Changes and Books
This is a topic that, while I have touched on it in the past, I never made a full or direct post. Yes, it is a sensitive topic. However, it's time I spoke out, with some of it being my and my husbands personal experiences.
One day I was reading devotee posts on facebook and came across one that made me chuckle. Referring to Bhagavad-Gita, the poster wrote, from my memory: "What happened to the 'Pandu do'?" :) Many of us chuckled because it rhymes. For that reason, it made this verse stick in my mind from day 1 of first reading Prabhupada's BhagavadGita. Apparently I was not the only one. Matter of fact, it likely did for most people. And it was removed from the edited versions. Gone.
ORIGINAL: "Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, being desirous to fight?" ~ Prabhupada's original words, Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 1, 1972 Original translation by Srila Prabhupada.
EDITED: "Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?" ~ Bhagavad Gita Ch 1, Verse, 1983 Revised Edition
In the above you can see the change for yourself. Whether you like or dislike the way it was changed, is not really the topic. The topic is, any conditioned soul /us, should not change the words of a pure devotee.
Another experience: Once in the 1980's, we were invited to a baby's birthday party. Quite a few parents were there. At one point the adults sat in a circle and took turns reading a bit of Srimad Bhagavatam.
It came 'round to my husband's turn, and he read. When he was done, someone stopped everything and asked, "Why did you read it THAT way?" My husband replied: "What do you mean?" The devotee repeated himself. To which my husband said: "Because that's what it says." Next they compared books. Low and behold, the book my husband was holding had different words than the one the other devotee had in his hands.
Then they asked around to the rest of the devotees present there, plus checked the books on the temple room shelves. Some had one version of the verse, others had a different version. Everyone was surprised.
These book changes were just starting to show up to the regular/majority of devotees, making it new to us. No one could fathomed what to think, so we all just went on with the birthday gathering. But that doesn't mean it was taken lightly. It simply would take awhile and needed research.
Another time, around 1982, there was a big meeting in the Detroit temple with major authorities. When I asked what the meeting was about, I was told it is private, we are not meant to know. Hmmm Prabhupada said there are no secrets in this Movement, but what can be done. So we all went about our day as these meetings continued.
My husband and a brahmacari/priest were asked to their personal servants of prasadam/ blessed food. And they did. He came home after doing this service for a couple days, stressed. At first he would not express what was the cause. Finally I got it out of him - what was the problem?
He said that he saw something that seemed contradictory to our teachings. While serving them prasadam, my husband and the brahmacari did not talk to them, which may have caused them to be invisible, I don't know, but in this case it ultimately turned out for the good - truth came to light.
Turned out that this was a meeting on book changes. My husband witnessed that when the authorities present disagreed on a change, what word meant what, they did not turn to the Pandit's or etc to get their answer. They voted. Not that turning to pundits is acceptable either, but here they were voting on ancient scripture where shakyaveshavatara Srila Prabhupada all ready gave us the meanings and how he wanted it said! At the end of his vapu/ physical days on earth, he instructed us not to make any more edits nor change a thing. Yet they wanted change. sigh This is not the Vedic way.
Here is another example of one, of many, book changes:
Srila Prabhupada's ORIGINAL CC Madhya 19. P:
"If one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Krsna Conscusness society, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master."
EDITED/changed/revised CC Madhya 19. P:
"Even if one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Krsna Consciousness society, still one should stick to the society."
Completely different meaning. And we see here, that if someone is having difficulty, or someone is giving them difficulty therefore they feel a need to go off and practice on their own, that is removed from the purport. Of course one must be strong to do it on their own, but it can be done. Plus the option should not have been removed.
Here are a few more of the changes:
"the self-realized soul" (1972) was changed to "a sober person" (1983, Bg 2.13);
"coward" to "insignificant" (Bg 2.35);
"constant practice" to "suitable practice" (Bg 6.35);
"master" to "creator" (Bg 11.37);
"right means" to "appropriate means" (Bg 6.36);
"deviated" to "bewildered" (Bg 6.38);
"factors" to "causes" (Bg 18.13);
"threefold basis" to "three constituents" (Bg 18.18);
"ignorance and delusion" to "illusion" (Bg 18.25);
"corrupt" to "polluted" (Bg 1.40);
"one who has been honored" to "a respectable person" (Bg 2.34);
"fruitive activities" to "abominable activities" (Bg 2.49);
"truly situated in knowledge" to "firmly fixed in perfect consciousness" (Bg 2.58);
"impulses" to "qualities" (Bg 3.5);
"nourishing" to "cooperation" (Bg 3.11);
"work" to "prescribed duties" (Bg 3.22);
"sentient beings" to "living beings" (Bg 3.24);
"fruitive action" to "fruitive results" (Bg 3.26);
"influence of the three modes" to "influence of false ego" (Bg 3.27);
"doomed to ignorance and bondage" to "ruined in their endeavors for perfection" (Bg 3.32).
While the experiences described on this blog are mine, the research above came from various devotees. Thank you to them! If needed, you can always do your own research. IMHO it is not needed. When I read a devotees post the difference between originals and edited, it has been the same. And when I've seen any who were promoting returning back to the originals, talking to someone else doing the same thing, they agreed with each other on the original translation.
For decades I've been hearing complaints, rightly so, but I felt we needed to DO something. The little guy or gal often does not have much power to create change, tho I give credit to the many who had/have such a desire. Now there is a petition to sign to actually help create that change - or change "back" being the emphasis. And your signature counts! I will put that link below. The other thing we can all do? Refuse to buy books that aren't truthfully authored by Srila Prabhupada. Also linked below. Thank you for loaning an ear. Hare Krishna!
REFERENCES and RELATED POSTS
Book Change Evidence countless book changes, and many of changed the meaning. Do your own research here, or just read to see what has happened.
Petition to Sign
Buy Unchanged, Unedited, Original books by Prabhupada here OR another place to buy them is here.
