20240811 Bhādra Super Sunday Address

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: So this Bhādra Pūrṇimā campaign came about naturally because in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it states that whoever gives away the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam on this Pūrṇimā, by putting a Bhāgavatam on a golden throne and offering pūjā, goes back to Godhead. So His Grace Vaiśeṣika Prabhu kindly encouraged everyone to sell sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Which they could give away on Bhādra Pūrṇimā. Whom we give to is not mentioned. You can give it to your dear husband, to the Nāma-haṭṭa saṅga, your neighbor, whoever you want. So, the point is to distribute as many sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as possible. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is very sacred. It is said that anyone who has a Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so sacred that all the devas come and pay their respects. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is considered the saram or the cream of all the Vedas. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is filled with the glories of devotional service. For someone who has the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, has Kṛṣṇa! So we should encourage people to get a Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam set and if they give it away on Bhādra Pūrṇimā, then they go back to Godhead. So that is a free ticket!

So, people buy sets of encyclopedias but a set of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is much valuable! So, through the Bhādra Pūrṇimā campaign we are getting many more sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam distributed.

“Those words describing the glories of the all-famous Personality of Godhead are attractive, relishable and every fresh. Indeed such words are a perpetual festival for the mind and they dry up the ocean of misery.”

We are missing the presence of His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami. He was promoting book distribution very enthusiastically. He was the international trustee of the BBT. He was Chairman of the Indian BBT. He was encouraging devotees to distribute Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. So, it is a great loss to not have him! We are hopeful that his disciples and well-wishers will take up this heritage and distribute books. We would like to thank His Grace Vaiśeṣika Prabhu who has started these campaigns and the Bhādra campaign is very special! He usually has maps of different countries and different continents and their pledges.

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Yes Mahārāja, humble obeisances at your lotus feet. We do have maps that we would like to stay if you would like to stay a few more minutes.

Jayapatākā Swami: We have got 100 odd more people here physically. So what is the goal for 2024?

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: 68,000 sets.

Jayapatākā Swami: 68,000 sets!

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Yes Mahārāja, because we are trying to reach a goal of 108,000 by your recommendation, we had a hundred thousand but you said we should put an 8 at the end, so we did. And then we knew when you put the 8 on the end we will be successful! So I will go by 2026, it would be 100,008 sets worldwide.

Jayapatākā Swami: So by 2026 you are expecting to distribute 100,008 sets.

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Yes Mahārāja, with your blessings!

Jayapatākā Swami: All the100 devotees assembled here will also have to distribute sets!

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Mahārāja, I wanted to tell you something since you mentioned His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami Mahārāja. The last time that Mahārāja was in America, and some of his disciples had gathered and come to him very enthusiastically and said to him, we have come together and have made a goal to distribute at least 400 sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams. And Mahārāja replied, why not 5000?! So then his disciples took that in their hearts that this is the order of their spiritual master. So now they are organizing around this principle around North America, the disciples of His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami Mahārāja are keeping scores amongst themselves. It is part of the greater score but amongst themselves they are endeavoring to distribute at least 5000. Śyāma Mohinī, I would like to show the map to Mahārāja now.

This year we are intensely remembering His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami Mahārāja, and the ways in which he dedicated himself to book distribution. This iconic photograph of him with Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have turned it into a logo and we are propagating it everywhere. This is the phrase that Śrīla Prabhupāda uttered to His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami Mahārāja, which Mahārāja took to his heart, in fact Mahārāja used to tell me this regularly and he would recount the story that I already mentioned earlier about how he tried to sell books in a bookstore and it wasn’t successful. And Śrīla Prabhupāda said that “My books are sold because of the enthusiasm of my disciples.” So we are taking this logo in remembrance of His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami Mahārāja and the phrase that Śrīla Prabhupāda empowered him with to lead this marathon. As you mentioned this is the verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.13.13:

If on the full moon day of the month of Bhādra one places Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam on a golden throne and gives it as a gift, he will attain the supreme transcendental destination.

That penguin is not randomly there but because we are able to put books on to Antarctica! It is a long story. There is a video about it. Now there are books in the Scientific Research Center in Antarctica, so that is why the penguin is there!

Jayapatākā Swami: So does the penguin read the books?!

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Ha! Ha! By your mercy Mahārāja, just like Jhārikhaṇḍa forest! I am hoping! Ha! Ha!

Jayapatākā Swami: You should take advantage of Kṛṣṇa’s offer and distribute Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He is saying that you can go back to Godhead in that verse. It is a free blessing! And if you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, then you can distribute Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in any way. So, how are you going to make the pledges for 68,000? We only have a third of that pledged. We don’t have regions here like Australasia, Africa and Europe. We could better in Latin America and everywhere else! Europe is very little, they can do a lot.

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Mahārāja, the lion’s share right now is in India. They have had much larger pledges in the past. So we still are waiting for several of the leaders there to pledge. How much did they pledge last time? Last year they had pledged around 35,000. This year they have pledged 12,700 right now and their goal for India should be 50,000. We have looked up at that entire continent and there is no difficulty if everyone just pledges. There are a lot of regions that haven’t pledged yet. We are expecting more but it could be way more than that. Because there are so many centers there that even if each pledges 5 or 10 even, they would easily hit the goal for India.

Jayapatākā Swami: So it may be easier if you calculate what the pledges should be to reach 68,000.

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Pledges for India should be 49,500. They just have to double a couple of times what they have now. One and a half more, it is not hard, so we intend to go around to all the leaders. Bhīma Prabhu and I are working to contact leaders and we are His Holiness Bhānu Mahārāja to put out a letter. Other leaders can advocate to all of their areas to make some more pledges.

Jayapatākā Swami: So we will see if we can advocate a little bit and get some more pledges.

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Thank you Mahārāja, it makes all the difference! We would like to show you a video we created recently.

Jayapatākā Swami: Drops of water make the ocean! Assume that it can be done!

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Haribol! Thank you Mahārāja! We are deeply grateful for you enlivening us and enlivening the world. We will try to follow in your footsteps and continue step by step to fulfill Śrīla Prabhupāda’s order to cover the earth with transcendental literature. And we will bring you a report in a week or two to let you know how things are going. Here is the Africa map. We have pledges from Africa at 298 sets.

Jayapatākā Swami: What did they pledge last year?

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Last year the pledge was around 340 and the total was around 620 I think. So you would like to smash your goals in Africa. So one thing is the pledge and one thing is what the devotees attain!

Jayapatākā Swami: Some of the countries in Africa speak French or Portuguese. But others speak English like Nigeria.

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: We have French sets, His Holiness Janānanda Swami arranged for that. And those are available and we are trying to make sure that every place has the inventory that they need.

Jayapatākā Swami: His Holiness Mahā-Viṣṇu Mahārāja has been preaching in Africa. You should encourage him to take some sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: Okay Mahārāja, we will do so right away! We will relay the message to him. We are deeply grateful with you for having come on today. We will follow up with His Holiness Mahā-Viṣṇu Mahārāja. We will also follow your request to ask the leaders in India, South America, wherever that they could pledge and increase their pledges and will get back to you within a week and let you know how things are going.

Jayapatākā Swami: I would request that some devotees take pledges for distributing sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I will also promote it.

Vaiśeṣika Prabhu: That makes all the difference Mahārāja. Thank you very much!

We are very blessed Mahārāja by your presence and association. We are empowered by your words and your presence Mahārāja. You always come and give us by your example what it means to be enthusiastic. And we are praying that we may rise to the occasion, start the fire of enthusiasm all over the world to distribute the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to stave off the bad effects of Kali-yuga and usher in a new age under the Golden Avatāra of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thank you for considering our request our dear Lord, please empower us to serve you. Everybody agrees with this prayer in whole or in part? Haribol!