Room Conversation Saurabha: …in Bombay. Prabhupada: So first of all finish your construction. Then you go to (indistinct). Saurabha: (indistinct), they carving the wood and everything, the shape of the… Prabhupada: Now, we shall bring priests from Hyderabad. Saurabha: Aha. That is the technical thing. But I was speaking regarding the construction because I want to know whether you want to have the bathing ceremony only taking place on the opening day, or also later on the facility can… Prabhupada: No, no. Saurabha: Only that day. Prabhupada: Only that day. Saurabha: Then is it necessary to make this special arrangement that this… Prabhupada: No, no. The small deities, salagrama, they are worshiped. And big Deity, they are decorated nicely. No need of worshiping. Saurabha: So only the opening ceremony. Prabhupada: Yes. Harikesa: Nitai had them bathe the big Deities here, Radha and Krsna, on Janmastami. Dhananjaya: And on Balarama’s appearance day, the big Deities were bathed. Krsna-Balarama. Harikesa: Terrible speculation. Dhananjaya: Actually Janmastami celebrations were very bad and it’s very… Prabhupada: Therefore the color has faded? He is a rascal. Harikesa: I remember that when these Deities… They’re never to be washed. Never water was to touch. Supposed to put a plastic bag over the Deity. That was… If you have to use the big Deities, you’re supposed to cover them with plastic. Prabhupada: Why did you allow? Just see, this is the disease. Rascals they do not know. And although I was… Dhananjaya: No, but everyone was listening to him. He was posing himself as the most learned in Deity worship. Prabhupada: That he’s fond of. Dhananjaya: He was introducing Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Harikesa: But it doesn’t say in Hari-bhakti-vilasa that you bathe in water marble Deities. It says you’re supposed to have a smaller set for bathing. That’s in Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Dhananjaya: His idea was that we would become the most famous temple for bathing big Deities in Vrndavana. This was his idea. Prabhupada: That bathing is not done on the simhasana. The Deity is taken out. Then it is done. But that is very risky. You cannot do it. Dhananjaya: And besides that, the bathing was done by devotees who are not experienced in Deity worship. Prabhupada: Don’t allow him. This botheration he has gone. He is simply posing himself very learned Sanskrit scholar, above everything. That is his ambition. Saurabha: And on the opening day the Deities will be on the altar or they will be in front when they’re bathed? When the bathing is taking place in Bombay for the opening… Prabhupada: That the priest will arrange who will come from… Saurabha: Yes. But they will be on the altar or they will be in front? Prabhupada: No. In the front they are left. Saurabha: So not on the altar. Prabhupada: No. But if it is risky, you should not do. Big Deity, we have got big Deity, huh? Harikesa: Yes, very heavy. They are very heavy, Radha-Rasabihari. Prabhupada: What they do in Hyderabad? Harikesa: Hyderabad the Deity was already installed. There was no need for bathing so they didn’t do it. Prabhupada: Other Deities? Dhananjaya: Here, just like here for the opening on pratistha. Harikesa: Yes, they bathed the small Radha and Krsna. Prabhupada: Anyway, we should not take risk at any rate. Harikesa: Radha-Rasabihari, also, when They came from Akash- Ganga there was a disturbance with Them also. Radha has a tendency to crack on the arm. Her left arm cracks. Prabhupada: Where? Harikesa: Slightly. There was a very weak, it was very weak. Very weak. I remember ’cause they had to move three times. I was there all the times when They were moved. Prabhupada: In Bombay. Harikesa: In Bombay. And every time they were very upset because of this left arm. Prabhupada: This risk should not be taken at any gain. Never mind Hari-bhakti-vilasa, this-vilasa—no risk. You must always know. No risk. That is the first point. Then we consult Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Nobody can give reference to Hari-bhakti-vilasa at risk. No. Not at all. Do? Anything more? Dhananjaya: Can I ask one question? You were mentioning that you wanted to start local industries, casting Deities. Prabhupada: Yes, we can purchase… We can… Dhananjaya: Purchase raw materials? Prabhupada: So, everything is all right now? Dhananjaya: So I was wondering… Prabhupada: Can you come, there… [break] There are, what is called, Deity makers here? Dhananjaya: Well, most of the Deities, they are cast in Aligarh. Prabhupada: Aligarh? Oh. Dhananjaya: Yes. Then they’re brought here and there is, craftsmen, they finish. They polish then they add… Prabhupada: So who is from Aligarh? You go to we have got a best friend in Aligarh. Dhananjaya: Surendra Kumar. Surendra Kumar. Prabhupada: Ah. He’ll get you all those things. Harikesa: He should know everything about that because he’s making lots. Prabhupada: And another… Aligarh is the best place. What is that? Devotee: It’s the gentleman who was with you last night Srila Prabhupada, Prem Yogi. He has come with his luggage. Prabhupada: Prem Yogi. So give him that place vacated by the old man. Hari-sauri: Next to Aksayananda’s room. Seventeen. Take him up there. Harikesa: Actually you can just bring him to Bhakti Pradhana and tell him. Bhakti Pradhana is the manager of the guest house, so he should take care of it. Prabhupada: No, this old man has gone. So give him that place. Yes. Devotee: I believe there are two men. Prabhupada: Two men that’s all right. Yes. Devotee: Thank you. Prabhupada: So, you just officially receive them. He’s got M.A. Ph.D. Good man. This is etiquette. Dhananjaya: So, what I wanted to know was that ah… Prabhupada: No, no. Develop that business and give engagement. The women can live here for sewing. They must be comfortably situated. If they are feeling, women, they cannot feel very bad and stay. We do not want that. So they can live here in a room and work sewing. And our women who have learned, they can teach. Very simple. And men must be engaged there for finishing. And if at Aligarh they are casting, then there is no difference. And there is no difficulty. Dhananjaya: So the Deity should be cast in Aligarh and then finished here. Prabhupada: Yes. Dhananjaya: Just like we are doing. Prabhupada: Yes. Aligarh is 45 miles away. You can go and bring them, and Surendranath will help you. If there are expert men in Aligarh, that will be very nice. A different size Deity, you get there. Dhananjaya: Six inches, nine inches, twelve, fifteen. Prabhupada: Yes. And nice Gaura-Nitai and Radha-Krsna. And they’ll prepare nice dress and pack in a box and send to our different centers. There are hundred centers. If you can dispatch at least one dozen pairs, you can make business for twelve hundred pairs. It will be very big business. And if they are displayed, people will like to purchase. It will be very good business. Dhananjaya: Even here. For people coming to our temple, if we have display they will purchase. Prabhupada: Yes. We can have our shop here. We are getting so many shops. So one shop Deity and Deity clothes and mukutas. Just like they have got… Dhananjaya: In Loi Bazaar. Prabhupada: Yes. Dhananjaya: The same. Harikesa: One shop sweets. Prabhupada: Apply business brain, everything I’ll have to tell you. You can… Anyone who has got business brain, he can earn any amount of money. That is the… These are all… Incense, Deity, and then mukuta, then tulasi-mala, then karatalas, (indistinct), some pancapatra. In this way. Harikesa: Srila Prabhupada? This man brought his friend. That room is not big enough for three. So they will have to take another room for two. Prabhupada: Friend? Dhananjaya: One friend has come with him. Harikesa: That same person from last night, the one wearing white? Prabhupada: Ah. So the three men cannot live there? Harikesa: No. Prabhupada: Why? Harikesa: It’s too small. Prabhupada: No, no. Not so. First of all, give them, then we shall see later on. Why immediately want facilities? Or he can, the other man can go with the brahmacaris. Harikesa: The younger one. Prabhupada: No, no. Yes, somebody may go to the brahmacaris. Just now make them accommodated there, then we shall see what to do. That “First of all you stay here, then we shall see what is convenient to you then.” Harikesa: Because they’re in an awful small room. If I put three in that room, that one man who’s already there may become upset. Prabhupada: He has already gone there? Harikesa: No, I mean I know. I’ve been there. But that one man who’s there now… Prabhupada: So four men cannot live in that room? Harikesa: Three men not possible. Because they’ve got two beds in there. Two of these big huge… Prabhupada: At least you provide them two men there and one man with brahmacaris. That’s all. Not that we can spare so many rooms. Harikesa: If I ask that man who’s already there to go to the brahmacaris, he may become offended. Prabhupada: Yes, you do that. He can go to the brahmacaris. That’s all. Devotee: You can give him one of those sannyasi rooms in the brahmacaris. Harikesa: All right. Prabhupada: Yes. Arrange everything. But don’t turn this, and very easily give the other guest room. Then it will be awkward like anything. Very cautious. So this is the program I am giving, and if you can give some practical sense, it will be very nice profitable business. Dhananjaya: Yes. But it will require some capital in the beginning. Prabhupada: So capital required we can give. There is no scarcity of capital. But it must be consulted between three—Gopala, Visvambhara, and yourself. And then if capital is required, how capital you will repay. Make them assured. I shall give you. There is no difficulty. Capital you will have, provided you can make profit. Not that we give capital and never return. That will not be possible. Take any amount of capital, but we must be paid interest as bank gives loan. I can say bank will give you. If I order the bank, bank will give you. So capital there is no question. The question is how you shall utilize it. How you shall make profit. Capital, by the grace of Krsna, you can take lakhs and lakhs. That I can arrange. The bank, if I say to the bank they will have to give you, or I shall personally give you. There is no question of capital scarcity. So only thing is how will you utilize this capital and how you will make profit. You make that program. So far capital is concerned, there is no concern. You’ll get any amount of capital. And you can develop the business. Now we have got credit in the bank, any bank will give you if I say yes. There will be no scarcity of capital. Prabhupada: In Aligarh he has got so many friends. Aligarh we have got many friends. Indian man: Half of my life was spent in Aligarh. (laughing) Prabhupada: Aligarh is maternal uncle’s house. So many relatives. So Aligarh, if the Deities are manufactured there, so there is no (indistinct) Money I shall bring. (indistinct) We shall bring any amount of money provided I am sure that you will make some profit. There is no scarcity. Indian man: Prabhupada, I was sick last night very much. Prabhupada: That’s all right. Indian man: So I could not come to you. Prabhupada: Last night you did not come? Indian man: I came to see only to have your darsana but I was in fever so much. Prabhupada: Oh. So capital you’ll get, rest assured. Anyone will give. He will give, or I will give, the bank will give. That is (indistinct). But you must utilize it properly. Indian man: You understand how to utilize? Dhananjaya: Yes I understand. Prabhupada: There is no scarcity. Dhananjaya: Utilize means return. Indian man: Return means to utilize it properly. Prabhupada: No return also gradually, not at a time. Because if you take five thousand rupees, pay at the rate of five hundred rupees. Indian man: (Hindi) [break] Prabhupada: …is concerned, that is our home, Aligarh. Indian man: Aligarh. Prabhupada: Money is concerned, you’ll get any amount. Now organize and (indistinct). Dhananjaya: Now, another thing I wanted to ask. Many devotees were asking me if we could make a Deity of Your Divine Grace. Prabhupada: That is not very, well… That is not immediate. We shall see later on. You can make. That we shall see later on. Not immediately. Immediately you make this arrangement. Dhananjaya: And for design of Gaura-Nitai and Radha-Krsna, we should just use the same design or we should make better? Prabhupada: Make a hand design like that and have your people make like that. Make a nice… Dhananjaya: Make, yes. I mean, better design. Prabhupada: Yes, make a better design. And the hand will be like this. Dhananjaya: Not like this. I like this myself. It’s Navadvipa style. Prabhupada: This is Navadvipa style. Dhananjaya: Yes, I like this much better. Otherwise the arms are too long and thin. Prabhupada: In this way make a nice design Radha-Krsna. And Radharani should be like this. This is Vrndavana style. Not this. This is Laksmi style. This. Make these arrangements. I am hopeful of this business. Very good business we’ll have. I want to introduce in every family. They’ll do it. If they do not worship, let them keep as dolls. That will also give them inspiration. Dhananjaya: Actually so many Indians in their house they’re keeping just like dolls. They are not worshiping regularly. They’re keeping on the mantlepiece or on the side. Prabhupada: In this way be encouraged and in full capacity do business and get others. Dhananjaya: There was one boy who just came from Italy and he’s expert in wood carving. Prabhupada: That’s all right. Dhananjaya: So we can take artists for wooden simhasanas. Simhasanas he said he can make. He even brought his tools. He has a whole box of tools he brought just for carving and he studied in the south of Spain, religious architecture. Prabhupada: He can make a small simhasana for the Deities, collapsible. So that if anyone wants, he can dispatch them. (end)
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
September 11, 1976, Vrndavana