dipika.org

 

           "To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy 
            with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance."

 
 

Go to the Revising Srila Prabhupada's Books Page

Srila Prabhupada 

dipika.org

Features 

Books 

Contributors 

Discussions

Downloads 

Padayatra

Websites 

Worldwide

Earlier Articles

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to
Srila Prabhupada!

Approach a Bona Fide
Spiritual Master

From Jayadvaita Swami
Posted April 12, 2004

Bhagavad-gita 4.34:

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."

Concerned about the integrity and fidelity of this translation? Is "self-realized souls"— in the plural— a deviation?

You might be interested to see how Srila Prabhupada paraphrased this verse in an essay entitled "Interpretations of Bhagavad-gita." The essay appears in the VedaBase, where it is dated "circa 1948." Unlike every published edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the essay is unedited.

Here's that paraphrase:

"It is therefore stated in the Bhagavad-gita that one who actually wants to have an access to the essence of Bhagavad-gita must himself engage in the service of a bona fide spiritual master by full surrender. In that position only, one can make bona fide enquiries regarding the Bhagavad-gita, and in that posture only, the self-realized spiritual masters impregnate the submissive disciple with the knowledge of Gita, because they have already seen the Truth of it."

"Self-realized spiritual masters." Plural.

Hare Krsna.

Website

This message also appears on the following web page:

http://www.krishna.com/newsite/main.php?id=242

Interested in the differences between the first and second editions of Bhagavad-gita As It Is? You'll find more than 150 examples at this address:

www.krishna.com/newsite/GitaRevsExplained.html

Thanks and appreciation from dipika.org to our sponsor and host,

There you'll see the published versions side by side with the text of the original manuscripts. And the graphic format of the web helps you see at a glance what the revisions are and where they're coming from.

For anyone who has concerns about the editing of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, this is a must-see.

Subscription And Copyright Information

This is an "information-only" conference, not a discussion conference. The only person who can post texts to it is me. (Queries and comments may be sent to me privately.)

The conference is public. If you are a member of the PAMHO e-mail system, you can join or leave it on your own— no need to send a request to the Sysop or to me. E-mail users who are not on PAMHO can join or leave the conference by sending me a request at <jayadvaita.swami@pamho.net>.

The First and Second Editions of Bhagavad-gita As It Is are © 1972, 1983 by The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Except where I have included quotations from non-BBT sources, the rest of this message, and of the conference as a whole, is © 1999-2004 by The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Hare Krsna.

© dipika.org April 12, 2004

Send articles to news@dipika.org  
Send comments to webmaster@dipika.org
 

All rights reserved. Copyright © 2002 - 2004 by www.dipika.org