In only 118 pages, The Matchless Gift contains facets of the science of bhakti-yoga, along with vivid examples, stories, and analogies not found elsewhere in Srila Prabhupada’s writings. Readers will quickly gain an appreciation for Srila Prabhupada’s agility in making the teachings of the Vedas understandable to a contemporary audience – just as the book’s title alludes to the Matchless Gifts sign that was hung above the entrance of the first temple he established in the West, a storefront property at 26 Second Avenue in New York City.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda (1896–1977) is the author of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and almost eighty other volumes of translation and commentation from Sanskrit into English of Vedic texts. Highly respected by scholars for their authority, depth, and clarity, they have been used as textbooks in numerous college courses. His writings have been translated into almost a hundred languages.
He is also the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). After arriving in New York City at the age of 69, he tirelessly circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Śrīla Prabhupāda continued to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature, and culture.