For perhaps the last ten or twenty years (subject to exact verification in our long-standing correspondence), I have suggested to HH Jayadvaita Swami that the pronoun “who”, when referring to the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be with capital letter as in “Who”. He has steadily resisted such suggestion, claiming that Srila Prabhupada demanded the “down style”, or as little capital letters as possible. It was a frustration and a disappointment for me, as common grammatical sense dictates “Who” with a capital letter, when it refers the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna.

Now in early April 2018, I discover that Srila Prabhupada Himself in the Original Transcript (OT) actually writes “Who” with capital, when the pronoun refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For example, we find three instances of this in BGAII OT 4.23, purport; BGAII OT 5.13, purport and BGAII OT 5.17 purport as well. I am 100 per cent certain that HH Jayadvaita Swami is aware of this state of affairs. He could not have missed it.

Now out of respect for my God–brother, I shall refrain from speaking unkind words and scorn his character and mentality in this respect. I shall leave it to my reader’s imagination and judgment.

I may however say the following. There is Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.11 as follows:

“tad-vaag-visargo janataagha-viplavo

yasmin prati-shlokam abaddhavaty api

naamaany anantasya yasho ‘nkitaani yat

shrinvanti gaayanti grinanti saadhavah

TRANSLATION

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.”

I am sorry to say this, but IMHO Maharaja simply does not seem to belong to this category of “purified men who are thoroughly honest.” The Sanskrit antecedent for “purified men who are thoroughly honest” is “saadhavah, simply put: a “sadhu” or “holy man” in the most honourable sense of the term. And if my analysis is correct, it will instantly, fully and finally disqualify him from further editing of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Please move out of the way Maharaja and please cease with your nasty attempts and habits to confuse, bewilder and mislead us in all things concerning Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON and especially in matters regarding His presentation of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is!!! Please go and distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books instead! We do not see your name in the World Sankirtan Newsletter. It will be so nice to see your name in the lists of the World Sankirtan Newsletter…. please!

As a result of such madness–or should I perhaps use the speculated expression “affective hallucinations” as is wrongly current in BGAII V1 & V2, 4.10, purport– we have perplexing, contradictory and incoherent Bhagavad-gita As It Is passages such as

1) “Now, Lord Krishna was not an ordinary man but the Supreme Godhead Himself, who had descended to earth and was playing the role of a prince in a contemporary dynasty. (BGAII V2 only. Setting the scene.)

2) “The theory of reflection can be applied to the Supersoul, who is present in each and every individual body and is known as the Paramaatmaa. BGAII V1 & V2, 2.13, purport.

3) “”I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Krishna], who is the original person—absolute, infallible, without beginning. Although expanded into unlimited forms, He is still the same original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth. Such eternal, blissful, all-knowing forms of the Lord are usually not understood by even the best Vedic scholars, but they are always manifest to pure, unalloyed devotees.” BGAII V1 & V2, 4.5, purport.

4) “Paratattva means the Supreme Reality, who is understood by the knowers of the Supreme as Brahman, Paramaatmaa and Bhagavaan.” BGAII V1 5.17

“Para-tattva means the Supreme Reality, who is understood by the knowers of the Supreme as Brahman, Paramaatmaa and Bhagavaan.” BGAII V 2 5.17

“Paratattva means the Supreme Reality, Who is understood by the knowers of the Supreme as Brahman, Paramaatmaa and Bhagavaan.” BGAII OT 5.17

To illustrate my point, these are four examples only but the list goes on. It also means that the same disease of envy and ignorance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transmitted to whomever reads current versions one and two of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. What a betrayal of Srila Prabhupada and what a disservice to humanity this anomaly represents!

There is no need of a great amount of intelligence in order to understand my point. It is common sense really! To positively refuse to apply a capital letter to pronouns or possessives relating to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a sign of an offensive mentality. To positively decline to offer proper respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in all circumstances, a sign of an envious mentality toward Him. No one likes envious people. They are a mischievous disturbance. Neither does Krishna like envious people, as He demonstrated with the washerman on the occasion of His entry to Mathura 5000 years ago. But being kind to all living entities, He equally extended His mercy to the washerman as well.

“The word bhajate is significant here. Bhajate has its root in the verb bhaj, which is used when there is need of service. The English word “worship” cannot be used in the same sense as bhaj. Worship means to adore, or to show respect and honor to the worthy one. But service with love and faith is especially meant for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can avoid worshiping a respectable man or a demigod and may be called discourteous, but one cannot avoid serving the Supreme Lord without being thoroughly condemned.” Bhagavad-gita As It Is 6.47, purport.

A pure devotee does not envy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On the contrary, a pure devotee loves the Supreme Personality of Godhead with all his heart and soul as described in Chapter 90 of Krishna Book titled “Summary description of Lord Krishna’s pastimes”:

“In this way, Lord Krishna used to enjoy the company of His sixteen thousand wives. Some devotees of the Lord who want to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the mellow of conjugal love are elevated to the position of becoming wives of Krishna, and Krishna keeps them always attached to Him by His kind behavior. Krishna’s behavior with His wives—His movements, His talking with them, His smiling, His embracing and similar other activities, which are just like those of a loving husband—kept them always very much attached to Him. That is the highest perfection of life. If someone remains always attached to Krishna, it is to be understood that he is liberated, and his life is successful. With any devotee who loves Krishna with his heart and soul, Krishna reciprocates in such a way that the devotee cannot but remain attached to Him. The reciprocal dealings of Krishna and His devotees are so attractive that a devotee cannot think of any subject matter other than Krishna.” © BBT International for all quotes. Thank you for reading me.

The ever blissful, Easter week-end Sacred Sound Festival 2018 at ISKCON New Govardhan, NSW, Australia. March 30th to April 2nd 2018.

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami and Sri Prahlada Prabhu.

His Grace Badha Hari Prabhu and His Grace Janardana of Brisbane.

HG Caturatma Prabhu can also be seen in the second row.

An enthusiastic participant 🙂

To comply with The Sampradaya Sun’s editorial policy, let me first of all try to answer Sriman Ajita Krishna Das’ article of March 21^st 2018 called “’Man’ not sexist.” We thank the respected Prabhu for his valuable contribution.

Yes, it is a fact that the word “man” is used 40985 times in the Bhaktivedanta Vedabase. There certainly is nothing wrong with the term itself. Who will argue with that?Additionally “Men” is used 21837 times, “woman” is used 6992 times and “women” is used 7546 times.

1) But to unnecessarily change Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Achrya’s, written words represents an insult to Srila Prabhupada. As per Lord Caitanya’s words to Vallabha Acarya, it represents the work of a prostitute. “I know better that Srila Prabhupada” is clearly the trail of thought of a prostitute. “Husband” is another meaning of “Swami”. So once we have made our choice and commitments to Him directly or through His representatives and we are not faithful by pretending to jump over Jagat Guru A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s head, then we become prostitute.

“Gaandhaarii was a powerful ascetic, although she was living the life of a faithful wife and a kind mother. It is said that Gaandhaarii also voluntarily blindfolded her eyes because of the blindness of her husband. A wife’s duty is to follow the husband cent per cent. And Gaandhaarii was so true to her husband that she followed him even in his perpetual blindness. Therefore in her actions she was a great ascetic. Besides that, the shock she suffered because of the wholesale killing of her one hundred sons and her grandsons also was certainly too much for a woman. But she suffered all this just like an ascetic. Gaandhaarii, although a woman, is no less than Bhiishmadeva in character. They are both remarkable personalities in the Mahaabhaarata.” SB 1.9.48 Purport.

2) Because Srila Prabhupada’s message is meant for the whole world, it represents an insult to the whole world as well. Wittingly or unwittingly, clearly the attempt here is to falsify. Please note: The word “falsify” has got a twofold meaning:

A) The most common: to make false especially for the purpose of fraud or deception. This is the meaning I am referring too. This is a criminal activity.

B) To disprove. This is the meaning Sriman Ajita Krishna Prabhu of Denmark is using in his article.                                                                                                                                                                 This defining information is sourced from The International WEBSTER New Encyclopaedic DICTIONARY of the English Language and LIBRARY OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. New York.

3) And in this particular case, where Srila Prabhupada in His divine wisdom clearly chooses to express things in a gender-neutral terminology, to change it whimsically into a male-sided terminology represents an insult to the women group as well. And that is called misogynism or sexism.

Additionally, please find two Srila Prabhupada quotes on interpretation:

“Why they should interpret? Interpretation is required when there is no understanding. If the matter is clearly understood, why interpretation? This is rascaldom.” 740411MW.MUM

“When things are understood directly, there is no question of interpretation. The law of interpretation is like this: when the things are not distinct, then you can interpret in your own way, I can interpret in my own way. But when the things are distinct, there is no question of interpretation.” 760810ED.Teh

Srila Prabhupada sets the standards. Srila Prabhupada IS our standard of life. This, of course, presupposes that Srila Prabhupada is properly presented as He is and properly understood as well. Then our simple business is to follow him and not to change His divine words according to our personal motivations.

The principal items of Srila Prabhupada followership are

1) To chant a minimum of 16 rounds of Japa daily, or in other words, chant the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra at least 1728 times every day. 16 times 108 equals 1728.

2) To strictly follow the four regulative principles.

3) TO DAILY ATTEND MANGAL ARATIK at ISKCON temples or any other convenient location. The idea is to rise from bed by latest 4 AM. “Krsna…. It is all described in our Krsna book, Sriimad-Bhaagavatam. He was lying with His beautiful queens, and as soon as there is cockcrow, immediately He would rise, early in the morning, three o’clock. The queens will be disgusted: “Now it is early in the morning. Krsna will go away.” But Krsna immediately gave up the company of the wife and immediately rise and immediately take bath and do the needful, as it is enjoined in the Vedic performance.” 721027 SB.Vrn

4) And finally to make some significant practical service contribution to Lord Caitanya Sankirtan Preacher’s Movement.

One may finally counter-argue that this is just one example. No, incorrect again, there are just too many of such examples and the aggregate effect is quite extensively distorting.

And please find more of the same:

Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Original Transcript (OT) by Srila Prabhupada, chapter 4, text 10, extract of purport, with some minimal and unavoidable changes reads:

“Some of them are too much materially attached and thus do not give any attention to spiritual life; some of them want to merge into the supreme spiritual cause and some of them, out of hopelessness, disbelieve in everything being angry at all sorts of spiritual speculation. The last class of men take to the shelter of some kind of intoxication and the EFFECTIVE HALLUCINATION is accepted as spiritual existence.”

Bhagavad-gita As It Is version one (V1) and version two (2) are identical and read:

“Some people are too materially attached and therefore do not give attention to spiritual life, some of them want to merge into the supreme spiritual cause, and some of them disbelieve in everything, being angry at all sorts of spiritual speculation out of hopelessness. This last class of men take to the shelter of some kind of intoxication, and their AFFECTIVE HALLUCINATIONS are sometimes accepted as spiritual vision.”

We note that unscrupulous editors have unauthorizedly and nonchalantly changed Srila Prabhupada’s original expression “EFFECTIVE HALLUCINATION” into “AFFECTIVE HALLUCINATIONS“. There is a world of difference between the two expressions.

The particular editor who made this change can definitely not be trusted. And subsequent editors did not pick up and correct this anomaly. They agreed with this unauthorized and speculated change. This action disqualifies them as well to finally edit Srila Prabhupada’s books. We acknowledge herewith and thank them however for whatever positive and valuable contributions they have made to the presentation of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavat Gita As It Is. Their contribution is not insignificant at all!

The extent and implications of this type of changes are very important and with far reaching consequences. By introducing the expression “AFFECTIVE HALLUCINATIONS” instead of the original “EFFECTIVE HALLUCINATION”, the responsible editor opens the whole new world of personal emotions, which belongs to realm of psychology and psychiatry and thereby gives the followers of Bhagavad-gita As It Is an illegitimate pass to these worlds, whereas Srila Prabhupada’s statement is simply a statement of cause and effect and does not at all impinge on the realm of psychology or psychiatry. (Or at least not in the all- encompassing way the unauthorised modified versions 1 & 2 of BGAII do.) Now the readers of Bhagavad-gita As It Is version 1 and version 2 may use the tools of psychology and psychiatry benevolently or malevolently, as they like, because “it is in the Bhagavad-gita”. Departing from the Original Manuscript (OT), the unspoken message of BGAII V1 & V2 is now: If you do not understand what we are talking about or do not agree with us, we would advise you to seriously consider undergoing a comprehensive mental health check. Therefore I am saying this type of change is poisonous and must therefore be corrected.

It may not be exclusively meant to help people on the path of self-realization, but may also be used in a negative and destructive way in an attempt to control and poison people’s minds.

It is dishonest. It represents Guru-aparada, offense to Guru. It is sly and poisonous.

In Srila Prabhupada’s own words: It is a lie. Dictionary gives “an intentional false statement” for “lie”.

From the legal point of view, it is a betrayal of fiduciary duties in the realm of intellectual property, because there is after all an unwritten contract between the author and his editors. We feel a serious and inexcusable crime has been committed. The mundane law being relative, the mundane perspective may change from country to country. Manu Samhita, Bhagavad-gita As It Is and other Vedic scriptures however are ONE and are meant for the whole planet earth. We herewith invite professional persons interested in the matter to comment on this point. We thank you very much in anticipation for your valuable participation.

I personally think that it will be fair to say that Srila Prabhupada will ascribe such unauthorized and poisonous changes to the realm of “rascaldom”, one of His favorite and strong expressions of condemnation.

When members don’t agree with the main party lines of an organization, it is sometimes experienced that there are at least two political tactics to discredit them: Character assassination and mental health assassination. Here the door has been nonchalantly opened for the second option.

This happens in organizations with low ethical standards and I have personal experience of this. It has happened in the distant past. I have seen it happening. And just very recently (March 2017) I have become an attempted victim of it as well. Caution, experience and information are required when dealing with such individuals.

It is just like the psychiatric class who invents and labels a new marketable disease for even the slightest mental disturbance, whereas Kali-yuga is the age of mental disturbance par excellence. Neither is every mental disturbance a disease. Besides that, for the serious practitioner of Bhakti yoga and chanter of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra as in

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA

KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA

RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

most so-called mental disturbances, can be easily and effectively countered by the steady chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra, without the administration of allopathic drugs.

As an understatement, I may say that Srila Prabhupada did not have a high opinion of such mental health practitioners and countered them with His own short treatise “Who is crazy?”

Finally and for my thoughtful reader’s consideration, I would like to add this passage of Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam 3.19.33, purport, to my present article. Thank you very much!

“If anyone wants to derive transcendental pleasure by hearing the pastimes of the Lord, he must hear from the authoritative source, as explained here. Maitreya heard the narration from his bona fide spiritual master, and Vidura also heard from Maitreya. One becomes an authority simply by presenting whatever he has heard from his spiritual master, and one who does not accept a bona fide spiritual master cannot be an authority. This is clearly explained here. If one wants to have transcendental pleasure, he must find a person with authority. It is also stated in the Bhaagavatam that simply by hearing from an authoritative source, with the ear and the heart, one can relish the pastimes of the Lord, otherwise it is not possible. Sanaatana Gosvaamii, therefore, has especially warned that one should not hear anything about the personality of the Lord from the lips of a non-devotee. Non-devotees are considered to be like serpents; as milk is poisoned by a serpent’s touch, so, although the narration of the pastimes of the Lord is as pure as milk, when administered by serpent like non-devotees it becomes poisonous. Not only does it have no effect in transcendental pleasure, but it is dangerous also. Lord Caitanya Mahaaprabhu has warned that no description of the pastimes of the Lord should be heard from the Maayaavaada, or impersonalist, school. He has clearly said, maayaavaadi-bhaashya shunile haya sarva naasha: if anyone hears the Maayaavaadiis’ interpretation of the pastimes of the Lord, or their interpretation of Bhagavad-giitaa, Shriimad-Bhaagavatam or any other Vedic literature, then he is doomed. Once one is associated with impersonalists, he can never understand the personal feature of the Lord and His transcendental pastimes.”(c)BBT International.

Yadavendra Das (acbsp)

April 1^st, 2018, ISKCON New Govardhana, NSW, Australia, at the ever-blissful Sacred Sound Festival 2018 and looking forward to the Sacred Sound Festival 2019.

http://www.krishnaculture.org

Let me take this opportunity to proclaim to the world that especially Sri Prahlada’s last kirtan performance of this Sunday April 1^st 2018, was truly a masterpiece and convincing performance, in the widest sense of these musical terms. With his wonderful, solid and full voice, he truly deserves the title “Prabhu” or “Master”, as is the etiquette in Krishna consciousness. Sri Prahlada Prabhu, please accept my humble obeisances! He kindly played this tune at my own request. This is a tune from his own repertoire, that struck me when I heard it first some years ago. At first I had a little difficulty to follow. As opposed to the pioneering times, there are indeed nowadays many fancy tunes. What amazes me more is that the general body of devotees don’t seem to have any trouble following fancy tunes. They get it right first time. This begs the conclusion: the general body of devotees are good musicians. All glories to Lord Caitanya’s worldwide Sankirtan Movement!!!

BGAII OT 4.40 reads:

Fools, faithless and doubtful persons in revealed scriptures fall down from the knowledge of Krsna consciousness and for them there is no good in this world nor in the next neither there is any happiness for them.

BGAII V1 4.40 reads:

But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.

BGAII V2 4.40 reads:

“But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.”

BGAII proposed V3 reads:

Fools, faithless persons and persons who doubt the revealed scriptures fall down from the knowledge of Krishna consciousness. For them there is neither good nor happiness in this world or in the next.

BGAII 4.40 V1 & V2 differ from each other but both present the same defect.

“KRISHNA” is missing,

whereas in BGAII OT Srila Prabhupada uses the expression “the knowledge of Krishna consciousness.”

The same would have to apply to BGAII 5.12 where OT reads:

“The unflinching Krsna conscious person attains unadulterated peace because he gives up the results of all activities to Krsna, while a person who is not in Krsna consciousness, being greedy for the result of his work becomes entangled in that.”

whereas both versions 1 & 2 read:

“The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the result of all activities to Me; whereas a person who is not in union with the Divine, who is greedy for the fruits of his labor, becomes entangled.”

While “Krishna” is mentioned three times in OT, “Krishna” is conspicuous by His absence in version 1 & 2!!!

This is unacceptable!

We know that Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja used to judge the quality of a lecture by the number of times the word “KRISHNA” was vibrated.

And above all we know the story of the incorporation of ISKCON in New York in 1966. When it was suggested to Srila Prabhupada that he name his society the International Society for GOD consciousness. Srila Prabhupada emphatically declined. “Krishna consciousness” it was to be.

“We shall call our society ISKCON.” Prabhupäda had laughed playfully when he first coined the acronym.

He had initiated the legal work of incorporation that spring, while still living on the Bowery. But even before its legal beginning, he had been talking about his “International Society for Krishna Consciousness,” and so it had appeared in letters to India and in The Village Voice. A friend had suggested a title that would sound more familiar to Westerners, “International Society for God Consciousness,” but Prabhupäda had insisted: “Krishna Consciousness.” “God” was a vague term, whereas “Krishna” was exact and scientific; “God consciousness” was spiritually weaker, less personal. And if Westerners didn’t know that Krishna was God, then the International Society for Krishna Consciousness would tell them, by spreading His glories in every town and village

Krishna consciousness” was Prabhupaada’s own rendering of a phrase from Srila Ruupa Gosvaami’s Padyaavali, written in the sixteenth century. Krishna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita: to be absorbed in the mellow taste of executing devotional service to Krishna.”

Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita by Satsvarupa Das Goswami. Volume two. Chapter “Breaking Ground.”

We estimate that BGAII 4.40 proposed V3 has good chance to be approved by Srila Prabhupada Himself and His representative authority the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON. We expect the other 699 verses of BGAII to undergo the same procedure. As the Chinese proverb goes:” The longest journeys start with one small step.”

Hare Krishna.

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.”

Sunday, March 11 2018, about 9 AM, day light saving. On Krishna Book Distribution Sankirtan Mission in the Byron Bay area, NSW, Australia.

Byron Bay is the most easterly land-point of Australia and perhaps also the most alternative town in Australia. There are three Krishna related restaurants in Byron Bay. By  decreasing order of years of service we have

One. The longest established is The CARDAMON POD BYRON BAY, 7 Lawson st              Ph: 0412491521

Two. HEART OF BYRON. TASTE OF LOVE. Currently for sale. 4 / 14 Middleton st.

Three. The latest creation is CURLY KALE in the Byron Arts and Industrial Estate,                12 / 74 Centennial Circuit.   0415912 310  &. 0423034584. Funny thing is that the owner is an old acquaintance, whom I haven’t met for perhaps twenty years. What is more is that his initiation name into the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya is Yadavendra Das. We wish him all success.

I decided to empty my bowels before accepting breakfast prasadam and was walking towards the brand new Exeloo toilets on the Byron Bay foreshore, in front on Beach Hotel Byron Bay. These toilets have welcoming message, back ground music, push button automatic doors, laser beam controlled water taps, ten minutes performance deadline indeed and many other such “modern” features. On the way, I loudly vibrated “Hare Krishna” to whom seemed to be an Indian gentleman. He replied “Radhe, Jai Radhe!” with a slight inclination of the upper part of the body. Just see how famous the divine couple Sri Sri Radha-Krishna is!

When I got closer to the toilets, there was an Indian lady, taking pictures of the toilets. I assume this lady was the  wife of the gentleman I just greeted. I said smilingly and a little sarcastically: “Nice toilets huh!” She smiled and shook her head approvingly.

This is material, so-called modern advancement, an illusion of advancement of a time-stealing civilisation. The toilet business i.e. discharging stool and urine remains the same for the last millions of years but the execution may change according to time, place and circumstances. We should not confuse technology-enhanced goods and services with advancement of civilisation. Real advancement of civilisation is advancement on the path of self-realization. Real advancement is to make sure that at least we shall not have to accept an animal form of life in our next life. Real advancement is at least to make sure we shall get a better existential position in the next life to execute self-realization again. “Now all your so-called rascal nationalism go to hell. You become a dog. Finish.” That is nature’s course. You have treated your life like cats and dogs. You did not take advantage of your human life. Now nature will give you, “All right, again you become cats and dogs.” Punar muusiko bhava. They do not know. They do not know the secret science of nature. You may be a very great leader, prime minister, now. Next life you are going to be a dog in Scandinavia. [laughter] You see?” 740314SB.Vrn (c) Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Here is Srila Prabhupada’s own presentation on the dichotomy modern and ancient. This is a lecture on Bhagavad-Gita As It Is 4.15:

“ Now, in this verse three times, four times, the word has been used, puurvataram, puurvatamaih. Kuru karmaiva tasmaat tvam puurvaih puurvataram kritam. Puurva, puurvataram, puurvatama: comparative, superlative and positive. So this is the process that we have to follow the previous acaryas. That is Vedic system. In the very beginning of this chapter Krishna said, evam paramparaa-praaptam imam raajarshayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. We haven’t got to make any research, modern understanding. There is no question of modern understanding. We are all following the old, ancient understanding. Now, even from ordinary platform, the eating, sleeping, mating and defending, is that modern? It is not modern. Formerly also, all living entities were eating, they were sleeping, they were having sex intercourse and they were defending. The main business is… Nothing is modernized. You can say modernized, but the principle is the same, old system. Nobody can change. The people are dying also, janma-mmrityu-jaraa-vyaadhi [Bg. 13.9]. That is also the old system. Everyone is taking birth, everyone is growing, everyone is falling diseased and everyone is dying. Can the modern system stop this? The modern system can say, “Now you do not require to eat, you do not require to sleep,” or “You do not require to have sex,” or “You do not require to defend”? No. The same system. “The old wine in a new bottle.” Similarly, janma-mrityu-jaraa-vyaadhi, five thousand years before, Krishna said… This is real problem: janma-mrityu-jaraa-vyaadhi-duhkha-doshaanudarshanam. The same problem is still going on.

So it is useless to say that modern time, modern ways, modern things. There is nothing modern. The old thing is going on. So if we follow systematically the previous acaryas, previous system, as Krishna is advising… Krishna does not advise, “Modern.” Five thousand years ago He instructed Bhagavad-gitaa. Still, He was saying puurva puurvataraih, puurvatamaih. Evam parampara-praaptam imam raajarshayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. This is intelligence. We have to accept the real truth and follow it. It does not mean modern age or previous age, past age. That is not Vedic system. The old system is going on, everything. The sun is also the old. The sun is rising as it was doing in olden times. The moon is also rising. The years and season are changing. Everything is going on. Why we should not accept the system of Vedic knowledge, the oldest of all in the world? There is no history. That is intelligence.” 740404BG.Mum (c) Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Byron Bay foreshore also offers a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, along with the rest of the curved coast line, including Mt Warning, where Sri Sri Radha Govardhanadhari, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Krishna Balaram reside. The Krishna conscious person will remember Sri Krishna’ s word in the Bhagavad Gita As Is It 10.24: “sarasaam asmi saagarah” or in English language “of bodies of water I am the ocean.” Sri Krishna repeats and confirms the same in Srimad Bhagavatam 11.16.20 in His conversation with Uddhava.

The easiest, specifically times-designed and most authorized way of self-realization in this age, is the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra as much as possible as in

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA

KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA

RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

The expert sages of India, the spiritual center of this planet earth, have designed it for the people of this age. Just like government men design plans for assisting the people in general, similarly experts in self-realization design mantras and other practices to make self-realization possible for the mass of people.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is one of these experts, also called “Acaryas.” He explains the science of self-realization here www.prabhupadavani.org. For the spiritually inquisitive, it will be extremely rewarding to listen to His classes at http://www.prabhupadavani.org. One can hear the class. The class has also been transcribed, so that one can follow His words on the computer screen. The combination of these two sensory function i.e. hearing and reading the same message is didactically speaking, very effective and powerful. It also helps if one has a little difficulty to understand His English tinged by a Bengali accent. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

To follow the regulative principle of yogic life i.e.

No illicit sex

No meat no fish and no egg-eating

No gambling

No intoxication.

will greatly facilitate the process.

If we follow these six rules, we surely will promote ourselves to a much better condition of life, if not the best condition i.e. going back home back to Godhead.

This represents real advancement of life. To reclaim our lost position of eternity, knowledge and bliss represents real advancement of life. Hare Krishna!

HERE IS SRILA PRABHUPADA’S OWN ANSWER AS TO THE POSITION OF THE MISREPRESENTING EDITOR:

“He is a liar!”

“The spiritual master is the representative of Krishna. How he becomes representative? What is the test? The test is… Just like anyone can understand, representative. Suppose a business firm’s representative is going to canvass for business, what is his business? He will take the interest of the firm, not his personal interest. He will try to secure business for the firm he’s working, not for his personal… That is perfect representative. And if he goes, in the name of the firm’s representative, and he does his own business, then he’s a liar.
Similarly, Krishna’s representative means one who speaks about Krishna as Krishna speaks. And if he adulterates, he’s a liar; he’s not representative. He’s not representative. Krishna says, man-manaa bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaajii maam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], and if the representative says, “Just become a devotee of Krishna. Just worship Krishna. Just offer your obeisances to Krishna,” he is representative.”721213BG.Ahm

That means Bhagavad Gita so called “As It Is” Version 2 (V2), “Second Edition Revised and Enlarged” is a lie.

And if ISKCON follows and is built on Bhagavad Gita so-called “As It Is” Version 2 (V2), “Second Edition Revised and Enlarged”, it is a lie as well. In that case, ISKCON is a hugely misled and misguided institution, ISKCON is under the nefarious influence of the mystic power production of a great liar. Iskcon please beware: The world is not a fool and will fight back!

Totally fasting till full-moon rise, as per the scripture’s injunction, I entered the jewelry shop and in the left hand back-corner, behind a counter, there was a lady dressed in immaculate white garments. There certainly were plenty of glittering lights and pieces of jewelry to be seen! I greeted her and offered “With Love” by Her Grace Rajeswari Devi Dasi, (Jolanda Sloderbach), the most successful cookbook I have ever sold for Krishna. Raje’s cookbook “With Love” came at the right historical point of time. All over the world, veganism is in full upswing. Out of the goodness of their hearts, people are very much concerned about animal cruelty and consequently about animal welfare. We may therefore confidently assume that the publication of “With Love” is a representation of Lord Krishna’s special wish and arrangement, a very distinguished credit to the author.

After some short time, she seemed to accept the idea of buying “With Love” by Raje. I acted on the assumption that this lady was Hindu and in a second move, I offered Srila Prabhupada’s hard bound, one volume, Krishna Book that I was still holding in my left hand. Perhaps I asked her three times maximum to please buy Krishna Book as well. She surrendered and gave me the appropriate amount for the two books. This represents a significant sale. Cookbooks are really some sort of a Trojan Horse and cookbook distribution should therefore not be neglected at all. They provide the book distributor preacher inroads for the real business. Cookbook distribution also represents easy practice for the beginner, because of the public’s natural attraction for cookbooks and the established image of charity-selling-cookbooks everyone can relate too. The real business however is the promotion of Krishna consciousness in the form of Srila Prabhupada’s own books. Very recently, I met for the second time another young lady, Sara of the Sunshine Coast, to whom I had sold Adiraja’s “The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking” perhaps two or three years ago. This time she declined to buy another cookbook, but instead, on her own volition, she purchased a copy of Srila Prabhupada’s hard bound Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. Her justification was: ”It feels right!”

I was a little perplexed at the situation in the shop, because the lady’s husband name on the business card sounded rather Moslem. So I ventured:” So you are Hindu?” The reply came as: “No, I am Moslem.” I mentioned: “O, you are very wise Moslem family. Thank you very much”. Let us not forget that Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Whose birthday it was on the day, five hundred years ago, in Bengal, India, elevated the Moslem born Haridas Thakura to one of the highest distinction of Acarya of the chanting of the Holy Name, or Nama-Acarya Hari das Thakura. And let us not forget either, that both Sanatan Goswami and his younger brother Rupa Goswami were both totally ostracized by the brahmin community, because of accepting positions of ministers in the Moslem government of Nawab Hussein Shah. “Sanatana Goswami, was formerly finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussein Shah.“ Srila Prabhupada in “Journey of Self-Discovery.” “Srila Rupa Goswami was the chief minister of the government of Nawab Hussain Shah.” 750419Let.G.L.Nanda. Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave both of them the positions of most important ministers in His Sankirtan movement!

Additionally in Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi Lila 17.148, purport,  Srila Prabhupada writes the following about past relationship between Hindu and Moslem communities:

“In India, even in the interior villages, all the Hindu and Muslim communities used to live very peacefully by establishing a relationship between them. The young men called the elderly members of the village by the name chacha or kaka, ”uncle,” and men of the same age called each other dada, ”brother.” The relationship was very friendly. There were even invitations from Muslim houses to Hindu houses and from Hindu houses to Muslim houses. Both the Hindus and the Muslims accepted the invitations to go to one another’s houses to attend ceremonial functions. Even until fifty or sixty years ago, the relationship between Hindus and Muslims was very friendly, and there were no disturbances. We do not find any Hindu-Muslim riots in the history of India, even during the days of the Muslims’ rule over the country. Conflict between Hindus and Muslims was created by polluted politicians, especially foreign rulers, and thus the situation gradually became so degraded that India was divided into Hindustan and Pakistan. Fortunately, the remedy to unite not only the Hindus and Muslims but all communities and all nations can still be implemented by the Hare Krishna movement on the strong basic platform of love of Godhead.” (written in the nineteen seventies)

Little time later the shopping centre co-manager personally came and asked me to leave the premises. In such situations, it is regrettably my turn to surrender. But I suppose Krishna’s main purpose had been served by then. We did have a short discussion about book distribution conditions. Shopping centre managers are generally inclined to give us a paying book distribution table. Shop to shop distribution is generally not allowed. We prefer the shop to shop distribution, as the more dynamic form of book distribution. I assume that for quite some time the security guard could not find me, so he called his boss for help. I had seen the security guard looking for me and I am pretty confident he had seen me in my Vanaprastha saffron garb. He probably thought I was some sort of a shopping monk, but definitely not the rule breaking book seller he was looking for. But I kept distributing, as if everything were all right and I was fully authorized by the shopping centre management. That is a very important psychological point for the distributor. Actually, we are fully authorized by the Supreme Controller, the Supreme Owner and the Supreme Authority, Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this should be actualized by the fact that as agents for Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we should factually be allowed by worldly authorities to go wherever we judge it required to execute our book distribution preaching business, without any hindrances whatsoever, as is the case for sadhus in India. Of course, no need to say, we don’t intend to intrude into national security sensitive areas or such other facilities, unless special permission is granted by the relevant authorities. We are transplanting a very ancient, very respectable and simultaneously very wise culture, the Vedic culture!

All glories to Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtan Movement!

All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, as the most munificent avatar!

“Amongst the ants, they are very intoxicant; therefore they find out sugar. The all kinds of liquor preparation is made from sugar. You know that? Sugar is fermented with acid and then distilled, it becomes liquor. And the ants are very much fond of sugar. You keep up one piece of sugar candy, then the news will be immediately spread, and all the ant class will go there: “Here it is, sugar.” Yes. Gold rush. [laughter] You see?” 740120SB.Hon

In this 1974 Srimad Bhagavatam class in Honolulu, Srila Prabhupada explains that ants like sugar very much because sugar is the basis for intoxicants. These magnificient parrots seem to follow the same principle. They steal sugar from restaurant tables. First they expertly open the paper bags with their beaks. Then they eat the sugar grain by grain and must get high. They have no worries in the world and neither do they mind being photographed in the act. This is Australia, the no-worries, Vaikuntha country. :):):)

The following text is from Back to Godhead (BTG) magazine and composed by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Institutor of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT), Founder of the Back to Godhead magazine (BTG) in 1944, and translator  and commentator of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is (BGAII), Srimad Bhagavatam (SB) and Caitanya Caritamrta (CC)!

Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita is the record of immortal activities of the Lord. In the first part 9th chapter of the book the welfare activities of the Lord is described in nutshell.

According to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, everyone who is born in the holy land of Bharat Varash or India must engage himself in the welfare activities for the human society. He says that one desirous of doing welfare activity must implant in his own life the real ideas of welfare. For without knowing the art of doing such welfare activities nobody can do real welfare to the human society.

Why he has stressed on the point of taking birth in the land of Bharat Varash. Because Bharat Varash is the land of real culture. The sages and Rishis of India cultured very gravely the problem of life and all of them agreed in one point that no permanent welfare can be done so far the material body and mind is concerned.

Lord Buddha renounced this material world to practice the means of attaining Nirvana or the ultimate annihilation of all distress. He preached the cult of non-violence.

Sree Sankaracharya preached that this material world is non-reality and the spirit Soul is the Supreme Truth. He stressed on renunciation and culture of knowledge as the means to attain to the highest stage of realisation.

None of them however preached that a material plan, under the guidance of modern scientific and experimental thought, can bring in real happiness to the human being. Both of them preached different patterns of ultimate voidness and stressed on the point of renunciation. In other words both of them stressed only on the point of uselessness of the material world. But none of them gave any positive information of the life in eternity.

In the Bhagwat Geeta the living entity has been described as the eternal or Santanam. And actually we want from the very core of our heart an eternal life. We think so because actually we are eternal. We want eternal life not as an ideal but actually there is eternal life and eternal enjoyment without (?) labour.

(?) present status of life (?) to labour hard for a (?) happiness. And (?) endeavour nobody (?) rid of the four (?)of material existence (?)the distress of (?), the distress of (?), the distress (?) and the distress of diseases. We can falsely claim advancement of scientific knowledge but with all we are unable to overcome all the above distresses by any welfare thought. The Nirvana idea is an idea of suicide and the renunciation idea is an idea of negation only of the above mentioned distresses.

The positive life and happiness is the real reality that we want. Without such positive knowledge, we are apt to utilise this present temporary life for all sorts of material happiness in terms of the philosophy of Charbaka. Charbaka did not believe in the eternity of life. He believed in Hedonism and therefore recommended an irresponsible life of eat, drink, merry and enjoy. He advised there is nothing after death ? And Buddha and Shankara advised there is practically voidness after death. Voidness is another name of nothingness. People therefore took up the idea of nothingness after death and they clinged to the everything of this present world. To save them from such hopelessness of Voidness and nothing after death, the message of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has to be propagated all over the world. Lord Jesus Christ also promised kingdom of heaven and the fatherhood of the Almighty God but nothing in detail. So also preached His Holiness Hazrat Mohammed. But none of these great prophets of the world preached the idea of a life of planning only for material enjoyment which is never to be perfected.

According to Vedanta Sutras or Vedanta philosophy Brahman or the Supreme Truth is by nature ‘anandamoya’ or full transcendental bliss and happiness. And the living entities have been identified with the nature of the Supreme Truth. Apart from the controversies of dualism and monism of the Vaishnava and Mayavada schools of thought we can practically experience that every living entity is fond of a jolly or merry life and his only struggle for life is to attain to a perfect stage of happiness. But nobody finds that perfect stage of happiness in this material world because according to the experience of Brahma or the original father of the human race everybody in this material world has to work very hard for the ideal of happy life. Labour, anxiety and happy life all these go ill together.

Happiness minus labour is the standard of happiness. This idea of happiness in the material world has created the classes of haves and haves-not. The haves class or the capitalist class have created an artificial way of happiness by material adjustment with the help of modern scientific thought but they have to maintain the status quo, which is always tottering, with the greatest caution. The haves not class or the labour class is trying to reach the status quo of so-called happy capitalist class and as a result of such perpetual struggle for attaining happiness without labour is going on in this material world. The labour class leader leaves the labour party when he is exalted to the position of an earldom. That is the practice in the material world. So everyone has to create his position of earldom from the position of serfdom and nobody is free from it in the interim period of labour between the positions of the earldom and that of serfdom.

There are different grades of planets all over the universe. And in all the planets there are different grades of life. In the upper regions which are known as Bhuba Loka, Swaraga Loka, Jana Loka, Tapa Loka, Maha Loka and Brahma Loka situated above the planet called the earth or the Bhoo Loka, life is comparatively good. But persons who have no information of such Lokas are busy in the matter of adjusting things in the Bhoo Loka or this earth. The recent adjustment of welfare activities have been started in this matter of Bhoodan Janjna (?) which is a plan of adjustment between the classes of haves and the haves not. So there is also labour and struggle and therefore there is no chance of unhampered life in these got up happiness.

The life in the other Lokas are better than the life in this Loka. For example, the duration of life in the Swaraga Loka is many many times more than the duration of life on the earth. It is said that one day in the Swarga Loka is equivalent with the period of six months on the planet of earth. People live there for ten thousands years of such six monthly days and the standard of life is far superior than what we can enjoy in the very best life here. And the standard of life and existence period is still more higher and higher in the other planets mentioned above. In the Bhagwat Geeta the standard of life and duration of existence in the Brahma Loka i.e. the highest planet in the universe is described. It is said there that the sum total of one thousand grand yugas is calculated to be twelve hours in the life of the people in the Brahma Loka. The sum total of one grand yuga is calculated to be 4300000 solar years. Multiply these years by 1000 and thus the 12 hours of Brahma Loka is equivalent to the solar years of this earth to the extent of 430,00,00000 i.e. four hundred and thirty crores of solar years. That makes the day of 12 years and there is the night. The people in Brahma Loka live to such 100 years of life. And in proportion to this age, the standard of life also is higher than what we have got here.

Can any plan maker bring in the type of Swarga Loka or Brahma Loka on this planet of earth? No it is never possible.

[There seems to be some text missing here-Ed. note] be of different nature and different quality, is always existent in all the above Lokas.

In the Bhagwat Geeta [Bg. 8.15-16] therefore it is described as follows:

(in Devanagari:)

mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah

a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah
punar avartino ‘rjuna
mam upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate

Wordings

Mam, Upetya, Punah, Janma, Dukshalayam, Asashyatam, Na, Apnubanti, Mahatmanah, Samsidhi, Paramum Gatah.

Abrahma, Bhubanan, Lokah, Panarabartina, Arjuna, Mam, Upentya, Tu, Kaunteya, Punah, Janma, Na, Vidyatey.

Synonyms

Mam=Unto Me, Upetya=Attaining, Punah=again, Janma=Birth, Dukshalyam=The abode of distresses, Asashwatam=Non-permanent, Na=Do not, Apnupanti=Attain, Mahatmanah=The great devotees, Samsidhi=Perfection, Paramam=Of the highest quality, Gatah=Having obtained, Abrahma=Up to the planet of ‘Brahma Loka’, Bhubanan=All the planets, Lokas=The abode of the living being, Punarabartina=Revolving, Arjuna=Oh Arjuna, Mam=Unto Me, Upetya=Attaining, Tu=But,Kaunteya=Oh the son of Kunti, Puna=Again, Janma=Birth, Na=Never, Vidyate=Takes place.

Translation

“After attaining Me, the great devotees do not any more take birth in this non-permanent abode of distress because by such attainment one attains perfection of the highest quality,”

But Oh Arjuna! Life even in the ‘Brahma Loka’ is revolving. Oh the son of Kunti, by attainment of My abode one is freed from the cycle of birth and death.

Purport

Herein we get the information of a life where there is no struggle for existence i.e. where there is no labour, neither there is the distresses of birth, death, old age and diseases. This stage of life is called Paramam Samsidhi or the highest quality.

Buddhadeva and Sankaracharya propagated the distressful nature of the existence in the material world. Sripad Sankaracharya gave a little information of the nature of spiritual life in full cognizance. But Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu not only gave the spiritually cognizant life but its full varieties of spiritual bliss. Other Vaishanaba Acharya such as Sri Ramanujacharya, Madhyacharya, Vishnuswamy and Nimbarka also gave such spiritual existence but not to the limit of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Spiritual life, that exists beyond the reach of the highest planet of ‘Brahma Loka’ is the highest attainable perfection. We get this information from Bhagwat Geeta. And this perfection is attained by the great devotees who have been described here as theMahatmas. The Mahatmas are only the unalloyed devotees and not the mental speculators or the hard labourers. The hard labourers or the Karmis can reach utmost the Swarga Loka. The empiric philosophers can reach utmost the ‘Brahma Loka.’ The highest Vedantist is Brahma himself and he lives in the Brahma Loka. The Janany or the empiric philosophers after many many births when he is able to surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, then there only he can attain to the highest perfection of life in the abode of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is all spirit, the life there is all spiritual and the varieties all there are spiritual methods. None of them are comparable to the material varieties which are full of miseries, distress and are of the non-permanent nature, may be in the highest region of the ‘Brahma Loka.’

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s welfare activities were concerned to take the people ‘Back to Godhead’ by the simple devotional activity of ‘Samkirtan.’ His method of welfare work is not only simple but also applicable universally. Shri Damodar Swarup Goswami rightly appreciated the welfare activities of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and described it as follows:

(In Devanagari:)

heloddhulita-khedaya visadaya pronmilad-amodaya
samyac-chastra-vivadaya rasadaya cittarpitonmadaya
sasvad-bhakti-vinodaya sa-madaya madhurya-maryadaya
sri-caitanya daya-nidhe tava daya bhuyad amandodaya

Wordings

Heloddhulita, Khedaya, Bishadaya, Pronmilat, Amodaya, Shamya, Shastra, Vivadaya, Rasadaya, Chittarpitata, Unmadaya, Saswat, Bhakti, Vinodaya, Sa, Madaya, Madhurya, Sri Chaitanya, Dayanidhe, Taba, Daya, Bhuyat, Amandodaya.

Synonyms

Heloddhulita=Driven out with ease, Khedaya=All distresses, Bishadaya=All embracing, Promilat=Vividly exhibited, Amodaya=Transcendental bliss, Shamya=Equibalanced, Shastra=Revealed scriptures, Vivadaya=Arguments, Rasadaya=Full of mellows, Chittarpitat=Encouraging the heart, Unmadaya=forgetful of materialism, Saswat=Permanent, Bhakti=Devotional activities, Vinodaya=Favourably pleasing, Sa=with, Madaya=Intensely madness, Madhurya=Sweetness of happiness,Marayadaya=To the utmost, Shri Chaitanya=O my Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Dayanidhe=Oh the ocean of mercy, Taba=your, Daya=Welfare activities, Bhuyat=be it so, Amanda=Non-corrosive, Udaya=giving rise to.

Translation

Oh my Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the ocean of mercy! Let it be so that my heart may give rise to such non-corrosive welfare activities which are freed from all varieties of diffidence, which are completely pure and stainless, which are full of transcendental bliss, which stop all varieties of arguments of the revealed scriptures which turn the heart into intense madness, which make the devotional activities favourably pleasing and which bring in the real sweetness of happiness.

Purport

That is the picture of the welfare activities of Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. People misunderstand Him because He did not open any hospital, because He did not canvass for the undertakers or because he did not labour for any so-called social welfare work. But in fact what He did, that include all varieties of social, political, humanitarian, altruistic, moral and spiritual work.

So far social work is concerned, He gave everyone equal chance to rise to the highest order of life. Shri Haridas Thakur was born in the family of a Mohammadan but Lord Shri Chaitanya gave him the highest position of a Brahmin and was declared as the Acharya of the transcendental Holy Name. He delivered Jagai and Madhai from the lowest stage of falldown and He turned to Vaisnavite cult Sarbabhowma Bhattacharya and Prakashanand Saraswati the two great stalwarts of the Mayavada cult. He engaged the services of Rupa and Sanatan Goswamis in the culture of devotional science from their political activities as ministers of Nawab Hussain Saha.

Therefore, He gave equal chances to all classes of people, namely, the politician, the scholars, the fallen, non-Hindu and the atheist, the women, the child, the cats and dogs, the beast of the jungle and who-else not. That is the universal application of the common cult and the standard of real welfare work.

Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu never meant to elevate His own position. According to the revealed scriptures, He brought with Him His eternal associates and energies with Him to make a propaganda work for the welfare of all. He is not a staticBhajananadi or the saint satisfied with his own devotion-but He was a dynamic force for the upliftment of all concerned. His associates Shri Nityananda Prabhu and Shri Adwaita Prabhu practically declared a non-violent peaceful war against the fruitive worker, so-called religionists, mundane welfare workers or the salvationists. There are different stages of stumbling (?) the path of the highest (?). The ideals of (?) is given above as (?) of Bhagwad Geeta (?) Mahaprabhu (?) easy to such (?) by His novel method of arts and music.

He asked everybody to help in the propagation of His cult and He asked specially the citizens of India to help Him.

India is now free to act in the cultural field. The people outside India are all really anxious to receive the message of peace and happiness from the land of India. Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Vivekananda Swami, Sri Aravinda etc. tried to give the message in a mixture of material activities and therefore the same could not be assimilated. The message of peace and happiness in its pure form which delightens the heart to the transcendental happiness is the message of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. When one is able to study this message dispassionately, one is able to appreciate the Lord as the highest benefactor.

His ideals of welfare work were meant for this life as well as for the life after death. This life is simply a preparatory stage for the next life. One who does not know this has no knowledge of practical life. This life will be finished today or tomorrow like the life of a cat or dog but before the death overtakes us, we must be prepared for the next stage. Shri Chaitanya makes this preparation to the highest perfection and if at all any welfare work has to be done, the standard must be taken from the revealed scriptures and as demonstrated by the Lord. (c) Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Through the treacherous intervention of His editors, both version 1 (V1) AND version 2 (V2) of Srila Prabhupada’s exalted Bhagavad-Gita As It Is (BGAII) have become sexist! Srila Prabhupada Himself however, being fully Krishna conscious, is NOT sexist. As always, Srila Prabhupada is fully situated in transcendence. But due to His editors’ betrayal, He sometimes and unjustly becomes the subject of criticism in this respect. I clearly remember an instance on Book Distribution Sankirtan, where a lady accused Srila Prabhupada of sexism. I was both surprised and disappointed for such an unfair accusation. But now I begin to understand the dynamics at  play.   

Here is the evidence:

Srila Prabhupada’s own typing of the Original Transcript (OT) of Bhagavad-gita As It Is 4.23 reads:

“Work done in full Krishna consciousness by a person who is unattached to the modes of material nature, fully situated in transcendental knowledge, merges entirely into transcendence.”

Let me fist of all say that, to our great loss, there are many passages in the OT that have been plainly massacred by stupid, unqualified and petty editors. “Stupid” is a strong word, yes. But the last word of Original Transcript page 136 is a good example. It has been crossed out to the point that it has as become illegible. There are many more such examples. I would call such action stupid at the best and malevolently treacherous at the worst. Offensive to Srila Prabhupada’s intelligence in any case. And radical offensiveness demands more radical countermeasure, whence “stupid.” If any of you, my dear readers, manage to decipher this word please report your finding at “ajm108@gmail.com.” That shall represent a valuable and highly appreciated contribution. Thank you very much!

The punctuation is difficult to decipher in this passage, as it has been scribbled upon. The expression “by a person” has clearly been crossed out. An editor’s hand written attempt to restore “by a person” after “work done” is clearly visible on the left hand side.  The end result in both versions one and two is however “man.” This is sexism at its best and a gross and offensive misrepresentation of both Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Srila Prabhupada Himself, the person . Thank you very much Mr. Editor(s)! And please let us know what happens to a lady advanced in Krishna consciousness and the work she is performing. What could happen to her anyway? She is already a non entity as per this verse BGAII 4.23 V1 and V2. A non-entity remains a non-entity, remains a non-entity, remains a non-entity, is it not!

Additionally, one may not only question, but thoroughly condemn all unnecessary and whimsical changes introduced to this verse BGAII 4.23. Srila Prabhupada’s rendition is just fine. It should therefore be left alone. Let the ignorant exercise some circumspection and show some respect to the extremely and superlatively learned and qualified! It is symptomatic that the most important element of the verse 4.23 of Srila Prabhupada’s exalted Bhagavad-gita As It Is i.e. “in full Krishna consciousness” has been dropped in version 1 (V1) and version 2 (V2). It would seem that the ultimate goal of the editor (s) is not “full Krishna consciousness.” If the editors’ ultimate goal is not “full Krishna consciousness”, then what is? And why mislead and waste the time of the whole world in this manner?  Please beware the word is no fool and will fight back! The Supersoul is present in the heart of all living entities, including hogs and dogs. That does however not mean that Vishnu becomes hoggish or doggish. Similarly Srila Prabhupada, although a very great personality, is very kind and makes Himself available to us. Let us never  forget His exalted position. And let us remember the position of Guru, especially the position of Guru of the caliber of Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON, the institutor of the BBT, the Founder of BTG in 1944 and finally translator and commentator of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrita. Here is the quote from 730505SB.LA:

“Then is spiritual master as good as God? The next line is, kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. A spiritual master is not God. He is… The distinction is sevya-bhagavaan. Sevaka-bhagavaan. Sevya means one who is worshiped, and sevaka means one who is worshiper. The spiritual master is God and Krishna is God, but Krishna is worshipable God and spiritual master is worshiper God. He’s God, but he’s worshiper God. That is explained.”  (From this perspective, it will be easy to understand the Christian statement that Christ is God.”  

On Youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXRHNXd2_w&t=172s., Her Grace Jahnavi Jivana Devi Dasi so gracefully, uniquely and intelligently relates a conversation between Srila Prabhupada disciple, HH Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami Maharaja (BBGS) and Srila Prabhupada God-brother, HH Ankincana Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj (AKBM), who gives also a nice estimate of Srila Prabhupada’s exalted position.

AKBM: I would like to tell you something.

BBGS: What is that?

AKBM: I am an old man. I have had a lot of experience in this world. From my experience I can honestly tell you there has never been a greater Acarya than your spiritual master.

BBGS: When he said that I became stunned, because he was a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaja. Then he looked up and said:” There has never been an Acarya in history who performed miracles like your spiritual master.”

Then he posed and looked at me. He said:” Do you know why?” I was stunned. I could not say anything. He said:” Because in history there was never a greater servant of Sri Krishna’s Holy Name than your spiritual master. Because your spiritual master had so much absolute understanding of Sri Krishna’s Holy Name and so much absolute faith in Krishna’s Holy Name that he personally carried Sri Krishna’s Holy Name throughout the length and breadth of the world. Therefore he is the greatest Acarya who has ever existed.

BGAII V1 & V2, 4.23 coincide and unfortunately read as follows :

“The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.”

We have here on display, the undue pride of being covered by a male human body, whereas to be covered by any type of material body is an embarrassment for the soul, the soul proper being spiritually constituted. The pure existence of the soul is fully independent from any material covering and simultaneously blissful, eternal and full of knowledge or in Sanskrit language respectively: ananda, sat and cit. There is however no sexual activity in the spirit soul, whereas sex is considered the highest bliss in the conditioned stage. The conditioned soul is situated in a state of rebellion against and competition with God. Its condition is characterised by suffering, impermanence and ignorance. The intelligent and informed person will therefore ask the questions: “Where is the interest in staying in the prison house of the material world, covered by a material body? Why not adopt the pre-fabricated and authorised path of escape from this material world, Krishna consciousness as presented by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada?” 

Besides that Srila Prabhupada clearly states that there is only one purusha, enjoyer, and that is Krishna. All others are prakriti or female, to be enjoyed by The Adi Purusha, Krishna.

The same reasoning would have to apply to Bhagavad-gita As It Is 4.18. The Original Transcript (OT) by Srila Prabhupada Himself, with minor adjustments, reads:

“One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is intelligent in the human society and he is in a transcendental position although engaged in all sorts of activities.”

Whereas the sexist editor (s) want (s) us to believe that:

“One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.”

There is here clearly at work on the part of the editor(s), a policy of embarrassing and perpetuating prejudice against women. No need to say, this must be rectified at all costs back to Srila Prabhupada’s original, pure and non-discriminatory Bhagavad-gita As It Is message. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

The Original Transcript (OT) can be found here: http://bookchanges.com/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-manuscript/.

As per His Grace Sriman Dravida Prabhu’s authoritative statements, we assume and accept that Srila Prabhupada personally typed the first five chapters of the Original Transcript (OT) of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, that chapters 6 to 11 are a transcription of Srila Prabhupada’s lost tape dictation and that chapters 12 to 18 are a one time edited version of Srila Prabhupada’s words.

In other simple words, for the first 5 chapters of Original Transcription (OT) of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, we are right with Srila Prabhupada. Chapter 6 to 11 we are separated from Srila Prabhupada by one brain. That’s one brain to many. And assuming that chapters 12 to 18 went through the same process of dictation and transcription we are here two brains away from Srila Prabhupada. That’s two brains too many!

This is, by Lord Krsna superior arrangement, the closest we get to Srila Prabhupada’s original rendition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

PS Another instance of sexism on the part of the editors.

BGAII OT 3.18:

Text No.18

A self realized person (in Krsna consciousness) has no purpose for acting the prescribed duties nor has he any discrepancy for not acting such work. Neither he has any purpose for taking shelter of any other living being.

Purport

A self-realized Krsna conscious man has no more any obligation to any prescribed duties (unreadable 3.8, whether plural or singular cannot be seen positively, but because of the length, we may assume plural) save and except the activities in terms of Krsna consciousness. Such Krsna consciousness is not inactivity also as it will explained in the following verses. A Krsna conscious man has nothing to do with any person-man or demigod-for taking their shelter. Whatever does he do in terms of Krsna consciousness is sufficient in the matter of discharging his obligation.

BGAII V2. 3.18

TRANSLATION

A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.

PURPORT

A self-realized man is no longer obliged to perform any prescribed duty, save and except activities in Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness is not inactivity either, as will be explained in the following verses. A Krishna conscious man does not take shelter of any person—man or demigod. Whatever he does in Krishna consciousness is sufficient in the discharge of his obligation.