Queen Elizabeth and The Bhagavad Gita

 

"How marvelous it would be to completely trust Kṛṣṇa."

Śyāmasundara: He's got the Bhagavad-gītā that the Queen was reading.
Prabhupāda: Ah.
Śyāmasundara: She was looking at.
Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā, our Bhagavad-gītā?
Śyāmasundara: Yes. Queen Elizabeth was looking, and she gave...
Prabhupāda: Yes, as far as possible you should help everyone how to be..., how to become enlightened about his future. That is real humanitarian work---to save a human being from the future disastrous condition of life. Just like a father thinks of his son, that he may not be unhappy in his future life. So it is the duty of the king, it is the duty of the father, it is the duty of the spiritual master to see that his subordinate is not fallen a victim of future disastrous life.
Śyāmasundara: Didn't the Queen make some remarks about that? She said something to you...
David Wynne: Yes, she said, "How marvelous it would be to completely trust Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: That's very nice.
David Wynne: She said, er, "What a relief to be able to pass all responsibility to Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. But that one has to learn, how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The sentiment is very nice. It is just fitting from the royal... Because she's after all favored. She has taken birth in the royal family, so she is not ordinary woman. And her intelligence must be extraordinary. So she has remarked like that. What is that exact word?
David Wynne: I think the exact word... She said, "How marvelous to be able to give all responsibility to Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa is ready.
David Wynne: Yes. And she said it with a beautiful smile.
Prabhupāda: But the thing is, from our side Kṛṣṇa expects something.
David Wynne: [laughs]
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is not a dead stone.
David Wynne: No.
Prabhupāda: Reciprocal. If you fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa takes full responsibility. If you keep some reservation, Kṛṣṇa also keeps reservation.

Departed at age 96 on 9/8/22