The post-monsoon rains were at a peak in Pune and Mumbai this month. The sky remained dim with heavy clouds for days, roads were flooded with rainwater, and muddy rivulets became a common sight across the city. We (the Pune congregation) were wondering if this sordid weather would spoil our plans to witness the 11th Monthly Sankirtan Festival (MSF) event at Pune scheduled for 23rd Sep 17. The MSF program was inaugurated at Pune by His Grace
Vaisesika Prabhu in October 2016, and we eagerly awaited his return to Pune to encourage the devotees to expand our MSF program. Owing to ardent prayers by the devotees and by Lord Krishna’s mercy, the rains receded just in time for the MSF event.
As usual, the event began with an enlivening seminar on book distribution, titled “The pen is mightier than the sword” given by His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu. He explained how the act of “writing” on paper was powerful. He narrated an incident from his childhood when he had left a note for his mother about him going to a friend’s place, and how she preserved that note till she left her body. This anecdote explained the importance of the written word.
Prabhu went on to explain how many great movements in the history were triggered and sustained by printing and distributing books. He stirred us to think about what was possible if we rekindled the revolution that was begun back in 1970s by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who wrote and distribute so many literatures on Krishna consciousness. If we take this service as an imperative, Srila Prabhupada’s books will create a spiritual revolution in every town and village of the world.
The MSF event was organized with nearly 75 devotees split into 9 groups, spread across the city distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books with electric enthusiasm. The devotees were accompanied on the field by His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu and His Grace Bhima Prabhu. It was as if the people of Pune were getting to taste the nectar of associating with devotees and getting these precious books without even knowing what they are getting! By distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books, the devotees seriously damaged Maya’s plans to keep the living entities in ignorance. And this damage is irreparable since whatever little spiritual progress is made by those who receive or distribute these books is eternal and can’t be taken back.
The devotees distributed a total of 398 literatures in a span of just 2 hours! His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu closed the event by offering the results to Srila Prabhupada and predicting that in the near future a day would come when all the 5000 congregation devotees of Pune will come together to go on the streets and distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. That will, in a true sense, make the words of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur come true, that the books are like “Brihad Mridanga” and the sound of this mridanga will be heard all over the world. Looking forwards to that day!
Our special thanks to HG Vaisesika Prabhu, HG Bhima Prabhu, HG Radhe Shyam Prabhu & HG SriRam Prabhu for organizing this wonderful MSF Program
Your Humble Servants
Sarvalakshan Das (Sankirthan Dept)
Ananda Patil (MSF Coordinator)
More photos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10213034168476355&type=1&l=0f4d38b3da
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0awlihP0ZvNcjBrYXRDdTJETXM
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