A HAPPY MESSAGE

IN PRAISE OF SRILA PRABHUPADA – ESSAY 6: APRIL 1st, 2025

- Vrindavan Candra Das

In the Padma Purana we find the song: Gita Mahatmya, which was originally chanted by Lord Shiva. The first stanza in Sanskrit reads as follows:

gītā-śāstram idaḿ puṇyaḿ yaḥ paṭhet prayataḥ pumān

viṣṇoḥ padam avāpnoti bhaya-śokādi-varjitaḥ

If one properly follows the instructions of Bhagavad Gita, one can be freed from all the miseries and anxieties of life. One will be freed from all fears in this life, and one's next life will be spiritual.

And in the fourth verse we hear: 

Because Bhagavad Gita is spoken by Krishna, one need not read any other Vedic literature. This one book, Bhagavad Gita, will suffice, because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures.

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Who doesn't long for a life without fears and worries, without suffering and misery? Forget all the knowledge you have acquired so far in this life, all the advice you have ever been given and all the attempts to take your life into your own hands. You can put aside all your treasure trove of books that promise you that you will achieve the desired goal if you just follow their advice. Replace them all with another book and you will be successful. This other book is written in Sanskrit and was spoken by Krishna Himself. Krishna, the originator of everything that exists and will ever exist, knows best how to solve these problems. It is called: The Song of God or Bhagavad Gita as it is.

Now you may think: Who can read or understand Sanskrit? Krishna has taken care of that too. 129 years ago, He sent one of His favourite devotees to earth with the task of translating His words into a language that people in Kaliyuga could understand. This person was born in the house of Gour Mohan De in Calcutta. At the age of 72, he then published the Bhagavad Gita as it is in English. The version printed by His Divine Grace Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada fulfils what is promised in the Gita Mahatmya, mentioned above. It contains the original Sanskrit verses with Latin transliteration, a complete translation of all 700 verses and a comprehensive glossary with explanations of the most important Sanskrit terms.

I almost forgot the most important part: The detailed explanations. Without them, it would often be difficult to put Krishna's words into practice. ´As It Is´ - these three words are very meaningful. Only those who are authorised by Krishna can render His words in another language in such a way that Krishna's opinion is not changed. Today this work is available in 82 different languages. Srila Prabhupada left our planet in 1977, but in his books he will remain alive forever.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!