Guest guest Posted April 30, 2003 Report Share Posted April 30, 2003 I have met a number of devotees of Srila Prabhupada. I have great respect for their devotion, but as one they take his translations of Sanskrit as gospel. Well for them they are. What is wrong with that? But for one who can read Sanskrit without the heavy burden of Vaishnava faith they are not. That is not to say that his translations are not accurate - they are as far as I am aware. However in every case there are additions, interpretations and purports in line with his teaching which are added to the original to give the particular meaning required. They do not exist in the original Sanskrit except for the devotee of Vishnu who reads it that way. If you would like examples see Bhagavad Gita 2/2 (and others) the Supreme Personality of Godhead (philosophical addition, not simple translation - Bhagavat means Divine or Adored there is no word meaning supreme, personality or godhead in the text) verses, 2/2 higher planets (interpretation) 2/16 (Material body and the soul - interpretation not translation), 2/17 Soul (addition), 2/19 Living entity (interpretation), 2/20 Soul (interpretation), 2/20 Soul (interpretation), 2/22 Soul (interpretation) and so on in most verses of the entire work. The Gita is so great because it allows any one to interpret it in their own way. But to say your interpretation is right and others are wrong is not correct. In other words it is Mars, the ever youthful and aggresive one, who is directing your thoughts. He is in Capricorn aspecting retrograde Mercury after all. Yours in friendship Gordon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 30, 2003 Report Share Posted April 30, 2003 Dear friends, Discussions have never changed a persons thinking or views so isn't this discussion also "Srama eva hi kevalam", i.e. a useless waste of time." With regards, Jagmeet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 30, 2003 Report Share Posted April 30, 2003 Dear Kasim, Where does the lord say that the spritual master must have a lineage and one must serve him like a menial servant to obtain knowledge. If you read Shirmad-Bhagvadgita you will find Arjuna some times questioning the logic of the advice of the Lord and the Lord paitiently explaining the reasoning to him. And if automatic blessings with spiritual understanding is possible for a "Spiritual Guru with lineage", do you think it was not possible for Lord Krishna? Chandrashekhar. - Kasim vedic astrology Wednesday, April 30, 2003 10:56 PM [vedic astrology] Re: Mayavada Fallacy Dear JagmeetI heard discussions from a pure devotee Srila Prabhupada and it changed me fromSo yes hearing from mundane men (like me) is ultimately useless. But enquiring and hearing from a self realised spiritual master is real life. Bhagvad GitaChapter 4. Transcendental KnowledgeTEXT 34 tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinahJust try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth. PURPORT The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The Bhagavatam says: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam--the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. One should not only hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect. http://krishna.org/Articles/2000/06/00001.htmlBest wishesKasim--- In vedic astrology, jagmeet dheendsa <jsdheendsa@j...> wrote:> Dear friends,> Discussions have never changed a persons thinking or views so isn't this> discussion also "Srama eva hi kevalam", i.e. a useless waste of time." > With regards,> JagmeetArchives: vedic astrologyGroup info: vedic astrology/info.htmlTo UNSUBSCRIBE: Blank mail to vedic astrology-....... May Jupiter's light shine on us ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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