Make It Perfect - That Is Our Philosophy"

July 5, 2003

"Make It Perfect - That Is Our Philosophy" [Jayadvaita Swami R.P. P3]

Jayadvaita Swami has embarked on the Herculean task of "revising and enlarging" Srila Prabhupada's books to "make them perfect." He tries to do this by referring to the "original" manuscripts and the original Sanskrit and Bengali commentaries by the previous acaryas. In some cases he retranslates verses himself to make them "closer to the original Sanskrit" and he often adjusts Srila Prabhupada's purports by "correcting" Srila Prabhupada's work and adding in his "obvious omissions."

Jayadvaita Swami is COMPLETELY independent in this "service" and he is free to change ANYTHING at all in Srila Prabhupada's books. He is not required to justify any of the changes he makes nor does he require any authorization from any other person to make changes to Prabhupada's books. Jayadvaita clearly admits that his editing work not a very exact science and he is not even sure himself if he has made the correct choices in some cases and thinks he may well be condemned for his mistakes in the future:

"Editing is not an exact science. As an editor, you look at each word with a critical eye, and you make value judgments: Is this clear? Is this grammatical? Is this faithful to what the author wrote? And--especially when revising an already published text: Should this word change, or should I just let it stand as it is? This revision to 4.34 was a close choice. And the version chosen is not one I'd go to battle for. Perhaps for the choice in this verse, history will condemn me. I suspect not." [From the new ISKCON Book Changes website]

It is unique in the history of religon that any religious organization has given one person complete authority to change their scriptures in any way they see fit without even documenting the changes they make, and WITH NO SUPPORT OR BLESSINGS FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH!

I have received hundreds of letters from devotees in all positions inside and outside ISKCON and the common factor is they do not like or trust Jayadvaita's books, they like Srila Prabhupada's original books. The only supporters for the changing of Srila Prabhupada's books seem to be Jayadvaita and Dravida. Who else is prepared to let them loose on Srila Prabhupada's books?

Dravida says HIMSELF: "Srila Prabhupada had confidence in Jayadvaita Swami and Jayadvaita Swami has full confidence in Dravida. OTHERS MAY CHOOSE TO TRUST NEITHER. MAY THEY READ THE OLD EDITIONS—ERRORS AND ALL—AND BE HAPPY." ["R.P. P19] So they DO NOT CARE that they are replacing authoritative versions of Srila Prabhupada's books that EVERYONE TRUSTS with their own versions that NO ONE TRUSTS.

Of course the old editions are no longer available and the BBT are now busy making a "Third Edition" of the "Bhagavad-gita As It Is" to "correct some of Jayadvaita's errors from the second edition" [according to the Australian BBT]. Who knows what else they will change this time? I have written to Jayadvaita requesting that he re-publish Srila Prabhupada's "Bhagavad-gita As It Is" instead of his "Third Edition," however I have not received any reply.

Because the new BBT books contain thousands of changes by Dravida and Jayadvaita the authority of the books depends completely on Dravida and Jayadvaita being paramahamsas, pure devotees receiving direct dictation from Krishna. If they are not pure devotees on this platform the changes they have made destroy the authority of the books.

Srila Prabhupada's original books are 100% authorized and approved by Srila Prabhupada as he himself read them daily and completely approved of them and did not ask for any changes. It is also a proven fact that if one reads Srila Prabhupada's original books he will become a devotee of Krishna. The new books have no such authority nor has it been proven that reading them has the same potency as reading Srila Prabhupada's original books. All Dravida can do is reassure us: "I will ever believe that IF I COULD show Srila Prabhupada the following restorative changes I've made to his books, he would approve." [R.P. P6]

>From the letter Jayadvaita sent to "Senior ISKCON Devotees" in 1982 announcing his new Bhagavad-gita we can understand he expected his book and the changes to the philosophy it contains would become the basis of the future preaching in ISKCON:

"This NEW Gita (along with its translations in other languages) WILL BE THE MAIN BOOK OUR MOVEMENT WILL BE PREACHING FROM for whatever time we have left in this yuga. Now is the time to make sure we are presenting Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is in the most authoritative FULLY SATISFYING[?] way. And I invite you now to contribute whatever thoughts you have on this work."

In his endeavor to "make Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita perfect" Jayadvaita has changed more than 70% of the purports and 70% of the translations in the book Srila Prabhupada himself read and gave classes from almost daily and did not ever request anyone to change ANYTHING [except "cattle raising" to "cow protection"].

Jayadvaita's book, no matter what he says, presents a COMPLETELY different philosophy on many points than Srila Prabhupada's original book. It is a different book. Srila Prabhupada approved of and constantly read the original Gita and DID NOT ASK ANYONE TO CHANGE IT. Jayadvaita confirms this himself in his 1986 letter to Amogha Lila:

"First: To my knowledge, SRILA PRABHUPADA NEVER ASKED US TO RE-EDIT THE BOOK. As you know, and as we kept in mind while doing the work, SRILA PRABHUPADA STAUNCHLY OPPOSED NEEDLESS CHANGES."

Jayadvaita does not seem to realize the original editors had the benefit of Srila Prabhupada's personal presence in New York where most of the editing and pre-press work was done for the original book. Srila Prabhupada was personally supervising every aspect of the production of the book. He was directing the artists, he was answering questions from the editors and he was himself personally seeing and making corrections to the manuscript. And he himself read and gave class from his "Bhagavad-gita As It Is" for almost ten years! If he wanted Jayadvaita to change it he had plenty of time to ask him to do it!

Jayadvaita puts great store on the validity of his "original manuscript," however the editing of the Gita went on for many years and there were many, many manuscripts. Who knows which one Jayadvaita has? Srila Prabhupada himself may have made many changes and corrections by writing on later versions of the manuscript [which Jayadvaita does not have] or by giving personal directions to the original editors and answering their questions.

Jayadvaita may well be removing many of Srila Prabhupada's personal corrections by "making it closer to the original manuscript."

With all due respect we can not also be certain that Jayadvata is being 100% honest. What he says is in the original manuscript is only his word.

Although I am not saying he has, he could write anything and say that was in the original manuscript. How are we to know? Even if he was forced to produce the "original manuscript" how do we know when it was typed or by who? Anyone can type up some pages and call it "the original manuscript." How can we know it really is the original manuscript and it has not been tampered with? There is no way to know this at all, we just have to depend on Jayadvaita's honesty.

Even if he has the original manuscript it is still NOT AUTHORITATIVE. If I am writing a letter, I may make a number of drafts and discard them and finally when I'm satisfied with the letter I sign it and post it. If someone comes to my waste-paper basket and finds an early draft of my letter and claims what I said there is more valid than the final copy which I have signed and posted, is that a very reasonable proposal? Srila Prabhupada's printed 1972 unabridged "Bhagavad-gita As It Is" is the final copy. He appointed the editors and APPROVED OF AND ACCEPTED THEIR WORK. JAYADVAITA HAS NO RIGHT TO TRY AND REMOVE THEIR EDITING FROM SRILA PRABHUPADA'S BOOKS.

The original "Bhagavad-gita As It Is" AND THE EDITING OF THE ORIGINAL EDITORS is completely approved by Srila Prabhupada and read personally by him almost daily form 1972 till 1977. That is the authoritative version.

Many things Jayadvaita has changed are personally read by Srila Prabhupada or read to him by devotees in Folio and Srila Prabhupada does not give any hint he is not satisfied with the book and wants it changed. If Srila Prabhupada wanted his books changed by Jayadavaita he would have said so!

Jayadvaita Swami thinks he has made Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita "perfect" by disobeying Srila Prabhupada's direct order that he should not change a word in his books. He started this editing practically as soon as Srila Prabhupada left his body. Why did Jayadviata wait until Srila Prabhupada left his body before he started to "revise and enlarge" his books?

We have to remember this editing was done in the early 80's at the height of the "zonal acarya" fever in ISKCON. And Jayadvaita would have us believe he was completely transcendental to the misconceptions and philosophical deviations that were being preached in ISKCON at that time to justify the worship of conditioned souls as being non-different from Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. How is it that none of these misconceptions colored his editing?

In his anxiety to make Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita "perfect" Jayadvaita Swami has somehow not realized IT IS ALREADY PERFECT. He has also conveniently ignored Srila Prabhupada's direct instruction to him that "THEY CANNOT CHANGE A WORD, THE NEXT PRINTING SHOULD BE THE ORIGINAL WAY."

Above and beyond all this Jayadvaita Swami himself confirms he has no authority from Srila Prabhupada to change his "Bhagavad-gita As It Is" in his 1986 letter to Amogha Lila: "First: To my knowledge, SRILA PRABHUPADA NEVER ASKED US TO RE-EDIT THE BOOK. As you know, and as we kept in mind while doing the work, SRILA PRABHUPADA STAUNCHLY OPPOSED NEEDLESS CHANGES."

It seems rather strange Jayadvaita admitted this after making more than five thousand mostly completely needless changes to Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Perhaps he did not think anyone would ever compare the two editions.

The most amazing thing is Dravida claims in regard to the following conversation with Srila Prabhupada in the BBT's booklet "Responsible Publishing":

"Even in the famous conversation about "rascal editors," in which Srila Prabhupada blasted BBT editors and managers for making whimsical changes in his books, Jayadvaita Swami emerged not only unscathed, but even endorsed as a suitable person to guard editorial integrity."

So he says the following conversation "endorses" Jayadvaita to "revise and enlarge" Prabhupada's "Bhagavad-gita As It Is." Read the conversation and see what you think!

Conversation: [770622rc.vrn] (edited for clarity, refer to Folio for complete conversation)

Prabhupada: Hm. He's a dangerous, who maintains these rascal with this work.

He'll always have questions and alteration. That is his business. That is American business. They take that always. What can I do? Ultimate, it goes for editorial. They make changes, such changes.

Tamala Krsna: Your original work that you're doing now, that is edited by Jayadvaita. That's the first editing.

Prabhupada: He is good.

Tamala Krsna: He is good. But then, AFTER THEY PRINT THE BOOKS, THEY'RE GOING OVER. SO WHEN THEY REPRINT...

Prabhupada: So HOW TO CHECK THIS? HOW TO STOP THIS?

[sRILA PRABHUPADA CLEARLY WANTS TO STOP THE EDITORS FROM CHANGING THE BOOKS AFTER THEY ARE PRINTED.]

Tamala Krsna: They should not make any changes without consulting Jayadvaita.

[Tamala Krishna is trying to establish Jayadvaita is authorized to approve changes to Srila Prabhupada's books]

Prabhupada: BUT THEY ARE DOING WITHOUT ANY AUTHORITY.

[Prabhupada does NOT agree that changes can be made if Jayadvaita is consulted. Rather he indicates THEY HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO MAKE CHANGES TO MY BOOKS!]

Svarupa Damodara: I think we should make whole survey, all books already printed, before printing the next batch and check any mistakes so that it should be all corrected. Otherwise, if the scholars find out that there are so many mistakes in the books, then the quality and the appreciation will be reduced.

Prabhupada: Very serious feature. It is not possible for me to check, and they are doing all nonsense, freedom. (pause)

Prabhupada: What to do?

Tamala Krsna: I think Svarupa Damodara's point, that all the books should now be checked before they're reprinted again... And they have to be checked not by some so-called learned Sanskrit man but by a learned devotee. Just like you always favored Jayadvaita because his Krsna consciousness...

[Once again Tamala is trying to establish Jayadvaita as the authority to approve changes to Srila Prabhupada's books]

Prabhupada: Jayadvaita, Satsvarupa...

[Prabhupada does not agree. He just says "Jayadvaita, Satsvarupa..." and the conversation goes off in another direction]

Yasoda-nandana: Also in the Bhagavatam, where Prabhupada was talking about Lord Buddha... You mentioned that if the followers of Lord Buddha do not close the slaughterhouse, there is no meaning to such a caricature. That word was very nice. But in new book that word is not there any more. They have pulled the word. The meaning of the word is not... So many times.

Prabhupada: It is very serious situation. Ramesvara is in direct...

Svarupa Damodara: I think they're working too independently without consulting properly.

Yasoda-nandana: Sometimes they appeal that "We can make better English," so they change like that, just like in the case of Isopanisad. There are over a hundred changes. So where is the need? Your words are sufficient. The potency is there. When they change, it is something else.

Prabhupada: So you... What you are going... It is very serious situation.

You write one letter that "Why you have made so many changes?" And whom to write? Who will care? All rascals are there. Write to Satsvarupa that "This is the position. They are doing anything and everything at their whim." THE NEXT PRINTING SHOULD BE AGAIN TO THE ORIGINAL WAY.

[Prabhupada CLEARLY ORDERS " THE NEXT PRINTING SHOULD BE AGAIN TO THE ORIGINAL WAY" yet Tamala goes on to suggest:]

Tamala Krsna: They should have a board of Satsvarupa and Jayadvaita.

[What is the need of having a board of Satsvarupa and Jayadvaita if "THE NEXT PRINTING SHOULD BE AGAIN TO THE ORIGINAL WAY." Tamala has COMPLETELY IGNORED Srila Prabhupada's direct order that "THE NEXT PRINTING SHOULD BE AGAIN TO THE ORIGINAL WAY"

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: Those two men are both in Los Angeles now.

Prabhupada: So write them immediately that "The rascal editors, they are doing havoc, and they are being maintained by Ramesvara and party."

Tamala Krsna: I think in addition to Satsvarupa and Jayadvaita checking the English, that Bhakti-prema Maharaja has to check all the Sanskrit of all of the books... He's translating now, so as he's translating, he can check.

He's going, starting from the First Canto.

[Tamala knows well Srila Prabhupada has ordered: "THE NEXT PRINTING SHOULD BE AGAIN TO THE ORIGINAL WAY," but he is still trying to establish an editorial committee headed by Jayadvaita to go through Srila Prabhupada's books and reedit them...]

Prabhupada: So what to do?

Tamala Krsna: So I think we just have to be slow but sure. We have to go over all of the books and make sure that they're perfect before they're printed again. Not be in such a rush, print, print, and print all nonsense.

[Tamala is STILL pushing to change the books...]

Prabhupada: So you bring this to Satsvarupa. THEY CANNOT CHANGE ANYTHING.

Srila Prabhupada confirms his order "THE NEXT PRINTING SHOULD BE AGAIN TO THE ORIGINAL WAY" by ordering "THEY CANNOT CHANGE ANYTHING."

Tamala Krsna: (indistinct) [Tamala is not very happy…]

Prabhupada: So on the whole, these dangerous things are going on. How to check it?

Tamala Krsna: There has to be strong philosophical leaders who can check this, like Satsvarupa and Jayadvaita.

[Even though Srila Prabhupada has CLEARLY ordered "THE NEXT PRINTING SHOULD BE AGAIN TO THE ORIGINAL WAY" and "THEY CANNOT CHANGE ANYTHING." Tamala is STILL trying to push Jayadvaita forward.]

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: They have to also be included in the decisions of the BBT. It can't simply be that managers make decisions.

Prabhupada: Yes. Without their sanction, there will be... Let them... These all rascals...

Prabhupada: So THEY ARE DOING VERY FREELY AND DANGEROUSLY. And THIS RASCAL IS ALWAYS AFTER CHANGE, Radha-vallabha. He's a great rascal. (pause) Read.

[srila Prabhupada confirms AGAIN that he does not want the books changed and, for a third time confirms his orders: "THE NEXT PRINTING SHOULD BE AGAIN TO THE ORIGINAL WAY" and "THEY CANNOT CHANGE ANYTHING."]

Prabhupada: So read Bhagavatam very seriously. Then your rascaldom will go.

Lokasyajanato vidvams cakre satvata... All rascals, for their knowledge the Bhagavata was written. Mudho nabhijanati, mohito nabhijanati. THE DIFFICULTY IS A RASCAL IS THINKING HIMSELF AS VERY ADVANCED IN KNOWLEDGE. That is the difficulty.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

So it is clear Tamala and Jayadvaita had a plan to re-edit all of Srila Prabhupada's books but Srila Prabhupada did not agree, therefore, they had to wait until Srila Prabhupada left his body.

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

Your servant

Madhudvisa dasa