Categories: Conversations

Real Swaraj : Back to Godhead

“Prabhupāda: Hitler one side, fought with the Britishers, smashed them. This is one cause. Another cause = Hitler helped Subhas Chandra Bose to organize I.N.A. Two causes, the Britishers to go away. Otherwise, Gandhi’s noncooperation movement was started in 1917, and we got our independence in 1947.

Indian man: Thirty years.

Prabhupāda: Thirty years he could not do anything. And Subhas Chandra Bose in 1940 or ’42, he went out of India and organized this I.N.A with the help of Hitler, and the Britishers were obliged to leave India. What do you think? That is my estimation.

Indian man: Yes, I think so too. Yes, and he is also…

Prabhupāda: And Hitler not only helped Subhas Chandra Bose to organize this I.N.A. organization, but by fighting with the Britishers, he smashed… The British lion was bandaged. There was a cartoon picture. I’ve seen in that way. The lion is lying down and bandaged, [makes some gestures] here and here and here, there, patched, British lion. [laughter] That’s a fact.

Indian man: Subhas Chandra Bose, he was in, I think he was…

Prabhupāda: He was my college friend. We studied in the same college.

Indian man: Is that right?

Prabhupāda: He was one year senior to me. He appeared from the year 1919, I appeared in 1920.

Indian man: Yes. And then he was in a plane crash? Or…?

Prabhupāda: There is a great history.

Indian man: Yes. I don’t know if it is true. [break] …he has taken sannyāsa, and just gone out somewhere.

Prabhupāda: So anyway, although you have got independence, India, oh, what is the profit?

Hari-śauri: The independence is just about to come, Śrīla

Prabhupāda, when you start preaching there. [Trivikrama enters and pays obeisances]

Prabhupāda: The Real swaraj is go back to home, back to Godhead.”

(Srila Prabhupada, Room conversation, June 8, 1976 at Los Angeles)