Four Books are Enough
In our Krsna consciousness movement we have therefore limited our study of Vedic literatures to Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Caritamrta and Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu. These four works are sufficient for preaching purposes.
They are adequate for the understanding of the philosophy and the spreading of missionary activities all over the world.
- Bhagavad-gita As It Is:This book is the A, B, C book of spiritual education. This is the essence of the knowledge imparted in the Upanisads. Since Brahma-sutras give conclusive meaning to the Upanisads, Bhagavad-gita is also the essence of the subject matter of the Brahma-sutras. Vedic knowledge is complete because it is above all doubts and mistakes, and Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all such Vedic knowledge. Out of many standard and authoritative revealed scriptures, the Bhagavad-gita is the best.
In the present age people are so absorbed in mundane activities that it is not possible for them to read all the Vedic literatures. This one book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is will suffice because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and especially because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The whole Bhagavad-gita centers around the declaration that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that the ultimate perfection of life for the living being is to fully surrender unto Him.
- Nectar of Devotion:Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu by Srila Rupa Goswami is a treatise on the codes of conduct of devotees compiled in Hari Bhakti Vilas by Srila Sanatana Goswami. Srila Prabhupada gave a summary study of Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu in his book Nectar of Devotion, thus providing the Pancaratra for the devotees of the Krsna consciousness movement.
The Nectar of Devotion teaches us how to turn that switch that will immediately brighten everything, everywhere, by engaging in the simple and natural method of loving Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even those who are completely confused and frustrated in life, can extinguish immediately the fire of material existence burning within their hearts, by learning this art of devotional service as directed in the Nectar of Devotion.
The Nectar of Devotion is specifically presented for persons who are engaged in the Krsna Consciousness movement.
As human society becomes degraded by the influence of the age of Kali, people become unfit for the vedic system. So the Pancaratra system of making one qualified by initiating him into the process of devotional service by which he is engaged fully in the service of the Deity form of the Lord is the only practical method for deliverance in this age of Kali.
Pancaratra books contain elaborate descriptions on the subject matter of the expansions and incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, especially the Deity incarnations, detailed information on day to day worship of the Deity forms, methods of purification of the worshipper and process of practical meditation, process of installing temple and Deities, and instructions on how to conduct different festivals in glorification of the pastimes of the Lord.
In the four authorised sampradayas, the acaryas have compiled Deity worship manuals based on these Pancaratra books. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami in the subject matter of Pancaratra and advised them to write books on this subject.
Srila Sanatana Goswami compiled Hari Bhakti Vilas, giving elaborate descriptions of Vaisnava regulative principles and practice. Srila Rupa Goswami made his treatise on the subject, viz., Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu with profound knowledge of revealed scriptures and authoritative references from various Vedic literatures, especially Narada Pancaratra.
Srila Prabhupada gave a summary study in prose on Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu, in his book Nectar of Devotion. Thus the codes of conduct book for the Krsna conscious devotees, the Nectar of Devotion, is the Pancaratra book for the Krsna consciousness movement.
- Srimad-Bhagavatam:Within the Vedic literature, there are two systems of education. One deals with transcendental knowledge (para vidya) and the other with material knowledge (apara vidya). The Vedas and their corollaries the six Vedangas deal with the inferior system of material knowledge, viz, to improve religion (dharma), economic development (artha), sense gratification (kama), and liberation (moksa).
As far as Vedic literature is concerned, Vedanta-sutra is accepted as the para vidya. Srimad Bhagavatam is an explanation of that para vidya. It is the fully matured fruit of the desire tree known as Vedic literature.
Srila Prabhupada has given his Bhaktivedanta (devotional Vedanta) translations and purports on Srimad Bhagavatam as the graduate study for the devotees of the Krsna consciousness movement.
- Sri Caitanya Caritamrta:Sri Krsna appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to give practical demonstrations of the teachings He gave as Krsna. He relished the descriptions of Krsna lila given in the Srimad Bhagavatam by Vyasadeva.
Srila Vrndavan Das Thakur, the Vyasa of Caitanya Bhagavata described Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. Following in his footsteps Sri Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami, composed Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, in which the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are described in great detail.
One begins with Bhagavad-gita and advances through Srimad Bhagavatam (for which conducting life according to the codes of Nectar of Devotion is a must), to the Caitanya Caritamrta. Although all these great scriptures are on the same absolute level, for the sake of comparative study Caitanya Caritamrta is considered to be on the highest platform.
Srila Prabhupada says in his preface to the Caitanya Caritamrta, “I sincerely hope that by understanding the teachings of Lord Caitanya human society will experience a new light of spiritual life which will open the field of activity of the pure soul.”
Srila Prabhupada says in his purport to text 118 of chapter twenty-two, in the Madhya-lila of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta:
“In our Krsna consciousness movement we have therefore limited our study of Vedic literatures to Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Caritamrta and Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu. These four works are sufficient for preaching purposes. They are adequate for the understanding of the philosophy and the spreading of missionary activities all over the world.”
The whole ocean of Vedic literature is contained in these four books of Srila Prabhupada. If a student sincerely studies these four books analytically and systematically, “Four books are enough!”
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Hare Krishna
Today I gave Nectar of Devotion to one of my girls students who is very innocent. I received this book and incense from Krishna Store today and as I always do, took the book to my coaching class. All the students wanted to see it, one of them noted down some words from the book but this student started reading it and wasn’t stopping although her English is weak and wouldn’t have understood much. I said it was time to go home but she could take the book to her home and keep it at a nice place and see the pictures in it and read it and just keeping the book at her home would be very good for her and her family. With little hesitation she agreed and put the Nectar of Devotion in her bag and took it to her home. She is very dear to me. I want her to be happy in her life and there’s no better way to be happy than to read Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Reading Prabhupada’s books changes life for good. People living in miserable conditions become much much happier and they begin their journey to Krishnaloka as soon as they start reading these books. I have observed that if we distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books, many, many people will take these books very gladly and will thank us. Although I’m not able to distribute a lot of Srila Prabhupada’s books, I’m distributing some to family members, relatives, friends, etc. and I feel very happy after distributing the books. People are suffering for want of Krishna Consciousness. They must be given these books. There are many demons but there are also many innocent people who are suffering because of not getting association of devotees and not having knowledge of Krishna. The innocent people will surely like us and appreciate what we are doing if we distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. Some people are surely searching for God and we need to give them Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead by distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books and thus getting Srila Prabhupada’s mercy and Lord Krishna’s mercy. This way our lives will become successful and other innocent people’s lives will also become successful.
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances. Dandavat Pranam.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
I hope you are in good health.
prabhupadabooks.com is not working on phone. It is working well on desktop.
Prabhu, please give me your blessings that I become a qualified disciple of Srila Prabhupada and a pure devotee of Krishna.
Hare Krishna Hrishikesh Prabhu
Thank you very much for letting me know about the problem with PrabhupadaBooks mobile site. It should be working now. Please check and let me know if there is any problem still.
As far as blessings. Prabhupada’s blessings are there for you, my blessings are also there for you. But it is up to you really if you are going to become a qualified disciple of Srila Prabhupada or not. You can take a horse to water but you can not make it drink…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krsna devotees,
I feel very fired up with this “four books is enough” and I am going to get into them like a house on fire. Srila Prabhupada is the Vyasa for next ten thousand years, no doubt about that.
Thank you all.
i love Hare Krishna devotees.
I am very much glad to be a member of the Bhagabat Gita family. I am also a great fan of Guru Pravupada. Kindly sent me more Bhagabat Khaas from Gita and other spiritual Books by which I will be more devotin towards god Krishna.
Hare Krishna