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Gita Revisions Explained

Part 2
In these texts from an e-mail conference, Jayadvaita Swami, the English editor for the Second Edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, presents and discusses some more of the interesting, instructive, and controversial revisions in the book. Here youll find revised passages side by side with the versions from the original manuscript.

Heres a key to what is shown by different kinds of type:

Books to Enrich Your Life

The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, publishers of timeless, transcendental classics and introductory texts on Bhakti yoga, meditation, karma, reincarnation, and vegetarianism.

Regular text = text appearing in both the first and second editions Bold text = unique to the second edition Strikethrough text = deleted in the second edition Blue courier = highlighted for quick recognition

Of course, theres also Gita Revisions Explained, Part 1. And now theres also Gita Revisions Explained, Part 3. Still more examples appear in the booklet Responsible Publishing [PDF, 224KB].

INDEX
The texts appear in the order in which they were posted on the conference. But this Index arranges them in order of chapter and verse. (Click on any line to see the revision and discussion.) Obeisances About this conference and about the manuscripts 1.1: What did my sons and the sons of Pandu do? 1.2: approaching nearby 1.2: arranged in military formation 1.3: your intelligent disciple 1.4: great fighters like Bhima and Arjuna 1.11: forced to strip? 1.18: Greatly armed? 1.20: the situated sons of Dhrtarastra

1.32-35: Kill or be killed? / creature comforts / missing line 1.36: Rama-rajya 1.37-38: their hearts overtaken by greed. . . 1.40: the women become polluted 1.43: the process of ablution before death? 1.44: intent on killing our own kinsmen 1.45: I would consider it better. . .rather than fight. 2.2: sri-bhagavan uvaca 2.2: sri-bhagavan uvaca (continued) 2.8: Consult Krsna through the bona fide representative 2.13: The sober person is not bewildered. . . 2.16: Of the eternal there is no change 2.17: Know that [that] which pervades the body is. . . 2.18: The material body. . . is sure to come to an end. 2.18: not sacrifice the cause of religion 2.20: Having once been. . . 2.25: immutable and unchangeable 2.30: You can never be slain 2.31: Editing varnasrama-dharma out of the books? 2.37: Get up with determination and fight 2.40: Tyaktva sva-dharmam means giving upwhat? 2.48: Perform your duty equipoised 2.49: . . . and surrender unto the Lord. 2.51: Great sages or devotees go back to Godhead 2.52: O prayers, O bathing. . . . 2.61: . . . not the Visnu form. . . 3.6: The senses and organs of action 3.7: A sincere person tries to control the senses 3.9: unattached and free from bondage 3.10: Living happily and achieving liberation. 3.20: Kings such as Janaka. . . 3.22: And yet I am engaged in prescribed duties. 3.32: Doomed to ignorance and bondage 4.26: . . . in the fire of the senses. 4.34: Surrendering to the spiritual master 4.34: Nor by independent study of books. . . 4.35: Real knowledge from a self-realized soul 5.16: Krsna consciousness drives away nescience 7.4: Altogether the wrong word 8.3: 5 kinds of offerings, 5 kinds of fire 8.17: the creator god 9.26: A leaf, a flower. . . Paragraph restored 10.21: Among the stars, I am the moon.

10:26: Holy fig tree! 10.26 (continued): The perpetually living entities 10.29: Among the serpents I am-- Ananta or Vasuki? 10.31: Lord Rama, of the Ramayana 10.32: The beginning, middle and end of all creations 10.32 (continued): 14 books of knowledge 10.32 (continued): Getting into arguments 10.33: Of creators I am Brahma. 10.37: Who is Vasudeva? And who is Usana Kavi? 10.42: He is samata. . . no one is superior 10.42: The case of the missing mission 10.42: Srila Prabhupadas concluding words for Chapter 10 11.8: Sukadeva Gosvami recites this verse. 18.66: various kinds of knowledge and religion 18.66: Anukulyasya sankalpah. . . Kasi within the barricade of Varanasi Encircled by cannons

Obeisances To begin this conference, I first offer my humble and respectful obeisances to my beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of ISKCON and author of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. I next offer my respectful obeisances to all the previous acaryas in the disciplic succession through which this book has been received. I offer my respectful obeisances to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who composed and published a rendering of Bhagavad-gita into Bengali that Srila Prabhupada surely consulted. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, the author of the Gita Bhusana commentary. It is to him that Srila Prabhupada dedicates Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and Srila Prabhupada mentions his comments several times in the text. I offer my respectful obeisances to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, author of the Sarartha Varsani Gita commentary. Srila Prabhupada has told us that a comment, in this book, about following the orders of the spiritual master guided Srila Prabhupada in his own life. Next I offer my respects to the original editors of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. As I have written elsewhere, the editors of the first edition are to be praised. They did a fine job of making a tough manuscript ready to print. My respectful obeisances, also, to all the devotees involved in publishing and

distributing Bhagavad-gita As It Is in many different languages of the world. I offer my respectful obeisances to all who read and study Bhagavad-gita As It Is. As stated in Bhagavad-gita itself, they worship Lord Krsna by their intelligence. And finally I offer my obeisances to the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original speaker of Bhagavad-gita. By the grace of Lord Sri Krsna and His devotees, may we all gain a deeper and clearer understanding of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Hare Krsna. Jayadvaita Swami

About this conference and about the manuscripts In this conference, I shall present and discuss some of the more interesting, instructive, and controversial revisions made for the Second Edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Unlike comparisons published elsewhere, these discussions will include comparisons to the original unpublished manuscripts. (You can expect to see, as in Krsnas universal form, many wonderful things which no one has ever seen or heard of before.) A few words of explanation: Original manuscripts means different things, according to different Gita chapters. For the first five or six chapters, it refers to original manuscripts apparently typed by Srila Prabhupada himself. For the middle six chapters, it refers to the original transcriptions of his tapes. And for the last chapters it refers to the old retyped manuscripts from which the 1972 Macmillan edition was produced. In all cases, original manuscripts means the oldest and most reliable manuscripts in the BBT files. The retyped manuscripts for the last six chapters were copied from original transcriptions on which much editing had already been done. The typist followed the edited version, adding what the editor had added and deleting what he had deleted. Sometime before 1972, the original transcriptions themselves were apparently lost. (This loss is why the revisions in the last six chapters of the Second Edition are particularly light.) The text of the manuscripts for all eighteen chapters has been converted into digital form, and for convenience while traveling I am relying on the digital version. If this results in any significant errors that later come to my attention, I shall report them.

Thank you. Hare Krsna.

2.37: Get up with determination and fight

hato va prapsyasi svargam jitva va bhoksyase mahim tasmad uttistha kaunteya yuddhaya krta-niscayah . . . uttisthaget up; kaunteyaO son of Kunti; yuddhayato fight; krtadetermined; niscayah in certainty.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS niscayah uncertainty in certainty.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Niscayahinceetainly.

COMMENT The old version is simply wrong.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS Therefore, get up and fight with determination. with determination and fight.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Therefore with determination please get up for fighting.

COMMENT The new version more closely follows the meaning of both the original manuscript and the Sanskrit.

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10.31: Lord Rama, of the Ramayana

pavanah pavatam asmi ramah sastra-bhrtam aham jhasanam makaras casmi srotasam asmi jahnavi TRANSLATION: Of purifiers I am the wind, of the wielders of weapons I am Rama, of fishes I am the shark, and of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.

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2.2: sri-bhagavan uvaca Bombay 2 January 99 Who Said? (In a recently noticed quotation, Srila Prabhupada answers.) From the Second Chapter onward in Bhagavad-gita, whenever Lord Krsna speaks we first read in the Sanskrit sri bhagavan uvaca. Throughout Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srila Prabhupada rendered these words into English as The Supreme Personality of Godhead said. More than twenty-five Gita verses begin with sri-bhagavan uvaca. For the first of theseChapter Two, verse twoSrila Prabhupadas purport explains at length what the term the Supreme Personality of Godhead means and why Lord Krsna deserves to be known in this way. Nonetheless, in the First Edition of Srila Prabhupadas Gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead said is not what appears. Instead, by the work of an early editor, throughout the book the person who speaks is the Blessed Lord. In the Second Edition, the Supreme Personality of Godhead reappears. While working on the Second Edition, more than fifteen years ago, I was unaware of the following passage from a lecture Srila Prabhupada gave at an initiation ceremony in Los Angeles on July 3, 1970. I came across the passage only recently, in the Folio VedaBase. I am sending it along here for other readers who might find it of interest. Hare Krsna. Yours in Srila Prabhupadas service, Jayadvaita Swami -------------Passage begins------------Devotee: Minimizing the authority of the scripture or... Prabhupada: Yes. Scriptural injunction we should not minimize. We should not think contradictory. We should accept as it is. Then it will be good for us. Or interpretation. Scriptural interpretation is not required. Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any false interpretation. As it is. KrsnaKrsna. KuruksetraKuruksetra. PandavaPandava. Dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta. Krsna uvaca. Krsna, Bhagavan uvaca: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said. And we should not add here that... What is called? Paramatma uvaca. No. Krsna uvaca. Paramatma is feature. In the Gita Press edition

you will see Paramatma. They never say Krsna. Theyre so much afraid that If I say Krsna, He will at once capture me. You see? [chuckles] So in a different way. Param Brahman, Caitanya, like this, so many impersonal ways they will say. But that is not required. Bhagavan uvaca means Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Sometimes they say, Blessed Lord said. No. Why you say? The Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna said. Then, what is that next? No interpretation of the scripture. Next? -------------Passage ends------------

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2.2: sri-bhagavan uvaca (continued) Bombay

Dear Deepak, Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. You write: > I would be interested to know how Srila Prabhupada > translated sri-bhagavan uvaca on the original > dictation tapes. Thank you for asking. I assume that here youre speaking about Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Not all of the book originated in the form of dictation. The first five or six chapters were apparently typed by Srila Prabhupada himself, and the book was edited from the typed manuscripts, which are still in the files of the BBT. The remaining chapters come from dictation. It seems that none of the original tapes are still extant, except for a tape of the Introduction. So for the dictated chapters the best we have are the early manuscripts. Now, to answer your question: Ive scanned the manuscripts for the first twelve chapters, for which I have copies with me. Throughout, Srila Prabhupada translates sri-bhagavan uvaca as The Personality of

Godhead said or The Supreme Personality of Godhead said. Exceptions: In 4.1: The Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna said. In 5.2: The Personality of Godhead replied. In 7.1: The transliteration, word-for-word meanings, and translation for sri-bhagavan uvaca do not appear at all. In 9.1: The Supreme Lord said. (In the word-for-word, its the Supreme Personality of Godhead.) In 10.1, The words are left out of the translation. I dont have reliable copies of the last twelve chapters with me to refer to. But as I recall, in the rest of the book Srila Prabhupada consistently translated sri-bhagavan the same wayas the Personality of Godhead or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You can be sure that Srila Prabhupada didnt suddenly switch gears after Chapter Twelve. (Nor, for that matter, did His Divine Grace choose to call his Tenth Canto summary Krishna, the Blessed Lord.) I hope this answers your question. If you have further questions, feel free to ask. Thank you. Hare Krsna. Hoping this finds you in good health, Yours in Srila Prabhupadas service, Jayadvaita Swami

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4.34: Nor by independent study of books. . . This text appears in the purport right after the Sanskrit quotation dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT

Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. lead one to the right path. Nor by independent study of books of knowledge can one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge.

Therefore mental speculation or dry arguments cannot lead one to the right path.Neither by self study of the book of knowledge can help one progress in spiritual life.One has to approach therefore a bonafide spiritual master for receiving the knowledge.

COMMENT According to a message I received not long ago from a correspondent in Bangalore, some devotees there were pointing to this revision as evidence that Bhagavad-gita As It Is is not really as it is. The critics pointed out that the original 1972 edition did not contain the sentence about the inability to progress by independent study of books. The sentence had been added by the GBC (so the critics charged) to support a guru system never desired by Srila Prabhupada. I take such criticism as a sign that restoring this sentence from Srila Prabhupadas manuscript was worth doing. By the way: How did the missing portion go missing? Heres a guess. Suppose the original editor did the text this way: Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot HELP lead one to the right path. Nor can independent study of books of knowledge HELP one progress in spiritual life. [capitals supplied] If you jump from the first HELP to the second, leaving out everything betweena very common sort of typists erroryou get precisely what was published in the First Edition. The First Edition was typeset on a now-extinct IBM Composer on which each typeset line had to be typed twice, making this sort of error even more likely. When you notice that in the First Edition the word HELP comes at the end of a line, you can figure that youve pretty well solved the case: The typesetting person left out one complete line. The Second Edition restores it. This fix illustrates the sort of work done for the Second Edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. And the response to it illustrates how an over-suspicious mind and a hyperactive imagination can turn a typists error into an international conspiracy.

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1.32-35: Kill or be killed? / creature comforts / missing line TRANSLATION

O Govinda, of what avail to us are a kingdom, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed on this battlefield? O Madhusudana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathersin-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, why should I wish to kill them, even though they might otherwise kill me? O maintainer of all living entities, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth. What pleasure will we derive from killing the sons of Dhrtarastra?

PUBLISHED EDITIONS Why should I wish to kill them, though I may survive? even though they might otherwise kill me?

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT why shall I wish to kill them even though I may be killed by them.

COMMENT The old version means roughly the opposite of what Srila Prabhupada (and Lord Krsna) said.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS O maintainer of all creatures living entities, . . .

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Oh the maintainer of all living entities. . .

PUBLISHED EDITIONS What pleasure will we derive from killing the sons of Dhrtarastra?

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT [nothing]

COMMENT A line of Sanskrit has been left untranslated:

nihatya dhartarastra nah ka pritih syaj janardana Its there in the Sanskrit and in Srila Prabhupadas word for word. The omission clearly appears unintended. (And its the sort of omission that scholars and professors notice.) Supplying such missing lines was routine work for the BBT Sanskrit editors on all of Srila Prabhupadas later books, a standard set by Pradyumna Dasa and appreciated by Srila Prabhupada. Here the supplied translation derives directly from Srila Prabhupadas word-for-word meanings.

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5.16: Krsna consciousness drives away nescience PUBLISHED EDITIONS Therefore, one has to seek out such a bona fide spiritual master and, under him, learn what Krsna consciousness is, The spiritual master can for Krsna consciousness will certainly drive away all nescience, as the sun drives away darkness. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Therefore, one has to find out such bona fide spiritual master who is perfect Krsna consciousness and, has to learn under such benafide spiritual master what is Krsna consciousness. Such Krsna consciousness will certainly drive away all kinds o nescience, as the Sun drives away all kinds o darkness.

COMMENT What we find in the First Edition is philosophically all right. What we find in the Second Edition is what Srila Prabhupada said. This revision is hardly worth mentioning. I bring it up only because some critics have cited it, seemingly as evidence that the Second Edition whittles away the importance of the spiritual master. As you can see, what the Second Edition actually does here is restores Srila Prabhupadas words.

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9.26: A leaf, a flower. . . Paragraph restored

patram puspam phalam to yam yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami prayatatmanah If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (first paragraph)] For the intelligent person, it is

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT [I retrieved this missing paragraph from the 1968 Macmillan abridged edition.]

essential to be in Krsna consciousness, engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, in order to achieve a permanent, blissful abode for eternal happiness. The process of achieving such a marvelous result is very easy and can be attempted even by the poorest of the poor, without any kind of qualification. The only qualification required in this connection is to be a pure devotee of the Lord. It does not matter what one is or where one is situated. The process is so easy that even a leaf or a little water or fruit can be offered to the Supreme Lord in genuine love and the Lord will be pleased to accept it. No one, therefore, can be barred from Krsna consciousness, because it is so easy and universal. Who is such a fool that he does not want to be Krsna conscious by this simple method and thus attain the highest perfectional life of eternity, bliss and knowledge? Krsna wants only loving service and nothing more. Krsna accepts even a little flower from His pure devotee. He does not want any kind of offering from a nondevotee. He is not in need of anything from anyone, because He is self-sufficient, and yet He accepts the offering of His devotee in an exchange of love and affection. To develop Krsna consciousness is the highest perfection of life. Bhakti is mentioned twice in this verse in order to declare more emphatically that bhakti, or devotional service, is the only means to approach Krsna. No other condition, such as becoming a brahmana, a learned scholar, a very rich man or a great philosopher, can induce Krsna to accept some offering. Without the basic principle of bhakti, nothing can induce the Lord to agree to

accept anything from anyone. Bhakti is never causal. The process is eternal. It is direct action in service to the absolute whole.

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10.26: Holy fig tree! asvathah sarva-vrksanam: Of all trees I am the banyan tree.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Word-for-word section] asvatthathe banyan tree; sarvavrksanamof all trees;

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Asvatthah--the beginning trees, Sarvavrksanam--of all trees;

[Translation] Of all trees I am the holy fig banyan tree. . .

I am the beginning tree amongst all the trees;

[Purport] The fig banyan tree (asvattha) is one of the highest and most beautiful and highest trees, and people in India often worship it as one of their daily morning rituals.

Brilliant tree is the most beautiful and the highest tree, therefore brilliant tree is the presentation of Krishna. In India people in general worship Indian tree as one of the daily morning rituals.

COMMENT Botanists classify the banyan tree as a species of fig. People in India, however, do not worship fig trees in general; they worship the banyan. Though the banyan is the holy fig tree and tulasi is the holy basil, people worship the banyan tree and the tulasi plant, not figs and basils. Clearly, beginning tree, brilliant tree, and Indian tree are all mis-transcriptions of banyan tree. See also Bhagavad-gita 15.1, which speaks of a banyan (not fig) tree with its roots up

and branches down. More about 10.26 in our next message.

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10.26 (continued): The perpetually living entities

asvatthah sarva-vrksanam devarsinam ca naradah gandharvanam citrarathah siddhanam kapilo munih Of all trees I am the banyan tree, and of the sages among the demigods I am Narada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] . . . and amongst sages and of the sages among the demigods I am Narada.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT I am Narada amongst all the sages of demigods,

COMMENT No big deal here, but sage among the demigods was Srila Prabhupadas standard translation.

[Purport] Amongst the perpetually perfect living entities, Kapila, the son of Devahuti, is a representative of Krsna. He is considered an incarnation of Krsna, and His philosophy is mentioned in SrimadBhagavatam.

Amongst the perpetually living entities, Kapila, the son of Katumuni is the presentation of Krishna. Katumuni is considered incarnation of Krishna. And his philosophy is mentioned in the Srimad Bhagwatam.

COMMENT Perpetually living entities? All living entities are perpetually living. The Gita text here is siddhanam kapilo munih: Among the perfect [Srila Prabhupada would usually say perfected] living entities I am Kapila. So perpetually living entities is

clearly a mis-hearing. Looking at the manuscript again: the Second Edition should certainly have said son of Kardama Muni rather than son of Devahuti. (I dont know how I missed that.) But either namethat of His mother or His fatherserves Srila Prabhupadas purpose of distinguishing the genuine Lord Kapiladeva from the atheist. In the First Edition, neither parent is mentioned.

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1.11: forced to strip? PUBLISHED EDITIONS . . . Draupadi, in her helpless condition, had appealed to them for justice while she was being forced to strip appear naked. . . ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT . . . Droupadi in her helpless condition appealed to them for justice while she was being forced to become naked. . .

COMMENT Draupadi was not forced to strip. I suppose I could have edited this furtherwhile the attempt was being made to force her to appear nakedbut I didnt. Im not sure, now, whether I was being conservative or just lazy. Anyway, I chose to do the minimum: get rid of strip.

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7.4: Altogether the wrong word

bhumir apo nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false egoall together these eight constitute My separated material energies.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false egoaltogether all

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and fals

together these eight constitute My separated material energies.

ego--altogether eight are My separated material energies.

COMMENT A matter of English. The word altogether is altogether the wrong word. The Random House Dictionary explains: The forms ALTOGETHER and ALL TOGETHER, though often indistinguishable in speech, are distinct in meaning. The adverb ALTOGETHER means wholly, entirely, completely: an altogether confused report. The phrase ALL TOGETHER means in a group: The children were all together in the kitchen. ALL the eight elements TOGETHER constitute the Lords material energies.

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2.31: Editing varnasrama-dharma out of the books? PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (last sentence)] Discharging ones specific duty in any field of action in accordance with varnasrama-dharma the orders of higher authorities serves to elevate one to a higher status of life. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT To discharge ones specific duty in any field of action and as ordered by higher authority is the opportunity for being elevated in higher status of life.

COMMENT This revision seems to have become a topic in the Varnasrama Development conference on COM, under the subject heading Editing varnasrama-dharma out of the books? As you can see, the answer is No. Restoring what Srila Prabhupada said.

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4.34: Surrendering to the spiritual master

tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tatt va-darsinah tatthat knowledge of different sacrifices; viddhitry to understand;

pranipatenaby approaching a spiritual master; pariprasnenaby submissive inquiries; sevayaby the rendering of service; upadeksyantithey will initiate; teyou; jnanaminto knowledge; jnaninahthe self-realized; tattvaof the truth; darsinahseers.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because he has they have seen the truth.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Just try to know the truth of all these by approacing self realised spiritual master with all submission, enquiries and rendering service unto Him. Such learned self realised spiritual master initiates knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

COMMENT Since this verse is so important to us, this revision has generated a great deal of comment and inquiry. As you can see, the revision has its basis in Srila Prabhupadas original manuscript. Srila Prabhupada begins in the singular and ends in the plural. So does the revised translation. Of course, Srila Prabhupada has his singular and plural in the same sentencehis subject is singular, his verb pluraland this transgresses English grammar. So I made the first sentence singular, the second plural. The revision also lines up with the Sanskrit. The words upadeksyanti, jnaninah, and tattva-darsinah are all grammatically plural. But isnt there a hidden agenda here? Am I not trying to dilute the authority of the spiritual master? Simply: no. For evidence, read the next verse, 4.35: 1ST EDITION: And when you have thus learned the truth, you will know that all living beings are but part of Meand that they are in Me, and are Mine. 2ND EDITION: Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soul, you will never fall again into such

illusion, for by this knowledge you will see that all living beings are but part of the Supreme, or, in other words, that they are Mine. MANUSCRIPT: By knowing real knowledge from the selfrealised soul you would would have no more any illusion like this. . . In a separate text, Ill go into greater detail about the editing of verse 35. For now, all that needs to concern us is the opening clause. In the Second Edition, the verse begins: Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soulsingular. Seen as a whole, therefore, the revision of these two verses is free from bias as to singular or plural. In fact, the Second Edition, by including text edited out of Text 35, emphasizes the need to obtain knowledge from a self-realized soul. In short: The philosophy is not being changed. Editing is not an exact science. As an editor, you look at each word with a critical eye, and you make value judgments: Is this clear? Is this grammatical? Is this faithful to what the author wrote? Andespecially when revising an already published text: Should this word change, or should I just let it stand as it is? This revision to 4.34 was a close choice. And the version chosen is not one Id go to battle for. Perhaps for the choice in this verse, history will condemn me. I suspect not.

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4.35: Real knowledge from a self-realized soul

yaj jnatva na punar moham evam yasyasi pandava yena bhutany asesani draksyasy atmany atho mayi yatwhich; jnatvaknowing; nanever; punah again; mohamto illusion; evamlike this; yasyasiyou shall go; pandavaO son of Pandu; yenaby which; bhutaniliving entities; asesaniall; draksyasiyou will see; atmaniin the Supreme Soul; athauor in other words; mayiin Me.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation]

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT By knowing real knowledge from the self-realised soul you

And when you have thus learned the truth, Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soul, you will never fall again into such illusion, for by this knowledge you will know that all living beings are but part of Meand that they are in Me, and are Mine. the Supreme, or, in other words, that they are Mine.

would would have no more any illusion like this because by that knowldege you would know that all living entities are only parts and parcel of the Supreme - or in other words, Mine.

COMMENT Obviously, in Edition One Srila Prabhupadas mention of the self-realized soul, repeated from the previous verse, has been deleted. In the Second Edition, it has been restored. Apart from that: In Edition One Srila Prabhupadas translation of na punar moham evam yasyasi pandava has been dropped. The Second Edition restores it: You will never fall again into such illusion. The Second Edition also restores his translation for yena (by which)by this knowledge. Similarly, the Second Edition brings the translation for atmani, meaning in the Supreme, closer in line with what Srila Prabhupada originally said.

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2.8: Consult Krsna through the bona fide representative PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (last line of paragraph 4)] ...they can achieve real happiness only if they consult Krsna, or the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatamwhich constitute the science of Krsnaor through the bona fide representative of Krsna, the man in Krsna consciousness. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT . . . they can achieve real happiness if they prefee to consult Krsna or the Bhaga vat Geeta or Srimad Bhagwatam which are science of Krsna from the bonafide representative of Krsna or the man in Krsna consciousness.

COMMENT BY A CRITIC: Its only one word changed, but what a difference! In Srila Prabhupadas Bhagavad-gita we can understand Krsna by reading the Bhagavad-gita and SrimadBhagavatam, after all the books are not different from Krsna!! But Jayadvaita has

adjusted everything for us...[The critic ends here.]

COMMENT BY JAYADVAITA SWAMI: The critic is right: That one word does make a difference. In Srila Prabhupadas original manuscript, one is advised to consult Krsna or the scriptures from Krsnas representativethat is, through him, or with his help. As Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport to Chapter One, text 1, one should read Bhagavad-gita very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of Sri Krsna. . . In the First Edition one is advised to consult Krsna and the scriptures or Krsnas representativean either/or proposition. I leave it to you decide which advice better matches Srila Prabhupadas original manuscript and better gets across his intended meaning.

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10.37: Who is Vasudeva? And who is Usana Kavi?

vrsninam vasudevo smi pandavanam dhananjayah muninam apy aham vyasah kavinam usana kavih Of the descendants of Vrsni I am Vasudeva, and of the Pandavas I am Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyasa, and among great thinkers I am Usana.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS 10.37, purport (1st paragraph): Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Baladeva is Krsnas immediate expansion. Both Lord Krsna and Baladeva appeared as sons of Vasudeva., so both of Them may be called Vasudeva. From another point of view, because Krsna never leaves Vrndavana, all the forms of Krsna that appear elsewhere are His

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Krishna being the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Valadeva he is the immediate expansion of Krishna. The son of Basudeva, both Lord Krishna and Valadeva appears as the sons of Basudeva, so Vasudeva can be said both of them that here so far as he himself is concerned, not that Krishna is different from him.

expansions. Vasudeva is Krsnas immediate expansion, so Vasudeva is not different from Krsna. It is to be understood that the Vasudeva referred to in this verse of Bhagavad-gita is Baladeva, or Balarama, because He is the original source of all incarnations and thus He is the sole source of Vasudeva. The immediate expansions of the Lord are called svamsa (personal expansions), and there are also expansions called vibhinnamsa (separated expansions).

Vasudeva is immediate expansion. Krishna is another sense does not leave Vrindaban, but al other Krishnas expansions, they are very confidental subject matter, but still as it is stated in the Bhavoda it is to be understood that his Basudeva is Balarama. As he is the original Sourse of all incarnation, similarly He is sole source of Vasudeva. These expansions are called samsa, personal expansions and the different expansions are called divunansa, separated expansion.

COMMENT Apart from the content restored here, in the next paragraph Srila Prabhupada speaks, in the First Edition, about the kavi named Usana. But who is that? Where you read Usana in the First Edition, the original transcription says sukacharya and Sukarta. A doublecheck with the commentary of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana confirmed what was obvious. So the Second Edition gets it right: Sukracarya.

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2.49: . . . and surrender unto the Lord.

durena hy avaram karma buddhi-yogad dhananjaya buddhau saranam anviccha krpanah phala-hetavah durenadiscard it at a long distance; hicertainly; avaramabominable; karma activity; buddhi-yogaton the strength of Krsna consciousness; dhananjayaO conqueror of wealth; buddhauin such consciousness; saranamfull surrender; anvicchatry for; krpanah misers; phala-hetavahthose desiring fruitive results.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation]

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Oh Dhananjaya keep all abominable activities to far

O Dhananjaya, rid yourself of all fruitive keep all abominable activities far distant by devotional service, and in that consciousness surrender fully to that consciousness unto the Lord. Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers.

distant place by dint devotional service and in such consciousness try to surrender unto Him.Those who want to enjoy fruits of work are misers.

COMMENT Note also the word-for-word meanings of durena and avaram karma.

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2.40: Tyaktva sva-dharmam means giving upwhat? PUBLISHED EDITIONS ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Tyaktva svadharmam carana ambujam harer Bhajan na pakkah atha patet tato yadi. Yatra kva va abhadram abhut amusya kim Kah va artha aptah abhajatam svadharmatah. If somebody gives up his occupztional duties and work in terms of Krsna c consciousness and then again fall down on accout of not being complete in such activities,still what is there loss on his part. . .

tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo tha patet tato yadi yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim ko vartha apto bhajatam sva-dharmatah If someone gives up self-gratificatory pursuits his occupational duties and works in Krsna consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work, what loss is there on his part?. . .

COMMENT The verse says, tyaktva sva-dharmam. Sva-dharmam means his occupational duties, not self-gratificatory pursuits. (See Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.17.)

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3.6: The senses and organs of action

karma-indriyanithe five working sense organs; samyamyacontrolling; yah anyone who; asteremains; manasaby the mind; smaranthinking of; indriya-arthansense objects; vimudhafoolish; atmasoul; mithya-acarah pretender; sah he; ucyateis called.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS One who restrains the senses and organs of action, but whose mind dwells on sense objects, certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT One who artificially makes a shows of controlling the senses of action, but cannot check the mind from thinking of sense objects is certainly called a pretender.

COMMENT Someone seems upset that Ive deleted the words and organs, found in Edition One. But, as you see, those words were nowhere in Srila Prabhupadas original manuscript. And for good reason: senses of actionwhat Srila Prabhupada originally saidfully translates the Sanskrit word karma-indriyani. Nothing more needed to be added. The extra and organs offers only redundancy, confusion, or both. Are we supposed to restrain the senses and, in addition, the organs of action? Or the senses of action plus the organs of action? We are supposed to control the karma-indriyasthe senses of action. Just as Srila Prabhupada said.

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3.7: A sincere person tries to control the senses PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] On the other hand, he who controls the senses by the mind and engages his active organs in works of devotion if a sincere person tries to control the active senses by the mind and begins karma-yoga [in Krsna consciousness], without attachment, he is by far superior. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT On the other hand, if a sincere person tries to control the active sense organs and begins Karmayoga in Krsna consciousness, without being attached, he is by far the better.

COMMENT No comment needed.

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2.30: You can never be slain

dehi nityam avadhyo yam dehe sarvasya bharata tasmat sarvani bhutani na tvam socitum arhasi

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Word for word] dehithe owner of the material body; nityam--eternally; avadhyah cannot be killed; ayamthis soul; dehein the body; sarvasyaof everyone; bharataO descendant of Bharata; tasmat therefore; sarvaniall; bhutaniliving entities (that are born); nanever; tvamyourself; socitumto lament; arhasideserve.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT The owner of the material body,Nityam=eternal, Avadhyah=unfit for being killed,Ayam=this soul,Sarvasya=of every body,Bharata=oh the descendant of Bharata, Sarvani=all, Bhutai=living entities ( that areborn) Na=never, Tvam=yourself, Socitum=for lalmetation, Arhasi=deserve.

[Translation] O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature living being.

Oh the descendant of Bharata,the owner of the body is always unfit for being in all bodies and as such you do not deserve to lament for any one of all living entities.

COMMENT The word-for-word meanings in both editions are the same, except that for tvam the First Edition said yourself. In the Second Edition this has been changedquite rightlyto you. Tvam is not a reflexive pronoun, and the English reflexive pronoun yourself doesnt belong here. What fits is the simple pronounyou. You [not yourself] never deserve to lament. You [not yourself] need not grieve. The words is eternal (First Edition) do not appear in Srila Prabhupadas original

manuscript. The word nityam here means eternallyor, as Srila Prabhupada gives it, always. It modifies avadhyah. Thus, always unfit for being slain. Putting that negatively, as the original editor chose to do, the always becomes neverhe can never be slain.

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2.48: Perform your duty equipoised PUBLISHED EDITIONS [word for word] yoga-sthah steadfast in yoga equipoised; kuruperform; karmaniyour duty duties; sangam attachment; tyaktvahaving abandoned giving up; dhananjayaO Dhananjaya Arjuna; siddhiasiddhyoh in success and failure; samah the same equipoised; bhutva having become becoming; samatvam evenness of mind equanimity; yogah yoga; iis called. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Yogastha=in equipoised condition, Kuru=do, Karmani=your duty, Samgam= attachment, Taktva= Giving up, Dhananjaya =oh Arjuna, Sidhya siddhyah =success or success, Samo= equipositioni, Bhutva=so becoming, Samatvam =equanimity, Yoga=of the name, Ucyate=is said.

[Translation] Be steadfast in yoga, Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna., Perform your duty and abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind equanimity is called yoga.

Do your prescribed duty in equiposed condition.Do such duty without being attached to success or failure and to remain just in equipoised condition is called Yoga.

COMMENT For the First Edition, the Sanskrit editor revised Srila Prabhupadas original word-for-word meanings to fit the editors version of the translation. Its a good translation and commits no philosophical errors. But here again, obviously, Edition Two sticks more closely to Srila Prabhupadas original words. So if you want to criticize the version in Edition Two, your criticism should go like this: The editor has revised the word meanings and translation to make them closer to what Srila Prabhupada said, but he shouldnt have [for whatever reasons you may want to give].

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4.26: . . . in the fire of the senses. PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] Some of them [the unadulterated brahmacaris] sacrifice the hearing process and the senses in the fire of the controlled mind mental control, and others [the regulated householders] sacrifice the objects of the senses, such as sound, in the fire of the sacrifice senses. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Some of themlike the unadulterated Brahmacharins sacrifice hearing process and senses in the fire of controoing the mind,and others the regulated householders sacrifice the objects of sense gratification in the fire of senses.

COMMENT Srila Prabhupadas reference to brahmacaris and grhasthas (dropped from the First Edition) comes directly from the translations and comments of the acaryas. When regulated householders perform acts of sense gratification in accordance with religious principles, they offer to the senses the objects of the senses, as a sacrifice. Therefore in the fire of the senses, as Srila Prabhupada originally had it, was correct.

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2.51: Great sages or devotees go back to Godhead PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] The wise, engaged in devotional service, take refuge in the Lord and By thus engaging in devotional service to the Lord, great sages or devotees free themselves from the cycle of birth and death by renouncing the fruits of action results of work in the material world. In this way they can become free from the cycle of birth and death and attain that the state beyond all miseries [by going back to Godhead]. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Thus by being engaged in devotional service of the Lordgreat sages or devotees are able to get free from the resultant actions of work in the material world and thus become from the cycle of birth and death and go back to Godhead where there is no more any miseries.

COMMENT Another verse where the Second Edition more closely matches Srila Prabhupadas original words.

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10.32: The beginning, middle and end of all creations

sarganam adir antas ca madhyam caivaham arjuna adhyatma-vidya vidyanam vadah pravadatam aham Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self, and among logicians I am the conclusive truth.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (paragraph 1)] Among the created manifestations, the first is the creation of the total material elements. are first As explained before, the cosmic manifestation is created and conducted by Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu, and are then again it is annihilated by Lord Siva. Brahma is a secondary creator. All these created elements agents of creation, maintenance and annihilation are different incarnations of the material qualities of the Supreme Lord.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Amongst the created manifestation the first creation is the total material elements, so that as explained before is this created Mahatmaba is conducted by Maha Vishnu, Garbodakashayee Vishnu and Kshirodakashayee Vishnu as realized and again annihilated by Lord Shiva. Brahma is also secondary creator, so all these creative elements, they are different incarnation of the material qualities of the Supreme Lord

COMMENT Brahma, Visnu, and Siva are the guna-avataras, the incarnations of the material qualities of the Supreme Lord. The rest of this purport will come in the next installment.

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10.32 (continued): 14 books of knowledge

sarganam adir antas ca madhyam caivaham arjuna adhyatma-vidya vidyanam vadah pravadatam aham Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self, and among logicians I am the conclusive truth.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (paragraph 2)] Regarding the spiritual science of the Self, there are many literatures, such as the four Vedas, the Vedanta-sutra and the Puranas, the Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Gita. These are all representatives of Krsna. For advanced education there are various kinds of books of knowledge, such as the four Vedas, their six supplements, the Vedantasutra, books of logic, books of religiosity and the Puranas. So all together there are fourteen divisions of books of education. Of these, the book which presents adhyatmavidya, spiritual knowledgein particular, the Vedanta-sutra represents Krsna.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT About the advanced education, there are different kinds of books of knowledge just like the four Vedas and Vedanta Sutra and logic and conclusion, book on religiosity, the Puranas altogether there are fourtessn divisions of education books of which Padhagita, the book which imparts future knowledge, especially the Vedanta Sutras, that is the presentation of Krishna.

COMMENT Access to the Sanskrit commentaries of the acaryas Srila Prabhupada followed made it possible for the editors of Edition Two to restore Srila Prabhupadas purport correctly. To enumerate the fourteen books of knowledge, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes:

angani vedas catvaro mimamsa nyaya vistarah dharma-sastra puranas ca vidya hy etas caturdasa Thats the list. And Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana further says, paraphrasing Lord Krsna, vidyanam madhye dhyatma-vidya. . . vedanta-vidyaham: Among all kinds of education, I am spiritual knowledgein particular, the knowledge of Vedanta. The rest of this purport will come in the next installment.

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10.32 (continued): Getting into arguments

sarganam adir antas ca madhyam caivaham arjuna adhyatma-vidya vidyanam vadah pravadatam aham Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self, and among logicians I am the conclusive truth.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (end)] Among logicians there are different stages kinds of argument. The presentation of evidence is called japa. Supporting ones argument with evidence that also supports the opposing side is called jalpa. The attempt to defeat one another Merely trying to defeat ones opponent is called vitanda,. and the final But the actual conclusion is called vada. The conclusive truth, the end of all reasoning processes, is a representation of Krsna.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Amongst the logicians there are different kinds of stages. During arguments amongst the two parties, when they followed evidences, that is called japa, when they tried to defeat one another that is called vitanda, and when they actually come to the conclusion that is called bado. So the conclusive truth is the representation of Krishna amongst the logicians.

COMMENT

Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusanas commentary discusses and defines vada, vitanda, and jalpa (not japa). Among logicians these technical terms are well known. Both in the First Edition and in the Second Edition, the editors tried to clarify what Srila Prabhupada says they are. For the Second Edition, the BBT Sanskrit editor had the advantage of being familiar with the terms, actually knowing what they mean, and being able to read Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusanas explanation. Whichever edition you follow, the final conclusion represents Krsna.

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10.21: Among the stars, I am the moon. PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport ] Among the stars, the moon is the most prominent at night, and thus the moon represents Krsna. It appears from this verse that the moon is one of the stars; therefore the stars that twinkle in the sky also reflect the light of the sun. The theory that there are many suns within the universe is not accepted by Vedic literature. The sun is one, and as by the reflection of the sun the moon illuminates, so also do the stars. Since Bhagavad-gita indicates herein that the moon is one of the stars, the twinkling stars are not suns but are similar to the moon. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT among the stars the moon is the chief and therefore the moon is the presentation of Krishna. It appears however from this verse that the moon is one of the stars, therefore the stars which twinkle in the stars are also reflected by the sun. The theory that there are many suns within the universe is not accepted by Vedic literature. The sun is one and by the reflection of the sun the moon illuminates similarly the stars. The twinkling stars are not therefore suns as compared here in The Bhagavad Gita that the moon is one of the stars. Therefore the stars are as good as the moon.

COMMENT In a website disparaging the Second Edition, one critic suggests (in regard to another verse) that the Second Edition twists things to try to be more palitable [sic] for the public. Hmmm.

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3.9: unattached and free from bondage

yajnarthat karmano nyatra loko yam karma-bandhanah tad-artham karma kaunteya mukta-sangah samacara yajna-arthatdone only for the sake of Yajna, or Visnu; karmanahthan work; anyatraotherwise; lokahworld; ayamthis; karma-bandhanahbondage by work; tatof Him; arthamfor the sake; karmawork; kaunteyaO son of Kunti; mukta-sangahliberated from association; samacarado perfectly.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Work for the sake of Visnu has to be performed otherwise all work become the cause bondage in this material world.Oh the son of Kunti do therefore your prescribed duties for His satisfaction so that you shall always remain immune from the bondage.

COMMENT A critic challenges, Why has Jayadvaita removed the fact one who always performs his prescribed duties for Krishna remains unattached? Answer: Because in Srila Prabhupadas original manuscript, it wasnt there to begin with. The word unattached, we suppose, would have to be a translation of mukta-sangah. Undoubtedly some translators other than Srila Prabhupada have rendered muktasangah that way. Fine. But Srila Prabhupadas translationimmune from the bondage (or free from bondage)is entirely adequate (and, by the way, more precise). There is no need to translate the word twice. Srila Prabhupadas purport, by the way, says nothing about remaining unattached. It does, however, speak about bondage and about acting in a liberated state (in other words, free from bondage).

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10.29: Among the serpents I am-- Ananta or Vasuki?

anantas casmi naganam varuno yadasam aham pitrnam aryama casmi yamah samyamatam aham Of the many-hooded Nagas I am Ananta, and among the aquatics I am the demigod Varuna. Of departed ancestors I am Aryama, and among the dispensers of law I am Yama, the lord of death.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] Among the many celestial many-hooded serpents, Ananta is the greatest, as is the demigod Varuna among the aquatics. They both represent Krsna. . ..

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Amongst the serpents which have got m any rules the Lord is known as Ananta, amongst the aquatics the demigod Varuna is the representation of Krishna,. . . .

COMMENT In Text 28 the Lord says, Of serpents I am Vasuki. Then why does He say in Text 29 that of serpents He is Ananta? Answer: The serpents in Text 28 have only one hood; the serpents in Text 29, many. This is indicated in the original manuscript (m any rules is almost certainly a mis-hearing of many hoods), and it is confirmed by the commentary of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana (10.28) says, sarpanam eka-sirasam madhye vasukir aham: Among the serpents with one hood I am Vasuki. And (10.29), naganam aneka-sirasam madhye nantah-seso ham: Among the many-hooded Nagas I am Ananta Sesa. In the First Edition, the purport to Text 29 also has the famous line about the planet of the trees, about which nothing further needs to be said.

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10.33: Of creators I am Brahma. PUBLISHED EDITIONS ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT

[Translation] . . . and of creators I am Brahma., whose manifold faces turn everywhere.

. . . amongst the creators I am the Brahma.

COMMENT The phrase whose manifold faces turn everywhere is a legitimate translation of visvatomukhah, but its not what Srila Prabhupada said. Here, as in many places, the editor for the first edition appears to have borrowed from some other published translation.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] Among the creators and living entities who are creators, Brahma, who has four heads, is the chief. The various Brahmas exhibit four, eight, sixteen, etc., heads accordingly, and they are the chief creators in their respective universes. The Brahmas are Therefore he is a representatives of the Supreme Lord, Krsna.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Amongst the creators, living entities, there are different kinds of creators, but Brahma who has four heads, he is the chief of all creators, therefore he is the representationof the Supreme Lord Krishna.

COMMENT Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura all explicitly state that visvatomukhah refers here to the four-headed Brahma.

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3.20: Kings such as Janaka. . .

karmanaiva hi samsiddhim asthita janakadayah loka-sangraham evapi sampasyan kartum arhasi karmanaby work; evaeven; hicertainly; samsiddhimin perfection; asthitah situated; janaka-adayah Janaka and other kings; loka-sangrahamthe people in

general; eva apialso; sampasyanconsidering; kartumto act; arhasiyou deserve.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] Even kKings like such as Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage only by performance of prescribed duties.Therefore, even just for the matter of educating the people in general, you should act like them.

COMMENT Its a small matter, but the First Edition puts eva with janaka-adayah: EVEN kings like Janaka. Srila Prabhupada, in his manuscript, however, puts eva with karmana, to give solely by performance of prescribed duties. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura also puts karmana eva hi all together, to mean by prescribed duties. And Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana begins his commentary by saying, sadacara-matra, simply by proper activities. The Second Edition restores Srila Prabhupadas version. In kings like Janaka and others, the words and others are redundant. Kings such as Janaka says precisely the same thing, without the redundancy. The perfectional stage is equivalent to perfection.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] Being a great devotee of the Lord, he was transcendentally situated, but because he was the king of Mithila (a subdivision of Behar Bihar province in India), he had to teach his subjects how to fight righteously in battle perform prescribed duties. He and his subjects Lord Krsna and Arjuna, the Lords eternal friend, had no need to fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra, but they fought to teach people in general that violence is also necessary in a situation where good arguments fail.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT A great devotee the Lord like King Janaka was transcendentally situated but because he was the king of Mithila( a subdivision of Behar province in India) he had to teach his subjects to follow the example. Lord Krsna and Arjuna His eternal friend had nothing to do with the battle of Kuruksetra but still they fought to te ch people in general that violence is also necessary in a situation where good arguments fail

COMMENT The example King Janaka had to teach his subjects was not simply how to fight righteously but how to perform prescribed duties. Thats what this verse, this purport, and this entire section of the Gita are about. The First Edition leaves out some text, with the result that it has Janaka and his subjects, rather than Krsna and Arjuna, fighting to teach people in general that violence is necessary when good arguments fail. The Second Edition restores the missing text.

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3.22: And yet I am engaged in prescribed duties. PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] . . . and yet I am engaged in work prescribed duties. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT . . . and yet I am engaged in the prescribed duties.

COMMENT Srila Prabhupada, in his writings, uses many set phrases: devotional service, internal energy, fruitive activities, spiritual sky, regulative principles, Supreme Personality of Godhead, and so on. These phrases have distinct and important meanings. One of such phrases is prescribed duties. Mere work and prescribed duties are not necessarily the same. The guy cooking burgers at McDonalds is engaged in work, but he is not engaged in what Srila Prabhupada would call prescribed duties. In the First Edition, prescribed duties has been dropped from verses 22, 23, 24, and 26. In the Second Edition the phrase is restored.

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3.10: Living happily and achieving liberation. PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] Be thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Be thou happy by this Yajna, because performance of this will give you all desirable for

because its performance will bestow upon you all desirable things everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.

living happily and achieving liberation.

COMMENT No comment needed.

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3.32: Doomed to ignorance and bondage

ye tv etad abhyasuyanto nanutisthanti me matam sarva-jnana-vimudhams tan viddhi nastan acetasah yethose; tuhowever; etatthis; abhyasuyantahout of envy; nado not; anutisthantiregularly perform; meMy; mataminjunction; sarva-jnanain all sorts of knowledge; vimudhanperfectly befooled; tanthey are; viddhiknow it well; nastanall ruined; acetasahwithout Krsna consciousness.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not practice them regularly follow them are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and doomed to ignorance and bondage ruined in their endeavors for perfection.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Those who, out of enviousness to the principle of Krsna consciousness,do not perform it regularluy, they are to be considered to be bereft of all sortas of knowledgen befooled, and ruined in the matter of perfection.

COMMENT The Second Edition has left out the word regularly, for no apparent reason. This seems to be an editorial lapse, of the sort the BBT sets straight when they come to our attention. The more conspicuous change here concerns doomed to ignorance and bondage. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana glosses the word nastan as purusartha-vibhrastan,

meaning failing to achieve the goals of human life. As Srila Prabhupada says in his purport, those who neglect Krsnas teachings have no hope for perfection of life. In other words, they are ruined in their endeavors for perfection. In Srila Prabhupadas original manuscript, the phrase doomed to ignorance and bondage does not appear.

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8.17: the creator god PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (paragraph one)] These four yugas, rotating a thousand times, comprise one day of Brahma, the creator god, and the same number comprise one night. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT . . . one thousand 4 yugas that is 40 million 300 thousand of years into 1 thousand is equal to 12 hours that is the duration of Brahmas one day. Similarly, he has got one night so it is 24 hours one day and night.

COMMENT A website devoted to criticizing the Second Edition insinuates that by leaving out the mention of Brahma as the creator god the Second Edition is somehow changing the philosophy. Of course, the term the creator god, although commonly found in books of Indian philosophy, appears nowhere else in Srila Prabhupadas writings. And, as you can see, it appears here in this purportin the First Editiononly because the editor inserted it. I deleted itwhat would you say?perhaps under the influence of the destroyer god. May the preserver god forgive me.

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10.42: Srila Prabhupadas concluding words for Chapter 10 PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (concluding words)] How one can attain the highest devotional perfection of association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been thoroughly explained in this chapter. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, a great acarya in ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT How one can attain the highest devotional perfection of association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been thoroughly explained in this chapter. This cyclic succession from Krishna states: [blank space]

disciplic succession from Krsna, concludes his commentary on this chapter by saying,

yac-chakti-lesat suryadya bhavanty aty-ugra-tejasah yad-amsena dhrtam visva sa krsno dasame rcyate From Lord Krsnas potent energy even the powerful sun gets its power, and by Krsnas partial expansion the whole world is maintained. Therefore Lord Sri Krsna is worshipable.

Lord Krishna is worshipful because by His potential energy even the sun is so powerful and so highly tempered can by his partial expansion of planetary energy He is the whole world contained.

COMMENT Being able to read the original commentary enabled the editors to rescue the lost passage. The Sanskrit says, literally (or as literally as I can come without having a Sanskrit editor by my side): He by a mere remnant of whose energy even the sun has so much power, He by whose plenary portion the universe is maintainedthat Lord Krsna, in this Tenth Chapter, is worshiped.

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2.17: Know that [that] which pervades the body is. . . PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] Know tThat which pervades the entire body is you should know to be indestructible. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT What is all spread over the body is to be known as indestructible.

COMMENT This one is purely for the sake of English grammar. The structure of the old sentence can send the reader straight into a roadblock, set up by the misuse of the word that. To get technical for a few moments (feel free to skip this if youd like), the problem is

that the reader doesnt know whether the word that is a pronoun (as in Give me that.) or a conjunction (as in I know that youll like it.). In fact, in this sentence it tries to do double dutythat is, to serve as both. It tries to be a conjunction ([I want you to] know that. . . .) and at the same time tries to serve as a pronoun (that which pervades). This is grammatically confusing or illegal. Grammatically, it would be ok to say, Know that that which pervades. . . But the double that is awkward. Alternatively, one might say, Know that which pervades the entire body to be indestructible. But then the reader encounters that at the beginning of the sentence but doesnt know how to process itwhich part of speech to read it asuntil he reaches to be, near the end. Fortunately, following more closely the structure of Srila Prabhupadas original sentence enables the Second Edition to sidestep the problem. Those who believe that transcendental literature ought to disregard all laws of grammar beyond the most basic (a view that Srila Prabhupada didnt share) are likely to scorn the above discussion.

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11.8: Sukadeva Gosvami recites this verse. PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] They take Him as a personal friend. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami recites this verse: ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT They took him as a personal friend, and were playing and the subidioshami recited one verse like this [blank space] thu he said that here is the Suprem Person who is considered a s the impersonal Brahma by great sages and is considered by the devotees as the Sup. Pers. of Godhead and by ordinary man who is considered as a product of this material nature. Now these boys who had many, many past activites in their past lifes they are now playing with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so the fact is. . .

ittham satam brahmasukhanubhutya dasyam gatanam para-daivatena mayasritanam nara-darakena sakam vijahruh krta-punyapunjah Here is Tthe Supreme Person, who is considered as the impersonal Brahman by great sages, the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the devotees, and a product of this material nature by ordinary men. Now these boys, who have

performed many, many pious activities in their past lives, are playing with that Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SrimadBhagavatam 10.12.11) The fact is. . .

COMMENT The mis-transcribed subidioshami is easy to decipher. And for those familiar with Srila Prabhupadas favorite verses, the one intended here is obvious. Here, neither Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura nor Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes this Bhagavatam verse. As Srila Prabhupada sometimes said, the purports are his own personal ecstasies. In this purport, readers of the Second Edition can relish the ecstatic words from Srila Prabhupada that the First Edition left out.

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2.61: . . . not the Visnu form. . . PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] The so-called yogis who meditate on something which is not on the the Visnu platform simply waste their time in a vain search after some phantasmagoria. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT The so called Yogis simply waste time in dmeditiating something which is not Visnu Form and therefore their time is wated in vain serch after phatasmagoria.

COMMENT Here the critics have detected a genuine error. The text should read not the Visnu form. The First Edition has it right, the Second Edition wrong. I dont know how the error came about. The BBT will correct it for future printings. My mistakes are not sacred. The BBT has a consistent policy: The errors of typists and editors need not be preserved.

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10.42: He is samata. . . no one is superior

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] He is samata, asamaurdhva, which means that no one is superior to Him and that no one is equal to Him. In the Visnu-mantra Padma Purana it is said that one who considers the Supreme Lord Krsna in the same category with demigodsbe they even Brahma or Sivabecomes at once an atheist.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT He is the samata. Samata means that nobody is better than Him and nobody is equal to Him. In the vishnamantra it is said that anybody who calculates the Supreme Lord Krishna with the label of the demigods even after the standard of Brahma and Shiva he becomes at once atheist.

COMMENT Samata is obviously wrong, asamaurdhva obviously right. (Samata means equanimity. See Bg. 10.5.) The verse from the Padma Purana is one that Srila Prabhupada quoted often. More from this purport in the next message.

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10.42: The case of the missing mission PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (start of the second paragraph)] There is a Mission that regularly propounds that worship of any demigod will lead one to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the supreme goal. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT There is a regular proponent of mission to advertise that one can worship any form of demigods and that will lead one to the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the Supreme Goal.

COMMENT : Hare Krsna.

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18.66: various kinds of knowledge and religion [A member of the conference has written to me, At some point I was hoping you could put up a comparison of the old and new 18.66 The new one cites

Haribhaktivilasa and is much clearer than the old one. So Ill do as he asks.]

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (paragraph one)] The Lord has described various kinds of knowledge, processes of religion, knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, knowledge of the Supersoul, knowledge of the different types of orders and statuses of social life, knowledge of the renounced order of life, knowledge of nonattachment, sense and mind control, meditation, etc.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT The Lord has described in The Bhagavad Gita about various kinds of knowledge and process of religiosity as a knowledge of the Supreme Brahma-knowledge of the Supersoul and knowledge of the different types of order and status of social life, the knowledge of the renounced order of life, knowledge of non-attachment, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, meditation, etc.

COMMENT The only change is that the comma after processes of religion has been replaced by a dash. Srila Prabhupada is commenting on what the sarva-dharma is that one has to give up. The sentence begins, The Lord has described various kinds of knowledge and processes of religion, and the rest of the sentence lists what they are. The Second Edition makes this clear. The First Edition does not. The manuscript version we are looking at is half-edited. Unfortunately, for this chapter it is the oldest manuscript we have. More on this purport in the next message.

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18.66: Anukulyasya sankalpah. . . PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (paragraph two)] In the Eighth Seventh Chapter it was said that only one who has become free from all sinful reactions can take to the ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT In the Eighth Chapter, it has been said. . .

worship of Lord Krsna.

COMMENT No such statement is made in the Eighth Chapter. The verse Srila Prabhupada is citing is clearly from the Seventh Chapter (7.28): yesam tv anta-gatam papam.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (paragraph three)] The process of surrender to Krsna is described in the Hari-bhakti vilasa (11.676):

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT This surrender process is described in the [blank space] Anukulyasya asamkalpah pratikulyasya parjanam. To surrender unto Krishna is described in the B. ..... according to devotional process. . .

anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam raksisyatiti visvaso goptrtve varanam tatha atma-niksepa-karpanye sad-vidha saranagatih According to the devotional process, . . .

COMMENT The Second Edition restores the missing verse. The rest of the paragraph is essentially a paraphrase of that verse, which is quoted in the commentaries of both Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.

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1.1: What did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?

dhrtarastra uvaca dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah mamakah pandavas caiva kim akurvata sanjaya dhrtarastrah uvacaKing Dhrtarastra said; dharma-ksetrein the place of pilgrimage; kuru-ksetrein the place named Kuruksetra; samavetahassembled;

yuyutsavahdesiring to fight; mamakah--my party (sons); pandavahthe sons of Pandu; caand; evacertainly; kimwhat; akurvatadid they do; sanjayaO Sanjaya.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] 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? 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?

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Dhritarastra said O samjaya, My sons and the sons of Pandu after being assembled in the pilgrammage of Kurukshetre with the desire to fight, what did they do?

COMMENT Though desirous to is historically defensible, to a modern reader it is likely to sound strange. The standard idiom is desirous of. Thus according to Theodore Bernstein, the respected authority on English usage, in The Careful Writer: DESIROUS Takes preposition of And so, with desirous, we would have desirous of fighting. Which sounds stiff and clumsy. Following the language Srila Prabhupada uses in the word-for-word section, the new version avoids the problem entirely. NOTE ALSO: In the purport Srila Prabhupada writes that Dhrtarastra inquired from his secretary Sanjaya, What did they do? In the Second Edition translation, Dhrtarastra asks the question in those very words; in the old translation, they never quite appear. By the way, the new version, like the original manuscript, more closely follows the structure of the Sanskrit, which builds up to Dhrtarastras questionWhat did they do? FINALLY: To have missed the distracting echo that results from the juncture of the words PanDU DO, the usually astute ear of the editor must have fallen asleep. The new version rescues the book from this deeppardon medu do. (Note for Austrian readers [one vocal critic of the Second Edition is Austrian]: If you

dont catch the joke, inquire from anyone who knows American baby talk.)

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1.36: Rama-rajya PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] For example, Lord Rama was so saintly that people were even now are anxious to live in His kingdom (Rama-rajya). . . ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Such head of the state requires to be saintly and Lord Rama was so much so that people still now are anxious to have the kingdom of Lord Rama ( Rama Rajya)

COMMENT The old version simply loses the intended meaning. Modern Indian politicians have often appealed to the peoples desire for Rama Rajya. (And so the play on words by pundits twitting Italian-born Sonia Gandhi: Rome Rajya.)

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8.3: 5 kinds of offerings, 5 kinds of fire

sri-bhagavan uvaca aksaram brahma paramam svabhavo dhyatmam ucyate bhuta-bhavodbhava-karo visargah karma-samjnitah TRANSLATION The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyatma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT

[Purport (send of paragraph 2, start of paragraph 3)] . . . This process is called karma. The Chandogya Upanisad describes the Vedic sacrificial process. On the sacrificial altar, five kinds of offerings are made into five kinds of fire. The five kinds of fire are conceived of as the heavenly planets, clouds, the earth, man and woman, and the five kinds of sacrificial offerings are faith, the enjoyer on the moon, rain, grains and semen.

This process is called karma and is very nicely described. By offering sacrifices by the sacrificial method in the Vedic literature the sacrificial altar is considered the heavenly planet, the cloud and the earth and the man and the woman, the 5 kinds of fire and the offering are considered faith, and then by this process the living entity is described as travelling downward from after ???????? the moon planet, and the rains and the grains, and the semina. In this way by interaction of 5 kinds of offering and 5 kinds of fire the process of karma is described in the Vedic literature.

COMMENT Access to the original commentaries enabled the Sanskrit editor to properly decipher Srila Prabhupadas original text. Srila Prabhupada will refer again to the Chandogya Upanisad and the fivefold sacrifice in the purports to 8.16 and 8.26. Though Srila Prabhupadas purport doesnt explicitly say so, and the editors werent going to add it, the fires and offerings match like this: The pious karmi performing sacrifice has faith, which he offers into the fire of the heavenly planets. There he becomes the enjoyer on the moon. When his pious credit is exhausted, this enjoyer descendsas the second offeringto the second fire, the clouds. From the clouds he descends, as Srila Prabhupada says, as rain. This rainthe third offeringis thus offered to the third fireearth. From the earth, as a result, come grains, whichas the fourth offeringare offered to the fourth fireman. The grains become semen, whichas the fifth offeringis offered into the fifth fire woman. In this way, as Srila Prabhupada writes, the karmi perpetually comes and goes on the material path.

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2.18: not sacrifice the cause of religion PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport ] Arjuna was advised to fight and to sacrifice the material body for the cause of religion. not sacrifice the cause of religion for material, bodily considerations. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Arjuna was advised to fight without consideration of the material bodyand sacrifising the cause of religiosity.

COMMENT The original manuscript speaks about sacrificing the cause of religiosity, not sacrificing the material body. The meaning intended by Srila Prabhupadas grammar is without [excessively] considering the material body and [thereby] sacrificing the cause of religiosity. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, in his commentary on this verse, gives the same message. After discussing the difference between body and soul, he says, paraphrasing Lord Krsna, tasmad yujyasveti sastra-vidhitasya sva-dharmasya tyago nucita iti bhavah: Therefore you should fight. In other words, it is inappropriate for you to give up the religious duty prescribed for you in sastra.

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2.20: Having once been. . .

na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah ajo nityah sasvato yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire nanever; jayatetakes birth; mriyatedies; vaeither; kadacitat any time (past, present or future); nanever; ayamthis; bhutvahaving come into being; bhavitawill come to be; vaor; nanot; bhuyah or is again coming to be; ajah unborn; nityah eternal; sasvatah permanent; ayamthis; puranah the oldest; nanever; hanyateis killed; hanyamanebeing killed; sarirethe body.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport (start of the second paragraph)]

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT For the soul there is no birth,death either at any time

For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. . . . neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. ...

neither does he come into being,will become no has so become.

COMMENT Clearly, Edition Two more closely follows Srila Prabhupadas original manuscript. Christian philosophers, as far as I know, believe that God creates the soul, which then lives forever. Having once been, he never ceases to be. The Bhagavad-gita has a different point of view. According to Vaisnava philosophy, the soul is never created; it is a beginningless and endless part of God. Note, also, that in Edition One the translation and the word-for-word meanings match poorly. Now you know why.

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1.2: approaching nearby PUBLISHED EDITIONS [word-by-word meanings] upasangamyaapproaching nearby; ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT upasangamya--approaching nearby;

COMMENT Well, approaching nearby is what Srila Prabhupada saidbut its redundant. Duryodhana did not approach nearby his teacher. He approached his teacher, period.

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1.2: arranged in military formation

sanjaya uvaca drstva tu pandavanikam vyudham duryodhanas tada

acaryam upasangamya raja vacanam abravit sanjayah uvacaSanjaya said; drstvaafter seeing; tubut; pandava-anikamthe soldiers of the Pandavas; vyudhamarranged in a military phalanx; duryodhanah King Duryodhana; tadaat that time; acaryamthe teacher; upasangamyaapproaching; rajathe king; vacanamwords; abravitspoke.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [word-by-word meanings] Sanjaya said: O King, after looking over the army gathered arranged in military formation by the sons of Pandu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and began to speak spoke the following words:

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Samjaya said, O the king, Dyryodhan, the king after looking over the military phalanx arranged by tthe sons of Pandu went to the teacher and began to speak in the following words.

COMMENT In the old edition, the idea of a specific military formation (vyudham) is omitted. In the new edition, I revised phalanx to military formation because a phalanx (originally) is a particular type of formation peculiar to ancient Greek warfare. Greek columns on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra didnt seem right. Hence the revision. In retrospect: Phalanx has come to refer to any military formation, so perhaps I should have been less picky. But at any rate, the new translation gets in the idea that the old one left out. Srila Prabhupada typically said began to speak or began to say when the meaning is simply spoke or said. Such a phrase as began to speak is more apt when followed by something like but was cut off or but changed his mind and fell silent. In later books, the BBT editors routinely trimmed off the began to.

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1.3: your intelligent disciple PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] . . . your intelligent disciple, the son of Drupada. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT made by your disciple the son of Drupada very intelligently.

COMMENT For those who know the rules of English punctuation, the comma after disciple makes it seem as though Drstadyumna, who is being referred to, was the only intelligent disciple of Dronacarya. Which he wasnt.

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1.4: great fighters like Bhima and Arjuna

atra sura mahesv-asa bhimarjuna-sama yudhi yuyudhano viratas ca drupadas ca maha-rathah atrahere; surah heroes; maha-isu-asah mighty bowmen; bhima-arjunato Bhima and Arjuna; samah equal; yudhiin the fight; yuyudhanah Yuyudhana; viratah Virata; caalso; drupadah Drupada; caalso; maha-rathah great fighter.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] Here in this army there are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhima and Arjuna; : there are also great fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Here is this military arrangement there are many heroic bowmen equally strong in fight like Bhima and Arjuna alsothere are great fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupadas.

COMMENT A misreading caused by a missing punctuation mark in the original manuscript. The great fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada are the heroes equal to Bhima and Arjuna. The proper reading is Bhima and Arjuna also. But the editor has mistakenly put the period after Arjuna and shifted the also to modify there are, thus demoting Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada to also-rans.

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1.18: Greatly armed?

. . . saubhadras ca maha-bahuh sankhan dadhmuh prthak prthak . . . saubhadrah Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra; caalso; maha-bahuh mightyarmed; sankhanconchshells; dadhmuh blew; prthak prthakeach separately.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] . . . and others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadra, greatly armed, all blew their respective conchshells.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT and all others, Oh the King,such as the son of Subhadra who is greatly armed allblew their respective conchshells

COMMENT Who is it thats greatly armed? Only the son of Subhadra or all the others too? In the old version, this is unclear. In the new version, the ambiguity has disappeared. Plus we know by now that the Sanskrit word maha-bahuh (original ms for the word-for-word: strong armed) means that Abhimanyu had great armsthe kind made with bones and musclenot great swords and arrows.

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1.20: the situated sons of Dhrtarastra

atha vyavasthitan drstva dhartarastran kapi-dhvajah pravrtte sastra-sampate dhanur udyamya pandavah hrsikesam tada vakyam idam aha mahi-pate athathereupon; vyavasthitansituated; drstvalooking upon; dhartarastranthe sons of Dhrtarastra; kapi-dhvajah he whose flag was marked with Hanuman; pravrttewhile about to engage; sastra-sampatein releasing his arrows; dhanuh bow; udyamyataking up; pandavah the son of Pandu (Arjuna); hrsikesamunto Lord Krsna; tadaat that time; vakyamwords; idamthese; ahasaid; mahi-pateO King.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT

[Translation] O King, at that time Arjuna, the son of Pandu, who was seated in his the chariot, his bearing the flag marked with Hanuman, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows,. O King, after looking at the sons of Dhrtarastra. drawn in military array, O King, Arjuna then spoke to Hrsikesa [Krsna] these words:

Oh the king,at that time Arjuna the son of Pandu who was seated on the chariot with flag marked with Hanuman and while just he was about to throw his arrows taking up the bow,he said unto Lord Krsna as follows after looking on the situated sons of Dhritarastra.

COMMENT The old translation loses the word vyavasthitan. Srila Prabhupada translates it merely as situated (the situated sons). It means, more precisely, situated in an array. (In the word-for-word for text 21, Srila Prabhupada gives nearly the same wordavasthitanas arrayed on the battlefield.)

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1.37-38: their hearts overtaken by greed. . .

yady apy ete na pasyanti lobhopahata-cetasah kula-ksaya-krtam dosam mitra-drohe ca patakam

katham na jneyam asmabhih papad asman nivartitum kula-ksaya-krtam dosam prapasyadbhir janardana yadiif; apieven; etethey; nado not; pasyantisee; LOBHAby greed; UPAHATAoverpowered; CETASAHtheir hearts; kula-ksayain killing the family; krtamdone; dosamfault; mitra-drohein quarreling with friends; caalso; patakamsinful reactions; kathamwhy; nashould not; jneyambe known; asmabhih by us; papatfrom sins; asmatthese; nivartitumto cease; KULA-KSAYAin the destruction of a dynasty; KRTAMdone; DOSAMcrime; PRAPASYADBHIHby those who can see; janardanaO Krsna. [CAPITALS supplied]

PUBLISHED EDITIONS

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT

[Translation] O Janardana, although these men, their hearts overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing ones family or quarreling with friends, why should we, with knowledge of the sin, who can see the crime in destroying a family, engage in these acts?

All though these men do not find out the fault ,on account of being overtaken by greed at heart,of killing the family,quarreling with friends and similar acts. Oh Janardan why should we engage ourselves in this acts of sin inspite of our knowledge of crime in the destruction of family.

COMMENT See lobha-upahata-cetasah and kula-ksaya-krtam dosam prapasyadbhih.

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1.40: the women become polluted

adharmabhibhavat krsna pradusyanti kula-striyah strisu dustasu varsneya jayate varna-sankarah adharmairreligion; abhibhavathaving become predominant; krsnaO Krsna; pradusyantibecome polluted; kula-striyah family ladies; strisuby the womanhood; dustasubeing so polluted; varsneyaO descendant of Vrsni; jayate comes into being; varna-sankarah unwanted progeny.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] . . . . the women of the family become corrupt polluted . . .

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT . . . the women of the family become polluted . . .

COMMENT Srila Prabhupada used precisely the right word. The powerful sexual meaning of polluted is lost in the tame, generic corrupt.

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1.43: the process of ablution before death? PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] There is a system in the varnasrama institution by which before death one has to undergo the process of ablution atonement before death for his sinful activities. One who is always engaged in sinful activities must utilize the process of ablution atonement called the prayascitta. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT There is the system in Varnaasrama institution that one has to undergo the process of ablusion before his death for what he had done in sinful activities.One person who is always engaged in the continued sinful acti vities must take ot the process of ablution called the Prayascitta

COMMENT Ablution means a cleansing with water or other liquid, especially as a religious ritual. This is not the meaning of prayascitta. We know from Srila Prabhupadas lectures on the First Chapter of Sixth Canto, and from his translation of that chapter, that the word he intended was not ablution but atonement.

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1.44: intent on killing our own kinsmen

aho bata mahat papam kartum vyavasita vayam yad rajya-sukha-lobhena hantum sva-janam udyatah ahoalas; batahow strange it is; mahatgreat; papamsins; kartumto perform; vyavasitah have decided; vayamwe; yatbecause; rajya-sukha-lobhenadriven by greed for royal happiness; hantumto kill; sva-janamkinsmen; udyatah trying.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts,. dDriven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Alas how woderful it is that we driven by the desire of enjoying royal happiness preparing ourselves to commit great sinful acts.

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1.45: I would consider it better. . .rather than fight.

yadi mam apratikaram asastram sastra-panayah dhartarastra rane hanyus tan me ksemataram bhavet yadieven if; mamme; apratikaramwithout being resistant; asastramwithout being fully equipped; sastra-panayahthose with weapons in hand; dhartarastrahthe sons of Dhrtarastra; raneon the battlefield; hanyuh may kill; tatthat; mefor me; ksema-tarambetter; bhavetwould be.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] I would consider it bBetter for me if the sons of Dhrtarastra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting, rather than fight with them. on the battlefield.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Even though the sons of Dhritarastra kill me in the fight isnpite of my becoming without any weapons and without any attempt for fighting,still I s shall condider it better ( than to fight with them)

COMMENT The old version has a grammatical problem: On what does the clause rather than fight with them depend? Try to map it out: I would consider it better. . . rather than fight with them? Doesnt make sense. Better for the sons of Dhrtarastra to kill me. . . rather than fight with them? Still less. Grammatically, the sentence as it stands is hopeless. Apart from that: Drawing upon Srila Prabhupadas word-for-word meanings, the Second Edition supplies the text for the omitted sastra-panayah and rane.

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2.13: The sober person is not bewildered. . .

dehino smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati

. . .dhirah--the sober; tatrathereupon; nanever; muhyatiis deluded.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] . . . the self-realized sober person is not bewildered. . .

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT . . .the sober does not becom deluded. . .

COMMENT The Sanskrit word is dhirah.

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2.16: Of the eternal there is no change

nasato vidyate bhavo nabhavo vidyate satah ubhayor api drsto ntas tv anayos tattva-darsibhih na--never; asatah of the nonexistent; vidyatethere is; bhavah endurance; nanever; abhavah changing quality; vidyatethere is; satah of the eternal; ubhayoh of the two; apiverily; drstah observed; antah conclusion; tuindeed; anayoh of them; tattvaof the truth; darsibhih by the seers.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Translation] Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance, and of the eternal [the soul] there is no cessation change. This they seers have concluded by studying the nature of both.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Those who are seers of the truth such persons have concluded it that there is no edurance of the nonexistent (material body)and there is no change of the eternal soul by studying the nature of both of them up to the end.

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2.18: The material body. . . is sure to come to an end.

antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririnah anasino prameyasya tasmad yudhyasva bharata anta-vantahperishable; imeall these; dehah material bodies; nityasyaeternal in existence; uktah are said; saririnah of the embodied soul; anasinah never to be destroyed; aprameyasyaimmeasurable; tasmattherefore; yudhyasvafight; bharataO descendant of Bharata.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] Only tThe material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is subject to destruction sure to come to an end; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata.

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT The material body of the industru[Bctible,immesurable and eternal living entity is subject to be ended ; therefore you fight oh the descendant of Bharata.

COMMENT The argument in the two versions is subtly different. The first argues for the permanence of the soul. The second says, The body is a lost cause anyway. The word only appears neither in Srila Prabhupadas original manuscript nor in the Sanskrit.

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2.25: immutable and unchangeable

avyakto yam acintyo yam avikaryo yam ucyate tasmad evam viditvainam nanusocitum arhasi avyaktah--invisible; ayamthis soul; acintyah inconceivable; ayamthis soul; avikaryah unchangeable; ayamthis soul; ucyateis said; tasmattherefore; evamlike this; viditvaknowing it well; enamthis soul; nado not; anusocitumto lament; arhasiyou deserve.

PUBLISHED EDITIONS

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT

[Translation] It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, and immutable and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.

It is said that the soul is nonvisible,inconceivable, immutablenonchange ableand knowing this as such you should now give this lamentation for the body.

COMMENT The Sanskrit is avikaryah. Srila Prabhupada renders this as immutable [or] nonchangeable. Either immutable or unchangeable will do. Those who think that having only one or the other will result in some loss of meaning should consult their dictionaries.

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2.52: O prayers, O bathing. . . . PUBLISHED EDITIONS [Purport] O Lord, in my prayers three times a day, all glory to Yyou. O Bbathing, I offer my obeisances unto Yyou. O demigods! O forefathers! Please excuse me for my inability to offer you my respects. Now wherever I sit, I can remember the great descendant of the Yadu dynasty [Krsna], the enemy of Kamsa, and thereby I can free myself from all sinful bondage. I think this is sufficient for me. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT Oh my prayers three times a day,all glory to you,Oh bathing I offer my obeisances unto you,Oh the demigods,Oh the forefathers please excuse me for my inability to offer you my respects.Now I am able to remember the great descendant of the Yadu dynasty ( Krsna) and the enemy of Kamsa at any place where I may sit and thus I canget myself freed from all sinful bond age.I think this is sufficient for me.

COMMENT To whom, in this verse, are the glory and obeisances offered? Not to the Lord, but to the karma-kandiya religious rituals a devotee leaves aside. Edition One simply blows it, missing the point. (Compare Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.3-4, purport, which quotes the same verse: Srila Madhavendra Puri, the grand-spiritual master of Lord Caitanya, took leave of all karma-kandiya obligations in the following words:. . . O my evening prayer, all good

unto you. O my morning bath, I bid you good-bye. . .)

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Kasi within the barricade of Varanasi Though this example is not from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, I think it helps us understand why published books sometimes require revision. In the edition of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead published during Srila Prabhupadas physical presence, about eleven paragraphs into Chapter Fifty-six (The Killing of Satrajit and Satadhanva) we find this curious sentence: Once in the province of Kasi within the barricade of Varanasi there was severe drought and practically no rainfall. Hmmmm. What did Srila Prabhupada mean by this? What precisely is the barricade of Varanasi? And is it within the province of Kasi, or vice versa? In fact, Kasi and Varanasi are both well-known names for the same holy place, also known as Benares. So whats going on here? Perhaps most readers never wondered. But back in 1992 or 1993 one reader did: Ekanatha Dasa, then an editor at the Northern European BBT. To solve the puzzle, he compared the printed BBT Krishna Book with Srila Prabhupadas recorded tapes. Result? On the tape, Srila Prabhupada said:Once in the province of Kasi WITHIN BRACKETS Varanasi there was severe drought and practically no rainfall. The BBT later corrected the error. Perhaps some readers will insist that the barricade of Varanasi, however meaningless, is how the text should eternally have stayed. The rest of us will be grateful to Ekanatha. Hare Krsna.

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Encircled by cannons

Heres the story of another revision that, although not from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, can help us better understand why and how the book was revised. I recently heard about an error in the Krsna Book involving the cannons of Mathura, and I asked what it was and who had found it. The devotee who found it was Dhyanakunda Devi Dasi. Heres the story in her own words. I found that one when I worked with the Polish translation of the Krsna Book, seven years ago. In Chapter 40 (Ch. 41 in the new KB), Krsna enters Mathura, fourth paragraph, the city of Mathura is described in detail. One of the sentences reads: There were gorgeous orchards and gardens all around, and the whole city was encircled by cannons so that no enemy could enter very easily. I had a problem translating these cannons. No word I could think of seemed to fit. I tried to visualize the scene to see if it would help me find another solution. Then I realized that cannons just didnt fit the scene; they were an anachronism. I checked the relevant passage in the 10th Cantoits 10.41.20-23, a long and intricate description. I did not find cannons there. I assumed something got mistranscribed, and I checked whether any element of the original description was missing in the KB. Right before the pleasant gardens and parks, I found impregnable moats ( parikha with its canals; durasadaminviolable). I then asked Govinda Madhava Prabhu, who had the Krsna Book tapes, to check that passage. Indeed, Srila Prabhupada said canals. If I remember, it was after this incident that we contacted Dravida Prabhu and he started thinking of checking the entire Krsna Book against the tapes and the Tenth Cantonot just consulting the tapes in cases of doubt. The cannons/canals case could be identified as an editorial mistake simply by reading and consulting the Bhagavatam. But how many more editorial mistakes might be there in the book, impossible to discover that way simply because the final wording was less absurd, it made some sense, or even made perfect sense? We wanted the book to not just make sensewe wanted to make sure we were conveying exactly the meaning Srila Prabhupada intended.

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