Meeting with Bankers

Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Bankers are like that only. While receiving they take it quickly, but to pay…] [laughs]

Indian:
Return with interest.

Prabhupāda:
Anyway, so he was the father of the Yakṣas, this Kuvera. So Dhruva Mahārāja was a great devotee. You have heard the name of Dhruva Mahārāja. He was insulted by his stepmother. When he was young, very young child, so his father had two wives. So the junior wife was very pet to the husband, and the senior wife was not so much pet. So, but both of them had two sons. So the junior’s wife son was sitting on the lap, a small child. So Dhruva Mahārāja was the son of the senior wife. As a child, he was also trying to sit down on the lap of the father. The other brother, he does not know stepbrother is brother. But the junior wife, she said, “My dear son, you cannot sit down on the lap of your father because you are not born in my womb. And that boy, the other boy, he is sitting on the lap of your father because he is born in my womb.” So it was sarcastic remark, but Dhruva Mahārāja, although he was a child, four or five years old, he took it very seriously. A kṣatri…, kṣatriya… …, [Transl. A kṣatriya becomes angry very quickly.] He became very angry. So he immediately left the place and went to his own mother, that “Stepmother has insulted me like this.” He began to cry, and the mother said, “My dear son, what can I do? Your father does not treat me even as a maidservant, so I cannot take any step.” “So how I can take revenge on it?” She said, “If Kṛṣṇa likes, then you can take revenge. Otherwise there is no possibility.” “Where is Kṛṣṇa? I want to see Him.”* [Transl. After all he was a child.] She said, “I have heard that Kṛṣṇa is in the forest. Big, big saintly persons go there and meet Him, so far I know, my dear son.” “So I’ll go there.”

So this four-year, five-years-old boy went to the forest, and he saw Kṛṣṇa within, Viṣṇu, within six months by his austerity, by meditating and observing austerity, living on water, on folio [foliage], air, in this way, six months, he got the opportunity of seeing Viṣṇu directly. And there is a big story. Later on he was enthroned on the father’s seat. He became very big king. But his younger brother, the same brother, was killed by the Yakṣas in the fight. So he wanted to take revenge on the Yakṣas, and he was killing the Yakṣas like anything. Then the Yakṣas’ father, Kuvera, he came to him with other…, recommendation of other demigods, that “You are a Vaiṣṇava. It is not good for you that you are killing so many Yakṣas indiscriminately. Now, whatever is done, you stop it.” Then this Kuvera was very much pleased because his descendants were being killed and the fight is stopped, so he was very pleased. This is our point to understand. The Kuvera was very pleased, and he offered Dhruva Mahārāja that “You have become so kind. You could kill all my descendants, but you have stopped, so I am very much pleased upon you that you saved my family. So I want to give you some benediction. Whatever benediction you want, you can take from me.” Now this benediction… He is Kuvera. He is the treasurer of the demigods, unlimited wealth. And he offered him that “Whatever you like, you can take.” But what Dhruva Mahārāja did? Dhruva Mahārāja said that “Kuverajī, I am very much obliged to you that you are offering me benediction and you are the treasurer of the demigods; I can take money from you as much as I like. But my prayer to you—that I don’t require any money. Kindly give me your blessings that I’ll remain a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.”

Devotees:
Jaya. Haribol.

Prabhupāda:
So I have got now the Punjab National Bank, [laughter] so you are ready to give me money, but I request you that you bless me that I may remain a servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees:
Jaya!

Indian:
Should I say a story about the present Kuveras?

Prabhupāda:
Yes.

Indian (1):
Please. Now Mahārājajī has told you the story about the Kuvera of the old days. I will tell you the story of the Kuveras of the today. That is us. In fact, it was in a paper. There was a cartoon. A bank manager, means today’s Kuvera, was sitting in an office, and he received a call, such and such big Dalmia or Birla, “We want two lakhs of rupees just now.” He said, “Yes, come along. Here is our Swāmījī. He’ll pay you two lakhs.” Then there was another call. There was some industrialist or a small-scale industrialist man. He said, “I want to start an industry. Could I get a lakh of rupees as a loan from you?” He said, “Yes, yes. Please do come along and we’ll make some arrangements.” Then he also… And ultimately the third picture in the cartoon, that the manager—that is today’s Kuvera—he goes out of the bank. He is standing on the gate, and he says to that caukidāra, [Transl. Father, I don’t have two rupees. Could you give me I have to go in a rickshaw.] [laughter]. It is today’s Kuvera you see is not in any position to give anything. He also wants your blessings, you see, in fact.

Prabhupāda:
Very good.

Indian (1):
So if about the bankers, if you permit me, I’ll give you another interesting story. There was a man who was very ill in America, and he had a heart trouble. In fact he had no heart, I would say. So, you know, they can replace the hearts nowadays. He went to a hospital, and the doctor offered him, “Here are three hearts. Which one would you like? One is of the general, the other is of a big businessman, and the third is of a banker. What would you like?” So he thought, “Let me have the heart of a…”

Prabhupāda:
Banker.

Indian (1):
“…banker.” [laughter] So the doctor said, “Why do you want to have the heart of a banker?” He thought, “Because I’m sure it has never been used.” [laughter]

Prabhupāda:
[laughing] I’ll recite another very nice story… [break]

Indian (2):
[Transl. Respected Svāmījī and the assembled friends. Just now I came to know that this branch of Punjab National Bank will work only for Svāmījī. I firmly believe that Svāmījī’s position is very exalted. There is no doubt about it. But it does not behove your bank. For the time being it is all right. But when you open your full fledged bank here then all the people of the local area will be benefitted and satisfied. I think to open a bank just for a single account holder will not be a good thing from the banking point of view. That’s all I have to request. And the story of Kubera that Svāmījī recited and the humourous stories that our Zonal manager has told you, I am very much happy about that. I thank the Zonal manager for that and I specifically request you to pay special attention to my suggestion. For the time being, since you don’t have enough accomodation…]

Prabhupāda:
[Transl. They want you to speak little in English.]

Indian (2):
[Transl. English, they will understand. So I would request you that not now, but when your regular branch is opened then this bank should be “For all.” Of course, mainly Svāmījī’s account with crores of rupees will surely be there in your bank. But kindly keep in mind my suggestion so that you can recommend to your head office about this.] Indian (1):
There seem to be little misunderstanding, not that we are short of any space or any accommodation or anything for which we can’t open, but there’s a little technical thing that Reserve bank license does not permit, and we are immediately taking or for amending the license, and as soon as it is, we’ll start. We have no problem of this.

Gurudāsa:
Prabhupāda, did you want to tell another story?

Prabhupāda:
Yes. [laughter]

Indian (1):
But I had only two. I won’t be able to add.

Prabhupāda:
[laughter] The story is that one poor man was informed by his friend that “Money draws money.” That’s a fact. If you have got money, you can draw money. So he went to the bank, and the cashier was counting huge amount of money, and he threw his coin on the cash…, [laughs] and he was waiting: “When the whole money will come to me?” Then the cashier saw this man is standing: “What is it? Why you are standing?” “Sir, I heard that money draws money, so I had one coin. I have dropped with your money. I am waiting when it will come to me.” So he said, “No, no. The fact is that: money draws. Now my money has drawn your money.” [laughter] So… [Transl. So the poor fellow, whatever he had that also gone.]

Indian (1):
Perhaps it is in the Bible that “Those who have shall be given more. Those who have not shall be taken of what they have already.” I don’t know whether it’s right or not, but more money draws the lesser money.

Prabhupāda:
Yes. [Transl. So today you will not open anyone else’s account?]

Indian (1):
[Transl. No, not today. No licence. Without licence how is it possible?]

Prabhupāda:
[Transl. So Seṭhjī, do like this then. Give all your money to me.]

[much laughter till end]

Indian man (2):
[Transl. All expenses will be paid from one account. One account will be sufficient. It is his account.]

Indian (1):
[Transl. It will be Svāmījī’s bank and your account. I ask Seṭhjī to deposit his cash here and withdraw from here. And to make entry in the passbook he can go there.]

Prabhupāda:
[Transl. It can be possible.]

Indian man (2):
[Transl. It is possible, but he requires licence.]

Prabhupāda:
[Transl. This rule prevails in every bank. You can deposit in any branch.]

Indian (1):
[Transl. You deposit here and withdraw from here. Bank is open for you.]

Indian man (2):
[Transl. But it is a question of principle.]

Indian (1):
[Transl. Yes, it is.]

[others talk]

Prabhupāda:
[Transl. His hands are always empty.]

Indian man (2):
[Transl. If he doesn’t give this way then we have to take it the other way.]

Indian (1):
[Transl. Bankers hesitate to give, but you don’t give at all.]

Prabhupāda:
[Transl. No problem. Passbook?]

Indian (1):
[Transl. Today you get it. Just now you will get it. I told the person outside to put up a signboard about the bank. I told him to get it done.]

Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Yes.] [end]