Guest guest Posted April 2, 1999 Report Share Posted April 2, 1999 As others, I feel that the subject of the changes in the Gita has run its course already. But, as others, I hope that in the near future a final version of the Gita comes out in which only the most necesary corrections are included. My suggestion is that the only approved corrections be the ones that can be directly traced back to Srila Prabhupada either 1) because he requested them personally, or 2) because it was found that the original tapes were right but the transcription was wrong. Any other important correction, if any, would be presented through footnotes. Any stylistic change would be eliminated. The idea is to actually have Srila Prabhupada's Gita, ISKCON's Gita. Improving the style of the book is unimportant. It weights much more to maintain the utmost fidelity to Srila Prabhupada and avoid changing him than having a subjectively nicer book. After all Srila Prabhupada never ordered to reedit it. Any book can be reedited again and again and it will look "better" each time. But that is not the point here. The question here is what authorization was there to reedit the book, to take a single sentence and change it without the express order of Srila Prabhupada. Recently there was a note advertizing the book "100 Deviations of Ritvikism". I think that another book should be compiled titled "100 Deviations of the Acarya system." Most likely the reediting of the Gita would perfectly fit in that list. And that is why the issue should be dealt with proactively. Otherwise the new Krishna Books Inc entity will end up doing something first. Your servant Radha Krsna dasa Mexico City Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 3, 1999 Report Share Posted April 3, 1999 On 02 Apr 1999, Radha-Krishna das wrote: > My suggestion is that the only approved corrections be the > ones that can be directly traced back to Srila Prabhupada either 1) because > he requested them personally, or 2) because it was found that the original > tapes were right but the transcription was wrong. Any other important > correction, if any, would be presented through footnotes. Any stylistic > change would be eliminated. > > The idea is to actually have Srila Prabhupada's Gita, ISKCON's Gita. > After all Srila Prabhupada never > ordered to reedit it. > The question here > is what authorization was there to reedit the book, to take a single > sentence and change it without the express order of Srila Prabhupada. > I will go along with all of the preceeding and also bring to a close my debate on this matter with a few final words from a scholar and from Srila Prabhupada, who really should have the last word. "This books is then a welcome addition from many points of view. It can serve as a valuable textbook for the college student. It allows us to listen to a skilled interpreter explicating a text which has profound religious meaning. ...it offers the Sansk specialist the opportunity to re-interpret, or debate particular Sanskrit meanings - although I think there will be little disagreement about the quality of the Swami's Sanskrit scholarship. And finally, for the nonspecialist, there is the readable English and a devotional attitude which cannot help but move the sensitive reader. ...By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold; and arguments for understanding, in these days of estrangement, need not be made." Prof. E.C. Dimock, Jr. Dept. of S. Asian Languages and Civilization, Univ of Chicago "Originally I wrote Bhagavad-gita As It Is in the form in which it is presented now. When the book was first published, the original manuscript was, unfortunately, cut short to less than 400 pages, without illustrations and without explanations for most of the original verses of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita. In all of my other books-Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Isopanishad, etc. - the system is that I give the original verse, its English transliteration, word-for-word sanskrit-English equivalents, translations and purports. This makes the book very authentic and scholarly and makes the meaning self-evident. I was not very happy, therefore, when I had to minimize my original manuscript. But later on, when the demand for Bhagavad-gita As It Is considerably increased, I was requested by many scholars and devotees to present the book in its original form, and Messrs. Macmillan and Co. agreed to publish the complete edition. (*Note* there is no mention of "infidels".) Thus the present attempt is to offer the original manuscript of this great book of knowledge with full parampara explanation in order to establish the Krsna consciousness movement more soundly and progressively. If personally I have any credit in this matter, it is only that I have tried to present Bhagavad-gita as it is, without adulteration. We hope, therefore, that people will derive the greatest benefit by studying Bhagavad-gita As It Is as we have presented it here, and if even one man becomes a pure devotee of the Lord we shall consider our attempt a success." A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, 12 May 1971. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 6, 1999 Report Share Posted April 6, 1999 In a message dated 99-04-02 22:00:13 EST, you write: << *Note* there is no mention of "infidels" >> My mention of infidels was rather tongue in cheek as that is the way we looked at the situation as neophytes. Who wasn't a neophyte at that stage in ISKCON? I was definitely not making a comment as to MacMillan's position in the great scheme of things. They did publish the Gita and it is still my favorite copy. As for Virendr's assertion that Krsna has accepted the service of editing the Gita and perhaps we all should be satisfied with that ....... at what point did Iskcon in general understand that Krsna was no longer accepting the service of Bhagavan, Bhavananda, JayaTirtha, and all the rest? That the new Gita be recognized as revised is not such an outlandish request, neither is the request that changes be made only if there was a mistake in the transcription or there is some other evidence that Srila Prabhupada noted a change was necessary. yhs kanti dd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 13, 1999 Report Share Posted April 13, 1999 On 30 Mar 1999, Janesvara Dasa wrote: > > Srila Prabhupada IS NOT present to approve/disapprove of any changes. > He is present by his divine instruction and the follower lives with him> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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