03/18/98 - 1702

Changes to Srila Prabhupada's Taped Lectures

USA (VNN) - by Pratyatosa Dasa

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Here is something which I have discovered which may be very significant deviation from Srila Prabhupada's instructions:

INTRODUCTION:

In Los Angeles, in 1973, when I started the Bhaktivedanta Tape Ministry, I was working very closely with Krishna Kanti Dasa, who was, at that time, giving most of his attention to producing the radio show called "The Krishna Show". Srila Prabhupada was there, and Krishna Kanti was working directly under the GBC/BBT trustee, Karandhara Dasa, and I was working directly under Krishna Kanti. I was talking to Krishna Kanti daily, he was talking to Karandhara almost daily. Karandhara was talking to Srila Prabhupada almost daily, also. Krishna Kanti was, almost every morning, lugging a very large, professional 2-track stereo tape recorder with 10 1/2" reels up to Srila Prabhupada's quarters to record him singing bhajans. These are among the very few professional quality stereo recordings made of Srila Prabhupada's chanting. These bhajans are the ones that are on the CDs that the BBT has published.

One day, Krishna Kanti told me, "Srila Prabhupada says that we should not edit his lectures. Either we should publish the whole lecture, or none of it." This didn't really apply to me, because my goal was to get the lectures into the hands of our BTM subscribers ASAP, not to edit anything. It applied more to the temptation that Krishna Kanti had: to include portions of lectures as part of his radio show. If you don't believe me, then ask Krishna Kanti directly. He is still in Los Angeles, and I can even give you his telephone number. I haven't checked with him on this, but I'm sure that he remembers this very significant instruction from his spiritual master.

In those days, editting words out of lectures was very difficult. It would have to be done by physically splicing tapes, or by painstakingly copying only the desired portions to a new tape. Now, however, once a lecture has been recorded on a computer's hard drive, editting out words is extremely simple. All you have to do is highlight the portion of the waveform representation of the sound on the computer screen, click on the "play button" to make sure that it's actually what you want to delete, and then press the "Delete" key on the keyboard! If it didn't come out exactly the way you intended, you can even click the "Undo" option! This definitely makes it very tempting to edit Srila Prabhupada's lectures, in complete violation of his orders, and this is what has been going on!

For the past few weeks, I have been creating video tapes containing audio recordings of lectures by Srila Prabhupada taken from CDs published by the Bhaktivedanta Archives in Sandy Ridge, NC. I have also been adding the corresponding words taken from the vedabase, so that they appear on the screen in synchronization with the lectures. The purpose of this endeavor is mostly to provide the Sunday Feast guests with a good way to understand and appreciate Srila Prabhupada. We give them, and all of the devotees present, pencil and paper, and ask them to write down questions that we recite to them before the lecture video starts, and tell them that they will again be asked these same questions, after the lecture is over. This is a very effective way of teaching, and the devotees and guests really get into it. Sometimes someone even asks if there is a prize for the best performance!

In the process of doing this blissful service, I have discovered that there are many things that have been edited out of the CD lectures! The lecture below is an example. After going through three other lectures without taking any notes, I decided that I would take notes on the next one. Because creating the video tapes is, until we get it more automatted, a very labor intensive, difficult task, I purposely chose lectures which are short. The lecture below was chosen because it was the fourth shortest that I could find on the CDs that we have available, and for no other reason. I decided to take notes on the discrepancies before I listened to it, not after.

CHANGES TO ONE CD LECTURE CHOSEN ONLY FOR IT'S SHORTNESS:

CDM-9, Track 1, SB 1.2.22 (720825sb.la):

01. VB:

*********************** Begin copied text **********************
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

ato vai kavayo nityam bhaktim paramaya muda vasudeve bhagavati
kurvanty atma-prasadanim

Prabhupada: (interrupts devotees chanting verse) The word, not
"vay", it is vai. (chanting resumes) Pradyumna: Translation:
"Certainly, therefore, since time immemorial, all
transcendentalists have been rendering devotional service to
Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, with great delight,
because such devotional service is enlivening to the self."
********************** End of copied text **********************

CD:

*********************** Begin copied text **********************
"Therefore, all transcendentalists have been rendering loving
service, with great delight, to Lord Krsna, the Personality of
Godhead, from time immemorial, because such devotional service
is enlivening to the self."
********************** End of copied text **********************

[Why is the translation so completely different on the
Vedabase?]

02. VB: So, "therefore."
CD: "Therefore."

03. VB: When we talk, when we argue when we come to the
conclusion...
CD: When you talk, when you argue, when you come to the
conclusion...

[Why was this changed on the Vedabase?]

04. VB: ...everything is, are, relatively situated...
CD: ...everything are, relatively situated...

05. VB: Just like some gentleman, he is son...
CD: Just like some gentleman, that he is son...

06. VB: So our... this world is relative...
CD: So this world is relative...

07. VB: So this... Now, I am seer.
CD: So, now, I am seer.

08. VB: So here it is said: chidyante sarva-samsayah. Chidyante
sarva-samsayah.
CD: So here it is said: chidyante sarva-samsayah. Chidyante...
Chidyante sarva-samsayah.

09. VN: Modern scientists, they are also entering...
CD: Now modern scientists, they are also entering...

10. VB: perfect knowledge. What is that knock, sound? So here...
CD: perfect knowledge. So here...

11. VB: Generally, "Oh, these are stories.
CD: Generally, "These are stories.

12. VB: He knows and He, He can know, He can do it.
CD: He knows and He can know, He can do it. [Editing sound
obvious.]

13. VB: You cannot do that.
CD: You cannot do.

14. VB: So we are think..., we have got limited energy...
CD: So we are got limited energy... [No pauses whatsoever makes
it seem like simply bad English, rather than normal speaking.]

15. VB: How the bhaktas--they are not scientists...
CD: Now how the bhaktas--they are not scientists...

16. VB: (aside:) You are sleeping, this boy...To Him, not those who
are sleeping. Those who are actually hearing.
CD: ...To Him, not those who are sleeping. Those who are actually
hearing.

[With the first part deleted, the second part loses some of it's
meaning.]

17. VB: Beyond all doubts. There is no doubt. Not that blindly...
CD: Beyond all doubts. Not that blindly...

18. VB: ...devotee, he's accepting, he's accepting: "Here is God...
CD: ...devotee, he's accepting: "Here is God...

19. VB: That is first-class devotee.
CD: And that is first-class devotee.

20. VB: ...science of God, they're firmly fixed up in the devotional
service...
CD: ...science of God, they firmly fixed up in the devotional
service...

21. VB: Thank you very much. Chant.
CD: Thank you very much.

OTHER EXAMPLES:

Here is another example. This one is from a lecture given in Los
Angeles on August 25, 1972:

*********************** Begin copied text **********************
tac chraddadhana munayo jnana-vairagya-yuktaya pasyanty atmani
catmanam bhaktya sruta-grhitaya

Prabhupada: (interrupts and corrects one devotee's chanting of
the verse:) We are repeating so that by hearing the sound, you
can practice. You should be attentive. By... (chanting resumes)
Very good, thank you. Yes. She has done better than all of you.
All right. (chanting resumes) (Prabhupada interrupts again:)
Yes. That's all.
********************** End of copied text **********************

This entire very instructive exchange, where Srila Prabhupada
chastises all of his big, big Sannyasi leaders, and tells them
that one woman did a better job of chanting the sanskrit any of
them, was edited out!

In a lecture given in Los Angeles on September 17th, 1972, Srila
Prabhupada covers two verses in the same lecture. All of the
following except the "Thank you very much" was edited out.
Why???

*********************** Begin copied text **********************
Prabhupada: So next.

Pradyumna: Next verse?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tatah saptama akutyam
rucer yajno 'bhyajayata
sa yamadyaih sura-ganair
apat svayambhuvantaram

Translation: "The seventh incarnation was advented as Yajna, the son of Prajapati Ruci and his wife Akuti. He controlled the period changed by the Svayambhuva Manu, assisted by demigods, as His son Yama and others."

Prabhupada: So you are marking that so many incarnation of God have been described. We are now in the seventh. So there is chronological number, which incarnation, what is His chronological number, what is His father's name, what is His mother's name, what are His activities, how the bodily feature, what is the mission. Everything is described in the sastra. Nowadays any rascal comes, and he says, "I am incarnation." What is your father's name? Whatever it is described? Whether in the sastra? Because incarnation, we cannot accept any rascal as incarnation without proper identification. But it has become a fashion now. Any rascal comes, says, "I am incarnation of God." So where is the mention? Some rascal says, "I was formerly Rama and Krsna." Another rascal accepts, "Oh, you were Rama and Krsna?" So this kind of rascalism is not very good. You must accept the incarnation of God according to the description in the sastras. Not one rascal cheats you and you also become another rascal to accept it. Don't do that. You must know what are the indication of incarnation. This question was raised by Sanatana Gosvami to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because in this age of Kali, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's incarnation is stated in the sastra, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Upanisad, in Mahabharata. There are evidences. He appeared as the son of Jagannatha Misra, but His incarnation is stated in the sastra. Therefore we accept Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu as incarnation. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never said that "I am incarnation."

Rather, to warn the ordinary people that they should not accept any so-called incarnation, when somebody stated Caitanya Mahaprabhu that "You are incarnation of Krsna," He immediately blocked His ears: "Don't say like that. It is great offense, great offense." Because He was playing the part of devotee. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was teaching us how to execute devotional service. And He deprecated Mayavada philosophy in so many ways. He was to establish the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He was exemplifying Himself, how to become a devotee. So He never mentioned that He is incarnation. But we understand from the features of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that He (is) incarnation of Krsna. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam. Krsna-varnam. Krsna varnayati, or in the category of Krsna. Krsna-varnam. And tvisa akrsna, by His complexion He is not black. Akrsna. Akrsna means not black. So not black. It may be other color. Yes. That may be. But in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said... When Gargamuni was preparing the horoscope of Krsna, he said, suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah. Incarnation of God, either white, suklo raktah, either red, yellow, or black. These colors accepted. So Gargamuni said, suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah: "Your son, this son, formerly He appeared in white color, in red color, in yellow color. Now He has appeared in black color." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was yellow color. Therefore, when it is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, tvisa akrsnam, "He is not black," that means "He is pita, He is yellow." Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam. "He is always associated by His devotees." Caitanya Mahaprabhu, so long He lived on this planet, He was always associated with the devotees. The most confidential devotees, Caitanya Mahaprabhu: sri-krsna-caitanya, the central point, prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. So sangopangastra-parsadam, krsna-varnam. He is always chanting Krsna. He is Krsna Himself, tvisa akrsnam, but His bodily complexion is not like that. And other feature: sangopangastra-parsadam, and He is always associated with His devotees. They are His soldiers. Sangopangastra-parsadam. In other incarnation, Krsna comes with weapon. As Lord Ramacandra He came with bows and arrows. As Krsna He came with disc and club. Here Krsna has come compassionately to distribute mercy to the fallen souls. So He has not taken any astra, any weapon. His weapon is His associate devotee. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's associate, Nityananda Prabhu, He is going to kill Jagai and Madhai, not by weapon, but by His mercy. He went to preach Jagai and Madhai, the drunkards, the woman-hunters, flesh-eaters, and they hurt Him. Still, He delivered them. So these astra..., this is the astra. By argument, by philosophy, by entreating, by flattering, they are giving Krsna consciousness.

Advaita Prabhu, Nityananda Prabhu. Yes. Otherwise, they are already killed. Krsna, if He kills them, then everything is finished. They are already killed by so many bad habits. They are going to hell. So those who are already killed, so what will be benefit by killing them? So deliver them. Sangopangastra-parsadam. This is the incarnation of Krsna. It is stated. And how He is worshiped? Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah. The worshiping method of Lord Caitanya incarnation of Krsna is not very difficult. Simply yajnaih sankirtanaih. You perform this yajna of sankirtana: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So Sanatana Gosvami, he was a minister. So to confirm this, he asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu that "How I can accept somebody as incarnation?" So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "That is not difficult. Everything is stated in the sastras, and from the evidence of sastra, you can accept who is incarnation." So our point is that you do not become so foolish and rascal, that any rascal comes and poses himself as God, incarnation of God... You kick on their face. Please consult the sastras whether his name, his father's name, his mother's name, his features of the body, his activities, are corroborating with the sastra. Then accept. Otherwise don't.

Thank you very much. (end)
********************** End of copied text **********************

The worst thing about this practice is that sometimes the editing makes Srila Prabhupada look foolish, such as the following lecture given in Los Angeles on September 25th, 1972:

*********************** Begin copied text **********************
What is that verse? Can anyone cite? ksatriya-rudhira-maye
jagad-apagata-papam...
********************** End of copied text **********************

Obviously, Srila Prabhupada would have paused after saying "Can anyone cite?", waiting to see if any of his disciples could remember the verse that he was refering to, but on the CD, the pause has been edited out! Srila Prabhupada seems to ask the question and then, without a moments delay, recite the verse himself! Is this not doing Srila Prabhupada a very great disservice by making him look foolish?

Your servant,
Pratyatosa Dasa (http://www.com.org/hb/ptd/)