Quoting the Approved Bhagavad-gita As It Is (1972)
BY: GADADHARA DAS
Aug 24, 2010 — BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, USA (SUN) — Regarding Dravida dasa's "Reply to Madhudvisa", we thank him for bringing these verses to light. A quick look into the Vedabase will reveal that in fact, Srila Prabhupada not only read these "so called" mistakes, but quoted them many times. Here are just three examples taken from Dravida's sarcastic little tirade:
Bhagavad-gita 9.34:
Devotee: "Translation: Engage your mind always in thinking of Me. Offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you'll come to Me."
Prabhupada: So this is the process. Says, "Always think of Me." (speaks Hindi to guest for some minutes) This is the translation. Read the purport.
(February 25, 1973, Jakarta)
Bhagavad-gita 18.54:
Jayadvaita: "One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me."
Prabhupada: Equally disposed. As soon as he knows that I am not this body, I am spirit soul, then there is no distinction. Just like two American goes to India. So when they understand that "We are Americans," immediately their interest becomes one, although they are in the foreign country. That is psychology. Similarly, as soon as we come to the spiritual platform, there is no such distinction as black, white, Hindu, Muslim, Christian.
Everything finished. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. You are reading the purport?
(June 17, 1976, Toronto)
Bhagavad-gita. 13.2:
Pradyumna: (recites the verse...)
Translation: "Arjuna said: O my dear Krsna, I wish to know about prakrti, nature, purusa, or the enjoyer, and the field and the knower of the field, and of knowledge and the end of knowledge. The Blessed Lord then said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body, who knows this body is called the knower of the field."
Prabhupada: Ksetra-ksetra-jnam. Just like we are living in this apartment and we know that I am not this apartment, but I am living in this apartment. The people say that because the Supersoul or the soul is living within this body therefore the body is soul. This is not very good argument. That is being cleared by Krsna Himself. idam sariram kaunteya ksetram ity abhidhiyate [Bg. 13.2]. Ksetra. Ksetra means land or a place. So idam sariram kaunteya ksetram ity abhidhiyate [Bg. 13.2]. And, the next line?
(Bhagavad-gita 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972)
As for the Bhagavad-gita 13.2 Purport, Srila Prabhupada lectured on this 16 times. He even memorized the translation:
May 11, 1977
December 14, 1975
September 7, 1973
January 14, 1973
December 8, 1974
May 20, 1972
October 15, 1974
October 25, 1973
October 20, 1973
Bombay, October 11, 1973
Miami, February 27, 1975
Paris, August 12, 1973
Melbourne, April 4, 1972
Miami, February 25, 1975
Bombay, September 25, 1973
Paris, August 10, 1973
Out of these 16 times He mentions this verse, eight times He has someone read it directly from the 1972 approved edition.
According to the rule of Arsa Prayoga, a disciple cannot criticize his spiritual master's writings even if they are technically wrong.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati comments in His essay entitled, "The Advent of Thakur Bhaktivinode" Published in The Harmonist, December 1931, vol. XXIX No.6:
"The identical verses of the Scriptures may be recited by the devotee and the non-devotee, may be apparently misquoted by the non-devotee but the corresponding values of the two processes remain always categorically different. The devotee is right even when he apparently misquotes, the non-devotee is wrong even when he quotes correctly the very words, chapter and verse of the Scriptures."
