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Dealings with people

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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Work hard

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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Power of mantra

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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Revive Krishna Consciousness

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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Personal possessions

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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Destroying the culture

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.


TRANSLATION
A
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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
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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
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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.


TRANSLATION
Please tell me so that I may
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 28
kridasy amogha-sankalpa
urnanabhir yathornute
tatha tad-visayam dhehi
manisam mayi madhava


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.


TRANSLATION
O master of all energies, please tell me philosop
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 27
yathatma-maya-yogena
nana-sakty-upabrmhitam
vilumpan visrjan grhnan
bibhrad atmanam atmana


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.


TRAN
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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.


TRANSLATION
In spite of that, my Lord, I a
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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.


TRANSLATION
Lord Brahma said: O Personality of Godhead,
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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 the
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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 fir
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 22
manisitanubhavo 'yam
mama lokavalokanam
yad upasrutya rahasi
cakartha paramam tapah


manisita -- ingenuity; anubhavah -- perception; ayam -- this; mama -- My; loka -- abode; avalokanam -- seeing by actual experience; yat -- because; upasrutya -- hearing; rahasi -- in great penance; cakartha -- having performed; paramam -- highest; tapah -- penance.


TRANSLATION
The highest perfectional ingenuity is the personal perception of My abodes, and this has been possi
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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.


TRANSLATION
I
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 9 Text 20
sri-bhagavan uvaca
tvayaham tositah samyag
veda-garbha sisrksaya
ciram bhrtena tapasa
dustosah kuta-yoginam


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
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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
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