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“Rascal editors”: Mistaking the mistake

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"Rascal editors!" Srila Prabhupada said. He had come upon an editorial mistake in a verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and so he strongly denounced "rascal editors" who make unauthorized editorial changes. This incident, which took place in Vrindavan on June 22, 1977, has been known to Hare Krishna devotees for more than thirty years. And for more than thirty years, most devotees have been wrong about what mistake he had found. This makes no difference to Srila Prabhupada's point. Rascal editors are rascal editors. Still, we might as well get straight what the editorial error was. The … [Read more...] about “Rascal editors”: Mistaking the mistake

An impossible sequence (my mistake)

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In a recent exchange of letters online, I wrote that as a result of the well-known "Rascal Editors" conversation, Radhavallabha Dasa, the BBT production manager, sent a sample of my second-canto editing to Srila Prabhupada, who replied, on September 7, 1976, "Concerning the editing of Jayadvaita Prabhu, whatever he does is approved by me. I have confidence in him." My godbrother Yasodanandana Prabhu has pointed out that the sequence here makes no sense, since the "Rascal Editors" conversation took place almost a year later, on June 22, 1977. He is entirely right. Obviously, there's no … [Read more...] about An impossible sequence (my mistake)

Book changes: History backs the BBT

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I've sent this letter to news sites where the letter it replies to was published. I have a very soft spot in my heart for my senior godsister Govinda Dasi. In 1968, right after I was initiated, she was serving as Srila Prabhupada's cook, and for a couple of weeks in Boston I got to assist her. I will always fondly remember those days of being with her and Gaurasundara in serving Srila Prabhupada. She was (and is) such a nice example of a devoted disciple! But as for Govinda Dasi the historian, well. . . A letter from her to Yashoda Dulal Prabhu, lately being circulated on the internet, … [Read more...] about Book changes: History backs the BBT

“The senses meant for work”? Check out the “Gita changes” for Chapter 5.

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BBT press release "Activities such as hearing, seeing, speaking, evacuating, etc., are actions of the senses meant for work." Really? Wait a second--aren't hearing and seeing what we do with our knowledge-gathering senses, not our working ones? But the quotation comes right from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, from the purport to 5.9. So how could it be wrong? It's wrong because it's the first edition and a typist left something out. See for yourself in the annotated scans for chapter five, now online at www.BBTedit.com/changes. You'll see all the revisions done for the purports, along … [Read more...] about “The senses meant for work”? Check out the “Gita changes” for Chapter 5.

“Gita changes” for Chapter 4 now online

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BBT press release “The changes” for chapter four of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is are now online at www.BBTedit.com/changes. You'll see: Several purports where missing text has been restored. In the purport to Text 6, restored to the book are more than forty words left out when a typist skipped from one instance of “causeless mercy” to the next. Spelling errors corrected, both for Sanskrit (texts 5, 11, and 12) and for English (text 10). In the word meanings for text 31, a word meaning left out by Srila Prabhupada and replaced by the editor with a meaning that was totally wrong. Fixed … [Read more...] about “Gita changes” for Chapter 4 now online

Thank you to my assistants

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For a bit more than the past year and a half, I have had the benefit of having Bhakta Brijesh serving as my personal assistant. He rendered a host of services--in particular, expertly managing the practical details of my life. Now he has returned home to London, where he'll be connected with Bhaktivedanta Manor. (At the moment, he's busy helping with the setup for this year's annual Krishna conscious program in Glastonbury.) I thank him for his devoted personal assistance and wish him all the best in his Krishna conscious life. We plan to stay in touch. My thanks are also due to Jayakesava … [Read more...] about Thank you to my assistants

“Gita changes” for Chapter 3 now online

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BBT Press release The "changes" for chapter three of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is are now online at www.BBTedit.com/changes. Perhaps the most notable feature of this chapter is that the revisions to the purports are so few. As in the rest of the book, when revisions are warranted they are made, and otherwise the text is left unchanged. In this chapter fewer revisions are needed, so fewer are made. Still, there are several revisions worth seeing. You'll see: Four places where a typist has skipped from one occurrence of a word to the next--for example, from "teach" to "teach"--leaving … [Read more...] about “Gita changes” for Chapter 3 now online

“Gita changes” for Chapter 2 now online

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BBT press release The "changes" for chapter two of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is are now online at www.BBTedit.com/changes. See the meaning Srila Prabhupada actually intended where the first edition said: working with the fruitive being situated in the fixed conception of the real self (text 1, purport) Neither Vedic knowledge nor modern science denies the existence of the spirit soul (text 17, purport) People will call you a coward even before your flight (text 34, purport) Restrictions are good only if one actually has a taste for Krsna consciousness (text 59, … [Read more...] about “Gita changes” for Chapter 2 now online