Letter to Ramesvara

From: Tamal Krishna - SL_770722_A2

Los Angeles

My dear Ramesvara Maharaja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances at your feet. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 13th, 1977.

Your letter has clarified how all of the editing work is done and also how mistakes are likely to appear. I think however you are mistaken in saying that those who were present during the conversation caused undue anxiety within Srila Prabhupada’s mind. As you have pointed out in your letter, and as everyone is willing to acknowledge (both Satsvarupa Maharaja and Radha Ballabha Prabhu) there are many mistakes due to 1) typographical errors, 2) mistakes made by English and Sanskrit editors because of maya or poor fund of knowledge and 3) transcendental mistakes dictated by His Divine Grace Himself. These are the categories under which you have grouped the mistakes. The persons who were present at that meeting with Srila Prabhupada were not ordinary devotees. Bhakti Prem Maharaja is quite expert at Sanskrit, so much so that Srila Prabhupada feels confident that we do not have to look for a Sanskrit pandit for explaining how the planetarium should be arranged according to the Bhagavatam, now that we have found him. Dr. Svarupa Damodar is a scientist, and Srila Prabhupada has the greatest respect for his opinion. Yasodanandan Maharaja is an advanced sannyasi devotee, very knowledgeable in the philosophy. And I am simply a rascal. At least the opinions of the first three persons are valuable. The actual fact is that during that conversation, it was His Divine Grace who found this particular error (as you now explain it was a typographical error). Furthermore if you read the conversation you will see that it was His Divine Grace who said this is due to the “rascal Sanskrit scholars.” It was not the devotees present who blamed the editors or Sanskrit department, but it was His Divine Grace. And Srila Prabhupada’s opinion of the editing work, both English and Sanskrit, was not formed simply by seeing this mistake, but has developed over many years. When editors such as Hayagriva, Nitai, and Jagannatha, all turned out to be so bad, it is not surprising that His Divine Grace has developed strong opinions.

As you have rightfully pointed out in regard to transcendental mistakes, it is the duty of the editor to right the situation. However I must humbly inform you that in the Fifth Canto, this has not been done. The editors did not correct all the transcendental errors which were made. In all due respect to His Holiness Harikesa Swami, he is not a Sanskrit scholar and cannot be expected to have caught all of these transcendental errors.

Your suggestion that in the future any mistakes which are found can be reported to Satsvarupa Maharaja, Jayadvaita Prabhu, Radha Ballabha Prabhu, or yourself, and after sufficient investigation and confirmation these mistakes can be rectified is accepted. As we are working on this Fifth Canto planetary system, whatever corrections are required to be made, we will get approved by His Divine Grace and then send them on to you so that the new edition will be free from any of these discrepancies.

So far as rumors that are “spreading” that the new books are full of mistakes, this could not have come from Yasodanandan Maharaja’s letter as no one ever saw that letter here in India. We both know that LA is famous for being “rumor-loka”.

I am trying my very best as secretary, to relieve Srila Prabhupada of anxieties and headaches. But this particular anxiety was not caused by uninformed devotees (as I have pointed out earlier in this letter these devotees are not ordinary uninformed devotees and furthermore Srila Prabhupada already had very established opinions about the editing work.) And as you have yourself described in your letter, the mistakes actually do exist; it is not that they are not there and someone was finding fault for no reason. Srila Prabhupada has not thought over this matter since the day of that conversation. Although He has certain doubts in regard to the perfectness of our service, He is quite confident that you will do the needful to make any corrections that are required. [handwritten:] I explained the contents of your letter and Satsvarupa’s, and Radhaballabha and He seemed satisfied that things were not being unathorizedly changed, while at the same time whatever corrections needed to be done were being made.

Hoping this meets you well.

Your servant,
Tamal Krishna Goswami
Secretary to Srila Prabhupada

His Holiness Ramesvara Swami
c/o ISKCON Los Angeles
/tkg

[handwritten:]

Today’s nectar:

I was telling Srila Prabhupada how much the devotees feel grateful that He is giving us everything. Prabhupada’s voice was choked with tears thinking of the devotees love for Him, “Your intense love for me, I am simply living for you. All over the world everything is going on. Money is coming and being spent. I don’t have to worry. I am so much indebted. I am taking so much service.” I said, ‘Srila Prabhupada there is no way we can ever repay our debt to you, how you tirelessly work to enlighten us? And Srila Prabhupada said: “That is Brihat Mrdanga. I am beating from this room and the sound is going 10,000 miles away. Our enemies are surprised, ‘How this man is going on beating?’”

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