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<\/p>\n By Madhava Smullen<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust has already translated ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books into 87 languages. But there are more to go. And today, dedicated servants working for the spiritual publisher in far flung corners of the world still continue to translate his works into their native languages, despite busy family lives and professional careers. <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n On August 24th<\/sup> this year, for example, Nandapriya Das finished translating the last of seventeen volumes of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita into the language of his native Georgia, which is spoken by more than five million people.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Nandapriya, an oncologist at one of Scandinavia\u2019s largest hospitals, did most of the work on the train during his morning commute. He has now finished translating all of Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books into Georgian for the first time ever, a monumental feat.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n The achievement means a lot to him. <\/p>\n \n\u201cI joined ISKCON in 1985, when Georgia was part of the Soviet Union and Krishna consciousness was illegal there,\u201d he says. \u201cI was looking for spirituality at a time when believers were outcasts. And I found my answers in Prabhupada\u2019s books. They completely convinced me. And since then, I\u2019ve always been serving his books\u2014all the most ecstatic spiritual experiences in my life have been related to them.\u201d <\/p>\n Nandapriya was asked to translate Prabhupada\u2019s books into Georgian early on, as soon as devotees found out that he was highly educated and had a university degree.<\/p>\n At the time, Nandapriya wasn\u2019t fluent in English and had never thought about translating anything in his life. He didn\u2019t feel qualified to do it. But Krishna set him on his path by arranging that he meet one of his father\u2019s friends, a prominent philologist. Although a strict Christian, the language expert offered to help him translate one of Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books, advising him that this would be the best way to become more fluent in English. <\/p>\n With his friend\u2019s help, Nandapriya improved quickly. <\/p>\n \u201cI pounded away on an ancient typewriter all day long,\u201d he recalls. \u201cIt made so much noise that it drove my mother crazy.\u201d <\/p>\n By 1988, Nandapriya had published Easy Journey to Other Planets underground, by himself. But it was in 1990, when he moved to the BBT\u2019s European headquarters at Korsnas Gard in Sweden, that things really picked up. <\/p>\n There, devotees including Nandapriya, his wife Narayani Dasi, Archa-Vigraha Dasi, and the late Devamata Dasi \u2013 who sadly passed away in 1999 \u2013 translated, edited and produced many of Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books over six years. <\/p>\n These included Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Science of Self Realization, the first three cantos of Srimad Bhagavatam and many others. <\/p>\n By 1996, they had also translated, but not published, the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam. The books were well received in Georgia. <\/p>\n But soon after that, the Georgian group at BBT Sweden disbanded. Some started families, and had to find ways to support themselves. <\/p>\n Moving to Denmark, Nandapriya Das returned to his profession as an oncologist and radiation therapist, and became well-respected in medical circles. <\/p>\n But he could never forget Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books. In 2004, he began translating the remaining books in his minimal free time with the help of a sympathetic professional philologist and a couple of other devotees, all busy family people. <\/p>\n By 2008, he was embarking on translating the last of Prabhupada\u2019s works, the vast Sri Caitanya-caritamrita.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m in extreme demand at the hospital,\u201d Nandapriya says. \u201cSometimes I work double shifts, sixteen hours in a row, and get only four or five hours sleep in the whole day. And when I get home, I have three kids and so many responsibilities waiting for me there too. So I worked on Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books on my commute to and from work. I would take the train, open up my computer, and translate for at least one hour every day.\u201d <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Sitting in a quiet compartment on the train, Nandapriya found himself completely immersed in the Caitanya-caritamrita. \u201cYou go deep into the pastimes when you\u2019re translating \u2013 you can almost see all these things before your eyes,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was just nectar. It was beautiful. Sometimes I was so excited I\u2019d have to call my wife and go, \u2018I just translated this passage, listen to how it sounds!\u2019 It was hard to withdraw and come out of it when my stop came.\u201d<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n The Caitanya-Caritamrita became Nandapriya\u2019s \u201clife companion,\u201d as he calls it. He would refuse to drive to work, always taking the train so as not to miss the chance to do his daily BBT work.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n At last, on August 24th<\/sup>, 2017, the project came to an end. \u201cI was coming home from work when I finished the last words of Caitanya-caritamrita,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI had to disembark my train and wait for another. Nobody was there on the platform. I remember the sun was shining directly at me. And I just cried, for almost half an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n With all of Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books now translated into Georgian, the huge task of completing and producing them for public consumption is still far from over.<\/p>\n Parallel to Nandapriya\u2019s translation work, Rosa Pheikrishvili \u2013 his linguistic mentor and an excellent editor — had been re-editing many of the already published Georgian books by Srila Prabhupada to create new, more authentic editions. <\/p>\n \u201cIn the early days, we worked to produce books very quickly\u2014not just in Georgian, but in all languages including English,\u201d Nandapriya says. \u201cLater, when we had matured, we looked back on the books and found that the quality had suffered and the books needed to be re-edited.\u201d<\/p>\n When Georgian BBT funds ran out, Nandapriya paid Rosa with his own money. And Rosa, although she never \u201cjoined\u201d ISKCON, dedicated the last twenty years of her life to editing Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books. <\/p>\n \u201cShe passed away in December 2015, at the age of 87,\u201d Nandapriya says. \u201cHer intelligence was sharp as a razor and her style was excellent until the end. She was working on Adi-lila, chapter 7 just before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n
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By Madhava Smullen<\/strong><\/p>\n