Prabhupada: Chicken-eating has become very common. This Tarun Kanti and Tushar Kanti, they eat daily.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah. All over his land he has chickens running.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Tarun Babu.

Prabhupada: Without chicken, this Tushar Kanti Ghosh cannot eat. And one Cinmayananda… They are maintaining that sadhu. So he was giving prasadam with Tushar Kanti. So he was taking. This Tarun Kanti said to him, “So you want to kill my father? He is not eating.” He stopped giving him prasadam.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, ’cause there was no chicken in it.

Prabhupada: He could not eat vegetable.

Tamala Krsna: There was no chicken in it.

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Tamala Krsna: Without chicken in it he could not eat? Even…?

Prabhupada: I think he is drinking also.

Tamala Krsna: Must be. When they eat chicken then they have to drink to digest.

Prabhupada: Yes. Nowadays among gentlemen, the chicken and peg.

Tamala Krsna: And?

Prabhupada: Wine peg. If you don’t receive your friend with chicken and wine peg, then that reception is not good.

Tamala Krsna: Things are very much degraded nowadays.

Prabhupada: The Sikhs, they invariably eat. The Marathis, low class, invariably eat.

Tamala Krsna: What about the South Indians?

Prabhupada: South Indians, low class, they eat.

Tamala Krsna: Christians.

Prabhupada: Chicken is very cheap food. You haven’t got to maintain.

Tamala Krsna: No, they find anything to eat on the ground.

Prabhupada: Yes. And they produce egg.

Tamala Krsna: Eggs.

Prabhupada: Eggs. And the chicken-eater cut throat.

Tamala Krsna: And then he has to become a chicken.

Prabhupada: Fish. Fish as well. Fish also like that. You haven’t got to maintain. They’ll grow.

Tamala Krsna: But then, if you cut the chicken’s throat, then one day you have to have your throat cut.

Prabhupada: That is nowhere in the law.

Tamala Krsna: It’s not a very good…

Prabhupada: Karma-bandhana. Yajnarthe karmanah anyatra loko ‘yam karma-bandhanah [Bg 3.9]. And Western countries regularly cultivate chicken-producing.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, yeah, there’s a…

Prabhupada: Big, big chicken within very short time.

Tamala Krsna: Big business. And unfortunately with beef also.

Prabhupada: That is their staple food — chicken and beef and wine.

> Conversation about Old Days in Calcutta – July 1, 1977, Vrndavana