Leave Prabhupada’s Books Alone!
“When I sit down to write these books Krishna personally comes and dictates every word. Therefore whenever I read these books I learn something and if you read my books everyday you will also learn something every time you read them.” — Srila Prabhupada
My Dear Godbrothers and Godsisters:
Please accept my most humble obeisances! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I am very glad that we as disciples of Srila Prabhupada are finally doing something about this great offense to our Spiritual Master. I would like to tell three stories that are personal experiences of mine with Srila Prabhupada and his books. It is my earnest hope that these stories will once and for all lay to rest the controversy of anyone ever editing Srila Prabhupadas books.
The first story takes place in Mayapur where Srila Prabhupada was talking about why he came to the material world.
Srila Prabhupada said: He (meaning Krishna) asked me to come here and I said that I did not want to go because it was such a dirty place. He (meaning Krishna) told me if you go I will arrange so many nice palaces for you to live in. I said but I do not want to go. He (meaning Krishna) said you just go and write these books and I will make it comfortable for you. So Srila Prabhupada said because He asked me to write these books I came.
So here it is quite clear that the main reason why Srila Prabhupada came to this world was to write these books by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. Is Jayadwaita a Nitya Siddha eternal associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna who was ordered to come here to edit these books. If not then he should leave the books alone!
Once in Bombay Srila Prabhupada ordered me to come to his room and listen to him preach to some life members. I sat there and listened for almost an hour. After they left he started to chastise me. Why are you not coming here everyday to listen to me preach. You are one of my leaders if you do not learn how to preach from me then what will happen? Then he quoted a verse in Sanskrit from Bhagavad Gita and asked me if I knew this verse in English, where it was in the Gita, and what the meaning was. I unfortunately had no answers. Are you reading my books everyday? he asked. I admitted my neglect. If you do not read my books everyday then how will you learn? You are going out to make life members and collect big donations but you are not reading my books. You must read my books every day! Then he said Even I read my books everyday. Do you know why? I proffered no answer and waited for the revelation. Because every time I read these books even I learn something! I sat in stunned silence. Then he asked Do you know why I learn something every time I read these books? Now I was completely bewildered Because I have not written these books. What transpired next was simply amazing. He looked me very intently making strong direct eye contact. He spoke with great authority but with a mystical mood bordering on the ecstatic as he began to describe how His books are written. Everyday He said When I sit down here to write these books He was now looking into space waving His hands in the air His voice filled with Transcendental emotion Krishna personally comes and dictates every word. I got the sense that Krishna was present in the room at that moment but I was too blind to see Him. Now Srila Prabhupada returned His eyes to mine Therefore He said Whenever I read these books even I learn something and if you read my books everyday you will also learn something every time you read them.
So here it is quite clear that just like Valldeva Vidya bhushana and other great Acharyas in our line Srila Prabhupada received direct dictation from Krishna when he was writing His books. Is Jayadwaita receiving direct dictation from the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna when he edits the books? If not then he should leave the books alone!
Before we move on to the last story we should examine in more detail some of the inner meanings of Srila Prabhupada’s descent into the material world for the purpose of writing these books. Whenever the Supreme Lord descends he always brings with him his entourage. Similarly when a greatly advanced Nitya Siddha devotee appears in this world a few associates from the spiritual world and many highly developed souls with great amounts of sukriti from the material world come to join him. In a lecture in Los Angeles on the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Prabhupada wept openly as he told the devotees that they had all been sent here to assist him by His Guru Maharaj. It is not an accident that Srila Prabhupadas style of writing from the early Srimad Bhagavatams was a flowery British English which is derived from the poly syllabic Mediterranean languages. It is not an accident that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur sent Srila Prabhupada Hyagriva who was a writer and ardent admirer of the early American transcendentalists like Emerson and Thoreau who wrote in a similar poetic style. It is not an accident that Srila Prabhupada spent hours pouring over the manuscripts, the paintings, etc editing and adjusting everything so it was just right.
None of these things are accidents, the pastimes of the pure devotee are transcendental.
None of these things are accidents, the pastimes of the pure devotee are transcendental.
Unfortunately some people have a mundane view of the Spiritual masters activities and think that they can improve on what is already perfect even if there are some so called discrepancies. Even if the verses are imperfectly composed they are transcendentally potent none the less. Does Jayadwaita have any absolute evidence in writing from Srila Prabhupada that approves every single change that he makes?
Unless Jayadwaita was sent here personally by Sri Krishna for this purpose or is taking dictation from the Supreme Lord then his adjustments are simply speculation or personal preference. Jayadwaita was not invited into the editing process by Srila Prabhupada. One good reason could be Jayadwaita’s writing style. Jayadwaita favors the short choppy English form influenced by the Viking languages which is used more for business and common literature like magazines and newspapers. This was his style at BTG and that is not acceptable for poetic scripture. Jayadwaitas problem is he just doesn’t get it. The Disciples of Srila Prabhupada want that he should leave the books alone!
Unless Jayadwaita was sent here personally by Sri Krishna for this purpose or is taking dictation from the Supreme Lord then his adjustments are simply speculation or personal preference. Jayadwaita was not invited into the editing process by Srila Prabhupada. One good reason could be Jayadwaita’s writing style. Jayadwaita favors the short choppy English form influenced by the Viking languages which is used more for business and common literature like magazines and newspapers. This was his style at BTG and that is not acceptable for poetic scripture. Jayadwaitas problem is he just doesn’t get it. The Disciples of Srila Prabhupada want that he should leave the books alone!
He has taken a very slim 1 vote margin of the GBC to fix some typos to changing the entire meaning of the texts.
Without Srila Prabhupada’s personal presence to confirm the changes he is making, from old tapes and manuscripts which have not been accurately cataloged, he cannot be sure that Srila Prabhupada did not already reject those versions in favor of what is already in the book. What we are absolutely sure of is that Srila Prabhupada approved of each book that was printed after extensively reviewing it. Therefore whatever has been signed off on by Srila Prabhupada while he was here on the planet cannot be changed period. You may add an errata or addendum in the back of the book if you have some serious concerns but the actual texts and purports themselves must not be adjusted in any way. To do so is to insult Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur by doubting their transcendental plan. To do so is to insult Sri Krishna as the Supreme arranger. To do so without a mandate from Sri Guru and Gouranga is to place your own speculation above the Supreme Lord and His Divine emmisaries. Without the Nitya Siddha Pure Devotee present to confirm the changes we are allowing the mental speculation of one man to destroy the absolute nature of the most important scriptures for the next 10,000 years. Jayadwaita leave the books alone!
Without Srila Prabhupada’s personal presence to confirm the changes he is making, from old tapes and manuscripts which have not been accurately cataloged, he cannot be sure that Srila Prabhupada did not already reject those versions in favor of what is already in the book. What we are absolutely sure of is that Srila Prabhupada approved of each book that was printed after extensively reviewing it. Therefore whatever has been signed off on by Srila Prabhupada while he was here on the planet cannot be changed period. You may add an errata or addendum in the back of the book if you have some serious concerns but the actual texts and purports themselves must not be adjusted in any way. To do so is to insult Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur by doubting their transcendental plan. To do so is to insult Sri Krishna as the Supreme arranger. To do so without a mandate from Sri Guru and Gouranga is to place your own speculation above the Supreme Lord and His Divine emmisaries. Without the Nitya Siddha Pure Devotee present to confirm the changes we are allowing the mental speculation of one man to destroy the absolute nature of the most important scriptures for the next 10,000 years. Jayadwaita leave the books alone!
Jayadwaita’s erasing the words of our Divine Master Srila Prabhupada and replacing them with his mental speculations reminds me of the story when the Mayavadi scratched out the name of Krishna in the book and replaced it with the word Brahman. Krishna eventually appears before him with scratches on His face the Mayavadi realizes his folly and surrenders to the Lord. Srila Prabhupada’s books are his transcendental body how much longer are we going to sit back and let his books be abused. If Srila Prabhupada were here and some one was abusing him would we stand by idly and watch it happen! NO! Why do we continue to allow Jayawaita to abuse our Spiritual Masters books.
Let us all work together to restore Srila Prabhupada’s books to their pristine and uncontaminated glory. Then let us distribute those books again and preach the pure devotional service of the Lord to the innocent masses yearning to be free of the shackles of maya. Let us enter the arena of the material world proclaiming the Glories of the Lord with the absolute conviction that we can only benefit everyone we meet with the highest good. If any demoniac persons try to stop us then we should proudly proclaim like the Christians of old being attacked by the lions in the Roman coliseum that we are the servants of the Lord and our spiritual master and we are fearless.
Your most worthless servant
Bhagavat Das
About the Author
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True words only the original books of srila prabhupda and to read them is the best in fact when I read srila prabhupdas original srimad bhagavad Gita as it is I felt srila prabhupda speaking from the books I could hear his divine voice all glories to srila prabhupda hare krsna prabhu ji
Wonderful revelations!
“O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.” [SB 1.9.16]
Poor as I am in understanding transcendental statements, could you kindly tell me in as short words as possible to save your time why Srila Prabhupada wept i.e. the significance of this line:
1) “In a lecture in Los Angeles on the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Prabhupada wept openly as he told the devotees that they had all been sent here to assist him by His Guru Maharaj.”
And this line:
2) “It is not an accident that Srila Prabhupada spent hours pouring over the manuscripts, the paintings, etc editing and adjusting everything so it was just right. None of these things are accidents, the pastimes of the pure devotee are transcendental.”
Prabhu,
I really enjoyed reading articles on book distribution by you and Prahlad nara simha dasa. Could you kindly publish more and more of such articles on how you convinced various people to buy the books and your various experiences in this regard on krishna.org . 1-2 articles every week would be nice. This would greatly benefit new distributors like us. Kindly oblige
Hare Krishna
OK, I will try and put a few more…
Hare Krishna!
It’s same satanic force in play, which created the Godless Marxism/Communism/Bolchevism with the intend turn people away from the supreme, who took over ISKCON stearing people slowly and surely away from Krishna.
Since its all addition and subtraction via mental speculation , it should be understood that , the mind of the editor , who had changed and presented Bhagvad Gita with new title covers other than the pre 1977 Bhagvad Gita As It Is ; tis directly under the three modes of material nature – specially Mode of Ignorance ! , and thus he is noone but a puppet of Illusion .
Certainly , Mrs. Illusion do not like to release her prisoners so easily simply due to Srila Prabhupada and Hare Krishna Movement , so she has taken over the leaders in the ISKCON after Prabhupada’s disapperance and has caused so much fall .
But she should know that this is the movemeny of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and she will be failed ultimately in her attempts .
Glories to all the devotees who are trying to preserve the original words of Srila Prabhupada .
All glories to the assambled devotees .
Hare Krishna .
Thank you for standing up for Srila Prabhupadas books. We know that if we are commiting offences,particularly Guru apharada, we cannot make any advancement in spiritual life even if we don the garb of a sannyasi, or Vaisnava, with tilak and tulsi beads, untill the offence has been corrected. Then and only then will one have the rare opportunity to have ones menial service possibly accepted by the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna as devotional service. We know from Durvasa Muni’s offence to Sri Krishna’s devotee Ambarish Maharaja, no one could save him from the Sudarshan Chakra, not even the Lord himself. So no matter where Jayadwaita stands in ISKCON, or in status varnashram wise, untill he corrects his offensive correcting, fault finding mentality, by walking on the words of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, his personal devotional creeper has been smashed by the mad elephant offence of disobeying the orders of the Spiritual Master. It’s very disturbing that within the first 30 years after the dissapearance of our beloved Srila Prabhupada so many changes have been made that I wonder what would remain in 10,000 years. No wonder Krishna conciousness is not spreading like it used to if the Bhagavad Gitas are only say 75% Gita. Just like when the devotees made a fiberglass mrdunga and brought it to Prabhupada he said, ” Yes, 85% mrdunga”, that was to their credit. Their are very few verses in the 7th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita alone which havent been changed. Personally I find Jayadwaita’s version dry and wordy, and I am certainly not inspired to distribute them to friends and alike. Where is ISKCON, …. ITSGONE!