(Srila Prabhupada's with his books in the Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha Temple, Chowpatty, Mumbai)
Hare Krishna!
By the mercy of H. G. Jai Narsimha Prabhu, I (along with a few other glorious devotees) have tasted the bliss of spreading the mercy of Lord Chaitanya in the form of distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. Every Saturday and Sunday JaiNarsimha Prabhu sets up his book stall on the Walking Plaza. I (and a few other glorious devotees) try to go there to assist him.
Two recent developments have really inspired me a lot to seriously take up this service of distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. One, my recent visit to the San Jose ISKCON Temple where the massive book distributor H. G. Vaisesika Prabhu is inspiring the youth of the Silicon Valley to regularly go out and distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. And two, H. G. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu! He is a disciple of H. H. Bhakti Vikasa Swami Maharaj and has recently joined our company. Book distribution is his life and soul! This is the way he wishes to please and serve his spiritual master. His intense desire for book distribution has rubbed on to me a little and I hope that in his association even I make this service my life and soul. These are ofcourse high sounding words from such a little mouth as mine, but then, what is impossible in the association of great Vaishnavas like H. G. Jai Narsimha Prabhu and H. G. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu who have so clearly made their own desires one with the desires of Srila Prabhupada and their respective spiritual masters?
This Saturday a couple of amazing things happened. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu urged me to write an article on it, and this is that article. We were standing near our stall and engrossed in book distribution. Not far away, amateur pop singers were performing their music show on the temporary wooden stage that is setup every weekend on Walking Plaza. Only by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada’s Transcendental Book Distribution were we quite unaffected by the going-ons of the Walking Plaza, which is pretty much the hub of mundane gross sense gratification in the city of Pune. The site of those glittering gems, Srila Prabhupada’s books, was the only solace to the eyes. The constant chanting of Hare Krishna was the only solace to the ears. The feel of the “Bhagavad Gita – As It Is” was like the warm embrace of the Lord. The glorification of Srila Prabhupada’s books was the only solace for the wandering mind. The techniques used to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books were the only solace for the intelligence. The pleas to the customers to take a Prabhupada book were just what the false ego needed. Thus, Srila Prabhupada’s books were gradually washing away all our anarthas (impurities) and establishing us in the state of Samadhi -- constant engagement in the service of the Lord!
Just then, I remember, I saw Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu telling someone “At least fifty. Five-Zero.” I didn’t understand what it was all about and so I again went back to raising my two hands, chanting Hare Krishna (loudly, but not as loud as the music), holding “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” in one hand and “Coming Back” in another and hoping that someone notices the stall and at least stops by. Sometimes it happens that no one comes for a long time. And then I start hoping desperately that I should atleast be able to distribute one book today. And then someone comes along and takes two Bhagavad Gitas! It happened this Sunday. And I cannot tell you how grateful I felt to those two young boys who took the Bhagavad Gitas. Anyways… coming back to “Five-Zero”. A few minutes later, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu told me that the person has ordered 50 Bhagavad Gitas!! I was stunned for a moment. And I was also very happy for Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu. I could imagine how happy he must be at that moment and how he must be restraining himself and not jumping and roaring around in joy! :-)
But this is not all! Its not even the main reason Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu urged me to write this article. The main reason is what follows. Suddenly, out of the blue, we heard the Hare Krishna Mahamantra! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! Since I was myself chanting the mantra, it took me a while to realize what was happening. Then, to my astonishment, I realized that the Mahamantra was being chanted by someone on that wooden stage! “Look who’s chanting!!” In the mike! Audible to all! He chanted it a few times and also asked the crowd to repeat it behind him! And Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu did repeat it behind him. Louder than the mike! Louder than the hundreds of people gathered around. And Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu also roared “Once more! Once more!” It was an amazing experience!
(H. G. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu!)
Surely the person was inspired by the Paramatma within to chant the MahaMantra in the microphone. Surely he got lots and lots of “ajnata sukruti” because of it. Surely, the hundreds of people assembled there benefited from the transcendental sound vibration emanating from the lips of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu. And surely, the book distribution stall was the only reason all this happened! Time and again it is demonstrated by the Lord that book distribution is a completely transcendental and mystical activity and that its power is unfathomable. No wonder Srila Prabhupada loved it like nothing else.
These pastimes remind me of the pastimes of H. H. Indradyumna Swami Maharaj, whose “Diary of a Travelling Preacher” is filled with such inconceivable happenings. As I can now clearly see, there is no exaggeration in those pastimes. They are there for all to see. Lord Chaitanya is the most munificent Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore what is it that He cannot do? And yet, the nature of the Lord and His activities is such that each time the pastimes seem as if new and fresh! Each time it takes our breath away, and each time it takes us that little bit closer to Him.
Your servant,
Abhijit.
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