Two editions of TLC compared
The 1968 edition of the Teachings of Lord Caitanya (TLC) was last printed by BBT in 1972. Its content and words are substantially different from the 1974 BBT (USA) edition and subsequent revisions. Over 100 pages of the 1968 first printing and the 1974 edition were compared. Nearly 12,000 words were deleted from one third of the first edition, the equivalent of 24 full pages of text. At this rate, the total number of deleted words for the entire book is estimated at 33,000, the equivalent of 66 full pages of text missing from a book 310 pages long. Substantial information and philosophy was deleted along with the thousands of words. Clearly, the 1968 first edition contains substantial content not found in the 1974 edition and subsequent revisions.
Method of Counting Deleted Words
How were deleted words determined? The 1968 and 1974 editions were compared word for word, sentence by sentence. Words that appeared in the first edition but were deleted (omitted) from the 1974 edition were marked as deleted words. Great care was taken not to count words that were rearranged in the same sentence or which appeared in another nearby sentence or paragraph. Words that were changed for spelling, capitalization or punctuation
were not counted as deleted words. Words for citation references that were changed to the standard format were not counted as deleted words. In the following example, none of the words were counted as deleted words:
1968: Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, Ninth Chapter, 12th Verse 1974:(Bhag.10.9.12)
Deleted words were counted whether or not the words were replaced by
other words. In the following example, the words "you" and "I" were counted as deleted from the first edition even though they were replaced by substitutes in the 1974 edition.
"It is not displayed by you or I" (1968, p. 1)
"It is not displayed by man or any other creature." (1974, p. 1)
Results for TLC
The results were extensive. In 112 pages, 11,831 words were deleted. In the Introduction alone, 3695 words were deleted from 18 pages, the equivalent of 7.4 full pages of text. Approximately 40% of the total words were deleted from the Introduction. In the paragraph describing the ten offenses to the Holy Name, 218 words were deleted out of 524 total words, meaning that 42% of
the words in this paragraph were deleted (1968, p. 27-28).
Analysis of the Content of Deleted and Inserted Words
The content of deleted words was examined. Many deleted phrases, sentences and paragraphs contained information, standards and philosophy that were not rewritten or relocated in the 1974 edition, i.e., they were deleted completely from the book. The following are examples of deleted information, standards and philosophy; the deleted words are in bold type.
Examples of deleted information include:
Examples of deleted standards include:
1. "Other devotees had approached Chaitanya and asked Him to forgive Junior Haridas, but Chaitanya replied, 'You all go live with him and forgive him. I'll stay alone. '" (1968, p. 3)
2. "...Brahma created the whole human society, animal society, everything." (1968, p. 14)
1. "... one should not eat anything other than Krishna prasadam (food offered to Krishna) " (1968, p. 28)
Compare with the 1974 version: "One should not indulge in illicit sex life, intoxication, meat eating or gambling." (1974, p. 30)
2. "but He [Lord Chaitanya] was strict -- like a thunderbolt -- with those of the renounced order who cheated by the method known as
'drinking water underwater while taking bath on a fast day.'" (1968, p. 3)
Examples of deleted philosophy include:
1."Therefore to learn how Krishna's pleasure can be obtained, you have to study the first Nine Cantos of Srimad Bhagwatam. In the Tenth
Canto, Krishna's pleasure potency is displayed..." (1968, p. 8)
Compare with the 1974 version which inserted sahajiyism: "In order to learn how Krsna's pleasure can be obtained, we must read the Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam in which Krsna's pleasure potency is displayed..." (1974,p. 11)
2. "If one is unnecessarily envious of a devotee who is trying to spread the Holy Name all over the world, in execution of the order of his spiritual master, such a rascal is the greatest offender at the Feet of the Holy Name." (1968, p. 27)
3. "But Krishna Consciousness is so nice that it makes no distinction between man and woman." (1968, p. 7)
4. Vedic astronomy was replaced with Western astronomy by the insertion of three words, "the earth about":
"Lord Chaitanya gave a comparable instance in the orbit of the Sun." (1968, p. 80)
"Lord Caitanya clarified this by comparing His pastimes to the orbit of the earth about the sun." (1974, p. 93, italics added)
Examples of deleted logic and reasoning:
Another category of deletions is logic and reasoning. In the 112 pages of the TLC so far examined, the word "therefore" was omitted 66 times from the 1968 edition. Most often, "therefore" was replaced with "since" or "because," but in 27 instances, "therefore" was not replaced at all.
In a Los Angeles, August 25, 1972 morning lecture, Srila Prabhupada explained his use of the word "therefore":
So, "therefore," the word is "therefore." "Therefore" means after concluding something. That means the "therefore." When you talk, when you argue, when you come to the conclusion, then you say "therefore." Or when our argument is stopped, then we say "therefore."
In other words, Srila Prabhupada used this word to speak and write conclusive and convincing statements. He used "therefore" to emphasize and make certain points so that the reader would use his own logic and reasoning to accept them. Srila Prabhupada's use of "therefore" is opposed to dogmatic statements which are written in a style of factual statements.
In addition to the deletions discussed above, the following items were omitted
from the revised edition:
* The book's subtitle: "A Treatise on Factual Spiritual Life"
* The division of chapters into Part I and Part II (see Table of Contents) * Publisher's note, Acknowledgement page, the author's biography, and * Black and white illustrations.
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Method of Counting Deleted Words
How were deleted words determined? The 1968 and 1974 editions were compared word for word, sentence by sentence. Words that appeared in the first edition but were deleted (omitted) from the 1974 edition were marked as deleted words. Great care was taken not to count words that were rearranged in the same sentence or which appeared in another nearby sentence or paragraph. Words that were changed for spelling, capitalization or punctuation
were not counted as deleted words. Words for citation references that were changed to the standard format were not counted as deleted words. In the following example, none of the words were counted as deleted words:
1968: Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, Ninth Chapter, 12th Verse 1974:(Bhag.10.9.12)
Deleted words were counted whether or not the words were replaced by
other words. In the following example, the words "you" and "I" were counted as deleted from the first edition even though they were replaced by substitutes in the 1974 edition.
"It is not displayed by you or I" (1968, p. 1)
"It is not displayed by man or any other creature." (1974, p. 1)
Results for TLC
The results were extensive. In 112 pages, 11,831 words were deleted. In the Introduction alone, 3695 words were deleted from 18 pages, the equivalent of 7.4 full pages of text. Approximately 40% of the total words were deleted from the Introduction. In the paragraph describing the ten offenses to the Holy Name, 218 words were deleted out of 524 total words, meaning that 42% of
the words in this paragraph were deleted (1968, p. 27-28).
Analysis of the Content of Deleted and Inserted Words
The content of deleted words was examined. Many deleted phrases, sentences and paragraphs contained information, standards and philosophy that were not rewritten or relocated in the 1974 edition, i.e., they were deleted completely from the book. The following are examples of deleted information, standards and philosophy; the deleted words are in bold type.
Examples of deleted information include:
Examples of deleted standards include:
1. "Other devotees had approached Chaitanya and asked Him to forgive Junior Haridas, but Chaitanya replied, 'You all go live with him and forgive him. I'll stay alone. '" (1968, p. 3)
2. "...Brahma created the whole human society, animal society, everything." (1968, p. 14)
1. "... one should not eat anything other than Krishna prasadam (food offered to Krishna) " (1968, p. 28)
Compare with the 1974 version: "One should not indulge in illicit sex life, intoxication, meat eating or gambling." (1974, p. 30)
2. "but He [Lord Chaitanya] was strict -- like a thunderbolt -- with those of the renounced order who cheated by the method known as
'drinking water underwater while taking bath on a fast day.'" (1968, p. 3)
Examples of deleted philosophy include:
1."Therefore to learn how Krishna's pleasure can be obtained, you have to study the first Nine Cantos of Srimad Bhagwatam. In the Tenth
Canto, Krishna's pleasure potency is displayed..." (1968, p. 8)
Compare with the 1974 version which inserted sahajiyism: "In order to learn how Krsna's pleasure can be obtained, we must read the Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam in which Krsna's pleasure potency is displayed..." (1974,p. 11)
2. "If one is unnecessarily envious of a devotee who is trying to spread the Holy Name all over the world, in execution of the order of his spiritual master, such a rascal is the greatest offender at the Feet of the Holy Name." (1968, p. 27)
3. "But Krishna Consciousness is so nice that it makes no distinction between man and woman." (1968, p. 7)
4. Vedic astronomy was replaced with Western astronomy by the insertion of three words, "the earth about":
"Lord Chaitanya gave a comparable instance in the orbit of the Sun." (1968, p. 80)
"Lord Caitanya clarified this by comparing His pastimes to the orbit of the earth about the sun." (1974, p. 93, italics added)
Examples of deleted logic and reasoning:
Another category of deletions is logic and reasoning. In the 112 pages of the TLC so far examined, the word "therefore" was omitted 66 times from the 1968 edition. Most often, "therefore" was replaced with "since" or "because," but in 27 instances, "therefore" was not replaced at all.
In a Los Angeles, August 25, 1972 morning lecture, Srila Prabhupada explained his use of the word "therefore":
So, "therefore," the word is "therefore." "Therefore" means after concluding something. That means the "therefore." When you talk, when you argue, when you come to the conclusion, then you say "therefore." Or when our argument is stopped, then we say "therefore."
In other words, Srila Prabhupada used this word to speak and write conclusive and convincing statements. He used "therefore" to emphasize and make certain points so that the reader would use his own logic and reasoning to accept them. Srila Prabhupada's use of "therefore" is opposed to dogmatic statements which are written in a style of factual statements.
In addition to the deletions discussed above, the following items were omitted
from the revised edition:
* The book's subtitle: "A Treatise on Factual Spiritual Life"
* The division of chapters into Part I and Part II (see Table of Contents) * Publisher's note, Acknowledgement page, the author's biography, and * Black and white illustrations.
BACK TO FRONT PAGE
