gita jayanti distribution from chowapatty

[Guest guest]

> The event became glorious because it was spontaneous and no one planned or

> imagined at the way things turned out. Hrishiskesh Ananda Prabhu announced

> that all the book tables, across various corners in Mumbai should total up

> to 1008 on this one day. However Krishna and Srila Prabhupada had better

> plans. Initially only a handful of devotees, struggled at the book table,

> vying for space with many others. Soon, a few joined and then many

> devotees, returning home from work, were inspired. They left other

> engagements and decided to join the fun. This enthusiasm was contagious

> and it was amazing to see the usually reticent and shy devotees, also

> shout loudly and enthusiastically preach. As the last train left for the

> night, the total crossed 1100 Bhagavad Gita, at just, this one station.

 

All glories to the Bombay sankirtan devotees. I am sure Srila

Prabhupada is extremely happy to witness their efforts. Here's nice story

from 1975 Thanksgiving Day in America. Ramesvara had sent a report about

book distribution in America (this is a little long but its well worth the

read):

 

December 9, 1975 -- Vrindavana

 

"Ramesvara concluded enthusiastically, "Our only desire is to surrender our

lives to help publish and distribute millions of Your Divine Grace's

wonderful books. Here in LA they are selling over 200,000 BTGs this month of

December, more than even the entire Radha-Damodara party combined. Of course

Radha-Damodara is selling more big books than anyone else. Devotees are more

enlivened in the USA than I have ever seen for distributing your books. This

will be the biggest month ever. Already one million BTGs is not enough for

this month."

 

"Nothing pleases Srila Prabhupada more than hearing how his books are being

printed and sold. He wrote back, "You keep your enlivened position. I was

just talking to Hansaduta about the good fortune of America that Krsna

consciousness is there; and if you can cover the whole America with Krsna

consciousness that will be good for the whole world."

 

"Then Hansaduta prabhu read out an ecstatic report by Uttamasloka dasa, the

president of the Chicago temple, although it was not directly addressed to

Srila Prabhupada. It described the efforts of the devotees in the recent

record-breaking, Thanksgiving-day book-distribution competition. Out of

5,000 books sold by the three temples, Chicago, assisted by nine

Radha-Damodara traveling sa"kirtana party brahmacaris, sold over 2,000. The

letter was written to Ramesvara prabhu and sent on. Hansaduta read it out

loud as Prabhupada listened, eyes sometimes wide with amazement and

appreciation at the incredible effort and risk his disciples are taking to

distribute his books throughout this world of darkness:

 

"We took the challenge seriously—not that we were puffed up and over

confident of victory—for we knew that anything could happen by Lord

Caitanya's mercy. Then the first crew left—16 men and women—they were

distributing by about 6:30 a.m. Later a small party went out by about 10:00

a.m. with more books and prasadam, and later on in the day several others

came out. Altogether there were about 25 devotees at the airport throughout

the day. Sripati and I sort of floated about helping in different ways, like

you did. There were the 17 regular distributors plus Tripurari Swami and a

couple of weekend regulars and a few more new comers.

 

"In the first hour and half most of the distributors had done 15 to 25

books, so by the time we got out (about 11:00 a.m.) they had already done

about 300-400 books! The mornings are always good. Things were quiet; not

too many announcements and no break ups or hassles. We all met together for

lunch at 1:00 p.m. and took a preliminary count: over 750 books—we were

close to breaking the world's record half way through the day. By 1:00 p.m.

Manusuta dasa had already done 100!!!!!! Praghosa dasa 80!!!! and Tripurari

Swami 70!!!!! Our hairs began to stand on end a little as we speculated

about the potential results and everyone was back distributing by 1:30 p.m.

"Basically we distribute two terminals... there is a corridor about 25ft.

wide that the people funnel through after coming from the 'fingers'... All

of the passengers come through there on their way to the baggage claim and

also on their way to a flight.... We found out from the paper next morning

that over 220,000 people came through the airport that day!!!!

 

"At about 4:00 p.m.... a demon worker of the airlines came up to one devotee

and punched him in the face; the men were stunned. Then he went up to

another devotee and punched him in the face! The men and karmis began to

congregate. Tripurari Swami came running to see what was happening; the

demon punched him in the face!!! All of the devotees immediately jumped on

the demon and began beating the stool out of him!!!!!!! There was a huge

crowd all around and the devotees were shouting for the police to stop this

man. There was blood on his face and on the ground. Praghosa's punch had

drawn blood and there were drops of blood on Praghosa's clothes and drops of

perspiration on his face: he was feeling very blissful!!"

 

"Prabhupada's eyes opened wide at the description of the fight. "Accha!" he

said in surprise, shaking his head in wonder at the risks his men were

taking on his and Krsna's behalf. Hansaduta was laughing and shaking his

head in awe and he read on.

"Half the crowd was in our favor and the other half against. The police came

in and the demon said that we had given him a book and then taken it back

and started a fight. The police arrested the devotees! This is typical of

all the incidents—they attack us and we get arrested! Anyway somehow or

another, by Krsna's grace, the devotees were released and back distributing

in 20 minutes.

 

"Around 6:00 p.m. I took a preliminary count... I sat in the phone booth and

added the score. As I added my eyebrows began to raise higher and higher! My

eyes began to bulge from their sockets!! My mouth dropped open! I was

speechless! Tears actually began to flow from my eyes! We had broken 1400

books! I couldn't believe it; I was stunned and took another count to be

sure, and sure enough, it was right. I began to shout in ecstasy 'Hari Bol,

Hari Bol, Hari Bol!' All the karmis were looking at me through the phone

booth with screwed up faces of bewilderment... .

 

"When I got back there had been another incident... A couple of

plainclothers (cops) had tried to set up one of the women for an arrest and

she tried to get one of the men to help her. One of the men tried to

intervene and they arrested him and took him downstairs. Another mother went

down to find the girl whom they tried to arrest and when the cops saw her

they said "Where's the other girl?I don't know" she said. "OK, then we'll

arrest you instead!Hey, let me go! I didn't do anything!" Two small

scuffles broke out with the two devotees and the police. Another devotee

came in to stop it... and the police turned on him and the three of them

mercilessly beat him up on the floor in front of many bystanders! One of the

policemen's guns fell out during the scuffle and books were scattered every

where. The devotees were then taken to jail downtown (the two men devotees).

Of course this knocked at least 100 books off our score."

 

Prabhupada was listening with rapt attention to the whole description,

occasionally raising his eyebrows in surprise and shaking his head and

smiling in appreciation. He was aglow with obvious pride at the

determination of his disciples to sell his books despite all obstacles, and

he listened to the entire report, blow by blow.

 

"While we listened to this incident and took prasadam, a demon who had found

three books ripped them up and threw them in our midst. Unaffected, a little

tired, but undaunted in their determination, the devotees went back to

distribute. Meanwhile a huge blizzard began and traffic started jamming both

on the roads and in the air.. At 10:30 p.m. I got a report from Sripati:

over 1700 books—we might break 2,000!!!! This is incredible!! Who can

imagine the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu? All but four of the men were

coming back at 11:30 p.m.—Manusuta w/191; Praghosa w/153; Tripurari Swami

w/135 and Ranganatha w/120.... The first crew returned in the blizzard by

2:00 a.m. and the four others left about 1:30 or 2:00 a.m. Everyone

struggled to get up for mangala arati (the four latecomers didn't even go to

sleep) and after an ecstatic kirtana I ran around to get the final scores...

On Thursday we fasted from breakfast and chanted and slept till noon arati

when we had a big arati kirtana and after a nice feast!!!!

 

"Thank you for inspiring us to compete for the mercy of the Spiritual

Master. If it weren't for you we wouldn't know what to do. All glories to

Srila Prabhupada!

Your servant, Uttamasloka dasa."

 

"Another page carried the totals for each distributor. Two men did over 400

between them: Manusuta set a new individual world's record with 210 books,

Praghosa was just behind with 200. Another seven, Tripurari Swami,

Ranganatha, Romapada, Buddhimanta, and Preraka prabhus, including two women,

Sadbhuja and Jagaddhatri dasis, broke the one-hundred—book mark. The grand

total was 2,042 hardbound books.

 

"At the bottom of the list Uttamasloka added a note to Ramesvara: "My humble

suggestion and request is that you read this letter and all of its contents

to the assembled devotees of New Dvaraka Dhama. Even though it is

irregularly composed and full of mistakes and errors, it is still very

transcendentally pleasing and will be relished by all."

 

"At the top of the letter Ramesvara had written in large clear capital

letters, "THE MOST ECSTATIC SKP NEWSLETTER OF ALL TIME! SHOULD BE READ ALOUD

TO ALL OF THE ASSEMBLED DEVOTEES!"

 

"When Hansaduta finished, Srila Prabhupada had a huge smile on his face,

clearly pleased and obviously enjoying transcendental ecstasy. He dictated

his reply, not to Ramesvara but to Uttamasloka. "Please accept my blessings.

I read your sankirtana newsletter with great relish. Europe and America are

in great danger, this Hare Krsna movement is enveloping them. The sankirtana

devotees are very, very dear to Krsna. Because they are doing the field work

of book distribution, Krsna has immediately recognized them as true

servants. Just like during the war time, a farm boy or ordinary clerk who

goes out to fight for his country on the front, immediately becomes a

national hero for his sincere effort. So Krsna immediately recognizes a

preacher of Krsna consciousness who takes all risks to deliver his message.

 

"It is called dhira bratta—determination. These boys and girls are

mahatmas-mahatmanas tu mam partha, daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya

manaso, jnatva bhutadim avyayam:—'O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded,

the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are

fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.' This verse is

applicable here. If these boys were under the material nature they would not

take so much risk. They are mahatma, they are real mahatma, not that long

beard and saffron cloth mahatma. They are unswerving in their determination,

dhira bratta. All glories to the American devotees!

"I hope this letter finds you and all the sankirtana devotees well,

Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami."

 

Your humble servant,

Hari-sauri dasa