771113 - Conversation B - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

771113R2-VRNDAVAN - November 13, 1977 - 31:12 Minutes

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's sort of encouraging to see you taking milk. That's encouraging. That's something which you always said if you could take, you would get stronger, so I'm encouraged by that. I think that a great deal of patience is ultimately required, you know. We have to expect that actual strength and muscles will take a little time to come. (aside:) Prabhupāda's being disturbed by gases . . . (indistinct) . . .

Upendra: What's wrong?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda's feeling a little gas.

Bhakti-caru: (Hindi with kavirāja) No, that will go away.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That will go away.

Kavirāja: (Hindi with Bhakti-caru; asks Prabhupāda about the gas)

(indistinct background conversation)

Bhakti-caru: (Hindi conversation with kavirāja) You can rub it in.

(indistinct background conversation)

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Bhakti-caru: Ki, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: They are taking urine?

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali) (Hindi with kavirāja)

Upendra: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you didn't pass any urine the first time. Do you want to try again? We can cleanse you now?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. (break) (Bengali) Dandavats. (Bengali conversation with Bon Mahārāja; Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī also present, chanting throughout. Prabhupada asks for the certificate from the USSR to be shown)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a certificate arrived from the Soviet Union.

Bon Mahārāja: It's in Russian language or in English?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, some of it, I think, is in Russian. I have the translation. It says . . . the top wording here, this says that "Books in the service of peace and progress. A diploma for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Bombay, given by the First Moscow International Book Fair Exhibitions and Fairs, General Directorate of International Book Exhibitions and Fairs, USSR."

Bon Mahārāja: (Bengali with Prabhupāda; Prabhupāda asks devotees to describe about Soviet universities)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: All Russian universities ordered Prabhupāda's books.

Bon Mahārāja: (Bengali conversation with Prabhupāda. Prabhupāda talks about Tenth Canto of Bhāgavatam, two parts. Devotees bring books) That's Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto. That is up to which chapter?

Jayādvaita: Twelve chapters are finished. This is up to Chapter Twelve. And now thirteenth chapter is also completed.

Bon Mahārāja: In and out, both are superexcellent. Inside, in Mahārāja's translation, and outside, your publication, printing, makeup—everything superexcellent. That is first attraction, when you take the book in your hand you feel that is something very nicely done. I don't think in India we can have this type of printing and publication. You get them printed now in Los Angeles, no?

Devotee: Kingsport.

Jayādvaita: They're printed in Tennessee.

Bon Mahārāja: Tennessee.

Jayādvaita: The work is done in Los Angeles, then in Tennessee, and the pictures are printed separately from the Bhāgavatam. Then the pictures are sent to the publisher in pages.

Bon Mahārāja: Last time they told me in New York . . . Your press was in New York, and they were shifting it to Los Angeles. About two hundred brahmacārīs were working there, and they told me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now it's in Los Angeles.

Bon Mahārāja: Now it's in Los Angeles. Well, it is all Mahāprabhu's will, and Prabhupāda is our . . .

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Los Angeles is godown . . . (Bengali) Howrah Station. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have a picture of it, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I have a picture of that BBT godown.

Prabhupāda: Show him.

Devotee: It's about two blocks long and about one block high.

Bon Mahārāja: Everything is done in a very big way.

Jayādvaita: 'Cause Prabhupāda's a big . . . (indistinct) . . . and he needs everything big(?).

Prabhupāda: (Bengali conversation with Bon Mahārāja)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's a picture of that book godown in Los Angeles.

Bon Mahārāja: What's the length of the building?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the length of that building, Jayādvaita? (discussion among devotees) Twenty thousand square feet in area. Twenty thousand.

Bon Mahārāja: In area. Well, in your country, in USA, everything is very big. Nothing is done in a small way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is the Los Angeles temple. These are the Deities, Śrī-Śrī-Rukmiṇī-Dvārakādhīśa.

Bon Mahārāja: In Los Angeles?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Los Angeles. Yes. Then we have a very nice doll exhibition there.

Bon Mahārāja: What is that exhibition?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Doll, diorama. These are some of the exhibitions. This devotee here, Bharadvāja dāsa, he's the creator of this doll exhibition. This is our temple in New York now, this building.

Bon Mahārāja: You have purchased it? There was a talk of taking that twelve-story theological seminary.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is also thirteen stories, but it's a different building. It's in Manhattan.

Bon Mahārāja: Which street?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty-fifth Street. And this is our temple in London. We have actually three temples there now. This one is in Hertfordshire, called Bhaktivedanta Manor, and then we have one near the British Museum in Bury Place, which is that five-story building. And then we just purchased a restaurant and reading room just off of Oxford St. on Soho St. This is in France. It's a chateau which we have purchased, very nice, with a farm. Very beautiful place. And these are the Deities, Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya, in Fiji. This temple was just opened in Fiji. Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya.

Bon Mahārāja: Kāliya-damana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ah, Kāliya-damana.

Bon Mahārāja: That is in Fiji. (Bengali with Prabhupāda; Prabhupāda asks for prasāda to be brought and set up)

Bhakti-caru: Śrīla Prabhupāda? (Bengali, asks about serving prasāda)

Bon Mahārāja: (Bengali with Bhakti-caru about prasāda)

(Bengali conversation between Prabhupāda and Bon Mahārāja; Prabhupāda asks for kīrtana; discusses prasada for Bon Mahārāja with Pisimā) (kīrtana)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali with Svarūpa Dāmodara about serving prasāda)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Prabhupāda is asking to give prasāda to all the devotees. (break) (end).