Hridayananda Goswami : We were desperately trying to get the first Spanish Bhagavatam, which was being printed in America, to Caracas in time to give to Prabhupada while he was there. There were a few glitches, and the book was late. We were disappointed. Finally, by frantic negotiations with the printer, we arranged for the book to be rushed by air-freight to Caracas. It arrived the same morning Prabhupada was leaving. Some of the leaders in Venezuela were desperately trying to get it out of customs, but South America is not the easiest place to do such things.
Meanwhile, Prabhupada went to the airport, and we checked him in. To my great dismay the book hadn't come. Prabhupada went through the immigration check, passport check, and left for the "Passengers Only" waiting lounge. We paid our obeisances, and suddenly the book came. I became inspired to give this first Spanish Bhagavatam to Prabhupada. I went running through the airport. You can't run through the police check in any country, and certainly not in a South American country. But I was inspired. Somehow Krishna arranged everything. I ran right past the passport check. No one said a word to me despite my shaved head and danda. I ran right past all the checkpoints where you have to show this and show that, and no one said a word to me. I ran right into the international waiting lounge, offered obeisances, and Prabhupada had me sit next to him. I gave him the Bhagavatam. Prabhupada was very pleased. He looked at it, and then he wanted to check if it was bonafide. He said, "Can you translate?" "Yes, Prabhupada," I said. He said, "All right," opened it to the preface and said, "Read this in English." I read it in English and Prabhupada saw that it was correct. It was bona fide. He was very happy. Then they called him for his flight. He walked off holding the Bhagavatam.