HH Bhakti Caru Swami learns Sanskrit

Once I [Bhakti Caru Swami] expressed a desire to learn Sanskrit to Srila Prabhupada. But Srila Prabhupada discouraged me asking, “Why you want to learn Sanskrit?” I gave him various reasons but Srila Prabhupada said, “No, there is no need to learn Sanskrit.” But then he finally said, “You read my books and you will learn Sanskrit.” But then he elaborated, “What is the point in learning Sanskrit? There are so many Sanskrit scholars but what are they doing? They are not doing anything to spread Krsna consciousness or even to spread the glory of Indian culture. They are just learned in Sanskrit and that is about all.” Prabhupada pointed out that our main mission is actually to preach, not to become a big scholar, and he said, “You can preach with whatever you have already learnt. What you learn in the course of preaching, that is another thing, but there is no need to separately learn something in order to preach. Whatever you have learnt is sufficient to preach.” So in this way Srila Prabhupada discouraged me from learning Sanskrit. One day Srila Prabhupada was discussing with Bimalananda Thakura Tirtha. Prabhupada was discussing about the age of Kali, how degraded it would become. Prabhupada wanted me to get the Srimad-Bhagavatam. In those days the Twelfth Canto was not yet translated so Srila Prabhupada asked me to get the Sanskrit Srimad-Bhagavatam and he asked me to open a certain chapter and start reading some part of that chapter. He indicated wherefrom I should start reading. I started to read the verses and then Prabhupada explained and translated the verses. Then after Bimalananda Thakura Tirtha left his room Srila Prabhupada looked at me and asked, “Where did you learn Sanskrit?” I was also amazed how without any difficulty I was able to read the verses of the Twelfth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

At that time I was able to understand that by the mercy of spiritual master everything is possible.