SastraDana – July 2007: Volume 9, Issue 12

July 2007: Volume 9, Issue 12

In the month of June, 2007, San Diego yatra was graced by the visit of His Holiness Gunagrahi Goswami. Your Sastra Dana reporter was then blessed with an opportunity to interview Maharaja. Maharaja was one of the devotees who had established and developed Iskcon of San Diego. He served as the temple president in San Diego for a number of years. Currently Maharaja is living and preaching in Argentina where he’s overseeing the building of a large temple complex.

To see VIDEO click below.

The other day I was doing some reading in the Srimad Bhagavatam when I came across this wonderful purport by Srila Prabhupada. I immediately thought of the program Sastra Dana, how relevant it was, so I would like to read it, at least part of it right now. This is 7th canto, chapter 14, text number 8. Chapter is entitled “Ideal Family Life.” Prabhupada says in the purport:

The grhasthas should give contributions for constructing temples of the Supreme Lord and for preaching of Srimad Bhagavad-gita, or Krsna consciousness, all over the world. Srnvan bhagavato’bhiksnam avatara-kathamrtam. In the sastras — the puranas and other Vedic literatures — there are so many narrations describing the transcendental activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and everyone should hear them again and again. For example, even if we read the entire Bhagavad-gita every day, all eighteen chapters, in each reading we shall find a new explanation. That is the nature of transcendental literature. The Krsna consciousness movement therefore affords one an opportunity to spend his extra earnings for the benefit of all human society by expanding Krsna consciousness.

This is wonderful, especially hearing from Srila Prabhupada how everyone can engage in Krishna’s service. For example the grihastas, they are so busy with their families, with their jobs, and so on. They have very little time for direct preaching, at least not as much time as they would like to have. But this program of Sastra Dana affords one the facility to become directly involved. One can give a little money for the purchasing and distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s literatures. As Srila Prabhupada is saying here (in the purport that Maharaja just read) this is the way we can benefit human society in the highest possible fashion. If one has a book then his door to the spiritual world is open just like our door to the spiritual world was opened by Srila Prabhupada’s books. And helping the program in this way will give us such great satisfaction especially when we see results: temple room filling more with people for the Sunday Feast, more people participating in the Krishna consciousness movement in San Diego. And if we know that we have been directly involved in helping this expansion of Krishna consciousness then this is the perfection of our lives, we will feel this within, and we’ll be very, very satisfied. So please try to help Mahat-tattva Prabhu and all the devotees who are working so sincerely on this program. Such a wonderful program. Thank you very much.

(end)

HH Gunagrahi Maharaja with his friends
Left to right: Maharaja, Dravida, Yamunapati, Radhanatha (in the wheelchair), Madhusudana (with glasses), and Pavamana.

Maharaja leads the Sunday Feast kirtana in San Diego