Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Next morning, Bhavananda Maharaja, Satadhanya Maharaja, and Subhaga arrived. Prabhupada talked with Subhaga about Mayapur for a while. He has always been anxious to hear the news since the attack by the Muslims. Bhavananda and I came in at 7:00 p.m. Bhavananda gave Prabhupada details about Mayapur. He said everything was pleasant there now, that they had been released by the magistrates for travelling and preaching in India. A new hearing having been scheduled for November 29, we were expecting charges would be brought against the Muhammadans for attacking us. Srila Prabhupada said, "Rakhe krsna mare ke." Bhavananda related that his men were distributing thousands of books at Haridaspur. Five thousand people took prasad at the celebration of Haridasa Thakura's disappearance. Prabhupada asked, "What is the attitude of my Godbrothers?" Bhavananda answered, "Favourable and helpful." Bhavananda described how, during the monsoon floods, the Ganges came within fifteen feet of Bhaktisiddhanta Road. After the attack, twenty to twenty-five devotees left. There were now 160, including eighty-six gurukula children. Older children were distributing books, going out to the universities. In Calcutta, they sold 100 to 150 books, including those sold from a book stall on Park Street. Prabhupada said everything was favorable.
Prabhupada: For myself, I will live or not live; it doesn't matter.
Tamala Krsna Maharaja: Actually, Prabhupada, it may not matter for yourself, but it matters a lot to us and to the world.
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Tamala Krsna Maharaja: We don't want...you can't leave us now.
Prabhupada: I don't want, but if there is force....
Tamala Krsna Maharaja: But you said that Krsna will let you choose now. That you can live or go. Krsna has given you that choice.
Prabhupada: I am living still.
Tamala Krsna Maharaja: There is so much to be done, Prabhupada. Your activities are not completed yet. We have to install the Deities in Bombay. You have to live in your palace in New Vrindaban. You have to show the varnasrama. You have to complete Srimad-Bhagavatam. You have to live in your new house in Mayapur. And we have to make at least a good start on the new temple in Mayapur. Everything is still incomplete, what to speak of the fact that we are very much neophyte still. We need you more than anything else. This movement has to last for ten thousand years. We're not ready yet. We're still very much conditioned and contaminated. If you can stay with us another ten years at least, then there is a chance we may become purified a bit more. And it is within you to be able to do that. Krsna will allow you to do that.
Prabhupada (after a pause): People are coming like before.
I thought Prabhupada was talking about Vrndavana and said I had not been attentive to those things due to worry about his condition.
Prabhupada: No, to Mayapur.
Bhavananda Maharaja: Crowds are coming again. Everything is back to normal. Bus loads are coming from Bhuvanpur.
Bhavananda went on to describe how nice Mayapur was during the winter, just right for Prabhupada's coming. I told Prabhupada that everything was just for him. We've worked and set up the movement just for him.
Tamala Krsna Maharaja: You are all we know, Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: And I know you.
A little later, Prabhupada asked me what he should take. I said I didn't know and asked Prabhupada if he had any suggestion. Srila Prabhupada said he also didn't know. Eventually, he took some barley water and Complan, but then coughed for ten to fifteen minutes. The drinks had immediately turned to mucus. Prabhupada complained of weakness; thus, he spent most of his time resting and hearing the chanting. Conversation tired him very much. After Prabhupada had taken a sponge bath, Dr Kapoor came and offered to call a doctor from Agra. Prabhupada agreed to see him. Then one old Ayurvedic doctor was called, and Dr Kapoor went outside.
As Dr Kapoor was leaving, the Agra doctor happened to be passing by in a car. Srila Prabhupada said it was Krsna's arrangement. The Ayurvedic man who came has taken a vow of silence, "mauna," and therefore wrote on a slate. He prescribed some medicine. Then, the Agra doctor, a nice man, advised that since Prabhupada needed energy, glucose would be very good. We showed him some vitamins and protein drinks, which he said would also be good.
When Ramesvara Swami returned, Prabhupada immediately asked about Iran. "What do they serve in the restaurant?" Ramesvara described that the restaurant was always full. Prabhupada asked whether Nandarani was cooking. Ramesvara confirmed, "Yes, and often also. A special attraction is that they play your tapes, and people buy books from a table in the main entrance." Prabhupada was very pleased to hear that we were looking for a bigger place. He asked about the weather, whether it was warm. Ramesvara said that Parivrajakacarya Swami had spoken with the Indian ambassador, who told him that Parivrajakacarya was the real ambassador. Prabhupada gave a loud "hmm" in appreciation, then asked why. "Because he knows the royal family," Ramesvara replied. "He spends four to five hours a day talking to the royal family." Prabhupada asked whether he went alone. Ramesvara said that he went alone for now and taught them some hatha-yoga also. They have become vegetarians. Prabhupada asked whether they were making any chenna [cheese] preparation.
A little later, Prabhupada talked with Satadhanya Swami about the Communists, etc. During their conversation, Satadhanya Swami begged Prabhupada to stay. Prabhupada complained about some strain in his left hip and had some Vicks salve rubbed into it. He kept his left leg bent and resting on a pillow to prevent the strain.
Prabhupada called for Bhavananda Goswami and asked about the reaction to his books in Bengal. Bhavananda replied that the books were getting a huge response. Every day, people were asking for Prabhupada's books. The Bengali Gita was about to be published.
Later in the day, a G.B.C. meeting was held to assess the present situation and determine how best to deal with it. It was mentioned that Prabhupada called us all here for a special purpose. Now that Prabhupada agreed to stay, we should not think that we could now go back to our zones. He called us to chant for him. It was decided that we should all stay at least one week, then meet again on the sixteenth. I proposed that at least four G.B.C.'s should be with Prabhupada from now on, in addition to the secretary; but my proposal was deferred until the next meeting. After the meeting, Harikesa Swami took seven new books to show Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada was ecstatic. Of the Yugoslavian Isopanisad, ten thousand copies had been printed!
Prabhupada: They are selling?
Harikesa Maharaja: Yes, they are selling like anything.
Prabhupada: So why not print more?
Harikesa Maharaja: Yes, we intend to, but these were printed in one day so that I could bring some to show you.
Then he showed Srimad-Bhagavatam in German, of which twenty thousand copies had been printed. Prabhupada looked. It had Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara on the jacket. Prabhupada approved, "Finely printed. Everything, first class." Next, Harikesa showed the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Part Two, with a picture of Radha-Govinda in Jaipur. Srila Prabhupada said he thought the pictures so attractive that they would sell the book. He asked the price and was told, about eight or nine deutsche marks. Next came Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Part Three, with the German Deities on the front; then the Krsna books, of which sixty thousand copies had been printed. Prabhupada pronounced, "He has defeated," meaning that Harikesa Swami has defeated Ramesvara Swami in his printing efforts. Everyone laughed. Harikesa then showed Volume Two and Three Krsna book, each of which thirty-five thousand copies had been printed. Prabhupada chided, "Ramesvara Maharaja, how do you like?" Ramesvara admitted, "Oh yes, these books are very good. The one incredible thing is that the printers can print there faster than anywhere else in the world."
Harikesa Maharaja: The printer has invited all the BBT trustees from all over the world, and he will pay their fare; and he says he will beat everybody's price anywhere in the world for printing.
Prabhupada: Why not print there? So why not?
Ramesvara Maharaja: We're planning to go and research it very carefully.
Harikesa Maharaja: Now they are putting out the Arabic Bhagavad Gita and the Polish edition.
Prabhupada started crying, he was so ecstatic.
Prabhupada (to Harikesa Maharaja): You were rotting in your typewriting. I said to go. I had ten servants. (To the others) He thought I am degrading him. (Again, to Harikesa Maharaja) Now you understand?
Harikesa Maharaja (also crying): Now I understand, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: He is a very intelligent boy. Why should he rot here typewriting? Whatever deficiencies are there, that is excused. My Guru Maharaja used to say, "Go on printing, go on preaching. Deficiencies will be corrected next time." I printed my books and then. Now, you do it. All right then, whatever he has printed, that's all right. These are first class. There is no defect. German printing is very favorable. They have got the first-class machine, so we have got so many centers. Whatever cheaper and better printing can be done, you may take from them. That's all right. Thank you.
Harikesa Maharaja: Now you first have to get better, more healthy.
Prabhupada: Healthy? I have nothing to do with this body. I have to do with the spiritual world.
Then Bhagavan Maharaja told Srila Prabhupada about how many books his zone was distributing. They were aiming for over twenty thousand big books in one week. In Italy alone the devotees were distributing three thousand a week. They were doing it to encourage Prabhupada to stay.
Prabhupada: Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati will give them blessings. He wanted this.
Later in the evening, Prabhupada called for me and asked what were the crisis days. I told him that tomorrow was the first one.
Prabhupada: I think every day is a crisis day.
Kirtanananda Maharaja: You are not under the control of material energy, Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Things are going from bad to worse.
Prabhupada increased his liquid intake to about 450 cc today; he was taking some glucose with his drinks.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-TKG's Diary: Prabhupada's Final Days- October 10th-Tamala Krsna Goswami
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