Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) is the world's largest publisher of books concerning Krishna and the philosophy, religion, and culture of the Vedic tradition of India. The BBT especially emphasizes the works of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=F-EuD3M2QYoC&pg=PA53&dq=bhaktivedanta+publishing+house+satsvarupa&sig=tn__5UFuf3bMI0oucpH9qN1hZ1k Krishna Consciousness in the West - Page 53, David G. Bromley, Larry D. Shinn - 1989] ] It was established in 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The BBT is the publisher for his books and for books by other authors. It also publishes the magazine "Back to Godhead" in English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Hungarian, and other languages. The BBT is a nonprofit organization, independent of ISKCON, and supplies books both to ISKCON and to the book trade in general.

Publishing range

BBT books range in complexity from brief, introductory volumes and study guides, summary studies, biographical material [cite book | first = Dasa Goswami | last = Satsvarupa| title =Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta Vol 1-2| publisher = BBT| date = 1980-82, 2002 | pages = vol.1 1133 pages vol.2 1191 pages | isbn = (2 volume edition 2002) 0892133570 ] and short Sanskrit works all the way up to exhaustive multi-volume translations (with commentaries) of major Sanskrit and Bengali works. Its publications include original scriptural works, translated into more than 80 languages, and books that discuss and explain these traditional texts. The BBT also publishes audio books, audio CDs, video materials, and multimedia presentations.

The BBT publishes the "Bhagavad Gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Isopanishad, Narada Bhakti Sutra," and (from the Gaudiya devotional tradition) the "Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita," and numerous other books. Its latest multi-volume publication is an English translation, with commentary, of Srila Sanatana Goswami's "Brihad-bhagavatamrita."

The BBT publishes in all the major Eastern and Western European languages, in the major Indian languages, in the main languages of the former Soviet Union, and in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Singhalese, Hebrew, Persian, and other languages.

Apart from the BBT's work in publishing, it helps finance the construction and renovation of Krishna temples--for example, in the most important Gaudiya Vaishnava holy places like Vrindavan and Mayapur.

tructure

The BBT has five main publishing divisions: North European, North American, Western Pacific, Mediterranean and Indian. Every division is headed by a trustee, each responsible for publishing in the languages specific to that division. The trustees meet twice a year.

References

External links

* [http://www.krishna.com Krishna.com] (a large, wide-ranging BBT-sponsored site, "all about Krishna")
* [http://www.bbt.info The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust] (the BBT corporate site)
* [http://www.bbt.se BBT Sweden]
* [http://www.friendsofthebbt.org Friends of the BBT]
* [http://www.dandavats.com/?p=5354 BBT sales report for 2007]