Last April our edited volume of thematic articles, The Bhāgavata Purāṇa: Sacred Text and Living Tradition, has finally appeared in print. This was a happy moment for Radhikaramana Prabhu and myself, after six years of painfully slow progress in bringing it all together, with chapters contributed by twelve scholars (including myself).

But there has been little time to congradulate ourselves, as our publisher, Columbia University Press (New York) pushes us to complete the second of two agreed-upon (and contracted) books. This second volume will be an abridged, one-volume Bhāgavata Purāṇa, consisting of selections from each of the twelve books (or “cantos”). Generally the selections are complete or near-complete chapters, and although English translations are available, not least from A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, academic standards and style require us to do our own translations, directly from the Sanskrit. Included in the book will be explanatory notes (often referring to classical Sanskrit commentaries), an Introduction, and an Appendix that will include a small selection of “sample,” complete commentaries to single verses by a variety of commentators. Between each translated chapter or series of verses will be “connecting paragraphs” in which we summarize the content of the Bhāgavatam that we have not translated. Thus, in effect, a reader will experience the entire Bhāgavatam, albeit in summary, with approximately 1400 verses in some 50 chapters directly translated.

The clock is ticking: While we began work on this volume already about four years ago, after two delays the publisher is now holding us to a manuscript submission deadline of 31 December 2014.

The last two-plus weeks I have been in Boise, Idaho, and Logan, Utah, together with Radhikaramana Prabhu to try to accellerate our work schedule. Although we still have much to do, we begin to see light at the end of the proverbial tunnel: We have completed most of the work on Cantos 1-6, and much of our selections in Cantos 8 and 10. We have worked out a timeline for the rest of the year, so now we just have to keep to our schedule as we continue with our other duties (Radhikaramana Prabhu, as the Charles Redd Professor of Religion at Utah State University and as a family man with two small boys and other responsibilities, is quite busy; myself with teaching and managing duties in Bhaktivedanta College, traveling and ‘pastoral care’ duties, also find my ‘plate’ rather full).

Today, in Logan, I was happy to complete my first draft of notes for chapters 24 and 25 in Canto Ten (Govardhana-lila). As I do my best to work my way through understanding the Sanskrit commentaries to these verses (quite a challenge for me!), it is a rewarding experience to feel proximity to these ācāryas through their writings: Śrīdhara Swami, Viraraghavācārya, Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha, Sanātana Goswami, Jīva Goswami, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Vallabhācārya, and others each give their perspectives, churning the nectar of the Bhāgavatam. And it is humbling and inspiring to see with what ease and grace Śrīla Prabhupada went through these same commentaries to write his translations and “Bhaktivedanta Purports”.

I pray that this year circumstances will allow us to progress steadily to complete this work in timely manner, to make it available to the world and thus to help a wider audience appreciate the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa.