Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Nice lady named Keisha and her little son Kendrick. She had just finished doing some shopping in the mall and I waved at her and asked her if she’s into meditation. She said yes so I started showing her our books and her son started telling her: “Mommy, mommy we gotta get these books, we gotta get these books!” I told her about the “Krishna book” and how it contains stories about Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and showed her some of the nice pictures inside. Then I quoted a verse from Prahlad Maharaja that at the tender age of childhood one should start engaging in spiritual activities. She told me her son is five years old and I said wow it’s the perfect age for him to start his spiritual cultivation so that he can grow up with proper character, proper morals and he can understand what the actual goal of life is, to develop love for God. She was happy and encouraged to hear that and her son was super excited to get the books as well.

Keisha and her son Kendrick going back home, back to Godhead!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} plus “Origins” magazine! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Monique from New Jersey in the city to visit a friend of hers. She was a really friendly person and open to getting the books right from the start. She told me that she’s a college student and she loves reading so I showed her our set. I told her that she looks like such a great soul and how intelligent people like her deserve this unique spiritual knowledge. She told me that she reads a lot so I told her how the Bhagavad Gita was read by great personalities like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Marley, Gandhi and many other great minds. She told me that she’s into meditation so I explained how she can clear all her Chakras by studying these books. I told her that she’s extremely special and how rare it is to meet open minded people like her and asked her to please take the set and she did. She was also telling me that she likes to paint as a hobby so I told her that the books have a lot of beautiful paintings inside and she can get inspiration from them for her own art.

It’s Monique from New Jersey!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} plus “Origins” magazine! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Nice humble guy named Anthony from Jackson heights Queens!
He was very interested in getting the set when I showed it to him but he told me he has no money right now and he can’t afford it otherwise he would get the books for his girlfriend. He told me that she loves to read spiritual books and would definitely like these kind of books. I asked him if he can call his girlfriend right now and we can talk to her! He said yes and he called her. I explained to her over the phone that I have these wonderful spiritual books but her boyfriend didn’t have any money then she told me she wants them and she used “cash app” to send the money on the spot. It was amazing. My first “Sapta” set over the phone like that.

It’s Anthony from Queens!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} plus “Origins”’magazine and “Easy journey to other planets” Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really nice gentleman from Boston Massachusetts in New York City on business. I was just arriving to the Harinam and chanting my japa when I saw him and gave him a small bow with my head and he smiled and bowed back to me. I told him that I’m a spiritual monk from India distributing spiritual books of wisdom. He told me he likes reading about these kind of things so I showed him our set and explained that these are books of spiritual knowledge from India translated from Sanskrit into English with commentaries by Srila Prabhupada. I also told him to please read them and apply the knowledge in his daily life and he will benefit so much spiritually. He said great and gave me a cash donation on the spot.

He’s from Boston Massachusetts!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Dedicated sankirtan warriors at work for many hours non stop! Brihat mridanga ki jay!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Very nice gentleman named Julien from Montreal. He’s in town visiting his cousin for his birthday and he’s going back to Montreal tomorrow. He saw me and said: “oh I can see you’re about expanding the consciousness!” I told him: “yes how did you know?” He said that he has many editions of the Bhagavad Gita and reads it regularly and I told him that in that case he’s qualified to receive this one of a kind set and showed him our “Sapta” set. I explained each book to him, how the Bhagavatam is the follow up book after the Gita, the Krishna book is about the life and pastimes of Krishna on this planet, how the other books like “Science of self realization” is a collection of essays and interviews about relevant spiritual topics like choosing a Guru. That was it, he was very favorable and wanted to get the books from me. He was saying that he will give the Gita as a gift to a friend since he already has a copy and he will start reading the other books on his trip back to Canada tomorrow night!

It’s Julien from Montreal, Canada!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
When I first ran into Emilia I asked her if she likes yoga and gave her an “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlet. She was telling me that she loves to practice yoga every day and wants to learn more about Indian culture and eastern philosophy. So I showed her our set and told her that practically every yoga teacher I know has these spiritual books in their collection. I explained that these books are the original yoga scriptures and they will teach her how to become the most perfect yogi. If she reads them regularly it will help her get a better understanding of the philosophy of yoga so she can grow spiritually in her practice. She was very grateful to receive the knowledge and thanked me for the books!

It’s Emilia from Flushing, Queens! 

Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Really nice young gentleman named Galvin. He came up to the book table on his own and started looking at the books. I was going to honor some prasadam but I thought let me talk to him real quick. He was specifically looking to get a copy of the Gita. He’s a sales representative for a company called Vitapay which sells smart computer systems for a better business experience. I saw that he was very sincere and I showed him our set and explained about each book to him. He was listening attentively so I started telling him about the importance of hearing especially spiritual sound because it enters the heart and clears the mirror of the mind (ceto darpana marjanaman). He’s into theology and asked me some questions about Kali Yuga because he’s doing a comparative study of the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita. He had a gift card credit card and he gave everything on it as a donation for the set of books. I invited him to our ashram for the Sunday feast program and gave him some prasadam cookies.

It’s Galvin from Jackson heights, Queens!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really nice person Saidy from Brooklyn!
We were on our way to the Sunday walking Harinam in Times Square and when we got off the train I noticed that she might be into yoga and I told her that I love her energy! Then Gopal Champu prabhu came over and asked her if she likes to read about meditation because he noticed that she was reading a book called “Perfect stillness”. We had a little transcendental competition going on between us but the most important thing was she was very happy to get the books from us and gave a nice donation. She really likes to read spiritual books, she does yoga regularly, loves Indian culture and was interested in learning more about the Vedas.

The dynamic duo side by side!
Mahotsaha prabhu & Gopal Champu prabhu distribute a “Saptarishi” set together! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Bhakta Dylan was visiting the city from Long Island to attend the weekly Bhagavad Gita program at 26 second avenue. He was actually driving HH Bhakti Vasudeva swami who was giving the lecture. I went to the program for the 9th year anniversary celebration of their program and I spoke to Dylan during prasadam time. He was telling me that he’s been thinking of buying a “Srimad Bhagavatam” set but kept procrastinating then all of sudden I just looked at him and told him that I brought a brand new set that’s in a box with me and asked him to buy the set which he did! I helped him put the set in the trunk of his car and he was very happy.

Bhakta Dylan from Long Island receives a “Srimad Bhagavatam” set from Mahotsaha prabhu! Nityam Bhagavata sevaya! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
I met Tony last the summer in Union square park and he took a “Sapta” set from me back then. He was happy to run into the Harinam today by accident in the subway so I spoke to him a little bit. He’s been reading the Bhagavad Gita and the other books so I showed him the Lilamrita this time and explained that it’s the complete biography of the author Srila Prabhupada and he will really love reading it.

It’s Tony from Brooklyn!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set! {7 Maha big books in one shot} plus “Origins” magazine! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Bhakta Chaitanya recalls:
When I stopped him he told me that he’s been an Iskcon life member for many years and he’s even visited Mayapur recently with his family. He told me that he already has all of Srila Prabhupada’s books but I showed him a smaller “Bhakta stack” and suggested he can give it as a gift to someone. He asked me if I had change for a $50 bill then I just told him that we have a newly printed “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set that he probably doesn’t have and he said ok he will take it and gave me the $50!

He’s an Iskcon life member!
Bhakta Chaitanya distributes a “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set! {7 Maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Nice family from the Philippines. These two sisters and one of their kids were watching the Harinam and one of them was dancing to the Kirtan so I went up to them and showed them our books. They couldn’t believe that the Harinam was out here and we had all these great books available. It turns out they love Krishna and one of the sisters even named her son Indra! They gave me a generous donation for a “Sapta” set so I added the Lilamrita set as an extra gift and told them it’s the complete biography of one of the greatest saintly personalities in recent history and Guru of the entire world Srila Prabhupada.

Awesome family from the Philippines!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a Super ”Mahat-Tattva” stack! {14 Maha & big books in one shot} “Saptarishi” set and “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set together!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
What a nice gentleman named Richard from Brooklyn! He was telling me how much he loves to read and that he’s been wanting to get into meditation. He shared with me that he doesn’t want cable TV in his house anymore and just wants to read instead from now on! He’s a clerical worker and has a passion for reading spiritual books, he told me about a book he finished called “I am that” which is a compilation of talks on Shiva Advaita philosophy by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj! I showed him our set and explained to him how it’s the complete collection of all the spiritual knowledge he will ever need.
He looked at the books and asked me about the “Krishna book” and I said: “it’s the life of black God, you know God is black right?” He Just shook his head and said “Cool” then he happily gave a donation and shook my hand.

It’s Richard from Brooklyn!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} plus “Origins” magazine! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Very kind lady named Anna from Ecuador currently living in Queens with her family!
When she saw me she asked me if I had a copy of the “Autobiography of a yogi” by Paramahamsa Yogananda. Her friend recommended she get it to learn about meditation and yoga. I told her I didn’t have that specific biography but I have Srila Prabhupada’s biography and showed her the Lilamrita. Then I showed her our “Sapta” set and told her that these are the oldest teachings on meditation from India. She really wants to understand spiritual philosophy because she wants to help her family spiritually through knowledge. She has four children so I told her she can start reading the “Krishna book” to them at night before bed time. She said her eldest son is very interested in meditation so I told her he can start reading the “Science of self realization” She told me that her English isn’t very good but she wants to get all the books for her kids mainly. She’s a good mother and it was nice to see that she cares about her family spiritually.

It’s Anna from Ecuador!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Nice lady named Jaimie from New Jersey! She travels back and forth between New York and Florida for her work. She told me that she loves to do her daily yoga practice and I said: “Wow you must be a Yoga master by now!” She started laughing! I showed her our set and told her that she looks like a very smart girl at least smarter than me so these books are meant for all the intelligent people like her. I mentioned how the Bhagavad Gita is a favorite book of many great minds like Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Emerson and Thoreau. She told me that she’s heard of the Gita and always wanted to read it. I continued explaining that these are the topmost books on yoga, they’re the original ancient yoga scriptures from India and if she reads them it will definitely improve her yoga practice.

It’s Jaimie from New Jersey!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Nice lady named Felicia from the Bronx. She was on her way home from work when I stopped her. She was telling me that she’s been working security for the last five years in various department stores across the city and she’s developed a high tolerance for dealing with stressful situations. I quoted verse 3.25.21 from Bhagavatam to her (titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ)
 
“The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.”

She told me that she really enjoys reading so I showed our set and asked her to take it since she has already developed some very good spiritual qualities like patience and tolerance. She told me that she’s on a budget and it would be difficult for her to spend the money for the donation at this time. But I explained to her that this human form of life is very rare and we have to spend every moment we have in this world for spiritual cultivation otherwise it’s wasted. I tried my best to impress upon her the urgency to take the books even if it wasn’t in her budget because the truth of the matter is that we don’t know if we’re going to still be on this earth next week! She was intelligent and at the end of our conversation she understood what I was saying and was grateful to take the set.

It's Felicia from the Bronx!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Nice couple Priya and her husband Marcus from Guyana! They’re both pious and very nice when I spoke to them. Priya told me that she has a friend named Vedavit who just got initiated recently in Guyana. And another lady friend of hers who decided to move into the temple in Guyana to become a full time devotee. So Priya wanted to know what’s in the books even though she already has a Bhagavad Gita but she wants to learn more about Krishna conscious philosophy because many of her friends are taking it up seriously. Very pleasant to meet such nice people on sankirtan.

It’s Priya and her husband Marcus from Guyana!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Bhakta Chanchal recalls:
I was sitting in Rama Raya Prabhus kirtan and I saw him looking at the Harinam listening attentively to the kirtan with a lot of awe and reverence. So I approached him and he told me his name is Kunal and he likes to go to the Bhakti centre for Thursday night kirtans and other programs. It seemed as if he had never seen anything like our Harinam party, he was pretty amazed. I brought him over to the book table and showed him our “Sapta” set and told him that it's important to have these books in order to get some meaningful spiritual knowledge and a better understanding of kirtan. I explained how we’re monks and people just give us a donation to help with the printing and shipping cost of the books. He was very inspired and gave generously so I also gave him a “Prabhupada Lilamrita” as an extra gift.

It’s Kunal and Chanchal doppelgängers!
Bhakta Chanchal distributes a Super ”Mahat-Tattva” stack! {14 Maha & big books in one shot} “Saptarishi” set and “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set together!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Real nice pious lady named Tamira from Guyana who loves Krishna and goes to a Hindu temple regularly close to where she lives in Queens. She stopped when she saw the Harinam party so I went up to her and showed her our set. I explained that we ask for a donation for the books and she asked me how much and after I told her she gave the donation right away and said she will share the books with all her family members.

Tamira from Guyana!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Really wonderful lady named Marie from Ireland. She stopped and was looking at the Harinam then put some money in the donation basket and walked away so I went up to her to give her a book. I asked her if she had seen the devotees before and she said no but she was really attracted to the chanting and she herself chants mantras on her own for meditation. She mentioned that she regularly listens to Russell Brand’s podcast called “under the skin” and how she heard the Maha mantra on one of the podcast shows. She really likes the topics on that show and she found that it’s helping her a lot in her life. She told me that she believes in the power of prayer and that she’s seen at different times when God has answered her prayers. I showed our set and explained to her that it’s actually the duty of the soul to always be praying to the Lord and get to the point when we can recognize the Lord’s hand acting in everything. She happily purchased the set from me and thanked me.

It’s Marie from Ireland!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Keisha from Brooklyn was walking by and I asked her if she’s spiritual? She said yes she’s a firm believer in God and has strong faith in Him. She loves Sanskrit and wants to study it more deeply and also knows about Bhakti yoga. She once happened to take darshan of Radha Govinda in our Brooklyn temple and still remembered Them. She also had lunch at the Govinda’s restaurant and really enjoyed the prasadam. I showed her our “Sapta” set and explained what each book was about, telling her how the Bhagavad Gita was read by many of the worlds famous people like Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, Bob Marley, Albert Einstein, Gandhi! I explained how we ask for donations for the books to help cover the cost of printing and shipping. Then she told me that the only money she has is her rent money but she wanted to give a $100 donation anyway because she really wants to get the books. She told me again how she’s a strong believer in God and how she’s positive the money will come back to her somehow! Because of her generous donation from her heart I also added the “Prabhupada Lilamrita” as an extra gift and gave her an invitation to our Sunday feast program.

It’s Keisha from Brooklyn!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a Super ”Mahat-Tattva” stack! “Saptarishi” set and “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set together!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Super sweet gentleman named Paul from Orlando Florida. When I stopped him he was immediately really friendly and humble. He told me that he used to live in Gainesville and met the devotees several times there and he appreciated the chanting and what they were doing. He’s in New York on a work project to build some handicap ramps for a client. He’s a professional carpenter who specializes in outdoor decks but he loves to help out by also building handicap ramps for a discounted price for certain charities and non profit organizations that help others. What’s amazing is that he told me that he didn’t want to carry around all the books with him so I just told him I’ll ship them out to him and right away he said ok and gave generously on his credit card without any hesitation!

It’s Paul from Orlando, Florida!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Nice humble gentleman named Faisal from Pakistan! Basically, I ran after him to show him some books and he kindly stopped to talk to me. When at first he told me that he’s from Pakistan I thought to myself “Oh no, game over!” Nevertheless I still tried my best to explained the books we were offering and it turns out he loves these kind of spiritual books. He’s a practicing Muslim but also enjoys reading about other faiths especially the Vedas and eastern philosophy. I couldn’t believe he was so open to receiving Srila Prabhupada’s books and I was thinking how Lord Chaitanya is so merciful and you really never know who will get His mercy. He was happy to purchase the set and even gave me a hug at the end.

It’s Faisal from Pakistan, he’s a Muslim!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Krishna prasad prabhu recalls:
Really nice lady Miriam with her daughter living in Queens but originally from Santa Domingo!
The mother walked by the Harinam and put a few dollars in the donation basket and Kaliya Krishna prabhu gave her a copy of the “Science of self realization.” I was standing by the book table and I asked her where she’s from and she said Dominican Republic so I spoke to her in Spanish a little bit. She told me that she’s been thinking of starting to learn meditation and wants to read about it so I showed her our set and told her it’s the most complete set of spiritual books on meditation. She was also saying that she’s not working right now and she’s going to school again part time studying computer science so she has free time to read a lot.

It’s Miriam and her daughter (yes daughter) from Santa Domingo!
Krishna prasad prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} plus “Origins” magazine! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really sweet 20 year old student from Uzbekistan. He also works in Brooklyn part time close to where the Harinam is set up today. He stopped on his own and listened to the kirtan for a few minutes then I went up to him to say hello. He was telling me that he’s a spiritual person and loves reading spiritual books. So of course I didn’t hesitate and showed him our set. I told him about how we’re presenting this one of a kind set of spiritual books about meditation and higher consciousness. He wasn’t too enthusiastic to get the entire set at first but then I said: “Hey, you look like an intelligent guy and these books are a once in a lifetime investment it’s worth it trust me. What do you have to lose please take these books with you today, it’s a great benefit to your spiritual life!” He finally agreed and gave a nice donation for the set.

He’s a student from Uzbekistan!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} plus “Origins” magazine! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Super sweet person named Alain living in Jamaica, Queens originally from Columbia, South America. He’s 23 years old and works in building management as a freight elevator operator. He told me that he loves to read and I asked him if he likes to read about meditation and spirituality and he said yes he does and he owns a copy of the Bhagavad Gita. So I showed him our set and explained to him that these books are the next books he has to read after the Gita. I told him to apply the knowledge in his daily life and he will benefit tremendously. I invited him to come to our ashram and he said he will try to visit soon.

It’s Alain from Columbia, South America!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Nice Guyanese gentleman named Ryan. He was a really friendly and pious person. I joked with him in my Guyanese accent that I love to eat Roti and Dahl and he laughed. I showed him our set and told him to please read the books before he dies and give himself the best gift of Krishna consciousness. I even mentioned if he doesn’t have time to read them he can keep them for his grand kids to read them in the future because they’re full of eternal spiritual knowledge that never gets old or changes! He was happy to give a donation and take the set home to share with his family.

It’s Ryan from Guyana!

Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
This nice gentleman named Badel from Calcutta lives next to the Radha Govinda mandir in Brooklyn. He attends programs there regularly along with his family. I was speaking to him in my broken Bengali and he loved it. I’ve been reading “Chaitanya Caritamrita” and practicing Bengali and it’s been very helpful for my book distribution. When I showed him our set he immediately took the books and gave generously.

It’s Badel from Calcutta!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} plus “Origins” magazine! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Nice pious couple from New Delhi.
They stopped to watch the Harinam and the husband was clapping his hands during the Kirtan and chanting along. I went up to them and gave them some prasadam cookies. When I showed them the books I told them it’s my birthday and I really want them to please to take this wonderful set and give a donation. They were very friendly and immediately they bought the books from me.

Pious couple from New Delhi!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} plus “Origins” magazine! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
A really sweet lady from Harlem. When she was walking by I told her that I loved her energy and she thanked me. She told me that she’s a lover of spirituality and loves reading about it. I showed her our set and asked her how many Chakras we have, she answered seven and I said that’s right, that’s why we offer this set of seven books to open up the seven chakras and expand the consciousness! I explained how the Gita was read by many of the worlds famous and great people like Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, Bob Marley, Gandhi and Albert Einstein. I was telling her how these are ancient books of the highest spiritual wisdom from India and they will help her with her own self realization. She gladly bought the books and gave a generous donation.

Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 Maha & big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Police officer Johnson who works with the MTA division of the New York police department. I was going to throw something in the trash bin and I was carrying a “Sapta” set in my hands when he stopped me! I thought he was going to ask us to leave our sankirtan spot or ask us what we’re doing here but he nicely asked me what I’ve got in my hands so I showed him the books. It was Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and I explained to him that he used to read the Bhagavad Gita for spiritual guidance and inspiration. He told me that he knew of the Gita from Russell Simmons and from watching the movie “Eat pray love” which was partially filmed in India. After telling him that the Gita is the best book for him to read to gain a better spiritual understanding of the world, I went on to tell him that one of God’s Sanskrit name is Govinda and another name is Shyamasundar which means black! I told him that these books are about Krishna, the Black God, and he ended up buying the books and thanking me for being out here distributing this spiritual knowledge!

It’s Police officer Johnson with the MTA police department!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Very humble gentleman named Karim from Harlem. He often sees the Harinam party in the Times Square subway and wondered what it’s all about? He came up to me and said hello so I showed him a few of our books and he started telling me that he believes in one God and he’s a long time practicing Muslim. He uses a walker to help him get around because of some health issues but still he prays five times a day at the Masjid in Harlem close to where he lives. He told me that most of his family members are Christians but he became interested in Islam in his middle age around forty years old and it’s been helping him so he stuck with it. I showed him our set because he said he likes to read a lot and offered him a special discount on the price, since a nice gentleman from Pakistan I met earlier in the day gave me a very nice donation to sponsor some books. Karim still didn’t have enough for the discounted price so he started asking random people walking by for some money until one person gave him some money so he had enough to cover the cost and take the books home with him!

Karim from Harlem, he’s a Muslim!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Kavi Priya mataji is an initiated disciple of HH Jayapataka swami. She walked by the Harinam by chance with her two daughters Lakshmi Priya and Radhika. They’re all living full time in Mayapur dhama. Her husband is actually a Srila Prabhupada disciple and was one of the very first Gurukulis to get initiated by him in 1977. Her eldest daughter is going to attend Hunter College so they all came to New York to visit the campus and give her support.

Kavi Priya Devi dasi and her daughters Lakshmi Priya and Radhika from Shri Dhama Mayapur!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Really nice young lady named Alicia from the Bronx. When I stopped her I told her that she looks so peaceful and spiritual. She asked me how I can notice that and I explained that we’re all sentient beings so we can pick up other people’s energies if we practice. She started asking about what I was doing and the books so I showed her our set. I told her how we’re monks sharing spiritual literature with all the nice spiritual people like her. When she looked at the books and saw the Bhagavad Gita she told me that her friend was telling her that she should get a copy and she’s been thinking about getting a copy! She was very interested and had very good questions so I explained about each book and told her that she’s definitely someone who’s qualified to receive this spiritual knowledge. She was enthusiastically saying that she really wants to read the books and gave a nice donation.

It’s Alicia from the Bronx!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
He was a really cool person who was in a good mood. I stopped him and I could feel that he was an upbeat friendly and receptive guy so I showed him our set. He told me that he’s a firm believer in God and loves to read every day. He believes in the power of education and he’s very spiritual in his day to day life. It was Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and he was telling me how much he appreciates what he did for African American people and all his sacrifice so I mentioned that Martin Luther King Jr. used to read the Bhagavad Gita to get spiritual insight and guidance. He loved that! I also told him that these books give the highest knowledge of God on the planet anywhere. He was into it and happily bought the set from me. I also invited him to our Sunday feast program.

It’s an ecstatic book distribution moment!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Mother and daughter Daisy and Rebecca from Queens originally from Guyana!
I met Daisy, the mother, earlier today when the Harinam was just starting and she was very nice. I showed her the books and she was interested in getting a set but she told me that she’s going to pick up her daughter and she will come back later on her way home. After about an hour she actually came back with her daughter and walked up to me to get the books! In general many people tell us they’re coming back later but rarely ever do but she was a pious lady and had her daughter give the donation for the set! They both said: “Jay Sri Krishna” and took some prasadam cookies too!

Guyanese mother and daughter from Queens!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Bhakta Chaitanya prabhu recalls
On the way back to the ashram after Harinam I was waiting for the train on the platform and I noticed this nice Indian gentleman next to us. He smiled at me and the devotees so I said Hare Krishna. He told me that he’s from Jagannath Puri! He told me that he already has many of our books like the Bhagavad Gita and I said wow amazing then showed him our Lilamrita set and explained that it’s Srila Prabhupada’s complete biography set. He’s a really humble and pious person and agreed to give a generous donation and buy the set! I also gave him a Lord Jagannath sticker and he loved it! It’s the first “Prabhupada Lilamrta” set I’ve ever distributed and it was an ecstatic way to end the day!

On the way home from Harinam!
Bhakta Chaitanya distributes a “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Sunday walking Harinam Times Square! Very cold day but the devotees kept everyone warm with the Holy name! Param Vijayate Shri Krishna sankirtanam!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Real nice down to earth guy named Dave from London who moved to the states a few years ago and now lives in the alphabet city area of Manhattan. He grew up as a Catholic but lost interest and became disappointed with Catholicism because it didn’t give him the answers he was looking for. About eight years ago he started practicing yoga and became interested in transcendental meditation TM where he received some Sanskrit mantras to chant and meditate on. He tried TM for a while but then became disheartened and gave it up. He began looking for other mantras to chant on YouTube and found the “Hare Krishna” Maha mantra and began chanting it that same night. The next day he met a devotee who distributed a “Bhagavad Gita as it is” to him and he’s been reading it daily with great appreciation. Today he met me and I showed him our set and he wanted to get it right away. He’s been looking for devotee association and a temple to visit so I invited him to our Sunday feast program.

It’s Dave from London!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
It was nice to meet this friendly gentleman from Brooklyn. He was actually walking down the stairs to catch his train back home to Brooklyn when I called out to him and told him that I love his energy! He smiled and come back up the stairs to talk to me. I could see that he was definitely interested so I showed him our set right away. He told me that he’s a spiritual person who likes to read about metaphysical things so I explained to him how we’re offering this special collection of seven spiritual books to all the smart people out here. I told him that these ancient books of knowledge have been studied by some the greatest minds like Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Thoreau, and other many famous people like Muhammad Ali, Tupac Shakur, Bob Marley. He was in a good mood and appreciated what we were doing by distributing this literature about self realization and gladly purchased the set for me.

Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Krishna prasad prabhu recalls:
Really nice guy named Tyler from Long Island who’s a psychology student at City college in the upper west side of Manhattan. He enthusiastically came up to the book table and I first showed him the Bhagavad Gita and said how it’s about understanding Karma, reincarnation and the science of the soul in material nature. He told me that he’s all about that and really wants to learn more so I also explained to him that since he’s into psychology this Gita is about all mind control, it teaches how to control the mind and senses in order to attain a higher state of consciousness. He was very interested so I decided to show him our set and told him how rare it is to meet such a sweet person as him especially here in New York City. He was telling me that previously he was actually an atheist then at one point he started to practice some type of Zen meditation. One day his hairs were standing on end and he felt some spiritual happiness during his meditation session and all of sudden he realized that this material world is a place of suffering and misery! He took the set and I invited him to our Sunday feast program since his school is very close by on 108th street!

It’s Tyler from Long Island!
Krishna prasad prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really nice lady from Guyana who initially bought a “Bhakta stack” from me then a few minutes later came back and wanted to get a “Sapta” set as well. I had shown her our set but she said it was too many books for her and she just took a smaller stack instead. When she came back she told me that she decided to get the full “Sapta” set for her daughter in law as a gift because she just gave birth and she really loves reading spiritual books. I told her that it’s her cultural right to have this collection of books about Krishna. I was so happy to see her again and wished her a very nice weekend.

Wonderful lady from Guyana!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

It’s bhakta Louie, long time friend of Jayanta prabhu!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Krishna prasad prabhu recalls:
Nice lady named Val originally from Trinidad. She’s a social worker and she runs a women’s shelter in uptown Manhattan specifically for employed ladies who still can’t afford independent housing. She’s a very good hearted person and told me she’s very spiritual so I showed her our set. She told me she’s familiar with eastern philosophy and culture from growing up in Trinidad. When she was growing up her family used to take her to temple regularly and she has fond memories of those times.

It’s Val from Trinidad!
Krishna prasad prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada! 

She was so ecstatic after getting the books!