Yes, it was mistake.
Hari Sauri Dasa: Prabhupada spent nearly two hours in the green and leafy environs of the garden this evening, quite happy to sit back and hear Dhrishtadyumna Maharaja read verses and purports from the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. The chapter describes the symptoms and behavior of the demonic nature, and it made for an interesting interchange. Occasionally Prabhupada interrupted, adding further wisdom or stopped the reading to invite his disciples to discuss a particular point.
Pushta Krishna picked out something interesting from verse nine. He said that in the word-for-word translation the demonic are described as prabhavanti, they flourish, and at the same time, kshayaya, which means for destruction. So this seemed to be a contradiction. Prabhupada explained that it means materially. "Just like when you go to a modern city and say, 'Oh, how developed,' prabhavanti. But what kind of prabhavanti? That is next word, jagato 'hitah, to destroy this world. So their prabhavanti is in the opposite direction. That is not prabhavanti actually. Prabhavanti in the material sense, but what is the purpose, what is the end? There are two kinds of progress, to hell, to heaven." I mentioned that fifty years ago people were thinking that it was progress to build big skyscrapers, but now it's so hellish in the cities that everybody is moving out.
Srila Prabhupada agreed. "Yes. Actually, when there are so many skyscraper buildings, it is hell. The natural air is obstructed. In Bombay you'll see. If you are in the top floor you have got little facility, in the lower floor it is hell. If there are several skyscraper buildings, in the first floor, second floor, it is simply hell. No air. Simply you have to run on this electric fan. You cannot see the sky. Therefore it is meant skyscraper? What is scraper? What is the meaning?" "It touches the sky," I said. "So you have touched the sky in such a way I cannot see even. This is the result. You demon, you have captured the sky, so I have no opportunity to see even. Always electric light." He looked around the beautiful garden, through the trees and across the valleys beyond. "Now we see the sky, the sun, how nice it is. This is life. Green, down and up, clear sky, sun, this is life. We get rejuvenation in this atmosphere. What is this nonsense, all skyscraper building, no air, no light. Jagato 'hitah. The mind becomes crippled, the health becomes deteriorated, children cannot see even the sky, everything is spoiled."
Dhrishtadyumna read on, coming to verses eleven and twelve: "They believe that to gratify the senses unto the end of life is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus there is no end to their anxiety. Being bound by hundreds and thousands of desires, by lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification." After hearing the purport (which mentions Srila Prabhupada's acquaintance in Allahabad who wanted four more years of life), Prabhupada invited us to discuss. Kuladri prabhu had a fitting match for the description of the demonic man. "One of the richest men in the United States, Howard Hughes, he just recently died, and he had sores all over his body. With all of his money, he died in a very miserable condition. He had so many millions and millions of dollars." Dhrishtadyumna Maharaja added that at the time of his death he reportedly said, "I think I've made a mistake." Prabhupada asked for a description of Hughes and his activities and several of us chipped in bits of information we had gleaned from the many recent news reports. Dhrishtadyumna said, "He was one of the richest men in the world. He was a movie star in his youth, and he had many beautiful women, fabulous wealth, he owned hotels all over the world, airplanes, airports...." Pushta Krishna Maharaja added, "At the end of his life he didn't even mix with women so much though. He became very despondent and depressed. He was like a hermit; he withdrew into himself. No one knew very much about him, he was very mysterious so far as his life with the public was concerned. But toward the end of his life he didn't live a very elaborate life of sense gratification at all, no one knew much about him at all." I suggested that the description in the Bhagavad-gita was perfect. "Most of his fortunes they calculate he amassed by many illegal methods, like paying off police and fixing so many things up. With his money, he was always able to buy government officials and get so many contracts to further the development of his aircraft companies. And also he had a lot of land in Las Vegas, this gambling city. He was involved in many mysterious maneuvers. It's open in the newspapers, they said that he got most of his money from illegal methods." Dhrishtadyumna said, "In his old age he was very afraid of germs. He didn't want to catch any disease. He would live in perfectly sealed rooms with all artificial air and light, so no germs could exist and he would wear these..."
Prabhupada interrupted. "He did not know that he's creating germs within his body. If there was no germs how he died? So at last he said?" Dhrishtadyumna repeated his earlier statement. "He said something to the effect that 'I don't know what this life was about. I think I've made a mistake.' Just at the end." Srila Prabhupada gave one of his wry smiles. "Yes, it was mistake." Shortly after eight thirty he brought the meeting to an end.
As he prepared to retire to the house, he looked at one of the women, Gopalasyapriya Dasi, who was rather under dressed considering the chill of the evening. He was concerned and he turned to Kuladri, the temple president. "Um hmm. This girl? This cloth is sufficient? So you have no covering? They do not require covering?" Kuladri was casual about it, trying to explain it away to assuage Srila Prabhupada's disquiet. "It is warm for us, Srila Prabhupada." But Srila Prabhupada wouldn't allow it to be passed off lightly. "No, if they require, they must be supplied. You must ask them what you need, and provide them. Because they do not say, you'll also keep silent?, that's not good. Every month they should be asked what they need. Necessities, they must be supplied. We have already discussed this point. The women, they require protection, children, women." These evening darsanas are truly satisfying. Hearing the descriptions of materialistic life, we could contrast that with what Prabhupada has created for us here. It is idyllic, a beautiful setting of trees, cool night air, serious students and a perfect spiritual master.
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 3 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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