Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on editing are in his books themselves
In this time of confusion and controversy, in regard to the editing of the BBTI, we humbly submit the following at the feet of all the Vaishnava’s for their own contemplation and realization in…
Damaghosa dasa In this time of confusion and controversy, in regard to the editing of the BBTI, we humbly submit the following at the feet of all the Vaishnava’s for their own contemplation and realization in spiritual life: In the Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila 9.358, Srila Prabhupada cites his spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who points out that in the seventy-fourth verse of this same chapter there is an apparent error made by Krishna dasa, Kaviraja Gosvami. Srila Prabhupada, just to teach us the principle of arsa-prayoga, [please see quotes from Srila Prabhupada on “arsha-prayoga” at the end of this article] does not touch the words of Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, but leaves this apparent error as it is, out of respect for the transcendental book. Even though Srila Prabhupada’s own spiritual master, the most pure and intimate confidential devotee and associate of Lord Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself, had clearly pointed out that this is an apparent error and is apparently wrong.
Furthermore in the purport to that seventy-fourth verse, mentioned above, Srila Prabhupada mentions nothing; only at the end of the chapter, after Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja concludes his narration, does Srila Prabhupada even mention the apparent mistake.
That Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila 9.358 purport is cited here for your reference: “Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura points out that in the seventy-fourth verse of this chapter it is stated that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Shiyali-bhairavi, but actually at Shiyali, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Sri Bhu-varaha. Near Shiyali and Chidambaram there is a temple known as Sri Mushnam. In this temple there is a Deity of Sri Bhu-varaha. In the jurisdiction of Chidambaram there is a district known as southern Arcot.
The town of Shiyali is in that district. There is a temple of Sri Bhu-varahadeva nearby, not Bhairavi-devv. This is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s conclusion.”
This is a very good lesson to make a clear and prominent note of how Srila Prabhupada, the teacher by example, has chosen to edit (or rather not edit) the words of the spiritual masters or previous acharyas’ writings.
Srila Prabhupada has every right in the world to change or edit anything, for he is Krishna’s direct representative and the present acharya and current link to the parampara. But, as the Acharya, he has himself stuck to the principal of arsha-prayoga and did not changed it just to teach us respect, correct behaviour. He does not touch this apparent “mistake,” he leaves it completely untouched, as it is.
As Srila Prabhupada said “I have instructed everything in my books.” (Letter to: Dina Dayala, Mayapur, 25 February, 1976) So Srila Prabhupada has also instructed us to not edit the books in his books themselves.
There are many instances of this in Srila Prabhupada’s writings if we just look.
We will cite another place were Srila Prabhupada left a seeming mistake as it is, even though it may be considered “wrong.” “Ambikavana is situated somewhere in the Gujarat province. Ambikavana is said to be situated on the river Sarasvati, yet we do not find any Sarasvati River in the Gujarat province; the only river there is Savarmati. In India, all the big places of pilgrimage are situated on nice rivers like the Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Narmada, Godavari, Kaveri, etc. Ambikavana was situated on the bank of Sarasvati, and all the cowherd men and Nanda Maharaja went there.” (KRISHNA Book 1970 edition Volume 1 Chapter 33 / Vidyadhara Liberated and the Demon Shankāsura Killed) In this quote from Srila Prabhupada’s original KRISHNA book, Prabhupada mentions that although it says, “Ambikavana is said to be situated on the river Sarasvati, yet we do not find any Sarasvati River in the Gujarat province…” Prabhupada does not change the text to correct the seeming mistake.
Below is another example of something that may be considered from the scholarly or mundane viewpoint “wrong” with the text but it was left as it is out of respect for the author, adhering to the principle of arsha-prayoga.
TRANSLATION
Thus Paramananda Puri started for Jagannātha Purī, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu began walking toward Sri Śaila.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks, “Which Sri Shaila is being indicated by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami is not clearly understood. There is no temple of Mallikārjuna in this area because the Sri Śaila located in the district of Dhārwād cannot possibly be there. That Sri Śaila is on the southern side of Belgaum, and the Śiva temple of Mallikārjuna is located there. (Refer to text 15 of this chapter.) It is said that on that hill Lord Śiva lived with Devī. Also, Lord Brahmā lived there with all the demigods.” (Cc Madhya 9.174) Srila Prabhupada’s own standards and the established Vedic principal of arsha-prayoga that he gave to us are not being followed by the BBTI editors headed by Jayavaita Swami and Dravida.
On the contrary, the exact opposite is being done, causing Srila Prabhupada’s once authorized and respected writings to be lost and devalued due to these unauthorized offensive changes
that directly go against Srila Prabhupada’s will and example.
Through his books, Srila Prabhupada is always instructing us and guiding us in the deep mellows of transcendental mood/rasa. If we disregard this guidance our minds and service will be of improper mellows, rasābhāsa, and not pure bhakti, and will thus not be acceptable by Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada further explains this fact in the Purport of the Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya 10.113 and 114 as follows: “By overlapping mellows (rasābhāsa) one eventually becomes a prākṛta-sahajiyā and takes everything to be very easy. One may also become a member of the bāula community and gradually become attracted to material activities. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu therefore has advised us to avoid bhakti-siddhānta-viruddha and rasābhāsa. In this way the devotee can remain pure and free from falldowns. Everyone should try to remain aloof from bhakti-siddhānta- viruddha and rasābhāsa.” Furthermore Srila Prabhupada drives this point home in the very next purport in an effort to make this explicitly clear to his followers. Unfortunately, today, almost forty years later, we are still not getting it: “Pure devotees of the Lord do not accept impure principles. Impure devotees accept rasābhāsa, or overlapping, contradictory mellows, and other principles opposed to the bhakti path. The followers of such impure principles are never accepted as pure devotees. There are many parties following the path of rasābhāsa, and the followers are sometimes adored by ordinary men. Those who adopt the conclusions of rasābhāsa and bhakti-siddhānta-viruddha are never accepted as devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvami never approved such followers as Gaudiya Vaishnavas, nor did he allow them even to meet the Supreme Lord, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.” (Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya 10.114) The few references quoted in this short article are by no means at all a comprehensive list of these types of instances. A full book could be written on this topic alone, listing the numerous occasions of such instructions given by Srila Prabhupada. Here we are citing only a few that we have recently noticed in our own personal reading of His Divine Grace’s books for the purpose of this article.
So what to do about the seeming discrepancies that a critical editor may find in Srila Prabhupada’s books?
As for me I do not know for I am just a simple second generation devotee. But as a follower of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivadanta Swami Prabhupada I have no other recourse but to have fidelity to him and take his example as the standard and adhere to that. What else can we do?
To conclude let me leave the thoughtful reader of this article with these important words Srila Prabhupada has given in his Nectar of Instruction, verse six, last paragraph where he warns us not to correct the Acharya or spiritual master: “It is also an offense to consider an empowered Vaiṣṇava an object of disciplinary action. It is offensive to try to give him advice or to correct him… The spiritual master must not be subjected to the advice of a disciple” Two of Srila Prabhupada’s most senior disciples recall Prabhupada’s direct personal instructions on editing and the standards and mood he wanted to be followed.
Srila Prabhupada: The system is: whatever authority has done, even there is mistake, it should
be accepted.
Radha-vallabha: Oh.
Srila Prabhupada: Arsha prayoga. That is ha… He should not become more learned than the authority. That is very bad habit….
Srila Prabhupada: Why finish it? Whatever is done is done. No more….
Radha-vallabha: Well, now that this system of no corrections anywhere, that makes it very simple. Then he can’t do anything. I don’t think he wants to, either. It makes it more simple for him. It makes him very uncomfortable.
Srila Prabhupada: No corrections.
(Conversation with Italian Woman with Translator – February 28, 1977, Mayapura) [Note: in the Vedabase the transcriber, not being familiar enough with Sanskrit, did not transcribe the word arsha prayoga correctly so it is misspelled, but for the purpose of this article we have corrected it above] So unless one is self-realized, there is practically no use writing about Krishna. This transcendental writing does not depend on material education. It depends on the spiritual realization. You’ll find, therefore, in the comments of Bhagavatam by different acharyas, even there are some discrepancies, they are accepted as Arsha-prayoga. It should remain as it is.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.23-24 – Vrindavana, March 31, 1976)