VP Naidu releases biography of ISKCON founder titled ‘Sing, Dance and Pray’

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released the biography of ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada titled “Sing, Dance and Pray” at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas on Sunday. According to a press release issued by the Vice President’s Secretariat, Naidu said that Indian civilisation stands for the universal values of unity, peace and social harmony, and called for a “spiritual renaissance” to preserve and propagate these age-old values.

Addressing a gathering after releasing the book, the Vice President asked youngsters to take inspiration from great saints and spiritual masters like Swami Prabhupada and imbibe qualities of discipline, hard work, patience and empathy to become better human beings. “You must always rise above narrow considerations of caste, gender, religion and region and work for bringing unity, harmony and peace in society,” he added.

The book authored by Dr Hindol Sengupta is the biography of Srila Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON. Crediting Srila Prabhupada with the popularisation of The Bhagavad Gita’s message across the world, the Vice President called him one of the greatest ambassadors of India’s cultural heritage in the modern era.

He said that “Spirituality has been the soul of our nation and the foundation of our civilisation since ancient times.” “Our scripture The Bhagavad Gita provides insightful solutions to all the problems of human existence, ranging from approaches to liberation from suffering, to self-realisation and attaining moksha or salvation, to the nature and significance of dharma to the overriding importance of action, devotion and a wide array of other philosophical questions,” he added.

Calling India the land of devotion, Naidu said that bhakti runs through the veins of Indians and is the lifeline of India’s collective civilizational consciousness. He pointed out that many rishis, munis and acharyas in India had uplifted the masses through the non-sectarian, universal method of worship, and lauded Srila Prabhupada for preaching the message of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.

Describing Srila Prabhupada as a torchbearer of egalitarian thought, the Vice President said that he embraced those discarded by society and brought joy and fulfilment to their lives. Naidu said, “The only criterion he stressed was bhakti, or love of God”.

The Vice President also appreciated the efforts of Madhu Pandit Das, President of ISKCON, Bengaluru in carrying forward his Guru’s mission. He also commended the ISKCON-led Akshaya Patra Foundation — the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme – for rendering invaluable service to underprivileged children and communities.

Congratulating the author Dr Hindol Sengupta and ISKCON Bangalore for publishing the book – “Sing, Dance, and Pray”, the Vice President termed it a fitting tribute to Srila Prabhupada on his 125th birth anniversary. He expressed the hope that the biography will inspire its readers to apply this principle in their daily lives.

He also encouraged the author and the publishers to get the book translated into various Indian languages. President of ISKCON Bangalore and Chairman of Akshaya Patra Madhu Pandit Dasa, Vice Chairman Chanchalapathi Dasa, author of the book and historian, Dr Hindol Sengupta, devotees from ISKCON and others were present during the book launch ceremony. (ANI)

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