How Guru Mahārāja satisfies Śrīla Prabhupāda | #shorts

20 Nov 2025 · 3 min

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2:51

The video recounts a historic episode from the early ISKCON years. In 1976, disciple Gurumurthy traveled to Moscow to deliver the first sets of Srila Prabhupada’s books to the main libraries of Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Soviet scientists gave positive written responses, but fearing repercussions they later tried to retract them. Because Xerox machines were tightly controlled by the KGB, Gurumurthy spent eight hours searching the city before finding a Xerox at the Air India office, where he quickly made copies of the scientists’ endorsements. He returned to Delhi and presented these copies to Srila Prabhupada, who was overjoyed and displayed them to all visitors. The following year, Guru Maharaja (Srila Prabhupada) attended the first international book fair in Moscow, was invited by the Soviet government, and received an official certificate praising the books for promoting peace. He brought this certificate back to Srila, who again showed it proudly to everyone. The narration emphasizes how these early Soviet successes deeply satisfied Srila Prabhupada and inspired the worldwide preaching mission of ISKCON.

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Gurumurthy came first time to Moscow in 1976 to distribute sets of Śrīla Prabhupāda's books, and he was successful. So main libraries of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, they received first sets of Śrīla Prabhupāda's books, and also Gurumurthy received very nice response from the scientists. But Gurumurthy have understood that they will take back these responses because it was very dangerous for them to give responses about Śrīla Prabhupāda's books. So he went around Moscow to get Xerox copy of these responses, but there were no Xerox machines at that time in Soviet Union available. Only it was especially controlled by KGB. So for 8 hours he was going around Moscow and he did not found any Xerox machine. It was 1976. So in the evening, he came to Air India office and just to get some drinking water. And when he sat there, he saw Xerox machine there. So he immediately asked for opportunity to take copies. Next day, the scientists came and they said, we are wrong in our presentation and our responses about this book, so please give it back. And they took back all the responses. But he already has these copies, and when he came back to Delhi and presented these responses to Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīla Prabhupāda was extremely happy. And he was showing— and he was showing these copies to everyone. See how they appreciate they appreciate my books in Soviet Union. And next year, Guru Maharaj came for the first international book fair in Moscow. He was invited by Soviet government and he got a certificate of Russian Soviet government that these books are promoting peace. And he brought this certificate to Śrīla Prabhupāda. It was October of '77. And Śrīla Prabhupāda was so happy. He was showing everyone this certificate. Anyone who was coming for his darshan, he was showing this certificate. So even at that time, Guru Mahārāja satisfied Śrīla Prabhupāda so much. What to say when he started to preach all over the world.