Distribute Bhagavatam sets on the occasion of Bhadra purnima
Venue: Airport, Nagpur
Dated: September 25th 2018
Occasion: Srila Prabhupada’s Sannyasa Day Anniversary

Where did Prabhupada take sannyasa? In Keshav Gaudiya Math in Mathura. He had the title of Bhaktivendanta before and later on Swami was added. He was Bhaktivedanta before sannyasa. He was Abhya Carana and on today’s occasion he was called Bhaktivedanta Swami. Srila Bhakti Pragyan Keshav Goswami Maharaja gave him sannyasa who was also Srila
Prabhupada’s the god brother and spiritual master of Narayana Maharaja. It was the year 1959.

Before that Prabhupada was preaching in Jhansi. He took vanaprastha and started living in Jhansi. He had plans of establishing Sarvabhaum sabha in Jhansi. He was also thinking of youth preaching. He as planing to advertise “Youth wanted” in the newspaper to train them. Jhansi devotees say, “ISKCON was conceived in Jhansi and delivered in New York.” Before that Prabhupada was in Allahabad and running De Pharmacy and sometimes Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru would visit his shop to buy medicines. Many Kumbha melas also took place when Prabhupada was in Prayag. Prabhupada has spoken about his experiences. In 1932 Prabhupada did Vraja-mandala parikrama with his Guru Maharaja, Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. After that he received initiation in Allahabad in 1933.

During initiation some of the disciples informed Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur that Prabhupada was Abhay Babu. Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur had responded “Yes, yes I know him. He hears Hari katha with full attention.” Abhay Babu was hearing Bhagavat katha with rapt attention. Such were the memories Prabhupada’s spiritual master had of him. Prabhupada’s wife sold his Bhagavat Grantha, not with the intension that people will read it, but she bought biscuits to have with the tea. When Prabhupada came to know of her actions, he was very upset.

Then again in Allahabad Prabhupada asked his wife, “You want tea or me.” Her answer was tea. Prabhupada took it very seriously so he said, “You be happy with your Tea. I am going,” and left home. He would come and go since he was a pharmaceutical agent, but this was the last time. He moved forward and never looked back and never came back home. This was in the early 50’s. In  ’51- ’52 he went to Jhansi and started preaching there. He had some difference with the landlord of the place where he was living in Noida so he move to Mathura.

Prabhupada had a deity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu which he took with him to Mathura Gaudiya Math. Those Deities are still there today in Keshav Gaudiya Math. It was there on this day that Prabhupada got sannyasa. Today is Purnima. That was in 1959 and now it is 2018. So exactly 60 years ago Prabhupada got sannyasa.

This purnima is Bhadrapada masa Purnima. Today  was the last day of the recitation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam by Sukadeva Goswami. Sukadeva Goswami recited Bhagavata katha to Pariksit Maharaja for 7 days and that katha ended today. It must have been in the evening of the 7th day that the 11th and 12th canto was recited. Exactly today is also the anniversary of that katha. Do you all remember, especially those who had all had come to Shukratal? Today Sukadeva Goswami was winding up the katha recitation. Sukadeva Goswami’s last sentences to Parikshit were, “Don’t think that you will die. Animals think like this. So give up this kind of intelligence. Saying these words the katha ended. Sukadeva Goswami left that place because the snake was waiting for the katha to end. over. Sukadeva Goswami knew this had to happen. He knew that Parikshit would go back to kingdom of God. Whatever happens to the body let it happen but Parikshit Maharaja will go back home. Just by hearing Bhagavad- gita on Mokshada Ekadasi, Arjuna achieved liberation on the day Mokshada Ekadasi, Gita jayanti.

nasto mohah smrtir labdha (BG 18.73)

Now I am free of all illusion. So on Gita Jayanti – Gita influenced Arjuna and Arjuna was free of all doubts. Like that today Parikshit maharaja went back to Godhead. Today is the great day. It is written in the Bhagavatam that those who place the Bhagavat on a golden throne and distribute it will return to the kingdom of God .  This is the result of distribution of Srimad Bhagavatam, and that is why I am here to do some distribution. Upon Bhima Prabhu’s request I had made the video on behalf of the BBT Campaign which is promoting the distribution of Bhagavat Bhagavatam today. Have you distributed any books? In Noida 20 sets of Bhagavatam have been distributed. I told Bhima Prabhu, director of BBT, “In my zone we will distribute 108 Bhagavatam sets. We have 10 temples, so we will distribute 108 sets in 10 temples. How many for Nagpur – 11 sets. Do we have 11 Bhagavatam sets to distribute in the next week? The price is Rs 4000 per set.

Distribute them to devotees or katha premis. Keeping Bhagavatam at home is like keeping the Lord at home. Bhagavat is Lord Himself. So distribute 1 or 2 sets.  Is there anyone here to give or receive? Partha Prabhu has 2 of them. Then you should donate 1 to someone. Remember someone who might take it or if you remember someone’s birthday,
anniversary. Like that it is easy to distribute 11 sets.

Grantharaj Srimad Bhagwatam ki Jai

Prabhupada had started translating some books like Easy journey to other planets, Isopanisad etc. before his sannyasa. From Mathura Prabhupada then went to Vrndavana and started living in Radha Damodar mandir. There he started translating Bhagavatam into English. That was his instruction from his Guru to preach in English. Prabhupada was thinking that there should be some books in English, so he translated the 1st canto of Bhagavatam with word to word meaning translation and purport. Prabhupada did this in Radha Damodar temple. He wrote , he typed, he edited. He was doing everything himself. He would go to Delhi by train, travelling in 3rd class. Not by plane. Nowadays there is no 3rd class train, but I have seen it.  There are two parts of Delhi – one part of Delhi is across Yamuna, on the Eastern bank of Yamuna. He found one printer there, so that’s where he went. After sannyasa he started translating Bhagavatam. There is a connection here between Prabhupada sannyasa and the completion of the recitation of Bhagavatam. Prabhupada took sannyasa and translated the Bhagavatam.Prabhupada took  200 set of Bhagavatam  to America. Sukadeva Goswami katha is world renowned.

Bhagavatam is being distributed in many languages, In our mission ‘Books are the Basis.’ Bhagavatam is praman. Every day in the temple we have Bhagavatam class and every year we have Bhagavat saptah. Like this Prabhupada become the representative of Vyasa Dev. Vyasa means wide spread, expansion. Bhagavat was composed by Vyasa Dev and he taught it to his son Sukadeva Goswami. Just like Valmiki taught Ramayana to Luv and Kush and they further preached. Valmiki was thinking, “I have composed Ramyana, but who will preach.” He was thinking like this and at same time the bell rang. “May we come in, Sir?” 2 small boys came inside. Valmiki understood  that these are the ones who will preach. So Valmiki taught them the full Ramayana. In the same way Bhagavat was also taught by Vyasa Dev to Sukadeva Goswami.  So Sukadeva Goswami became the 1st speaker of Bhagavatam. Kaliyuga was only 30 years when Lord Krsna went back to His abode, same day Kaliyuga started. After 30 years Sukadeva Goswami recited to Parikshit Maharaja. Parikshit was king for 30 years. As soon as the Pandava’s heard that Lord Krsna left they took sannyasa and they enthroned King Parikshit.

So Krsna’s departure, Pandava’s taking sannyasa and Parikshit becomes King of the world. He was cursed by Shringi and the 7 days the katha happened . That time Kaliyuga was 30 years as described in Padma Purana. That was the first official Bhagavad katha Same katha Suta Goswami was also hearing, even Vyasa Dev was hearing the katha from his son and disciple. He himself became the srota. Narada Muni was also there. Next katha was in Naimisharanya where Suta Goswami spoke . He spoke to the sages in Naimisharanya.

So when you read Bhagavatam, which I am sure you all do do you read in between comes Suta uvaca. What we are reading is recited by Suta Goswami. Suta Goswami is reciting exactly the same one which he heard from Sukadeva Goswami. After Suta uvaca comes Sukha uvaca.  If someone asks Suta Goswami a question he would say that Sukadeva Goswami would answer like this . So Granth Raj Srimad Bhagwatam is the topmost scripture, brilliant as the sun. Kaliyuga came and we started sleeping in katha . Due to mode of ignorance we can’t see anything. Our vision is destroyed. When the Lord departed, but at the same time He was staying back in the form of katha. Krsna told Uddhava this. When Uddhava came to know that Lord Krsna is going, he also wanted to go with Him. Krsna rejected that idea. Krsna said, “I will exist in the form of katha.” When we hear katha we will see the form of the Lord. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also used to hear Bhagavatam katha from Gadadhar Pandit.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare