WINTER BOOK DISTRIBUTION MARATHON 2024

The Winter Book Distribution Marathon is around the corner!!

The most humbling, the most daunting and the service that gets you Krishna’s mercy the fastest undoubtedly goes to “Book Distribution”. Because to be able to do this service nicely, first of all one requires to be well situated in their own Krishna Consciousness, it also requires one to allow their pride and ego to be crushed day in and day out and inspite of being faced with constant humiliation one must have a unique kind of determination to please Srila Prabhupada which is the heart of this service.

Srila Prabhupada said “Everyone should preach and distribute books if they want to please me in the best way”. Prabhupada stressed over and again the importance of Krishna’s message reaching each and every home across countries transcending every barrier, every religion, caste, creed, race, gender, language etc. so that if one soul in one home, sincerely studies the scriptures and takes to Krishna Consciousness, the whole family is capable of going back home Back to Godhead!!

Just to fulfill this desire of Srila Prabhupada, so many devotees have dedicated their lives to book distribution service. Despite the scorching summers or biting winters, Srila Prabhupada’s book distribution army goes out day in and day out to show mercy on the countless conditioned souls on the street. Billions of books have been distributed across continents to date and millions of people have become devotees and benefited just because of this book distribution effort. The rest of us can atleast try and take part in this profound cause during the marathons. Marathons happen across all ISKCON‘s the whole of December. Get in touch with your nearest ISKCON and be a part of this sankirtan!

While it will be extremely enticing to stay back home in the harsh winters, what to say of the unpredictable rains in Bengaluru…

Will we be ready to shrug aside all our laziness seeking coziness, and put the mission of Srila Prabhupada’s desire before our own, just to bring a smile on the lotus Lips of Srila Prabhupada?

It’s upto each one of us to decide!!

It’s upto us to go through this trial!

It’s upto us to go out and give mercy!

It’s upto us to then receive Prabhupada’s causeless mercy!

What Srila Prabhupada said about Book Distribution

This, our book distribution is the most important task in our society. Therefore I am giving so much stress and I am working so hard on this. Because this is my life and soul according to the order of my Guru Maharaja. And by his grace it is to some extent successful. And I took it seriously. I take it seriously still now. That is my life and soul. I never tried in India to construct big temples or even in your country we didn’t. I never tried. But I was selling personally books. That is the history. Sometimes they are criticizing, “What kind of sannyasi? He is doing book business.” (laughs) (Room Conversation — December 31, 1976, Bombay)

My Guru Maharaja gave me hint that book publication is more pleasing to me than Matha-mandira (temples). So I took it and I began to publish books and that has come successful. Karyam karma. I took it, “Oh, Guru Maharaja wants that books should be published. So let me concentrate on this instead of…” My creating so many centers, big, big temples, that is not my primary duty. My primary duty is to write books. Therefore I am going on still. These are coming automatically. Maybe this is the secret of my success. (Morning Walk — April 2, 1974, Bombay)

Your Sankirtana Movement is going on even with no house, so there is no cause of lamentation. You must go on with Sankirtana and selling our literature, never mind there is temple or not. (Letter to: Mukunda  —  New Vrindaban 10 June, 1969)

That is nice that you are distributing many books. I do not want money, or buildings or anything else, I simply want to see that my books are being distributed and because you are doing that I am quite happy. (Letter to Prahladananda, 28 August, 1973)

According to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, distributing literature is like playing on a great mrdanga. Consequently we always request members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami, one can become a rupanuga devotee. (Madhya 19.132)

Your report of book distribution is very encouraging. Please go on increasing more and more. Yes, you should become the topmost temple for distributing my books. This is a very good proposal. That is the only way to please me. Distribute my books profusely. That is real preaching. (Letter to: Bala Krsna  —  Vrindaban 23 October, 1976)

Srila Prabhupada has spoken and written countless letters on how book distribution is the most important business of each and every devotee in ISKCON and that nothing else can please Prabhupada more dearly. 

P.S May we read each and every letter as if it were addressed to us lovingly by Srila Prabhupada, our ever well wisher, and reciprocate!