Vice President release the book “Sing, Dance and Pray”

OV Digital Desk
4 Min Read
Sing Dance and Pray

Image Courtesy: Youtube/ISKCON Bangalore

Taking the opportunity to release the book Sing, Dance and Pray – the inspirational story of Srila Prabhupada” at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas today, the Vice President urged young people 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 people. He said that in order to bring unity, harmony, and peace to society, people must always rise above narrow considerations of caste, gender, religion, and region. The book “Sing, Dance and Pray” is a biography of Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON. It is written by Dr Hindol Sengupta.

In his speech, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu conveyed that Indian civilisation represents universal values such as unity, peace and social harmony. He called for a ‘spiritual renaissance’ to preserve and propagate them.

He called Srila Prabhupada one of the renowned ambassadors of India’s cultural heritage and popularised Bhagavad Gita’s message. Since ancient times, spirituality has been the soul of our nation and the foundation of our civilisation. Shri Naidu praised our ancient scriptures for their transcendental spiritual value, saying that they have guided people to live an ideal life for millennia. ‘Our sacred scripture The Bhagavad Gita has insightful answers to all the problems of human existence, including how to liberate yourself from suffering, how to reach moksha or salvation, the nature and significance of dharma, and the importance of action and devotion, among other philosophical questions,’ he said.

In describing India as a land of devotion, Shri Naidu said bhakti runs through Indians’ veins and is the lifeblood of India’s civilization. In his speech, Shri Naidu pointed out how many rishis, munis, and acharyas have uplifted the masses through non-sectarian, universal worship, and praised Srila Prabhupada for preaching “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam“.

The Vice President called Srila Prabhupada a torchbearer for egalitarian thought who embraced those discarded by society and brought joy and fulfilment to their lives. Despite Srila Prabhupada’s untiring efforts toward universal peace and harmony, Shri Naidu said, “the only criteria he stressed was bhakti, or love of God.” He also praised Sri Madhu Pandit Das, President of ISKCON, Bangalore, for carrying forward his Guru’s work.

The Vice President praised ISKCON for its wonderful spirit of service, quoting Swami Prabhupada’s wish that no one should go hungry within a ten-mile radius of a Krishna temple. Shri Naidu suggested making community service mandatory in schools and colleges to instil these values in the youth. He referred to this spirit of service and ‘share & care’ as the core of the Indian value system. In addition, the Vice President praised the ISKCON-led Akshaya Patra Foundation, which runs one of the world’s most extensive school lunch programs.

The Vice President congratulated Dr Hindol Sengupta and ISKCON Bangalore for publishing the book – Sing, Dance, and Pray – as a fitting tribute to Srila Prabhupada. His hope is that the biography will inspire readers to apply this principle to their everyday lives. In addition, he encouraged the author and publishers to translate the book into Indian languages.

To purchase a copy of ‘Sing, Dance and Pray’, visit: http://amzn.to/3bYiijP

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