Prabhupada Nectar — Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers

Subtitles

[00:04]: I first came into contact with my Prabhupada, Bhaktsiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja in 1931.
[00:11]: Ever since then I used to go to attend the evening kirtan and part in the root Gaudiya Math at Allahabad.
[00:20]: You see. But, Prabhupada, Abhay Babhu, as we used to call him then, you see.
[00:29]: Abhay Babhu and I used to live in Allahabad.
[00:35]: Both of us lived in Allahabad and both of us used to go and attend
[00:40]: the evening Aroti and kirtan in root Gaudiya Math.
[00:44]: So we started meeting there. Both he and I used to attend the evening Aroti and kirtan.
[00:52]: And I remember sometimes he would play mrdanga, you see,
[00:57]: sometimes he would sing, He was very good at that, playing mrdanga and kirtan,
[01:03]: he was very good at that. He had a shop, it was a chemist then,
[01:06]: he had a shop in Jantaripura then later on he shifted to Bhadrikanga, a better locality.
[01:15]: And I remember he also used to manufacture his medicines
[01:21]: and occasionally he made some tonic and once or twice he gave me his tonics which I used.
[01:35]: Once it was so funny, here in the ISKCON temple someone asked me
[01:41]: in Prabhupada’s presence, “Dr. Kapoor, how old are you?”
[01:44]: I said, “Well I am seventy-five, it was about ten years back perhaps more,
[01:48]: “What is the secret of your health?” I said, “Prabhupada’s tonics.”
[01:53]: Prabhupada laughed.
[01:57]: And there had been no such information about his leaving.
[02:00]: He was out of the house for some…
[02:05]: Usually he was going out of the house for his personal work or some business purposes.
[02:12]: But on the particular day, I don’t remember the exact date of that time,
[02:19]: as soon as he left home…
[02:22]: We were thinking that Prabhupada will come back again to home in the evening,
[02:28]: that he usually used to do, but the particular date he left home he did not turn up again.
[02:34]: I asked Prabhupada, “Prabhupada, how you were separated from your family?”
[02:41]: He said my wife is a big tea… She was taking too much of tea.
[02:54]: So Prabhupada told her whether you want me or tea? At that time she said “tea.”
[03:01]: So he said you do with your tea, I will go my own way.
[03:08]: Prabhupada, I only met when there was a function, some religious function, in Kuruksettra.
[03:20]: It was very big, people had come for taking bath and all that.
[03:26]: And I had gone there with two or three people but they were not interested in talks,
[03:34]: they wanted to go round and eat and do something. I was not interested,
[03:39]: I was going round and seeing people.
[03:42]: So I met Prabhupada sitting down below a tree because it was quite hot.
[03:50]: So we were sitting there and I asked him, “So Babaji…” He was in white clothes.
[03:59]: So I talked with him for about half an hour or so.
[04:08]: At that time I don’t think he had become a sadhu or a sannyasi, he was just…
[04:16]: Then he said, “My family is in Calcutta but I have come for this function here, to have bath here.”
[04:25]: That way we talked for some time and then he said, “Suppose I want to meet you?”
[04:33]: I gave him my card. Choksi, my office fellow, you know, he was with me.
[04:40]: So I called him and he gave him my card and all that and
[04:46]: “you come to Scindia House if you want to talk to us.”
[04:52]: After that he came to Scindia one evening very late.
[04:57]: I was still in the office doing some work then I got up and wanted to come home.
[05:05]: It was about seven o’clock. It was quite dark. Nobody was there.
[05:14]: And Choksi was sitting there at the table. So I asked him,
[05:19]: I said “Choksi, who is that gent sitting with you?”
[05:23]: Because Choksi was sitting on his table and swamiji was sitting like this, like I am sitting.
[05:28]: And Choksi was sitting at his table.
[05:32]: So he said that somebody has come, some swamiji, but he doesn’t listen to me.
[05:38]: He said, “No, I would like to meet her and then one day I will talk to her.”
[05:44]: I went there and said <Hindi>. Then he showed me Bhagavata.
[05:52]: He said, “We have met in Kuruksettra, do you remember?
[05:58]: I want to get this book printed.”
[06:03]: I said, “You can come tomorrow when there are some people and daylight.”
[06:10]: Also at this time it was really getting darker. So Choksi is alone.
[06:19]: So he said, “Yes I’ll come.”
[06:21]: Then I… still I asked Choksi, because secretary was there, so he typed out a letter
[06:30]: to one or two friends, they are no more now. So, telling them that,
[06:39]: “Why don’t you do something about this gentlemen, he has written Bhagavata
[06:47]: and I would like you to help him. And I am going to do this, this much.”
[06:54]: I wrote that letter and gave him. He went and then I went home.
[06:59]: After a day he came and he said, “Now I am going back to Vrindavana.”
[07:05]: I said, “Why are you going?” He said, “My work is done.”
[07:09]: Now I will try to see how I can get it printed.
[07:13]: My association with Bhaktivedanta Maharaja Prabhupada increased more and more
[07:21]: and naturally we would always talk of Krishna and Prabhupada and so on.
[07:31]: In 1932, the year after that, I joined this parikrama.
[07:38]: Prabhupada couldn’t join because he was in business you see.
[07:41]: He was in business, he couldn’t come.
[07:44]: When I returned from the parikrama he asked me about the parikrama
[07:51]: and I had to tell him what happened you see. For a number of days he…
[07:59]: For about five, six years we were together at Allahabad, you see.
[08:07]: And we used to meet almost every day. After that I joined government service.
[08:14]: After that we didn’t meet for a very long time. I think about twenty-five or thirty years.
[08:22]: When I retired from government service I came to stay here in Vrindavana
[08:31]: and I had lost all contact with Prabhupada. I did not know what had happened to him.
[08:36]: Perhaps he did not know about me.
[08:38]: One day accidentally I was in Radha-Damodar temple here, sitting in the veranda,
[08:48]: waiting for someone and I saw Prabhupada coming out of his room.
[08:53]: He was then stayng here, you see.
[08:55]: He came out, with two American disciples.
[09:00]: Prabhupada naturally was in sannyasa vesh [dress] at this time
[09:05]: and actually I couldn’t recognize him. He was so much…
[09:11]: Years had changed, and he was now a sannyasi so he was completely changed.
[09:18]: And I had also changed, but not so much as Prabhupada, so he just kept gazing at me.
[09:27]: And then after some time he just said, “Yes. Dr. Kapoor.”
[09:33]: I recognized him from his voice. I said, “Abhay Babhu?” And he embraced me. You see?
[09:40]: Sometimes you recognize your old friends from voice more than from face.
[09:47]: As soon as he said, “Dr. Kapoor,” I recognized him.
[09:51]: So then, he was going somewhere, he cancelled his program and took me inside his room
[09:56]: and told me about all the work he had done. He had just returned from…
[10:00]: I think after his way to America this was the first time he had come back.
[10:04]: He was now an international figure and he told me about the work that he had done,
[10:10]: showed me the newspaper cuttings and so on.
[10:12]: All of a sudden one day he came to office and he said, “I want to go to America.”
[10:17]: I said, “Are you crazy?” Why do you want to go there? What will you do?
[10:22]: You know American government, you know sometimes they are very funny.
[10:26]: They will send you back. So once it goes on record that you are sent back
[10:34]: they won’t let you in. Why do you want to go there?
[10:38]: And at that time so many people were not going to America. Now it is quite different.
[10:43]: So I said, “Why do you want to go there?” So he won’t listen. - What does it mean?
[10:52]: “Old man, you are going to die.” Like this. Who will look after you? What will you do there?
[10:59]: So he said… I said, “All right, I’ll make this arrangement, then you go.”
[11:05]: So when the arrangement was made he was in Bombay.
[11:11]: I made all the arrangements with the captain and the ship went to load some ports.
[11:20]: Then it came back. At that time our other ship dropped him at…
[11:29]: I think he went from Calcutta. So the other ship went and dropped him there
[11:34]: and then he went by that ship.
[11:39]: He was deciding before he left India. He was staying in a daramashella,
[11:45]: that is free lodging and all of that, North Calcutta,
[11:52]: and I had taken him off from there by a taxi. Immediately we rushed to…
[12:02] Very early morning at about five, five-thirty.
[12:06]: I said nothing because I was very much shocked that he was leaving us.
[12:10]: Immediately he realized our mental position and he requested me,
[12:17]: “Don’t be worried. I will soon be returning to India, and take your news and all of that.
[12:30]: Let me come back.”
[12:33]: I would talk on the telephone with him.
[12:36]: Because I had told the captain that you see he talks to me so there is no trouble for him.
[12:45]: He used to. So you know this Gokulastami day? Yes. Krsna Janmastami. Yes.
[12:54]: He was in Suret. So he phoned me, captain phoned me. He said, on board the…
[13:03]: they had to cross the Sues Cannel. So Captain phoned me.
[13:10]: That today is Gokulastami and on board the ship they were having a meeting
[13:17]: and swamiji was talking to us and then we will distribute sweets
[13:22]: which we got and everyone and then we will have some bhajan record playing and all that.
[13:32]: I was associated in the same compartment, in the ship, that cabin I mean, that ship cabin.
[13:45]: That was a cargo ship, that was not a passenger ship.
[13:49]: So apart from the captain’s room one apartment was there, an extra.
[13:59]: And he was offered that room to go to his destination.
[14:04]: And after reaching Boston port I got a letter from him and from that letter I was informed
[14:17]: he was attacked twice in heart attack in the same ship in the journey of twenty-three days
[14:28]: to reach over to Boston. And immediately he asked me to send a medicine. That ayurvedic.
[14:37]: He mentioned the name of that medicine and immediately I rushed to the shop
[14:44]: and bought it, immediately sent it to him by air post and he acknowledged
[14:52]: that medicine and told me that, “At that time my mental value was not so good,”
[15:01]: because of his sickness and all of that. Because he was quite aged at that time.
[15:08]: And it was obvious to become sad, after all he was our father.
[15:15]: So immediately I sent this medicine to him in his address in the USA
[15:23]: and he acknowledged it and he recovered very fast and all of our family was pleased.
[15:36]: I talked with the swamiji on the telephone. So he said, No, no, I am quite all right,
[15:43]: but I am very sea sick..” So I was talking to this captain and all that, so he said to tell me,
[15:54]: little mata, that I am going to die now. He was very much sea sick,
[16:01]: he was not feeling comfortable. So he phoned me also. I said,
[16:05]: “You are not going to do, don’t worry. Seasickness doesn’t kill anybody.”
[16:10]: Then he was not feeling very comfortable because the see was not very good at that time.
[16:15]: Little rough. The captain phoned me and I talked to Swamiji.
[16:29]: We went to Warden Rd. Akasha Ganga where this Hare Krishna devotee was staying.
[16:39]: I went there and met the swami, Madhudvisa who was the in-charge of the devotees.
[16:52]: I sat for a few minutes and then I was told by Madhudvisa that Guruji
[17:01]: came just now from America and he is sitting in another room so you come with me
[17:11]: and take the darshan of Guruji. So I went to that room with Madhudvisa
[17:19]: to take the darshan of Guruji.
[17:25]: After sitting some time guruji asked me, “Where are you living?” I said, “At Gauragong.”
[17:38]: Then Guruji asked, “What are you doing?” I said, “My business is construction.”
[17:49]: So Guruji asked when you are getting up early in the morning and what are you doing?
[17:56]: And I said, “When I am getting up in morning I am taking one cup of tea
[18:06]: and going to toilet and taking bath and then going to work.
[18:14]: Then guruji suddenly said, “Then what is difference between pig and you?
[18:21]: You are just like a pig.” Then I said, “Yes Maharaja, please advise me
[18:30]: that how can I change my life.” Then guruji said, “You must do service to Krishna.”
[18:46]: Then I said, “I am not associated with any spiritual movement
[18:54]: or the saint or the devotees.
[18:59]: So Guruji said from tomorrow my devotees will come to your house early in the morning
[19:08]: and then you do the naga sankirtana there with my devotees
[19:14]: and then all the devotees will take feast, lunch, at your home
[19:21]: and you will be involved in this way in the spiritual movement.
[19:34]: One day while giving Prabhupada his prasadam I asked him,
[19:42]: “Prabhupada, what is your favorite preparation.”
[19:46]: Prabhupada replied saying that he likes all the preparations. I enquired again,
[19:51]: “No Prabhupada, what is your most favorite preparation?”
[19:55]: Then Prabhupada said that his favorite preparation is sukta.
[20:00]: So I used to cook four or five types of sukta for Prabhupada every day.
[20:04]: Whenever I would take Prabhupada his prasadam he would say,
[20:08]: “You have cooked so much prasadam for me but first give me the sukta.”
[20:13]: So I would always give Prabhupada the sukta first.
[20:16]: When we purchased this land, there was living so many cractolis peoples
[20:29]: who were doing the liquor business and there was also, after some time,
[20:39]: quarrel with Mr. Nair. This land was called Nayavadi, now it is Hare Krishna Land.
[20:52]: So one day guruji was here, we were sitting in this you know, Annete Road…
[21:08]: Valyia’s house. Guruji was there, myself, Valiya and my wife was there in that room.
[21:20]: Valaya said to Guruji that Guruji Mr. Nair will not give you this land
[21:28]: because he was offered by some hotel owner for thirty-six lacks
[21:41]: and you are purchasing for fourteen lacks.
[21:47]: And Mr. Nair has to pay so much income tax so he must have changed his idea
[21:58]: and he will give the land to that person who has offered thirty-six lacks.
[22:05]: Then Guruji said, “It does not matter, if he doesn’t want to give this land to us
[22:14]: then he must return our money.
[22:17]: But I don’t think that he can pay the income tax in this life.
[22:26]: So Guruji went at night to Sydney and when we woke up in the morning
[22:39]: we heard that Mr. Nair’s heart failed and he died.
[22:43]: So you can imagine that all Guruji said that, “I can’t think that Mr. Nair can pay his
[22:59]: income tax burden in this life.” So Mr. Nair, finished.
[23:06]: I was cooking prasadam for Prabhupada every day.
[23:13]: One day somehow the prasad was late so Palika cooked something quickly and
[23:18]: took it to Prabhupada. Prabhupada asked, “Where is the prasad that Kishorie cooked?”
[23:25]: And he immediately asked the devotee to phone the big kitchen
[23:28]: and find out why the prasad was late. So I hurried and quickly took the prasad to
[23:33]: Prabhupada’s house and when I got to the house Prabhupada was standing
[23:37]: in front of the stairs. I immediately put my head down and took the prasad inside.
[23:43]: Just as I was leaving the house Prabhupada asked me, “Why are you crying?”
[23:48]: I said, “Prabhupada because I delayed your prasad today.” Prabhupada said,
[23:54]: “I am not upset about that. What I am worried about is if you delay my prasad
[24:00]: then you might one day delay Radha-Madhav’s prasad,
[24:03]: and if you delay Radha-Madhav’s prasad then He might become upset.
[24:08]: That is why I have asked why my prasad was late.”
[24:13]: He is always speaking truth you see, and always quoting from Bhagavatam,
[24:18]: Srimad Bhagavad-gita and from Caitanya-caritamrta.
[24:23]: Always quoting some slokas from those places.
[24:27]: But he was so simple to answer those questions to us that anyone, even an atheist,
[24:36]: will feel that, “I should be in touch always with Prabhupada.”
[24:41]: He had a smiling face. I am seeing that he is the celestial flower of the paradise.
[24:48]: How affectionate man he is. I can’t remember,
[24:52]: I can’t place the actual meaning of such smiling. I have never seen such a smile.
[24:59]: Prabhupada used to go for a japa walk every morning with his disciples
[25:06]: after Mangal-Aroti. Some days he would walk to the Math.
[25:10]: Some days he would walk along the Ganges.
[25:13]: Some days he would walk around the pukor, some days he would come to the kitchen.
[25:18]: After the japa walk Prabhupada would come to guru-puja and as devotees
[25:24]: would offer flowers to him he would give them prasadam.
[25:29]: He said to me, “Dr. Kapoor, forgive me for my offenses.
[25:40]: I don’t know what he really meant. I said, “What do you mean, what offenses?”
[25:44]: That was his greatness I think, his humility. He had benediction from Mahaprabhu.
[25:55]: What offenses, I cannot understand what you mean. Humility, what else?
[26:05]: After Prabhupada would take darshan of Radha Madhav
[26:13]: he would go around the Deities three times.
[26:16]: Each time he would stop and ring the bell and then he would raise his arms and dance.
[26:21]: All the devotees would dance with him in ecstasy.
[26:25]: When children would pass in front of him he would stop again and dance.
[26:30]: In this way he would go around the Deities three times.
[26:35]: I can only speak what I know from reading Prabhupada’s books
[26:41]: because I never saw Prabhupada personally.
[26:44]: I may not be able to do what Prabhupada did but I know that in order to get free
[26:50]: from this material existence, I should follow in his footsteps
[26:54]: and follow the path he has shown.
[26:56]: In the future I will try to dedicate my mind and life to Krishna and of course Prabhupada too.
[27:04]: He advised me in 1977, three or four months before his disappearance,
[27:12]: “Please take care of your mother and your family because I left home.
[27:20]: “And you are two brothers and your elder brother has become very inactive
[27:27]: “so you must be very careful to take the responsibilities and all of the things
[27:34]: “that are required for benefiting your family and all other members.”
[27:40]: He was telling me that, “I’m going to build an ashram in Vrindavana.
[27:50]: So I am going to build a special place for you to stay. When you go I’ll come.
[27:58]: At last he went from there. I know, he sent me a letter,
[28:02]: “I’m going to Vrindavana now and I don’t thing that I will come [back].”
[28:09]: He knew that he was going to go.
[28:12]: I told him also, “We’ll get doctor.” He said “no, no.” Very nice man.
[28:20]: As a man also he was very nice. Very kind, very soft. The man has done so much.
[28:30]: And what did he take? Nothing. And he has left behind such a big landmark.
[28:41]: Not only religion. Religion, culture, everything. All over the world.
[28:48]: We must try to see that whatever he has done is kept.
[28:55]: You can’t increase, all right, but you must keep it. It must remain alive.
[29:03]: That is what I see.
[29:05]: We are deeply charmed and we are very much proud of our father
[29:13]: that is your spiritual master, and of course you are also our spiritual guide.
[29:19]: We are charmed and pleased. No ordinary people can do it.
[29:29]: It is absolutely impossible for them to make a good mission
[29:37]: and big mission and wide range of propagation and all other because…
[29:45]: We feel very much proud of our father and this is our ultimate conclusion.