The slogan of this marathon is “tava kathamrtam tapta jivanam”. It indicates that all the living entities in the material world are in the scorching fire of their desires. Sometimes this fire of lust is being somewhat reduced by the small drops of honey of sense gratifications, but then after these drops the insatiable fire of lust becomes even stronger. That is why everyone is suffering. People think that the desire is a cause of their happiness, but the reality is totally contrary to this. The desire is the cause of everyone’s suffering. There is no solution except for tava kathamritam.
When people come in contact with books of Srila Prabhupada, the first effect is extreme happiness. When the message of Srila Prabhupada becomes clear to them they feel relief – there is no death, no old age, no disease, because we are spiritual living entities, not subjected to this. Gradually the fire of material desire becomes less.
Book distribution is a svarup-siddha bhakti, the real devotion towards the Lord, because we are trying to fulfill the order of a pure devotee and we are serving his love, manifested as compassion.