20150203 Śrīla Prabhupāda Kathā

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ

paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande

śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

paramānanda-mādhavam

śrī-caitanya ishvaram

 

So today we continue with the Prabhupada lila. We have been having some letters sent on the Archives.

 

Do you have some letters?

 

***************

 

[MAHAVARAHA PRABHU]

Letter by Srila Prabhupada on the 24th March 1971,

 

89 Warden Road

Akash-Ganga

Bombay-26

 

{Reading Srila Prabhupada letter}

"My Dear Jayapataka Maharaja,

 

Please accept my blessings. Since I have come back from Calcutta to Bombay, I have not received any letter from you," (Mahavaraha prabhuji laughs) 

 

{Continues Reading Srila Prabhupada letter}

"so I am very much anxious to hear from you."  

 

"Here the program begins from the 25th instant and goes on until the 4th of April. After that I do not know whether I shall have to go back to Calcutta.

 

Whether there has been any negotiation with Jabed Ali and some other man for purchasing the Māyāpur land or whether you have selected any other land nearby? Mr. Mohta wanted to send me a letter regarding negotiations for purchasing his brother's house. So these things are pending. 

 

Another thing, I wrote a letter to Mr. K. K. Birla, the copy of which is enclosed herewith. If you have received any reply from him?" 

 

I think we will go step by step on that.

 

Guru Mahārāja asks,

Which Birla??

 

[MAHAVARAHA PRABHU REPLIES]

K. K. Birla

 

{Continues Reading Srila Prabhupāda’s letter}

"I am awaiting your reply to the above points immediately by return of post with a report of your activities there."

 

So we would like to hear the report, Guru Maharaja.

 

***************

 

Guru Mahārāja: You can see how, I was working directly under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada. So if a week or two went by without any letter, he would write me, "Why haven't you written?".

 

In one sense, this was a very wonderful, that we always had the association of Srila Prabhupāda.

 

But on the other hand, sometimes I was not able to keep up with his expectations. 

 

So he wanted the land in Māyāpur. They were three brothers, 

 

Jabed Ali Shaikh

(repeats) Jabed Ali Shaikh 

Amanath Shaikh

(repeats) Amanath Shaikh

and Hyder Shaikh.

Shyam Madhusudan prabhuji: Sorry (smiling)

 

 

Guru Mahārāja :Little difficult.

Jabed Ali Shaikh, then Amanath Shaikh, {pause few seconds} Amanath

Shyam Madhusudan prabhuji : Amarnath Shaikh

Guru Mahārāja Don't try to make sense out of it. It’s not Amarnath, It's Amanath. 

Shyam Madhusudan prabhuji Amarnath

Guru Mahārāja No. Amanath.

Shyam Madhusudan prabhuji Amanath Shaikh

Guru Mahārāja and Hyder Shaikh.

Shyam Madhusudan prabhuji Idol Shaikh ( Devotees laugh)

Guru Mahārāja Three brothers.

 

So we were getting land from two brothers, and maybe three. So the land was going from the grass hut, down to the end of the Lotus building. And each one was eleven bhighas, and they were parallel to each other, and contiguous.

 

***************

 

And Jabed Ali Shaikh, he was a snake charmer. Snake Charmer. ?? If you were bit by cobra, he would chant mantra and take out the bite.

 

So I asked him once, “What are the mantras?”

 

{Jabed Ali replied}

Ssssshhhhh

 

If my other brothers knew, if my Muslim friends knew, I face trouble. But he is gone now."

 

The mantra was “Kaliya Krishna”.

 

By chanting that mantra, it counteracted any snakebite.

 

Ssssshhhhh

 

***************

 

{Maharaja continues}

So it was about Eleven hundred (1100/-) Rs. per bheega, and Prabhupāda tried to get some help from his god brothers, but it didn't help. So we found these three, who were willing to help.

 

And after the pandal program in Bombay, Prabhupāda returned to Māyāpur.

 

He had Rādhā Gopinath Deities, and I was kept with those deities. Meanwhile Tamal Krishna Goswami and Acyutananda, they were out to purchase the land.

 

So by today’s market, the land was cheap, but at that time, it was a lot of money. 

 

So, anticipating that Srila Prabhupāda would want proof that the land was really bought. So the Shaikh brothers, they came up in a pickup truck, all armed with sticks, in case anyone try to stop them on the way. And Tamal Krishna Maharaja, he had the money. So each bill, the serial number was written in the deed. No one does that, but he did it. All the bills have the serial numbers written on the deed.

 

So after the purchase of the land, the Shaikh brothers returned with their pickup truck, and we had the deed.

 

I was in Calcutta, worshiping the Rādhā Gopinath deities. Before Prabhupāda used to travel with his personal deities, but after a while, in each temple they had deities, so he no longer needed to travel with the deities. And those Rādhā Gopinath deities, had stayed in Calcutta ever-since. 

 

So Tamal Krishna das, he was very happy, that he had gotten the land for Srila Prabhupāda. So he gave the deeds to Srila Prabhupāda and said, "Here is your land".

 

***************

 

So then Prabhupāda went out and he saw the properties. ISKCON’s seeds

for the spiritual??. He saw the spiritual city. 

 

First we constructed a grass hut. This was a high quality grass hut. The grass was like, it lasts ten years. And was special kind of what they called locally, KORE grass. K O R E, KORE.

 

So Prabhupāda stayed in a grass hut, and we had constructed a bed, a table and other simple facilities. That grass hut was where the "Perfect Questions Perfect Answers" was spoken. I think that we should have a book there, to commemorate the "Perfect Questions Perfect Answers".

 

In a grass hut you live with the nature. There are many living entities who live in the grass hut. Lizards, mice, grasshoppers. You name it, all kinds of entities, but it was considered very satvik. 

 

Once Prabhupāda said that, this grass hut is in the mode of goodness, to be here on the side of Ganges, it's enough for us. But who will come?  So we need to have guest houses and facilities which will be made of bricks, steel and cement. And those are in the mode of passion. But it's necessary to be able to receive guests.

 

So Prabhupāda was teaching us how to use different modes of nature in Krishna's service.

 

For sometime I was staying there in the grass hut. It was a very organic setup. There were cows, vegetables, grains. All of which could be grown on the land.

 

So in Māyāpur, it all started from a grass hut. That grass hut is still there. And we do non-stop kirtan. So our goal is to have kirtan for next ten thousand years. Prabhupāda said, "let the people see that it all started here in this grass hut".

 

We had a mongoose and he will keep the snakes away. So mongoose could out-maneuver the snakes. 

 

As far as the Calcutta proposal, that Mr. Mohta, they were many such proposals that came up and they wanted lakhs or crores for their land and Prabhupāda was dealing with them to see which he will take or not.

 

***************

 

[MAHAVARAHA PRABHU]

 

{Reading Srila Prabhupada letter}

"Acyutananda Maharaja wanted to come to Bombay during the ceremony and I think you also thought like that. I have no objection if you come here to join this ceremony, only thing is whether in your absence Calcutta work will suffer?" 

 

{Mahavaraha Prabhu repeated above line for Maharaja to listen again} 

"I have no objection if you come here to join this ceremony, only thing is whether in your absence Calcutta work will suffer? 

 

If you come here, you can bring our dandas and umbrella which are left there with the books in storage.

 

Another thing is that I requested Mr. Singh Roy's son to give us the whole first floor on long lease and at reduced rent. If they do so, then we shall give up the idea of purchasing a house in Calcutta. Two big apartments will be sufficient for our preaching work. We can occupy both the flats if they agree to accept Rs. 1,500 per month.

 

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

 

Your ever well-wisher,

 

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami”

 

***************

Guru Mahārāja : At this time, I was the Temple President of Calcutta and Srila Prabhupāda was concerned that the Calcutta work will not be hampered, if I came to Bombay. So I think that I decided not to go, and maybe Acyutananda went.

 

Singh Roy's were the owners of the house, but the law in Calcutta was, that the tenants had great rights, and therefore if you had a long term lease you could be there for a long time. It was practically as good as owning it. 

 

So Prabhupāda had given us price and after that we have rented the place, 11 months at a time, which was a period, we didn't have many rights. If you could grant longer then your rights would increase. So Prabhupāda wanted a long term lease and he had offered 1500 Rs. which was still not much.We had seen some other properties but they all wanted some high price.

So here Prabhupāda said if we get on a long term lease then we need not worry to buy right now.

 

Somehow the Singh Roy's agreed to give the property on long lease to Srila Prabhupāda and eventually the property was purchased. There was a tenant was on the ground floor and we were on the first floor. So eventually we got the property on the ground floor as well. 

 

And I remember a few just scattered pastimes.

 

***************

 

The window in the Calcutta temple had a velvet cloth over it and was dark blue color. So it attracted many mosquitoes.

 

So when Prabhupāda complained, that this curtain, velvet in color and dark blue, is attracting mosquitoes. Then a devotee came, put some spray, to kill the mosquitoes.

 

Prabhupāda said, "You rascal. You have a velvet, blue curtain which attracts mosquitoes and then you want to kill them. Once you change the curtains, so that it doesn't attract mosquitoes. Then you don't have to kill them." 

 

***************

 

Once a devotee who was leaning out of the window to cut a stick from the outside neem tree to  be a datoon, toothbrush. Prabhupada liked natural things. So in Calcutta if you get these natural sticks, chew on the end make it fibery and brush your teeth.

 

Instead of buying the neem twig, this devotee was reaching out and cutting it. But Prabhupada objected. 

 

{Prabhupada}

"Leaning out from the window, it scares me. What if you fall?" 

 

{Disciple}

"No, no Prabhupada, I won't fall."

 

{Prabhupada}

"Anyway you are hanging out. Maybe you will fall."

 

{Disciple}

"No, no, I won't fall."

 

{Prabhupada}

"Hang out of the window, when I am not looking. 

 

Because you scare me, when you are hanging."

 

***************

And one police, home minister (police), he was a kind of a Vaishnava and his grandfather was a famous Vaishnava, so he came in and he wanted to touch the feet of Srila Prabhupāda.

 

Brahmananda Prabhu, Maharaja, he was programmed not to touch the feet of Prabhupāda. So he stood-up and went out to attack the home police minister.

 

Prabhupada said, "It's OK".

( Guru Mahārāja and all laugh)

 

That would have been breaking news.

 

***************

 

In that room, Prabhupāda was seated on a white cushion, with a bolster around him. In front of him there was also a white cushion, which covers the whole space in front of him. So to the left side of Srila Prabhupāda was a bed, and also to left side there was a doorway, which led to his private bathroom. 

 

So that was the entrance to his veranda, the hallway, which could be seen by.. You enter through the hallway, you entered his room.

 

***************

 

Any other question? 

 

Any other letters?

Devotee :Guru Maharaja, This Radha Gopinath deities of Srila Prabhupada, where they are now? Do you know?

Guru Maharaja: Calcutta!! Small deities. (??)

 

MAHAVARAHA PRABHU: Srila Prabhupāda took a set of Radha Gopinath deities to Australia via Malaysia, during the same time.

Guru Maharaja: In the beginning, he would travel with these Radha Gopinath deities. At some point he stopped travelling again he left them in Calcutta. They were small deities, 9 inches high.

 

***************

 Mataji :Guru Maharaja, you said, that Prabhupāda said, it took him 20 years to achieve perfection. But we know that Prabhupada is nitya siddha and always perfect. So what does that mean, What Prabhupāda said?

 

[JPS]

Guru Maharaja : I am not able to give purports to what Prabhupada says. But he was saying it because he wants to teach a lesson, or in which sense he was saying.

 

One lady came up to him when he was stopping in front of Radha Madhava deities and offering his prayers and she asked him, "What are you praying for?".

 

What right has anyone to ask what are you praying for. And what to speak of a spiritual master.

 

Prabhupada said, "I am praying that I don't fall down".

 

Is that meant? Is that what she should pray for? 

 

Or was Prabhupada was actually praying for that.

 

These things, I don't think we have any answers. 

 

***************

 

Any Internet questions?

 

Are you awake on Internet?

 

Are you awake?

 

Hello, are you awake?

 

[MATHAJI REPEATS]

Are you awake on the Internet?

 

Are you awake?

 

***************

Mataji: I wanted to ask that many devotees must be writing letters to Prabhupada, so did Prabhupada actually reply to all the letters, and, like the spiritual questions and if he didn't or even now if one writes to the spiritual master, and doesn't get a reply. How is the disciple supposed to take it, that his problem is not so big or what should be the mood to accept, if they don't get reply?

 

Guru Mahārāja: I don't have the statistics, how many letters got replied and how many didn't. All my letters were replied. And if I didn't write, I would get the sauce.

 

Sometimes I get letters, and those letters are read to me. And they read when I am taking prasad, or sometimes when I can't speak them. So then the person in-charge of answering emails, he may just forget. And there is this old emails, pending. And sometimes, I remember, sometimes not. 

 

I think that the best thing is just write again. As we get from some people multiple letters, and sooner or later, it will get answered.[ Guru Mahārāja laughs]

 

When Prabhupāda was traveling, he would have different GBCs, acting as his personal secretaries and there were not that many devotees. So these were highly qualified people and he would give out some dictated reply and then the secretaries would type it out and they could even read the letter and he could comment, that would be enough, they could write a draft and then read the draft to him and then he would say "OK". He would sign it or they will type it out fresh, and then he would sign.

 

We don't have highly qualified secretaries, we don't have a system for ensuring that every letter that comes is duly answered.  And some letters they don't even reach, they don't come at all.

 

So I would think that if someone doesn't get a reply, they shouldn't take it personally. It's just an aberration in the system, and send it again.

 

Sometimes they send it to your husband or to the office or to Mahavaraha das. Depending on what language it is, sometimes Ekanath Gaura das or  sometimes to Haridas, if it's in Spanish. And those people they say this person wrote me and can you give the reply. 

 

He is in front right us, ?? Haridas.sitting on the stairway.. People wanted to know why some letters don't get replied?

 

HARIDAS PRABHU:I want to say that Guru Maharaja is replying, doesn't matter whether letter is big or small, he is replying all letters. But there is time limitation, that's why some letters doesn't get answered. So one don't have to think that his problem is small or big, Guru Maharaja replying to everything.

Guru Mahārāja:I don't, if everybody agrees with him. If you don't agree, you know who talk to. (laughter) But her heart is there??

 

But there are some spiritual masters, they keep their address hidden, and they have unpublished email. So no problem with unanswered mail. You can send them any, you get automatic reply, "email overload".

 

Now we have email, we have Facebook, WhatsApp [Guru Mahārāja laughs] Prabhupāda, he was dealing with snail mail.

 

Someone was telling me a joke,that WhatsApp is like a baby with diapers. We need to look every 5 minutes, whether anything is there or not. (laughter)

 

************

Letter reference: 

Letter to Jayapataka written from Bombay

 

https://vanisource.org/wiki/710324_-_Letter_to_Jayapataka_written_from_Bombay