Madhavananda Das: This clip from a film I saw years ago when I was a child perfectly expresses what is prajalpa. Dear devotees, please don’t do this. :-(
As a little intro, Alma, Ethel, Eulalie, Maud, and Mrs Squires are the ladies gossiping (song transcription below). Harold is a visiting professor, who here is being informed by these talkative ladies all about the alleged scandalous behavior of the town librarian (a person who, it later turns out they actually don’t know very well at all).
In other words, typical fault finding.
It doesn’t really start for a minute or two, please be patient. Also I highly recommend seeing the purport at the end of this text.
LYRICS:
Alma: Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, Cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more
Alma and Ethel: Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, Talk a little, cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more
All the ladies: Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, Talk a little, cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more
Maud: Professor, her kind of woman doesn’t belong on any committee. Of course, I shouldn’t tell you this but she advocates dirty books.
Harold: Dirty books!
Alma: Chaucer
Ethel: Rabelais
Eulalie: Balzac!
Maud: And the worst thing Of course, I shouldn’t tell you this but-
Alma: I’ll tell.
Ethel: The man lived on my street, let me tell.
Eulalie: Stop! I’ll tell. She made brazen overtures to a man who never Had a friend in this town till she came here.
Alma: Oh, yes That woman made brazen overtures With a gilt-edged guarantee She had a golden glint in her eye And a silver voice with a counterfeit ring
Just melt her down and you’ll reveal A lump of lead as cold as steel Here, where a woman’s heart should be!
Eulalie, Ethel, Maud, Alma, Mrs Squires: He left River City the Library building But he left all the books to her
Alma: Chaucer
Ethel: Rabelais
Eulalie: Bal-zac!
Ladies: Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, Cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, Cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, Cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep Cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep Cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep Pick a little, talk a little, cheep!
* * *
srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah apasyatam atma-tattvam g_hesu grha-medhinam
“Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.” (Bhagavatam 2.1.2)
Another verse also comes to mind:
kolahale kaka-kulasya jate
virajate kokila-kujitam kim?
parasparam samvadatam khalanam
maunam vidheyam satatam sudhibhih
“When a large group of crows is making a big noise, there is no value in a cuckoos sweet voice. Similarly when rascals are conversing with one other, saintly persons advise us to always be quiet.” (Subhasita-ratna-bhan_agara, Mauna-gunah, page 86, later translation courtesy of Hari Parshad Prabhu)
Bhaktivinode has written in chapter 3 of Bhaktyaloka:
Talking without reason about other people is extremely adverse to devotional service. Many people talk about others to establish their own reputation. Being envious, some people are accustomed to discuss others’ character. The minds of those who are busy in such topics can never be fixed on the lotus feet of Krishna. Talking about others should be rejected in all respects.