Srila Prabhupada translated the highest Vedic scriptures from Sanskrit into modern language so perfectly that they could be understood by the sincere reader, regardless of race.
"Print as many books in as many languages as possible and distribute them throughout the whole world. Then this Krishna consciousness movement will increase."
The dozens of books that Srila Prabhupada translated and published and the millions of copies that his disciples distributed around the world constitute, perhaps, his major achievement.
"We loved distributing his books. It was not an artificial burden nor were we struggling. It was like fun, bliss, ecstacy and the whole philosophy was there."
- Ramesvara das
Srila Prabhupada was eager to print in many languages:
"I am also very encouraged to hear that a Japanese language translation of some of my books is coming out soon because without books and magazines, what authority or what basis have we got for preaching?"
If Srila Prabhupada's books had been distributed via the traditional retail outlets, he would have been on every best-seller list. For example, Srila Prabhupada's Gita outsold all other editions ever printed, over 27,000 copies in a few months, and in 1973 over four million copiess were distributed altogether.