Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Original 3vol. Delhi Bhagwatam

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Original 3vol. Delhi Bhagwatam

The books Srila Prabhupada brought with him from India were the first three
volumes of the Srimad Bhagwatam he had printed in Delhi between 1960 and 1965.

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These Srimad Bhagavatams are among the most valuable memorabilia one can have of Srila Prabhupada. When one reads these original Bhagwatams, perhaps more than any of Srila Prabhupada’s other writings, you can feel the Vrindaban mood. Srila Prabhupada was there alone writing his purports, whereas the other Bhagavatams were translated and written while he was surrounded by many followers and his ISKCON movement was rapidly growing. This was quite a contrast to the circumstances surrounding his first books.

By reading these books, personally written by Srila Prabhupada, you DIRECTLY associate with Srila Prabhupada feeling his presence very strongly. Every newcomer to Krsna Consciousness should have the opportunity to read these original Bhagwatams so they can get to know Srila Prabhupada in a more intimate way.

Before coming to the United States in 1965 Srila Prabhupada had translated and printed the first canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam in three 400 page hard-cover volumes. Prabhupada did not come to America empty handed. He came with his books. During the first year he spent in the United States, Srila Prabhupada supported himself by selling his Srimad-Bhagavatam sets through book stores in New York City and also directly to the people he met and was preaching to.

Srila Prabhupada with his original 3 Vol Bhagwatam

This image shows Srila Prabhupada in Delhi with his Bhagavatams before departing for the US. After obtaining his passport and visa, Srila Prabhupada boarded the Jaladuta steamship in Calcutta, on August 13th, 1965. Several trunks containing 200 sets of his 3-volume Srimad-Bhagwatams were loaded aboard en route.

In this entry from Srila Prabhupada’s Jaladuta Dairy, August 22, 1965, he wrote: – “At about 10 a.m. we are now in the dockyard of Cochin. The dock is peculiar because it is by nature full of small islands. Some of the islands are full with nice hutments formerly known as British Island. I saw my books from Bombay arrived in five cases and the agents loaded them on the ship at 4 p.m. on 22/8/65.”

Srila Prabhupada came to the United States in 1965 on the Jaladuta, an Indian cargo ship. He convinced the owner of the shipping company, Srimati Morarji, to give him free passage. According to Sally Agarawal, the wife of Gopal Agarawal, who sponsored Srila Prabhupada’s trip and made the arrangements for the first three weeks he was in the United States:

“The Swami came with so few possessions. He came with the clothes he had on his back, He had a typewriter and he had his books. And he had a bag of cereal. Imagine coming to a country on the other side of the world with so little. And yet he came with so much in himself. The Swami brought a pan with him in which he cooked his food and in fact cooked our lunch too. Our little boy was only six months old when he came and the Swami was there when Bridge first stood. And he laughed and laughed to see him stand up. When he left he was just oceanic, oceanic. He just seemed to take in the entire universe when he left and he left a lot. I enjoyed my association for that one month with him about as much as I have enjoyed anything in my life.”

In Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Hanuman Prasad Poddar, written 2-05-70 in Los Angeles, he tells some of the history of his Srimad Bhagwatams:

Original 3 Vol. Delhi Bhagwatam

“I then rented one store-front and an apartment at 26 Second Avenue for $200 per month, but without any source of income. I started my classes and sometimes, on Sundays, I used to chant Hare Krishna Mantra in Tomkins Square Park from three to 5 P.M. During this time, all the young boys and girls used to gather around me, sometimes poet Ginsberg would come to see me, and sometimes a reporter from the New York Times came to see me. In this way, the Hare Krishna Mantra chanting became very popular on the Lower East Side.

Get Srila Prabhupada’s original, unrevised books. Beware of imitations!!!

Since 1978, ISKCON and Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. (BBTI)  have been publishing revised editions of Srila Prabhupada’s original books, heavily edited by ISKCON disciples without his authorisation.

ISKCON and Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. (BBTI) are NOT the authentic Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) founded by Srila Prabhupada for publishing his phenomenal works. Srila Prabhupada’s Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is a legal trust and has no connection with ISKCON and the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc., a California corporation formed in 1988, 11 years after Srila Prabhupada departed from this world. Srila Prabhupada established the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in 1972, and in 1974, appointed Hansadutta dasa BBT trustee for life with these words: “The temples may go, the devotees may go, but my books will live forever.”