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Quotes of Srila Prabhupad's teachings are taken from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust CD Folio whose sole copyright is by the BBT - the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
Caitnya Caritamrta
Adi Lila
TEXT 58 (14.58)
yadi naivedya nä deha ha-iyä kåpaëé
buòä bhartä habe, ära cäri cäri satiné
SYNONYMS
yadi—if; naivedya—offering; nä—do not; deha—give
Me; ha-iyä—becoming; kåpaëé—miser; buòä—old;
bhartä—husband; habe—will have; ära—and; cäri—four;
cäri—four; satiné—co-wives.
TRANSLATION
“ If you are miserly and do not give Me the offerings, every one of you
will have an old husband with at least four co-wives.”
PURPORT
In India in those days and even until fifty years ago, polygamy was freely
allowed. Any man, especially of the higher castes—the brähmaëas,
the vaiçyas and particularly the kñatriyas—could marry
more than one wife. In the Mahäbhärata, or the old history of India,
we see that kñatriya kings especially used to marry many wives. According
to Vedic civilization there was no restriction against this, and even a man
more than fifty years old could marry. But to be married to a man who had many
wives was not a very pleasing situation because the husband’s love would
be divided among his many wives. To punish the girls unwilling to offer Him
the naivedya, Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu apparently
wanted to curse them to be married to men who had at least four wives.
The social structure allowing a man to marry more than one wife can
be supported in this way. Generally in every society the female population
is greater
in number than the male population. Therefore if it is a principle
in
the society
that all girls should be married, unless polygamy is allowed it will
not be possible. If all the girls are not married there is a good chance
of
adultery, and a society in which adultery is allowed cannot be very
peaceful or pure.
In our Kåñëa consciousness society we have restricted
illicit sex. The practical difficulty is to find a husband for each
and every girl.
We are therefore in favor of polygamy, provided, of course, that the
husband is able to maintain more than one wife.
Talk About Varëäçrama,
S.B. 2.1.1-5
--
June 28, 1977, Våndävana
770628r2.vrn
Prabhupäda: (Bengali) [break] ...whether I have a family.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Yeah.
Prabhupäda: These Englishmen were very much eager to know the man who
is working, whether he’s family man, because a family man will never
become irresponsible. And this is very, very much visible fact in India. A
very poor man, if he’s family man, he’ll work. It is the family
affection. And in economics we have read Marshall’s economics. He gives...
The economic development takes place by family affection.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Very good observation.
Prabhupäda: Hm. Therefore in India the father-mother takes the responsibility
of the son, to make him a family man. Then leave, marry.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Not a bogus sädhu.
Prabhupäda: Then he... Father-mother knows that he’ll take care
of his life automatically. And the boy and the girl are not allowed to mix
with second girl, second boy. They are kept strictly. And when they’re
grown up, they’re allowed to mix and the affection becomes firm. These
are psychology. It is the psychology of woman that before puberty, if she has
got a boy, she loves forever. She’ll never be unchaste. So these marriage
things are done very psychologically, scientifically, so that they may become
happy, and then, in peaceful mind, combine together, good cooperation, they
make progress, spiritual. This is the plan, varëäçrama-dharma.
Very scientific. And Kåñëa says, “I am that.” Whatever
Kåñëa shall give—perfect. Nobody cares. They are suffering.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Now you are introducing again to the world.
There is good hope. Young girls in our society, they should be promised to
some boy just in the same way, by their parents.
Prabhupäda: And if required, one man can take care of more than one wife
because woman population is greater.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Right. And some boys want to remain brahmacäré.
So naturally there’s fewer men for women.
Prabhupäda: And those who are able, you can keep more than one wife. Just
see Kåñëa—sixteen thousand wives. God. That is God.
Come on, if there is anyone to compete. Sixteen thousand palaces, sixteen thousands
wives, each wife, ten sons. That is God.
Tamäla Kåñëa: No one is equal to or greater than Him.
Prabhupäda: All queens are happy. Whatever she desires from husband...
Satyabhämä... And Kåñëa went to the heaven and
brought the pärijäta flower to satisfy. This is husband. Wife has
asked for something: “All right.”
Tamäla Kåñëa: He even had to fight.
Prabhupäda: Oh, yes. That is husband’s duty. She has dedicated her
everything to the husband, and husband must see that she is comfortable. This
is husband. She must have children, she must have good house, good eating,
good clothing, good ornament. Then she is satisfied. They want these things.
A woman does not mind very much, “My husband has got more than one wife.” If
she gets all the comforts of her wishes, some children and some comforts, then
she is... She does not grudge because woman knows man’s psychology. A
man is not satisfied with one woman. So he must be given that. But she must
be chaste. She cannot have more than... Then their relation is all right. If
the woman allows husband—“He likes. Let him have more than one
woman, but I must be chaste”—this... Our civilization is nowhere,
Vedic culture.
Tamäla Kåñëa: In the villages in India, is this still
going on sometimes. We see in the cities it’s not, but in the villages,
do they still have more than one wife?
Prabhupäda: Oh, yes. Not poor man. Kñatriyas.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Oh, not these...
Prabhupäda: No.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Not these workers.
Prabhupäda: They cannot maintain.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Yeah, that’s right. They don’t
have the land to maintain. You have to have land.
Prabhupäda: You can have more than one wife, but maintain them just like
wife. She may not have any complaints that “My husband cannot maintain
me.”
Ç
atadhanya: (entering) All glories to Çréla Prabhupäda.
Prabhupäda: Close that door. How are you?
Ç
atadhanya: Feeling much better. [break]
Prabhupäda: ...man and woman happy, and in happiness, in peace of mind,
make progress, spiritual life. That is the Vedic civilization. The guide is
there, brähmaëa. The protection is there, kñatriya. The food
is there, vaiçya. And labor is there, çüdra. Combine together,
live very happily, peacefully, in the society. You’ll find still. The
aim is how to realize God. Village to village, you’ll find temples.
Tamäla Kåñëa: I saw when going to the bank yesterday.
We passed through the bhangi colony, but there was a temple there. They have
their temple, even the bhangis.
Prabhupäda: In our childhood we have seen. The bhangis, they carry stool,
walk in the morning with stool, so neat and clean. And if you go to the house,
you cannot understand that this is a bhangi’s house. So neat and clean.
And bathing their utensils, their sitting place. After taking thorough bath,
sometimes they are worshiping Deity.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Wow!
Prabhupäda: Still you’ll find.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Really?
Prabhupäda: Bhangi. And business is carrying stool.
Tamäla Kåñëa: When they say “untouchables,” do
they mean those bhangis?
Prabhupäda: They have introduced this word, “untouchable.”
Tamäla Kåñëa: But is that the community that they’re
talking about?
Prabhupäda: Hm hm.
Tamäla Kåñëa: And still they worship Deity.
Prabhupäda: Oh, yes. There are many devotees, Vaiñëava. Hui(?)
däsa, a great Vaiñëava.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Who?
Prabhupäda: A famous Vaiñëava, Hui(?) däsa, he’s
coming from the bhangis. Everyone is given chance. Socially there may be distinction.
Spiritually everyone is given equal chance. Kåñëa says, mäà hi
pärtha vyapäçritya ye ’pi syuù päpa-yonayaù.
Päpa-yonayaù means these bhangi, cämäras. And they are
not upstart: “Now I have become Vaiñëava. Therefore I shall
become equal with the brähmaëa.” No. He is satisfied with his
own... They are cooking. Oh, you’ll like to cook, er, eat. I have seen
it.
Tamäla Kåñëa: They cook nicely.
Prabhupäda: Everything equal. Taking bath, cleansing and worshiping, chanting...
Tamäla Kåñëa: They don’t eat meat?
Prabhupäda: Most of them, they eat, but there are... They do not eat...
Not meat. Fish. Meat-eating was introduced by the...
Tamäla Kåñëa: British.
Prabhupäda: ...Britishers. Otherwise, nonvegetarian in India means up
to fish. (pause) In Gujarat still you’ll find. One young girl... You
see here that all young girls are carrying water, collecting. In the morning
collecting water, cleansing the house, utensils, clothes, taking bath, then
cooking, those girls. Their first business. Man’s business is to earn
money, go to the market, the necessities. Woman’s business is take care
of household affairs, children, and they have got engagement. And in the presence
of father or elder brother or husband, a woman has to earn livelihood—that’s
a great insult.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Disgrace. That’s disgraceful.
Prabhupäda: Yes.
Tamäla Kåñëa: That means the husband is irresponsible.
That means the man is irresponsible, to let his wife do that. And they let
their unmarried daughters do.
Prabhupäda: And woman left alone means prostitution.
Tamäla Kåñëa: That’s what’s going on now
in Bombay, Calcutta. The men send their unmarried daughters to become secretary.
She must be... And even before that, they go to college, freely mixing with
the men.
Prabhupäda: As soon as they allow young girl to mix with young boys—finished.
Tamäla Kåñëa: This coeducation is very bad.
Prabhupäda: And in the Western countries it is openly allowed, dating. “Please
learn this art.” (pause) And if you keep woman chaste, then nice children
will come, no hippies.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Yeah, just like that boy, Dapni, Dapni’s(?)
grandson. Nice boy.
Prabhupäda: That’s it. And if nice children are there in the society,
they will become responsible men. Then there will be no disturbance in the
society. Everything will go on smoothly. Brähmaëa is acting as brähmaëa;
kñatriya is acting as... They are both... No quarrel. No animosity.
Everyone is cooperating with one another. The whole society becomes peaceful.
Family becomes peaceful. The man personally becomes peaceful. Then he will
be able to make progress. Kutaù çänti ayuktasya. If you
are not peaceful, how you can attain? Or if you are not a devotee, you cannot
be peaceful. Or if you are not peaceful, you cannot become devotee. But if
you can become devotee, you become peaceful. So I have studied practically.
Vedic way of simple life is the best. And unless you adopt the Vedic way of
simple life, you’ll be implicated, material desires. There is no end.
The Western civilization, they are after sense gratification, but there is
no limit where it will end. The psychology is that everything new. They are
changing—“change, change, change.” And there is no limit.
Where the sense gratification will be satisfied, this much? Kåñi-go-rakñya-väëijyaà vaiçya-karma.
Kämasya na indriya-prétir läbho jéveta yävatä [Bg.
18.44]. Na indriya-prétiù. We require sense gratification—we
have got senses—but not for the matter of sense. Just to live. Just like
sleeping—we require bedding. And why shall I be dissatisfied if there
is no good bedstead and no silk, silver and, or, and this, that, so...? Within
my means, whatever comforts are available, I make satisfaction. Why shall I
make competition?
Tamäla Kåñëa: That’s not the purpose of life.
It’s missing.
Prabhupäda: Therefore the Bhägavata says, kämasya na indriya-prétir
läbhaù, kämasya läbho jéveta yävatä.
So why they are restless? They do not know the end of life. So what is the
end of life? Jévasya tattva-jijïäsä na yaç ceha
karmabhiù. The real business is that “What is Brahman?” If
your mind is diverted to brahma-jijïäsä, then naturally these
nonsense things, they will be... Therefore Bhägavata begins, athäto
brahma jijïäsä, janmädy asya yataù, paraà satyaà dhémahi
[SB 1.1.1]. The knowledge is there. The process is there. Everything has to
be dovetailed. What is that? Dovetailing? So the great sages, brähmaëas,
they were holding meeting in Naimiñäraëya, discussion how
people will be happy.
Tamäla Kåñëa: That’s the duty of the sages.
Prabhupäda: Munayaù sädhu påñöo ’haà yat
kåtaù kåñëa-sampraçnaù: [SB 1.2.5] “Oh,
you have raised the kåñëa-sampraçna? Very, very...” Loka-hitam.
Is not the beginning? The rascals has given meaning, munayaù... The
whole scheme is how people will be happy.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Sages are living for that purpose.
Prabhupäda: Hm?
Tamäla Kåñëa: Sages and munis, brähmaëas...
Prabhupäda: Everyone. (Bengali) The civilization is... They are also trying
loka-hita-käraëa, how people will be happy, but in a wrong way.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Who is that who is trying also? Who did
you say was also trying?
Prabhupäda: The materialists. They are trying in the society, but in a
wrong way. In a wrong way they have taken the hobby of sense gratification.
And that will never be satisfied.
Tamäla Kåñëa: ’Cause they think that the body
is the identity, not the soul.
Prabhupäda: Soul, they do not know what is. There is soul, and there is
activity of the soul, soul is the fundamental basis—these rascals, they
do not know. Apaçyatäm ätma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]. They do not
know ätma-tattvam. Gåheñu gåha-medhinäm. Çrotavyädéni
räjendra nåëäà santi sahasraçaù [SB
2.1.2]. They are increasing thousands and thousands of demands. Why? Apaçyatäm ätma-tattvam
[SB 2.1.2]. They do not see. They do not know what is happiness. Therefore
their center is gåheñu gåha-medhinäm.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Where are these verses from, Çréla
Prabhupäda?
Prabhupäda: Bhägavata. You do not read?
Tamäla Kåñëa: Oh, Prahläda, teachings...
Prabhupäda: (laughs) Not Prahläda. You are... You do not care? Parékñit
Mahäräja. Find out Second Canto. You should read and write in so
many...
Tamäla Kåñëa: It’s hard to remember the Sanskrit.
Prabhupäda: Beginning of the Second Canto. Can you read?
Upendra: What was the verse?
Prabhupäda: First of all find out Second Canto, Second Canto, first chapter.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Second Canto, first chapter.
Upendra: Second Canto, first chapter.
Prabhupäda: Can you read?
Upendra: Oà namo bhagavate väsudeväya: “O my Lord, the
all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto
You.” Next çloka?
ç
ré-çuka uväca
varéyän eña te praçnaù
kåto loka-hitaà nåpa
ä
tmavit-sammataù puàsäà
ç
rotavyädiñu yaù paraù
[SB 2.1.1]
“Ç
ré Çukadeva Gosvämé said, My dear king, your question
is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. To hear the
answer to this question is the prime subject matter of hearing, and it is approved
by all transcendentalists.”
ç
rotavyädéni räjendra
nåëäà santi sahasraçaù
apaçyatäm ätma-tattvaà
gåheñu gåha-medhinäm
[SB 2.1.2]
“
Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate
truth, have many things as subject matter for hearing in the human society, O
emperor.”
Prabhupäda: Just like our men. Little advanced, they have no more interest
with hearing newspaper, ordinary sex novel. This is for the rascals. Apaçyatäm ätma-tattvam
[SB 2.1.2]. We are interested in Bhägavata. That’s all. You can read.
Go on.
Upendra:
nidrayä hriyate naktaà
vyaväyena ca vä vayaù
divä cärthehayä räjan
kuöumba-bharaëena vä
[SB 2.1.3]
“
The life span of such envious householders is passed at night either in sleeping
or in sex indulgence, and in the daytime either in making money or in maintaining
family members.”
Prabhupäda: So this business...
Ç
atadhanya: They waste all the time.
Upendra:
dehäpatya-kalaträdiñv
ä
tma-sainyeñv asatsv api
teñäà pramatto nidhanaà
paçyann api na paçyati
“
Persons devoid of ätma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life,
being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children, wife, etc.
Although sufficiently experienced, still they do not see their inevitable destruction.”
Prabhupäda: What is the purport?
Upendra: This material world is called the world of death. Every living being,
beginning from Brahmä, whose duration of life is some thousands of millions
of years, down to the germs who live for a few seconds only, is struggling for
existence. Therefore, this life is a sort of fight with material nature, which
imposes death upon all. In the human form of life, a living being is competent
enough to come to an understanding of this great struggle for existence, but
being too attached to family members, society, country, etc., he wants to win
over the invincible material nature by the aid of bodily strength, children,
wife, relatives, etc. Although he is sufficiently experienced in the matter by
dint of past experience and previous examples of his deceased predecessors, he
does not see that the so-called fighting soldiers like the children, relatives,
society members and countrymen are all fallible in the great struggle. One should
examine the fact that his father or his father’s father has already died,
and that he himself is therefore also sure to die, and similarly, his children,
who are the would be fathers of their children, will also die in due course.
No one will survive in this struggle with material nature. The history of human
society definitely proves it, yet the foolish people still suggest that in the
future they will be able to live perpetually, with the help of material science.
This poor fund of knowledge exhibited by human society is certainly misleading,
and it is all due to ignoring the constitution of the living soul. This material
world exists only as a dream, due to our attachment to it. Otherwise, the living
soul is always different from the material nature. The great ocean of material
nature is tossing with the waves of time, and the so-called living conditions
are something like foaming bubbles, which appear before us as bodily self, wife,
children, society, countrymen, etc. Due to a lack of knowledge of self, we become
victimized by the force of ignorance and thus spoil the valuable energy of human
life in a vain search after permanent living conditions, which are impossible
in this material world.
Our friends, relatives and so-called wives and children are not only fallible,
but also bewildered by the outward glamor of material existence. As such, they
cannot save us. Still we think that we are safe within the orbit of family,
society or country.
The whole materialistic advancement of human civilization is like the decoration
of a dead body. Everyone is a dead body flapping only for a few days, and yet
all the energy of human life is being wasted in the decoration of this dead
body. Çukadeva
Gosvämé is pointing out the duty of the human being after showing
the actual position of bewildered human activities. Persons who are devoid of
the knowledge of ätma-tattva are misguided, but those who are devotees of
the Lord and have perfect realization of transcendental knowledge are not bewildered.
Prabhupäda: Sometimes I become surprised how I have written this. Although
I am the writer, still sometimes I am surprised how these things have come. Such
vivid description. Where is such literature throughout the whole world? It is
all Kåñëa’s mercy. Every line is perfect.
Tamäla Kåñëa: The purports are as nice as the çlokas.
Prabhupäda: It is explained in this way.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Çréla Prabhupäda, it’s
7:30 now. [break]
Prabhupäda: I have not done it, but I have seen it.
Tamäla Kåñëa: You learned everything by seeing. You said
that you learned how to cook by watching your mother.
Prabhupäda: Sometimes I used to cook.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Oh, for your family?
Prabhupäda: Our family men. I asked my mother, “I’ll do this,
that.” They’ll allow, “All right.”
Tamäla Kåñëa: You said that sometimes you would be walking
in the footpath, and you would watch those men cook their...
Prabhupäda: Not cook. Somebody’s doing some artistic work. I’ll
stand. I’ll see how they are doing.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Artistic?
Prabhupäda: Just like knitting. So I’ll learning knitting by standing
before. They’re making some flower of wool, so I’ll learn it, and
it will come out. That was my hobby. And similarly I learned how to worship Rädhä-Kåñëa.
Tamäla Kåñëa: By watching. You watched your father?
Prabhupäda: Father and the Mullik’s Thakurbhari. “I’ll
do.” I’ll ask my father, “Give me Deity. I shall worship.” “Yes,
take Deity.”
Tamäla Kåñëa: How old were you when you got your Rädhä-Kåñëa
Deity?
Prabhupäda: About six, seven years old.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Oh. Was it very elaborate worship?
Prabhupäda: Not elaborate. But I’ll decorate. I’ll keep it in
a place. Whatever I eat, I offered. I imitate, ghee lamp, ärati.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Putting to rest.
Prabhupäda: There was engagement in a small corner of the room.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Then Ratha-yäträ. Sounds like
a very pleasant childhood.
Prabhupäda: Yes. My father’s friends, the Mulliks, they used to criticize
my..., “Oh, you are holding Ratha-yäträ festival, and you are
not inviting us.”
Tamäla Kåñëa: You didn’t invite them?
Prabhupäda: It is childish play. Where is invitation? So my father, the
children, they were playing. “Oh, by the name of children you are avoiding
us.” It was like that. But the festival was going on. We called the professional
kértanéyas. They performed kértana. There will be procession
of my small children friends.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Miniature Ratha-yäträ.
Prabhupäda: Hm. A small ratha the father give. The height, about this, made
of nice, strong wood.
Tamäla Kåñëa: All the boys would pull it?
Prabhupäda: Everything small scale.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Small pullers also.
Prabhupäda: Eight days, eight kind of varieties of prasädam, my mother
will prepare.
Tamäla Kåñëa: She would take part by preparing.
Prabhupäda: Yes. And now... Whether the... Make very nice bannerjee(?).
Formerly people were engaged in these things. There was another Mullik family,
Rajen..., Raja Rajendra. He was distributing jagannätha-prasäda, daily,
two thousand portions.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Which Mullik?
Prabhupäda: Raja Rajendranath Mullik. He was also holding very big festival,
Ratha-yäträ. So we had the opportunity of seeing once.
Tamäla Kåñëa: You must have been dreaming about Puré Ratha-yäträ.
Prabhupäda: Yes. Whenever I would find some time, I would consult timetable, “How
to go to Puré and Våndävana? What is the fare?” At that
time carriage(?) was three rupees. I think it was four rupees, one anna. And
Våndävana was six rupees.
Tamäla Kåñëa: You had some money saved up?
Prabhupäda: Yes, with my father.
Tamäla Kåñëa: You said that your grandmother would give
you one gold coin each year.
Prabhupäda: Not gold coin. This copper coin, looking like gold.
Tamäla Kåñëa: And you’d keep it banked with your
mother, and if she ever was angry with you, you threatened.
Prabhupäda: Yes. “Bring my money.” The society was so nice,
and everyone was happy, everyone. These Marwaris, especially, they are very good
community. They... As family people, they know how to earn, how to become happy
by family. I like these Marwaris.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Yeah, they also feel at home...
Prabhupäda: They’re vegetarian.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Yeah. Sometimes I would visit Dalmiya-ji
in his home. I was so amazed to see how happy his family life is. They have no...
Prabhupäda: Marwaris, they do know how to earn money, how to save money,
how to become happier man. The worship is...
Tamäla Kåñëa: And they always have the temple in their
homes. The women are engaged.
Prabhupäda: And they make general houses in such a way that you get a room
and there is everything, arrangement. There is howah(?). You don’t require
to cook. You take food from the howah(?). Very nice food. You pay just like a
small hotel. They... All their business family... You see. You have seen Calcutta
Birla house.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Oh, yeah.
Prabhupäda: They occupy only one room. Their everything is like that. Pay
for. There is no botheration of cooking or purchasing.
Tamäla Kåñëa: You mean, different families occupy one
room only?
Prabhupäda: Well, different family, different room, but they can live very
humbly. Those who have little income, they’ll somehow or other take one
room, live in. And in that house, everything is there. You can purchase. And
you earn money.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Sometimes you see a very wealthy may living
in only two, three rooms with his whole family.
Prabhupäda: That’s all. And generally one room. Otherwise two rooms—one
stock room, one sleeping room. They live very economically and save money.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Frugal.
Prabhupäda: Frugal, yes. And when there is enough money, they construct
their own house. Then they live very luxuriously. In the beginning, no.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Right. And they’ll work sixteen hours
sometimes.
Prabhupäda: Oh, yes. As much as possible. Very hard-working.
Ç
atadhanya: And their sons also work with them.
Prabhupäda: And whatever money saved, they purchase ornament. They don’t
deposit in the bank.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Oh. That’s one of their things.
Prabhupäda: Hm. That is Indian style. To save money means purchase ornament.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Purchasing one ornament.
Prabhupäda: Ornament for the wife.
Tamäla Kåñëa: That could be...
Prabhupäda: Because she likes ornament, gold, and they have got molten(?)
in the jewelry.
Tamäla Kåñëa: How do you get the money back? Sell it?
Prabhupäda: Hm? There is no question. It is saving. Suppose you want two
hundred rupees. After spending, if there is three hundred rupees, invest hundred
rupees in ornament.
Tamäla Kåñëa: But how do you save enough money to get
the house if you have all ornaments?
Prabhupäda: You keep it. Don’t deposit in bank.
Tamäla Kåñëa: They don’t trust this banking system.
Prabhupäda: No, formerly there was no bank practically. Now they... Generally,
ordinary man, whatever little saving is there, they will invest in metal utensils,
in ornament, in Benarsi sari, like that.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Benarsi sari also considered very valuable.
Prabhupäda: It is golden, gold border. You can... When you want to..., mean
an old Benarsi sari..., you can go. There are persons, they’ll take it,
and they’ll burn it, and the borders will take care, either silver or gold.
Still in Delhi we find. Any investment were... Not this plastic plate and paper
plate.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Oh. Whenever they buy something, it must
have value.
Prabhupäda: Must have value. That is Indian investment.
Tamäla Kåñëa: That’s the opposite of the Western.
Prabhupäda: And whatever you manufacture, you can show back. Suppose this
tape recorder. If it is working, it has value. What is the use of it? Who cares
for you? If it is in working order, it has value. Otherwise, (taps microphone)
who cares for it? But if you have got gold, silver, metal... There was a small
banker’s. You require... I am poor man. I require only two rupees, but
I have no money. You take one utensil and go to a small banker. He will keep
this pot. “Give me two rupees.” The pot is only five rupees’ worth,
so he’ll keep it. He’ll give you two rupees. So your immediate necessity
is... This way, Indian economics.
Tamäla Kåñëa: I’ve noticed that the people in the
villages, when they come to fetch water, they have very nice pots. The ladies
are wearing some bracelets. Gold, I think, it must be.
Prabhupäda: Oh, yes.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Even the village.
Prabhupäda: Yes. You’ll find description in Bhägavata. They were
coming to congratulate Kåñëa—so nice dress, so nice ornament,
so nice foodstuff made of ghee, grains in our...
Ç
atadhanya: Sometimes the rich Marwari ladies, when they come to Mäyäpura,
once in a while they give some ornament to the Deity. They’ll give one
ring or one bracelet, gold.
Prabhupäda: That was always. They would offer some ornament to the Deity.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Yeah, there’s the example...
Prabhupäda: That Säkñé-Gopäla. The queen wanted
to give her nose pearl. Very happy spiritual society.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Now you are developing that all over the
world, Çréla Prabhupäda.
Prabhupäda: I have thought it over, over. It was very, very nice. What is
this nonsense society? Tin car?
Tamäla Kåñëa: And they’re becoming worse...
Prabhupäda: And rubber tire, that’s all.
Tamäla Kåñëa: The cars nowadays...
Prabhupäda: Cannister, tin cannister. In your country these have been all
piled up.
Tamäla Kåñëa: The cars.
Prabhupäda: Whole cars, useless, piled up. But then they are smashed and
again melted and again crushed.
Ç
atadhanya: They build them so that in one year, two years, they break. Then they
can sell more.
Prabhupäda: Because they have no other business. Punaù punaç carvita-carvaëänäm
[SB 7.5.30]. Chewing the chewed. Make a car, break it, and again melt it and
again make another car. That’s all. This is their civilization, car-making
civilization. No spiritual idea, no ambition for spiritual life. But they’ll
do. They’ll do something. So therefore they are making, breaking more.
Make the car; break the car; again make the car; again break the car. Therefore
you are habituated to change.
Tamäla Kåñëa: If something is nice, it must be destroyed.
Prabhupäda: No, it has... Everything is destroyed, material. (end)
Room Conversation with Devotees
--
August 1, 1975, New Orleans
750801rc.no
Prabhupäda: That is time for punishment. They should build up their character, çamaù,
damaù, fully controlled. When they like, they become gåhasthas.
Otherwise they are controlled. That is brähmaëa. For brähmaëa
it is not compulsory to marry. Kñatriyas may marry more than one wife.
They can take. So all girls must be married. That is... They must...They must
have one husband, even the husband has got fifty wives. Then the problem of
girls’ marriage will be solved. And as soon as one girl is pregnant,
she should be separated.
Hådayänanda: From the husband.
Prabhupäda: At least for one and half years.
Upendra: At the moment of pregnancy? From the moment of pregnancy one and
a half years?
Prabhupäda: Yes. Pregnancy is understood at three months. From that month
till further, sixteen months at least, she should not come to be near husband.
That is eka-kadi (?). The child does not live. And they are not inclined to
come unless a man induces. So the man, if he has got more than one wife, so
man will not disturb her. And she will take rest for the next eighteen months.
So after ten months she will give birth to the child, and for six months continually
she will take care of the child. Feeding the child with breast milk, the child
will be healthy. If the child can take mother’s milk for six months at
least continually, he’ll become healthy for life.
Upendra: Where do they send that mother?
Prabhupäda: Where they’ll take care.
Upendra: If the man sends the woman away, where does she...?
Prabhupäda: Our aim is not to give help, but not... Generally she goes
to the father’s house. So you can have separate building for that.
Nityänanda: Are you saying that our men should have more than one wife?
Prabhupäda: I have no objection.
Satsvarüpa: That’s a difficult proposition.
Prabhupäda: Why?
Satsvarüpa: It’s not allowed in this country. It’s illegal.
It’s against the law.
Devotee: It’s against the law.
Nityänanda: No, it’s a matter of... No one knows who is married
or unmarried, but if you have...
Prabhupäda: That is not very difficult.
Satsvarüpa: Well, the other difficulty, you brought this up several
years ago, was that the men who take many wives have to be very select. Otherwise
men will be attracted to join our movement for sex life, having different
wives.
Prabhupäda: No, no, unless our men are trained up, why you should allow
to stay here and to wife. We want trained up men, not third-class picked-up.
We want men who will follow the rules and regulations and fully trained up.
Otherwise we don’t want. We don’t want ordinary karmés and...
And if he agrees to be trained up, then we’ll take. Otherwise what
is the use of bringing some useless men? He must agree to produce his own
food,
and work. Our rules and regulations, he must follow. Then it will be ideal
community. Otherwise, if you bring from here and there some men and fill
up, that is not good thing. This is a training institution, to become devotee.
Satsvarüpa: Everything we do, we don’t hide it. We show the world
what we’re doing. I don’t see how we could hide that one man
had many different wives.
Prabhupäda: If you don’t call wife, you can have. The law allows
you to keep boyfriend, girlfriend. Then the... Instead of calling “husband,” call “friend.” That’s
all. But, er, it is risky and the man must be responsible to keep... To keep
more than one wife by trained-up man is not disallowed.
Brahmänanda : But I think they thought that he could get it legally
established, at least in the state of California.
Prabhupäda: Well then go and marry there. If the state of California
allows that, then they all can go to California.
Nityänanda: The general public objects to that... It’s very...
Prabhupäda: Public we don’t care. We... What is the public? We have
got our own public here. So pub... What is the public? All rascals. They are
killing cows and drinking and topless dance, bottomless dance. What is the
value of this public? All rascals. I don’t give any importance to this
class of public, only after sense gratification, that’s all. They have
no ideals of life. They do not know what is God. What is the value of this
public? Müòhas, they have been described, müòhas. You
know the meaning of müòha?
Devotee (1): Ass.
Prabhupäda: Ass. Müòho näbhijänäti mäm
ebhyaù paramaà mama.
>>>
Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation with Devotees -- August 1, 1975, New
Orleans