20221024 Visit to ISKCON Bhāgavata Mahā-vidyālaya in Govardhana Vṛndāvana, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurun dina tāriṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: Recently I heard a lot of Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures and it clearly says that sometimes in a sarcastic way Śrīla Prabhupāda says that his disciples only distribute books. And when people asked them what was in the books they said, “I don’t know, I only distribute them.” Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted his devotees should read his books. He talked about boiling the milk and that was especially that people should study his books. Recently the new Education Minister said his focus is that people should read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. I am very happy that ISKCON Bhāgavata Mahā Vidyālaya is teaching various courses on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. They have around 12,000 online students, so that is very encouraging. People should know Śrīla Prabhupāda’s philosophy.

I mentioned in a class how one of the gṛhasthas he took his family to Keturī grāma. There Lord Caitanya had bathed in Padmā river and had kept love of Godhead for Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. And he was in ecstasy when he bathed. And we had the realization Śrīla Prabhupāda had said, writing his books was his personal ecstasy. So if you want to get love of Godhead, you should read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books because there is love of Godhead there. Can devotees from England also be a part of this online course? No problem! So this is very encouraging. I don’t know, I am very encouraged by the information, our Māyāpur Institute has many courses also but I don’t know if they have 12,000 students. I am going to ask them! But we want our devotees to go deep into the study of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. And I was offered honorary Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedānta degrees since I am an older devotee. But I want to encourage devotees to actually read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, so I said I don’t want the honorary degrees, I want to take the test! Here is Patrī Prabhu! Right now, I am on the 6^th canto. I got A or A+ in all the cantos. I don’t know what I will get in the 6^th. But if I complete, I should get the Bhakti-vaibhava. Patrī Prabhu taking courses? (Patrī Prabhu: Am attending Bhāgavata classes online) This is very important. Recently I heard that Śrīla Prabhupāda told the GBCs and leaders to encourage all the devotees to read his books. We have been expanding, making new temples, but actually, reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books we did not stress much. But now I am committed to encouraging everyone to read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. And I am very glad that the ISKCON Bhāgavata Mahā Vidyālaya is doing such a noble work. And if some people have Ph.Ds then may be in the future we can officially engage them in the Māyāpur University that Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted! Hare Kṛṣṇa!