The Miracle of Śrīla Prabhupāda's Books

Certainly there is abundant evidence of Srila Prabhupada's greatness, but the most conclusive of all is his books. First, Srila Prabhupada is the only guru who has presented the Bhagavad-gita purely, without misleading commentary. As long ago as the end of the nineteenth century, many Hindu gurus came to the United States claiming to be great saints and scholars of the Bhagavad-gita. They presented the Gita in many versions-nearly one hundred-but not one produced even a single devotee of Krsna. In other words, these false gurus put forth the Bhagavad-gita with self-interested interpretations, simply to popularize their own philosophies. Thus they ignored the Gita's real philosophy of surrender to Krsna. And the result? Although many people admired the Bhagavad-gita, no one could understand it, and no one cared to become a devotee of Krsna. However, since Srila Prabhupada's publication of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, thousands of people have become purified by this knowledge and have taken up devotional service to Lord Krsna.

Among Srila Prabhupada's other books are the Srimad-Bhagavatam (a work in progress) and the Caitanya-caritamrta, two of the most important Vedic scriptures. To date Srila Prabhupada has written more than sixty volumes, and he is currently producing one complete book nearly every month. These publications (and their author) have won the praise of leading scholars throughout the world, as the following comments will attest.

Professor Garry Gelade of Oxford University writes, "This [Srimad-Bhagavatam] is a book to be treasured… The clarity and precision of Srila Prabhupada's commentaries on the text can rarely have been equaled. No one of whatever faith or philosophical persuasion who reads this book with an open mind can fail to be moved and impressed."

Dr. Shaligram Shukla, Professor of Sanskrit at Georgetown University, praises Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is. "It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived, and beautifully explained work…I have never seen any other work on the Gita with such an ardent voice and style."

And Dr. Kailash Vajpeye, Visiting Professor of Indian Studies at the University of Mexico, expresses himself in this way: "Of all commentaries on the Bhagavad-gita that have appeared until now in the West, this present edition by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the best… Srila Prabhupada's Sanskrit scholarship is without parallel. His penetration into the meaning of the text indicates the deepest realization and understanding of the profound meaning of the Gita.''