Bhagavad-gita ORIGINAL EDITION:
There was an earlier and highly-abridged Bhagavad-gita by Srila Prabhupada that was published in 1968. It was a paperback edition with a blue cover and a black and white illustration of four armed Visnu on the cover. This edition had no Sanskrit, color paintings or photos. It was also decided by the publishers (Macmillan) to leave out many of the purports that Srila Prabhupada had written. This is technically the original edition. However, he was not very happy with that edition, and so the more complete and unabridged version first published in 1972 (pictured above) is referred to as the original Bhagavad-gita. The Krsna consciousness in this book was beautifully manifested, in a manner never before seen in this world. Srila Prabhupada signed his name to this book and lectured on close to every single verse from it for over seven years. This book was distributed by the millions and has touched more lives than anyone could calculate.
4
Bhagavad-gita REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
This edition of the Bhagavad-gita was first published in 1983, about six years after the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada. The book has been through some revisions since, particularly the paintings. This is the version as it appears now. If you examine this presentation carefully and converse with other devotees who are aware of these book changes, you will begin to discover the full scope of how Srila Prabhupada’s books have been changed.
Please note that on the original cover of the Bhagavad-gita (which is shown on the previous page) Krsna is holding his personal conchshell Pancajanya. The sounding of this conch, combined with those of the Pandavas, holds great significance. For upon hearing this tumultuous roar, the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra were shattered, indicating their certain defeat. That being said, please note on the cover of this revised and enlarged Bhagavad-gita, Krsna’s conchshell has been replaced by a whip. Krsna is certainly depicted in other paintings using a whip, but this is not what Srila Prabhupada chose for his Bhagavad-gita cover.
5
Bhagavad-gita ORIGINAL EDITION:
This Picture of Srila Prabhupada and pictures of the three previous spiritual masters - Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, Srila Gaura Kisora Das Babaji, and Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode - were in the original edition.
His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON and greatest exponent of Krsna consciousness in the western world.
6
Bhagavad-gita REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
In this edition, the pictures of all three previous spiritual masters have been removed and only this changed picture and caption of Srila Prabhupada remains. Please note in this changed caption that greatest exponent of Krsna consciousness in the western world has been deleted.
His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
7
Bhagavad-gita REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
This wonderfully written foreword by Professor Edward C. Dimock Jr., which was in
the original edition, has been entirely deleted in the revised and enlarged edition.
Foreword
The Bhagavad-gita is the best known and the most frequently translated of Vedic religious texts. Why it should be so appealing to the Western mind is an interesting question. It has drama, for its setting is a scene of two great armies, banners flying, drawn up opposite one another on the field, poised for battle. It has ambiguity, and the fact that Arjuna and his charioteer Krsna are carrying on their dialogue between the two armies suggests the indecision of Arjuna about the basic question: should he enter battle against and kill those who are friends and kinsmen? It has mystery, as Krsna demonstrates to Arjuna His cosmic form. It has a properly complicated view of the ways of the religious life and treats of the paths of knowledge, works, discipline and faith and their inter-relationships, problems that have bothered adherents of other religions in other times and places. The devotion spoken of is a deliberate means of religious satisfaction, not a mere outpouring of poetic emotion. Next to the Bhagavata-purana, a long work from South India, the Gita is the text most frequently quoted in the philosophical writings of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school, the school represented by Swami Bhaktivedanta as the latest in a long succession of teachers. It can be said that this school of Vaisnavism was founded, or revived, by Sri Krsna-Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1533) in Bengal, and that it is currently the strongest single religious force in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Gaudiya Vaisnava school, for whom Krsna is Himself the Supreme God, and not merely an incarnation of another deity, sees bhakti as an immediate and powerful religious force, consisting of love between man and God. Its discipline consists of devoting all one’s actions to the Deity, and one listens to the stories of Krsna from the sacred texts, one chants Krsna’s name, washes, bathes, and dresses the murti of Krsna, feeds Him and takes the remains of the food offered to Him, thus absorbing His grace; one does these things and many more, until one has been changed: the devotee has become transformed into one close to Krsna, and sees the Lord face to face.
Swami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gita from this point of view, and that is legitimate. More than that, in this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Krsna devotee interprets his own texts. It is the Vedic exegetical tradition, justly famous, in action. This book is then a welcome addition from many points of view. It can serve as a valuable textbook for the college student. It allows us to listen to a skilled interpreter explicating a text which has profound religious meaning. It gives us insights into the original and highly convincing ideas
8
of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school. In providing the Sanskrit in both Devanagari and transliteration, it offers the Sanskrit specialist the opportunity to re-interpret, or
debate particular Sanskrit meanings–although I think there will be little disagreement about the quality of the Swami’s Sanskrit scholarship. And finally, for the nonspecialist, there is readable English and a devotional attitude which cannot help but move the sensitive reader. And there are the paintings, which, incredibly as it may seem to those familiar with contemporary Indian religious art, were done by American devotees.
The scholar, the student of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, and the increasing number of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold; and arguments for understanding, in these days of estrangement, need not be made.
Professor Edward C. Dimock, Jr.
Department of South Asian Languages and Civilization University of Chicago
9
Bhagavad-gita REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
Srila Prabhupada was highly pleased with all the paintings that were in the original Bhagavad-gita. He never requested that any of them be repainted or deleted. Srila Prabhupada was closely involved with the artists as they produced these paintings. He would even pose, for instance, to show how Krsna holds His flute. The level of bhakti, the innocent freshness, the bright colors and sheer craftsmanship that went into these paintings were absolutely wonderful and astounding especially considering these young devotee artists had only been in the movement a short time. Srila Prabhupada had empowered them. This accomplishment alone speaks volumes for the potency and purity of Srila Prabhupada.
The following pages show a total of thirty-seven full color paintings from the original Bhagavad-gita which have been entirely deleted from the printing of the revised and enlarged edition. In addition, eleven paintings were replaced with new versions (example shown below). Whether these paintings are improvements over the originals is not the point here. These original paintings were fully approved by Srila Prabhupada. There is not the slightest evidence that he wanted these paintings, as they appeared in his Bhagavad-gita to be repainted, much less deleted.
ORIGINAL EDITION:
Plate 5 (1.26-29) When Arjuna saw all the different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion.
REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
Plate 3 (1.51-52) When Arjuna saw many of his friends and relatives in the opposing army, he became overwhelmed.
Plate 2 Deleted (1.3) Plate 3 Deleted (1.3)
Plate 6 Deleted (1.33-35) Plate 9 Deleted (2.13) 12
Plate 10 Deleted (2.22) Plate 11 Deleted (2.62-63)
Plate 12 Deleted (3.10) Plate 13 Deleted (3.12)
13
Plate 14 Deleted (3.37-39) Plate 15 Deleted (4.1)
Plate 17 Deleted (4.8) Plate 18 Deleted (4.11) 14
Plate 19 Deleted (5.4-6) Plate 22 Deleted (6.24)
Plate 24 Deleted (6.47) Plate 25 Deleted (7.4-5)
15
Plate 26 Deleted (7.15-16) Plate 27 Deleted (8.21)
Plate 28 Deleted (9.11) Plate 29 Deleted (10.12-13) 16
Plate 35 Deleted (15.1-3) Plate 36 Deleted (15.6)
Plate 37 Deleted (15.8) Plate 38 Deleted (16.5, 21)
17
Plate 30 Deleted (10.41) Plate 32 Deleted (11.50)
Plate 33 Deleted (1.26-7) Plate 34 Deleted (14.14, 15, 18) 18
Plate 39 Deleted (16.10-18) Plate 40 Deleted (17.4)
Plate 41 Deleted (18.14) Plate 42 Deleted (18.41-46)
19
Plate 43 Deleted (18.65) Plate 44 Deleted (18.78)
Srila Prabhupada examining some new paintings, New York, 1972.
BACK TO FRONT PAGE
There was an earlier and highly-abridged Bhagavad-gita by Srila Prabhupada that was published in 1968. It was a paperback edition with a blue cover and a black and white illustration of four armed Visnu on the cover. This edition had no Sanskrit, color paintings or photos. It was also decided by the publishers (Macmillan) to leave out many of the purports that Srila Prabhupada had written. This is technically the original edition. However, he was not very happy with that edition, and so the more complete and unabridged version first published in 1972 (pictured above) is referred to as the original Bhagavad-gita. The Krsna consciousness in this book was beautifully manifested, in a manner never before seen in this world. Srila Prabhupada signed his name to this book and lectured on close to every single verse from it for over seven years. This book was distributed by the millions and has touched more lives than anyone could calculate.
4
Bhagavad-gita REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
This edition of the Bhagavad-gita was first published in 1983, about six years after the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada. The book has been through some revisions since, particularly the paintings. This is the version as it appears now. If you examine this presentation carefully and converse with other devotees who are aware of these book changes, you will begin to discover the full scope of how Srila Prabhupada’s books have been changed.
Please note that on the original cover of the Bhagavad-gita (which is shown on the previous page) Krsna is holding his personal conchshell Pancajanya. The sounding of this conch, combined with those of the Pandavas, holds great significance. For upon hearing this tumultuous roar, the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra were shattered, indicating their certain defeat. That being said, please note on the cover of this revised and enlarged Bhagavad-gita, Krsna’s conchshell has been replaced by a whip. Krsna is certainly depicted in other paintings using a whip, but this is not what Srila Prabhupada chose for his Bhagavad-gita cover.
5
Bhagavad-gita ORIGINAL EDITION:
This Picture of Srila Prabhupada and pictures of the three previous spiritual masters - Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, Srila Gaura Kisora Das Babaji, and Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode - were in the original edition.
His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON and greatest exponent of Krsna consciousness in the western world.
6
Bhagavad-gita REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
In this edition, the pictures of all three previous spiritual masters have been removed and only this changed picture and caption of Srila Prabhupada remains. Please note in this changed caption that greatest exponent of Krsna consciousness in the western world has been deleted.
His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
7
Bhagavad-gita REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
This wonderfully written foreword by Professor Edward C. Dimock Jr., which was in
the original edition, has been entirely deleted in the revised and enlarged edition.
Foreword
The Bhagavad-gita is the best known and the most frequently translated of Vedic religious texts. Why it should be so appealing to the Western mind is an interesting question. It has drama, for its setting is a scene of two great armies, banners flying, drawn up opposite one another on the field, poised for battle. It has ambiguity, and the fact that Arjuna and his charioteer Krsna are carrying on their dialogue between the two armies suggests the indecision of Arjuna about the basic question: should he enter battle against and kill those who are friends and kinsmen? It has mystery, as Krsna demonstrates to Arjuna His cosmic form. It has a properly complicated view of the ways of the religious life and treats of the paths of knowledge, works, discipline and faith and their inter-relationships, problems that have bothered adherents of other religions in other times and places. The devotion spoken of is a deliberate means of religious satisfaction, not a mere outpouring of poetic emotion. Next to the Bhagavata-purana, a long work from South India, the Gita is the text most frequently quoted in the philosophical writings of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school, the school represented by Swami Bhaktivedanta as the latest in a long succession of teachers. It can be said that this school of Vaisnavism was founded, or revived, by Sri Krsna-Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1533) in Bengal, and that it is currently the strongest single religious force in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Gaudiya Vaisnava school, for whom Krsna is Himself the Supreme God, and not merely an incarnation of another deity, sees bhakti as an immediate and powerful religious force, consisting of love between man and God. Its discipline consists of devoting all one’s actions to the Deity, and one listens to the stories of Krsna from the sacred texts, one chants Krsna’s name, washes, bathes, and dresses the murti of Krsna, feeds Him and takes the remains of the food offered to Him, thus absorbing His grace; one does these things and many more, until one has been changed: the devotee has become transformed into one close to Krsna, and sees the Lord face to face.
Swami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gita from this point of view, and that is legitimate. More than that, in this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Krsna devotee interprets his own texts. It is the Vedic exegetical tradition, justly famous, in action. This book is then a welcome addition from many points of view. It can serve as a valuable textbook for the college student. It allows us to listen to a skilled interpreter explicating a text which has profound religious meaning. It gives us insights into the original and highly convincing ideas
8
of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school. In providing the Sanskrit in both Devanagari and transliteration, it offers the Sanskrit specialist the opportunity to re-interpret, or
debate particular Sanskrit meanings–although I think there will be little disagreement about the quality of the Swami’s Sanskrit scholarship. And finally, for the nonspecialist, there is readable English and a devotional attitude which cannot help but move the sensitive reader. And there are the paintings, which, incredibly as it may seem to those familiar with contemporary Indian religious art, were done by American devotees.
The scholar, the student of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, and the increasing number of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold; and arguments for understanding, in these days of estrangement, need not be made.
Professor Edward C. Dimock, Jr.
Department of South Asian Languages and Civilization University of Chicago
9
Bhagavad-gita REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
Srila Prabhupada was highly pleased with all the paintings that were in the original Bhagavad-gita. He never requested that any of them be repainted or deleted. Srila Prabhupada was closely involved with the artists as they produced these paintings. He would even pose, for instance, to show how Krsna holds His flute. The level of bhakti, the innocent freshness, the bright colors and sheer craftsmanship that went into these paintings were absolutely wonderful and astounding especially considering these young devotee artists had only been in the movement a short time. Srila Prabhupada had empowered them. This accomplishment alone speaks volumes for the potency and purity of Srila Prabhupada.
The following pages show a total of thirty-seven full color paintings from the original Bhagavad-gita which have been entirely deleted from the printing of the revised and enlarged edition. In addition, eleven paintings were replaced with new versions (example shown below). Whether these paintings are improvements over the originals is not the point here. These original paintings were fully approved by Srila Prabhupada. There is not the slightest evidence that he wanted these paintings, as they appeared in his Bhagavad-gita to be repainted, much less deleted.
ORIGINAL EDITION:
Plate 5 (1.26-29) When Arjuna saw all the different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion.
REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION:
Plate 3 (1.51-52) When Arjuna saw many of his friends and relatives in the opposing army, he became overwhelmed.
Plate 2 Deleted (1.3) Plate 3 Deleted (1.3)
Plate 6 Deleted (1.33-35) Plate 9 Deleted (2.13) 12
Plate 10 Deleted (2.22) Plate 11 Deleted (2.62-63)
Plate 12 Deleted (3.10) Plate 13 Deleted (3.12)
13
Plate 14 Deleted (3.37-39) Plate 15 Deleted (4.1)
Plate 17 Deleted (4.8) Plate 18 Deleted (4.11) 14
Plate 19 Deleted (5.4-6) Plate 22 Deleted (6.24)
Plate 24 Deleted (6.47) Plate 25 Deleted (7.4-5)
15
Plate 26 Deleted (7.15-16) Plate 27 Deleted (8.21)
Plate 28 Deleted (9.11) Plate 29 Deleted (10.12-13) 16
Plate 35 Deleted (15.1-3) Plate 36 Deleted (15.6)
Plate 37 Deleted (15.8) Plate 38 Deleted (16.5, 21)
17
Plate 30 Deleted (10.41) Plate 32 Deleted (11.50)
Plate 33 Deleted (1.26-7) Plate 34 Deleted (14.14, 15, 18) 18
Plate 39 Deleted (16.10-18) Plate 40 Deleted (17.4)
Plate 41 Deleted (18.14) Plate 42 Deleted (18.41-46)
19
Plate 43 Deleted (18.65) Plate 44 Deleted (18.78)
Srila Prabhupada examining some new paintings, New York, 1972.
BACK TO FRONT PAGE