Nama om Vishnu Padaya Krsna presthaya bhutale
Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swamin iti namine
Namaste sarasvate deve Gauravani pracarine
Nirvisesa sunyavadi pascatya Desa tarine
Bhakti siddhanta sishyaya Bhativedanta namine
Prasannaya prasantaya tasmai Sri gurave namah
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
I offer my prostrated humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
Sri Raghunatha dasa Goswami has glorified Srila Rupa Goswami in his Shri Mukta Carita
adadanas trinam dantair
idam yace punah punah
dhulih syam janma-janmani (2)
Clasping a straw between my teeth, I repeatedly beg to attain the dust of the lotus feet of Shrimad Rupa Gosvami birth after birth.
On this most auspicious day, I offer my respectful obeisances in this way:
adadanas trinam dantair
idam yace punah punah
dhulih syam janma-janmani (2)
Clasping a straw between my teeth, I repeatedly beg to attain the dust of the lotus feet of Shrimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada birth after birth.
Recently, a well-meaning godbrother asked me whether in your voluminous teachings, you had given warnings to your followers and disciples about many of the events and controversial issues facing your movement after your unmanifested presence, specifically book changes.
Srila Prabhupada, as captain of the ship of the Krishna Consciousness Movement, you have given plenty of warnings, even before you came to America in 1965.
From your prayers to your Guru Maharaja in 1961 at the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrindavana, you have assessed the situation very expertly with regards to your godbrothers.
23. If everyone just initiates then there will only be a contradictory result. As long as it goes on there will be only failure
25. But simply a festival of flowers and fruits does not constitute worship. The one who serves the message of the guru really worships him.
29. O shame! My dear brothers, aren’t you embarrassed? In the manner of businessmen, you increase your disciples.
31. All these things are not our spiritual master’s preaching methods. These are all the things done by the caste Gosvamis.
39. You have become renouncers, brothers, so renounce everything. But if you also renounce the order of the spiritual master, then what kind of renunciation is that?
40. The one who renounces the guru’s order (guru tyagi) and the one who tries to enjoy the assets of his spiritual master (guru-bhogi) are two kinds of useless persons. First become a servant of your spiritual master (guru-sevi) and then you will understand things clearly.
55. Wearing a two paisa string a man is called a brahmin. Wearing a saffron cloth, he has become a sannyasi.
56. The householders beg from sannyasis, and why not? The sannyasis have tens of millions of rupees in the bank.
Presented on the commemoration of his appearance, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, at the Radha-Damodara temple, Vrindavana, India, in 1961.
So many of these warnings are still applicable today.
Srila Prabhupada, one of your numerous warnings was to never change your books:
As early as December I, 1996, New York, you clearly warned and instructed all of your disciples several times; “…So, in the parampara system in that disciplic succession, you will find no change…you cannot change anything…”
In one of your wonderful letters on September 26, 1968, you stated:”…The descriptions given in these books are not mundane speculations, but they are authorized versions of liberated souls, presented by our humble self. The strength is not in us, but the strength is in the Supreme Lord, and we have to simply present them without any adulteration. That is the secret of success…”
“…But one thing I may inform you that the three books which I have already prepared namely the Bhagavad-Gita as it is, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya and Srimad-Bhagavatam, all these books are the ultimate source of knowledge. If you simply reproduce what I have tried to explain in those books, surely you will come out victorious, even in the midst of so many mundane scholars. The description given in these books, are not mundane speculations, but they are authorized versions of liberated souls, presented by our humble self. So, the strength is not in us, but the strength is in the Supreme Lord. And we have simply to present them without any adulteration, in humble service spirit. That is the secret of success…” Srila Prabhupada letter, September 26, 1968.
In another one of your lectures in Los Angeles, California on May 8, 1973, you warden that one cannot change the words of the authority: “…One cannot change the words of the authority. If you believe in Lord Jesus Christ [in our case Srila Prabhupada] you cannot change to your convenience…”
On July 4, 1975, in a lecture, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, you warned “If you concoct, ‘I am more intelligent than my Guru,’ ‘I can make additions and alterations,’ then you are finished.”
In another lecture in Paris, France on August 5, 1976, you explained the result of unauthorized changes: “…In the words of God, there is no question of changing. You cannot change. As soon as you change immediately it is material. It has nothing to do with spiritual world. That is nowadays happening. Which edition of Christianity? There are so many. Therefore, it is, the purport of Christianity is lost. That is lost…”
“…Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. No change. Others they are interpreting in their own way. That is not Bhagavad-Gita. That is something else…”
Why are your books so potent, Srila Prabhupada?
In a lecture on February 26, 1973, in Jakarta, Indonesia, you told us again and again that you did not invent a new philosophy or your own philosophy. You said that your books were simply the presentation of the message of the great Acaryas.
Srila Prabhupada: “Thank you. You have read some of my books?”
Srila Prabhupada: “They are not my books. I am simply translating. They are written by Vyasadeva, the original Vedic scholar.”
God has sent His Holiness A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Brahmananda: “In the airport. And this caused big sensation, because never, even big Indian gurus have come to South Africa. Never have any whites bowed down. It was the first-time whites bowed down to…”
Srila Prabhupada: “They clapped. After hearing me, they clapped. They purchased books. Now they are selling books. Some think my books are more important. We shall give more concentration for pushing and publishing. What do you think?”
Devotee: “Yes. That is our weapons. They are our strength, they are our guidance, and they are our ammunition. Everything is based on these books, everything. We are…”
Srila Prabhupada: “One Indian. a very learned scholar in Chandigarh, he has given very good certificate. What is that?”
Satsvarupa: “He said that ‘There have been many commentaries on the Bhagavad-Gita including Ramanuja, Madhva and Sankara,’ and then, he said ‘Tilak and Gandhi, but of all of them the commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is the greatest commentary. ‘Punjab University.’ Then he said later that ‘ In this suffering mankind, God has sent His Holiness A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.”
Srila Prabhupada: “So, let us do our duty. Our attempt Krsna will see. That gentleman has written,” Swami Bhaktivedanta will be remembered for centuries, making history.” Is not that?”
Satsvarupa: “Unsurpassed,” this…Not just remembered, it will be unsurpassed.”
Srila Prabhupada: “And many foreign scholars also, they have. In France… In France one professor has said, the…
Srila Prabhupada: “Aurobindo and Dr. RadhaKrishnan, they have compromised with the Western idea, but here is the real tradition of India.” Actually, it is a fact. All of them, they have tried to make a hodge podge. And from the beginning my idea was I shall present as it is. That’s all. Therefore, I gave this name. “As it is.” Caitanya Mahaprabhu said yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa. Why shall I manufacture idea? Present this as it is…” Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, February 15, 1977, Mayapura, India
Your unique contribution with these nectarena books is under assault from the very persons who were supposed to protect them from being changed and protect your legacy.
I sincerely pray to your lotus feet and to Lord Krishna to inspire those persons to cease and desist from these unauthorized changes, to reverse course, and re-establish your original, unedited first edition books.
However, given the past track record of those individuals, I remain doubtful. After all, Srila Prabhupada, what can be expected from those who claim that” they have seen the truth.”
When a devotee is perfectly qualified in chanting the transcendental vibration of the holy name, he is quite fit to become a spiritual master and to deliver all the people of the world. The chanting of the holy name is so powerful that it gradually establishes its supremacy above everything in the world. The devotee who chants it becomes transcendentally situated in ecstasy and sometimes laughs, cries and dances in his ecstasy. Sometimes the unintelligent put hindrances in the path of chanting this maha-mantra, but one who is situated on the platform of love of Godhead chants the holy name loudly for all concerned. As a result, everyone becomes initiated in the chanting of the holy names–Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. TLC 18 The Conversations with Prakasananda
Let us always take shelter at your divine lotus feet and your original unedited, unrevised books and instructions, and your bona fide followers who emphasize those original instructions.
maj-janmanah phalam idam madhu-kaitabhaare
mat-praarthaniya mad anugraha esha eva
bhrtyasya bhrtya iti maam smara loka naatha
“O enemy of Madhu and Kaitabha, O Lord of the universe, the perfection of my life and the most cherished mercy You could show me would be for You to consider me the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Your servant.”
Your eternal servant
Yasoda nandana dasa