Prabhupāda's Bhaktivedānta Purports - A Guide for All
Śrīla Prabhupāda poured his heart and soul into his purports, working late into the night to provide the world with the true essence of Vedic knowledge. His purports are not merely academic commentaries; they are his personal ecstasies and practical realizations meant to guide his disciples back to Godhead. By reading and assimilating these purports, anyone can feel his direct presence and be empowered to preach.
A Herculean Task of Devotion
Śrīla Prabhupāda undertook the monumental task of translating and writing purports to the great Vedic literatures as a direct service to his guru. He sacrificed his personal comfort, rising in the early pre-dawn hours of the morning, driven by a deep inner necessity to share this knowledge. This labor of love resulted in the Bhaktivedānta purports, which are highly appreciated for their practical and pure presentation.
- First of all let us offer our respectful obeisances unto our spiritual master by whose order I am engaged in this herculean task of writing commentary on the Srimad-Bhagavatam as the Bhaktivedanta purports.
- I'm writing books. I'm not being forced by anyone. Everyone can do that. Why one doesn't do it? Why I get up at night - 1 AM, and do this job? Because I cannot do without it. How one will do it artificially? This is quality. Therefore they like my purports.
- By Krsna's will, I am (Prabhupada) now residing at the Los Angeles Temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. This purport is finished today, the 30th of June, 1969.
- Here in Los Angeles I have so many tapes of my singing prayers, chanting new tunes of Hare Krishna, playing mrdanga, and purports to prayers.
The Blueprint for Preaching
For his disciples, Śrīla Prabhupāda provided a very simple yet perfect formula for becoming an expert preacher. He instructed that one does not need to manufacture new ideas; rather, by simply memorizing and repeating his purports, anyone can deliver a powerful and pleasing class. This exact reproduction of his teachings ensures that the pure message remains intact and effective.
- Everyone can become a first class speaker. Simply cram the purports of my books. The references are there, the philosophy is there. Everything is there. So if you do it, everyone will be pleased with your speaking.
- For lecturing, any one of our members can speak. Simply one has to memorize the purports and then speak in one's own language.
- Hear and repeat, hear and repeat. You haven't got to manufacture. Any one of us, simply if you reproduce the purport which I have given in the Bhagavata, you become a good speaker.
- If you simply reproduce verbatim the purports which I have given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and chant Hare Krishna with ecstasy, that will be sufficient for your preaching work.
Assimilating the Philosophy
While repeating the purports is crucial, Śrīla Prabhupāda also wanted his followers to deeply assimilate the underlying philosophy. He encouraged them to read every śloka and meaning carefully, digest the profound concepts, and then express those truths in their own words. This deep study equips a devotee to handle complex philosophical questions and naturally mature in their spiritual understanding.
- Study my books and reproduce the purports in your own language.
- They should read our Bhagavatam. The purports are there: They should assimilate them in their own words in a literary career.
- You read every sloka, every mantra. Whenever you get time, you read the purport, you read the meaning. The whole philosophy is there. Now you are growing. There will be so many questions, so many philosophers.
- I think Acyutananda Swami, he is a very good preacher. The process is simply to read the books and learn the purports and then speak to them in your own words.
The Path to God Realization
The ultimate purpose of Śrīla Prabhupāda's exhaustive work on the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is to elevate the conditioned souls to the highest spiritual platform. He boldly declared that by thoroughly reading the texts, synonyms, and his purports, one is guaranteed to achieve full God realization. The purports are the key to unlocking the true meaning of the verses and experiencing the practical reality of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- The reading matter of Srimad-Bhagavatam is so arranged with its original Sanskrit text, its English transliteration, synonyms, translation and purports so that one is sure to become a God-realized soul at the end of finishing the first nine cantos.
- They are not my books, since I have simply translated; but my purports for each and every verse from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam do very much appeal to the people in general as well as learned circles.
- My purports are liked by people because it is presented as practical experience.
- You have suggested that you print in ZZG simply the verses of Bhagavad-gita, but without the purport what is the meaning of the verses? The purport is actually the main thing.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda's purports are an unparalleled gift to humanity, born from his deep love for Kṛṣṇa and his profound compassion for the suffering souls. By dedicating his nights to writing these practical and realized commentaries, he provided a flawless roadmap for spiritual perfection. Whether one is looking to preach effectively or ultimately attain full God realization, the secret lies in thoroughly studying, assimilating, and faithfully reproducing the profound truths found within his purports.
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 My Purports (Prabhupada). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.