Dr. Kapoor laughed heartily in appreciation of Srila Prabhupada's bold preaching. He and his companions were also impressed with the New York Times "East Meets West" reportage of the New York Ratha-yatra.
When Dr. Kapoor's friend asked what effect we were having on the Russians, Prabhupada told him, "They are very much afraid. And therefore they are greatest enemy in India. CPI [Communist Party of India], they are putting so many impediments."
The article from Durban which we had received in Detroit, and which criticized phoney gurus like Sai Baba, also caught their attention. Dr. Kapoor's friend asked Srila Prabhupada what he thought about Sai Baba.
Prabhupada was dismissive, saying Sai Baba has no sastric basis, simply jugglery.
Dr. Kapoor added, "No avatara has declared so far that 'I'm avatara.'"
"What is called avatara?" Prabhupada asked. "He has nothing on the sastra, basically. And anyone who has no sastra basics, he's useless. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah na sa siddhim avapnoti. He can cheat so many fools and rascals, it has no meaning. That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam about this kind of guru. They have been condemned in Srimad-Bhagavatam." Looking to Pradyumna he told him, "I think you'll find out at the end of the Twenty-fourth Chapter, Eighth Canto." Then he continued, "They have been condemned. Now what is the benefit? From rational point of view, suppose he can manufacture gold. That is his jugglery. Eh? He can manufacture some gold? So far I have heard; I've not seen."
"I don't know. He does some kind of trick," Dr. Kapoor said.
Gopala Krsna added that Sai Baba does other kinds of "magic" and blesses sick people, who apparently get cured.
Prabhupada didn't find that very impressive. "So that is done by medical men also. So what is the excellence?"
I chipped in with a story that I had read in the recent edition of Blitz in which a man traveling in his car was hit by a train. He was thrown from his car to the left-hand side. The train came to a sudden standstill just as it hit the car. "So then he said he went to see Sai Baba, and then Sai Baba looked at him and he said, 'Oh, you have been in an accident and your car was hit by the train. But I stopped the train and threw you to the left and therefore you were not injured.'"
Prabhupada still wasn't impressed. "If he can do so, can he save him from death, if he's so powerful?"
Dr. Kapoor was also disparaging. He laughed and said, "That is very easy. I can also do that. I know the trick."
Prabhupada smiled. "Accha?"
Gopala Krsna was curious. "What is the trick?"
"I'll not tell it to you!" Dr. Kapoor returned, laughing loudly.
While Pradyumna continued to seek out the verse Srila Prabhupada wanted from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, I reiterated another story I had read about some scientists who wanted to test Sai's claims. "They were trying to get him to give some examples. So he refused. Then he produced this nut in his hand. Then he closed his fist and opened it again, and the nut was there -- but this time it had a gold cross attached to it."
Dr. Kapoor's friend said that the famous Indian magician, P. C. Sarkar, could do much better tricks.
Prabhupada agreed. "Yes. P. C. Sarkar, he was going on cycle in London. Ordinary street he was going, and his eyes were bound up. Everyone has seen."
Pradyumna finally found the verse Prabhupada had requested, and he read it out: acaksur andhasya yathagranih krtas tatha janasyaviduso 'budho guruh/ tvam arka-drk sarva-drsam samiksano vrto gurur nah sva-gatim bubhutsatam [As a blind man, being unable to see, accepts another blind man as his leader, people who do not know the goal of life accept someone as a guru who is a rascal and a fool. But we are interested in self-realization. Therefore we accept You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as our spiritual master, for You are able to see in all directions and are omniscient like the sun -- Bhag. 8.24.50].
Srila Prabhupada stressed the point that Krsna is the original guru. He instructed Lord Brahma, Vivasvan and Arjuna. "He is adi-guru. So instead of this tricky, jugglery guru, why not people approach Krsna. Therefore acaksur andha." He then had Pradyumna repeat the Sanskrit. Prabhupada tipped his head. "Ah. Avidusah abudho guruh. You are a fool, so for them, all gurus, this Bal Yogeswar, and others -- foolish guru for the fools. Bhagavan Himself is giving the simple path. Man-mana. But they go in round -- about way. By thinking of Him they gradually become devotee, but they give up the simple path. If things are very easy, why they go round -- about way? Bhagavan svayam; man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru mam evaisyasi asamsayah. What I mean to say is they give up the simple path, 'See My murti and think of Me, then you become My devotee.' Worship Him, give Him a leaf, flower. This is not at all difficult. Then offer obeisances. They have given all this up -- for what? Fools.
"I went to see the Ramakrishna Mission head, Prabodhananda Swami. So just by seeing me, he immediately said that 'Thakura was formerly Gaura Hari'-Ramakrishna Thakura, He was formerly Gaurasundara. just see how foolish. He said, 'Gaurasundara preached krsna-bhakti, then Ramakrishna preached kali-puja in Kali-yuga. He is such a fool, that 'Gaurasundara preached, whomever you meet, teach them about Krsna. Now in this birth He is preaching Kali worship.'
Prabhupada said this was proof that the intelligence of such persons is destroyed by worshiping the demigods. "It is described by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in the sastras-kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah prapadyante 'nya-devatah [Bg. 7.20: "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires worship the demigods ...] Such people whose intelligence are destroyed are saying this. We simply preach this -- Chant Hare Krsna. We don't produce any gold, just 'chant Hare Krsna.'"
In private as in public, Prabhupada spoke the truth for the benefit of all. Dr. Kapoor and his companions appreciated Prabhupada's no-nonsense approach to preaching, and after taking a little prasadam, they then took their leave.
- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu
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