http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdvO0jcuQ_M
July 04, 2010
Dear Yashoda Dulal Prabhu,
Pamho. Yes, the BBT always gives that one worn-out example of cattle, and of course the other one, planet of the trees. Yes, those are typos, mistakes. They fail to mention the other four thousand and nine hundred and ninety eight changes they made!
And had these two errors been corrected, along with any misspelled words, etc. there would have been no cause for alarm–or for a million dollar lawsuit with bbt defending the edited version–one which they lost in the courts. That court case is the only reason that now the world has an option to read Prabhupada’s original words. But the 5000 changes that were made, and changing the “writer’s voice” was unwarranted and factually criminal.
In a meeting at Honolulu temple some years back, Jayadvaita M. actually stated, “Oh, those (original) books were horrible!” Those “horrible” original books, filled with Srila Prabhupada’s divine mercy, made thousands of devotees in the ’70s. More books were distributed then than now.
It seems you believe the propaganda that Hayagriva was never around Prabhupada much, and there were many editors etc. What can I say? This is simply not true. I knew Hayagriva from the time I joined Prabhupada in San Francisco, January of 1967. Hayagriva was there, and was already editing the Gita, and spending hours every day with Srila Prabhupada going over every verse!
And later, just before the first Gita was printed, in late 1968, Hayagriva LIVED with us in Los Angeles. (I was Prabhupada’s secretary for the whole year of 1968 and part of 1969) Daily they would spend hours in Prabhupada’s room, going over every inch of the final edits. I am an eye witness to this.
At this time, I even did the cover drawing for the first MacMillan Gita (the purple one) with Prabhupada guiding me, literally over my shoulder, watching the drawing develop. The purple Gita cut out a lot of that meticulous work done by Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva; Macmillan wanted to save money, to make it smaller. So they greatly edited Prabhupada’s manuscript, and he was unhappy with it, but accepted it as “a blind uncle.”
But at his first opportunity, he printed his manuscript in total, the Original Gita, the one with Jadurany’s reddish battlefield painting on the cover. Srila Prabhupada was extremely happy with that Gita–he finally got his carefully nurtured manuscript into print! He was overjoyed!
The “Edited Edition”, with the blue battlefield cover, done by Parikshit das, with Krishna carrying a whip rather than his Panchajanya (conch) as directed by Srila Prabhupada, was done AFTER Srila Prabhupada’s departure from this world. Both the editing and the cover were done after his departure, yet they inserted his preface and signature of 1971–as if, with 5000 changes, it was the same book! How unethical!
Most of Prabhupada’s disciples did not even know this editing mischief was going on; they were grieving the loss of Srila Prabhupada from this world. Only later, when the dust had settled, did many of us learn of this travesty.
So I really do know what happened in those days. I even met with MacMillan in New York prior to the printing.
Jayadvaita M. had not even become a devotee in early 1967, so how would he know?? He says many things that are not in keeping with what really happened, since he was not there; perhaps he is relying on hearsay, I don’t know. Neither was Jayadvaita M. in Los Angeles in late 1968 when Hayagriva lived with us for weeks on end, completing the editing work.
Most of what the bbt says in this regard is based on fairy tales, hearsay, and perhaps some personal ambition as well. I do not know how they can skew things in this way and still sleep at night.
But what I do know is that Srila Prabhupada wanted NO FURTHER CHANGES TO HIS BOOKS. HE EXPRESSED THIS ON MANY OCCASIONS. A little research can easily prove this point.
Now, you may enjoy reading many various literatures that are perhaps well written, even better written, and that is fine. But if you want to read Srila Prabhupada’s original words, gone over with a fine tooth comb by Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva, then I suggest you read his original books.
If you want to compare them, that’s fine too. But his original books must be available to the people who will come in the future of this Kali Yuga. And the changes must stop lest the original teachings be obliterated in the course of time.
Generally I avoid these political issues, as I feel most are fairly unimportant and always changing. However, this book issue is very very important. So important that Srila Prabhupada himself came to me in a darshan a few years back and told me to defend his original books. Frankly, I did not want to take this task, as it means stepping on people’s toes, but he insisted. He ordered me to speak out, so I must, in spite of being labeled and criticized.
Srila Prabhupada wants it known all over the world, and especially for future generations, that his original books are just as he intended them to be. They have his full shakti, full mercy, and are for all of mankind. If the changes continue, there will always be another editor who thinks he can improve this or that, and eventually the original meanings will be lost.
You may appreciate the editing work, but Srila Prabhupada doesn’t. He didn’t appreciate the changes then, and he doesn’t appreciate it now. Our job is to please our Guru, not our own sense of what sounds good or doesn’t sound good.
He made this clear so many times, yet they have chosen to ignore everything he said. Please understand, I don’t blame any one person, not even Jayadvaita M. It is the nature of the Kali Yuga to try to destroy that which is sacred and meant for the upliftment of mankind. That is how Maya works.
Srila Prabhupada often said “Krishna has written these books.” So tell me, how can a conditioned soul improve on what Krishna has said or written??
Your servant and sister,
Govinda dasi
Jaya Mataji!!! Wonderful article and wonderful service. A symptom of Kali Yuga is that people will do anything and everything for sense gratification, whether subtle or gross. Killing guru with pen or doctored milk is not beyond the demons of this era. I, as an ex hippie, tend to see the world through flowered colored lenses. However, just when you think (as you say, how can they “sleep at night”?) you have heard it all, the 5000+ changes, the disgusting comment that Srila Prabhupada’s books were horrible, the lies, the intimidation, the insults (Prabhupada is dead) and so forth and so on, and think there is nothing more to hear, low and behold, you read Someone Has Poisoned Me or Judge For Yourself, and the mind goes to new levels of shock and paralysis. The mind recoils in disbelief. But then, who would have believed, back in the ’70’s (my time) that anyone would criticize, what to speak of change, these incomparable masterpieces from our pure devotee father? Thank you for your courage. -Mahasana dasa
I heard that there were three changes that Srila Prabhupada requested in Bhagavad-gita, including the two that Govinda dasi mentioned. Nobody has been able to tell me the other one. Then I was reading one day and saw a purport saying that Parasara Muni defined “Paramam” as having the six opulences in full. Of course, that’s “Bhagavan,” not “Paramam.” In one lecture Srila Prabhupada even credited Parasara Muni with that definition of Bhagavan. It seems to me that this may have been the third error Srila Prabhupada wanted fixed.
Dear Devi,
I was introduced to Krishna Consciousness right in the midst of the changes to Bhagavad Gita. I had in my possession the second version of Prabhupada’s Gita with just a black cover, small and looking like a bible. I later found out he didn’t want it to have a black cover like the bible. Jayadvaita Swami was giving a lecture and they needed a Gita, so I offered it. A female devotee mentioned that it was the old version.
A new version had since come out. Jayadvaita Swami said “This one’s better”. The said mataji looked puzzled, and I later found out why. Jayadvaita had just completely edited the new version (this one came in a black cover as well, but with squarely cut edges and different quality paper, I mention this as you may be familiar with both). Why would he say that this one is better, Hayagriva’s version, unless he was having a moment of humility or just keeping the flow of things going by demoting his work?
Dravida dasa did a lot of the editing, changing random things here and there for what reason? Were they just getting paid to do it? Was it Sura dasa’s idea? The guy who beat Aindra Prabhu and is now sitting head of BBT in LA. I didn’t know about the law suit so thank you for that info. That is good that we can now purchase and read the originals.
I wrote a letter to Jayadvaita swami in 1996 asking why the books were being changed. It seemed to me to be wrong and I offered a reference from a book by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati wherein he mentions that out of respect to the previous acharyas even typographical errors are left untouched. He replied that Srila Prabhupada wanted them changed and he had no knowledge of such a reference.
Have since lost the letters and the book, Shree Chatanya’s Teachings, which I think the quote was in. It was a very old copy though, and that quote may have been the first to be chopped out. We have all heard of the scandals his godbrothers created to inherit the wealth. Even without the reference though, isn’t it common sense to at least only edit the typos? I lost all respect for him and Dravida dasa, and later Sura dasa. To say that no one is to blame is passive.
These guys have an agenda to maintain themselves at all cost. They know that starting a real job in society would be extremely difficult. Without any respect for Srila Prabhupada, they only work for the business, money part of the movement. They don’t want new devotees because new devotees cost money. Just like bad people had the children under their control, bad people have the books to do whatever they please with.
I distributed 1000s of those chopped up books and I doubt they made one devotee. They are now just pieces of the machine to make money for the fat gurus. It’s better to just do good for yourself and report them it seems. Otherwise, without superior authority (the law) the thugs have the upper hand. Especially if you are living at the mercy of the temple and they are the top dogs there.
It is pitiful to hear your stories and there are tens of thousands of others that generally go unheard. We always said, “this is non-sectarian”, when distributing books, but it has become entirely sectarian unfortunately. I know I’m just a fallen disgusting sinner, but a thought comes to mind, perhaps due to your saintliness, that if we just keep Krishna there in our hearts, and see everyone equally, it will be a non-sectarian movement and welcome to all.
These people act like fighters but then run and hide and place restraining orders and that kind of thing, so just do the same thing to them, because they are teaching you by their actions how you should treat them. It is not a sin to cheat a cheat. Congratulations on all your victories, and I hope to see a smile on your face soon.
This is from the very well written intro of the Sri Brahma Samhita..: “As per Srila Prabhupada’s instructions regarding the publication of this volume, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s somewhat technical and sometimes difficult prose has been left intact and virtually untouched. Fearing that any editorial (grammatical and stylistic) tampering with Bhaktisiddhanta’s text might result in inadvertent changes in meaning, Prabhupada asked that it be left as is, and the editors of this volume have complied with his wishes.
Only typographical errors have been corrected, capitalization has been standardized, Sanskrit terms in devanagari script appearing within the English text have been transliterated, and already transliterated terms have been adjusted to international standards.
In this edition, the original devanagari text is shown for each verse of the Brahma-samhita, followed by roman transliteration, then by a word-for-word translation into English. (The original Indian edition lacked the latter two features.)
These, in turn, are followed by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s full English translation and commentary. His commentary closely follows that of his father, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914), the great Vaisnava saint, reformer, and prolific scholar who initiated a revival of pure Caitanya-Vaisnavism during the latter part of the nineteenth century.”