Back To Prabhupada, Issue 61, Vol 1, 2019
elcome to Issue 61 of Back To Prabhupada (BTP).
In previous issues, we have exposed the trend of ISKCON members writing their own unauthorised and unnecessary versions of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam in competition with Srila Prabhupada's books. And on this issue's back page there is another article regarding this subject. Srila Prabhupada's books, being complete and empowered in every way, have single-handedly brought everyone to the Krishna consciousness movement and made everyone devotees. Consequently, Srila Prabhupada has not authorised anyone to write competing books or declared his books are lacking in some way. However, this has not stopped these rival "authors" from claiming their rival books are necessary, and thus competing with Srila Prabhupada's books.
They and any potential rival authors should listen to one of their own number. In a posting on 8/12/18, one of the original 11 ISKCON "gurus" and GBC member HH Hridayananda Dasa Goswami ("HD") correctly glorified Srila Prabhupada's books as having been empowered directly by Lord Krishna:
"Prabhupada's books embody an undeniable and unmatched spiritual potency. In short, Lord Krishna Himself is powerfully present in Prabhupada's books, more so than in any other books. Further, in a foreign language Prabhupada taught complex, profound concepts in remarkably clear, consistent, universal language. These and other unique features of his books reveal the direct, guiding hand of Lord Krishna. I believe it was these and similar transcendent qualities in his books that Prabhupada attributed to the direct intervention of Lord Krishna".
HD admits that Srila Prabhupada's books are unmatched in spiritual potency, contain the powerful presence of Lord Krishna more than any other books, and were directly and personally guided by Lord Krishna's hand. Thus, he accepts that Srila Prabhupada's books are coming directly from the spiritual world. Indeed, HD states that Lord Krishna Himself wrote Srila Prabhupada's books (emphasis added):
"...fully honors Lord Krishna's direct, personal role in writing Prabhupada's books, consistent with Prabhupada's own statements."
As HD notes, the fact that Srila Prabhupada's books were written by Lord Krishna is also stated by Srila Prabhupada:
"That is not my explanation, that is Krsna's explanation. I cannot explain now. That moment I could explain. That means Krsna's... I can understand that, that the description is very nicely given. Although it is my writing, but I know it is not my writing. It is Krsna's writing."
(Room Conversation, 4/9/76, emphasis added)
However, this wonderful glorification has not prevented HD from writing his own competing Bhagavad-gita to Srila Prabhupada's world-famous Bhagavad-gita As It Is! But since Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is was written by Lord Krishna, and is "unmatched in spiritual potency", as admitted by HD, then there cannot possibly be any spiritual reason for HD or anyone else to write their own version. Rather, Srila Prabhupada explains right at the beginning of his Bhagavad-gita As It Is why people write unnecessary versions of Bhagavad-gita:
"Before my presentation of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, almost all the English editions of Bhagavad-gita were introduced to fulfill someone's personal ambition."
(Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Preface, original 1972 edition, emphasis added)
Given, then, that either through the authority of Srila Prabhupada or ISKCON's leaders, it is accepted that Lord Krishna Himself has written Srila Prabhupada's books, it must mean that only a fool would write a book to compete with Srila Prabhupada's books – because only a fool would try to write a book to compete with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus, in effect, anyone who writes books trying to cover the same subject matter that Srila Prabhupada's books have already perfectly covered, must believe they are a better writer than God Himself!
Thank you and Hare Krishna.
In Srila Prabhupada's service,
Krishnakant
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