Room Conversation
Yes, the doctor said so, because urine was getting obstructed.
[Conversation between kavirājaand Prabhupāda as kavirājaexamines Prabhupāda, with comments by Bhagatjī.] [Sac-cid-ānanda whispers what kavirāja has said.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Is there any trouble in the heart? Any pain in the chest? Hmm. So much weakness. Very weak.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Can’t eat anything.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. How can you eat? They made it worse. I heard you had a surgery there somewhere? Did you have?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Yes, the doctor said so, because urine was getting obstructed.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. There was no problem in urine. That is natural in old age. There was no stone or anything. There was no need for that. It was a mistake. It has harmed you.]
**Prabhupāda: Hun?Kavirāja: [Transl. There was no defect in the urine. I resently treated a patient named Satya who had a similar problem. He also had Dropsy, but he became cured. There was no need for any surgery. Simply useless.The condition deteriorated further. Things didn’t improve. Too weak. Nothing else.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Feel my pulse?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Pulse rate shows weakness and nothing else. Weakness, only weakness.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Hmm. By feeling the pulse you can tell how long a person will live.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That is not applicable to you. Your duration of life was over long ago. I had told you that your duration of life has finished. Now you are living simply by the power of bhajana. [laughs] No one can predict. Your pulse indicates overall weakness. There is excessive air in the body, hence there is no appetite. Don’t feel like eating. Do not move about too much, as you are very weak. Your heart is very weak. There is no other disturbance, only weakness. No other problem, only weakness. There was no need to go to foreign country at this age and undergo operation. It is useless. If there is stone or complete stoppage of urination or any other similar disease then it can be cured by operation. But he had no such problem or defect. His condition has become worse. First of all there is lack of blood, and now this. The sweeling is again there like before. So now let us arrange for medicine. Ayurvedic medicine. The treatment will be like before, but very, very slowly. Can’t say what will happen. As I prescribed before, yes like last year, in the same way medicines will go on. But now he has become weaker. Before he was not as weak as he is now. Very weak. That’s why any moment the heart may, due to excessive weakness the blood has turned into water. This is the point, nothing else. Take shelter of Govinda. Do not move much. And about diet, before his diet was good. 500 grams milk, fruit juice etc. Now he is not taking anything so how will the body survive? That is the worry. I will give medicine to strengthen your heart so that the sweeling will reduce. Now do you get sleep at night?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Some day I get, some day I don’t get.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Do you feel thirsty for water?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Not at all.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That is good. To not have thirst for water is good. Take milk little little. Even by force, 2/3 spoonfulls. Milk is your diet. Fruit juice you can take. Milk is your main diet. Milk mixed with sugar candy.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Juice of what fruits?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Fruit juice, what fruits are available now? Pomeogranate juice, but give in small quantity, because after all it is Dropsy. Make milk as his prime diet.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Can we give milk?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Only milk, cow milk mixed with sugar candy. Give little by little just like you give medicine. You give him like that again and again.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Milk I have got.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. You have, that’s good. Milk is the main food. Milk is his main diet. If he can digest 500 grams of milk then there is nothing to worry. This is the main point. Milk is his only life. And another thing you do is you make a fire with cowdung cake in a furnace and give hot fomentation by a piece of blanket or woolen cloth.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Here?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Here, there, everywhere. Keep the windows open so that air can pass. Otherwise the whole room will be dark. Give me a pen and a piece of paper. Pen and paper. I write a prescription. Do not move much, very carefully. There is no other problem, only weakness. Whatever blood was there, that has turned into water.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Very weak. Within one month…]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That is what I was telling him. At this age, he should not have gone out of Vṛṇdāvana. Anyway, it is my great pleasure that you have returned to Vṛṇdāvana by the mercy of Radhāraṇi. Everyone has to give up his body one day for sure. But may we leave our bodies in braja. Jaya ho. I think nobody can read Bengali here?]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Yes, there is.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes?]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Tapomaya is there, Prabhāsa is there, Saccidānanda is there.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Okay. Today’s date is…]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Today is 3rd.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. 3/9.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. No, 10.]*Kavirāja: [Transl. 3/10.]
[Indistinct discussion among devotees]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
But then that creates mucus. Śrīla Prabhupāda? One problem is that that milk, drinking milk, creates mucus.
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. By drinking milk mucus is produced more.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. What?]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. You are saying drink milk, but Mahārāja is saying that by drinking milk more mucus is produced.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Do you feel pain in the chest? Some discomfort or sound like ghar r r ghar r r?]
Prabhupāda:
Cough.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. There is cough.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
And then when he coughs he cannot sleep.
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. And when there is more cough he cannot sleep.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Side by side there will be some medicine for counteracting cough.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. I see.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. What diet other than milk?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Some milk preparation may be given.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Milk you will have to take. Take cow milk, add some sugar candy and a little ginger paste in it. Thin milk and not thick milk you boil along with some crushed ginger. It should be half milk half water, boil it with ginger and add little sugar candy. Give him this warm. There is treatment for cough, air etc. This body is made of mucus, bile and air. All this sweeling is due to mucus and air. In old age everyone gets cough.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. What if I eat some milk preparation, then what will happen?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. What would you mix with the milk?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Some milk powder and something can be added to it.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. How can you avoid the action of milk? Milk powder has been produced from milk only. The qualities of milk are also there in the milk powder. It didn’t surpass. Milk is light. Boil the milk with little ginger and add some water and take. You will have clear motion and clear urine. There is no need to worry about mucus, I am giving medicine for counteracting mucus. Medicine for mucus will be there. I have prescribed mukta sukti which is meant for cough. This medicine I have given before also. If there is mucus then there will be pain in the chest. In this age having cough is normal. I will give medicine for cough so that it doesn’t accumulate, rather it should go out.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Instead of pure fresh milk, will…]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Powder milk?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Powdered milk be digested?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Milk powder is nothing but pure milk. I can’t say it’s response. Milk will not be harmful to you. The way I explained to you, if you follow then there will be no difficulty. You take these medicines in a free mind. If there is any problem I am there to take care of it. I am careful about your health. I am writing 3 or 4 medicines to clear out the mucus. Your treatment is mainly for mucus and air disorder. Milk is your only diet. Milk powder is also milk. The constituents of the milk are also present in milk powder. So it will surely produce cough. Milk will become light if you mix ginger and water in it. When it is light it will clear urine also. There is no need to worry about motion, but urine should be clear and regular.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. By drinking that kind of milk urine will become clear?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. The main cause to have clear urine is milk.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Then what about our own cow milk?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Take milk from your own cow. No adulterated milk. It should be pure cow milk. Don’t worry, you use equal quantity of milk and water and boil it. And take at night.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. So no powder milk?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. No, that is heavy, not light.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
[To Bhagatjī:] Can you explain what he said?
Bhagatjī:
Prabhupāda asked him, “Can I take powdered milk?” He said, “No.” Only pure cow’s milk will cure him, and that cough coming, that will cure his… That cure is there.
Prabhupāda:
So that pure cow’s milk… [we should add ginger in it]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Crush some ginger and add in the milk.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Ginger should be added before boiling or after boiling?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Before boiling. Boil the milk for some time.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Then we should strain it?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes, you strain it. Little warm milk with some sugar candy.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. …proportion…]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Milk and water should be boiled together with crushed ginger.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. As much milk, as much water]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. And you boil it.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. And how much ginger?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Supoose you take half liter of milk, you put about 50 grams of ginger in it.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. If the milk is taken out in the morning, can that milk be used in the morning, noon and night?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes, there is no harm. Just heat it up and give in the evening.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. We will boil one time and keep. Then we will heat up again and use it.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. There is no harm. Milk will not cause any harm. Milk will cause harm only if it produces mucus in the chest. For that I am giving separate medicine. When mucus comes out, all the disease comes out.]
Bhagatjī:
When the cough comes out, it will take out all the disease.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Cough. One trouble is that the cough stops sleeping. When Prabhupāda’s coughing, he cannot sleep properly.
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Cannot sleep.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Because of cough. I will give medicine for reducing the cough. So that there is no disturbance in the sleep I will arrange appropriate medicine.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
He wants you to cough more, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I will prescribe some medicine so that your sleep is not disturbed. Cough will be reduced. [Prabhupāda coughs] Like this he coughs no? I will try my best not to stop this coughing. This is dangerous. Any milk preparation he takes, there will be cough. How can you avoid the nature of the milk? Therefore take milk in small quantity. You can take barley also. Take milk mixed with barley.]
Bhagatjī:
He said cough should come out.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Either] Barley, Horlicks.
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. That is like Horlicks.]
Kaviraja:
[Transl. What?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. That is like Horlicks.]
Kaviraja:
[Transl. That powder? We recommend patients Horlicks as diet. There is no problem with that. That’s like a tonic. Horlicks tonic. You can give Horlicks instead of milk. It is lighter than milk.]
Bhagatji:
[Transl. So you write it down. Twice.] Horlicks tonic.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Tonic.
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. He is recommending Horlicks. That one is also like Horlicks.]
Kaviraja:
[Transl. That is a milk preparation.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Yes. The one I am talking about.] What is the name?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Complan.
Kavirāja:
Ācchā. Complan.
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Complan.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Oh yes. Complan I know. You can take Complan. Complan is good.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
That’s good, right?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I take Complan every day. That’s a tonic. That you can take.] Complan. Best.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
We brought it from London. Best, he says.
Kaviraja:
[Transl. Complan. Best.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Should we add some ginger in it?]
Kaviraja:
[Transl. No need to add anything, no need to add anything in Complan.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. No need of anything else?]
Kaviraja:
[Transl. No.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Okay. Then there is Complan.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Complan is good. I take Complan.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
What about milk? He wants you to take milk also with the Complan?
Prabhupāda:
No, no. Let us take the Complan only.
Bhagatji:
[Transl. No milk?]
Kavirāja:
No milk.
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. So no milk at all during the day?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. At least once a day you have to give him milk. At least once. It increases vitality. Milk enhances life.]
Bhagatjī:
He says it is a very nourishing diet. Milk should be given also.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Milk is like nectar for a dying person. You should give one time.]
Bhagatjī:
It is nectar, he said.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
But it’s nectar when you can digest it. You can digest it.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Give him at least once a day. Give him milk in the day time and not at night. For cough I have prescribed 2/3 types of medicine.]
Bhagatjī:
We can see how his medicine works.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
We can try it, Śrīla Prabhupāda. The kavirāja seems to think that by coughing and having the cough come out, it’s not bad. He says it will bring out impurities in the body. It seems to me you don’t like to cough, because it disturbs your sleep. From what I understand from what Bhagatjī has translated…
Prabhupāda:
Complan he recommended.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yes. He recommends that. Anything for the swelling, did he say, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Bhagatjī:
That powder. That is same treatment.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Powders. Is that all right, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Bhagatjī:
…and they all should be covered with some woolen cloth. Should not be exposed.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
That’s hot, too hot, though. Śrīla Prabhupāda? You want us to give you powders again for taking the swelling? Hands and…?
Bhagatjī:
He said nothing is wrong. Only weakness.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
He said nothing is wrong, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda:
On that I understand. But weakness is…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Too much weakness. Now we’re getting hopeful again, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Who else is here?]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Is there any adrak [ginger]? Is that what Prabhupāda asked? You asked for adrak, Prabhupāda? Śrīla Prabhupāda, one of your sannyāsī preachers has just arrived, Haṁsadūta Swami.
Prabhupāda:
Oh.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Morning and evening medicine no. 1. with Bael leaves juice, Ginger juice, Punārṇava Juice and Sora [Nitre, Saltpetre] Honey morning and evening. No. 2 medicine to be taken at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. with honey and large cardamom. This medicine you have to take 10 o’clock in the morning. This will cure heart trouble and mucus cannot accumulate in the chest. And no. 3 medicine is at noon and night after meal. Whatever diet you take whether Complan or anything else, after that you take this no. 3 medicine with Kalanchoe leaves juice and honey. Kalanchoe leaves you don’t know? Where is Saccidānanda? Call one of them. Either Prabhāsa or Saccidānanda. Saccidānanda is better. He can understand. And your no. 4 medicine should be taken with …]
Prabhupāda:
Call Sac-cid-ānanda.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yes, we’re just calling for him.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. …Justicia ganderussa leaves juice and sugar candy. Bāsaka leaves? Arusā? Arusā?]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. I have not heard it.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. No? Piyā bāsaka?]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Yes. Piyā bāsaka I have heard.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Arusā. Arusā.*]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Piyā bāsaka* I know.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. He knows bāsaka. Oh come here. [explaining to Saccidānanda:] So I have given four kinds of medicines. Now understand the medicines. They are all in serial numbers 1, 2, 3, 4. The medicine no 1 should be taken morning and evening with Bael leaves juice, ginger juice. Don’t put ginger juice more than 10 drops. So 10 drops ginger juice, Punārṇava juice and sorā honey. You put about one ānā or 4 rati or one gram of sora. Mix all these with no 1 medicine and give him morning and evening. After this, at 10 A.M. you give the no. 2 medicine with honey and large cardamom. Take 4/5 large cardamom seeds, smash them and mix with honey. He can take it by licking or as he likes. The no. 3 medicine he should take at midday and night after meal. After meal he will take this with Kalanchoe leaves juice. Is Kalanchoe available here?]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Yes. I know. So many.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. You mix the no. 3 medicine with that juice and honey and give him two times after meal. This will keep his bowel and urine clear all the time. And the no. 4 medicine is mainly for cough. Cough is accumulating. So this will stop it. You bake bāsaka leaves first in the fire and make juice out of it and give him two spoonfuls with sugar candy.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Do you recognize bāsaka leaves?]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Yes I know very well.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. If you don’t find here, you can take from me. There are plenty of those all over the place.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Bāsaka* plant grows everywhere.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Bāsaka* leaves juice two spoonfuls. Heat it up a little, mix it with the medicine and give him with little sugar candy powder. He can lick it and then drink a little warm water.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Did you mention the timings?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Everything is written there. Medicine 1, morning and evening. Medicine 2, 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. Medicine 3, after meals day and night. And medicine 4, is at 8 P.M. at night. Do not change or skip any medicine. The patient must take medicines as I have prescribed. Also keep me informed about his condition. At least once a day you must inform me.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Did you understand everything properly, Saccidānanda?]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Yes. Yes.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. He knows.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. If there is any doubt then ask him.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. There is no need to ask.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Do you recognize bāsaka leaves?]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. I know.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. So many bāsaka plants are here. Inform me one or two times a day.]
Bhagatjī:
He wants that “Once a day, two times I should be informed the condition.”
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Twice a day. Okay. What times?
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. What time?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. According to the patient’s condition about 4 or 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Otherwise anytime you can inform me.]
Bhagatjī:
At five o’clock in the evening.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yes. Once a day only?
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Twice a day or once a day?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Once a day. According to the condition of the patient. If there is any emergency you let me know.]
Bhagatjī:
Once only. [translating:] “What is the change after the medicine, I want to know.”
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Don’t take head bath. For you bath is prohibited.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
No bath.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Not at all. Use a wet gāmchā to wipe the body. Put little cool water in the head. You bathe like this. Then wipe your body with a dry gāmchā not wet gāmchā.]
Bhagatjī:
By the towel.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Towel bath.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. With a dry gāmchā like this.] [demonstrates rubbing to clean]
Prabhupāda:
Dry.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes, in the body. Whole body with a dry gāmchā.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Dry. With a damp gāmchā?
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Wet gāmchā]
Kavirāja:
Dry.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Dry gāmchā.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. In these pores in the body oxygen passes. By rubbing like this with a dry gāmchā the pores will remain clean.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
How to make the body clean without water?
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Without water….]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Without water, with a dry gāmchā.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. How to keep the body clean?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. With dry gāmchā it will be clean.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. With dry gāmchā it will be clean?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. There will be powder. How will it be removed?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. It will be done. If at all needed you can use hot water. Wet the gāmchā in hot water once a while and use it.]
Bhagatjī:
Hot water. Take out all water and…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
After putting the powder?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. After every one or two days.]
Bhagatjī:
After putting the powder. Get hot water.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. And in the head, whenever you want you can put water and wash. You have to put water on the head, otherwise there will be problem. May be during the day, according to the condition of the patient. Either put water on the head or rub it with a wet gāmchā dipped and wrung in cool water.]
Bhagatjī:
What about cool water on the head?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. This is because all your blood has transformed into water. There is nothing left in the body. There is nothing left in the body. Only the life air is palpitating. There is no strength in the body. If he catches cold immediately there will be Dropsy. Sweeling is already there. The season is bad. It’s getting cold. The season is changing. Be extra careful in this season. It is better not to take full bath. You can put little water on the head. There will be no problem. If there is any problem to pour water on the head then dip the gāmchā in warm water and wipe the whole body slowly. Take it easy. Move very slowly. Do not move so much as it may be harmful. Let me treat you at least for one week now. The weather is also changing. After the foreign tour the health has become more complicated because of different climatic condition there and here. This has created a poisonous effect in the body. Do you understand? Slowly and gradually things will come back to normalcy. This is the fact. There is no blood in the body. When medicines will start to act in his body then slowly everything will improve.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
What about drinking grape juice?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. You have to be very careful at least for one week.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. What kind of fruit juice should we give him? Grape juice?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Grape juice, fruit Juice in this condition, since there is swelling, anyway give him little by mixing with honey.] Pure honey. Little grape juice with honey.
Bhagatjī:
Some honey mixed.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
We use miśri water.
Kavirāja:
No. Pure honey.
Bhagatjī:
In the grape juice mix some honey.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Honey, not miśri.
Kavirāja:
No. Pure honey. [Transl. Pomeogranate juice, Grape juice mixed with honey.]
Bhagatjī:
Pomegranate.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Pomegranate juice.
Bhagatjī:
And pineapple?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Not now.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Pomegranate and grape. Any others?
Bhagatjī:
Mosambi?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Mosambi No.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Prabhupāda doesn’t like it. But grape and pomegranate.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Give Munakka or large raisins or Kismis or ordinary raisins. Smash them nicely, add little honey and let him lick. That will be very beneficial.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
We were doing that in the morning. Honey and *adrak. *Raisins and what?
Kaviraja:
[Transl. Dry grape.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Munakka. Big one? I don’t know what you call In English.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Munakka means grape.] Big. [Grape.] Dry. [Kismis.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Kismis are the small ones.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. They are same. Some are big size and some are small size.]
Bhagatji:
[Transl. No, no. Kismis is small and Munakka is large.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Munakka is of two kinds, big and small. The big one is called Goṣtāni Drākṣā.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
What do you do with that powder bath?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That is little heavy. The small ones are good for you. Take 5/6 of them smashed and mixed with honey. You simply lick it. It will keep your heart strong and would not let your tongue dry. Your mouth will remain moistened all the time. You understand? This is the great remedy and a tonic also. You mix it together and must take that. This will bring taste to your mouth. You will develop appetite gradually. Do as I say. Remain extra careful. Of diet, you take Complan. And milk you have to take once a day the way I have said. Boil the milk with ginger and take it at least once a day.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Once a day. At noon or at night?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. You can give him in the morning or noon time, but not at night.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Not at night?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. No. At night only complain.]
Bhagatjī:
Either morning or afternoon.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
He can take after bathing, after morning. He brushes his teeth, and then…
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That is all. Now you are at lotus feet of Rādhārāṇī. This is my prayer. What more can I say.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. I will be relieved if I can go.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That is not according to your desire or my desire. His desire. When He calls you then only you can go. There should be seat available there also. [laughs] To Bhagatjī: It is good to go there. But there should be a vacancy there. We have to get a seat. The seat is not yet available. When the seat is ready then nobody can stop.] [laughter]
*Śunenā kāro anunaya, cale yāya sāja sayyā tyeje / e-māyā prapañcamaya bhavera raṅgamañca mājhe. The living entity does not pay any attention to any amount of solicitation. He leaves behind all wealth and opulence and goes away to the theater stage of the illusory material world. This material world, who knows what happens when? What drama the Supreme Lord makes us play? When does He call where? When your spot is ready, He will immediately take you there. You will go and fill in the blank. kīrtir yasya sa jīvati: “One who leaves a good reputation behind him lives forever.” [Cāṇakya Paṇḍita]
For you life and death are one and the same. That is for the body only. This body is just like a cage. vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya—As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones. [Bg. 2.22]) There is nothing to worry about it. [laughs] Giving up the old dress and putting on a new one. There is nothing to worry. Well, actually I came to give medicine…]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Does he prohibit me to take darśana of the Deities?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Today I won’t be able to take darśana. I pay my obeisances to the Lord from here. Now I have to…]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. No, For me.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Darśana of the Deities? I will not stop you to take darśana of the Lord.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
We’ll carry Prabhupāda downstairs.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. You should take darśana. Who can stop darśana of the Lord? There is no harm in your taking darśana of the Deities.]
Bhagatjī:
He says it’s all right for Prabhupāda to take darśana of the Deities.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Give me a plain paper. I don’t have everything here with me. I didn’t bring. You have to go with me .you come with me. The medicines which I will give him are not with me here.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Here is the paper.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. No need of any paper now. I will make the prescription in the Dispensary. There I will have to mix the medicines. It’s not one medicine.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. You go. I will understand everything later in Hindi.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Take as many papers as you want.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I don’t need. In the Dispensary I will have to mix different medicines and prepare them. At least I will give you one day’s medicine quickly. I will have to go back and make offering to my Deity Rasika. I didn’t even drink water as yet. Your people went and I somehow finished my Deity worship and came. I didn’t sleep last night. Prabhāsa told me last night that Prabhupāda’s condition is not good at all, so you will have to come. I was also worried about you.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. When will you visit again?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Who? Me? Where?]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Yes. Here. When will you come?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Whenever is required I will come.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. When do you have to come?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I have to give medicine.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. We want that you come here one time every day.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Daily one time? No problem.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Yes.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Daily one time.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. No problem. No problem.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. He will come once daily.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Once a day. Very good. What time?
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. What time is suitable for you?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That you see.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. 9 o’clock is good.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. 9 o’clock?]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Whatever he says will be all right.
Prabhupāda:
No, no. [Transl. According to your convenience.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. What time is convenient to you?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. This time there is a war. From 4 A.M to 10 A.M. there is a war about my Deity worship. And nothing else. From the Dispensary I go at noon time and make offering to my Lord Rasika. At about 3 P.M. I take Prasad. This is the problem. I will try to come here in the morning time. 9 o’ clock.]
Bhagatjī:
In the afternoon.
Tamala Kṛṣṇa:
In the afternoon.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I will try to finish my worship as early as possible and come. You will go this time tomorrow? You will go at 9 o clock? At about 10 o clock I will come.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Tomorrow?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes. I will come before 10 o’clock.]
Bhagatjī:
After nine. Between nine and ten he’ll come.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Every day. So we’ll send a car to [indistinct]. Nine o’clock on.
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Tomorrow?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Any day, you just come at that time. Today I have seen him. But I won’t be able to come by Ricksaw. I have some trouble here.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. No. No. We have a car.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
No. No Ricksaw.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. So much jerking.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. You will get a car.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That’s why I don’t go for darśana of Govindajī. I don’t go for Govinda darśana.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. We have a car for your service. Not one, we have got a few cars.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
So he will take darśana of the Deities now. You will come also?
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Now will you go with Śrīla Prabhupāda to take darśana of Kṛṣṇa Balarāma?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Now? Will you go?]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Yes.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Now is the time.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Will you go? Okay. Let us go now and have darśana of the Deities. Taking darśana of the Lord with an exalted personality.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Jaya.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Jaya Govinda. Let us go. I cannot wait any longer as I have got to prepare your medicine.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Jaya ho.] [break]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda:
The kavirāja said that my life is finished; now by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. So under the circumstances, whatever medicinal instruction he gives, strictly follow properly.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Oh, yes.
Prabhupāda:
So you cannot understand Bengali. Bhagatjī can understand…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Hindi.
Prabhupāda:
Hindi, also Bengali. Sac-cid-ānanda also.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yes, but neither of them are like Bhakti-caru was.
Prabhupāda:
So call him.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yeah. That’s what I’m going to do, because the difference is this: Sac-cid-ānanda is a little scatterbrained. He’s scatterbrained; he’s not very clear-headed. And Bhagatjī has so many ideas. But Bhakti-caru is smart. Bhakti-caru speaks Bengali and he’s smart.
Prabhupāda:
And Hindi also.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
And Hindi. Bhagatjī just has too many ideas. Just like Bhagatjī’s big idea is “I have to give Prabhupāda fresh cow’s milk from my cows.” He’s thinking, Bhagatjī… His thing is he’s thinking already, “I want to give Prabhupāda milk, cow’s milk.” But someone should be here who doesn’t want anything except to take the kavirāja’s instructions. I get afraid about Bhagatjī like that.
Prabhupāda:
No. Kavirāja also said, but with…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Adrak.*
Prabhupāda:
Adrak.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
But only once.
Prabhupāda:
Yes. And at night, Complan.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
He said you can take Complan, I think, more than once, if you want.
Prabhupāda:
No, he’s coming. Ask him then. The best thing will be… Call him immediately.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Bhakti-caru. All right. I think so also. And he would want to be here. I have no… None of us have any problem working cooperatively. It’s just that I don’t want to see someone be given this responsibility who’s not qualified, like Sac-cid-ānanda. I don’t want to trust you to his care, Sac-cid-ānanda’s care. That would be very bad on our part. And Bhagatjī’s just… He just… I don’t know how to explain it, but he’s, er… I’d rather it be Bhakti-caru.
Prabhupāda:
No. All of them can cooperate. Anyway, call him.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
All right. What does the kavirāja say about your chances, Śrīla Prabhupāda? What does he say about your chances of surviving? [Prabhupāda coughs] How can you drink milk when the cough is like this? I cannot understand how they can recommend milk.
Prabhupāda:
No, that counteracts any…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Ādā.
Prabhupāda:
He is giving medicine for that.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Hmm. I couldn’t follow anything. It was all in Bengali. [Prabhupāda coughs up mucus]
Prabhupāda:
So far that… He said that “Life is finished, and you are simply still living by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. And there is still life. Let us try it.” Now he is coming, and ask him daily what…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yes. He speaks English. He spoke with me in English. I think he speaks some English, the kavirāja, a little bit. He’s a little… So you feel a little hopeful?
Prabhupāda:
Eh. For me, either live or die, I don’t mind. But if you are trying for my life, try it very seriously. That is my formula. No negligence. Whatever he advises, that is good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
It’s good if you can try and make the cough come out, that mucus. You have to give a little extra exertion, I think, to get it out. Is that the bedsore, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
[indistinct whispering between Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and Hari-śauri—“We have expectorant”] [pause]
Whoever does this medicine with the kavirāja should be intelligent person. That’s all I’m saying. As you said to me, “Don’t be negligent.” Of course, Your Divine Grace knows me very well, so you called me to tell me that I should cooperate. But my cooperation is immediately there when I see someone is intelligent enough to do it. So Bhakti-caru is fit for that.
Prabhupāda:
So call him immediately.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
All right. He said you’re living by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. That means it’s a miracle that you’re alive.
Prabhupāda:
I tell him…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
In Bombay you appeared to be very hopeless for living. Now that you’re in Vṛndāvana, I think you will become more hopeful.
Prabhupāda:
That kavirāja was also hopeless.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Which one?
Prabhupāda:
Bombay.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
[laughs] [aside to Hari-śauri] That Bombay kavirāja was also hopeless.
Hari-śauri:
Today’s was as well?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
No, no. That Bombay kavirāja was a businessman. He had a Seiko watch on, special Cross pen, pān in the mouth. He was a pākā bāniyā. [Prabhupāda coughs up mucus] This man appears to be a genuine kavirāja.
Prabhupāda:
I think so. So are you sending him telegram?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yes. I’ll do that right now.
Prabhupāda:
Where is Haṁsadūta?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
You want to see him?
Prabhupāda:
I’ll sit down.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
You’ll sit up? [break] Should I read it, Śrīla Prabhupāda? “The battle royale over the existence of God as creator of life pursued relentlessly by the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement and debunked with equal disbelief to match by the president of the Rationalist Association has fizzled out. Dr. Abraham Kovoor’s long-standing challenge, backed with an offer of Rs. 100,000 to anyone who could provide proof of the divine creation of life, was taken up by Haṁsadūta Swami of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. The Swami increased the offer made by Dr. Kovoor to one million rupees in foreign exchange if he could produce life—a mosquito or a mouse—from inert chemicals to prove his contention that life originated from chance biochemical combinations. The rationalist doctor has now put the ball in the Kṛṣṇa court. He counters the challenge, calling upon the God-believers to demonstrate before the public that God is the creator of life and to prove it with the creation of one.” What a nonsense rascal. That’s the whole article, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Haṁsadūta:
We revived after the riots and trouble in Sri Lanka. We again issued notice that we would revive the challenge for the 26th of last month. And when our devotee went to Kovoor to hand him…, to give him the notice, Dr. Kovoor was laid up in bed, and he informed our man that he had cancer and that he expected to die within the next two months or so. And so we didn’t hold our program.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Oh, you didn’t hold it.
Haṁsadūta:
No, we didn’t hold it. I also came down with malaria, and the press, because of the intermittent trouble, they sort of lost the momentum. They didn’t publicize it enough, so we just… But the public has got the idea.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
That the guy’s a phony.
Haṁsadūta:
Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
He must be very embarrassed, Kovoor.
Haṁsadūta:
Well, the public has now really relished the whole situation. But it seemed to me afterwards that this same technique could be applied in any university or anywhere where such a man is propagating this idea. As soon as you find one out, then make a public announcement that a program will be conducted, he’s invited, and such-and-such amount of money would be offered if he can substantiate his idea of inert chemicals being the origin of life. Because I saw that the public interest became very keen, especially when they saw there was such a huge reward being offered to substantiate such a widely accepted scientific idea.
Prabhupāda:
Yes, it is a challenge to the, all these Nobel Prize–winner scientists. [chuckles] So our position is better. Hmm?
Haṁsadūta:
Oh, yes. The new government there, they pride themselves in being a dharmiṣṭha society, based on the teachings of Buddha. So I submitted an open letter to the same press, that “How is it dharmiṣṭha if the government is in fact supporting the organized slaughterhouses, that the government maintains the liquor industry, the tobacco industry, the tea industry, and they encourage cinema, nightclub, hotel, tourism, which encourages prostitution?” like that. I said, “Where is the dharma? Dharma means four things: no animal slaughter, no intoxication, like that.” The editor promised that he would publish it today. So if they publish it, it will also be a very controversial…
Prabhupāda:
So, and they are giving us some status to stay there?
Haṁsadūta:
No, we have no official status. The way to function there is that you can stay for six months if you bring three dollars a day for that, and then go out, and you can come back the next day. They want to get rid of all religious groups. They want only their Buddhist group. They want to make the Buddhist religion as the state religion.
Prabhupāda:
Yes.
Haṁsadūta:
At least they talk like that. And so all the religious groups there, the Christians and others, they’re phasing them out by taking away their resident visas.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
What about the Tamils?
Haṁsadūta:
Well, the Tamils are in a very bad position. They’ve all fled to the Jafna area, the north area.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Why are they so against the Tamils?
Haṁsadūta:
Well, the government, the politicians, they incite the people to create trouble, and in this way they try to assume office. They just take advantage of the people in this way, stir them up.
Prabhupāda:
Tamils are poor men?
Haṁsadūta:
Tamils? No, the Tamils were all the business centers.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
That’s the reason.
Haṁsadūta:
It was actually the Tamils who agitated for the British to get out, and once the British got out, then the Sinhalese pushed out the Tamils because they’re a minority—about three million Tamils to eleven million Sinhalese. The economic and political situation is very, very deteriorated in that country.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
What kind of preaching can you do now?
Haṁsadūta:
We can preach because we’re not identified as Tamils or Hindus, because we are white, so that still attracts the people. We preach in public halls, you know, rent hall…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
So they lifted the curfew.
Haṁsadūta:
The curfew’s over now.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Do the Sinhalese take interest as much as the Tamils?
Haṁsadūta:
Yes, they do, actually. Actually the Tamils in Sri Lanka, they’re all demigod worshipers. They worship Murgā and Gaṇeśa and Śiva. There’s practically not a single Kṛṣṇa temple on the whole island. I was really surprised. And, erm,… Well, that’s the situation. They’re all demigod worshipers.
Prabhupāda:
Demigod worship means followers of Vedas.
Haṁsadūta:
The Buddhists, they have very nice temples there. In all their temples they have diorama exhibits about the life of Buddha and other figures from their line, but done very nicely, much nicer than the Hindu temples, very clean. But all Buddhists, they don’t follow Buddhist even. They all eat meat, and, they say, they even drink and have women. Everything deteriorated. [to Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:] Is it all right to speak?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yeah.
Haṁsadūta:
I once heard that when some devotees wanted to buy a church in America you suggested that they should keep the altar and next put Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and give simultaneous lecture from Bible and from Bhagavad-gītā. I was thinking that in Sri Lanka, if it would be all right to have a deity of Lord Buddha and speak simultaneously on the Dhammapada and also on Bhagavad-gītā, showing how Bhagavad-gītā is beyond the stage of nirvāṇa. Is that a good idea, Prabhupāda, or not?
Prabhupāda:
Good idea, provided you can present properly.
Haṁsadūta:
Because Buddhists come and they ask, “If Lord Buddha was an incarnation of Viṣṇu, then why did he not teach about God? Why did he not teach about the soul?” So I always explain to them it’s like teaching A-B-Cs and teaching advanced literature. He was teaching A-B-C. That was required. He did not go into higher subject matter.
Prabhupāda:
First of all the Buddha wanted to make them sinless, “Don’t kill.” And you are not following that even. His business was to stop sinful life. In sinful life one cannot understand God as He is.
Haṁsadūta:
Once Lord Buddha, they say, was sitting under a bo tree, and a leaf fell down. He picked it up and he said, “The knowledge I am giving you is like this leaf compared to the tree of knowledge.” So I always quote that. They appreciate that, “Oh, yes,” that beyond nirvāṇa there is brahma-nirvāṇa, and beyond that there is Paramātmā, and above that there is Bhagavān.
Prabhupāda:
Nirvāṇa means sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. That is nirvāṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityaj… Parityajya means “giving up,” and that is nirvāṇa. It requires expert presentation.
Haṁsadūta:
And in all the temples they keep a Viṣṇu Deity. All the Buddhist temples, they have a Viṣṇu Deity. They have a saying that Viṣṇu promised Lord Buddha to protect the Buddhist religion in Sri Lanka for five thousand years in this age. They say that.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
How many more years they have to go?
Haṁsadūta:
I don’t know.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Śrīla Prabhupāda? I’m thinking to go today to the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple to see how things are going on. You told me regularly to check there whenever we’re here?
Prabhupāda:
Not immediately.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Hmm. Better not to go today. Okay. [break]
Prabhupāda:
…keeping money in the bank. Means so long I think that the bank keeping money in my pocket. And as soon as I’ve got the sentiment that these men are interested to keep our money in their pocket, I’ll be very careful not to deposit.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yeah.
Hari-śauri:
Not to what?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Not to deposit. Yes. He said that to me today. He said, “Now your fixed deposits are decreasing, and your bank balances in all accounts are very minimal.” The manager said this to me today.
Prabhupāda:
Because they are harassing.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Because… The reason… We are afraid of their psychology that they think that our money is now theirs. And that is giving us fear.
Prabhupāda:
They’re thinking like that. We cannot freely have our money.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Actually, it’s only with the greatest difficulty that you were able to transfer this fixed deposits. Four times they came to you, and for even a half hour to one hour at a time went on and on, explaining to Prabhupāda why he should not do this. Really, the best thing is that, I mean, if I can give this humble advice, is that someone like Girirāja should deal with them instead of… Because I feel, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they take advantage of you when they talk with you, and that makes me feel very bad to see.
Prabhupāda:
Then tell Girirāja. Ask Girirāja to take…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yes. Because they see that you’re not that well, and they also know that you’re so merciful. And you’re also a local Brijabāsī in a way. Therefore they’re always against any of us taking any participation. It’s the funniest thing. I explained something to Girirāja. He’s been dealing with so many legal things for so long that he’s become like a lawyer, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda:
Central Bank is very straightforward.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Um-hmm. Very good and straightforward.
Hari-śauri:
These people here, because they’re smalltime and because you’re such a good customer that they’re scared that their reputation with the bigger bank will become spoiled if you take money out and don’t deposit. They’re very keen. It’s a false prestige thing for themselves to try to keep your money in their bank. There’s so much personal motivation there, now they’re making us their servant.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
This one Dr. Sharma wanted to open a Gurukula account. So they told him, “You have no authority whatsoever. Bhagatjī has no authority, Akṣayānanda has no authority, Gopāla… Only Prabhupāda has all authority.” The funny thing about this, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is that according to our memorandum, they’re not correct. Actually, according to the memorandum, two members of the Bureau can pass a resolution to open an account. But the most amazing thing is they don’t accept the Bureau. They accept something called the Governing Body, which legally in India doesn’t have any weight. And when I tried to explain to them that there’s a memorandum and there’s a Bureau, they said, “We don’t accept it. Everything is Prabhupāda, and he’s the chairman of the Governing Body.” When I told this to Girirāja, Girirāja just laughed and said that…
Prabhupāda:
If Girirāja can deal with these men, then let him do it immediately.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Okay. Very good. He can, because he thinks legally, and that’s how you have to deal with these men. They’re actually small time, and they’re just harassing us because we’re acting in a very gentlemanly way and they’re acting in a very ungentlemanly way. Anyway, we’re not going to take out our fixed deposits. The ones that are there should be matured. But when they’re matured, if we want to transfer them to somewhere else, we should have the freedom to do that and not be bound to have to keep the money there. That’s the only point. And we’ll be bringing so much money. Your Divine Grace has plans for making Vṛndāvana very much developed. So they should not worry like that. None of our other bankers are worried. They see sometimes we take the money, sometimes we bring money. But because of the way they’re dealing, we don’t want to bring any money. I’ll tell Girirāja to…, if he can deal with this matter, that he should take it up. He wanted to meet them. He said he wanted to see what is the…
Prabhupāda:
Let him meet.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
All right. They need his specimen signature anyway, so that will be a good reason to go. Actually, most customers they have are small, so they’re afraid of the bank. But a Society like ours with so many connections in Delhi and other places doesn’t have to be in the same position as an individual.
Hari-śauri:
These men here, they want some false prestige for keeping Prabhupāda as…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
They want the money also.
Hari-śauri:
Yes. They want to use the money in the bank.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
That’s the point. They get elevated positions.
Hari-śauri:
Yes. Advertises them very nicely without…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
And they get raises. They get promotions. But they’ve lost money instead of gotten more, because of the way they’ve dealt with Prabhupāda.
Hari-śauri:
Mean consciousness. Kṛpaṇas.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
I didn’t want you to have to get involved again, Śrīla Prabhupāda, with them. I really, you know…
Prabhupāda:
Therefore I say do the needful.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
All right. I dealt with them nicely this morning, and they were very satisfied. I gave them a little prasādam. They were happy. You know, I did as you were dealing with them. Now you have to allow us to give you some relief, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda:
Hmm. Yes.
Devotees:
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [devotees offer obeisances]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
I’m going to go with Girirāja to the bank today, Śrīla Prabhupāda. That’s why I was going to go to Rādhā-Dāmodara temple and at the same time go to the bank, because they’re right next to each other.
Prabhupāda:
No, do the needful. Girirāja is here. I have already given everything in writing.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yes, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Last night the condition was dangerous. Question of life and death. There was so much cough. It was not stopping. Finally, being unable to tolerate I had to take that Expectorant two times every after 3 hours.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Mucus came out. Prabhupāda says mucus came out.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Show me your tongue. Your tongue. Did you give hot fomentation? Was hot fomentation given?]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Hot. Hot.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
We are putting powder.
Upendra:
[Transl. Hot water?]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Powder.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Hot fomentation given? Yesterday I said to give hot fomentation with blanket or warm cloth.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Hot cloth putting.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I said to give hot fomentation. I said to apply powder.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
What question is he asking?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I asked you to massage ghee in the chest. Warm ghee with ginger juice massage in the chest I said. Did you massage like that?]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Saccidānanda, what is he asking?
Saccidānanda:
Hot cloth, that Prabhupāda massaging.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
He’s asking whether we did it?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Didn’t I say that yesterday?]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
We didn’t get it. Tell him.
Upendra:
No hot cloth, hot-water cloth. Dry cloth.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I told you to give hot fomentation. Without that it will be very difficult.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. What hot fomentation will do for cough?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Hān?]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Prabhupāda is asking about cough.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I have given medicine for cough to be taken with Bāsaka leaves juice. I also told to massage the chest with warm ghee mixed with ginger juice. Did you do all that yesterday? Slowly cough will come out. Is it coming out? Cough will become liquid and come out through mouth or through stool. Did you pass stool today? No motion. Did you pass urine?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Yes.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. There will be motion. No need to worry for that. I have given medicine. If urine is passed, that’s good.]
Saccidānanda:
Hot cloth…
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Mild fomentation with warm cloth.]
Saccidānanda:
Ghee and ginger juice, hot, massaging over.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Ghee and ginger juice.
Saccidānanda:
And making hot…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Massage on chest for mucus to come out.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I have also given oral medicine to take.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Mucus come out means prāna come out. What a terrible condition!]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Wipe his tears. What did he say?]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. He says the cough was dangerous.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I have given medicines for cough. I will give more medicine today.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Intolerable. No strength. It was formidable.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Does mucus come out from the nose? Mucus from the chest. Two medicines are given for cough.] Two medicine for cough.
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Save the life by stopping…]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. What did he say?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. After stopping the cough.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes. Yes. The main treatment is for cough. Medicines have been given for mucus and air. And also for swelling. Nothing else. Your main treatment is for cough and swelling. I have given medicine specially for cough. Pearl ash, Deer musk etc are all mainly for cough. If I would have got the musk it would have been much better. For musk I already told you to arrange.]
Saccidānanda:
Doctor is asking for the Musk.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Musk. He’s getting that.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Before going to London I told you to get the musk.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Tomorrow we will have the musk. Tomorrow we will get it. By putting this in the mouth all mucus will come out.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I know musk, because I have used it before.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Unless you say it…]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That I will tell…]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Or you write it down otherwise it won’t happen. Look, Ayurvedic medicines are working, but it is very slow. Musk will take out the mucus very quickly.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I will see. I have a chain of thought. I am trying my best to my capacity, but there should be no lapse in nursing.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Give something extra to stop the cough, there will be no harm to him.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Very weak. Pulse is good. His pulse rate is normal.]
Saccidānanda:
Pulse is all right.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Pulse is okay, but weakness has increased more. The blood has become water. That’s why he feels weaker. He was not so weak like this before.]
Saccidānanda:
Prabhupāda pulse is all right. Pulse beat is all right.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. His body has become so weak.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
But this mucus. Whether the drinking of milk causes mucus.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Mucus has become thick. Look, if you press here it becomes like a hole. So unless you give hot fomentation, how will it melt?]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Listen Prabhu, Mahārāja is saying that by drinking milk or taking more liquid is he having so much mucus and swelling?]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
He had milk yesterday?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Milk will not aggravate swelling. Rather it will help reduce the swelling. Milk reduces swelling. Milk is our eternal diet. Milk is good. It will not harm.]
Upendra:
He had Complan three times.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Yesterday we did not give any milk.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Milk was given not to increase cough.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. To stop it.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes. To stop it. Milk is the only diet. It is even better than fruit juice.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
He didn’t take any milk yesterday.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Milk is his only diet. Milk mixed with ginger juice, the way I have advised. Milk will not produce mucus. Milk will not cause any harm. Milk cannot harm. It is milk only that will save his life.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Then why the cough came? No, milk won’t take away cough.
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Why do we have to add water in the milk?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. To make it light you boil with ginger. The water part will evaporate. Then there is no water left.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
The main business is to take away the cough.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. There will be only milk left. This milk is easy to digest. That’s why I have said.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. The medicine which you gave, was it to stop the cough or to take out the cough?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. To take out the cough. Not to stop it. To let it go.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. To come out the cough.]
Saccidānanda:
To clean the cough. To clear the cough.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
[Talking to Saccidānanda:] Wait a second. Just try to understand. No, no, listen. When the cough comes out, Prabhupāda cannot sleep. When Prabhupāda cannot sleep, then he becomes weaker.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. He feels exhausted to cough?]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. When Prabhupāda coughs, he cannot sleep. And if he does not sleep, he becomes weak.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. This will not go in one day’s medicine. Aged patient. Blood is less. Elderly patient.] Old man. Too old. Slowly.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Prabhupāda, the kavirāja gave you medicines which made the cough come out more. That was his idea, to do that purposely.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. The mucus will become liquid and come out easily.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
I don’t know if you want that, but that was… His idea was to make the cough come out more. You took it as that the medicine might not have been acting, but according to him, he wanted that to happen.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. So that the mucus comes out easily that’s what I am trying to do now. The mucus is not yet cooked. It is still like glue. You understand? When the mucus is matured it will come out easily.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. In your medicines there is lot of liquids. Leaves juices contain a lot of water.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Are you all crazy? You all are not listening. Water will be there in proportion to medicine. That is medicinal juice.] Medicine. Not water, medicine.[Transl. Don’t worry about the medicines. You do the nursing very nicely. As I am advising you, you just follow. Do as I say. For example, you did not give hot fomentation. Cough has become solid. That’s why it is hard to come out. As it becomes liquid it will come out through urine. Nursing. Now the treatment of the patient depends on nursing. Medicines taken timely and nursing.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Once you gave me some medicine like honey. As soon as I took one spoon so much mucus came out.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That I will tell.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Only one spoon every two hours.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
The swelling has increased since yesterday. It was never so much as today. The mucus was never so much as today.
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Mahārāja is saying that swelling has increased.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. What?]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Today cough is more than yesterday.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. It will be less. Only yesterday I gave medicine. Yesterday only. It will take little time for the medicines to act. I gave little medicine. I will give more.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. We have medicine left.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. You have got medicine.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. You don’t have to give today.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Since you already have I won’t give any medicines today.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. According to my convenience I will use them.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. He says according to my convenience I will take.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. That you use. I already said you are experienced so everything should be taken according to your convenience.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Why this sudden flow of mucus?]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
What did Prabhupāda just say?
Saccidānanda:
Prabhupāda telling that he already gave two doses of these medicines here, that according to Prabhupāda thinking he will use the medicine.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
He will take the medicine.
Saccidānanda:
If necessary, he will stop one time medicine getting, or again he can try to take. But if Prabhupāda likes, he can take.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
That’s what Prabhupāda just said?
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Yes.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. From milk there will be no trouble. If you take milk the way I have said.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. I am not drinking milk.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Milk will benefit you. You should stop fruit juice and take milk instead as many times as you like. But take in small quantity.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. This thing has happened due to medicine.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. What? Medicines are given to be taken with milk. Treatment with milk.]
Prabhupāda:
The havoc caused, the medicine.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Havoc caused by medicine. Prabhupāda says the medicine caused havoc.
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. He had so much trouble by taking the medicine.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. From medicine?]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Last night he coughed so much.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Which medicine is causing you trouble? Was it the morning dose of medicine?]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. I cannot understand which medicine. But as long as the medicine was in the stomach it was very troublesome.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Until the medicine was digested may be little trouble.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Could not digest.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes, that was the cause.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Couldn’t digest it. That’s the real issue. He can’t even digest the medicine.
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Then I started feeling drowsiness. It went on. Then I took some Benedryl and it came under control.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Let me see your prescription. Prescription.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
[whispering] It’s an expectorant. I still don’t understand. They want Prabhupāda to take an expectorant. What does it do?
Upendra:
Drowsiness. Chloroform.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Don’t give him this one. Don’t give him ginger juice.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Okay.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Don’t give this one with Bāsaka leaves juice.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Okay.]
Brahmānanda:
Codeine.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Must have Codeine.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Don’t give this one. Also put less honey.]
Upendra:
No, it’s chloroform.
Brahmananda:
It causes [indistinct], but it also knocks you out.
[whispered conversations between devotees in background]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Consider very carefully and then prescribe.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. I am thinking carefully.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Do not put too much leaves juice.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Okay. Don’t put more juice. Last time he had no problem in digesting the medicines. Use in small quantity. Put ten drops of honey instead of twenty drops.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Sometimes leaves juices are heavy to digest. It causes indigestion.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Use less leaves juice. These are the medicines . How will I treat without them? Bāsaka leaves juice, punārṇava juice. Give everything in small quantity. Instead of four spoons give two spoons. Give two spoons, it will be easy to digest.]
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. Reduce the quantity?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Today less juice.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Today let all the medicines be stopped.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Okay. That’s up to your convenience. If you want to stop it, I have reduced the quantity. Ginger juice I have stopped as it was burning your chest. Other medicines you take. There will be no problem. I have reduced the dose. Previously you used to digest double the dose, but now you cannot. Therefore I am giving you less dose.] Small dose. [Transl. Nothing to worry. We can wait today.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Let us see how it goes today. Then tomorrow we can send him a message after observing how I feel.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Prabhupāda says let all the medicines remain stopped today. Then tomorrow we will start again.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
What did Prabhupāda say, Saccidānanda?
Saccidānanda:
Prabhupāda telling that today he cannot get medicine much. He should wait, and if he feels better tomorrow, he can see.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Continue the hot fomentation. Externally continue the fomentation. The medicine to be taken with bāsaka leaves juice, he should take. There will be no problem. Bāsaka leaves for cough.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. In leaves juices there is so much liquid or watery substance which he is unable to digest.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. So I have reduced the dose. It will be digested. Leaves juices are light. Give less in quantity and there will be no problem for digestion. Medicines will be digested. It was the first day, so some disturbance was there. Slowly everything will become normal. Keep all medicines stopped today. That’s what you want. Stop it today. We will see tomorrow.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. These medicines he is unable to digest. But Neogadine is good and just like honey. I know. It will be digested very easily. You prescribe it. There will be no problem. Listen, Don’t mention the name of that medicine. Under your guidance you can…]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
[What is he asking?
Saccidānanda:
I have explained one medicine to clear the cough. Neogadine. Doctor Babu knows. I telling him immediately I all time use that to clear my cough, and when I feel bacteria and cough, immediately clean, and digestive power becomes so strong. He knows that. I ask him that please use him. This medicine is very difficult to digest, but that medicine is very easy digestion. And digestion power also there. He knows. I ask him to give one teaspoonful on the mouth. Immediately cough will be clean—he can speak nicely, he feels digestion. Everything is written there. What ingredients are there. He knows everything. All time, I use that medicine to clean the cough, to make digestion power so strong. Very good medicine, very old medicine. He knows. I ask him to please prescribe that medicine, because this is very difficult to digest. Therefore Prabhupāda asked him, “Today I cannot take any medicine. I have to stop this thing and see.” [You don’t have anything like that?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Yes, patent medicines. Drākṣa, Vasanti, Arista, all patent.]
Saccidānanda:
Very good, very old medicine. Very good.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. You can give that. There is no harm. We also prescribe it sometimes.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
How do you know it won’t again cause more havoc? What is the guarantee? You’re not Prabhupāda. You are a young man. Prabhupāda is old. So how do you know it will not do the same…
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Neogadine is good medicine. Old medicine.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Can’t make an experiment…
Kavirāja:
[Transl. We also prescribe it to patients from time to time. It contains Drākṣāriṣṭa and Bāsakāriṣṭa. Very patent.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Patent medicine.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Bāsakāriṣṭa will cause no harm. Prabhupāda should take the milk only with honey. Only honey and milk.]
Prabhupāda:
[Transl. Excuse me today.]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. This medicine you will have to take today, otherwise mucus might block your chest. This you must give. Don’t stop it. Only with honey.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. Which one?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. This no. 2 medicine. I have underlined. Give him this with honey and milk.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. No large cardamom?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. No. Only with milk.]
Saccidānanda:
[Transl. How much milk?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Honey and milk. Hot milk one ounce.] Heart stimulant. [All mucus will be cleared from the heart.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
The musk is for the heart?
Saccidānanda:
To clean the heart.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
The heart. So I thought the heart was strong. If the heart is strong, why give him musk?
Kavirāja:
[Transl. In this condition the patient’s heart should be kept strong.]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
If the heart is strong, why give musk?
Bhagatjī:
[Transl. If the heart is strong then why we need musk?]
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Musk enhances vitality. It increases vital power. It purifies mucus.]
Saccidānanda:
More strength. More strength.
Kavirāja:
[Transl. Musk must be there.]
Saccidānanda:
To clean the cough also. The mental strength.
Abhirāma:
But where can we get the real musk?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:
Bhāgavatāśraya’s supposed to be… [break] [end]