It is said, kathā hari-kathodarkāḥ satāṁ syuḥ sadasi dhruvam. Therefore if we discuss this hari-kathā . . . we are discussing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, hari-kathā. So kathā, hari-kathā, udarkāḥ satāṁ syuḥ sadasi dhruvam. If it is discussed among devotees, then one can understand. This book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, has value amongst the devotees. And to others, they may purchase. They see that "What is this? Sanskrit verse, something written. Scrap of paper." You see. Just like this newspaper, for us, is scrap of paper. We don't care for it. But they keep it very carefully on their chest, "Oh, it is so nice." (chuckles) (laughter)
Newspaper in the Western countries is so popular. One gentleman told me a story that one Christian priest went to preach Christian religion in Sheffield. Sheffield, where is it? In England? So the workers, laborers, he was preaching amongst them that "Lord Jesus Christ will save you. If you don't take shelter of Lord Jesus Christ, then you'll go to hell." So first of all he . . . "Who is Jesus Christ? What is his number?" That means he . . . they thought, "Jesus Christ must be one of the workers, and every worker has a number, so what is his number?"
So "No, Jesus Christ, he's son of God. So he has no number. He's not worker." Then "What is hell?" Then described, "Hell is very damp, very dark," and so on, so on. So they were silent. Because they are working in the mines; it is always dark and damp. (laughter) (laughs) So what is the difference between hell and this, what is called, mine? They were silent. But when the priest said, "There is no newspaper," "Oh, horrible!" (laughter) "There is no newspaper." (laughs) Just see. Therefore, in your country, so many big, big, I mean to say, bunch of newspapers, they are distributed.
So if for Los Angeles City, which is nothing but a point in this world . . . there are so many cities, but there are so many newspapers. Not only one edition: two, three editions. And if they can give so many news from this one point, now, how much news we have got? That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from spiritual world. But there is no customer. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, so valuable instruction, so much information, all fact, dhruvam. Dhruvam means fact, not fictitious. So there would have been many, many customers. And because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no culture, these literatures, they are not appreciated.