Category Archives: book distribution

10.17.25
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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is — Change of Cover Art

By Ajit Krishna Dasa

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is — Change of Cover Art

Description

The original Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, published during Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lifetime, features Krishna and Arjuna in the midst of the Kurukṣetra battlefield. Krishna, serene yet commanding, drives the chariot; Arjuna, bow in hand, reaches for an arrow, ready to act. The scene is dynamic, radiant, and filled with purpose. It embodies the Gītā’s central message — divine action under Krishna’s direction.

In contrast, the later BBT International cover replaces this vivid scene with a sepia-toned, static composition. Krishna and Arjuna sit quietly, the battlefield emptied of movement and power. The tone is reflective rather than transcendental, subdued rather than triumphant.

Type of change

Visual substitution — replacement of the original dynamic battlefield scene with a subdued, neutral reinterpretation.

Category

Philosophical change.

Commentary

The original cover: divine engagement and fearless surrender

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s approved cover proclaims the philosophy of the Gītā through imagery. Arjuna acts under Krishna’s order — his bow raised, but his heart surrendered. This is yoga in motion — not escapism, but spiritual courage.

The colors are rich, the composition alive. The scene radiates energy and conviction. It declares that Krishna consciousness is not an abstraction but a living call to act under divine direction. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purpose was to awaken the world, and the cover reflects that sense of urgency and truth.

The viewer can feel the śakti — the divine energy of the moment when the soul, guided by Krishna, takes up its duty. This was not designed as decoration; it was preaching in paint.

The new cover: aesthetic calm and philosophical retreat

The later BBT International design strips that vitality away. Krishna and Arjuna now appear passive, framed in a gentle sepia hue. The dynamic exchange of surrender and command is replaced with composure and stillness. The mood has shifted from revelation and spiritual revolution to respectability.

This change did not happen by accident. The likely reason was discomfort — the fear that Arjuna with a drawn bow might look too “militant,” that the world might see the Gītā as a book of conflict. To avoid misunderstanding, they drained the image of its conviction. But by doing so, they did exactly what Prabhupāda warned against: they compromised the message to fit modern taste.

The result is art that pleases the world but fails to challenge it. The battlefield has become a conversation; surrender has become suggestion.

The original showed Krishna leading; the new shows Krishna posing. The first commands reverence; the second invites indifference.

From message to impression

The original cover invited readers into Krishna’s presence. The new one invites them into neutrality. The first preaches; the second performs. The first says, “Here is God leading His devotee.” The second says, “Here is a peaceful scene from an ancient text.”

This is not refinement — it is retreat. The battlefield of the soul has been turned into a soft philosophical setting, safe for polite society but stripped of its divine tension.

When sacred power is replaced by compositional balance, the Gītā stops being a living revelation and becomes a cultural artifact.

Conclusion

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s original cover was both spiritually bold and visually beautiful — suitable for any setting because it carried truth without apology. The replacement, though visually refined, removes the transcendental urgency and courage that the Gītā was meant to awaken.

To replace revelation with restraint is not service but revision.
And that quiet reduction — the removal of vitality, immediacy, and surrender — is the violation of the principle of arsa-prayoga.

Image Notes:

Left — Original 1972 cover approved by Śrīla Prabhupāda. Krishna and Arjuna in divine motion on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, embodying surrender and duty under Krishna’s order.

Right — Later BBT International edition. A static, sepia reinterpretation that replaces transcendental engagement with polite serenity.

03.02.21
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BBTI Propaganda Material Exposé

By Ajit Krishna Dasa

The picture above contains some unserious propaganda material for the BBT International.

1) The only reason that the original Gita is being sold by BBTI, and some places in ISKCON is that BBTI/ISKCON has been under pressure to print and sell it. They do not like to print it, and in fact, the version they print, is not the version Srila Prabhupada wanted, since BBTI has left errors in it that Srila Prabhupada wanted corrected, e.g. “cattle raising”.

2) It is a fact that many devotees have been kicked out of temples because they preferred and advocated, even slightly, the original books.

3) What about all the other books? This is only the Gita. Will the original CC, SB, BBD, POY, PQPA, etc. also be sold on ISKCON property, and on their websites?

4) On the picture we see the Vedabase. Some years ago all the original books where on the Vedabase. Now they have all been removed. I do not even think the Gita is there, but I might be wrong. But at least all the other original books have been removed.

5) Also, please note how the designer of the below propaganda material writes BBT instead of BBTI, trying to hide the fact that BBTI is a corporation, while Srila Prabhupada’s BBT is a trust. Srila Prabhupada’s BBT has been made inactive, and it has been replaced by BBTI. In that scoundrelly move Srila Prabhupada was called “an author for hire” by the BBTI.

06.08.15
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Ramesvara Prabhu Speaks About the Paintings in Srila Prabhupada’s Books

Ramesvara Prabhu here speaks about the amazing transcendental pastime of creating the many paintings in Srila Prabhupada’s books – especially the Krishna Book.

He explains how Srila Prabhupada often gave personal instructions to each artist regarding the specific paintings they made.

Unfortunately almost all these transcendental paintings have been removed from Srila Prabhupada’s books and replaced with other paintings that were not made under Srila Prabhupada’s supervision and authorization.

02.13.15
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BBTI FORCED TO THEIR KNEES

Due to intense pressure from tens of thousands of devotees worldwide the BBTI have been forced – against their will – to again print the original edition of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

Screen Shot 2015-02-13 at 11.26.48

http://www.dandavats.com/?p=15528

But why support the BBTI, when they use the money to destroy Srila Prabhupada’s books?

Also, the original edition from BBTI is not as good quality as the one sold from Krishna Books Inc.

My recommendation: Buy your original books from http://www.krishnastore.com or any other shop that sells the original books as printed by Krishna Books Inc. (KBI).

03.27.14
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Jayadvaita Swami takes a step in the right direction

It seems that finally the BBT International has been listening to the arguments presented by many concerned devotees and is now taking a step in the right direction by putting Jayadvaita Swami’s name in the edited edition:

Andrew Whitlock wrote in a mail to Jayadvaita Swami:

“Firstly I noticed that Your name does not appear on the re edited version.”

Jayadvaita Swami replied:

“It will appear in the “Note about the Second Edition” in upcoming printings.”

To be completely honest, transparent and follow academic rules Jayadvaita Swami’s name ought to appear on the front cover of the book, so everyone – in advance – will know that this is a posthumously edited book.

An example of how it is supposed to be done is here:

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Of course, eventually we need to have Jayadvaita Swami’s edited version of Bhagavad-gita As It Is (and all other posthumously edited versions of Srila Prabhupada’s books) completely eliminated. But as long as the BBTI insist on violating the sastric rule of arsa-prayoga, they at least should mention it on the books.

 

01.20.14
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Jayadvaita Swami has authorized KBI (Krishna Book Inc.) in a mood of cooperation

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Screenshot 2014-01-20 09.40.04

Recently BBT International (BBTI) and Jayadvaita Swami have been making public announcements about the importance of devotees buying books from the BBT exclusively. In this way they are indirectly saying that devotees should not buy books from Krishna Books Inc. (KBI) who distributes Srila Prabhupada’s original, pre-1978, books. To substantiate their claim they refer to a letter from Srila Prabhupada saying that all centers should buy from the BBT.

There are several problems with the statements of BBTI and Jayadvaita Swami.

First of all BBT and BBT International (BBTI) are not identical. To make such a claim, or to try to give that impression, is to deceive the devotees. BBT International and Jayadvaita Swami have been actively engaging in this act of deception from the inception of BBTI, and most devotees in ISKCON have accepted their claims blindly. But there is a difference between BBT and BBTI.

Continue reading →

01.11.14
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The BBTI doesn’t follow Prabhupada’s orders on using honest book distribution techniques

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Prabhupada:

“Regarding the controversy about book distribution techniques, you are right. Our occupation must be honest. Everyone should adore our members as honest. . . These dishonest methods must be stopped. It is hampering our reputation all over the world.” (Letter to Rupanuga, 1-9-75)

The way in which Prabhupada’s books are presented to the public is also part of the book distribution process. To hide the fact that the 1983 edition has hidden co-authors that have made extensive additions, subtractions and changes to the book is not honesty. It will hamper ISKCON’s reputation.

In fact, this has already hampered ISKCON BBT International’s reputation as a trustworthy publishing company, as the scholarly community has begun to voice their opinions on the deceptive practices used in the post-humous publications. Factors such as using scholarly reviews from the original 1972 edition (when those scholars never saw, nor reviewed, the vastly edited later edition) have clouded the authenticity of Srila Prabhupada’s sacred books. Respectable scholars would never do such a thing.

Using the 1971 signature of Srila Prabhupada on the posthumously edited 1983 edition also calls to question the integrity of the BBT International. Srila Prabhupada never saw the posthumous edition–yet his signature is there as if he had. This is certainly deceptive on the part of BBT International.

Not clearly disclosing the fact that the 1983 edition has hidden co-authors has greatly damaged the reputation of ISKCON BBT International, and will continue to do so unless responsible remedial action is taken by those entrusted with this important work.

The fact that there is no dating of the posthumous editions also calls to question the integrity of the BBT International. It has been noted that the posthumous editions began to appear perhaps six years after Srila Prabhupada’s demise. This tends to indicate, according to some, that the author had no interest or inclination towards a re-editing of his Bhagavad Gita.

And since there is no record of the author ordering or approving such edited work, it leaves the posthumous edition hanging in mid-air, with no reliable data to show who did it, when they did it, and where it came from. This is a grand deception.

Below is an example of a revised book where honest means have been used. As long as the BBT International insists on publishing their edited 1983 Bhagavad-gita As It Is it must meet the same criteria of honesty to the be accepted in scholarly circles.

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