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Srila Prabhupada’s determination to write – Part 2

When describing Hiranyakashipu’s torture of his son Prahalad, Srila Prabhupada wrote about how modern Hiranyakashipu’s are troubling devotees of Krishna in their sincere efforts to preach the message of the Lord.

In Hawai, Srila Prabhupada got the news of one of his senior sannyasi disciples leaving his duties and accepting household life. Srila Prabhupada connected the incident to the eighth canto episode of elephant Gajendra’s fight with the crocodile in water, that he had begun translating. The elephant gradually became weak because he was in a foreign situation and the crocodile was getting stronger because he was in a natural position. Similarly, Srila Prabhupada said, devotees have to situate themselves in the best position from where they can serve Krishna. It’s important for devotees to have physical strength, and enthusiasm to render devotional service. Therefore they should situate themselves properly.

Srila Prabhupada said his writings were his devotional ecstasies and he wished to write more and spend less time in management. He said he’d like to meet people occasionally and instead write the whole time. He gave the example of Aurobindo who met people only once a year and said he too would like to meet people only for an hour or two daily and the rest of the time he needs to write in a peaceful situation.

Srila Prabhupada also wanted devotees in ISKCON to write and spread the message of Krishna consciousness. He said communism spread around the globe in the twentieth century because of their literature and therefore he said, the pen was mighty and would create a revolution. In one lecture in Los Angeles (August 14, 1972), Srila Prabhupada said these famous words:

“Realization means you should write, every one of you, what is your realization. What for this Back to Godhead is? You write your realization, what you have realized about Krishna. That is required. It is not passive. Always you should be active. Whenever you find time, you write. Never mind, two lines, four lines, but you write your realization…… writing or offering prayers, glories, this is one of the function of the Vaishnava. You are hearing, but you have to write also. Then write means smaranam, remembering what you have heard from your spiritual master, from the scripture.”

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