Questions on Prabhupāda’s Bhagavad Gītā (04/09/12)
Dear ______ Goswami,
I have been traveling for many days and only today did it receive your email.
I am in Czech Republic and i am very happy to receive your email because it makes me remember Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara. Please offer my daṇḍavats to your dear father.
About your questions, below you can see my answers:
1) Are the translation and purports to ‘Bhagvad-gītā’ made by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada right?
Answer: Yes, Prabhupāda’s translation and purport are right, but there are many right translations and purports of the Gītā, such as those by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, Rāmānujācārya, Śrīdhara Svāmī, Madhvācārya and even my humble Gītā presentation. All are right, but there are different layers and subjects that are appreciated in different ways. So the Gitā is dynamic and not static.
2) Does it match to science of Gita?
Answer: Yes, Prabhupāda’s Gītā matches the science of Gītā itself. And that science is that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person and those who surrender to Kṛṣṇa and worship Kṛṣṇa with real bhakti will go to Kṛṣṇa after death in Kṛṣṇa’s eternal home, Goloka Vṛndāvana.
3) How it accords to ancient tradition of Vaiṣṇavism?
Answer: There are many ancient traditions of Vaiṣṇavism and Prabhupāda’s commentary perfectly harmonizes with the essence of the ancient Vaiṣṇava traditions and the ancient Vedic conclusions, but Prabhupāda’s Gītā is a modern presentation that has changed the face of modern history and made many thousands of devotees around the world.
4) Can we speak about Prabhupāda’s purports apart from the text of Gītā and philosophical tradition of Vaiṣṇavism?
Answer: It is same as what Kṛṣṇa is saying in the Gītā text.
5) Or it is a whole one that can not be separated?
Answer: It is same like śālāgrāma. Even if śālāgrāma is separated into pieces, each piece remains śālāgrāma. It is Absolute and non-different than Kṛṣṇa.
6) What do you think about Bhagavad-gītā As It Is?
Answer: I think Bhagavad-gītā As It Is should be taken as the basis of the proper understanding of who Kṛṣṇa is and how to approach Kṛṣṇa. Prabhupāda’s Gītā is perfect and complete. It is also true that other ācāryas have written Gītā commentaries that are perfect and complete, but even so, Prabhupāda wrote his own Gītā commentary and he said that other devotees would also continue to write Gītā commentaries in the future. because I am disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, he has empowered me to write a commentary on Gītā and to spread the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in India and around the world.
I hope this meets you well.
Jaya Dāmodara!
Swami Narasingha
