20250315 ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA BOOK DISTRIBUTION AWARDS 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 

Jayapataka Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda has inspired all of uṣ. HG Ramesvara prabhu told a nice story about Caitanya-caritamrta. When he came to Calcutta in 1970, he had seventh adhyaya, chapter, of the Adi-lila printed as a book! Because in that adhyaya, Lord Caitanya, He would normally avoid mayavadis, but this time he converted all of them to Vaisnavaṣ. You are all hungry for breakfast, I will speak very short! 

We are meeting together to discuss and give appreciation to the book distributors. Anyway, actually the devotees in Mayapur, they are also more and more coming to the book distribution consciousness. Yesterday was a very special day! We had visitors of 2,31,000! But book distribution did not increase that much! It rose a little bit! 2,31,000 people! So they just told me that yesterday we distributed 507 sets of Caitanya-caritamrta!  That wasn’t reported at Mangala Arati! We want to inspire everyone! If the leaders advocate, then the regular devotees, will respond. I told Subeksana prabhu, I suggested that why don’t we put the monthly score of the Sankirtana department with the score of all the – two line in the graph, some months maybe Mayapur does more and some months Sankirtana does. They should see how everyone in Mayapur is a sankirtana devotee! Sankirtana doesn’t have any competition! But Mayapur can give competition! So of course, for me this meeting is very emotional! What I am seeing is that HH Bhakti Viajya Bhagavata Swami, he is not only leading and distributing, I think he might have put some of his score in mine, but he has the gṛhasthas, the ladies also in his team. Of course, he is inspiring the Sankirtana devotees who are part of his team! So, I am very pleased by the devotees who are distributing books. In previous years, I would call out the different bus parties and encourage them, this year with various health reasons, I thought about but could not do it. I mean, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, people will come here, but I went out on the bus party distributing books. What sacrifice they are taking, the bus distributors, going on the buses – if you did not do it, you will not understand! I went with HH Bhakti Charu Swami! And he was then Bhakta Kishore! Everybody having this experience is a great asset! 

Anyway, I would like to wish everyone who is here, my asirwada (blessings). 

Kṛṣṇe matir astu! Haribol!