Gitar Gan

Expressions researched:
"gita gan" |"gita gana" |"gitar gan" |"gitar gana"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

Somebody will say, "There was no Kṛṣṇa. There was no Mahābhārata." Somebody says, "Kṛṣṇa stressed on this point," "Kṛṣṇa stressed on that point." Somebody will say, "Kṛṣṇa stressed on karma, karma-kāṇḍa." Somebody will say on jñāna, and somebody will say yoga. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā. Yogī cārtha, jñāna artha, Gītār gān artha...

So the real Gītār Gān is spoken by the Supreme Person, we have to accept that. That is Gītār Gān. (sound of drums in background becoming increasing louder.) Not that I manufacture something as Gītār Gān. (above drums, sound of horns) What is this? (pause) Marriage procession or what? That's all right.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 24, 1974, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: A temple of... There are so many hundreds and thousands of Śiva temples, but nobody has exhibited śiva-liṅga, big śiva-liṅga on the head of the temple.

Akṣayānanda: Where is that, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Bombay. And he's speaking on Gītār Gān. Gītār Gān means to construct a big śiva-liṅga temple. He's proving himself a rascal by his activities. He's a rascal number one. He has gone many times to foreign countries, but not a single foreign student he has got. (break) ...from atheistic fools who are not prepared to follow any rules and regulations, they are after him.

Akṣayānanda: That Sai Baba too...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone.

Akṣayānanda: Many of those young boys and girls, they are potential devotees. They are just in it for a bit of fun. A bit of fashion or fun.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- November 14, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is that festival?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's... It happens every year at this time.

Prabhupāda: What is this time?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) Bengali Gītār Gān is ready and Jayapataka Swāmī is taking delivery of it in the morning.

Prabhupāda: (break) Copies. (break) They could not conclude when the battle of Kurukṣetra was fought.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They are speculating, though. There is one school which says it wasn't fought in Kurukṣetra.

Prabhupāda: As soon as there will be one school and other school, that means all of them are rascals. Just like the sun rises from this side. There cannot be two schools. If somebody says, "No, no. Sun rises from this side," if that is school, he's a fool. Sun rises from the eastern side. That's all. That is knowledge. If somebody says, "No, sometimes in the western side, sometimes in the northern side," is that any value? So as soon as there will be many schools, that means the conclusion is not like that.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Anyway, our Gītār Gān is selling.

Jayapatākā: Yes. When we stopped at Burdwan, in one place, one boy sold 198 Bhagavad-gītās, Gītār Gān, without moving. So many Gītās... People were just crowding around taking Gītās so much that the local... There were some bookstores. They also came and they said that "We cannot get wholesale? We have never seen such a book sell so well."

Gargamuni: Even people come to the temple in Calcutta, they want ten, fifteen copies. Village people. Poor people. They come and say, "Gītār Gān, where is that? I have heard." And they take ten or fifteen copies, they wrap it in their cloth and bring it to the village. It is becoming very popular. Wherever you go, "Where is this Gītār Gān?"

Jayapatākā: I went to Writer's Building, I had four or five copies with me. I didn't go for selling. I went to see ministers. But all the peons, they were buying the Gītār Gāns from me. I sold out. People were coming up with rupees saying, "Gītār Gān." I didn't have any more.

Prabhupāda: Out of their own accord they...

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Out of their own accord they...

Gargamuni: No, they've heard of it. It's becoming famous.

Jayapatākā: That's our inspiration, that if we can make Gītār Gān and Your Divine Grace famous all over Bengal, then we will feel that our mission...

Prabhupāda: Yes, I could not write any... I wrote some Bengali book, that is now... It can be collected from Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha. I continually wrote one book, Bhagavāner Kathā.

Jayapatākā: People are begging us for books in Bengali written by Your Divine Grace. We tell them that... There's no time.

Prabhupāda: That Subhaga translated. But his translations are not so...

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: That's all he does.

Jayapatākā: That and he greets the guests. He's also good at membership.

Prabhupāda: Gītār Gān has become popular.

Gargamuni: Yes. That name has become very popular. Everyone is asking, "Where is this Gītār Gān?"

Prabhupāda: So you can register the name so that others may not...

Jayapatākā: Yes, otherwise they'll cash in on it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can register it the name. Patron registration. Copyright registration.

Gargamuni: It says it in the book.

Jayapatākā: It says, but you should make sure it's registered.

Gargamuni: Gopāla, he printed it. I don't know if he had it registered. It says in the book, "All Rights Reserved."

Prabhupāda: That is your statement. But it must be legally protected.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: He has translated Caitanya-caritāmṛta in Hindi, they say.

Prabhupāda: He presented me one.

Jayapatākā: Many people ask that if the Gītār Gān could be put in Hindi.

Gargamuni: This Gītā Press, they have these little books selling for one rupee, and they've sold lakhs. If we can put Gītār Gān into many languages, it will be bigger than this Gītā Press.

Prabhupāda: So you can... It is poetry.

Jayapatākā: That's the difference, that Prabhupāda put it in poetry. Who has got that inspiration?

Prabhupāda: It is gān, gītā, song. One can chant it singing.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes, they can sing very nicely.

Jayapatākā: When we can hear over the loudspeakers Gītār Gān being sung, then we will feel very happy. When the public will start singing publicly Gītār Gān...

Prabhupāda: Public singing?

Jayapatākā: When the public began to recite Gītār Gān at their functions, like they're doing this Tulasīdāsa Rāmāyaṇa, if they start that in Bengal, Gītār Gān, then it will be a big success.

Prabhupāda: Tulasīdāsa. Tulasīdāsa Rāmāyaṇa is very popular. Because the Hindis, they have no literature. There is no literature.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, I can give you some loan.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We will do that. We may need a small loan because... Also the printer came to see me. I told him to bring down the Bengali Gītār Gān price, and I'll think we'll print only one lakh here because his quality is much better than a small letter press in Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: So if you regularly do businesslike, I can give you loan.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We may need a small loan, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I'm not asking till it becomes...

Prabhupāda: No. For printing books I'll give you loan.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually the BBT's turnover now is around four lakhs. A year ago we opened this BBT account with only two thousand rupees in the bank. Now it's gone to four lakhs.

Prabhupāda: Books which are sellable, you can print in quantity. That will be cheaper. These books I think will be...

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, there the Hindi is not...

Bhavabhūtī: But here in this side we're going to start to distribute this Hindi Back to Godhead very profusely, just like in America.

Prabhupāda: And what about Gītār Gān?

Bhavabhūtī: Yes. Also that's included. Fifteen thousand BTG's and Gītār Gāns included. The boys are so enthusiastic now...

Prabhupāda: In the boat?

Bhavabhūtī: Yes. On the boat. But even when we came into Calcutta—it was a two-hour train ride—the boys were not simply sitting. They were going from car to car selling books. One boy he sold fifty BTG's just coming from outside of Calcutta to Calcutta. Just two-hour train ride. He was going from car to car, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," and he would give them Bengali Back to Godhead. And they are taking very nicely now. All along the Ganga...

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No. If you have sufficient nice stock, anywhere you go, you'll take up.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But you have to have men who can offer the books.

Jayapatākā: We'll have four traveling parties.

Prabhupāda: Just like this Gītār Gān. Wherever we are going, selling.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Imagine... All I'm trying to say is if we had more men, the distribution would increase tenfold, hundredfold.

Prabhupāda: Men will come by distribution.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I was just trying to raise that point.

Jayapatākā: But the difficulty is that the men that are coming, they're not suitable for leading the party. We don't have any men coming, but theoretically when they come, the better class, they could distribute. But for leading would take several years. But their party leaders...

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter. Let them be leader.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: At different times. Now all, they have become very strong. Finally it's happened. We have a brahmacārī core. And they're all anxious... This week they're all going out preaching, everyone.

Prabhupāda: Gītār Gān selling nice?

Bhavānanda: Gītār Gān is selling nice. Bhagavānera Kathā is selling nice, Bhāgavata Darśana. We sell two Bhāgavata Darśana, Gītār Gān and Bhagavānera Kathā. The people take it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, they take the whole set.

Bhavānanda: They like the set, you know. One rupee for one book, they stop and think, but if they pay four rupees, 4.50 for four books, they think they're getting a lot for their money. But one rupee for one book is more difficult.

Prabhupāda: And Bangladesh?

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Gītār Gān, (Bengali).

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali about popularity of Gītār Gān)

Subhaga: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Subhaga: Muhammadan arrested? No.

Bhavānanda: They're going to be arrested.

Subhaga: They're going to be arrested, Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? How would you like to drink something?

Prabhupāda: I have no thirst.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Viśāla said... I was asking him last night. He said that the most difficult people for selling books to are the Bengalis when they come. They're the most difficult. But everyone else, they are more receptive.

Prabhupāda: And Gītār Gān is taken, everyone who comes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That bābājī was telling.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, Bābājī, Kṛṣṇa dāsa.

Prabhupāda: He said that "In everyone's hand I see Gītār Gān."

Bhavānanda: Yes. (laughs) That's true. They take Gītār Gān and a Bhāgavata Darśana.

Śatadhanya: And they're anxious for the next issue.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Which one?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Which book?

Jayapatākā: Gītār Gān and Bhagavānera Kathā and...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Seven thousand. That's pretty good, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in one week, just for one party. And they have four parties.

Jayapatākā: Well, now there's two. But... So we are organizing now so that we'll be able to even distribute thirty, forty thousand big books in a month.

Prabhupāda: English?

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Why not? You have got money?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. There is enough money.

Jayapatākā: We do not want to rest until every home in Bengal has a copy of Gītār Gān and Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Gītār Gān is nice. It's attractive.

Jayapatākā: About ten new devotees are there now. Every week two or three new devotees are coming. Four of them are college graduate. They're helping answering letters and transcribing. Subhaga has five books that he had written in England. So we got those, and now they're being copies for printing.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Jayapataka -- Jaipur 21 January, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter undated, and I have noted the contents carefully. So far the printing of Gitar Gan for which you have sent quotation, you may take other quotations also, and I am flying to Africa tomorrow but I shall return first week in February, so when I return I shall send you the manuscript which I think is now finished by Mr. Cakravarti in Bombay. Of the paper samples, the heavier stock of map litho at 80 grams per square meter is preferred by me, and the cover paper is all right. We have estimated 100 pages, so I suppose the price will be proportionately lesser or greater if we have more or less pages?

Letter to Jayapataka -- Jaipur 21 January, 1972:

I do not think there will be difficulty if we just go there like the ordinary pilgrims and set up our camp there for kirtana continuously. Anyone will see we are only serious devotees of Lord Caitanya and not Pakistani spies. So I think you should plan that we shall definitely be coming to Mayapur and hold a grand festival there for Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day celebrating. You may collect advertisements for Mayapur on this basis that somehow or other we shall go there.

One more thing, those One-Rupee Coupons, they may be given one book of Gitar Gan also, and 50% will go to Book Fund, 50% to Building Fund. In this way 10,000 books will be distributed very easily.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Auckland 14 April, 1972:

One thing, I have received on complaint from Damodara Maharaja that there was some quarrel with Acyutananda Maharaja. I do not know what is the fact, but we should avoid any quarrel with our godbrothers, and always be very nice and kind to them, and cooperate with them. Because Damodara Maharaja is offended, so Acyutananda Maharaja should go to Damodara and beg his forgiveness, and bow and touch his feet. There is no harm in such behavior of begging forgiveness. So far "Gita Gan," it should simply be composed there and sent to Japan c/o ISKCON Tokyo for printing.

Letter to Bhavananda -- Honolulu 16 May, 1972:

Last time when I was in India you told me that Lalita Prasad wanted to see me and according to his desire I saw him. And the proposal was accepted by him. Now it appears he has changed his mind so what can be done? For the time being, forget the transaction and later on we shall see. There is no haste.

Regarding Gitar Gan composition quotation, I do not know which heavenly press you have gone to take the quotation—it is simple cheating. Jayapataka took the quotation from one press, which quotation included printing, paper, everything, 10,000 books for Rs. 4,000. This rascal wants so much. It is simply joking. Anyway, I think you cannot find out, let Jayapataka find out. The composition charges should not be more than Rs. 250 for 100 pages, very small pages. You can attempt to get it composed by the linotype machine in Juganta Press, owned by Tarun Kanti Ghosh. If it is attempted, he may give it free. Simply for composing there is no problem. If it is printed on linotype it is always new type.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Honolulu 17 May, 1972:

Gitar Gan should be immediately composed where you took quotation before. I had asked for it to be composed long ago for sending to Japan, but so far no one has done it, I do not know why. Anyway, I think the price of the composing was only about Rs. 250 or Rs. 300, because the total printing cost was Rs. 672/-. Simply get it composed and the other things will be done in Japan.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 16 June, 1972:

Composed matter of Gitar Gan should be sent to me as early as possible.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Paris 22 July, 1972:

They shall be arriving very soon in India, and you can train them to help you there full-time. Besides, you may ask Giriraja if Saurabha das can come from Bombay from time to time to assist you there and see how the things are going on. He is experienced man.

Regarding Gitar Gan, do it conveniently. Regarding Lalita Prasad Thakura, as I have advised Acyutananda above, unless he keeps his promise than we are not interested to publish any of Bhaktivinode Thakura's books. That animosity against Guru Maharaja is going on, so we shall have nothing to do with it.

Letter to Madhavananda -- Los Angeles 26 August, 1972:

So unless Tamala Krsna and the others agree then I will not be able to attend on the dates you have mentioned. Anyway I shall be in Vrndavana at that time. But after the 15th November, leaving this time, and consulting with the leaders, then a suitable program may be fixed for Calcutta.

Regarding my Gita Gan, take quotation for printing there also. If it is cheaper why should we go to Dai Nippon? I think Jugantar can do the work, let them do it conveniently. Anyway, somehow or other do it, and you can request Giriraja to send the money from the Book Fund if he approves of everything. You can ask Asokamrta or I think there are some Bengali girls there also, all of them are well educated, they can proofread the manuscript.

The Maidan programs in India should be done in consultation with all. We have now got our reputation and we must do everything very carefully to keep it.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Calcutta 15 March, 1973:

I have received some first-class publications of our Isopanisad from Hamsaduta and he is also ready to print Bhagavad-gita. And now you tell me that Macmillan, such a big big company, cannot keep up with our men. This is very encouraging news. I have just finished Gita Gan, a verse by verse translation of the Gita into Bengali, and now I am working daily on the Caitanya-caritamrta. Now I am more and more wanting to work on my books and diminish all this travelling. So I am more and more depending upon you GBC. Of course you GBC are in training, but you are all the hope for the future of our movement.

So I am glad to hear that my quarters are being readied nicely and that you have purchased me a comfortable car. My program is to leave for Mayapur in the morning and be back by the 19th and on to Hyderabad on the 23rd, then to Bombay by the 26th.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles April 18, 1973:

For Caitanya-caritamrta 19 pages of manuscript were sent yesterday and today they are sending 30 pages. So you go on making Caitanya-caritamrta and print chapterwise, and that will be very nice.

I am still awaiting quotation from you for Bengali Caitanya-caritamrta and also Gitar Gan. We want to print 50,000 copies of each, in the size just above the smallest size book which you showed me.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Ghosh:

I take the opportunity of sending this letter with your cousin-brother Mr. Zazumdar. He is a nice gentleman, almost of our age. I talked with him and felt great pleasure. Sometimes I think of going to Allahabad. So whenever I shall get the opportunity I may go, as I like the place. I am obliged to you for your remembering me even after so many years passed when we were together in Prayag Pharmacy.

I hope this will meet you in good health.

I am advising my men in Calcutta to send one copy of Gita Gan in Bengali and in the meantime I am presenting to you one copy of our Krsna Book Trilogy. You will find a list of my other books printed in the Krsna Book.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Bombay 13 April, 1974:

I want to organize a women kirtana party singing the Gita Gan. Can you help me?

Letter to Gargamuni -- Bombay 8 December, 1974:

So this is very nice. Why not reprint our Gitar Gan in Japan fifty thousand copies? Our temple is getting more and more famous. It is already famous as the sahib temple. And it will become even more famous when there is gate. __ walls, kitchen, prasadam pavilion, and lake. Then it will be very nice. So I am looking forward to seeing these things when I return to Mayapur. This next Sunday I am planning to start for Honolulu.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Tejiyas -- Bombay 20 January, 1975:

Herewith please find the corrected copy of Gita Gana. Do the needful immediately. The bearer of this letter, Krishnagraja das, is going to Delhi on a mission to see the Home Member. So, give him all help in this connection. If you have got the Hare Krishna film, please make it available for his use.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Bhargava -- Honolulu 29 May, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 25, 1976, along with samples of the Gitar Gan and the cover in for the Bhagavat-darsana.

No, the printing of the Gitar Gan cover this fashion is not at all approved by me. You have done most nonsensically. Why change the cover? When people look to see the Bhagavad-gita they expect to see Krishna and Arjuna, not the picture of Krishna with cow. You have done a great mistake by changing the front picture and it will hamper the sale. In future you don't do any changes without asking me first.

Simply because there is no stock of books, we can do anything whimsically??? Is this logic? Gita is not spoken in Vrindaban, it is spoken on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, but this is Vrindaban picture.

Letter to Jayasacinandana -- Los Angeles 4 June, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your offering of Bhaktivedanta-astakam, and I thank you very much. It is very nicely done. I have noted that you also have the aptitude for Bengali language, so you can learn this nicely and then you will be able to preach in Bengal in the native language. It would be very effective. Also, you can chant the Gita-Gan in Bengali and people will profusely take out Gita-Gan. Thank you very much.

Letter to Palika -- India Unknown Date:

Please have my Bengali book Gitar Gan composed by some printer there in Calcutta in the next two or three days, and immediately send it to ISKCON Tokyo. I will correct it personally and hand it over to Dai Nippon for printing. I have asked Jayapataka Maharaja to do this, but he has not done anything yet, so you do it immediately and please do not delay. Books are being sent to our branches in India from Japan, at no cost to you. You may sell them and use the profits for our building funds, 50%, and book fund, 50%. I do not know if we may require the COP permission, so you may inquire this from Gurudasa.

Letter to Jayapataka:

Regarding the approval of the University, we have got both students and teachers and can supply the list to them. But first we must know the conditions which they are asking of us to fulfill. It was very good that they liked the prasadam. Introduce the recitation of Gitar Gan in every school. That will be a nice credit.

Abhirama prabhu should kindly inform me what is the situation of the park. I did not receive the bank statement as yet.

The latest report from Tamala Krsna Goswami is that we are selling $60,000 worth of our books daily. It is because you are helping me that all this has become possible otherwise how can I do anything alone, ekaki amara nahi paya bol, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that I cannot do anything, alone I am helpless. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself and he wants the help of His devotees and what to speak of me.

Letter to Satadhanya -- Vrindaban 12 September, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 6 September 1976 and have noted the contents. Please continue this program of preaching and distributing Gita-gan as far as possible for this is our real business.

As far as your visa goes, if you have an entry visa, it can be extended. What is the nature of your visa? I shall telegram you if something can be done here. It is very nice that this publicity has attracted so many people to see our mandir. This is wanted. But are you selling books from the temple? I may be there in Mayapur by the beginning of December.

As you depend on me I similarly depend on you, parasparatam. The brahmanas and ksatriyas should cooperate, that is the Vedic civilization. The hands and legs should cooperate with the brain in order for the whole society to work properly.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Vrindaban 28 September, 1976:

Who is managing Bengal Bhagavata Darsana? Raghunath Kundau (Radhe Syamasundara) has come here, and he is now first initiated. He can be used for this preaching work, he's willing. I understand the visitors in our Temple have increased on account of the propaganda. Have we increased distribution of Gitar Gan or not? Yes, whenever strong and probable false statements are made against ISKCON are made, we can take defamation case against them. I have given one statement in English,* Bengali and Hindi which I will send you, this may be published through the English and Bengali Press Trust of India (PTI). Sravanananda has a film on the last New York Rathayatra, so show this in every town, city, and village and present my statement in Bengali. Radhe Syamasundara is coming there to help, and I will send some newspaper clippings. Go on with our regular work and chanting. You can also show our book distribution figures from Sankirtana newsletters.

Letter to Bhavananda -- Vrindaban 10 November, 1976:

So, it is Krsna blessing you. Take this opportunity for preaching in Bengal. Especially please go from village to village with a party of 5, 6 men and preach the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu with great enthusiasm. Along with preaching simultaneously Gitar Gana will be distributed.

So far my going to Mayapur, I am expecting to go to Hyderabad, therefore I shall fix up my date later on. In the meantime both Gargamuni and yourself preach vigorously.