This morning Harikesa Maharaja discovered some elementary adding mistakes the Punjab National Bank staff had made on the balance sheet of Prabhupada's accounts. Harikesa was a bit annoyed. Thinking that a bank should at least know how to add, he called the manager to his little office at the entrance to Prabhupada's rooms. Pointing out the mistakes, he told the manager, "This is nonsense."
The man instantly became very offended. He yelled back, "What! You have called the Punja
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Some devotees have recently informed Prabhupada of B. V. Tirtha Maharaja's condition in his last days. It seems he was taken from Mayapur to a Calcutta hospital, where he spent his last couple of weeks largely comatose. He was given injections and hooked up to all kinds of tubes and devices, which pumped fluids and medicines in, and sucked the wastes out. Although Srila Prabhupada didn't think very highly of Tirtha, he was sympathetic to such suffering of his Godbrother at the time of h
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Prabhupada spoke again in this morning's class about the tremendous power of mantra. "This mantra weapon is so strong that it can be manufactured simply by touching water with mantra. Just like we take mantra, apavitrah pavitro va sarvavastham gato 'pi va yah smaret pundarikaksam sa bahya. The same process. Do not think that it is some ritualistic, external. No, it has got meaning, if you can chant the mantra properly, if you follow the rules. You must be expert in chanting mantra
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Gour Govinda Maharaja sent another letter, expressing some frustration about the current state of affairs in India. "The opinion you have given in your [last] letter is true to the letter. 'In India the spirit is lacking' -- yes, it is a very naked truth. I have the same experience. But I wonder and sometimes feel myself very much aggrieved at this sort of attitude of the Indian people, from whom we expect something more. Guruji Maharaja! What is the background behind
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Prem Yogi sat with Srila Prabhupada for an hour after breakfast, discussing the philosophy and doing his translation. Prabhupada personally arranged for him to have a nice room in the guest house, a special diet, and whatever other facilities he needs. He is not insisting that Prem Yogi comes to the full temple program just yet, and is instead just encouraging him to do some Hindi translation work. Prem Yogi uses a refined level of Hindi which has a high Sanskrit content, and
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After class, and before his breakfast was served, Srila Prabhupada sat for a few minutes in his darsana room with Hansaduta, Harikesa and me. He was explaining how great devotees like Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis were expert managers, even in worldly affairs. He said that a devotee must be daksa, very expert, otherwise bad leadership of the general population will kill all spiritual culture. "There was one Britisher politician, Lord McCauley, he studied the whole Indian situa
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 32 yavan aham yatha-bhavo yad-rupa-guna-karmakah tathaiva tattva-vijnanam astu te mad-anugrahat
yavan -- as I am in eternal form; aham -- Myself; yatha -- as much as; bhavah -- transcendental existence; yat -- those; rupa -- various forms and colors; guna -- qualities; karmakah -- activities; tatha -- so and so; eva -- certainly; tattva-vijnanam -- factual realization; astu -- let it be; te -- unto you; mat -- My; anugrahat -- by causeless mercy.
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 31 sri-bhagavan uvaca jnanam parama-guhyam me yad vijnana-samanvitam sarahasyam tad-angam ca grhana gaditam maya
sri-bhagavan uvaca -- the Personality of Godhead said; jnanam -- knowledge acquired; parama -- extremely; guhyam -- confidential; me -- of Me; yat -- which is; vijnana -- realization; samanvitam -- coordinated; sa-rahasyam -- with devotional service; tat -- of that; angam ca -- necessary paraphernalia; grhana -- just try to take up; gaditam -- expl
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 30 yavat sakha sakhyur ivesa te krtah praja-visarge vibhajami bho janam aviklavas te parikarmani sthito ma me samunnaddha-mado 'ja maninah
yavat -- as it is; sakha -- friend; sakhyuh -- unto the friend; iva -- like that; isa -- O Lord; te -- You; krtah -- have accepted; praja -- the living entities; visarge -- in the matter of creation; vibhajami -- as I shall do it differently; bhoh -- O my Lord; janam -- those who are born; aviklavah -- without being pertu
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 29 bhagavac-chiksitam aham karavani hy atandritah nehamanah praja-sargam badhyeyam yad-anugrahat
bhagavat -- by the Personality of Godhead; siksitam -- taught; aham -- myself; karavani -- by acting; hi -- certainly; atandritah -- instrumental; na -- never; ihamanah -- although acting; praja-sargam -- generation of the living entities; badhyeyam -- be conditioned; yat -- as a matter of fact; anugrahat -- by the mercy of.
kridasi -- as You play; amogha -- infallible; sankalpa -- determination; urnanabhih -- the spider; yatha -- as much as; urnute -- covers; tatha -- so and so; tat-visayam -- in the subject of all those; dhehi -- do let me know; manisam -- philosophically; mayi -- unto me; madhava -- O master of all energies.
yatha -- as much as; atma -- own; maya -- potency; yogena -- by combination; nana -- various; sakti -- energy; upabrmhitam -- by combination and permutation; vilumpan -- in the matter of annihilation; visrjan -- in the matter of generation; grhnan -- in the matter of acceptance; bibhrat -- in the matter of maintenance; atmanam -- own self; atmana -- by the self.
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 26 tathapi nathamanasya natha nathaya nathitam paravare yatha rupe janiyam te tv arupinah
tatha api -- in spite of that; nathamanasya -- of the one who is asking for; natha -- O Lord; nathaya -- please award; nathitam -- as it is desired; para-avare -- in the matter of mundane and transcendental; yatha -- as it is; rupe -- in the form; janiyam -- may it be known; te -- Your; tu -- but; arupinah -- one who is formless.
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 25 brahmovaca bhagavan sarva-bhutanam adhyakso 'vasthito guham veda hy apratiruddhena prajnanena cikirsitam
brahma uvaca -- Lord Brahma said; bhagavan -- O my Lord; sarva bhutanam -- of all living entities; adhyaksah -- director; avasthitah -- situated; guham -- within the heart; veda -- know; hi -- certainly; apratiruddhena -- without hindrance; prajnanena -- by superintelligence; cikirsitam -- endeavors.
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 24 srjami tapasaivedam grasami tapasa punah bibharmi tapasa visvam viryam me duscaram tapah
srjami -- I create; tapasa -- by the same energy of penance; eva -- certainly; idam -- this; grasami tapasa -- I do withdraw also by the same energy; punah -- again; bibharmi -- do maintain; tapasa -- by penance; visvam -- the cosmos; viryam -- potency; me -- My; duscaram -- severe; tapah -- penance.
TRANSLATION
I create this cosmos by such penance, I maintain it by theRead more…Volunteer
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 23 pratyadistam maya tatra tvayi karma-vimohite tapo me hrdayam saksad atmaham tapaso 'nagha
pratyadistam -- ordered; maya -- by Me; tatra -- because of; tvayi -- unto you; karma -- duty; vimohite -- being perplexed; tapah -- penance; me -- Me; hrdayam -- heart; saksat -- directly; atma -- life and soul; aham -- Myself; tapasah -- of one who is engaged in penance; anagha -- O sinless one.
TRANSLATION
O sinless Brahma, you may know from Me that it was I who firRead more…Volunteer
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 21 varam varaya bhadram te varesam mabhivanchitam brahman chreyah-parisramah pumsam mad-darsanavadhih
varam -- benediction; varaya -- just ask from; bhadram -- auspicious; te -- unto you; vara-isam -- the giver of all benediction; ma (mam)-from Me; abhivanchitam -- wishing; brahman -- O Brahma; sreyah -- the ultimate success; parisramah -- for all penances; pumsam -- for everyone; mat -- My; darsana -- realization; avadhih -- up to the limit of.
sri-bhagavan uvaca -- the all-beautiful Personality of Godhead said; tvaya -- by you; aham -- I am; tositah -- pleased; samyak -- complete; veda-garbha -- impregnated with the Vedas; sisrksaya -- for creating; ciram -- for a long time; bhrtena -- accumulated; tapasa -- by penance; dustosah -- very hard to please; kuta-yoginam -- for the pseudo mystic
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 19 tam priyamanam samupasthitam kavim praja-visarge nija-sasanarhanam babhasa isat-smita-socisa gira priyah priyam prita-manah kare sprsan
tam -- unto Lord Brahma; priyamanam -- worthy of being dear; samupasthitam -- present before; kavim -- the great scholar; praja -- living entities; visarge -- in the matter of creation; nija -- His own; sasana -- control; arhanam -- just suitable; babhase -- addressed; isat -- mild; smita -- smiling; socisa -- with enligh