Reading Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

[leyh]

One difficulty that I've encountered in reading the writings of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati is his use of rather high English. Take the example of the following passage from the article Organised Religion:

 

"Sri Krsna manifest His eternal birth the pure cognitive essence of the serving soul who is located above all mundane limitations, King Kamsa is the typical aggressive empiricist, ever on the lookout for the appearance of the truth for the purpose of suppressing Him before He has time to develop. This is no exaggeration of the real connotation of the consistent empiric position. The materialist has a natural repugnance for the transcendent. He is disposed to link that faith in the incomprehensible is the parent of dogmatism and hypocrisy in the guise of religion. He is also equally under the delusion that there is no real dividing line between the material and the spiritual, he is strengthened in his delusion by the interpretation of scriptures by persons who are like-minded with himself. This includes all the lexicographic interpreters."

 

I have to read with a concentrated mind to understand the gist of this passage,and of course I'm still far from transcendentally realizing the message of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta.It seems to me that in the case of His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's writings,the English is much more accessible and can be easily understood.

 

Please do not misunderstand that I am crtiticizing the grammer employed by the acharyas.Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura wrote his instructions in a different time, place and circumstances so naturally the grammer will be different.This difference serves to reflect the passing of the torch of Gaudiya Vaisnavaism in the medium of English from the times of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati to our present times.

 

[This message has been edited by leyh (edited 03-02-2002).]

 

[This message has been edited by leyh (edited 03-02-2002).]

[Gauracandra]

Leyh,

 

You're certainly not alone in this. I remember when I first read Sri Brahma-Samhita by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta I just remember putting it down and going "What did I just read?". I found I had to read sentences over and over again to fully comprehend them. Slowly but surely, I think just read and try contemplating what is being said. It will come.

 

You're certainly not alone

[leyh]

Originally posted by Gauracandra:

Leyh,

 

You're certainly not alone in this. I remember when I first read Sri Brahma-Samhita by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta I just remember putting it down and going "What did I just read?". I found I had to read sentences over and over again to fully comprehend them. Slowly but surely, I think just read and try contemplating what is being said. It will come.

 

You're certainly not alone

Gauracandra Prabhu:

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

 

All Glories to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura!

 

 

[gHari]

I remember the first time I read the Brahma Samhita. It was a most humbling experience. It generated great respect and veneration for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. He conveys in 20 words what most of us would need to use 2000 words. I definitely needed a dictionary. And it sure helps to read it over and over and over again, very, very, very slowly.

 

I remember it being on one of the records in early ISKCON in which Srila Prabhupada reads that famous passage about the 'transcendental autocrat'. Great stuff. Perhaps it needed to be of such lofty English to put the mental speculators in their place?

 

I think that it may well be that he doesn't use lofty English, but rather that he just uses the exact words, since he knows the topic so very well.

 

I was surprised that his English facility was so much greater than mine, even though it is my language since birth. However, I guess for one who had already memorized the entire sanskrit Bhagavad-gita by the age of seven, knowing another 'foreign' tongue to such a polished degree is not so very astonishing.

[Avinash]

Dear Leyh,

It is not because of difference in English grammar between then and now. As j.n. das ji has pointed out in one thread Sri Bhaktisiddhanta's knowledge of English was not good.

[Gauracandra]

I don't think this was ever said (that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's english wasn't good). Rather that it was a very difficult english, that was difficult to comprehend. It is very high level and technical in many respects. This causes one to have to read, and reread.

[leyh]

A devotee friend told me that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura learned English by memorizing the dictionary.

[Avinash]

I can claim that I will have no problem understanding Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's English. I can understand Kailasa's English.

[leyh]

"If we become arrogant after having adopted the path of devotion, if we worship only God and disregard the worship of His devotees,we would be out to manifold difficulties for our offence at the feet of the servants of God;we would be afflicted with apathy for the principle of devotion itself." (His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura,Vyasa Puja Address "Humbler Than A Blade Of Grass," Given February 24, 1924)

[Bhaktavasya]

Originally posted by leyh:

"If we become arrogant after having adopted the path of devotion, if we worship only God and disregard the worship of His devotees,we would be out to manifold difficulties for our offence at the feet of the servants of God;we would be afflicted with apathy for the principle of devotion itself." (His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura,Vyasa Puja Address "Humbler Than A Blade Of Grass," Given February 24, 1924)

It appears that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's comprehension of the English language was impeccable.

 

 

[Rati]

English has been always been taught in the modern Indian school system. Besides, his father, Bhaktivinode, was well educated in English (he was a magistrate and all court proceedings are conducted in English in India) and published quite a few books in English. He might have picked up a massive vocabulary from memorizing a dictionary, but the general knowledge of usage and grammar were not learned thereby.

 

At any rate, the language of Brahma Samhita translation is quite high brow and difficult to get through, but the rewards are priceless.

 

[This message has been edited by Rati (edited 04-19-2002).]

[leyh]

"Those who are not exceedingly clever can never be servants of Krishna. But the service of Krishna is also never available to those whose cunning is employed for depriving Krishna of the fullness of His enjoyment." (His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati,The Serpent Kaliya,May 1932 edition of

The Harmonist)

[leyh]

"We are the eternal servants of Godhead. When we decide to lord it over the universe we are allowed these facilities for temporary purposes. They do not serve our eternal purposes. It would be better to seek for a place where we can find the real peace. Here we are always liable to be disturbed. By these disturbances Providence wants to teach us that world is not our eternal habitation, but that all real peace is to be found in Him. Being thus troubled we would naturally like to go back to the original place. Life in this world should be conducted peacefully instead of in the spirit of retaliation. We should learn to suffer all these things by submitting to His Holy Wishes. If we do so we may have that very peace here. It is because we are ambitious to dominate that we are brought here." (His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura,The Correct Angle of Vision,The Harmonist (Vol. XXXI, No.21),27th of June, 1935.)

 

[jijaji]

In all honesty (at least for me)..

 

When I used to read Bhaktisiddhanta it was kinda of like reading algebra or something...certainly wordy to say the least.

 

[Avinash]

Do you enjoy algebra?

[leyh]

"The appearance of Godhead in this world implies the co-appearance of all His Divine paraphernalia. Godhead must not be conceived as in any way separable from His entourage. Godhead shorn of any of His paraphernalia is a delusion. In the same way the appearance of divine paraphernalia involves the appearance of the divinity. The two are distinct yet inseparable forms of the one Supreme." (His Divine Grace Sri Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada,(Associates Of Sri Caitanya,from Sri Krsna-kathamrta)

 

[jijaji]

Why do I get the feeling this is a loaded question..?

 

[Avinash]

A few years back, I read a joke somewhere. A boy plans to go to his grandmother's house on vacation. His mother teaches him that he should praise whatever food is given to him. In his grandmother's house, he was eating something which his grandmother had prepared herself. She asks how the food was. The child says, "Oh, it tastes like soap". Suddenly he remembers what his mother had taught and adds in haste, "I like the taste of soap very much."

 

Well, you could have answered that you enjoyed Algebra very much.

[Tarun]

Who said "Shakespeare is one of us"?

Who learned English in 3 days by reading Shakespeare?