Arsa-Prayoga.com – Revisited is the title of an upcoming ebook that continues the work begun here on arsaprayoga.com. It re-examines the changes made to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s original books from new angles and explains why each alteration is significant.
Each example will also be posted here on arsaprayoga.com.
The article examines a major change in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.12, purport, where a large portion of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s original text was deleted and replaced with a much shorter version. In the original Delhi edition, personally typewritten by Śrīla Prabhupāda, the purport included a vivid cosmological description explaining how each planet is “an island in the airy ocean of outer space.” The later BBT-International edition removes most of this section, leaving only a brief mention of Bhārata-varṣa and the Mahābhārata’s description.
Since the Delhi edition was typed by Śrīla Prabhupāda himself, there is no earlier draft that could justify this change. The deletion therefore cannot be called a “restoration.” It is a posthumous editorial removal of material personally written and approved by the author.
Type of change
Deletion and condensation — a large section of original text removed and shortened.
Category
Philosophical change.
Commentary
Deletion and condensation
This is not a correction of typographical error. Substantial text has been eliminated, changing both the content and scope of the purport. Such reduction is not preservation but revision.
Loss of cosmological detail and mood
The removed section presents the Vedic conception of the universe, describing planets as islands in the airy ocean of space. This imagery expresses both philosophical meaning and devotional beauty. Its removal flattens the text, leaving a stripped-down version that weakens the reader’s sense of Vedic cosmology and spiritual wonder.
Interpretive interference
By removing this material, the editor decided which aspects of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s exposition were “essential” and which were not. That decision cannot be editorial—it is interpretive. It transfers authority from revelation to human judgment, from transmission to management.
Modern palatability
It seems likely that the editor considered Prabhupāda’s cosmological explanation too unusual or “unscientific” for modern readers and shortened it to make the purport more acceptable. This turns faithfulness into adaptation. Instead of preserving Śrīla Prabhupāda’s transcendental message, the text is reshaped to suit secular taste.
The result is not merely a shorter purport, but a reorientation of meaning: the Bhāgavatam’s bold transcendental cosmology is softened into something modern minds can tolerate. What was revelation becomes explanation.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s original books were never meant to be adjusted for comfort. Their strength lies in direct transmission of transcendental knowledge, unbent by modern prejudice. Editing them to “help” the reader understand does not illuminate the message—it dims it. In this change, the editor crosses the line from preservation to modification, from śabda-pramāṇa (divine authority) to manuṣya-pramāṇa (human opinion).
Arsa-Prayoga.com – Revisited is the title of an upcoming ebook that continues the work begun here on arsaprayoga.com. It re-examines the changes made to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s original books from new angles and explains why each alteration is significant.
Each example will also be posted here on arsaprayoga.com.
The article shows how a small change in a purport—from “done by Krishna” to “done for Krishna”—creates a profound shift in meaning. Though it appears minor, this substitution alters the philosophical substance of the text.
Type of change Substitution — a single preposition replaced.
Category Philosophical change.
Commentary
Alters causal agency / the relationship between Krishna and activity The difference between “by Krishna” and “for Krishna” is not stylistic. It changes who is acting and whose will is primary. “Done by Krishna” means that Krishna is the direct actor, the cause behind all action. “Done for Krishna” reverses the flow, implying that the devotee acts and offers the result. That is not the same truth; it replaces divine agency with human initiative.
Changes nuance of surrender / devotional theology In the original wording, the devotee is fully dependent. He is the instrument, Krishna the mover. This is the essence of śaraṇāgati—to see Krishna as the doer in all things. The edited phrase softens that surrender. It suggests the devotee’s independent action performed on Krishna’s behalf rather than through Krishna’s will. The theology of dependence becomes a theology of contribution.
Moves from metaphysical fact to interpretive sentiment “Done by Krishna” is an ontological statement: it describes reality as it is. “Done for Krishna” is a moral sentiment: it describes how we wish to act. This subtle shift turns realization into interpretation, revelation into advice.
A single preposition has thus transformed the meaning, the mood, and the philosophy. It is not grammar; it is theology.
Those who have altered Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books like to speak of “devotee cooperation” and “proper channels.” What they mean is submission without scrutiny. They have built a system where questioning is punished, reasoning is re-framed as offense, and loyalty is measured by silence.
Whenever a devotee raises a concern, the reply is almost scripted:
Srila Prabhupada’s decision to title Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is “Sankhya Yoga” stands as a distinctive and deliberate choice, diverging from the more common “Dhyana Yoga” favored by traditional acharyas, modern scholars, and Western translators. This title, unique in the history of widely recognized Gita commentaries, reflects his mission to present the text through the lens of Gaudiya Vaishnavism while reintroducing the theistic Sankhya philosophy of Kapila Muni, the divine son of Devahuti from the Srimad Bhagavatam. Far from a mere editorial quirk, Prabhupada’s naming can be seen as a strategic reclamation of the term “Sankhya,” serving as an implicit attack on the atheistic Sankhya school and aligning the chapter’s teachings with Krishna consciousness. This choice makes sense when viewed through the philosophical content of Chapter 6, its integration of Sankhya and Yoga, and Prabhupada’s broader purpose of countering materialistic philosophies.
Philosophical Foundations: Theistic Sankhya and Its Contrast with Atheism
Sankhya philosophy, one of the six classical schools of Indian thought, fundamentally distinguishes between purusha (the eternal, conscious soul) and prakriti (temporary, unconscious matter), aiming for liberation through analytical knowledge. However, two versions of Sankhya exist: the atheistic, classical Sankhya, often attributed to a sage Kapila, which denies a supreme God and posits multiple purushas liberated through intellectual discernment alone, and the theistic Sankhya of Kapila Muni, an incarnation of Vishnu, as detailed in Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 3, Chapters 24–33). The latter integrates this dualistic framework with devotion to Krishna, the Supreme Purusha, as the source and controller of all existence.
Srila Prabhupada consistently champions the theistic Sankhya of the Bhagavatam’s Kapila, critiquing the atheistic version as incomplete. In his purport to Gita 2.39, he describes Sankhya as the analytical study of soul and matter but ties it to Krishna’s authority, while in Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.30, he credits Kapila (the Vishnu avatar) with creating Sankhya to dispel material illusion, implying the atheistic school is a corruption. By titling Chapter 6 “Sankhya Yoga,” Prabhupada reclaims the term from its godless connotation, positioning it as a Krishna-centric science of self-realization. This choice serves as an attack on atheistic Sankhya by asserting that true Sankhya—unlike its materialistic distortion—culminates in devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not mere intellectual isolation.
Chapter 6’s Content: A Blend of Sankhya Philosophy and Yogic Practice
Chapter 6 of the Gita, while renowned for its meditative instructions (e.g., 6.11–14: sitting steadily, focusing on the self or Krishna), contains philosophical elements that resonate with Sankhya, justifying Prabhupada’s title. Verses like 6.5–6 (“One must deliver himself with the help of his mind… the mind is the friend or enemy”) echo Sankhya’s view of the mind as a product of prakriti that binds or liberates the purusha depending on its mastery. Similarly, 6.1–4 emphasize detachment from sense objects and fruitive results, mirroring Sankhya’s goal of disentangling the soul from material nature. The description of the yogi’s transcendent state in 6.20–23—realizing the self’s distinction from matter through “transcendental senses”—further aligns with Sankhya’s liberation through discriminative knowledge.
Prabhupada’s “Sankhya Yoga” title broadens the chapter’s scope beyond meditation (dhyana) to include this analytical foundation, reflecting the theistic Sankhya of Kapila, where understanding the soul’s eternality leads to Krishna (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.18). Unlike “Dhyana Yoga,” which narrows the focus to meditative practice, “Sankhya Yoga” encapsulates the integration of knowledge (Sankhya) and discipline (Yoga), culminating in devotion (6.47: “The highest yogi thinks of Me constantly”). By highlighting these Sankhya elements, Prabhupada challenges atheistic Sankhya’s endpoint—self-isolation without God—replacing it with a theistic synthesis that directs the practitioner to Krishna, thus undermining the atheistic school’s philosophical legitimacy.
Historical Context: Sankhya and Yoga’s Traditional Connection
The tendency in Indian tradition to connect Sankhya and Yoga as complementary systems supports Prabhupada’s titling. Historically, Sankhya provides the metaphysical blueprint (distinguishing purusha from prakriti), while Yoga, particularly Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, offers the practical path, with dhyana (meditation, the seventh limb) as a key stage. The Gita itself reflects this synergy: Chapter 2 introduces Sankhya’s analytical wisdom (2.39), and Chapter 6 blends it with yogic practice. Prabhupada’s “Sankhya Yoga” title leverages this tradition, but adapts it to Vaishnavism by rooting it in Kapila’s theistic Sankhya, not the atheistic version that Patanjali’s Yoga partially accommodates (via Ishvara, Yoga Sutras 1.23).
This historical pairing bolsters Prabhupada’s attack on atheistic Sankhya. By invoking “Sankhya” in a yogic context, he reasserts its original spiritual purpose—lost in the godless classical school—and aligns it with the Gita’s theistic narrative, where Krishna is the ultimate goal (Gita 15.17–18). This reclamation serves as a polemic, subtly exposing atheistic Sankhya’s inadequacy compared to its devotional counterpart.
Prabhupada’s Strategic Intent: Attacking Atheistic Sankhya and Inspiring Exploration of the Bhagavatam
Prabhupada’s mission was to counter materialistic and impersonal philosophies, including atheistic Sankhya, which he saw as a distortion of Vedic truth. His critiques in purports—e.g., dismissing atheistic Sankhya as “dry speculation” (Gita 7.4, purport)—reveal his intent to restore its theistic essence. Naming Chapter 6 “Sankhya Yoga” is a deliberate strike against this distortion for several reasons:
Reclamation of Terminology: By using “Sankhya,” a term familiar to scholars and practitioners, Prabhupada confronts its atheistic association head-on. He redefines it through Kapila’s lens, where analytical knowledge serves bhakti, not godless liberation, thus challenging the classical school’s authority.
Philosophical Superiority: The chapter’s content—integrating self-realization with devotion—demonstrates that theistic Sankhya surpasses atheistic Sankhya. Verses like 6.29–30 (“He who sees Me everywhere”) elevate Sankhya’s dualism into a Krishna-centric unity, exposing the atheistic version’s limitation in stopping at individual purusha without recognizing the Supreme Purusha.
Educational Polemic: Prabhupada’s global audience included Westerners and Indians influenced by secular interpretations of Sankhya. Titling Chapter 6 “Sankhya Yoga” educates them that true Sankhya aligns with Krishna consciousness, countering scholarly narratives equating Sankhya with atheism and reinforcing the Gita’s theistic intent “as it is.”
Parampara’s Authority: By tying the title to Kapila of the Bhagavatam, Prabhupada roots it in disciplic succession, contrasting it with speculative atheistic Sankhya. This asserts the Vedic authenticity of his interpretation, undermining the classical school’s standalone credibility.
Inspiring Engagement with the Srimad Bhagavatam: Beyond attacking atheistic Sankhya, Prabhupada’s use of “Sankhya Yoga” also aimed to inspire readers to explore the Srimad Bhagavatam, which he considered the “ripe fruit of the Vedic tree” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.3, purport) and the ultimate scripture for Krishna consciousness. By linking Chapter 6 to Kapila’s theistic Sankhya—detailed in Bhagavatam Canto 3, Chapters 24–33—he creates a bridge to this text, where Kapila’s teachings expand on the Gita’s principles with a devotional focus (e.g., Bhagavatam 3.25.18). In purports like Gita 6.13–14, he references Kapila’s meditation on Vishnu (Bhagavatam 3.28.8–11), subtly encouraging readers to delve into the Bhagavatam for a deeper understanding of both Kapila’s Sankhya but also of the Srimad-Bhagavatam itself. For his audience—many unfamiliar with this scripture—the title “Sankhya Yoga” plants a seed of curiosity about Kapila’s full discourse, reinforcing the Bhagavatam’s role as the natural next step after the Gita and enhancing his mission to elevate global devotion through the parampara’s treasures.
Uniqueness and Justification
No major traditional acharya (e.g., Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya) or modern translator (e.g., Sivananda, Chinmayananda) titles Chapter 6 “Sankhya Yoga”—they typically use “Dhyana Yoga” or variants, reserving “Sankhya Yoga” for Chapter 2. Prabhupada’s divergence is a bold innovation, justified by Chapter 6’s Sankhya-like elements and his mission. While “Dhyana Yoga” fits the chapter’s meditative focus, “Sankhya Yoga” captures its broader philosophical depth, aligning with his view of Kapila’s system as both knowledge and practice directed toward Krishna.
Conclusion: A Sensible and Strategic Choice
Srila Prabhupada’s “Sankhya Yoga” title for Chapter 6 makes profound sense as a reflection of its content—merging Sankhya’s analytical insights with Yoga’s meditative discipline—and his intent to advance Gaudiya Vaishnavism. It serves as a strategic attack on atheistic Sankhya by reintroducing Kapila’s theistic version, challenging its godless conclusions, and redirecting its principles toward Krishna. This choice not only highlights the chapter’s philosophical richness but also fulfills Prabhupada’s mission to present the Gita as a devotional text, countering materialistic distortions and establishing Krishna consciousness as the ultimate synthesis of Vedic wisdom. In this light, “Sankhya Yoga” is not just a title—it’s a declaration of theistic triumph over atheism, rooted in scripture and tradition.
For a definitive proof that Srila Prabhupada wanted Chapter Six of his Bhagavad-gita As It Is to be named Sankhya-Yoga, please see this article.
Someone alerted me to this publically available statement that Satsvarupa Das Goswami wrote:
“Bhagavad-gita Editing”
“I received a letter from a disciple who told me he prefers reading the first edition of the Bhagavad-gita edited by Hayagriva. He thinks there are too many changes in the second edition edited by Jayadvaita. But I do not agree with this point of view. Jayadvaita and Dravida published a booklet, Responsible Publishing. There they demonstrated the many omissions Hayagriva made from Prabhupada’s original manuscripts. Jayadvaita restored the original material by Prabhupada and did responsible editing of his English. Prabhupada had implicit faith in Jayadvaita Maharaja and kept him as his editor for Srimad-Bhagavatam. He said that Jayadvaita’s editing should not be changed. Now Garuda Prabhu has written an entire book championing the editing version of Hayagriva and criticizing the second edition edited by Jayadvaita. I do not agree with Garuda Prabhu on this topic. My followers should feel confident to read the second edition published by the BBT, edited by Jayadvaita Maharaja, and not the earlier edition done by Hayagriva.”
Several interest points I’d like you to consider:
The first edition of the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is was authored by Śrīla Prabhupāda. It is not the Hayagriva edition. There were others besides Hayagravia who worked on it at the time, including Jayadvaita.
Whether one finds Prabhupāda’s authorized authored edition or the second heavily revised (corrupted) edition preferable or not is beside the point. Which one did Prabhupāda actually author and authorize for sure? The answer is obvious. Which one is questionable? The answer is obvious.
Satsvarupa says he does not agree with Garuda Prabhu on the topic of posthumous editing if it means correcting Jayadvaita’s work. On what basis? He’s read Dravida’s and Jayadvaita’s rationalization for editing, but he’s never read a word of my work on the subject. His decision is not being made from a rational mind but out of loyalty to Jayadvaita. Moreover, is Satsvarupa being loyal to Prabhupāda?
Satsvarupa says, “Now Garuda Prabhu has written an entire book championing the editing version of Hayagriva.” First of all, there is no “editing version of Hayagriva.” Secondly, I’ve not written an entire book “championing” anything. But I hope I’m always championing Prabhupāda himself. Is that so distasteful to Satsvaraupa?
Isn’t Satsvarupa making a foregone conclusion here by telling his followers to read Jayadvaita’s edition? But he says more . . . he’s telling his followers NOT to read Prabhupāda’s original authorized edition! And calling it the “earlier edition done by Hayagriva”! Does he foget that Hayagriva, Jayadvaita, and others worked UNDER Prabhupāda? Does he not realize that Dravida and Jayadvaita have been working OVER Prabhupāda since his departure?
Just throwing these points out to all of you.
Tomorrow is Vyāsa Pūjā for our beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda, the original world teacher of Krishna bhakti. How can we honor him in the best way? By following his instructions, instructions not filtered through the limited brains of Jayadvaita, Satsvarupa, Dravida, mine, or anyone else’s. Let us not try to better Prabhupāda as Jayadviata has been attempting to do. Let us try to better ourselves in our relationship wtih Prabhupāda!
On this Vyāsa Pūjā, let us all receive the gifts Prabhupāda has given us graciously, and reciprocate Prabhupāda’s loving gifts by preserving, absorbing, and sharing his teachings.
At ISKCON Mayapur a devotee, Jitavrata Dasa, was publicly humiliated for speaking the truth about the book changes. He was asked to stop his vyasa puja offering.
Read the complete vyasa-puja offering below (the part that Jitavrata Prabhu was not able to speak has been marked with bold).
Nama Om Vishnu padaya Krishna prestaya bhutale
Srimate Bhaktivedanta swamin iti namine
namas te Sarasvate deve Gauravani pracarine
nirvisesa sunyavadi pascatya desa tarine
Dear Srila Prabhupada ,
please accept my humble obeisances unto your worshipable Lotus Feet.
You brilliantly shine as the most glorious servant of your Lordship Sri Sri Radha Madhava.
As time goes by, and as ignorance is dispelled, you are appreciated as the most important personality in our movement ,most definitely because you are the founder acharya under whose guidance everyone must abide in order to understand the instructions of the disciplic succession that are within your books.
You are without a doubt the most merciful guru to empower even today whoever takes shelter of your instructions. We all feel very fortunate to be under the shelter at your Lotus feet. They are guiding us back to Godhead beyond the shadow of a doubt.
It is only because of you that we can find the potency to continue your great mission of bringing immortal happiness to the entire world. Your greatest joy is to see your books distributed far and wide, because your books unlock the doors to the treasure house of pure Love of Krishna.
As time goes by, your Divine presence is becoming more intensely felt because we realize that it is only by your mercy that this movement is carrying on. You are everyone’s well wisher and your spiritual attributes are unfathomable.
As ISKCON is your body, you want to see it flourish and grow beyond material limits, in great spiritual happiness and health for all the generations to come. So many nice devotees have joined your movement and are very much eager to serve at your Lotus Feet with great joy.
Please give us the intelligence to not change the bonafide process that you are giving us, as to avoid causing you so many troubles. It was first given by Krishna and has worked wonders millions of years ago, it is still now working so many wonders and will continue to work wonders in the milleniums to come.
As you are the spirit maintaining ISKCON thru sickness and health, please give us the intelligence to understand the supreme importance of protecting all the original English versions of your books that you have personally approved and rendered thereby eternal.
You have compiled these books with great endeavor, choosing each word and sentence very carefully under the full guidance of Lord Krishna sitting next to you. Your very specific combination of words acts like a powerful mantra to cut thru the illusory energy of Maya and revive our remembrance of Krishna
By changing these word arrangements thinking to know English better than you is the greatest offense as it removes the bonafide value of your writings. You taught us that 5 things permits Kali’s influence to infiltrate our consciousness. Meat eating, intoxication, gambling, illicit sex and if all four are absent then Kali is allowed to reside where there is hording of gold. Our biggest protection is the chanting of a minimum of 16 rounds every day, and keeping the association of the devotees. These simple instructions if carefully practiced will protect us from down falls.
You told Rameswara your BBT Trustee that your greatest fear was that after your departure, bonafide instructions will be taken out of your books and non bonafide things will be introduced, that is why you strictly forbade any book changes and you really made this instruction very clear to him. Unfortunately Rameswara left after a series of unfortunate events and even though these instructions were left in writing when Rameswara was interviewed for the production of your Lilamrta, that interview was never utilized and simply sat in the archives forgotten for over 30 years. As the enemy is invisible but its influence can be seen. Kali has infiltrated somehow or other,maybe someone is hording some gold or breaking the principles who really knows, but somehow Kali has found a way to modify your books, making it look seemingly harmless, claiming the changes will be closer to what you really meant , but Kali has in fact opened wide the doors for future changes. Next Kali will make us believe that watering down the philosophy will greatly increase our membership among those who are especially angry that you are just too strict and conservative with your principles, so better make a few compromises, where is the harm? And then Kali will tell us next that there is no need to chant Jaya Prabhupada , it is not necessary . Kali’s goal is to really minimize your importance and gradually take you out of the picture .Kali says” no no a little book change that is alright,where is the harm we are making the books better, Prabhupada didn’t know how to speak english we are just helping him out especially since now we even know sanskrit better than him”. Is this why you emphatically stressed no book changes,as you could foresee these attacks from the fox like Kali?
Rameswara Prabhu , has witnessed first hand your reactions over some changes the press was planning for your books. He was coming of course to get your approval as you always personally directed every details of your books publications. He saw how very angry you were when presented with so called book changes for the seemingly better, and that was the most frightening experience Rameswara ever had to see you this angry ,he felt very similar to what Hiranyakasipu felt when he saw Lord Nrisimhadeva. Hiranyakasipu was actually so scared that he fought the Lord with his eyes closed. You repeatedly told Rameswara that you do not want your books changed. You also told Hayagriva your editor in 1972 that you had approved all the verses in the Bhagavad Gita and that there was no need to change any of them, that once approved they are eternal. Rameswara carefully noted down all the details of these super heavy lessons and in 1979 he gave a long interview for the Lilamrta describing everything that happened . He had never seen anyone so angry, There were also many others who were involved with the press like Radhaballava das , Bali Mardana, your BBT artists and various editors who received your clear instructions about not changing your books except for the few absolutely needed corrections. When we finished the Chaitanya Caritamrta marathon in 75, Rameswara told you afterwards that in the subsequent printing the finished paintings would replace the unfinished ones. You said no, no book changes, but Prabhupada he said we are just putting the finished paintings in , they are the same paintings .but three times you forbade him to do so, because you wanted to stress and emphasize that no matter how good the reasons seems to be, you did not want your books changed, once approved they are eternal.
But now we see that so many changes have been made, your very clear instructions on this matter have been forgotten in the archives for more than 30 years and as they are now seeing the light of the day we are faced with the difficult task of undoing this blunder, difficult because Kali has brainwashed us and anyone who criticizes these changes is shown the door . Kali ‘s might is right and devotees are scared to talk about this ,because they don’t want to be kicked out of ISKCON. So what to do? We want to correct these transgressions from your orders so that we may qualify to be the recipients of your full mercy .
This is why we pray at your lotus feet to please give us the intelligence to understand how you are too monumentally big for anyone to correct your books . What you wrote was already approved by you, and you did not want it changed in any ways. Please give ISKCON at large the spiritual intelligence to understand this principle of arsa- prayoga. I do not see how we can get your mercy while keeping you in an angry mood over the changing of your books, this is the most serious offense to think that we can touch your writings. Please consider our ignorance and we beg you to please enlighten those who do not see the evil in these activities. Your books are worshipable deities being non different than Bhagavan Sri Krishna and we know them to contain all of your devotional ecstasies. In the first Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam , Chapter five, the verse of text eleven says: On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes , etc. , of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest. The original English version of your books are the seed mantra to all worldwide translations of your books, the ultimate reference in authenticity, that anyone could refer to. What will scholars think when they find out your books were tampered with, they will refuse to study the bogus ones.
No outside influence can stop your ISKCON, but to allow from within that your books may be modified is non different than killing you. You said that you live eternally in your books, but if they are modified then they are no longer your books, Kali has found a way of silencing you by playing the changing game to suit its evil purposes while still presently hiding behind your good name.Do we need to form a Ksatriya force to keep this Kali at bay? Please Srila Prabhupada give us the intelligence to see clearly, guide us on the right path, and inspire your BBT to print all your original versions once again. But I see hope in the horizon , happy days are returning because of your Jayapataka Swami who is getting his visa extended for his visit on this earth, all by the mercy of Lord Nrisimhadeva and by the mercy of his disciples, so that he may finish your big plans for Mayapur. Rameswara your great book distribution general is coming back to hopefully retire in Mayapur. Please illuminate their hearts with your full splendor and please kick Kali far away. Allow us to remain very close to you Srila Prabhupada , let your instruction of no book changes be known in ISKCON at large. Let the truth of your instructions shine. Let us all work united under you, under your unchangeable immortal instructions.
Jaya Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Jaya Supremely powerful Lord Nrisimhadeva, Jaya O most merciful Sri Sri Panca tattva, Jaya o most magnanimous Srila Prabhupada!
I had a few exchanges with Kripamoya Prabhu (ACBSP & GBC) on Facebook. The exchange speaks for itself. I did not leave anything out.
Here we go:
Kripamoya Prabhu did not respond.
Later, in another exchange, Kripamoya Prabhu stated that he could not accept a devotee’s criticism of ISKCON, because the devotee posted anonymously. I responded by referring to the above exchange where I posted non-anonymously, but where he, Kripamoya Prabhu, still did not respond.
To some of the above comments Kripamoya Prabhu also responded:
A devotee, Purusha Dasa, is mocking those who are against the book changes. Check the picture:
My answer:
Purusha Dasa is presenting a false analogy. Let me explain:
Translations into foreign languages presents no problem for those against changes to Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Why?
Because such translations do not present themselves as the original words of Srila Prabhupada. Instead they present themselves as foreign translations of Srila Prabhupada’s words, and everyone knows that such translations come with some problems. But you can always check the foreign translations against the original English editions.
On the other hand, the unauthorized, changed books from BBT International present themselves as Srila Prabhupada’s original words, even though they are not. And BBT International wants to eliminate the original editions so that any comparison between the originals and the changed editions is impossible.
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.
ISKCON’s Changes to Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers (by Madhudvisa Dasa).
Perhaps the first book on the book changes. So old it was made with a typewriter. Definitely of both present day and historical value. It contains a lot of good evidence against the changes, good arguments and historical documentation (like mails).
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