Gita Govinda,

[Guest guest]

Isvara Prabhu wrote:

 

> However, unscruplous people have tried to translated this book > Gita-Govinda

> with their mundane understanding of the Radha-Krishna conjugal > dealings. >

It is quite dangerous, because it will create a huge > misunderstanding of >

the Supreme Lord along with His internal pleasure > potency.

>

> The alarming part is that this book is being sold in Vrindavana in Los

> Bazar, where many devotees (old and young alike) who cannot make any

> discrimination as to what to read and what not to read, are purchasing this

> book.

 

> Is there anything that can be done to stop this?

 

The following excerpt is from a room conversation with Srila

Prabhupada in Bombay, 1976 August 16 (from Bhaktivedanta Vedabase 4.11):

 

Prabhupada: [...] My Guru Maharaja wanted to publish Govinda-lilamrta. He

asked permission of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. So first of all Bhaktivinoda

Thakura, “I’ll tell you some day.” And when he reminded, he said, “Yes you

can print one copy. If you are so much anxious to print it, print one copy.

You’ll read and you will see that you have printed. Not for distribution.”

So we are printing all these books for understanding properly. Not that

“Here is Radha-kunda. Let us go.” Jump over like monkey. “Here is rasa-lila.

Immediately...”

 

>From Bhakti Vikasa Swami's notes on SBSST:

 

During the time of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sarasvati Thakura, who was entrusted

by Bhaktivinoda Thakura to print many Gaudiya Vaisnava books which were not in

print, wanted to print Govinda-lilamrta and Gita-Govinda, and Gopi-Gita, but

Bhaktivinoda Thakura rebuked him saying, "No more than two copies are required,

and you can keep them in the library. No one in this world can understand these

books. Print two: one for yourself that you may be satisfied, and another one

in case anyone in the future can understand." So Sarasvati Thakura stopped the

printing on Bhaktivinoda Thakura's order. Bhaktivinoda Thakura said that it was

better that the rasa sastra be taken out from this world and destroyed rather

than be exposed to those who are not fit to understand it. Great damage has

been done by the misuse of these rasa sastras, by exposing them to people not

fit to hear.

 

Sarasvati Thakura was so strict that Jotisekhara recalled that in the time of

Sarasvati Thakura in the Gaudiya Math they had never seen the rasa-grantha (the

books dealing with the intimate rasa pastimes of Radha and Krsna, such as

Gita-Govinda, Govinda-lilamrta, etc.) His rule was not to read rasa-grantha.

Even in the Caitanya-caritamrta there are some sections which describe the

feelings of rasa that Radharani is expressing for Krsna. Sarasvati Thakura said

to his disciples, "Don't read this section. It's not for you. You are not at

this stage!"

 

Conversation, 24 January, 1977: "My guru maharaja (Sarasvati Thakura) used to

say that, `When our members become sahajiyas, they will be more dangerous.'"

"Those who are outside and are sahajiyas, we know their position, they are not

following any correct siddhanta or any proper acarya. So we know they are

sahajiyas, and we avoid their association. But if someone, in the name of being

a follower of the proper acarya, if he's also a sahajiya, if our own men become

sahajiyas, in the guise of being bona fide followers of a proper acarya, then

they are more dangerous, because, in the name of doing the right thing, they

will be misleading people into doing the wrong thing."

 

---------

It is very unfortunate that some shops in Loi Bazaar have taken up the

publishing of these highly esoteric books and innocent devotees are buying &

reading them. The shopkeepers are doing it for making money, they do not know

the damage they are doing to the devotee community as well as themselves. And

the devotees who are buying them are also not so innocent because they are

doing so even after knowing that they should not read these books. I feel

atleast there should be some kind of education in ISKCON how dangerous is it to

read these books in our neophyte condition.

 

Your servant,

Nayana-ranjana das