Speech in Hindi [Partially Recorded]

Prabhupāda:

…
kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

Just as Hakimji has said that an exalted vaiṣṇava is he by seeing whom one automatically remembers the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Once I was flying from London to Africa. The plane landed in Athens at twelve midnight. So I had to wait there for 45 minutes. We alighted and as soon as we went to the waiting room, we were four or five persons, immediately a few young men greeted us saying “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” This was at midnight in Athence airport.

So as you have said, actually we are famous all over the world as “Hare Kṛṣṇa people.” As soon as they see us they say “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Sometimes they put cartoons in the newspapers. There was one cartoon that one old lady was telling to her husband in the funeral pyre, “chant, chant, chant,” and the old man said “can’t, can’t, can’t.” The old lady says chant, chant, chant, and the man says can’t, can’t, can’t. This is the position.

Now time for ārati is up. So thank you all. These foreign devotees have come here by spending a lot of money. One ticket costs at least ten thousand rupees. About four to five hundred are here. It brings revenue to the government. There is no loss in it for the government. They come here and when their visa is over immediately they are told “Get out, get out.” So many obstacles are there.

Although devotional service to the Supreme Lord is uninterrupted they have to go back and again come back. Again ten thousand. This is very unfortunate. So all of you be kind to them that they have started coming from the foreign countries to Vṛndāvana and more will come, so try and see that they may avail all possible conveniences. This is your duty as you are all residents of Vṛndāvana.

“Jaya jaya vṛndāvana-vāsī yata jana.” [Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī. Saṅkīrtana, Song 3, Text 7.] Our general morality is gṛhaṁ śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akuto ’bhayam, that even if an enemy comes to our house we should serve him in such a way that he will forget that this person is my enemy. This is our tradition. And they come here and you hate them saying “They are mlecchas, yavanas, this or that, and by touching them we will become polluted,” then how things will go on? Think about it little bit. That is my request to you all that kindly give up the mentality of considering the vaiṣṇavas to be belonging to a particulat caste which itself is hellish. This is hellish mentality and nothing else. Vaiṣṇave jāti buddhiḥ. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ [Padma Purāṇa]

People come from thousands of miles away to have darśana of these Deities here. Do they think They are made of stone? How it is stone? After spending so much money if somebody comes from a distant place and say who made these Deities of Kṛṣṇa with stone? You fool, you have come to see stone! After spending so much money! So, one should not be so fool as to discriminate between vaiṣṇavas. Vaiṣṇave jāti buddhiḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said:

yei bhaje sei baḍa, abhakta-hīna, chāra
kṛṣṇa-bhajane nāhi jāti-kulādi-vicāra
[Cc. Antya 4.67]

There is no consideration of one’s caste and family in regard to worshiping Kṛṣṇa. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself says:

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
[Bg. 9.32]

Pāpa yoni. Te’pi yānti parāṁ gatim. So those who go to parāṁ gatim, are they mlecchas or yavanas? So my only request to you all is that, give up the hellish mentality of ‘vaiṣṇave jāti buddhi’ and thus make the situation favorable. They have come to learn from you. Kindly teach them, explain to them. That’s all I have to say. It’s time for ārati now. I thank you all.]

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees:
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! [end]