Morning Walk , Māyāpur , 1976-02-11

Hṛdayānanda: ...there are more, probably at least a hundred thousand, and at least, maybe three hundred thousand, their home was destroyed. Small country, just...

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Hṛdayānanda: In my zone there are many countries that are always being hit by earthquakes, tidal waves, floods, repeatedly.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So, what is to be done?

Hṛdayānanda: We'll go afterwards and preach there.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Hṛdayānanda: We will go afterwards and preach there. There is another country right next to it...

Prabhupāda: Tell them that if you take to Hare Kṛṣṇa, then these things will not happen. Tell them.

Hṛdayānanda: Yes. In Caracas, where you visited, about less then ten years ago there was a big earthquake and many big skyscrapers fell into the earth, completely disappeared.

Prabhupāda: Oh?

Hṛdayānanda: The whole skyscraper just fell into the earth, gone. That was in Caracas. They said that after that people became more pious. During the earthquake they were screaming to God, "Have mercy, have mercy."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hṛdayānanda: Another country, Nicaragua, just a few years ago there was a big earthquake, and the capital city was entirely destroyed. It was all gone, the entire capital.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have experience of an earthquake, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was in one in Mexico. And I was... It was at night. When the earthquake happened I was completely thrown right out of my bed.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was thrown right out of the bed by the earthquake. It shook the building so much, the whole building shook, that I was thrown right out of the bed. Fortunately, that building I was in, it only sagged, but other buildings completely collapsed. The building was left slanting, though. We had to all evacuate the building.

Hṛdayānanda: So it reminds us of the Kṛṣṇa book, because in Caracas, when there was an earthquake, the whole sky became dark, and there were great roaring sounds in the sky.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Hṛdayānanda: In Caracas. Great roaring sounds, and the sky became dark, no one could see, and then everything began to...

Prabhupāda: When it was?

Hṛdayānanda: Less than ten years ago.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hṛdayānanda: Eight years ago, perhaps. My zone is very well known for that. Many times they have these disasters, and thousands of people are killed.

Prabhupāda: So you can stop these things by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Hṛdayānanda: When the capital was destroyed, the president of the country... He is named Samosa.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Hṛdayānanda: This country's president's name is Mr. Samosa.

Prabhupāda: Samosa?

Hṛdayānanda: Samosa.

Prabhupāda: What is that samosā? Our samosā?

Hṛdayānanda: [laughter] No. [break] ...two British planes came with medicine, and they wouldn't let the planes land because they have some diplomatic quarrel with England. So they preferred their own people die to save the diplomatic purpose. Also another country sent supplies to help, and they said that it was stolen. They don't know where it went.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Hṛdayānanda: Another plane from another country came, and when they delivered all their supplies they said that everything was stolen. They don't know where it went.

Prabhupāda: Stolen?

Hṛdayānanda: Yes. The medicine was all stolen. Also, the government was making many people work hard due to the disaster, and when the people...

Prabhupāda: So they are suffering from disaster. Again work hard. Just see how benefit.

Hṛdayānanda: Yes. And when the people said to the government, "You should pay us," they said, "No, we cannot pay you, and if you don't work, we will cut off your food."

Prabhupāda: This is Kali-yuga. Durbhikṣa-kārāpīḍita. One side, government disturbance, one side, no food, and they let them live very happily. That's all. This is their conception of happiness. Tactation..., taxation, and no food, and natural disturbance. [break]

Hṛdayānanda: ...country in my zone. Many times big tidal waves come and many, many towns are simply carried away into the ocean and destroyed. Thousands of people... Every so many years gigantic waves come, and thousands of people are killed and many towns are destroyed. [break]

Prabhupāda: Observe. You have got any Pañjikā [almanac]?

Jayapatākā: Yes. Just now bringing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So there is mention what to do. [break]

Jayapatākā: Bhaumī ekādaśī or Varāhadevir, āvirbhāva-janita upavāsa.

Prabhupāda: Today. Today.

Jayapatākā: Budhabāra, yes.

Prabhupāda: Both together, upavāsa.

Jayapatākā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then, next day?

Jayapatākā: The next day it says, dina ata pañcāś gote dostha madhye se varāhadevir arcanam te bhaumī ekādaśīr o varāha-dvādaśīr param.

Prabhupāda: So today, ekādaśī as usual, the Varāha-dvādaśī will be also observed, and tomorrow break fast.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Break fast. Fast? No.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fasting tomorrow or...

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Regular...

Prabhupāda: Simply worshiping Varāhadeva. Keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa, jaya jagadīśa hare [Śrī Daśāvatāra Stotra 3]. Then you can...

Jayapatākā: Between 8:50 and 10:00 we should break the fast.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that called parāyaṇa?

Prabhupāda: Eh? Parāyaṇa.

Hṛdayānanda: There's a very famous lecture you gave, Śrīla Prabhupāda, one day on a Varāha-dvādaśī, where you sang Jaya Jagadīśa and then you explained it. A very wonderful lecture.

Jayapatākā: And the day after is Nityānanda's āvirbhāva.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then half-day fasting.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow.

Hṛdayānanda: Auspicious alignment. [break]

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...on your appearance day and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Gaura Kiśora's we should observe half-day fast. I have a question that on all the other auspicious days, just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and others, should we also observe half-day fast?

Prabhupāda: It is. But if you cannot, that is another...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes, because of the saṅkīrtana...

Prabhupāda: No, no. If you cannot, you can take.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And just sing some songs and praise.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Kīrtana is main thing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And if possible, then the fasting.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I see. [break] ...is up till sun..., er, moonrise?

Prabhupāda: Up till sunset. Lord Rāmacandra.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Also. And Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī?

Prabhupāda: Half.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Half day. [break]

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What kind of fast is that?

Prabhupāda: Balarāma? Half day. It is fifteen days before Janmāṣṭamī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We should always chant twenty-five rounds on ekādaśī if initiated.

Prabhupāda: Initiated? Everyone. Why initiated?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So that should be standard for our movement on ekādaśī day?

Prabhupāda: Standard is sixteen, but if one can chant more, then he is welcome.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not mandatory for ekādaśī.

Jayapatākā: Recommended.

Prabhupāda: No. Ekādaśī means that---fasting and chanting.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes I'm wondering, because our men have to go out on book distribution.

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is also preaching work. For that purpose you can stop this. But generally, one who has no preaching work, he can chant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Extra.

Prabhupāda: Extra.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I see. [end]