PLANETARIUM

PLANETARIUM

Morning Walk

Mayapura, February 9, 1976

Prabhupada: ...from the Bhagavatam. So this should be mentioned. It is not only a temple, but a planetarium according to Bhagavatam, where which planet is situated, where is Vaikunthaloka, where is Goloka Vrndavana, where is Mahar...

Devotees: Wow!

Tamala Krsna: You want a real planetarium just like in the West.

Jayapataka: That's what I told them, Prabhupada...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Jayapataka: ...that this is not a temple; this is like a big cultural exposition, museum, planetarium.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Boy, Prabhupada, the people will pay... Everyone will pay a rupee to go in and see that. One rupee for that, one rupee to ride the escalator.

Prabhupada: Twenty‑six? That is Vaikuntha. Anyway... (break) Yes, planetarium...

Devotee (4): Temple and planetarium.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Devotee (4): "World's largest planetarium and Temple of Understanding."

Prabhupada: No "Understanding" simply Vedic "Temple of Vedic Planetarium," That's all. We shall show the Vedic conception of planetary system within this material world and above the material world. (break) We are going to exhibit the Vedic culture throughout the whole world, and they'll come here.

(c) 1991 by Bhaktivedanta Book TrustTamala Krsna: The scientists are getting smashed to bits by your statements, Srila Prabhupada. This destroys their whole theory. Orbs, round spheres. I think that this Mayapura building, we must build a big planetarium in it.

Morning Walk Mayapur, March 18, 1976 760318MW.MAY

Prabhupada: Yes. That, that I am going to do, Vedic planetarium.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, boy. You're going to bring a lot of.... A lot of scientists will come here just to dispute this.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Pusta Krsna: Wonderful attraction.

Prabhupada: World people will come to see the way the planetary systems...

Tamala Krsna: We should advertise it very widely that this is the actual, factual explanation of the universe.

Prabhupada: This will be automatically advertised. As soon as the temple is finished, people will come like anything.

Hamsaduta: Just to master the language takes twelve years.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Hamsaduta: What to speak of understanding the content.

Jayapataka: (break) ...exhibit the farce of modern science.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Jayapataka: Farce of modern science, and every philosophy and science group, where they are just cheating the public. Then exhibit how Krsna consciousness is showing the real way.

Prabhupada: Yes. So do that in this planetarium.

Reporter (2): Would you tell us something about the Vedic city which is being constructed in Mayapura?

Pusta Krsna: He wants to know something about the Vedic city which is being constructed in Mayapura.

Prabhupada: Yes, not Vedic city. Vedic planetarium. How you got this information?

Gopala Krsna: He had come to our temple earlier. He's already published one article in yesterday's paper.

Dr. Patel: You were planning to raise a temple in Kuruksetra?

Prabhupada: Yes. I have applied to the government for land, twenty‑five acres land.

Dr. Patel: Very big. But is that land available to us?

Prabhupada: Yes, available. And we have asked government to give us 350 acres of land in Mayapura to construct Vedic planetarium, 350 feet high. It will require eight crores of rupees minimum. I shall exhibit there all the planetary system, bhurloka, Goloka...

goloka‑namni nija‑dhamni tale ca tasya

devi‑mahesa‑hari‑dhamasu tesu tesu

te te prabhava‑nicaya vihitas ca yena

govindam adi‑purusam tam aham bhajami

Pusta Krsna: He backed down from the challenge.

Prabhupada: Now you all together make this Vedic planetarium very nice, so that people will come and see. From the description of the Srimad‑Bhagavatam, you prepare this Vedic planetarium. How do you like this idea, Vedic planetarium?

Ambarisa: It seems like a very nice idea.

Prabhupada: You also like? So finance this project. (laughter) Vedic planetarium.

Ambarisa: Where will this be?

Prabhupada: Mayapura. My idea is to attract people of the whole world to Mayapura. So we are just trying to acquire three hundred fifty acres of land from the government. It is going on under consideration. Some men are against and some are in favor. But those who are against, they have counted ninety?

Room Conversation

Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976

Prabhupada: ...and it is a fact, he did not fix it. I wanted both of you to take various detailed photographs of that Capitol.

Yadubara: The Capitol Building. For what purpose, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: We shall have picture, planetarium in Mayapura. (aside:) That's better. (break) ...spiritual world, material world, and so on, so on. Planetary..., succession of the planetary systems, everything. A building like that.

Prabhupada: Yes. We are acquiring 350 acres of land for life for constructing a small township...

Yadubara: I think we...

Prabhupada: ...to attract people from all the world to see the planetarium.

Room Conversation Washington D.C., July 6, 1976 760706R3.WDC

Svarupa Damodara: Is this near the temple?

Prabhupada: Yes. Planetarium name, actually it will be temple. But all round, things will be... Anyway.

Yadubara: I know before the idea was to have it inside the main temple.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Yadubara: As you walked up the outside of the, or the inside of the main temple, inside that dome, they would have it on the walls. But that would... That original plan was to have it inside the main temple.

Prabhupada: Yes. You take all details, inside, outside. That will be nice.

(c) 1991 by Bhaktivedanta Book TrustPrabhupada: The thing is that these persons, they are holding the... Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. A blind man, he has no eyes, and still, he's leader of other blind men. Is it possible? A blind man, he is blind man, he has no knowledge, and still, he's leading other blind men. This is a very dangerous position. He has no actual knowledge, simply speculating, putting theories and formulas, and they are leaders of the society.

Rupanuga: We have to stop this.

Prabhupada: Yes, otherwise people are misled. It is not the duty of education to mislead people. Real knowledge should be given. To become a great misleader and take some title, that is not good. Svarupa Damodara: The other morning Srila Prabhupada was mentioning about the Institute, the Bhaktivedanta Institute. So is there anything else that your Divine Grace wants to?

Room Conversation Baltimore, July 7, 1976

Prabhupada: Institute, you have got sufficient subject matter as I was describing, this original source of life and the planetary system, as you are going to make planetarium. Who can say about so many planets in the sky? Who has got sufficient knowledge? They cannot even give... They think that moon is the nearest planet, but we do not think like that. But still they are unable to give sufficient knowledge about the moon. It is not vacant, it cannot be vacant. We do not find any part of the world vacant. There is living entities. This earth planet is part of the universe, and the moon is also part of the universe. If it is not vacant, how that can be vacant? You have got dust there, we have got dust here; you have got rocks there, here we have got rocks. And why it is vacant? We find in the dust also there is life. When we walk on the beach, it is simply sand, there are so many crabs. They are immediately flying, running, "Here is a man coming. Enter into the hole." So even the dust, in the sand, there is life. So why not there? In the water there is life, within the sand there is life, in the air there is life, everywhere there is life. Why it should be vacant? Hmm? What is the opinion of the scientists? How...? We are layman, talking like layman, but why there should not be life? And in the sastra we get there is life. Not only moon, every planet is full of living entities. Jagat‑kirna(?). There is human being, there is animal, everything. How it can be vacant, God's creation?

(d)

Prabhupada: By killing.

Tamala Krsna: There's a big planetarium here also at this museum.

Ramesvara: Biggest in the world, I think.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, this planetarium is the most famous one, Heydn Planetarium.

Prabhupada: So see how the planetarium is done.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, we should go, Ramesvara. Have you ever gone?

Ramesvara: Many years ago.

Tamala Krsna: Should we go to see it?

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Pusta Krsna: They use all kinds of lighting systems.

Prabhupada: So you take the idea. We shall have to do that.

Tamala Krsna: Wow. All right. They have a special projector.

Prabhupada: Whatever it may be, we may take the idea and utilize.

Pusta Krsna: In our planetarium, Srila Prabhupada, we want to actually show the different qualities of life on the different planetary systems also?

Morning Walk New York, July 13, 1976 760713MW.NY

Prabhupada: Yes, as far as possible. There is Siddhaloka, they can go from one planet to another without any machine, without any vehicle. Siddhaloka means, just like the yogis, they can go.

Ramesvara: Their body have..., they have wings?

Prabhupada: No wings. We think only our ideas, that without wings nobody can fly.

Prabhupada: Give him, give him, give him. No, that is the different. Oh, all right. We are just attempting a big planetarium in Mayapur. We have asked government to acquire land, 350 acres. That is negotiation going on. We shall give a Vedic planetarium.

Room Conversation London, July 26, 1976

George Harrison: Is that the one you were talking about? With all the...

Prabhupada: In the Fifth Canto.

Gurudasa: The planetarium will be 350 feet high and show the cosmology of the spiritual world.

Prabhupada: The construction will be like your Washington capital, like that.

George Harrison: A big dome.

Prabhupada: Yes. Estimated eight crores of rupees. Is there any dahi preparation? Oh, that's all right. Now, there is fruit. You...

pleasing. And because it is far away from the sun, the distance between moon and earth is more than the distance between the sun and the earth. Therefore sun looks bigger and it looks smaller. We are contemplating having a planetarium with electric arrangement. You'll have to work. The whole planetary system is moving from east to west, and the sun, moon and... They are up and down. (to child): Come on, Hare Krsna, chant Hare Krsna. He can speak?

Room Conversation Teheran, August 8, 1976 760808R2.TEH

Atreya Rsi: No, just a few words.

Prabhupada: Two years.

Atreya Rsi: Almost.

Prabhupada: That chief minister.

Indian man (3): Have they done so?

Prabhupada: Not yet.

Indian man (3): I had about 2 acres was available, except that. (talks about land he owns‑‑indistinct)

Prabhupada: We are trying for another big scheme in Bengal. We have applied to the government to acquire land, 350 acres, a big planetarium. Planetarium. We have described the planetarium in our Fifth Canto of Srimad‑Bhagavatam. In that planetarium it is said that the moon is above the sun planet. By one million six hundred thousand miles.

Indian man (3): What does astronomy say? The modern astronomy.

Prabhupada: They say the moon planet is nearer to earth planet and they have gone there.

Conversation Vrindaban, November 6, 1976 761106RC.VRN

Prabhupada: We have applied for 350 acres of land from the government. The process is going on. If we get, then we shall spend crores of rupees for... The description is...

Jagadisa: "Within the next ten years, according to ISKCON plans, the Mayapura project will extend to a complete Vedic city with fifty thousand inhabitants, its own university, airport, and stadium. It will also claim the world's largest planetarium with 410 foot high Temple of Understanding..." (break) ...civilization.

Dr. Kneupper: It sounds like a beautiful project. That is near Bombay, now?

Prabhupada: No, that is near Calcutta.

Conversation Mayapur, March 2, 1977

Prabhupada: One very big pandita is coming. He'll help us about the Sanskrit language, how to form this...

Tamala Krsna: Planetarium.

Prabhupada: ...planetarium.

Tamala Krsna: One big pandita has been contacted, and he's very surrendered to Prabhupada. He wants to help Prabhupada and our movement to understand the meaning of the sastras in regard to the layout of the universe, so that the planetary systems can be done in our planetarium.

Prabhupada: This planetary system is rotating from east to west, and it is hanging like the chandelier, taking shelter of the polestar. That we can see every night. Now where is the situation, which planet, where is sun, where is moon‑‑so that he has to assert.

Conversation Bombay, April 13, 1977

Tamala Krsna: Jaya Prakash Narayan.

Prabhupada: Jaya Prakash Narayan. Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi, and... What they'll do? Churchill and this and Napoleon, Hitler. Simply misguiding, whole history. Simply mis... They are rascals. They do not know what is what, and they lead. Gandhi... All rascals. Vivekananda and Sai Baba, this, that, so many... They should be stopped. That is real philanthropic activities. Where is...? Now we are going to show this planetarium. These rascal scientists: "All desert. All rocks and desert." Simply this planet, for his father's property. This is now happening. "The moon planet is a desert." And from the desert such brilliant light is coming that is illuminating at night the whole universe. And we have to believe it because they are spoken by scientists. You see? All rascals, fools, rogues, thieves, they are leading. And our determination is to stop these rascals. That is our... It is not that "Let the rascals go on with their... Let us make our salvation." Prahlada Maharaja said, "No, no, no, I don't want. I don't want. If there is salvation, I must take them also." This is Vaisnava. "I don't want such salvation for my personal..." This is Vaisnava, para‑duhkha‑duhkhi. Para‑duhkha‑duhkhi krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye. Naturally a Vaisnava will be unhappy. Soce tato vimukha‑cetasa indriyartha‑maya‑sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan. You know this verse? So we must know that these so‑called leaders... Just see. He could not do it nicely.

Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Indian Astronomer: Ah.

Prabhupada: So you live in Madras?

Indian Astronomer: No, not in Madras. Mogun. Near the Madras also, by one of the yajnas there. But my agni‑hotra place is at Kumbha‑grama(?). We are following agni‑hotra tradition for more than ten generations. I myself performed so many yajnas. And now I am performing yajnas also, day and night or morning and evening.

Prabhupada: So...

Indian Astronomer: I am also a great lover of Bhagavata. That is my life.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Indian Astronomer: Bhagavata is my solace of my life.

Prabhupada: So we are presenting this planetarium...

Indian Astronomer: Bhagavata, yes?

Prabhupada: From Bhagavatam.

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes.

Prabhupada: In the Fifth Canto there is description of the planetary system.

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes.

Prabhupada: So we want a diagram.

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes.

Prabhupada: So kindly help us.

Indian Astronomer: With your Your Holiness permission, he told all these things to me. I use some Bhagavata sloka before. (quotes Sanskrit slokas from Bhagavata, Tenth Canto)

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Now find out that Fifth Canto. So this planetary system is hanging.

Indian Astronomer: Yes.

Prabhupada: Urdhva‑mulam adhah‑sakham. Same thing is explained in the Srimad‑Bhagavatam. Now, how it is hanging and where are different situation of the planets and plateaus and hills and..., so as far as the book is concerned, kindly make a diagram so that we shall execute.

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes. Urdhva‑mulam adhah‑sakham asvattham prahur avyayam. That means, this, about the life.

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977

Prabhupada: Not life. This planetary system is like that.

Indian Astronomer: Oh.

Prabhupada: Urdhva‑mulam adhah‑sakham. That is... That is explained in the Srimad‑Bhagavatam. Which chapter it is?

Surabhir Abhipalayantam: This is a description of Jambu‑dvipa.

Prabhupada: There is Jambu‑dvipa and...

Indian Astronomer: Where is this? Pancama‑skandha.

Prabhupada: Eh? It is not dasama‑skandha.

Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Jambu‑dvipa.

Indian Astronomer: Jambu‑dvipa.

Prabhupada: It is... Indian Astronomer: The pancama‑skandha.

Prabhupada: Pancama‑skandha, yes.

Indian Astronomer: There we find there about the Priyavrata. Priyavrata's sons, they divided the world...

Prabhupada: No, persons we are not very much concerned. We are... Immediately we want the diagram how to fix it up so that people can see, "This is the situation." So you make this diagram.

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Indian Astronomer: It is first attempt to give in picture the ideas of Bhagavatam.

Prabhupada: Yes. So we... We are... We have got very good scheme so that people from the world will come to see the Vedic idea of planetary system. This is the ambition. So you kindly help us.

Indian Astronomer: As far as possible, as our Lord moves, I am prepared to serve.

Prabhupada: So you sit down and take paper and make it and..., so that he can understand. You have already studied that.

Indian Astronomer: Several times.

Prabhupada: So that you can do immediately. You do. Can you make a rough sketch immediately?

Indian Astronomer: First (indistinct). Because after he came there I told him that we must prepare a diagram which is acceptable to all, acceptable to all.

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Prabhupada: No, acceptable, the, I mean to say, Western astronomers, they...

Indian Astronomer: No, we... If you prefer Bhagavatam and if you give only Bhagavatam...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian Astronomer: ...whether Western accepts or not, that is not worthwhile.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Indian Astronomer: Whether Westerners or modern scientists accept or not, that is not worthwhile.

Prabhupada: No, we want do it according to Bhagavatam.

Indian Astronomer: That is what I mean.

Prabhupada: Yes. So when you'll do it?

Indian Astronomer: When the order is, I will start.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Indian Astronomer: On your order, holy order, I will start on work immediately.

Prabhupada: No, my order... It is for this purpose I sent him, so you can begin immediately or...

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Tamala Krsna: Surabhi has an office with all things ready, drawing board...

Prabhupada: You can go to his office, can give him instruction how the planetary system is hanging. The polestar, dhruva‑tara, is the center, and it is moving. That at night you can see. It is moving.

Indian Astronomer: In Vedas also description, as (quotes Sanskrit verses).

Prabhupada: No, what is the first, beginning? You just give him. Read it. The Sanskrit reading. Indian Astronomer: (reads Sanskrit from Srimad‑Bhagavatam, Fifth Canto)

Prabhupada: Sapta‑sindhu... You have to make diagram where the sapta‑sindhu are.

Indian Astronomer: Yes. All...

Prabhupada: No, all...

Indian Astronomer: ...because as we prepare diagram on the basis of pancama‑skandha, Bhagavata, all must be given there. (continues reading verses from Bhagavatam in Sanskrit)

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Prabhupada: So you can... Why not begin it in my presence?

Gopala Krsna: Begin the drawing now so that Prabhupada can see it before he leaves.

Indian Astronomer: No, because I am not able to prepare the diagrams and other things. With the help of my friends only I can do. I give the translation to them and all do the work. Simply we can show to them.

Prabhupada: I have tried to translate it as far as possible, but I am not satisfied.

Indian Astronomer: A deep study of the text is absolutely necessary.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Indian Astronomer: Deep study of text and also with a mind of preparing diagram, study of the..., that is... We ask Padma‑bhusana(?). How is Padma‑bhusana...

Prabhupada: What is your idea of the seven planets, sun...?

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Indian Astronomer: You see, planets, in our system planets comes in the history very late.

Prabhupada: Very?

Indian Astronomer: Late, very. Because you won't find any reference to grahas in the Vedas. As a student of Vedas, I can guarantee that there is no reference to the grahas in the Vedas. Because nava‑grahas are only important mantras, not they are (indistinct). So when because these things comes later on, Kalpa‑sutra, for those adopted the grahas and prepared the mantras from the Vedas for the grahas. So historically we must have come down. Now we'll find out in what date they are presented. Till now I was told all these things after only... I am also preaching Bhagavata.

Prabhupada: Now, where is the situation of the grahas in this planetary system? Whether sun is first or moon is first?

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977

Indian Astronomer: Sun is first. Definitely sun is first because the moon is the reflection of sunshine. (quotes Sanskrit verse) Vedas say (Sanskrit).

Prabhupada: Candrama has... Candrama has got his own light. It is not reflection.

Indian Astronomer: Not reflection. It has its own importance. But about the lights...

Prabhupada: As surya is blazing, similarly, candrama is also blazing, but it is surrounded by cool cloud. Therefore it is so soothing. But it is above the sun planet, so far it is stated there. Indian Astronomer: Natural... Naturally surya, our astronomy says, suryah agni (Sanskrit). Vedas say, (Sanskrit). Because the naksatras only.

Prabhupada: So when you begin this diagram?

Indian Astronomer: After going my town.

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Prabhupada: Eh?

Indian Astronomer: After going my town I begin.

Prabhupada: Going?

Gopala Krsna: To his town.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Tamala Krsna: After going back to his town he's going to begin.

Indian Astronomer: See to all those things.

Prabhupada: So you'll go there, then... But we have brought him to make here.

Patita Uddharana: Can you not work with us here for some time on this chart?

Prabhupada: No, no, why some times? This purpose, you went there to bring him, and now he'll go to town and do.

Patita Uddharana: When I met...

Prabhupada: No, no question of when you met. This was the purpose.

Patita Uddharana: Can we not begin the chart immediately?

Prabhupada: I wanted to make it before me.

Indian Astronomer: The difficulty is, we never studied in this way Bhagavatam, so it is not easy to paint a diagram immediately. It will take time. Studying Bhagavata, simply what is the text...

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Prabhupada: So you have no practical idea?

Indian Astronomer: Eh?

Prabhupada: You have no practical idea?

Indian Astronomer: No, have so many ideas, vague, not practical. This is here in five days(?).

Prabhupada: No, no, vague idea is not good. You for some days stay here and do it here.

Indian Astronomer: I am told that Arka‑somayaji is also coming here.

Patita Uddharana: No, he's not. I never said he was coming.

Prabhupada: What is the difficulty? The sastra is there. You have to make drawing according to sastra. That's all.

Indian Astronomer: You see, everything is separate author. Preparing diagram is separate author.

Prabhupada: Why separate au...? If you understand clearly, you can make it.

Indian Astronomer: No, no, not like Your Holiness... We'll be able to... We all will go, deeply penetrate in the ideas of scriptures, and find out the facts.

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Prabhupada: At least you make some attempt. Let us see.

Indian Astronomer: Pardon?

Prabhupada: You make some attempt. Go to the offices.

Gopala Krsna: Please just try.

Indian Astronomer: Yes. I will explain again to you later.

Patita Uddharana: You must try. Indian Astronomer: Yes. Yes.

Patita Uddharana: Yes.

Prabhupada: (indistinct)

Gopala Krsna: Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Jaya.

Patita Uddharana: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. Please come.

Tamala Krsna: Phew! This boy, Patita Uddharana, has spoiled thousands of rupees for months. He has no knowledge or intelligence, and he's going around. We're thinking that this man is the foremost...

Prabhupada: Useless.

Tamala Krsna: To fly him from Madras to here and back is twelve hundred rupees, and Patita has been traveling for months all over India. Who knows how much they have spent on him? And he doesn't have the intelligence to ask the questions which Your Divine Grace just asked. Otherwise he could have known from the beginning that the man doesn't know a thing.

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977

Prabhupada: He cannot, cannot explain.

Tamala Krsna: This man will not be able to. I mean, the things you were saying, he was thinking... When you started to describe them, he was thinking it had to do with the individual soul. He said that "You're des..." You said, "No, I'm talking about the universe." He said, "Oh, the universe."

Prabhupada: He does not know anything. Now he goes away. He goes back and he... Why he has come?

Tamala Krsna: For your blessings, twelve‑hundred‑rupee blessing. There are learned men in India. There's no doubt. There must be learned men.

Prabhupada: All bogus.

Tamala Krsna: All?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Tamala Krsna: Just like that...?

Prabhupada: Boka.

Tamala Krsna: There's that one man, Gangeshvara..., Gange..., that one blind...

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977

Prabhupada: Gangeshvarananda.

Tamala Krsna: I mean, he's a learned person.

Prabhupada: He has no clear idea.

Tamala Krsna: And what to do? How to get...?

Prabhupada: Krsna will help.

Tamala Krsna: Hm?

Prabhupada: Krsna will help. He has no idea.

Tamala Krsna: He says, "We never thought to read Bhagavatam as you are now talking. We have not read Bhagavatam like this yet, so I will have to begin to read again as..." I mean, what... I'm only wondering what kind of talk Patita Uddharana must have had with him that he felt that this man was qualified.

Prabhupada: So how he'll make diagram? He has no idea.

Tamala Krsna: No, he doesn't. He never thought about it. No one reads the Bhagavatam as a scientific book, Srila Prabhupada. That's the point. Except for Your Divine Grace, they are thinking it's story, "It is stories."

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Prabhupada: Yes, they do not believe.

Tamala Krsna: No. And therefore no one takes it seriously. Modern people don't take it seriously.

Prabhupada: There was a Gosai. He was reading Caitanya‑caritamrta. So the description of the planetary system there is. He used to say to his audience, "Actually these things are not there. These are imaginary descriptions." He was such a fool. So the whole world has taken like that, "symbolic, imagination."

Tamala Krsna: And he was lecturing on Caitanya‑caritamrta. I think you mentioned that one of your Godbrothers once said to you, "You really believe that there is such a place, Krsnaloka, Vaikunthaloka?" He was himself...

Prabhupada: Bon Maharaja did not believe. No... Nobody ever thought of it.

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977

Tamala Krsna: You are the only representative, the lone representative of religion left on this planet, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: So what to do? He has wasted so much money. He's not the proper man.

Tamala Krsna: No. Why not let us try to find out some man locally here in Bombay?

Prabhupada: Very difficult. You can try.

Tamala Krsna: I mean, there's just as good a chance he'll find him here as anywhere else. And it won't cost anything.

Prabhupada: "Astronomer knowing the planetary system," you can advertise. "Expert astronomer who knows the planetary systems as described..."

Tamala Krsna: "...in Srimad‑Bhagavatam."

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, we can advertise. Instead of having somebody going all over India.

Room Conversation Bombay, April 30, 1977 770430R2.BOM

Prabhupada: He assured that he has found out an expert. The other man did not come because he does not know.

Tamala Krsna: Patita said that these were the two top men in all of India, guaranteed.

Prabhupada: Let us see what does he do. (end)

Conversation Hrsikesa, May 8, 1977 770508RC.HRI

Room Conversation

Hrishikesh, May 8, 1977

Prabhupada: If you have got the name, so why not reply to each one, the letter...

Tamala Krsna: Oh, I see.

Prabhupada: ...that "We are intending to make a huge planetarium. If you can help us?"

Tamala Krsna: Mentioning the Fifth Canto, Bhagavatam? Prabhupada: Exactly to the description of Fifth Canto, we want.

Bhu‑mandala Diagram Discussion

Vrndavana, July 2, 1977

Tamala Krsna: They have to stand up on the chairs because it's so big. Big project. This is only one drawing. Imagine the planetarium. (break)

Yasoda‑nandana: The directions are north, east and south and west. In the middle here, right in the middle, there is Mount Meru, which is very, very small. The scale, it comes to be one centimeter... What is this measurement estimate?

Tamala Krsna: One twentieth of a centimeter.

Yasoda‑nandana: One twentieth of a centimeter is calculated 100,000 yojanas. One lakh of yojanas is one twentieth of a centimeter.

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, that one twentieth of a centimeter... One centimeter is about just the tip of the finger, so one twentieth of this is 100,000 yojanas. Actually you cannot even see Mount Meru on this picture. It is so small that we could not even draw it. It's just a pinpoint.

Vrindaban, July 2, 1977

Bhakti‑prema: (indistinct)

Tamala Krsna: I think, Srila Prabhupada, that you gave that right in the purport. You called them (indistinct). See, you gave this huge... It says here, "However , the technical terms used in the astronomical calculations given by the Jyotir Veda are difficult to translate into English. Therefore, to satisfy the reader, we may include the exact Sanskrit statement given by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, which records exact calculations regarding universal affairs." And then you give this huge Sanskrit quotation. And from reading this, Bhakti‑prema Maharaja found out that there is space. Due to this purport we got that information. So it was perfectly put in here. It's very nice.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: So I think that Svarupa Damodara will be helped by these drawings when the men come. `Cause he said that even though they are scientists, they could not understand this volume. It's been a mystery practically. These drawings, one by one, should be able to help in the creation of that planetarium.

Discussion Vrindaban, July 2, 1977 770702DC.VRN

Prabhupada: Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.

Tamala Krsna: Now we have to figure out how to preserve these, Srila Prabhupada. Puskara Prabhu was concerned how to preserve these pictures, and we were thinking that maybe they should be mounted on canvas and stretched. Prabhupada: Yes.

Prabhupada: That you can do, but real thing is we can remain within the limit.

Tamala Krsna: That we accept.

Prabhupada: So within the limit...Suppose the lotus petal this way, that way, or this way...

Tamala Krsna: You're asking us to draw the details and make a planetarium very exact.

Prabhupada: Yes. Lotus petal, it is round. So in one lotus petal you are conditioned. You cannot go.

Discussion Vrindaban, July 5, 1977

Tamala Krsna: So far that hasn't been said, but that's... You can say that Bharata‑varsa is a petal of the lotus. But I think if you look at the Bhagavatam, it may... I'd have to see it, what it says. There's a statement that it may be the inner portion of the lotus. I don't know...(break) And what we do, it has to agree with the Bhagavatam.

Prabhupada: Lotus petal... There are so many petals. You are conditioned with one petal.

Tamala Krsna: That's... If that's the explanation, then it can be somehow adjusted.

Prabhupada: You do not know what is going on outside.

Devotee: There's so many round parts of a lotus petal.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, that part...That could be adjusted. But there's a place within it, you know, the center part, there's no petals. In the middle of the lotus there's like a... I don't know what you call it, but a... It's a flattish area. They show Krsna standing sometimes when they draw a picture of Krsna on a lotus.

Discussion Vrindaban, July 5, 1977