Compiled by london swaminathan

swami_48@yahoo.com

Date: 27 FEBRUARY 2019

GMT Time uploaded in London – 9-14 AM

Post No. 6127

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources including google, Wikipedia, Facebook friends and newspapers. This is a non- commercial blog. ((posted by swamiindology.blogspot.com AND tamilandvedas.com))

New Delhi, February 26,2019: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday unveiled a giant Bhagavad Gita, running into 670 pages and weighing 800 kg, at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in East of Kailash New Delhi. As per ISCKON, the holy book measuring 2.8 metres by 2 metres is the world’s largest sacred book. ISKCON is also colloquially known as the Hare Krishna movement. The society has more than 400 temples and runs 100 vegetarian restaurants and a wide variety of community-serving projects

ISKCON in a statement said, “With an artistic touch of 18 exquisite paintings and an innovative elegant layout, the book has been printed in Milan, Italy, on YUPO synthetic paper so as to make it untearable and waterproof.” The ISKCON temple in south Delhi, endowed with unique latticed towers having a fusion of traditional design.

Speaking at the event, Mr Modi didn’t make any direct reference to the air strike. But he did talk of the many lessons that the Bhagwad Gita held for everyone.

Like saving the earth from devils and enemies of humanity. “This is the message that we are trying to give,” he said to a loud cheer from his audience.

Dubbed as the “Astounding Bhagavad Gita”, the book is billed as the “largest principle sacred text ever to be printed.”

Speaking about the holy book of Hindus, Mr Modi urged people to not be divisive and asked them to look beyond feelings of “yours and mine.”

In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Mr Modi said: “In order to save the earth from enemies of humanity, God’s power has always been with us. And we are trying to send across this message with proof to evil souls and devils.”

The Prime Minister said he had presented a copy of the Bhagwat Gita to former US President Barack Obama too. “The Gita has been a guiding light over a thousand years, from gyaan (knowledge) to vigyaan (science).”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Modi said that from the smallest Gita to the biggest Gita, there have been uncountable initiatives to spread its knowledge.

He said: “Lokmanya Tilak spread the knowledge of Gita in Marathi and Gujarati. Gandhiji read the Gujarati version of it in jail. For Gandhiji, Gita and Satyagraha were an inseparable part of life. Gita is not just dharam grantha, it’s jivan grantha too. Gita shows us the way to “seva” (service) and “samarpan” (sacrifice). Gita is world’s ‘dharohar’. It has helped everyone see the correct path.”

The Prime Minister said the Gita preserved the heritage of this nation. A German philosopher had acknowledged the values highlighted in Gita when India was still fighting for Independence.

He said whether one was a Yogi or an ordinary person, one will get all his or her questions answered in Gita.  “Remember Gita Shlokas in the time of distress,” he said, while adding “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikaas is the result of these values from Gita.”

Mr Modi further said: “Let’s look at politics beyond the feelings of what’s yours and mine. Let’s not be divisive. Our government has given momentum to the movement for Yoga and Ayurveda.”

ISKCON NEWS

A breathtaking new single printing of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is, dubbed “The Astounding Bhagavad-gita,” will measure 2.80 x 2.00 meters (9 x 6.5 ft) and weigh an astonishing 800 kgs (1,763 lbs).

The giant book is funded by ISKCON Italy through donations and designed by the Mediterranean branch of the BBT, which claims it will be the largest sacred text in the world. 

Trustee and managing director Madhusevita Das clarifies that while there are bigger books on spiritual topics – such as the 5 x 8.06 meter “This is the Prophet Mohammed” in Dubai – this will be the biggest central sacred text of a major religion.

“Some time ago, I was wondering what is the best way to spread the glories of Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is throughout the world, in a way that people will be inspired to read it,” he says. “And suddenly an inspiration came to mind: let’s make it the largest sacred text ever printed.”

And Madhusevita is the perfect man for the job. For over a decade, he has been printing large format books with the Mediterreanean BBT, including Darsana, Krishna Art, and a deluxe collector’s 16kg edition of Bhagavad-gita.

The 2.8m x 2m, 800 kg Astounding Bhagavad-gita, however, is by far their most ambitious effort. At a cost of a €220,000, it will run to 670 pages, totaling one acre of printed matter. With eighteen exquisite BBT paintings and an innovative elegant layout, it will be printed on YUPO synthetic paper, which is untearable and waterproof.

The book will be bound with a process called Japanese binding, utilizing stainless-steel screws. Its cover will be made of carbon fiber, a light yet extremely strong material used to build satellites. And the cover painting of Krishna and Arjuna will be surrounded by intricate laser-engraved black and gold motifsmade with precious metal inserts.

“It will be a real, useable book with turnable pages, and with the proper care and know-how it is built to last thousands of years,” says Madhusevita.

The layout and conception of the Astounding Bhagavad-gita was done by devotee BBT staff such as Ali Krishna Dasi, Haladhara Dasa, and Rupa Sanatana Dasa. The printing and production, meanwhile, was handled by experts in Milan, Italy