Date : 19th October 2015
Venue : Govardhan Eco-village, Wada

Forest Govardhan Eco-village and you are going to be making plans or strategies, working out strategies of how to distribute books, of Srila Prabhupada ki….. jai!!

So that got me interested and I dropped in (laughter) I don’t know how I fit in here. We all fit in here, this is a sankirtan moment and book distribution is sankirtan. It’s not only kirtan but it is sankirtan, “samyaprakarena kirtan” wholesome kirtan. And there are all the glories in the books of Srila Prabhupada’s books -Bhagvad-Gita as it is and Bhagvatam as it is. So all are glories of Shri Krishna or glories of the Holy Name.

“nama-sankirtanam yasya sarva-papa pranashanam” (12.13.23)

This is how Bhagavatam ends, “nama-sankirtanam yasya, sarva -papa pranashanam”

So conclusion is, the kirtan and these books of Srila Prabhupada are sankirtan or we could also say Sankirtan that came from lotus mouth of Srila Prabhupada, his realizations. He poured his heart into those dictaphone machines all night long or starting from somewhere in middle of the night as we all slept. Prabhupada would get up and speak his realizations into the Dictaphone machine and then some disciple would transcribe and then some editing and layout and here is a heart of the press, the book. So and then someone opens the book and reads the book what is he hearing? The kirtan performed by Srila Prabhupada. So the books are packed with kirtan, so distribution of those books of Srila Prabhupada is kirtan, is sankirtan. This world is in very bad need of is these books.

“Kaloh Nasht Drasham aisham” okay prior to that Shyam tyaktva swapanam gatha Lord departed for his own planet, taddinat – from that day the kali advented then what happened? Kaloh Nasht Drasham aisham people lost the eye-sight, just during flood-day light and they have eyes but they do not see like, they have become blind, okay then we could also say they have become krodha andha, krodh-andha, krodha is making them andha or lobhandha and kamandha and madandha and what not andha. All these things are making them andha- blind. Then Lord, out of his causeless mercy, adhuna means now or then, when kali advented then “Puran ark udita” Lord appeared in the form of Bhagavatam, brilliant as sun. Lord appeared in the form of Bhagavatam. Idam- means this, idam bhagavatam nama puranam brahma-sammitam. This is called “idam bhagavata? nama” this is called Bhagavatam and this is Brahma samhitam, Srila Prabhupada translates Brahama samhitam as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Bhagavatam is Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Just few days ago, I was just looking at the dictionary meaning of samhitam, what is this samhitam? And the dictionary meaning is, is equal to, as good as or it has same value as what? Brahma samhitam, the Brahma, Parabrahma and then, there is Bhagavatam, Bhagavatam is same as Krishna; it has same value as Krishna, same value. It represents Brahma, so Brahma samhitam.

So when we, distribute Gita or Bhagavatam and then Nectar of Devotion, this is all Brahma samhitam and these are glories of the Lord. Certainly they are the glories of the holy name, all over

“adav ante ca madhye ca harih sarvatra giyate”

Hari has been chanted, has been glorified in the beginning of Srila Prabhupada’s books, you could say in the middle end everywhere “harih sarvatra giyate”. So people of this age of kali, I mean we were one time very much in the middle of the age of kali and I am sure from wherever we were Maharashtra, Gujarat or wherever we were born, from there we have come here, today Govardhan Ecovillage. Do you think Srila Prabhupada’s books made the difference or Srila Prabhupada’s books they have brought you all the way to this point, yes-no? How many of you would say so? Everybody, Haribol !!!

Then, now we have become, you have become sadhus “sadhava sadhu-bhushana” these are your ornaments, titiksavah karunikah, the tolerance and compassion. So someone was compassionate and he gave you Krishna, in the form of Srila Prabhupada’s books gave you this knowledge opened your eyes. You were blind, right? And then “caksur unmilitam” someone did the operation, someone gave the book and immediately, as soon as he had the books then he had the glasses sastra-caksusa hey !! Now I could see, I could see! So someone kindly guided you, gave you book then you read or others explained those further explained those books or points.

So I think it is our turn, it’s your turn now, to be kind to our brothers or fellow human beings and give them helping hand, give them knowledge, give them knowledge packed poured into those books in the form of word-meanings and translations and purports. Give those books out and yeah this will be very pleasing to Srila Prabhupada and then

“yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado”

And Lord also has said that towards the end of Bhagvad Gita, He says, what is that? No one is dear to me as dear as he or she, who shares this samvadam, this conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. This conversation which is very confidential, beneficial and that person becomes very-very dear. Of course.Lord is pleased with them and they are very dear to him. So this knowledge distribution, book distribution is not a business or sometimes it is also said if there is any business authorized, transcendental business that gaudiya vaishnavas do that is book distribution. All Acaryas,

“nana-sastra-vicarannaika-nipunnau sad-dharma-samsthapakau nana-sastra-vicar”

Big pile of scriptures in the middle and Goswamis are sitting around and they are doing nana sastra vichar and they are writing, they are contemplating, they are sharing and then those three Prabhus were the first, travelling sankirtan book distribution party from Vrindavan, the grantha-mandir, eventually these books were piled in a cart and Narottam das Thakur, Shyamananda and Srinivas Acharya, 500 years old, original Sankirtan party, transporting books.
And I think we also, did some, atleast Prabhupada sent us from Vrindavan to Mayapur in 1976. He also asked us to start a bullock-cart sankirtan party. And Srila Prabhupada, he did even inauguration of that Bullock cart Sankirtan Party. And what were we doing, we were distributing, those days we would not have so… many-many books as we have them now or English books they were getting printed but certainly we did not have them in vernacular language. Prabhupada used this word, he wrote me a letter. So travelling and travelling anyways, our party has reached Kanpur, our destination was Mayapur. So there I wrote to Prabhupada that our Party needs, we could use some financial assistance and Prabhupada sent me a reply. And he said, “Outside help is no good” (Guru maharaj laughing). And, he said “you should distribute books in vernacular language and raise your funds and that way manage”.
And Prabhupada enclosed Sankirtan newsletters, says “your god brothers from the west look at the scores, they are distributing books and this is how they are also maintaining our institution, you do the same with the Bullock-cart Sankirtan”.

So that was a big challenge it took quite some time but eventually our padayatra Sankirtan book distribution party also not only they, So, okay on the way, there were bullock-carts, it’s not a carts, it’s a chariot, it’s a ratha pulled by the bulls and there is a kirtan in the front, it’s amplification and the deities are in the chariot. Prabhupada is seating on the front and there is a driver and I was just there last week in the Trupati ratha, I also drove.

And as people hear kirtan even bulls unless we do kirtan the bulls are not very enthusiastic to pull the cart (laughter). And as the kirtan is heard by all people, passersby or those who are in the field or wherever they are, immediately that gets the attention and then they look and something is moving on the road and they, they come running, they come running and ones they are there, there is darshan, there is a charanamrita and we distribute books. I just did that, few days ago and then we made all those who had bought the books and there were lot of people, so many on my right side, so many on my left side and we took a photograph and they were very happy, carrying books.

Then also the bullock cart sankirtan party in 1976, we had a much simpler set up but even then as we entered the village, we would have a group of brahmacharis, they would perform kirtan in the front of the cart and other few this side, few other side going from house to house and would cover the whole village. Kirtan is on and of course we would also do bhiksham dehi, bhiksham dehi…we would have been also begging for alms or whatever they could give atta or potatoes or yeah chilli for you and collecting grains and vegetables and distributing books also along with the kirtan party.

Later on in 77, the BBT travelling sankirtan party, Gopal Krishna Maharaj, while my bullock cart sankirtan party was on the road, then I also was asked to while overseeing the bullock cart sankirtan party I would also be travelling for the BBT vehicle sankirtan party distribute books and from time to time see how the bullock cart is running or walking as this was, Prabhupada had approved that. Prabhupada had approved, I do the bullock cart sankirtan and then Gopal Krishna Maharaj’s intervention he also wanted me to do the BBT travelling sankirtan party so when we had a van and we had installed the speakers on the top of the van and sound system and we would go to towns and villages. We would start from one end of the town, we would put on Prabhupada’s kirtans out loud and brahmachari’s with the book bags, door to door, shop to shop and kirtan then I would get on the mike and also make announcement encouraging “the book distributors are coming and we are from here and please they have gift for you, book for you, Gita for you, go for it and this and that”.

And those were the days, Bhagvad Gita “daha rupeya madhe Bhagvat Gita” (Marathi). Same Bhagvad Gita, we have distributed in 10 rupees. Aamogh-lila you remember Amogh-lila? Once, he travelled from I think Pune or Mumbai to Pandarpur, Akshaynanda swami also and he was distributing books. “ghyah-bagha daha rupai fakta daha rupai fakt daha rupai” (Marathi). So we would announce, I would announce and distributors would distribute books, again the kirtan on. So that was nice mostly that was a formula that we would apply wherever we went.

Put on the kirtan and along with a vehicle kirtan parties the book distributors would move and they would give all the encouragement. Hye!! look, look our vehicle is here, our party or we are here and as devotees heard they are inspired, they were getting, all the strength from the sound vibration of “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” .

And so big support for those books distributors, they are not by themselves and you know, there is no one around me just me and only me, it’s me to face the maya, all the forces by yourself. This is also not advisable, Prabhupada always sent us in pairs even for life membership program in Mumbai that we would be doing and we always went in pairs. That gives you strength, so having a party, what to speak of having a bigger party and then, what to speak of having a kirtan on loudspeaker and when all the books are sold out you come back and fill up your bags again and then go out and as it’s to be a transcendental fun, and then move to the next town to the next town and to the next town.

And so last time that our party had travelled to and by that time we had a name for our party called Narada muni travelling sankirtan party. We started with BBT but then we gave a name because we were travelling so extensively like Narada muni would move, swiftly. So it was month of November 77. That reminds you of something? Yeah, so we were on the road and we had gone to Himalayan Mountains and Badrikashram for long time we had no news of Srila Prabhupada’s health and those days no mobiles or no SMS and ohh what not? Even telephone forget it even calling from Delhi to Vrindavan, not so easy but we were at Himalayas .

So we finally decided to return to, to climb down and return to Vrindavan . And as soon as we arrived in that Krishna-Balarama temple we went straight to Srila Prabhupada’s quarter and we requested secretary that we are allowed to have darshan of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada kindly allowed. And our whole Narada Muni travelling Sankirtan Party, brahmacharis mostly, we were all brahmacharis, I was only sanyasi, I had taken sanyasa.
So Prabhupada on the bed, lying for months he was in the bed only. Only occasionally they would make him sit for some feeding, some drinking or just for a change, otherwise mostly lying down. So as we sat around Srila Prabhupada in that such a state and as he knew that we have just returned from a traveling sankirtan, those days traveling sankirtan means book distribution, Book distribution party is here.

And immediately Prabhupada opens a dialogue. And this is just may be 5-6 days prior to Prabhupada’s departure on 14th of November he departed and we are talking about 5-6 days prior. So immediately Prabhupada is enquiring, ohh!! which book is selling the most? And which books are we carrying selling? The whole dialogue, this is how books were on in his heart or on his mind and books….books….that’s why distribute books, distribute books, distribute books . And I will never die so far the books are being distributed that makes me, gives me life or I feel young. And otherwise also, secretary always used to tell us, there is a pile of mail that Prabhupada would receive and the first mail that he would be interested about reports of the book distribution. Those mails are first reported to Srila Prabhupada.

So with us also I personally experienced that how dear it was to his heart this book distribution. I had also humorously mentioned to Srila Prabhupada same time that while we were at Badrikashram “Srila Prabhupada, we showed your Bhagvad Gita to Srila Vyasadeva” I said. Because while at Badrikashram, we had visited the cave of Srila Vyasadeva’s cave. There is a Ganesha Gufa not far away from there. So because we were carrying Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagvad- Gita, so I thought, he resides there. We did not see him but for sure he saw us and sure he also saw Prabhupada’s Bhagvad- Gita. So I threw that humorous statement. We showed your Bhagvad-Gita to Srila Vyasadeva, Prabhupada. Prabhupada was happy to hear. So, the very first conversation of we talk more, but it began with the book distribution and which books, and which books is selling the most and these enquiries.

So, it’s important that you, you the second generation, and also third generation, I see some more new bodies, some older and some older sons and some have departed also. That we know how our founder Acarya His divine grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabupada , what value what importance he gave to this book distribution activity and of course, he was instructed to do so, not whimsically, he had this idea of. If you ever get money what you do with that money? Print books. So this was Swami Bhaktishiddhant Saraswati Thakura’s instruction.
And finally there was money and then there were books and he did not want them to be just printed and stored and take a photograph, looks nice, good stock. Fill in the stores, print out and pack the godowns and the other part is emptying the godowns, distributing books. So, yeah also, of course read books, read books of Srila Prabhupada more you read, you will realize the mahima, the mahatmya, the greatness of those books and you could be more convinced. This book is the most valuable thing in the world I want to give this to others share this gift. And this is kari kar para upakar giving others, giving Srila Prabhupada’s books to as many people as possible; there is the demand all over. There is a big demand everywhere.

I was just in China two months ago and we had opportunity to distribute Prabhupada’s Chinese Bhagvat Gita as it is (everybody clapped and said Haribol) and we ended up with distributing 1200 Bhagvad Gitas in 10 days (Haribol). And that was nice and that also was kirtan and book distribution or program was mostly kirtan little talk. Mostly kirtan and then those who were coming for kirtan party and they had to pay entrance fees which included the cost of the book. They were giving books free but that was part of the entrance fees. So we were doing kirtan, chanting and distributing books at the same time.

Srila Prabhupada ki… Jai!!
Srila Prabhupada transcendental book distribution ki…… jai!!
Nitai Gaur Premanande Hari Haribol!!