All Over India - The Preaching Pastimes of the Great Ācāryas
The tract of land known as Bhārata-varṣa is uniquely situated as the spiritual center of the world. Throughout history, it has been the sacred stage for the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His most exalted representatives. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that these divine personalities did not keep their spiritual knowledge locked away in secluded āśramas. Instead, driven by immense compassion, they traveled all over India to distribute the supreme science of self-realization to everyone.
Preaching Tours of the Ācāryas
To establish religious principles and defeat prominent mundane philosophers, the great ācāryas underwent tremendous physical austerities. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, despite being the Supreme Lord Himself, accepted the renounced order of life and walked barefoot all over India for six years, strictly setting the perfect example for all future preachers.
- For six years of the last twenty-four, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu traveled all over India, from Jagannatha Puri to Bengal and from Cape Comorin to Vrndavana.
- For the benefit of the whole human society Caitanya Mahaprabhu renounced His family life and took sannyasa and extensively traveled all over the tract of land called now India.
- When Lord Nityananda returned to Bengal to preach the cult of bhakti, love of Godhead, He began touring all over the country.
- After traveling all over India, he (Madhvacarya) finally discussed scriptures with Vidyasankara, the exalted leader of Srngeri-matha. Vidyasankara was actually diminished in the presence of Madhvacarya.
Sacred Geography of Bhārata-varṣa
India is not an ordinary piece of real estate; it is a landscape woven with transcendence. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that all over India, there are thousands of holy rivers, ancient temples, and pilgrimage sites like the Kumbha-melā. According to the Vedic system, when a person reaches the vānaprastha stage (retirement), they are meant to travel to these holy places to purify their consciousness in preparation for the end of life.
- In the land of Bharatavarsa there are many hundreds and thousands of places of pilgrimage distributed all over the country, and by traditional practice the common man visits such holy places during all seasons of the year.
- Every twelfth year there is a Kumbha-mela, a great festival, and all the holy men from all over India assemble there. The brahmana wanted to take advantage of the Magha-mela and bathe there.
- Vanaprastha life is accepted, generally, after fiftieth year, not earlier. Then the husband and wife travels all over, I mean to say, spiritual sanctified places. In India there are so many places. So in this way, there is no sex in the vanaprastha.
- I have seen, especially in Kanpur, even within the lane there are so many temples, Radha-Krsna temple, Visnu temples, Siva temple. So all over India you will find the temples.
Degradation of Vedic Culture
Despite its glorious spiritual heritage, modern India has fallen into difficulty. Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently laments that in the past, when society was centered around Vedic culture, there was peace and immense prosperity all over India. However, due to the destructive influence of foreign rule and the unnatural adoption of Western industrialism (ugra-karma), the nation has lost its original culture and become plagued by poverty.
- Very happy life it was, all over India. There was no question of poverty. People did not know what is poverty and now it is poverty. They do not get even sufficient food. Ugra-karma. I don't like industrialism.
- Even the Muhammadans, they ruled over India for eight hundred years, but they could not defeat the Indian culture. But the British government are clever. They spoiled the Indian culture. Therefore they are poverty-stricken.
- Hindus, Mohammedans, they used to live very peacefully. It is not a fact that Mohammedans were always aggressive. Otherwise, how they could rule over India for eight hundred years?
Reviving Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
The solution to this modern degradation is not more factories or political maneuvering. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that India can only regain its glory by aggressively preaching its original spiritual culture. He envisions an army of young, educated devotees traveling all over India to distribute transcendental literature and spiritual food (prasādam) to uplift the consciousness of the suffering masses.
- This distribution of books to the libraries is very encouraging. Please expand this program all over India. In one library carrying my books, hundreds of people will be able to read.
- Now I am especially concerned to distribute grains, rice, wheat in the form of dahl and rice prasadam to hungry people all over India.
- If some of the young, educated men like you in India join this movement, we can change the present situation of poverty and restlessness all over India.
- Your proposal for travelling and distributing books all over India is very good. Krishna will bless you with His mercy. Take books and sell and spend for your expenses.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda guarantees that the spiritual potency of Bhārata-varṣa is eternal. While the culture has been temporarily covered by the darkness of Kali-yuga, it can be immediately reawakened. By following in the fearless, traveling footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the great ācāryas, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is destined to spread the chanting of the holy name all over India, and consequently, all over the world.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category All Over India. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.