Many Versions of Bhagavad Gita "As It Ain't" (Garuda Das)

[PADA: The original ISKCON "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" has been revised a number of times, and could still be facing more revisions now -- because there does not seem to be any checks and balances on the editing policy in ISKCON. And rather unfortunately, when we were ringing the alarm bells over this issue in our newsletters, many people said "this is simply PADA's mad ranting." Who cares! 

Ummm, ok, but this editing nightmare imbroglio is the end result. There are now many re-revised editions of many books -- like the Gita -- and it is getting harder and harder for people to figure out -- which is which? 

And all this in the short time since Srila Prabhupada passed on, imagine the editing to come if this precedent becomes acceptable? Thanks to Garuda prabhu for bringing forth some clarity on the changes issue. This is really getting to be a giant mess, they are re-editing the versions they already edited. 

Why is the GBC not doing anything about this? I forgot, they are too busy making porno swami samadhis in the dham. ys pd]  

MY DEAR VAISHNAVA SISTERS AND BROTHERS!

I offer all of you my loving pranamas. Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!

Here's a thought I'd like to offer all of you, that you'll be hearing more about when I launch my video series entitled, "BBT EDIT REVIEW SERIES."

Back in 1979, when Jayadvaita began his editing of the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is in the Philadelphia BTG house where he resided, he called me one day. He told me he was editing the BGAII, and I said well that sounds good to me to get the obvious proofreading mistakes our of the text. That's all I thought he was going to do, as I had complained to him and others that there were obvious mistakes, such as misspellings, etc.

But Jayadvaita then said, "Oh, I'm doing a lot more editing than just that!" I was alarmed, and expressed that to Jayadvaita. I said, "What do you mean a lot more editing than proofreading?" He said, "Well, if you're interested to see what I'm doing, why don't you come down here to see?"

I jumped in my car and drove down to Philadelphia, which is about a seven hour drive from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I was only a second year graduate student there (though I had earned an M.A. from Univ. of Chicago a couple of years prior). But still, how much did I know?

I spent three days with Jayadvaita and Ravindra svarupa Prabhu looking at Jayadvaita's editing. Particularly at least the first six chapters, and how Jayadvaita was considering changing things back to Śrīla Prabhupāda's typed pages of those chapters.

I was also reading from Bhaktivinoda Thakur's commentary on the BG in Bengali, since my Bengali was fairly fluent at the time. At the end of it all, I concluded to Jayadvaita essentially what his editing project was all about:

IT'S THE DE-HAYAGRIVIZATION OF THE BGAII!

But here's the problem: Śrīla Prabhupāda not only accepted Hayagriva's editing, but he desired it and deeply appreciated it. That's the problem.

HAS JAYADVAITA BEEN THE SUPREME AUTHORITY OVER PRABHUPĀDA'S BOOKS?
For at least four decades many devotees in ISKCON have regarded him as such. And if Jayadvaita is not the ultimate authority over Śrīla Prabhupāda's books, then, perhaps, the BBTII directors are? Or, perhaps Davida is? Believe it or not, there are many out there who feel the big question is who has the authority to edit Śrīla Prabhupāda's books.

JUST WHO IS THE ULTIMATE EDITORIAL AUTHORITY OVER PRABHUPĀDA'S BOOKS? PRABHUPĀDA IS!!!!

We devotees must come together and put Śrīla Prabhupāda's instructions on editing as foundational and everything else, including Jayadvaita's view of "history," which he has treated as somehow more authoritative than Śrīla Prabhupāda's instructions, aside. This makes Jayadvaita more aware of what is needed editorially than Śrīla Prabhupāda himself. And it is THIS that has been tearing away at devotees' hearts.

Thank you.

Dāso 'smi premni,

Garuḍa Dāsa

P.S. This pic below appeared on Dandavats today. Jayadvaita's second edition (for which there are at least six versions, so says Brahma Muhurtaji proudly, so I don't know which version of the second edition it is!) shines brightly! Will recipients of this second edition have the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is? Pretty much. But will they have the precise gift from him with his voice shining through?