European Sankirtan Newsletter - September 2026

Dear Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

The most outstanding news from September comes from Spain that more than tripled their usual scores. The most outstanding thing was that H.H. Yadunandana Swami personally led the charge distributing 40 Srimad Bhagawatam sets himself setting a very inspiring example so that the yatra distributed a total of 76 Srimad Bhagawatam sets smashing their pledge for the Bhadra campaign!!!

One special concession was made by the International SK ministry for the Bhadra campaign that the first volume of the Srimad Bhagawatam, recently translated into Arabic, for the Bhadra campaign will count as a whole set of Srimad Bhagawatms 72 points. I was able to get them out to France, Germany and Italy which is why both Italy and Germany did so well. So, we should congratulate the Spanish yatra for doing so well without having the Arabic SB books. Actually, they were the winners for continental Europe.

Another country that has developed a very strong SK party under the inspiration of H.H. Sivarama swami is Hungary. They came in 4^th this month beating out France. Then there are other countries like the Czech Republic,Belgium and Slovenia that are very steadily distributing a very nice quantity of Srila Prabbhupada’s books every month without fail.

That is for continental Europe, but we are all taking inspiration from the UK who, as always, are way out ahead of the rest of Europe so much so that we can’t really compare them. They smashed their pledge for the Bhadra campaign distributing as a country in one month 290 sets of Srimad Bhagawatams with London distributing 116 and the Manor 87. Srila Prabhupada kijaya!!

I was very inspired by reading this years Vyasa puja book for Srila Prabhupada. I especially would like to include the offering of H.H. Sivaram Swami, his own personal Sankirtan story.

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
This year I would like to glorify you by recounting an event from my early days in Montreal.
It was the winter of 1975, and we had moved into the Pie IX temple about six months earlier, just in time to receive Your Divine Grace for a brief, sameday visit of only a few hours before you hastily flew to New Delhi to meet Indira Gandhi.
Like always, the Montreal winter was cold, and newly fallen snow had blanketed the streets.
As saṅkīrtana leader, I left the temple a little after all the others, carrying three boxes of the Kṛṣṇa book trilogy in my arms, each stacked lengthwise upon the other – volume one, two, and three.
The saṅkīrtana van had broken down, so I walked the 200 meters to the bus stop and rode as far as the next Metro station. The subway was crowded, and I received a few stares – people curious to know what treasures I was hugging to my chest. Little did they know!
I got off at Place Bonaventure, already perspiring from both exertion and my winter wear.
From there I walked underground to the CN train station, where I opened a storage locker for twenty-five cents and packed in all the books bar those that fit into my book bag. It was 10 a.m. The morning rush had passed, so the station was calm. I sat down on the nearest bench to catch my breath and took two sets out of my bag, opening a volume one to the introductory letter by George Harrison. It was the letter that would sell the books. I had to have it ready for customers.
Just then, a well-dressed gentleman sat down on the other end of the bench and nodded to me, “Bonjour.”
“Bonjour, Monsieur,” I replied.
The man recognized my accent, and so continued in English. “Are you from Montreal?”
I rested my arm on the back of the bench. “Yes, sir! And you?”
“No! I’m from Québec City. I’m just waiting for my train.”
I moved a little closer and asked, “Do you know the Beatles?”
He smiled at me. “Who doesn’t?”
I put volume one of the Kṛṣṇa book in his hand, open at the letter from George. “This is a letter from George Harrison, who sponsored this book on yoga and meditation.”
He looked at the letter and turned to the cover. “Kṛṣṇa, The Supreme Personality of Godhead.” He paused, then looked straight at me. “So this book is about Kṛṣṇa!”
It was a statement. I hesitated a minute. I didn’t know if he was deterred by what he saw. But there was nothing else to do but acknowledge that a book called Kṛṣṇa was indeed about Kṛṣṇa.
“It certainly is. It is about His life and teachings.”
The man now turned the book to the back cover and the picture of you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
“And is this your guru?”
“Yes! His name is A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.”
The gentleman made no move to leave, and he appeared comfortable with our exchange. I moved closer and placed the other two books in his hand. “It’s a set, a trilogy.”
“Are you selling these books?”
“We pass the books out and ask people for donations. Please give as much as you can.”
He put the books down to his right side in an undefined gesture. I couldn’t tell if he would take them. He asked, “Have you read the book?”
I wasn’t certain whether he was distracting me from a sale, but I felt encouraged; “I have read it multiple times.”
He raised his eyebrows, impressed. “Then tell me a little more about it.”
At this point, I hesitated. People who wanted to converse were rarely interested in books, and I certainly wasn’t keen on getting anchored before I had even started the day. But then he had placed the whole set on his far side, a gesture that may have indicated interest in a purchase. Or did it? Sometimes our phrase “We pass the books out” was taken as a license to take books for free. But he didn’t look the type. And he certainly had money. His eyes questioned, “Tell me a little more about it.”
At this point, a memory surfaced in my mind. It was the memory of a letter you had written a few years earlier – a letter that still hung on the saṅkīrtana bulletin board and which read: “I am convinced that if you simply glorify Krishna and our books in the best descriptive manner, that anyone and everyone, no matter even atheist or otherwise, they can be convinced to purchase. Of course that is a great art and not everyone can do it, but gradually by practice of preaching in this way, striving to so much present a wonderful picture of our books to the people, gradually you will master the trick how to do it.” (Letter to Bali Mardana, December 31, 1972) I listened to your advice!
What followed was a lovely exchange that lasted almost twenty minutes: Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord who appears in the world to remove burdens created by gross materialists, but more importantly, to reveal His eternal sports in His eternal abode. He is calling us back to our original home – the place of no suffering; the place of unending happiness. This world is full of unavoidable suffering, and yet we continue to attempt to avoid it and seek happiness. It is a fruitless struggle. But if we hear about Kṛṣṇa from these books, and if we chant His names, we can end all that and return to Him. And more!
I took another volume one out of my bag and pointed to the picture of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in the oval frame. “Wouldn’t you like to be there, with them?”
At this question, something moved in my customer, and a few tears gathered in his eyes. He didn’t say anything but continued to look and listen. I asked again, “Wouldn’t you like to be there?”
He nodded silently. And perhaps I saw a tear roll down his cheek. At least, I thought I did.
Now he placed the stack of three books in his lap and looked away from me and at them. He looked hard and long.
This would be the moment of truth.
Just then, the PA system announced the express train to Québec City. My heart skipped a beat as the gentleman looked toward the escalator that led down to the platform.
There was silence, but it was clear that the message I had left him with had created a bond between us. He still wouldn’t look at me, perhaps to hide his tears. Clearing his voice, he said: “How much would you like for the books?”
I was elated, but tried to control myself. It would be another year before I developed the confidence to ask for large donations – at O’Hare Airport. So I gave the standard answer; “The books cost $5 to print, but some people even give $20.” Very few people gave that.
He turned a book to the back cover and looked at you. The PA called a second time for the QC Express. He reached inside his coat, took out his wallet, and fingered bills I could not see. Then he handed me $40.
Now I was speechless. He said, “I will read these books. They are what I have been looking for.” He stood to leave, replaced his wallet, put the books in his briefcase, and extended his arm. We shook hands and smiled at each other. I said, “Thank you.”
He stopped me with a gesture; “No, I thank you. You have given me a wonderful gift.”
He turned to leave, and then again turned back. His eyes were still moist. “Your guru is a great man. Continue to serve him by selling these books. It is the best thing you can do.”
I was caught off guard and just watched as he stepped on to the escalator, soon to be lost from view. No one had ever told me to keep selling books, never mind that this is the best thing I could be doing. Usually, people told me to get a job. I looked at the $40 in my hand and put the bills in my pocket. It was a good start to the day. But I wasn’t ready yet. I sat down again on the bench and looked intently at your picture.
Now tears came to my eyes. I could barely make out your features. I prayed softly under my breath: “Śrīla Prabhupāda, what a wonderful gift you have given me in the form of distributing your books.”
I sobbed a little. “Let my life be dedicated to your book distribution.”
After a few minutes, I began my service. But that day I was surcharged. It seemed that whoever I approached took a set. I walked around CN until the transport police motioned for me to leave. I followed my usual rounds to Place Ville Marie, then out on to Sainte-Catherine Street. That day, I did not feel the cold; I felt only the bliss of serving my glorious spiritual master, whom even strangers could recognize as a great man. It was a memorable day that is still etched in my memory, over fifty years on.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, the exchange at the CN Station was one of many miracles I witnessed while distributing your books. I can’t say that all customers were as positive or that I was equally convincing, but whenever I kept your words in mind, somehow people took and gave. “I am convinced that if you simply glorify Kṛṣṇa and our books in the best descriptive manner, that anyone and everyone, no matter even atheist or otherwise, they can be convinced to purchase.”
That morning I too became convinced. I still am.
Your servant
Śivarāma Swami

This is a very nice quote from the Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya lila chapter 4 verse 79

“If the preachers in our Krsna consciousness movement are sincere devotees of Krsna, Krsna will always be with them because He is very kind and favorable to all His devotees, Just as Arjuna and Krsna were victorious in the Battle of Kuruksetra, this Krsna consciousness movement will surely emerge victorious if we but remain sincere devotees of the Lord and serve the Lord according to the advice of the predecessors (the six Goswamis and other devotees of the Lord). As Narottama dasa thakur has stated: tandera carana sevi bhakta sane vasa janame janame hya ei abhilasa. The Krsna consciousness devotees must always desire to remain in the society of devotees. Bhakta sane vasa: they cannot go outside the Krsna consciousness society or movement. Within society we must try to serve the predecessors by preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s cult and spreading His name and fame all over the world. If we attempt this seriously within society, it will be successfully done. There is no question of estimating how this will happen in a mundane sense. But without a doubt, it happens by the grace of Krsna. “So, we should be inspired to go on endeavoring to spread this movement by distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books depending on Krsna and He will make it happen.

We are very fortunate that this month we will have with us again for our monthly Sankirtan meeting, H.H. Jananadana Swami, a great source of inspiration by his personal example. He has kindly agreed to meet with us on Monday October the 19^th at 19:00 CET and 18:00 UK time. Please don’t miss this opportunity.

Your servant,

Trai Das

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Hare Krishna!

Some exciting news that shouldn't go unnoticed by my busy mind who only looks for issues, since I came back to copenhagen the last 3 months, trying to "work" so I can have enough for tickets when I would like to study shastra or go to the holy dhams.

Life has been kind of complicated but lot of blissful moments in between while I try to find a place to stay, sleep in a small room in the temple, cat sit, meet people, give them books, try to remember Krishna..

A long sankirtan story 😅

So, last weekend we had ratha yatra in malmo
So we went there with the devotees from copenhagen.
I went first time in the malmo yatra.

There were devotees from almvik, lund, Gothenburg, etc
The next day there was kirtan day in lund temple.
Lund temple has opened since last September, a year now.

I was thinking to visit for balaram jayanti but didn't have my passport 😅 but this time I was more prepared.

So the devotees were very kind to host me for the night and the next day attend the all day kirtan retreat.

In some point, i went out for a japa walk.
Noone around , a very quiet neighbourhood, a lady appears.
She was in a birthday party nearby and somehow managed to go out for a few min to calm her mind with fresh air.
I noticed she was somehow different, so I talked to her.
Nice t-shirt , I said.
Thank you, etc
Are you chanting japa ? She asks 😯
how do you know?

My girlfriend from Spain is a devotee,I also chant sometimes.
I never met devotees or been to a temple.
Everything i know is from her.
Next week we are going to a bhakti camp in a Spanish island (dont remember which one)
So and then I invited her to the temple which was just 2 min walk from there.
She came and had darshan, prasadam ,took photos, and that was her first time in a temple.
She had to go soon but how amazing is that.
Good I followed my impulse to go for a walk :)

Later, one prabhu came to the kirtan event in lund, that i couldn't immediately figure out but I had met in almvik 3 years ago. Back then gave him his first bhagavad gita :)
At that time he was doing his first steps. Now he's married to a nice Swedish girl and they are both devotees.
Hes from Albania.
His father is the main person who does events in Tirana and sent him to almvik initially.
Hopefully, we can do more there.
The devotees from cz have been preaching there.
I also met the lady who runs the scene in malmo and shes also from Albania and really inspired.
She said im not doing anything, Krishna is.
7 years ago I wouldn't imagine me in this. Krishna is doing everything.
During the ratha yatra
I met one guy on a bike and stopped him and showed him the bhagavad gita and he said I was with my friend talking about this book one hour ago !
Instant manifestation
:)

Came back to copenhagen
After lund, went to work etc
Few days back, on a "free day "
I had the feeling to go north by train visit another city i never been to.
It was a rainy day but I really felt I need to go out.
I thought what about another area near by ?
No the feeling within was clear. I had to go there.
So I did, and I walked around in the rain with my new rainsuit, who got penetrated by water and the umbrella 😅
A bit disappointing but then I continued. (It was refunded eventually)
During my walk,
I saw an antique shop.
Inspired by the story of yamuna and how she found jagannath deities i always look in the antique shops, maybe I also find some deities to rescue
And lo and behold, not jagannath but garuda was there !!!!
Omg I couldn't believe my eyes
But the shop was closed, so I called and asked.
So I had to come back another day.
I asked the devotees in the temple and they were saying " i dont know we dont want to collect more things "
I asked the head pujari, and she said " garuda? Her devotee friends from another temple just got garuda and she felt a bit jealous "

So today that we are talking 😅
I had another assignment near by, and combined the visit.

I came back to this shop and picked up garuda
😍😍😍

The shop owner was funny,
Luckily the price was still the same.
One lady gave him a month ago because she moved out to another town.
Apparently she has a few more but who knows which personalities.
And so I also gave him a small book and one maha sweet I had with me.

And now sitting happily with garuda enjoying the nice sunny weather this time, by the sea before heading back to the temple.

Hare Krishna 🙏

Bhaktin Mariana 

Sankirtan Gallery

“Wherever book distribution is going on nicely, that is successful, because people are in gross ignorance. They are taking this temporary life as everything. Very horrible condition. We are trying to explain what is the actual life.”
— Śrīla Prabhupāda, Morning Walk, Denver, June 28, 1975
#Please #Read #bhagavadgitaasitis

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