Bhakti Caru Swami learns Sanskrit

Once I [Bhakti Caru Swami] expressed a desire to learn Sanskrit to Srila
Prabhupada. But Srila Prabhupada discouraged me asking, “Why you want to
learn Sanskrit?” I gave him various reasons but Srila Prabhupada said, “No,
there is no need to learn Sanskrit.” But then he finally said, “You read my
books and you will learn Sanskrit.” But then he elaborated, “What is the
point in learning Sanskrit? There are so many Sanskrit scholars but what are
they doing? They are not doing anything to spread Krsna consciousness or
even to spread the glory of Indian culture. They are just learned in
Sanskrit and that is about all.” Prabhupada pointed out that our main
mission is actually to preach, not to become a big scholar, and he said,
“You can preach with whatever you have already learnt. What you learn in the
course of preaching, that is another thing, but there is no need to
separately learn something in order to preach. Whatever you have learnt is
sufficient to preach.” So in this way Srila Prabhupada discouraged me from
learning Sanskrit. One day Srila Prabhupada was discussing with Bimalananda
Thakura Tirtha. Prabhupada was discussing about the age of Kali, how
degraded it would become. Prabhupada wanted me to get the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
In those days the Twelfth Canto was not yet translated so Srila Prabhupada
asked me to get the Sanskrit Srimad-Bhagavatam and he asked me to open a
certain chapter and start reading some part of that chapter. He indicated
wherefrom I should start reading. I started to read the verses and then
Prabhupada explained and translated the verses. Then after Bimalananda
Thakura Tirtha left his room Srila Prabhupada looked at me and asked, “Where
did you learn Sanskrit?” I was also amazed how without any difficulty I was
able to read the verses of the Twelfth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. At that
time I was able to understand that by the mercy of spiritual master
everything is possible.