As I was scrubbing my oven tray with the stainless scourer and the water jet of the public showers at Byron Bay foreshore, a mid-aged lady approached at took advantage of the opportunity to clean her feet from the accumulated sands with the same jet of water, thus creating some sort of familiarity. It was about seven AM.

I greeted her: ”Good morning mam. How are you today?”

“We have just printed the cheapest edition of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is so that everyone can own a personal copy. They are only five dollars.”

“What’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is? I don’t read books at all!”

“That’s all right. Please don’t read books. If you only read this particular books, that’s all right.”

“I got to go to my yoga class now.”

“Oh, you are doing yoga as well? You must definitely get a copy of Bhagavad Gita As It Is. This is the most comprehensive presentation about all types of yoga”

“All right, let me have a copy.”

We completed the transaction within another minute or so.

I have grown neutral as to which of the two version of Bhagavad Gita As It Is I am distributing. It is perhaps a progressive step as Bhagavad-gita As It Is 6.9 states:

“A person is considered still further advanced when he regards honest well-wishers, affectionate benefactors, the neutral, mediators, the envious, friends and enemies, the pious and the sinners all with an equal mind.”

Version 1 or version 2, both have their good points. And I am looking forward to the introduction of version 3 of Bhagavad Gita As It Is, which hopefully will be the closest to what Srila Prabhupada wanted. But I must say that this Krishna Books Inc. pocket edition is an excellent presentation. It has all the marks of a best seller and the price is very democratic. Besides that I would take this opportunity to offer my humble congratulations to Krishna Books Inc. for finally correcting verse 44 of chapter 18, which now rightly reads: ”Farming, cow protection and business are the qualities of work for the vaisyas, and for the sudras there are labor and services to others.”

All glories to Sri Krishna’s and Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is!!!

Srimad-Bhaagavatam (1.5.11):

tad-vaag-visargo janataagha-viplavo
yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api
naamaany anantasya yasho ‘nkitaani yac
chrinvanti gaayanti grinanti saadhavah

“On the other hand, that literature which is full with descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, form and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a transcendental creation meant to bring about a revolution in the impious life of a misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though irregularly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”