From Back to Godhead
A devotee-bookseller explains.
Have you ever met a Hare Krsna devotee in an airport, a parking lot, or on the street distributing books and collecting donations? Many people wonder why we do this. I’ve been distributing books for over six years, and I’d like to tell you something about the origin of book distribution.
Devotees are not ordinary booksellers; their bookselling is transcendental. It is sankirtana, the glorification of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
By Brihat Mridanga Das
If you thought you knew the Bhagavad-gita, think again.
Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is is an endless mine of gems. Prabhupada Priya Devi Dasi, a veteran miner, offers priceless, jewel-like insights through her modern, accessible translations and commentaries, grounded in Prabhupada’s masterpiece. Whether someone is approaching the Gita for the first time, growing as a dedicated practitioner, or sharing its wisdom as a teacher, The Living Gita speaks to ever
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
Ashta-Sakhis: The Closest Friends of Srimati Radharani offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the lives and personalities of the eight principal gopi associates of Srimati Radharani. Published by ISKCON’s Congregation Development Ministry (CDM), the book is authored by Gourangi Gandharvika Devi Dasi and represents years of heartfelt service, in-depth research, and devotional celebration in Sridham Mayapur.
Raised in the spiritual atmosphere of Mayapur since t
A newly released book, Śrī Ekacakrā-dhāma: Nitai’s Eternal Abode, offers a spiritually rich exploration of the divine birthplace of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu. Authored by Vakreśvari Devī Dāsī, this inspiring volume presents the first comprehensive, full-color guide to Ekacakrā for the global Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava community, combining scriptural insights, vivid descriptions of sacred sites, and heartfelt reflections on the transcendental personality and glorious mission of Lord Nityānanda. Now a candid
As any student of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa will attest, its descriptions of the universe are difficult to comprehend when compared to contemporary understandings. These differences have long challenged Vedic scholars, who have tried in various ways to find reconciliation.
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa‘s significant position as a foundational spiritual text in the Vedic tradition has made this imperative. Richard J. Cole’s Exploring Purāṇic Visions of the Universe briefly examines many of these scholarly ex
Abhidheya Devi Dasi, the founder of Bhakti Kids Sangha and a mother of two, has recently introduced her book, Varnamala: Garland of Syllables, a child-friendly two-volume series for learning the phonetic sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet from the very beginning. With its thoughtfully curated content, this book is an invaluable resource for parents seeking to introduce their children to Sanskrit—a sacred language central to the Vedic tradition.
Abhidheya Devi Dasi actively conducts workshops, hosts
A song called Throw It Away, by the talented Abbey Lincoln, is a song I’ve often sung to call to the Spiritual World in times of distress… I would use the song (and its affect on me) to call to the ancestors to impart guidance and wisdom in times of material crisis – of which I’ve had my share.
I think about the life I live… I think about the things I lost, the things I gave away…
when I’m in a certain mood I search the house…
one night I found these magic words in a magic book
A magic book. Som
Visakha Dasi has released a new book entitled Bhagavad-gita for Children, Krishna Is… This beautifully designed volume is a meditation on Krishna’s representations and energies in this world. Through simple phrases that accompany beautiful illustrations that are ready for coloring, children can easily grasp the Gita‘s relevance. Even more, they are reminded of who Krishna is and how He’s present all around us all the time.
“For me, the teachings of the Gita are meant to be accessible to people o
By Atma Tattva Das
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Africa (BBTA) has once again honored the legacy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada with the release of the 2024 Pan-African Vyasa-puja book. This annual offering, now available for free download on the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust-Africa (BBTA) website, provides a platform for devotees, friends, and well-wishers across the African continent to express their gratitude and reverence for Srila Prabhupada.
This year marks the 128th Vya
Srila Prabhupada’s 128th Vyasa-puja Book has been released in advance of the 2024 Vyasa-puja of our Founder-Acharya. Devotees are encouraged to “share the file widely so all followers of Srila Prabhupada can avail [themselves] of this shower of nectar in glorification of His Divine Grace,” said the VP Book Team, made up of Mukhya Devi Dasi, Praghosa Das, Satyamedha Gauranga Das, Ananda Tirtha Das.
This latest offering can be read online and is also available in a high-resolution format for prin
Dear Devotees,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
With Srila Prabhupada's 128th Vyasa-puja just a few days away, please take the opportunity to download and read the 2024 Vyasa-puja book which was created from all your hearfelt homages:
https://gbc.iskcon.org/srila- prabhupada-vyasa-puja-books/
Please also share the file widely so all followers of Srila Prabhupada can avail of this shower of nectar in glorification of His Divine Grace. A high-res version i
The 2024 Srila Prabhupada Tributes Book has just been released in multiple digital formats. Each year, “the book provides an opportunity for all of Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples to express their realizations, reflections, and gratitude – and for other devotees to read and reflect upon what these disciples have expressed,” notes the Introduction. “The book can [also] help fill your mind with thoughts of Srila Prabhupada and his devotees as the sacred day of Vyasa-puja draws near. And later
Dear follower of Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Thank you for submitting so many heartfelt homages to Srila Prabhupada last year. You can view the full 2023 Vyasa-puja book here:
https://gbc.iskcon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/spvp2023.pdf
This year we request you to submit your homage by April 2, 2024 by emailing it to vphomages@iskcon.net. Below are the standard parameters.
Hoping this meets you well, we remain
Your servants on the Sr
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
Gauranga Darshan Das, an educator, TEDx speaker, and spiritual author of over 32 books, has launched his fourth book in the series, “Illustrated Bhagavatam Tales To Inspire Young Minds,” published and printed by Tulsi Books, a division of Sri Tulsi Trust.
“Bhagavatam Tales” unfolds a narrative skillfully rewoven by Gauranga Darshan Das, distilling profound sagas into a lucid language tailored for young minds. The initial three books cover the first four canto
Visakha Dasi has released a new book entitled Virtues for a Happy Life: Bhagavad-gita for Children. This beautifully designed volume makes the wisdom of the Gita easily accessible through photographs, paintings, and straightforward language as it explores four virtues found in the ancient text. “For me, the four virtues highlighted in the book are foundational teachings of the Gita,” said Visakha, “equal-mindedness (seeing everyone as an atma or soul), healthy-mindedness (understanding Krishna’s
What you were born to do is no longer a mystery. Career Dharma, The Natural Art of Work, by Urmila Devi Dasi (Dr. Edith Best) and Dr. Ruchira S. Datta, is here to help you discover that. The English word natural comes from the Latin term “naturalis,” which means birth, or in Middle English, it denotes the physical power of a person. What is your superpower? What is your dharma?
In this comprehensive volume, the authors begin with the wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita, which speaks of our sanatana dhar
In a ground-breaking initiative to promote and celebrate Vaishnava research and literature, Mandala Publishing and the Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) have collaborated to co-publish “The Vaishnava Studies Series,” a unique endeavour with a multi-dimensional approach aiming to showcase the most recent and impactful research on Vaishnavism. The publishers are thrilled to announce the latest addition to this ongoing series—a 172-page book entitled “Madan Mohan: An Enchanting Saga.”
Released in
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
Mandakini Dasi released her latest book, Panchatattva: Five Heroes Of The Golden Age, on November 16, 2023, in Puri. The series consists of five books, each dedicated to one of the Panchatattvas, and they are available as a colorful box set that is very appealing to parents and children alike.
The launch of the book took place at the inauguration of HH Radhanath Swami’s Puri Yatra. Mandakini revealed, “The decision to launch in Puri Yatra was driven by the int
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
His Holiness Giriraj Swami has unveiled his latest book, Dancing White Elephants: Traveling with Srila Prabhupada in India, August 1970–March 1972, published by BBT Australia and launched in Vrindavan on November 14 during the auspicious Govardhana-puja celebrations.
Based in Carpinteria, California, Giriraj Swami is one of the most senior sannyasis in ISKCON—and a dear disciple of Srila Prabhupada, who, having read an article by him in Back to Godhead in Gor
The next day was Vyasa-puja day, the celebration of Prabhupada’s seventy-fourth birthday. That morning a package arrived from New York containing several copies of the Vyasa-puja booklet, a twenty-five-page paperback filled with homages from Prabhupada’s disciples.
Months before, one of the devotees had discovered an old issue of a magazine published by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati; the magazine contained a Vyasa-puja homage Prabhupada had written commemorating the appearance day of his own
