detached house, with separate servant’s quarters (now used as offices) at the back. On the ground floor, the small temple room has a capacity for about fifty people and opens onto a well-kept lawn at the front. At the back of this there are several rooms for the brahmacārīs and an adequate kitchen. Upstairs, Śrīla Prabhupāda has been given a large front room overlooking the lawn. It can hold up to one hundred people for darśana. Adjoining it is a bedroom with an attached bathroom. Next to that, along an open landing, there are two rooms, the smaller of which has been allocated for use by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s servants. Śrīla Prabhupāda seems very satisfied with the new facility. 

* * * 

During noon massage the son of Bhakti Pradīpa Tīrtha Mahārāja, a Godbrother of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s who was one of the original founding members of the Gaudiya Matha, came to see Śrīla Prabhupāda. It was a courtesy call, and after a short discussion in Hindi he left. 

A few pieces of mail have been forwarded here, and Prabhupāda answered them as he took his massage. An old associate of Prabhupāda’s, Dinesh Candra Sarkar, wrote from Calcutta, enquiring about Prabhupāda’s health and activities since he saw him in Māyāpur last March. He related how he had been bed-ridden with bronchitis and pneumonia for two months and now is so weak that he is unable to travel to either Māyāpur or the Calcutta temple. He begged for Śrīla  Prabhupāda’s blessings and some news of when he will return to Māyāpur.  

Prabhupāda sympathized with him over his poor health, briefly recounting his own health troubles of the cold he caught in New York. “So I am sorry to learn that you are not well. Pray to Krishna and chant Hare Krishna. The body is a temple of disease, janma mrtyu jara vyadhi. Disease is our inevitable companion. We still have to execute our duty of Krishna consciousness as far as possible and Krishna will help us.” He then filled him in on some news about Māyāpur. “We are going to have a very big project at Mayapur. We have to acquire 350 acres of land from the Government and construct a spiritual town at the expense of Rs. 200 Crores. The plans and contemplations are going on in different phases, now when Caitanya Mahaprabhu will be pleased it will be taken up.” 

He informed Dinesh that he expected to arrive in Māyāpur by December and invited him to come and visit him there. 

There were two separate letters from Lucknow: one from Mr. R.S. Tripathi, an advocate, and another from Shri Kuwar Chandraprakash Simha, a professor. Both of them expressed their desire to join with Prabhupāda in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, and the advocate described the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Mahābhārata and the Rāmayāna as his “special subjects.” 

Prabhupāda was happy to hear from such qualified men, and extended an invitation to both to come and meet him in Vṛndāvana after he goes there on September 3rd. 

Rādhāballabha prabhu sent a letter from Los Angeles about the upcoming publication of a book on the philosophy of Lord Kapila. As well as asking Śrīla Prabhupāda to write a Foreword for the book, he expressed some reservations about the title and suggested an alternative for Śrīla Prabhupāda’s approval. “We would like to call the book Teachings of Lord Kapila. The subtitle ‘The Son of Devahuti’ may sound a bit humorous to Americans because that particular type of wording was frequently used in old-time movies. Most Westerners have never heard of the atheist Kapila, and you defeat him on the very first page of the book. Therefore we think Teachings of Lord Kapila would be the best title. It would be very compatible on the bookshelf with Teachings of Lord Caitanya.”  Rādhāballabha also informed Prabhupāda that the Eighth Canto Volume One has just gone to the printers, work is progressing on Volume Two, and “only by your mercy can we get Volume Three,” he said. 

Śrīla Prabhupāda wasn’t happy to hear about the proposed title change. “You may title this book, Teachings of Lord Kapila, but it must be subtitled, ‘The Son of Devahuti.’ That will remain, do not try to change it. The Americans may like it or not like it, but we must make the distinction between devahuti putra kapila, and the atheistic Kapila. Do not try to change anything without my permission.” 

Brahmānanda Swami sent a letter glorifying Prabhupāda on his vyāsa-pūjā, with a sample of the invitations they sent out for the Janmāṣṭami celebration in Nairobi enclosed.  

While appreciating his personal offering, Prabhupāda was quick to pick up on a serious omission in the flyer. “Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your Janmastami 1976 invitation sheet, but there is no mention of the Vyasa Puja ceremony. Generally in our centers they issue Janmastami invitations along with Vyasa Puja invitations. I have read your Vyasa Puja offering, so it will be a great pleasure to know whether Vyasa Puja was officially held in Nairobi.” 

Since there have been so many disturbing reports about our African-yātrā, Prabhupāda added, “I am always anxious to know about Nairobi affairs. If you kindly send a report at least once a month, that will be appreciated.”  

* * * 

Many people came for the evening darśana. Śrīla Prabhupāda received them in his room. However, he spoke little and simply had them chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.  

Afterwards he talked with Gargamuni Swami about the Indian library program. Gargamuni said that not only was our own distribution going well, now a Calcutta company wants to purchase four lakhs worth of Caitanya-caritāmṛta a year from us to sell in Calcutta and its outlying districts. 

He also discussed the problems involved in keeping Śrīla Prabhupāda’s new Mercedes in India. In order to renew the carnet (temporary importation licence), it has to be taken out of the country every six months. The alternative—to pay 220% duty—is out of the question. Quite apart from this, Śrīla Prabhupāda regularly travels between the major cities and thus the car has to be driven back and forth across country if he is to have use of it. All in all it is a great inconvenience. Gargamuni suggested that the car be taken to Teheran to be sold and the proceeds used to buy three Ambassadors—one in Bombay, one in Calcutta and one in Delhi-Vṛndāvana. 

Although Prabhupāda was very pleased when Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa brought the Mercedes, he agreed that it wasn’t practical to keep it and consented to Gargamuni’s proposal. 

They talked until 10:15 p.m., when Śrīla Prabhupāda had channa and chinni (freshly-made cheese with sugar), before he took rest. 

August 27th, 1976

Prabhupāda took his walk in Lodi Park this morning. His conversation was light as he enjoyed the pleasant aspect of neat, well-kept gardens with raised walkways lined with bottle palms and immaculate lawns. He noted the many neem trees, commenting that they were unique to India. 

He mentioned the $60,000 daily book distribution income and told us, “This is preaching, real preaching. Substantial. It will remain.” 

As he walked at a steady pace Prabhupāda noted the several large mausoleums dating back 550 years to the time of the most prominent kings of the Lodi empire.  

Harikeśa Mahārāja reflected how they were good examples of the decoration of the dead body. 

Prabhupāda recalled seeing similar buildings in Rome, which are visited by thousands of tourists. He quoted the verse yānti deva-vratā devān and told us, “After this body, one has to go somewhere. So this is the description, who will go where. Mad-yājino ’pi mām. Those who are preparing to go back to Godhead, they can go. Otherwise, if you want to go in the higher planetary system or in the lower planet . . . That you also go.” He said that if someone enquires, “Why you are chanting?” the simple reply is that, “We have to go somewhere after death. We are going to Godhead. And you do not know where you’ll go.”  

* * * 

When we returned to the temple Prabhupāda greeted Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Pārtha-sārathi and then mounted the vyāsāsana for guru-pūjā and class. He noted the absence of Pradyumna and inquired where he was. When we informed him that he was doing his pūjā, worshiping his newly-acquired śālagrāma-śilā, Prabhupāda was not at all happy. “First of all guru-pūjā,” he said with annoyance. “Tell the nonsense. First of all guru-pūjā.” 

For class, which was short,  he spoke from the first verse of Bhagavad-gītā. Because most of Lokanātha’s men are not fluent in English, he spoke in Hindi. First, Prabhupāda condemned the foolish commentary that portrays Kurukṣetra as a symbolic representation of the body. He said Kurukṣetra is still there, just a few hours from Delhi.  

He gave a nice example to explain why Kurukṣetra, a holy place of pilgrimage, was chosen for the fight. “In our villages, if there is an argument, everyone says to go to the temple because previously no one would tell a lie in a temple. Therefore dharmakṣetra. They have gone there to fight; they went there to dharmakṣetra. So before Bhagavān, how they can speak any lie?” Dhṛtarāṣṭra knew that the Pāṇḍavas were the real kings but due to some politics there was now a dispute, but the fighting was to be held at the dharmakṣetra. 

Śrīla Prabhupāda ended the class with a reminder that we should not interpret the text but we should take it as it is spoken in order to get the full benefit. 

* * * 

During the morning Ṛṣabhadeva dāsa, the former president of the Laguna Beach temple, arrived. Apparently he has been dealing in drugs since 1975, and for this reason he was removed as president. Harikeśa Mahārāja explained to Prabhupāda that Ṛṣabhadeva and about eight other men have rationalized this illicit activity by claiming that they don’t take the drugs themselves, they simply sell them to a ready market and use the profits in Kṛṣṇa’s service. Somehow, they don’t consider this to be breaking our regulative principles. 

When Ṛṣabhadeva came in, Prabhupāda immediately challenged him, “So we are preaching no intoxication and you are selling. Why? This is the same as saying, ‘We don’t eat meat but we keep a big, big slaughterhouse.’ ”  

Ṛṣabhadeva seemed taken aback by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s stern countenance and his strong disapproval. He replied that they thought it was all right to do it if the results were given to Kṛṣṇa. 

Prabhupāda said firmly, “You are not Kṛṣṇa-ized. You are an ordinary person! All our income should be by honest means.” 

“Well, we used the money to set up an honest business,” Ṛṣabhadeva replied, referring to a prasādam business he and his fellow deviates have set up.  

Prabhupāda shook his head in disgust. “That is like a bunch of thieves who say, ‘Now let us divide the money honestly.’ It is a ludicrous proposal.” Prabhupāda told him that he must stop his illicit activity forthwith.  

In the face of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s unequivocal opposition Ṛṣabhadeva agreed that he would stop. But he asked what he should do with the $70,000 they had already accumulated. He said that they had intended to use it to start a prasādam restaurant.  

Śrīla Prabhupāda told him to go ahead and begin the restaurant, reasoning that the money was already made and must now be used for a proper purpose. But he reiterated emphatically that no further illicit activity should go on. 

* * * 

In the afternoon Prabhupāda held darśana until about 7:00 p.m. Then, since there were no other visitors, he retired for a while. Although his schedule is not as intense as it was in Hyderabad, his physical health is still weak, and so he took the opportunity for a little well-earned rest. 

* * * 

Recently Harikeśa Mahārāja has been asking Śrīla Prabhupāda to relate some of his life history so that it can be recorded and eventually used to make a biography of him. A brief overview of his life written by Satsvarūpa Mahārāja was included in the new Vyāsa-pūjā book, and it would be very enlivening to the devotees to know more of the details of his life and activities.  

Prabhupāda has been reluctant to speak about himself, but seeing our eagerness he called us in today and related a story. Harikeśa took notes in a writing pad he is keeping just for this purpose as Śrīla Prabhupāda told us of his first contact with his Guru Mahārāja. 

He said that Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta was living in Māyāpur, but on the suggestion of Bhakti Vilāsa Tīrtha Mahārāja, the present head of the Sri Caitanya Math, he came to Calcutta. This was where Prabhupāda first saw him. Later on, when Prabhupāda had moved to Allahabad, members of the Gaudiya Math came there in 1928 and by Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement they visited his pharmacy. This revived the memory of his meeting with Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī and Prabhupāda decided to do something to help the Gaudiya mission. He worked actively to establish a temple in Allahabad and in 1933 he was initiated at the temple’s opening.  

So Prabhupāda is giving us little bits of information, but only when he feels inclined, not by our request. 

August 28th, 1976

Śrīla Prabhupāda went to Lodi Park again for his walk, despite his still feeling weak. He sat for most of the time on a bench under some trees. At least he is going for his walk quite regularly now. Since returning from Europe his health has definitely improved. 

* * * 

A letter came today from Tamal Krishna Goswami concerning the situation in Africa. He confirmed that both Brahmānanda and Cyavana Swami are having difficulties. After his fall down, Cyavana saw Śrīla Prabhupāda in New York. Then later he requested permission to go back to Africa. Prabhupāda sent him a letter telling him not to go but he has gone anyway. So Tamal Krishna said he will go to Africa soon and check the situation. 

Jagannātha Suta dāsa, the editor-in-chief for Back to Godhead, sent a letter along with ten copies of the latest issue, Vol 11, No. 9. He expressed his desire to be allowed to continue assisting His Divine Grace in pushing on Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana movement. 

Śrīla Prabhupāda was pleased to receive the magazines and humbly replied, “Actually I am dependent on your mercy. If you kindly follow my instructions and continue to push on Krsna consciousness, that will make me very happy. You must very strictly observe the regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds a day and Krsna will give you guidance. This is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita, tesam satata yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te, to those who worship Him with love, Krsna gives the guidance so that they can come back to Him. The more you give service to Krsna, the more you become advanced. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau tasyaite kathita hyarthah prakasante mahatmanah, ‘Only unto those great souls who simultaneously have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of the Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.’ This is the secret of success.” 

Prabhupāda added a note about Sumati Morarjee’s recent complaint. “By the way, there has been some disturbance created by the publishing of a few comments on Vallabhacarya in Back to Godhead Vol. 10, No. 8, page 5, column 3, paragraph 2. Kindly avoid comments such as these in future publications.” 

* * * 

Guṇārnava prabhu is here from Vṛndāvana. He went in to see Śrīla Prabhupāda this afternoon to discuss his service. Although he has been supervising the construction and finishing work on the buildings, and his presence there has been fairly essential, he now wants to leave Vṛndāvana and go to the Middle East to collect funds for Krishna-Balaram Mandir with Tribhuvanātha prabhu. For Guṇārnava it is a big change and he wanted to be certain he was not displeasing Śrīla Prabhupāda. He started out by saying that he had been in Vṛndāvana for over four years. He was taking a little pride in this, thinking it a major accomplishment. 

“And have you learnt Hindi?” Prabhupāda asked him pointedly. 

Guṇārnava flushed and admitted he had not. 

Prabhupāda shook his head disapprovingly. “Then?” he said, meaning, “So what is your great achievement?” 

Duly chastened, his accomplishments brought back into proportion, Guṇārnava went on to say that recently he had been disturbed by sex attraction. He felt he was getting a little stale by remaining in Vṛndāvana for so long, and that by venturing out to preach it may rekindle his inspiration to remain a brahmacārī. Otherwise, he said he may end up getting married. 

Perhaps he was thinking that Śrīla Prabhupāda would enthusiastically endorse his desire to remain a brahmacārī but Prabhupāda remain sober and grave. “Once before you were thinking of marriage,” he told him. “Now again the same thing. Even if you leave Vṛndāvana, you will have to take your mind with you. So what is the use of running here and there?” 

Prabhupāda made it clear that he would prefer him to remain doing his service even if it meant getting married, although he will not stand in his way if he wants to go out and preach. 

August 29th, 1976

Girirāja prabhu arrived this morning. He accompanied Prabhupāda on his walk through Lodi Park. As His Divine Grace strolled at a leisurely pace, Girirāja gave an upbeat report on the progress of the Bombay temple construction. He said that the carved marble is being attached to the columns in the temple room, and they are starting to put the domes on the gate. Just yesterday he and Saurabha went to see samples of attractive furniture which they will place in a model room. 

He happily reported that Acyutānanda Swami, who has remained there since the Janmāṣṭami festival, is attending maṅgala-ārati every morning and giving both morning and evening classes in the temple. The devotees are also doing a lot of programs at Rotary clubs, Lion’s clubs, colleges and universities. 

Prabhupāda smiled. “So on the whole it is coming nice.” 

When Girirāja mentioned that nowadays the press is taking more interest in us, Prabhupāda asked whether any action had been taken against Blitz. 

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa told him that after the leaders discussed amongst themselves, they had decided not to go ahead, and Girirāja began to explain that it was not very certain that we would win. 

But Prabhupāda told him it was not a question of winning; it was a question of discussing in the court and preventing the paper from giving further bad publicity. 

Girirāja gave another reason. “You see, this man, the editor, he thrives on controversy and notoriety. So he likes cases. And then when the case comes up, he gives the report of the case in his newspaper. So most people felt that he would be very happy if we filed suit.” 

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa added that he knew the assistant editor of the Times of India and had spoken to him about it. His opinion was that if we wrote a strong reply, we could perhaps get the Blitz editor to print our reply on the third page. 

Girirāja added that the Blitz has printed another article on us this week. “They were very agitated that so many big ministers and people came to our function in Hyderabad,” he said. 

Prabhupāda began to chuckle. “Oh, that’s nice.” 

Smiling, Girirāja went on. “Actually it was good publicity. The headline was that the Andhra government is falling for our tricks. But all the subject was very good.” 

Prabhupāda told him about the good reports we received in the Hyderabad papers.  

Girirāja said he had seen the clippings, including one that read, “CM praises ISKCON.” He went on with his prīcis of the Blitz article. “In bold type they quote the Endowments Minister that ‘We owe a great debt of gratitude to Śrīla Prabhupāda for reminding us of the great treasure that we have in our own culture.’ ” 

Grinning, Prabhupāda said that they had therefore already conceded the case to us. 

Girirāja told him, “They mentioned that the Commissioner of Town Planning designed the temple. They mentioned that the Chief Minister came. They mentioned that we have a farm to help the poor people.” 

Prabhupāda was satisfied. “Oh, everything is there.” 

As a final point, Girirāja added that he felt that nobody will take it seriously because “everyone knows that it’s just junk.”  

And Prabhupāda agreed. It was a third-class paper. 

Kṛṣṇa dāsa, the six-year-old son of our French pūjārī, Oṁkara dāsa, and another youngster from America, accompanied us to the park. Śrīla Prabhupāda took a lot of pleasure in teasing them as he walked. As they ran ahead down one pathway, Prabhupāda took another. “Go this way, Śrīla Prabhupāda!” the children called. 

Śrīla Prabhupāda laughed, “You go this way, I shall go this way.” 

“Go this way!” they shouted. 

“No, you go this way,” Śrīla Prabhupāda called back.  

“No, you go this way!” they cried. 

“No, you go,” Prabhupāda laughed. “We shall go this way.” He teased them that they would have to stay at the park and walk back because there was no room in the car for them. The children didn’t know if he was serious or not. Then when we got back to the car and they began to open the door, Prabhupāda said in mock seriousness, “Oh, you have to walk. Why you are getting?” 

I joined in the fun. “There’s no room. Prabhupāda said you have to walk. You have to stay in the park.” 

“No!” Kṛṣṇa dāsa shouted. And he jumped in the car and locked the door behind him. 

Prabhupāda enjoyed the exchange and he likes Kṛṣṇa dāsa a lot. He is a lively boy and very intelligent. On the drive back Kṛṣṇa dāsa turned to Śrīla Prabhupāda and told him, “You know the dress that was yesterday? Deity’s dress? The same as your birthday dress.” 

He was referring to the outfit the Deities wore yesterday, telling Śrīla Prabhupāda that it was the one that had been offered to Their Lordships on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s vyāsa-pūjā day. His father is the head pūjārī—like father, like son. 

* * * 

At 10:00 a.m. Prabhupāda met with an Italian visitor named Marco Ferrini. Marco had an interesting background story as to how he came here to meet with Śrīla Prabhupāda. 

This is his third visit to India. A highly successful furniture designer, at thirty one-years-old he owns six companies and enjoys a world-wide reputation. To all intents and purposes he has everything material anyone could want. But as he became increasingly successful, he began to find name, fame and fortune lacking in any satisfaction. Rather he was finding himself increasingly alone midst the increasing crowd of what he called “anonymous friends.” In 1974 he began to withdraw from his social circle and worldly commitments and embark on an introspective search. He visited China and came here to India, gradually becoming drawn to spirituality. He was searching out a guide but failed to find anyone who could provide the inspiration to fulfill his needs. Thus he decided to practice austerity and study seriously with the hope of purifying himself so that God would reveal to him the proper way to go. 

He recently returned to India with Eliseo, a friend, and spent some time in an āśrama in the Himalayas, intently studying Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. While there he made friends with a man about the same age as himself. As they attended the programs at the āśrama and shared their thoughts, the man one day told him, “If you want to be happy you have to devote your life to Kṛṣṇa, and in order to do that you must meet Śrīla Prabhupāda. He can introduce you to Kṛṣṇa. You should leave this place and go to Vṛndāvana and speak with Prabhupāda.”  

Marco had never heard of Prabhupāda and had no impression of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord although he was reading Bhagavad-gītā. He was impressed with the man, who revealed that he was a Vaiṣṇava and was there to preach. He told Marco all about Prabhupāda and explained the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, informing Marco that the version of Bhagavad-gītā he was reading was not authentic. He told him that Kṛṣṇa could only be revealed to him by a pure devotee and therefore he must come to meet Prabhupāda. 

Marco stopped attending the āśrama and began meeting daily with the devotee on the banks of the Ganges. The devotee taught him how to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and told him some of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s pastimes.  

Two days ago, he decided to leave the Himalayas and journey to Vṛndāvana to search out Śrīla Prabhupāda and Kṛṣṇa. Taking Eliseo with him, he traveled by train through Rishikesh, Haridwar, Delhi and finally arrived in Mathurā. Taking a tuṅga to Vṛndāvana, he arrived there in the late afternoon. Not having any idea where to go he simply asked the horse cart driver to take him to the temple of Kṛṣṇa. For several hours he went from temple to temple asking for Śrīla Prabhupāda, until finally the tuṅga driver became frustrated. Perhaps thinking that Marco was leading him on without any intention of paying his fare, he became angry and simply dumped him and his companion with their luggage in the middle of the road and drove off. 

Tired and thirsty, he had no idea where to find Śrīla Prabhupāda. As he sat by his luggage against a boundary wall he noticed a steel door and decided to knock. He was overjoyed when the door opened to reveal one of our devotees, an Italian at that. The devotee immediately brought him in, invited him to bathe and rest in the guest house and offered him prasādam. More importantly, he assured him that he would soon meet Śrīla Prabhupāda.  

One of the Vṛndāvana brahmacārīs, Sajjanāśraya dāsa, who is of Italian origin and an old friend of mine from Australia, met with him and made him a life member on the spot. Marco easily handed over $300 cash that he had left over, but he was far more interested in the philosophy and Śrīla Prabhupāda than in an official membership. They discussed devotional service and Sajjanāśraya offered to come with him here to Delhi to meet Śrīla Prabhupāda. 

Thus, the following day, yesterday, they set off, armed with an introductory letter from the Vṛndāvana temple. They arrived late last night, stayed in a hotel, and now finally got the opportunity to speak with His Divine Grace. 

They came into Śrīla Prabhupāda’s sitting room and Marco immediately offered his obeisances, although he had never done that to anyone else before. Although not fluent in English, Marco had no difficulty in communicating with Śrīla Prabhupāda through Sajjanāśraya prabhu.  

Śrīla Prabhupāda sat for a moment studying him, a mild yet grave countenance about him. Then he asked him, “Have we already met?” 

Marco said no, but that he had been thinking of Śrīla Prabhupāda very intensely for the last few days. 

“Do you believe there is God?” Prabhupāda asked him. 

Marco said he did, and Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that unfortunately modern society does not believe in God, and therefore it is always defeated. He told him that its so-called progress is simply the pretense of a society of ignorant people filling their lives with artificial needs. He said that the first step forward is to realize that we are not this body but spirit souls, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; without this consciousness there can be no progress or happiness. 

Prabhupāda told him that the material body is meant for suffering but people are so ignorant they think that the miseries of life are natural or even enjoyable. By immeasurable good fortune we now have this rare human form which is the only one through which we can re-establish our eternal relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa. Prabhupāda said that life in the cities is hellish, but by leading a life of simple living and high thinking, based on the land and cows in harmony with nature, we can realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But because people think themselves to be independent they want to try to exploit nature. Instead they are simply defeated by its laws. Therefore, he concluded, it is a society of cats and dogs.  

“What do you think,” Prabhupāda asked. 

Marco felt that he had found the right person in which to place his trust. “I completely agree,” he answered. 

“So what is the problem?” Prabhupāda asked him. 

“Here with you, with the devotees, there is no problem,” Marco said. But he explained that he had to return to Italy to be married, as well as to manage six companies with his business partners; these may be big problems. 

Prabhupāda reassured him. “Do not fear. Just become a devotee, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and Kṛṣṇa will reveal Himself. In the Gītā you can find the solution to any material problem. To put an end to the cycle of birth and death and the transmigration of the soul we just have to know Kṛṣṇa. There is no time to waste.” 

Prabhupāda encouraged him to use his wealth and position in Kṛṣṇa’s service, quoting from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.22.35: Etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ dehinām iha dehiṣu/ prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā. “It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.” 

Prabhupāda explained that Kṛṣṇa could be served by any one of these four items, but that by serving with one’s very life, the other items—wealth, intelligence and words—would automatically be engaged. Turning to Gopāla Kṛṣṇa prabhu he asked him what the monthly budget was for the Vṛndāvana temple. When Gopāla Kṛṣṇa stated the figure, Śrīla Prabhupāda informed Marco that we could spend any amount for Kṛṣṇa’s work. “You are a talented man,” he told him. “Do you know where talents come from? Every talent belongs to God. He is the proprietor of everything, so the fruits of our talents and work should go to Him. So you simply engage your skills in Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service. Go home and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will protect you. Don’t have any fear.” 

Marco was fully gratified by his meeting with Śrīla Prabhupāda; his questions were all answered and his doubts removed. It was clear from his mood and excitement at having met His Divine Grace that he is a devotee. In contrast, his companion Eliseo had sat to one side and did not participate in the conversation, showing no interest in hearing from Śrīla Prabhupāda. 

Just before they left the room, Sajjanāśraya asked a question of his own. “Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is the most pleasing thing I can do for you?” 

“Just become a pure devotee,” Prabhupāda told him.  

After a few hours at the temple, Marco set off for the airport to return home to Italy, taking with him a copy of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. 

* * * 

During the day Śrīla Prabhupāda was shown a newspaper report from Calcutta stating that Bhavānanda Swami is being forced to leave India. Apparently it has become a big news item, featuring prominently in the headlines, that the American sādhu is being kicked out. Accusations of CIA connections abound. 

August 30th, 1976

Bhavānanda Mahārāja arrived on the first flight from Calcutta. He accompanied Śrīla Prabhupāda on his walk at the Buddha Jayanti Park. Bhavānanda is strictly observing cāturmāsya, eating only boiled rice and dahl once a day after chanting sixty-four rounds. He is thin and sporting a beard.  

As we drove to the park Prabhupāda preached to him about conquering desire, which he said, is the cause of bondage. “This body, if the desires are not fulfilled but the desire is continuing, so to fulfill the desire, Kṛṣṇa will give him chance for another type of body by which he can fulfill. That means he gets another body. Then another desire. Jñānīs, they’re trying to put out the desire, but he is desiring to become liberated. That is another desire. The yogis are trying to concentrate on liberation by practicing yoga. And that is also another desire. In this way, one desire after another, another desire . . .” 

“Then how to get free from those desires?” Bhavānanda asked. 

“Free means desire should be purified,” Prabhupāda explained. “That means desires should be to render service to the Lord. That is real purification. The example is given, just like gold. There are impurities. That impurities, you cannot cleanse it simply by washing. You have to put into the fire. When it is melted then automatically all the dirty things are gone. His natural position is part and parcel of God, to render service to God. So unless he takes up that thing, there is no question of desirelessness. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is demanding, ‘Surrender.’ And as soon as he surrenders, then material desires become vanquished. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. He cannot rectify one desire by another desire. That is not possible; then it will produce another desire.” 

“To purify that desire we also have to be put into the fire?” 

“This is an example, that without being put into the fire, there is no purity of the gold or silver. Similarly, without being engaged in the service of the Lord, there is no question of purifying the desire.” 

On the walk Prabhupāda spoke little, but at one point we approached some dogs which began to bark. Prabhupāda grinned. “United Nations! And as soon as he finds another dog, immediately barking.” 

* * * 

After breakfast Bhavānanda Mahārāja entered the darśana room and gave his report to Śrīla Prabhupāda. He is on his way to New York. He said that everything is going well in Māyāpur, and he talked about the publicity surrounding his departure. For four days it was headlines in all the newspapers and whenever he walked through the streets many people stopped him and passed favorable comments. He said the publicity had been very good for us. The communists are trying to make a big thing of his leaving, trying to show that he has been thrown out due to being a CIA agent. But the actual reason is that his visa has simply run out and now he has to leave in order to renew it. The immigration authorities have told him that it is a formality and he will definitely get a new visa once the regulation is complied with. 

Later in my room Bhavānanda asked me about Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mirror compact which he uses for putting on his tilaka. He had noted that now Prabhupāda has a silver and gold one, and asked what happened to his old one, which had an ivory carving on its lid. I told him that I had given Śrīla Prabhupāda the new one last December and that he had given me his old one. 

Bhavānanda explained that he had no personal remnants of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s, so I gladly handed over the compact to him. 

* * * 

Our neighbors are Tibetans. This morning young Kṛṣṇa dāsa was discovered smoking hashish with them. He had apparently wandered over the roof and down into next door. Harikeśa  happened to be in one of the offices in the back building. He looked out of the window and saw him on their balcony. As he watched a large puff of smoke emitted from the boy’s lips. Oṁkara, the boy’s father, was informed and he went over and brought him back. Śrīla  Prabhupāda was quite surprised when he heard it, but said that the boy, who is only six, had innocently been misled. 

* * * 

In the evening we had a pandala program in the garden at the front of the temple and several hundred people attended. The lawn stretches across the front of the entire building and the Tibetans gave us permission to use their side of it. Prabhupāda likes the improved facility this building offers and many local people are coming every day to see the Deities. So it looks like our Delhi preaching is finally having some success.  

As Śrīla Prabhupāda sat on the small stage, Lokanātha Mahārāja led his men in an exuberant kīrtana. After singing the standard prayers and the mahā-mantra, he began chanting “gaura-nityānanda bol, haribol, haribol; gaura-śrīadvaita bol, haribol, haribol; gaura-śrī gadādhara bol, haribol haribol . . . with a lot of emphasis on the response of haribol, haribol. Śrīla  Prabhupāda suddenly signalled him from the stage to stop it; he apparently didn’t like it, although he didn’t say why. 

Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke in Hindi for about forty minutes on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.1. He described how Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva desired to instruct his sons and then retire for a life of austerity and self-realization. He explained that it was the Vedic system for brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas to retire and worship Viṣṇu, but nowadays the varṇāśrama system has become a hodge-podge. Therefore Lord Caitanya has recommended the simple method of kīrtana as the means to overcome the ocean of faults that is Kali-yuga. If we want to escape the miseries of life we have to voluntarily accept some difficulty, tapasya. And that is simple—just chant Kṛṣṇa’s name. “These foreign devotees,” he told the audience, “have accepted four regulations: no meat eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication and no gambling. They have voluntarily given up. It is a little difficult to give these four things up, but they won’t die from it. Nowadays the parents are giving meat from birth to the baby, meat powder. And mother and father drink liquor. ‘Soft drink’ they call it. But they have given up. You also accept. Otherwise one day Yamarāja will come and say, ‘Now become a dog.’” 

His lecture was well received, and after answering a few short questions, Śrīla Prabhupāda retired to his room, leaving the devotees to chant and show a film. 

August 31st, 1976

During his noon massage Prabhupāda looked out over the balcony. Seeing some military men on routine march he told me that a military takeover may soon occur. He said that things are very tense since the imposition of emergency rule by Indira Gandhi. 

* * * 

Prabhupāda was notified to day that Tamal Krishna Mahārāja and Bhagavān dāsa have gone to Africa to check the situation there.  

A long letter arrived today from Kāraṇdhara dāsa. Since Prabhupāda previously requested to be kept informed of his activities, he reported that he is attending the full temple programs, chanting his rounds and following the principles. He is managing the financial affairs of the Theistic Exhibition in Los Angeles and also the five apartment buildings there. He said he was just about to start a project to build a twenty-four room brahmacārīniāśrama on the vacant lot next to the temple. Yet despite this, he expressed some despondency with his present state of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. “I am sometimes feeling greatly depressed and embarassed thinking over the great offenses I have committed to Your Divine Grace and Your movement. I am a worthless person, completely sinful and miserable. I do not think I will ever again be fit to receive Your mercy. I do not know what you would have me do—it is actually my due reward that You remain only indifferent to me. I am puffed up and proud. I have no qualification. I would like to take some great challenge and ask for Your service otherwise I fear becoming complacent and forgetting Krsna. Anyway I am sitting here, praying for Your Mercy, suffering my fate day by day due to non-surrender and vanity. Your Personality and movement are glorious and wonderful. You have given something inconceivably rare and great. So far as I can see, You are the most exalted person in the universe. You are perfect and the real Jagat Guru and Savior. I am trying to serve You but I am imperfect and make so many mistakes. Kindly help this fallen and wretched soul. I hate serving Maya—I am burning in hell—please deliver me. Fallen so low, Your servant, Karandhar das.” 

Śrīla Prabhupāda appreciated his sentiments very much. He is always mindful of the service his disciples have rendered, and even if they have had some difficulties, he continues to encourage them in devotional life. Kāraṇdhara has rendered great service in the past and Prabhupāda thinks highly of him. He wrote back a lengthy letter of encouragement. “I am in due receipt of your nice letter dated August 13, 1976. So you are already engaged in the service of Krsna. Stick to it and that will make you perfect. You are following the regulative principles. This is our spiritual strength and you are most fortunate that you have got a very good wife. Your wife met me in NY and New Vrindavan and she is a very great devotee. 

“I know that you are competent to manage any department, whichever department you like you can render your service and keep yourself peaceful with your good wife. There is no impediment for grhasthas to become fully Krsna conscious. All of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s associates were grhasthas and all of them helped Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His missionary activities. Later on He took sannyasa and specifically He was assisted by Svarupa Damodar, but still He had intimate relations with grhasthas like Advaita Acarya, Nityananda, Gadadhar, and Srivas Thakura. 

“So, in whichever status of life you may remain, if you stick to the principles, then you are all right. I am going to Vrindavan. If it is convenient you can stay for some time in Vrindavan with your family. I always think of you as I do think of my other disciples, and surely Krsna will help you to become a very strong devotee of the Lord. Please offer my blessings to your wife and children.” 

* * * 

The day was quiet and although Prabhupāda is always keen to preach, today he is getting a much needed rest. 

Little Kṛṣṇa dāsa came in to see him during the day with a special gift—a child’s plastic ring with a picture of Lord Jagganātha on it. Śrīla Prabhupāda was charmed by his offering. He slipped it on his little finger and his eyes widened, as if it were something very grand. “Oh, it is very nice!” Prabhupāda smiled. He thanked Kṛṣṇa dāsa warmly and gave him some prasādam in exchange. 

September 1st, 1976

Today is Rādhāṣṭamī. Śrīla Prabhupāda observed the half-day fast along with the rest of us. 

Bhavānanda Mahārāja left for New York. 

* * * 

During the walk we noticed some men gathered around a roadside food stall eating bhelpuris. Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that the small, golf ball-sized snacks are filled with dāl and are especially offered to Rādhā-Vallabha.  

A new English devotee, Bhakta Robin, expressed his appreciation of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s knowledge of cooking.  

Prabhupāda replied that right from his childhood, if somebody was preparing food, he would want to see how it was done. 

Bhakta Robin observed that in India, it seems that most people can cook something, but in the West people are now practically helpless. “They buy everything it seems in packets, and you would not know how to prepare any food as much as just to cut the packet and pour it out, and even then they don’t even know how to put water into the pan.” 

Prabhupāda agreed with him. “They do not know how to eat on the whole. India knows how to eat. I have traveled all over the world, and this is my experience. Nobody knows how to eat. Only India. In every province they have got different dishes. Because the woman, they are trained up how to cook very nice. Woman is meant for that purpose, how to make nice palatable dishes. In Bengal there is a ceremony after marriage, bahu-bhāta. The newly-married girl, she shall cook, and all the relatives, friends, are invited and they appreciate, ‘Yes, nice cook.’ Then she is accepted as member of the whole family.” 

“And if not, Prabhupāda?” Robin asked. “If her cooking is not . . .” 

“Therefore she is trained up.” 

“And if she’s not trained up?” 

“She must be trained up,” Prabhupāda replied, his tone indicating that there was no possibility of it being otherwise. “Just like Rādhārāṇī, She was trained up in sixty-four arts. Do you think to captivate Kṛṣṇa is easy thing? How much qualified She must have been so that Kṛṣṇa was attracted.” 

* * * 

Śrīla Prabhupāda finished the Eighth Canto during the night. He added an interesting postscript: “This commentation has been finished in our New Delhi center today, the first of September, 1976, the day of Rādhāṣṭamī, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ācāryas. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vāsa janame janame haya ei abhilāṣa. I am attempting to present Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the English language by the order of my spiritual master, Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and by his grace the work of translation is gradually progressing, and the European and American devotees who have joined the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are helping me considerably. Thus we have expectations of finishing the great task before my passing away. All glories to Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga.” 

At the end of this morning’s walk he told us that after he completes the Ninth Canto, he may do the Eleventh and Twelfth, and then go back to the Tenth because he has already done the Tenth Canto in his summary study Kṛṣṇa. 

* * * 

While preparations went on downstairs for the abhiśeka of the Deities and an initiation ceremony, Lokanātha Mahārāja met with Śrīla Prabhupāda to discuss his preaching. He and his party have come to an impasse in their travels. The two German-made buses they have been using have, like the other foreign vehicles, only a couple of weeks left remaining before their carnets expire. Once the buses leave the country, their program will grind to halt. 

But Śrīla Prabhupāda wasn’t at all perturbed. Considering Lokanātha’s rural upbringing, he had a wonderful solution. “You can purchase one bullock cart and go village to village all over India. It will be a great success.” 

Village-to-village preaching in India has long been one of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s ambitions. In the 1950s he had embarked upon a pāda-yātrā to the towns and villages surrounding Jhansi. It was his enthusiasm for this type of preaching during his visit to Gujarat last December that had inspired Hansadūta Swami to take it up. He now pointed out that the buses, even if they could stay in the country, were expensive to run and needed so much maintenance to keep them on the road, whereas a bullock cart and team could be utilized at practically no cost.  

Lokanātha Mahārāja was very happy with his new assignment. It was something he was familiar with, and it would provide unlimited engagement for him and his men, as they traveled from one village to the next throughout the sub-continent, to preach, chant and distribute prasādam. 

* * *  

Śrīla Prabhupāda is being active in countering the negative propaganda against him. He has had Gopāla Kṛṣṇa prabhu visit various favorable government officials here in Delhi. About 11:00 a.m. Mr. Krishna Modi, a Member of Parliament (MP), came to see Prabhupāda to discuss how to deal with the accusations against ISKCON, as well as the demands for a government inquiry into our activities. 

Mr. Krishna Modi, a cultured and educated man, expressed his strong support for Śrīla Prabhupāda’s work. Just yesterday he met with Brahmananda Reddy, the Minister for Home Affairs, to discuss the questions raised about us by the few Communist agitators in the Rajya Sabha. Mr. Krishna Modi said that Reddy personally has no doubts about us, but because he is now under pressure, he wants Mr. Krishna Modi and other favorable M.P.s to step forward and answer any allegations.  

Mr. Krishna Modi said that he had spoken strongly in Prabhupāda’s favor. Supported by several Members from Andhra Pradesh, he had refuted the Communist invective. He had informed Reddy that Indian culture was being spread all over the world for the first time, so why should Śrīla Prabhupāda be harassed? He had also objected to the visa limitations our men are facing and had Reddy promised to meet with the consultant on visas to discuss the matter. 

Mr. Krishna Modi also has a strategy to deal with the negative news articles coming out in Blitz. He said the latest one, headlined “Andhra Government falls for Krishna Cult Crap” was not to be taken seriously. He advised Śrīla Prabhupāda that we should not reply directly to Blitz but instead give our reply to himself. He will call a meeting of all the favorable M.P.s and they will then issue a signed press release to the more respectable newspapers. 

He suggested a series of actions we could take so that Parliament could be properly informed about our activities. First, he said that he could organize a tour for a group of ten or fifteen M.P.s, traveling at their own expense, to visit a number of our major centers overseas. “They may go and see all these things,” he said, “then if any question comes in the House, they can oppose like anything. And they should submit their report also to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, to everybody, and House also. That this thing has been done and we should be proud about that.”  

His idea for the tour came after speaking with Brahmananda Reddy who had told him, “Why not you people also stand up and say something? Why not you strengthen my hands? Because they press and press and they want that I say something. So if you people stand and then you say that, ‘No, no, no, no. This is not the fact, and we have seen it and this and this and that and that . . .’ That is his idea.” 

He didn’t think we should mind if the Communists agitate, because it was after all, like the rakṣasas, their duty. “Let them do it,” he said, his mood indicating it was all a part of the game of politics. 

The second action he suggested was to compile a list of all the favorable reviews of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books written by Indians, both in and out of the country, along with the favorable reviews that Gopāla Kṛṣṇa prabhu had recently obtained from Russian professors. 

Śrīla Prabhupāda liked this idea. He always carries these reviews and shows them frequently to his guests. He asked Gopāla Kṛṣṇa for them, but Gopāla could not produce them. Prabhupāda was a little agitated with him because he has several times asked that they be compiled into a book, but so far this has not been done. He was a little pacified, however, when Gopāla said that he had the reviews in a loose leaf form and was having them duplicated for distribution. 

The third action Mr. Krishna Modi recommended was that we call all the favorable M.P.s during the next session of Parliament, which begins October 25th, to come to our Vṛndāvana temple for prasādam. 

Mr. Krishna Modi was keen to get things underway. He said he would arrange everything by the 5th or 6th of this month, and assured Śrīla Prabhupāda concerning the opposition, “We don’t mind for them. We will crush them for all these things. They can’t speak like that.”  

Prabhupāda was pleased that at least some important persons in government are recognizing his work. Throughout most of the meeting Śrīla Prabhupāda was content to sit and play a passive role, letting Mr. Krishna Modi do most of the talking. Then, as the the abhiśeka ceremony began in the temple room below and the strains of kīrtana vibrated throughout the house, he moved into a more active mode, raising points of his own. “One thing, general thing, that I am writing books and selling in foreign countries and I’m bringing the money here. It is for India’s sake.” 

Mr. Krishna Modi nodded. “But somebody should tell in the House all these things.” 

Prabhupāda tipped his head. “You can tell. This is the important point, that my books are sold daily $60,000 all over the world. I have made the Trust so all the collections should be divided fifty percent for constructing temple and fifty percent for reprinting books. So we don’t take a paisa profit. So far as an author, they are selling $60,000. And even if I would have taken ten percent royalty, then it would have been $6,000. Say 60,000 rupees per day, actually. But we are all foregoing it for pushing on this movement, and if we bring that money and construct big, big temple or planetarium, what is the harm to India?” 

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa said Prabhupāda was bringing in more foreign exchange than many big business export concerns. 

“I am bringing regularly not less than ten lakhs of rupees per month,” Prabhupāda went on. “It is a great credit that I am selling my books and bringing ten lakhs of rupees from foreign country in India.” 

“That we will speak,” Mr. Krishna Modi said. “Brahmananda Reddy, his mind is very clear, very clear, and he is appreciating. And he is in our favor 100%.” 

“Even not in our favor,” Prabhupāda said, “I am working hard in foreign countries and bringing money to India. You should give us some credit. But instead of giving credit, I am being criticized in the Parliament.” 

Mr. Krishna Modi said that our antagonists were saying that foreign money is coming here to advertise the American embassies. 

“They may talk nonsense,” Prabhupāda said. “But this is the fact. I have got my Book Trust Fund and I’ve advised regularly to send eight lakhs of rupees per month. That is being spent in Bombay. So if an Indian brings from foreign country by his labor eight lakhs of rupees per month, how much credit he should be given? He should be recognized. But instead of recognizing they are criticizing. So you kindly speak to the Parliament that this is the position, that he is working day and night. 

Mr. Krishna Modi said he would certainly speak highly about Prabhupāda’s work in the Parliament. He added that even if the matter did not come up again, he would himself raise the question: “ ‘You please reply how much money is coming and in what way they are doing.’ ” In this way he would ensure that it is discussed and cleared up. 

Prabhupāda mentioned the success of the New York Ratha-yātrā, and the news reports of “East Meets West.” He indicated the celebrations going on down in the temple room. “This is one party. Hundreds of parties like this, they are engaged in kīrtana. India government is sending so many professional dancers by paying them from the cultural department. And what I am getting? Not a single farthing. And still I am bringing. . . . Wherever possible we are presenting Vedic culture, Indian culture. And I have no support from the government. And a professional dancer is going and the government is paying. Unless they are appreciating this culture, how they are accepting?” 

After informing Mr. Krishna Modi of his immediate plans to spend the next three weeks in Vṛndāvana, Śrīla Prabhupāda began to speak frankly to him. “I wanted to work in India by spreading saṅkīrtana, provided I get little cooperation of the government. One cooperation is that we can bring immediately small vans or buses so that we can go village to village, town to town. If I get government permit then —because here the buses are very costly and at the same time they are not very good, but foreign buses . . . India hasn’t got to pay anything, but simply let us have and work in India. This much facility wanted. 

“Besides that, our men, they are coming, spending 10,000 rupees and after three months or six months, ‘Get out, get out, get out.’ And Indians are not joining; Indians are not so sacrificing. But these boys they have sacrificed everything. I am sure if some cooperation is coming from the government I can very soon change the face of India. But I am not getting any facilities. We have experimented in Bengal, and here also, he [Lokanātha] is also going, saṅkīrtana party. But he could not do it in a large scale for want of facilities. And in foreign countries these boys are so sacrificing spirit, as soon as we give him some program, immediately they make arrangement. Immediately. We are going village to village with books in buses. Hundreds of buses are working. In America, in Europe. They have got facilities, full facilities. And government appreciates. Some of the governments they have given public holiday of the Ratha-yātrā.” 

Showing Mr. Krishna Modi the declaration by the mayor of San Francisco of “Ratha-yātrā Day,” Prabhupāda told him that 50,000 people come every year. “And this time, New York, the government, the police, they appreciated that this kind of dancing, it is not artificial. So here is life. They appreciated. What the American boys have got to dance for Kṛṣṇa unless it is from the heart? They are not dancing dogs that I have trained them and they are dancing. So there are so many things to be done in India but I am, without getting any cooperation, I am getting opposition.” 

Mr. Krishna Modi agreed. “Now we must be active.” 

“It will be good for the country, for the whole nation,” Śrīla Prabhupāda told him. “Let us cooperate. You’ll see how I can change the face of India.” 

Telling him that Kṛṣṇa consciousness was the only platform on which the real United Nations can be made, Śrīla Prabhupāda described the analogy of the blind and the lame men. “So at the present moment I am trying to spread this movement all over the world. But we have no means. So let America supply the money, and let them take our direction for the culture. That will be United Nation. And actually it will become. How they are dancing, black, white, Indian, American, European, in Ratha-yātrā? There is no politics. It is out of really spiritual ecstasy.” 

Mr. Krishna Modi smiled ironically in agreement. “Ah, what is politics?” 

Śrīla Prabhupāda went on, “So this is the real platform of United Nation. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu. At that time samaḥ sarveṣu. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. They have no demand. These boys, they are working so hard. They never ask a single paisa from me. It is not possible for me to pay these foreigners as salaried man. That is not possible. They get 4,000 rupees minimum. Minimum salary America is $400 dollars; that means 4,000 rupees. And they are getting $800, $1200, $2000. And poverty is unknown in America. They do not know what is poverty. I see here for the milk they are standing in block. [There] you can get as much milk as you want anywhere you go, any shop you go you take immediately. Anything. Building materials, you simply order to the suppliers, immediately everything is there.” 

Mr. Krishna Modi shook his head. “Ah, but here there are so many difficulties.” 

“Here, simply difficulties,” Prabhupāda told him. “In comparison to other countries, I have seen that it is simply difficulty. Frankly speaking.”  

Śrīla Prabhupāda then took an unusual step. Normally he refrains from commenting about the present state of Indian politics, especially because of the current tension. But now he opened his mind a little to his guest, a member of the ruling party. “And to speak more frankly, why there is emergency? Emergency means bad government. Otherwise, there is no necessity of emergency. Emergency proves the government is not going nice. Is it not? Why emergency? If it is normally going on nicely then where is the question of emergency?” 

Mr. Krishna Modi diplomatically agreed, at least in principle. “Emergency means there is something unnormal.” 

“Yes. If it is normal, there is no question of emergency. That is the proof.” Then Prabhupāda was even more frank—surprisingly so. “Another thing, personally, from the Vedic point of view, I don’t think India is ready to take actually democracy. Mass of people, they do not care for politics. You have better experience. There, in other countries, even a small man, he has got political sense.” 

“Ah, but they are educated,” Mr. Krishna Modi said.  

“But here, mass of people, they do not know what is politics,” Prabhupāda said, offering some evidence from his own experience. “One gentleman, he was my friend, it was in 1952 or ’53, Mr. Dutta. He was a statistics man. So he was going in the villages to take some statistics. He said to me, ‘In the village, they ask me, “Bābujī, if the English return, can we vote for them?”’ So they do not know what it is to vote. The mass of people, they’re for foreigners’ rule: ‘Come and rule over us.’ Because the mass of people, they have no sense of politics. ‘Anyone may come and let them rule, we don’t mind. Whatever little tax you want, you take, that’s all right.’ The mass of people is like that. They are not concerned in politics. Under the circumstances, a democracy is not suitable for India. 

“Long ago that Lord Curzon, he suggested this, that in India monarchy is better. He suggested that some of the royal family members should become King of India. It will be welcome. And our country, all along this monarchy was there. Democracy is idea now, but the monarch up to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, they were ideal, rājarṣi. People have so much faith in the monarch that whatever he does, it is right, naradeva. Of course, nowadays things have changed.” 

Mr. Krishna Modi said, “There is no difference. In the name of democracy this is the same thing.” 

“No. Democracy means the people must have political sense,” Prabhupāda added. “Then democracy is there. If the people have no political sense, artificially they are giving vote, that democracy . . .”  

Prabhupāda then tailed off. It was clear he didn’t want to comment too much on the mundane situation. His concern with it stretched only as far as it was applicable to preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.  “Anyway, we are not political man, but so far whatever it may be, to change the present situation, I am confident if this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is taken seriously in India there will be very, very good thing. That is absolute. So we can take up this work provided there is little cooperation from the government.” 

It was time for Śrīla Prabhupāda to go down for the ceremonies so he brought the meeting to a close. He was encouraged by the discussion and Mr. Krishna Modi promised to come and see him in Vṛndāvana.  

* * * 

Śrīla Prabhupāda went down to preside over an initiation ceremony, in which he awarded first initiation to ten men, and second initiation to nine, all mainly boys from Lokanātha Swami’s party. Although they are enthusiastic in kīrtana, it was apparent that they are “raw recruits” and need a lot of training. The yajña was held in the cramped temple room and Prabhupāda had to twice tell them when they came forward for their beads and names not to touch the sacrificial paraphernalia with their feet, nor to step over it.  

There was a man Tejīyas recommended for hari-nāma. But Śrīla Prabhupāda refused to initate him because he did not have his head shaved. Even though it was mentioned he was a business man living outside the temple, it made no difference to Śrīla Prabhupāda. He said he would initiate him later, when he had shaved. 

Despite these minor drawbacks, the ceremony was very joyous. As each man got his new name Lokanātha Mahārāja announced it to the crowd—Abhayāśraya dāsa; Ātma-tattva dāsa; Lakṣmīśa dāsa—and his men broke out in loud cheers and clapping. They are certainly an enthusiastic bunch, and Śrīla Prabhupāda is highly pleased with Lokanātha Mahārāja’s preaching efforts. 

On Śrīla Prabhupāda’s request Pradyumna prabhu gave a very good lecture on the ten offences to be avoided in chanting. Once or twice during it, Śrīla Prabhupāda injected small points of his own. At its conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda returned upstairs, leaving Pradyumna to conduct the fire sacrifice. Afterwards we all enjoyed a feast in honor of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. 

* * * 

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s movement is beginning to attract more and more educated men here in India. Dr. S. B. Chatterjee, a retired professor and head of the geography department of the university in Calcutta, wrote asking to meet Śrīla Prabhupāda and offering his service. Śrīla Prabhupāda is pleased to be attracting such qualified people, and he replied with an invitation for the professor to meet him in Vṛndāvana or alternatively, in December in Calcutta. 

A letter also came from Jagajivana dāsa, who was formerly in Puerto Rico, and is now heading up an all-brahmacārī traveling saṅkīrtana party in Brazil. He began his short letter with a nice opening prayer. “Lord Jesus Christ was a very great and merciful personality, but we can see that your mercy and greatness far outshines that of any previous spiritual leader known to modern man. We offer our obeisances to your lotus feet again and again.” He said that under the direction of Hridayānanda Mahārāja he had gathered six men together who would travel in two vans to all the cities in northern Brazil, which are more or less untouched at this time. They will be headquartered in Recife, and will concentrate on distributing books and making new devotees. He solicited Śrīla Prabhupāda’s approbation for their endeavor. “We feel that without the blessings of Your Divine Grace we will not have much success in this matter of spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, if by Your infinite kindness upon us you could bless this party by giving some name to the party then we are sure to have success.” 

In his reply Śrīla Prabhupāda went beyond a response to the simple request for a name; he sent him a lengthy note of  encouragement. While not actually giving a name for the party, he endorsed their efforts to the full. “I am very pleased that you have taken up this mission of spreading the Krsna consciousness movement all over the world. This is the wish of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that, yare dakho tare kaho krsna upadesa, everyone you see or meet, tell him about Krsna; amara ajnaya guru haya tara ei desa, and by My command you become a guru and save this land. This was also the mission of my Guru Maharaj and it is my mission. You will perfect your life if you make it also your mission.       

“People everywhere are suffering on account of being led by blind leaders who are devoid of all knowledge of the soul. Such foolish men lead other foolish men and all concerned suffer. Andha yathandhair upaniyamana, when one blind man leads another, the result is that both of them fall into the ditch. Therefore there is a requirement for a section of society to become first-class men, free of the influence of the modes of material nature, who can understand the mission of this human form of life and who can teach it to others. I am trying to create these men, but it is hard, for people have become lost of all intelligence due to the coverings of the three modes of material nature. So I am one man alone, yet now there are so many nice boys and girls like you to help me push on this movement in my old age. I thank you very much for your sincere efforts and you have my blessings that you will without a doubt be successful if you stick to the regulative principles and chant at least 16 rounds a day. Surely Krsna will recognize your service, and as soon as you are recognized by Krsna, then your life immediately becomes perfect. So continue your preaching activities all over South America and try and present this Krsna consciousness as it is without any change or speculation, and distribute as many books as possible, for this will have a very great effect on the lives of all those who are fortunate enough to receive them.” 

* * * 

In the evening Śrīla Prabhupāda recieved a variety of visitors at darśana time. He conversed mainly in Hindi, discussing philosophy and rectifying impersonal misunderstandings of Bhagavad-gītā.  

Included among the visitors was Mr. Surendra Kumar Saigal, the owner of Tiger Lock Company. Mr. Saigal has purchased 100 Bhagavad-gītās for distribution to his friends and workers. He has invited Śrīla Prabhupāda to do another program at his house in Aligarh, and he suggested that Prabhupāda go there first, before Vṛndāvana, because the road directly to Vṛndāvana is in bad condition and impassable in some places due to the heavy monsoons. He said that the Yamuna has risen so high this year that many aśramas and temples in Mathurā are flooded to a depth of four feet. 

Pradyumna told him that although the Yamuna has come up as far as the back of Fogal Ashrama, which is just down the road from our temple, Krishna-Balaram Mandir is not affected. It was later decided to have Yaśodānandana Swami’s bus come to pick us up rather than risk getting bogged down in a car. 

Another M. P., the Defence Minister Mr. Patnaik, arrived at about 9:00 p.m. He gave similar advice as Mr. Krishna Modi, telling Śrīla Prabhupāda that we should make a presentation of our work as this will create a favorable impression and give us good standing in the government. 

His visit gave further encouragement to Śrīla Prabhupāda that important members of the political community are taking his efforts seriously. 

September 2nd, 1976

On the morning walk an English boy, Ravi dāsa, who just received second initiation, raised a question about the second offence in chanting, which states that we should not equate the name of the demigods with Kṛṣṇa’s. He asked, “So how are we to understand the name of the spiritual master? In kīrtana when we chant the name of the spiritual master, is that as spiritually potent?” 

Lokanātha Swami attempted to answer first, explaining that the spiritual master’s position is far greater than that of the demigods. “The spiritual master is the external manifestation of the Supersoul within your heart. Paramātmā is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and He becomes manifest before you in form of a guru or spiritual master. So you cannot compare a spiritual master or guru with any other.” 

But Śrīla Prabhupāda pointed out that the head of the demigods, Lord Brahmā, is a great devotee and the head of our sampradāya. He prompted Lokanātha to give a further answer, and then finally answered himself. “He gives direct knowledge of Kṛṣṇa; therefore he’s as good as Kṛṣṇa. . . .  Uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya: ‘The spiritual master is as good as God because he’s very dear to Kṛṣṇa.’ He’s preaching Kṛṣṇa’s mission, and Kṛṣṇa is very, very pleased with him. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ. That is the spiritual master’s qualification. He’s trying his best to deliver the soul from these clutches of māyā. That is a great service. Therefore he is very dear. One who is chanting, or executing devotional service for his personal benefit, and one who is trying to deliver others for others’ benefit, there is difference.”  

As we walked at a gentle pace Śrīla Prabhupāda again played with Kṛṣṇa dāsa and his young friend Kapila. “You can climb on the tree? No. Let me see.”  

The children laughed, gleefully racing each other to a nearby tree, where they swung on its branches and hung upside down by their legs. Prabhupāda chuckled at their fun.  

* * * 

Abhirām dāsa, the Calcutta temple President, arrived in the morning and reported on the progress for the temple in the lake scheme. He said there were still some difficulties and things were not now looking favorable.  

He also has to leave the country due to visa problems. Prabhupāda told him to stay out until he gets a one-year entry visa. This visa problem is very difficult and Śrīla Prabhupāda continually asks any officials he meets to help us get some kind of pilgrim status. He is not having much success so far, although his recent meetings may help. 

* * * 

Girirāja prabhu’s visit here was brief. So brief in fact that he left without Śrīla Prabhupāda knowing, and before His Divine Grace could discuss with him a pressing matter concerning the Delhi temple management, which is still in flux. Tejīyas prabhu is still officially in charge, but he is complaining of ill health and strain. He has long wanted to opt out of management and just preach, but the problem has been to find a suitable replacement for him. After some discussion with Gopāla Kṛṣṇa prabhu, Śrīla Prabhupāda settled on a stop-gap arrangement. Today he wrote to Girirāja requesting that he send Jagat Puruṣa dāsa here immediately for at least one month until something more permanent can be worked out. 

* * * 

It was a quiet day. Yaśodānandana Swami’s bus arrived, with the news that the flood waters have receded and the road is now passable to cars. So we will head out for Śrī Vṛndāvana-dhāma tomorrow.