Page 43 - Metaphysical questions of life
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not actually read the Bhagavad-gita. He must have read a version of
the Gita that was commented on by a specula ve interpreter who
adulterated Krishna’s original words to suit his a own personal agenda.
In the preface to the Bhagavad-gita, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhak vedan-
ta Swami Prabhupada explains why he presented Bhagavad-gita As It
Is:
“But actually the original father of this movement is Lord Kṛṣṇa Him-
self, since it was started a very long me ago but is coming down to
human society by disciplic succession. If I have any credit in this connec-
on, it does not belong to me personally, but it is due to my eternal
spiritual master, His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa
Parivrājakācārya 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhak siddhānta Sarasva Gosvāmī
Mahārāja Prabhupāda.”
“If personally I have any credit in this ma er, it is only that I have tried
to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any adultera on. Before my
presenta on of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, almost all the English edi ons
of Bhagavad-gītā were introduced to fulfill someone’s personal ambi-
on. But our a empt, in presen ng Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, is to present
the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Our busi-
ness is to present the will of Kṛṣṇa, not that of any mundane speculator
like the poli cian, philosopher or scien st, for they have very li le
knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, despite all their other knowledge. When Kṛṣṇa
says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, etc.,
we, unlike the so-called scholars, do not say that Kṛṣṇa and His inner
spirit are different. Kṛṣṇa is absolute, and there is no difference be-
tween Kṛṣṇa’s name, Kṛṣṇa’s form, Kṛṣṇa’s quali es, Kṛṣṇa’s pas mes,
etc. This absolute posi on of Kṛṣṇa is difficult to understand for any
person who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa in the system
of paramparā (disciplic succession). Generally the so-called scholars,
poli cians, philosophers and svāmīs, without perfect knowledge of
Kṛṣṇa, try to banish or kill Kṛṣṇa when wri ng commentary
on Bhagavad-gītā. Such unauthorized commentary upon Bhagavad-
gītā is known as māyāvāda-bhāṣya, and Lord Caitanya has warned us
about these unauthorized men. Lord Caitanya clearly says that anyone
who tries to understand Bhagavad-gītā from the Māyāvādī point of
view will commit a great blunder. The result of such a blunder will be
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