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Category Archives: Bhakta Torben Nielsen
Is Jayadvaita Swami Still Good? (The Logic of the Naked Mother)
In defence of Jayadvaita Swami’s editing of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is BBT International write on their website:
And in the conversation where Srila Prabhupada complained so strongly about “rascals editors,” Srila Prabhupada said about Jayadvaita, “He is good.”
And:
Of course, regarding Jayadvaita Swami, the BBT’s chief editor, Srila Prabhupada wrote, “Concerning the editing of Jayadvaita Prabhu, whatever he does is approved by me. I have confidence in him. (letter to Radhavallabha, 7 September 1976)
But it is a logical fallacy to claim that a thing must possess the same characteristics now as it did in the past.
In Nyaya this fallacy is called Nagna-Matrika-Nyaya / The Logic of the Naked Mother. Srila Prabhupada explains:
This is nagna-matrka-nyaya. We change according to the circumstances. You cannot say that this must remain like this. (Morning Walk, May 5, 1973, Los Angeles)
Srila Prabhupada knew things could change, and he would never commit such a logical fallacy. He explains:
Prabhupada: I have given you charge of this BBT, millions of dollars you are dealing, but it is not for your misuse. As soon as you misuse, that is your responsibility.
Ramesvara: Yes, but he says but still, you’ll know that I’m going to misuse it.
Prabhupada: No. That Krsna knows, when something charge is given. But because you are independent, I know that “Ramesvara is very good boy; let him be in charge.” But you can misuse at any moment, because you have got independence. You can misuse at any moment. At that time your position is different. (Morning Walk — June 3, 1976, Los Angeles)
And here he clearly says that we must evaluate a person based on the present situation:
Prabhupāda: So phalena paricīyate. You have to consider the case, suppose a man was very good now he has stolen something still he is a good man? Present consideration is the judgement… There is a Bengali proverb that seven generations before my forefathers used to eat ghee, ghee butter so still I got this smell.
Devotee (1): Hm.
Prabhupāda: Seven generations before my forefathers used to eat ghee so therefore that smell is still there in my house. Is that very good argument? (Morning Walk – October 8, 1972, Berkeley)
Previously we have dealt with BBT International’s argument here and here.
BBT International’s “Jayadvaita-Swami-is-good-argument” has thus been show to be logically invalid. In other words, it is not enough to say that at one point in time Srila Prabhupada liked Jayadvaita Swami’s editing. We need more. We need to know the present situation.
On top of that we have a few e-books out, documenting that Jayadvaita Swami has transgressed the instructions given by Srila Prabhupada. Please take a look at them:
Arsa-Prayoga – Preserving Srila Prabhupada’s Legacy
The BBT International and Jayadvaita Swami need to address the points presented in these books instead of relying on faulty logic.
Open Letter to Sivarama Swami
This below e-mail was sent to Sivarama Swami through the e-mail address (asksrs@gmail.com) provided on this website. I hope that the devotees in charge of receiving the e-mails will forward the e-mail to Maharaja. In the meantime I will look for another e-mail address of his.
—
Dear Sivarama Swami. Dandavat pranama. Jaya Srila Prabhupada.
I apologize if answering this letter becomes a burden on your many other responsibilities.
Recently I heard a podcast from your website where you respond to a few questions about the changes made to Srila Prabhupada’s books.
I have a few comments and points I find important in relation to your response, and I hope you will find the time to answer each of them.
This is an open letter, so it will also be posted online.
The letter is attached to this e-mail, but you can also find it here:
Thank you very much.
Your servant,
Ajit Krishna Dasa
—
E-BOOK: Arsa-Prayoga: Preserving Srila Prabhupada’s Legacy
Almost 400 pages about the changes made to Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Click picture to visit website
From the back cover:
“Arsa prayoga, lit. “rishi’s license,” means to honour the acarya by preserving his teachings in the originally published form, not changing what he has written to make it appear more effective or politically correct. There should be no confusion between the work written by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and edited by Howard Wheeler and the posthumous cent per cent revised copy proposed by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. By changing Prabhupada’s books without explicitly saying so, they do a discredit to Srila Prabhupada, devotees and scholars. At present it appears that the revisions were made by the original author. This book is meant to be the truth about the editing of Prabhupada’s books carefully chronicled for future generations.”
Go directly to download page: arsaprayogabook.com/book
E-BOOK: Blazing Edits
Click to download the book
Aug 20, 2015 — CANADA (SUN) — We invite you to download a copy of Blazing Edits, an e-book collection of segments written by Bhakta Torben Nielsen on the topic of the changes to Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is. This series has been an ongoing publication on Sampradaya Sun and www.arsaprayoga.com.
This e-book was made in a cooperative effort by Bhakta Torben Nielsen (Author), Bhakta Max Køngerskov (Design and Layout), Ajit Krishna dasa (Idea), and the Sampradaya Sun (Publisher). The book will periodically be updated with new segments.
DOWNLOAD LATEST VERSION
One Example Out of Many Disproves Editor’s Own Words (Bg. 13.25)
BY: BHAKTA TORBEN
Jun 21, 2015 — DENMARK (SUN) —
Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 13.25:
Original, authorized 1972 edition:
“That Supersoul is perceived by some through meditation, by some through the cultivation of knowledge, and by others through working without fruitive desire.”
Manuscript:
“That Supersoul is perceived by some through meditation, and by some through the cultivation of knowledge, and by others through working without fruitive desire.”
JAS It Is:
“Some perceive the Supersoul within themselves through meditation, others through the cultivation of knowledge, and still others through working without fruitive desires.”
The original 1972 standard and the so-called manuscript are completely identical. And well articulated. Still the ‘JAS It Is’ model chooses a different phrasing.
As seen many times before.
Here are some important words from the principal editor to Srila Prabhupada’ s books after His Divine Grace’ s departure. On the policy of editing:
“‘Arsa-Prayoga’ is a very important principle. The editor should never have the mentality that he is better than the author, that he has something more to contribute than the author does, that the author really doesn’t know what he is doing, but he knows what he is doing. That’ s offensive and that ruins everything. It is an offense to the acarya. The idea however that this sort of sanctity that the authors’ s has, or that the words of the author has, have, somehow extends to the mistakes of the editors is weird. It is an offense to correct the mistakes of previous editors! Are they acaryas? Are they paramahamsas? Are they infallible? They are wonderful devotees, they did wonderful service, but they made mistakes. Understandable.”
We advise the reader to ponder the gap between theoretical intent and actual action. This example is by far not an isolated case.
Uneven Edit (Bg. 2.48)
BY: BHAKTA TORBEN
Jun 17, 2015 — DENMARK (SUN) — Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 2.48:
Original, authorized 1972 edition:
“Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.”
Manuscript:
“Do your prescribed duty in an equipoised condition. To do such duty without being attached to success or failure, and to remain in an equiposed condition is called Yoga.”
Read Aloud to Srila Prabhupada by Tamala Krishna in London, 1968:
“Be steadfast in your duty, O Arjuna, and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga [Bg. 2.48].”
And immediately after Tamal Krishna’s reading of the verse Srila Prabhupada says:
“This is the explanation of yoga, evenness of mind. Yoga-samatvam ucyate. If you work for Krsna, then there is no cause of lamentation or jubilation. Jubilation is there because you are working for Krsna, but there is no cause of lamentation. Yoga-sthah kuru karmani, yogah karmasu kausalam. That is the secret of activities, how you can very diligently work at the same time you are not entangled with the actions. That is the secret. Go on.”
The word-for-word reads ‘samatvam – evenness of mind‘ (Original), but the heavily edited ‘JAS It Is’ version says in the word-for-word ‘samatvam – equanimity’.
‘JAS It Is’:
“Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.”
Once again we observe an absolutely unnecessary change. This verse in the original 1972 edition is perfect.
There are more irregularities. Check it out.
Failed De-Sexing Edit Attempt (Bg. 2.23 and 2.24)
BY: BHAKTA TORBEN
May 14, 2015 — DENMARK (SUN) —
Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 2.23:
Original, authorized 1972 edition:
“The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.”
Manuscript:
“The soul can never be cut into peices by any kind of weapon, neither can he be burnt by fire, nor can He be moistened by water, nor can he be dried up by the wind.”
JAS It Is:
“The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.”
Although both the manuscript and the original says he about the soul, the JAS It is-version has, for unknown reasons, dropped the pronoun.
Paradoxically, however, ‘Jas It Is’ version in the ensuing verse, 2.24, does NOT drop the pronoun ‘he‘ for the soul:
Bhagavad-gita As It Is 2.24:
Original, authorized 1972 edition:
“This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.”
Manuscript:
“This individual soul is unbreakable, cannot be burnt, insoluble, nondriable, everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.”
JAS It Is. 2.24:
“This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.”
So the ‘JAS It Is’ edit-strategy seems to be pretty fickle. “Should we, or shouldn’t we?”
Anyway, why not just stick to the original? It is pretty clear.
In London, 1973, BOTH of the original’s verses were read aloud to Srila Prabhupada.
Superfluous and Awkward (Bg. 3.26)
BY: BHAKTA TORBEN
May 18, 2015 — DENMARK (SUN) —
Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 3.26:
Original, authorized 1972 edition:
“Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to fruitive action. They should not be encouraged to refrain from work, but to engage in work in the spirit of devotion.”
Manuscript:
“Those who are after the fruitive results of prescribed duties may not be induced to stop work, disrupt his intelligence. Rather they should be engaged in all sorts of activities, for gradual development of Krsna consciousness.”
JAS It Is:
“So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities [for the gradual development of Krishna consciousness].”
The original is fine and lucid.
The ‘Jas It Is’ edition is a threefold mix of the original and the manuscript plus added stuff, i.e., the words ‘So as not to’ and ‘a learned person’ .
The bracketed sentence in the end ‘for the gradual development of Krishna consciousness’ is a pleonasm to the sentence ‘working in the spirit of devotion’, therefore superfluous and the end-result is awkward.
There is more, check it out.
King Shifted (Bg. 1.20)
BY: BHAKTA TORBEN
Jun 07, 2015 — DENMARK (SUN) —
Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 1.20:
Original, authorized 1972 edition:
“O King, at that time Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu, who was seated in his chariot, his flag marked with Hanumān, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows, looking at the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. O King, Arjuna then spoke to Hṛṣīkeśa [Kṛṣṇa] these words:”
Manuscript:
“Oh the king, at that time Arjuna the son of Pandu who was seated on the chariot with flag marked with Hanuman and while just he was about to throw his arrows taking up the bow, he said unto Lord Krsna as follows after looking on the situated sons of Dhritarastra.”
JAS It Is:
“At that time Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu, seated in the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanumān, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows. O King, after looking at the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra drawn in military array, Arjuna then spoke to Lord Kṛṣṇa these words.”
The words ‘drawn in military array’ are an addition. They are NOT to be found in either the original or the manuscript, nor in the ‘English equivalents’.
The address ‘O King’ starting the verse in both the original and the manuscript is shifted.
The original’s text is perfectly lucid and understandable. No apparent reason to change anything.
Arsa-Prayoga 