Video FAQ

Senior devotees address frequently asked questions about the editing of Śrīla Prabhupāda's books. These video responses cover topics ranging from specific editorial decisions to broader principles guiding the BBT's editorial work.

The revised Gītā has more than 5,000 changes. Why so many?

Jayādvaita Swami

Haven’t some changes completely altered the meaning?

Jayādvaita Swami

Exploring how textual changes can alter philosophical interpretations, with a focus on translation accuracy.

Are comments in footnotes a good solution?

Nareśvara Dāsa

What is the principle of ārṣa-prayoga?

Jayādvaita Swami

Do you have a problem with the change in Bhagavad-gītā 4.34?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Bhagavad-gītā manuscripts – the first 6 chapters

Jayādvaita Swami

Bhagavad-gītā manuscripts – the last 6 chapters

Jayādvaita Swami

Bhagavad-gītā manuscripts – the middle 6 chapters

Jayādvaita Swami

Should the changes be explained in footnotes?

Hari-śauri Dāsa

Cleansing phobia or cleansing mania?

Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami

Should the BBT continue fixing editorial mistakes?

Kaustubha Dāsa

How would you define the BBT’s role and editorial responsibility?

Śacīnandana Swami

Doesn’t the editing interfere with the potency?

Kaustubha Dāsa

Does it make you unhappy that your editing of the Bhagavad-gītā is criticized?

Jayādvaita Swami

Will you document all the corrections made in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Didn't you have doubts about posthumous editing?

Jayādvaita Swami

What if all such editing would be done to the Constitution?

Jayādvaita Swami

Has every word in the books been approved by Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Keśava Bhāratī Dāsa Goswami

Can you give an example of a change that has unnecessarily become a major issue?

Bhakti Gauravāṇī Goswami

Should the BBT stop the editing and “freeze” the books?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Did the GBC ever approve the edits?

Jayādvaita Swami

Some say the GBC wasn’t aware of the extent of the changes.

Jayādvaita Swami

Many changes you have never revealed. Why the secrecy?

Jayādvaita Swami

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s original title for the book was Geetopanisad?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why didn’t you get it right the first time?

Jayādvaita Swami

What is your impression of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta corrections?

Bhakti Gauravāṇī Goswami

Is it appropriate to edit Śrīla Prabhupāda's books after his departure?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

How did Kuntī end up in the Gītā praying from Śrī Īśopaniṣad?

Jayādvaita Swami

Is it possible you made mistakes in the second edition of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Did you leave any errors in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Shouldn’t we just leave what Hayagriva did intact?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Don’t you lose Śrīla Prabhupāda’s potency by refining the text?

Nāgarāja Dāsa

Doesn’t the first edition of the Bhagavad-gītā reflect the magic between Śrīla Prabhupāda and Hayagrīva Prabhu?

Jayādvaita Swami

Many critics don’t seem able to cite examples of changes they disagree with. Have you found this too?

Jayādvaita Swami

What was the need for you to reinterpret Śrīla Prabhupāda’s texts?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why not just fix the obvious mistakes?

Draviḍa Dāsa

How to tell one snake from another.

Jayādvaita Swami

What was the overriding principle in your revision of Bhagavad-gītā?

Jayādvaita Swami

Is the BBT planning to reedit other books?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Why change a purport that makes perfect sense?

Jayādvaita Swami

You reedited the First Canto. What did you do?

Jayādvaita Swami

Aren't Śrīla Prabhupāda’s dictation tapes still available?

Hari-śauri Dāsa

Why did Śrīla Prabhupāda not complain about mistakes during classes?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

Was Śrīla Prabhupāda completely pleased with the Macmillan edition?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Sources.

Jayādvaita Swami

What got you started on revising Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Gītā?

Jayādvaita Swami

Do you still find errors in the Bhagavad-gītā?

Draviḍa Dāsa

If an editor makes stylistic changes, does the book lose its potency?

Bhakti Gauravāṇī Goswami

So, aren’t you getting tired of the criticism?

Jayādvaita Swami

What’s going on with Teachings of Lord Caitanya?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Why did you undertake a second edition of the Bhagavad-gītā?

Jayādvaita Swami

You know Śrīla Prabhupāda was opposed to changes. Why change?

Jayādvaita Swami

What did Śrīla Prabhupāda want from his editors?

Nareśvara Dāsa

When something in the book makes sense, why change it?

Jayādvaita Swami

Which edition of the Gītā do you consider closer to Śrīla Prabhupāda's intent?

Keśava Bhāratī Dāsa Goswami

Why did you add to the purport of Bhagavad-gītā 4.34?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why did you change “The Blessed Lord said”?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why did you change “he has seen the truth”?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why did you change “Viṣṇu form” to “Viṣṇu platform”?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why do some changes seriously alter the meaning?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why edit a book that has already been edited and approved?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

Why edit for style and thus introduce a new voice?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

Why all those other changes?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why did you reedit the Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Why did Śrīla Prabhupāda not catch the mistakes in the Kṛṣṇa book and Bhagavad-gītā?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

Shouldn’t we just be faithful and loyal to Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Śacīnandana Swami

Does the BBT have the authority for posthumous corrections?

Draviḍa Dāsa

What are the emotional reactions to the posthumous editing of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Is it true the second edition of the Gītā has no potency?

Hari-śauri Dāsa

There's an argument that the second edition of the Gītā is without potency.

Hari-śauri Dāsa

On what authority did Jayādvaita Swami reedit the Gītā?

Svavāsa Dāsa

Do you think Śrīla Prabhupāda is pleased with the second edition of Bhagavad-gītā?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Do you think it was legitimate to change “He has seen the truth” in the Bhagavad-gītā?

Svavāsa Dāsa

Didn’t Śrīla Prabhupāda sign off on all the editing?

Hari-śauri Dāsa

In the new edition of the Gītā, is Śrīla Prabhupāda still present?

Svavāsa Dāsa

The revised Gītā has more than 5,000 changes. Why so many?

Jayādvaita Swami

Haven’t some changes completely altered the meaning?

Jayādvaita Swami

Exploring how textual changes can alter philosophical interpretations, with a focus on translation accuracy.

Are comments in footnotes a good solution?

Nareśvara Dāsa

What is the principle of ārṣa-prayoga?

Jayādvaita Swami

Do you have a problem with the change in Bhagavad-gītā 4.34?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Bhagavad-gītā manuscripts – the first 6 chapters

Jayādvaita Swami

Bhagavad-gītā manuscripts – the last 6 chapters

Jayādvaita Swami

Bhagavad-gītā manuscripts – the middle 6 chapters

Jayādvaita Swami

Should the changes be explained in footnotes?

Hari-śauri Dāsa

Cleansing phobia or cleansing mania?

Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami

Should the BBT continue fixing editorial mistakes?

Kaustubha Dāsa

How would you define the BBT’s role and editorial responsibility?

Śacīnandana Swami

Doesn’t the editing interfere with the potency?

Kaustubha Dāsa

Does it make you unhappy that your editing of the Bhagavad-gītā is criticized?

Jayādvaita Swami

Will you document all the corrections made in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Didn't you have doubts about posthumous editing?

Jayādvaita Swami

What if all such editing would be done to the Constitution?

Jayādvaita Swami

Has every word in the books been approved by Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Keśava Bhāratī Dāsa Goswami

Can you give an example of a change that has unnecessarily become a major issue?

Bhakti Gauravāṇī Goswami

Should the BBT stop the editing and “freeze” the books?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Did the GBC ever approve the edits?

Jayādvaita Swami

Some say the GBC wasn’t aware of the extent of the changes.

Jayādvaita Swami

Many changes you have never revealed. Why the secrecy?

Jayādvaita Swami

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s original title for the book was Geetopanisad?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why didn’t you get it right the first time?

Jayādvaita Swami

What is your impression of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta corrections?

Bhakti Gauravāṇī Goswami

Is it appropriate to edit Śrīla Prabhupāda's books after his departure?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

How did Kuntī end up in the Gītā praying from Śrī Īśopaniṣad?

Jayādvaita Swami

Is it possible you made mistakes in the second edition of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Did you leave any errors in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Shouldn’t we just leave what Hayagriva did intact?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Don’t you lose Śrīla Prabhupāda’s potency by refining the text?

Nāgarāja Dāsa

Doesn’t the first edition of the Bhagavad-gītā reflect the magic between Śrīla Prabhupāda and Hayagrīva Prabhu?

Jayādvaita Swami

Many critics don’t seem able to cite examples of changes they disagree with. Have you found this too?

Jayādvaita Swami

What was the need for you to reinterpret Śrīla Prabhupāda’s texts?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why not just fix the obvious mistakes?

Draviḍa Dāsa

How to tell one snake from another.

Jayādvaita Swami

What was the overriding principle in your revision of Bhagavad-gītā?

Jayādvaita Swami

Is the BBT planning to reedit other books?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Why change a purport that makes perfect sense?

Jayādvaita Swami

You reedited the First Canto. What did you do?

Jayādvaita Swami

Aren't Śrīla Prabhupāda’s dictation tapes still available?

Hari-śauri Dāsa

Why did Śrīla Prabhupāda not complain about mistakes during classes?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

Was Śrīla Prabhupāda completely pleased with the Macmillan edition?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Sources.

Jayādvaita Swami

What got you started on revising Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Gītā?

Jayādvaita Swami

Do you still find errors in the Bhagavad-gītā?

Draviḍa Dāsa

If an editor makes stylistic changes, does the book lose its potency?

Bhakti Gauravāṇī Goswami

So, aren’t you getting tired of the criticism?

Jayādvaita Swami

What’s going on with Teachings of Lord Caitanya?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Why did you undertake a second edition of the Bhagavad-gītā?

Jayādvaita Swami

You know Śrīla Prabhupāda was opposed to changes. Why change?

Jayādvaita Swami

What did Śrīla Prabhupāda want from his editors?

Nareśvara Dāsa

When something in the book makes sense, why change it?

Jayādvaita Swami

Which edition of the Gītā do you consider closer to Śrīla Prabhupāda's intent?

Keśava Bhāratī Dāsa Goswami

Why did you add to the purport of Bhagavad-gītā 4.34?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why did you change “The Blessed Lord said”?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why did you change “he has seen the truth”?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why did you change “Viṣṇu form” to “Viṣṇu platform”?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why do some changes seriously alter the meaning?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why edit a book that has already been edited and approved?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

Why edit for style and thus introduce a new voice?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

Why all those other changes?

Jayādvaita Swami

Why did you reedit the Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Draviḍa Dāsa

Why did Śrīla Prabhupāda not catch the mistakes in the Kṛṣṇa book and Bhagavad-gītā?

Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa

Shouldn’t we just be faithful and loyal to Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Śacīnandana Swami

Does the BBT have the authority for posthumous corrections?

Draviḍa Dāsa

What are the emotional reactions to the posthumous editing of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Is it true the second edition of the Gītā has no potency?

Hari-śauri Dāsa

There's an argument that the second edition of the Gītā is without potency.

Hari-śauri Dāsa

On what authority did Jayādvaita Swami reedit the Gītā?

Svavāsa Dāsa

Do you think Śrīla Prabhupāda is pleased with the second edition of Bhagavad-gītā?

Vaiśeṣika Dāsa

Do you think it was legitimate to change “He has seen the truth” in the Bhagavad-gītā?

Svavāsa Dāsa

Didn’t Śrīla Prabhupāda sign off on all the editing?

Hari-śauri Dāsa

In the new edition of the Gītā, is Śrīla Prabhupāda still present?

Svavāsa Dāsa