Multi-language Subtitle Project

Vanimedia is creating 1080 video clips of Srila Prabhupada's audio messages subtitled in multi-languages

Introduction

Welcome to Vanimedia's Multi-language Subtitle Project.

For the first time in history a powerful acarya in the authorised disciplic succession has left behind live sound recordings of his bhajans, conversations, talks and lectures. From the lotus lips of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada we now have the opportunity to hear directly the illuminating explanations and deep realisations of the pure devotee as he preaches and practices the science of Krsna consciousness.

The unique effects of hearing from the pure devotee are described throughout the Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Fourth Canto, chapter 20, verse 25, King Prthu prays:

"My dear Lord, You are glorified by the selected verses uttered by great personalities. Such glorification of Your lotus feet is just like saffron particles. When the transcendental vibration from the mouths of great devotees carries the aroma of the saffron dust of Your lotus feet, the forgetful living entity gradually remembers his eternal relationship with You. Devotees thus gradually come to the right conclusion about the value of life. My dear Lord, I therefore do not need any other benediction but the opportunity to hear from the mouth of Your pure devotee."

Srila Prabhupada elaborates in the purport:

"It is explained in the previous verse that one has to hear glorification of the Lord from the mouth of a pure devotee. This is further explained here. The transcendental vibration from the mouth of a pure devotee is so powerful that it can revive the living entity's memory of his eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In our material existence, under the influence of illusory maya, we have almost forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord, exactly like a man sleeping very deeply who forgets his duties. In the Vedas it is said that every one of us is sleeping under the influence of maya. We must get up from this slumber and engage in the right service, for thus we can properly utilize the facility of this human form of life. As expressed in a song by Thakura Bhaktivinoda, Lord Caitanya says, jiva jaga, jiva jaga. The Lord asks every sleeping living entity to get up and engage in devotional service so that his mission in this human form of life may be fulfilled. This awakening voice comes through the mouth of a pure devotee.

A pure devotee always engages in the service of the Lord, taking shelter of His lotus feet, and therefore he has a direct connection with the saffron mercy-particles that are strewn over the lotus feet of the Lord. Although when a pure devotee speaks the articulation of his voice may resemble the sound of this material sky, the voice is spiritually very powerful because it touches the particles of saffron dust on the lotus feet of the Lord. As soon as a sleeping living entity hears the powerful voice emanating from the mouth of a pure devotee, he immediately remembers his eternal relationship with the Lord, although up until that moment he had forgotten everything.

For a conditioned soul, therefore, it is very important to hear from the mouth of a pure devotee, who is fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord without any material desire, speculative knowledge or contamination of the modes of material nature. Every one of us is kuyogi because we have engaged in the service of this material world, forgetting our eternal relationship with the Lord as His eternal loving servants. It is our duty to rise from the kuyoga platform to become suyogis, perfect mystics. The process of hearing from a pure devotee is recommended in all Vedic scriptures, especially by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One may stay in his position of life -- it does not matter what it is -- but if one hears from the mouth of a pure devotee, he gradually comes to the understanding of his relationship with the Lord and thus engages in His loving service, and his life becomes completely perfect. Therefore, this process of hearing from the mouth of a pure devotee is very important for making progress in the line of spiritual understanding."

• Having Srila Prabhupada's audio available in multi-languages facilitates all of his family members from around the globe to humbly and respectfully hear from him. In this way no-one is barred from making their lives completely perfect. This project will surely prove to be one of the most uniting forces of Srila Prabhupada's multi language family from all corners of the globe. It will also greatly help to increase the family members of Srila Prabhupada by making it easy to introduce Srila Prabhupada's classes to the people of each nation.

Languages of the World

Here is a sheet of 67 languages that we plan to subtitle. The total number of people speaking these languages is 6,860,000.

Become a Vanimedia translator

• You are familiar with translation from English into your mother language!
• You are not so familar but you are confident that you could make a translation!
• You love to or would love to associate with Srila Prabhupada's audio!
• You want to render some great service to Srila Prabhupada!
• You want to see Srila Prabhupada's teachings distributed to every corner of the globe!
• You have an hour or two of spare time!
• You appreciate the power of collaborative efforts faciliating lots of people doing a little work to get a large result!

Here is a great opportunity waiting for you, no matter how much time you are able to offer. We are recruiting translators who want to be part of this historical initiative.

Contact us at [email protected] and we will add you to our list of translators.

For more information please read the section "Starting the Seva" on this page.

Goal

We want to offer to the worldwide followers of Srila Prabhupada at least 1080 of these 3 to 8 minute clips of Srila Prabhupada's classes - all subtitled with at least 32 and up to 67 languages. Please support this effort generously by joining one of the language teams.

Initial Goal

Our initial goal is to have 108 pages translated with 32 to 67 subtitles by Vyasa Puja of Srila Prabhupada this year (2013)

Benefits

You Will Experience

• personal communications between vaniservants!
• user friendly process!
• enthused results for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada!
• satisfied translators who want to offer more vaniseva!

You Will Create

• a never before created repository of Srila Prabhupada's classes available in multi-languages!
• a possibility for over 75% of the people of this planet to directly hear Srila Prabhupada!
• the opportunity for Srila Prabhupada to personally (via his sound vibration) to enter into millions of peoples homes and hearts!

Results So Far

As of Gaura Purnima 2013 our project is just beginning. We have one video clip with 34 subtitles already. Our second one is in motion.

Here you can see the sheet of our results. Keep coming back to watch this grow, or better still become part of it and help it grow.

Methodology

Via collaboration difficult tasks become very easy. By building teams of translators it will be possible to achieve these goals for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and the benefit of the people of this world irrespective of the language they speak.

Coordinating Team

the coordinating team is:

• selecting the audio clips that will be used.

• building up the translatiing teams.

• sending out the work to be translated, receive it back, and render it in our subtitle programme.

• progressively adding the new language each time it is received to the video.

Starting the Seva

This is a collaborative service being offered by followers of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Society of Krsna Consciousness. If you want to help then please follow the directions here and with only 1 hour of service you will have translated a new language. If you know of devotees who could translate the missing languages then please share this link with them. Any questions can be asked to [email protected]

• Instructions for translators: translationSteps.docx

• Text for translation: translation.docx

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Blessings Please

Praying for the blessings of the Vaisnavas we are gearing up to make hundreds of small audio clips in multi-language, thus facilitating people from every corner of the world speaking as many languages as possible to directly hear and understand Srila Prabhupada's sublime message of truth and love.