20241114 Inauguration of International Book Marathon 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

Jayapatākā Swami: Today, this is the program before the Marathon. Someone spoke that we always get the first place! That is not true! His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami Mahārāja fired up his Delhi temple and many years, they got the first place! Now, we are, and with the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Gaurāṅga, we are able to be first. But there is no reason to become lazy. We have to try our level best. I was in the ILBS hospital in Delhi during the Marathon last year. And I spied! What did the Delhi temple by which they took the first place? Starting in October, their president toured each devotee, each Nāma-haṭṭa, each Bhakti-vṛkṣa, each saṅkīrtana party. And he would ask, “What is your quota, what is your goal for this year?” This is an idea for His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami. But now there is no time. Every devotee should make a goal, a pledge, how many books, he will distribute. The saṅkīrtana devotees are going out around Bengal and neighboring states. But the devotees that stay here, December month is the biggest month. I remember that in the month of December some days even 50,000 people come to visit. So this is a good opportunity for the devotees in Māyāpur to also distribute books. We have one kīrtana party that chants by the side of Cakra Building. I was thinking that we should have many other parties. He said in Navadvīpa we can have parties. I was thinking that even inside our property, by the Main Gate, also by the Samādhi Mandir, by the other entrances – there we have a Bhagavad-gītā Melā. Now we have two or three prasāda outlets and besides there is a Gaurāṅga Market. So here, we can have also kīrtana parties. Maybe gṛhastha men are busy but the wives can also distribute books.

Today, I heard a nice quote, Śrīla Prabhupāda said: If you distribute my books, you will be happy. If you read my books you will stay. He said, “You read my books you will be.” So, as there was a book written by Vaiśeṣika, he said, “Book Distribution is Our Family Business.” So, in devotional service if we want to advance, we should always perform bhakti-sevā. Now during this Marathon period, during almost one to one and a half months’ time, there is a great opportunity to engage in devotional service. We have a fairly, I would say, favorable place to distribute books.

In South America, and the Caribbean there are armed gangs. Now there are armed guards in the grocery stores. There husband and wife distribute books. They are taking their lives at risk to distribute the books. I don’t think it is so dangerous in India! I know there is some disturbance in Manipur, Kashmir. But in Māyāpur there is not such a problem. So on the one hand, we like to pray for the saṅkīrtana devotees, we would like engage them, everyone! But we want all the devotees, we want Māyāpur to actually dedicate their activities in this Marathon month to the book distribution. We hear in the morning how different book tables distribute books. We hear how the prasāda halls, they distribute packets of books. And we hear how this saṅkīrtana party organized by His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami, how they distribute books.

So please organize yourself in groups and try to distribute Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books to the visitors. I was thinking this morning, how some people can go right by their house and distribute books in front of the hospital. You should think how you can please Śrīla Prabhupāda by distributing his books. By reading his books, always stay in Kṛṣṇa consciousness! Haribol!