A 'Grand Aparadha'?
BY: HRISHIKESH DASA
Jan 21, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, USA (SUN) — This is a comment on a point from "Perverting the Sacredness of Motherhood" by Ravanari das:
"When the handwriting was on the wall, who raised up a cry against the voice of tyranny? What about when Shrila Bhaktipada wrote his very own Gita commentary, committing a grand aparadha when the standard version for the yuga (along with the Bhaktivedanta Purports) had just been published. What Mayavadism! And you all turned your other cheeks, because many wanted to be writers like him."
I ask Ravanari: why is it offensive for a disciple to write books explaining Krishna Consciousness, including a commentary on the Gita? Did you know that beginning in 1970 and continuing for three years, Kirtanananda Swami wrote his own "commentary" on eight chapters of the Bhagavad-gita which was published in 'Back to Godhead' magazine? I believe we can assume that Srila Prabhupada approved of this "commentary" by his first sannyasa disciple and no one at the time considered this a "grand aparadha."
During March 1984 (sixteen years after the first publication of Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is) Kirtanananda Swami delivered a series of eighteen lectures on each chapter of the Bhagavad-gita during a trip to Bombay, India. Some lectures were given at the homes of prominent Indian Life Members, others at the Juhu Beach ISKCON temple.
The lectures were recorded on cassette tape, transcribed and published as Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada's first book--"The Song of God: A Summary Study of Bhagavad-gita As It Is," which was later translated and published in Gujarati.
How is publishing a series of lectures on the Gita a "grand aparadha?" If it is not offensive to speak one's own explanation of the Gita during temple programs, how can it be offensive to publish those lectures in print? Both are the same; simply different media: sound and print.
Soon after "Song of God" was published, I found myself living in Brooklyn and daily going out on the pick. Every Sunday afternoon I made it a point to visit the Brooklyn ISKCON temple for the weekly feasts. I would bring a half-dozen copies of "Song of God" and my friends - disciples of Satsvarupa dasa Goswami - permitted me to offer Bhaktipada's book for sale at their Gurupada book table.
If I recall correctly, I sold some copies, but "Song of God" was generally not well received by Prabhupada disciples. After a couple months I was informed by temple management that I would not be allowed to offer Bhaktipada's books for sale anymore in their temple.
Sincerely your servant,
Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)
Kirtanananda Swami's "commentary" on the first eight chapters of the Bhagavad-gita published in Back To Godhead listed below:
1970, Vol 01, No 33, "Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Part 1"
1970, Vol 01, No 34, "Contents of the Gita Summarized"
1970, Vol 01, No 35, "Karma-yoga—Perfection through Action, Part 3: Sankirtana"
1970, Vol 01, No 37, "Transcendental Knowledge, Part 4: He Is Transcendental"
1970, Vol 01, No 38, "Karma-yoga—Action in Krishna Consciousness, Part 5: Work in Devotion"
1970-1973, Vol 01, No 40, "Sankhya-yoga: Absorption in the Supreme"
1970-1973, Vol 01, No 41, "Knowledge of the Absolute: It Is Not a Cheap Thing"
1970-1973, Vol 01, No 42, "Attaining the Supreme: What Is Brahman?"
