Letter sent to Iskcon requesting Sanskrit Correction

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Dear Maharaja’s and

Prabhus,

 

Dandavat! Jaya Srila

Prabhupada!!!

 

I could see that Iskcon

will never change Prabhupada's old Vandana for a better version that correctly

says the same as the old verse, UNLESS it can't be shown what is wrong with the

old verse, which, therefore, requires the correction. So I asked the top

Sanskritist on Earth to show the faults of the old verse... here below is his

reply FYI. Here are the faults in the old Vandana as noted by Prof Dr Satya

Vrat Shastri:

 

Dear Hrisikesananda das

ji,

 

Many thanks for your kind

e-mail of September 24, 2009. According to gramatical rule a word in

construction with 'namas' must have to have the Dative case while in the

Vandana as in use at present it--sarasvate deve--is in Locative. If it is to be

changed to Dative in conformity with the grammatical rule a litle

adjustment with the words has to be made. I have suggested the adjustment with

the minimum of word change. 'Namas te' of the first line has been shifted to

the third one with the change of 'te' to 'tu' and the dropping of 'nirvisesa'

which serves no purpose. The verse would then be grammatically faultless and

resonate well with the reciter with the first quadrant having elegant

alliteration.

 

I remain,

Affectionately Yours,

Satya Vrat Shastri

 

Maharaj, Prabhus,

 

Dandavat. AGTSP!!!

 

I finally got it together

for Srila Prabhupada. His vandana needed fixing, otherwise it goes down in

history as faulty Sanskrit composition. Aren't we supposed to be helping Srila

Prabhupada!? I have a long relationship with Prof Dr Satya Vrat Shastri

www.satyavrat-shastri.net who is India's first recepient of the Jnan-pith Award

for Sanskrit in the Award's history. Other than that he has every award India

has to offer, and soon they'll be the "Satya Vrat Shastri" Award for

great scholars of the future. He's Mount Everest in living Sanskrit scholars

today. It's easy to verify.

 

I showed him Prabhupada's

vandana 18 years ago, and he pointed out mistakes which needed to be corrected

to put the Vandana above criticism and for it to make sense. I told

Hridayananda Mj about the problem and he didn't have any idea. He told me Prof Shastri "didn't

understand!" It took me many years but I finally got Prof to do it right.

Please see his letter below.

 

If you don't take it

seriously it will be held accountable in the future at a time too late for

correcting. I can't believe that Hridayananda Maharaj got a degree in Sanskrit,

yet could not help Prabhupada perfect his Vandana, leaving it wide open for

fault-finding. It's not a matter of opinion, it's grammar. If HDG is here with

us now, he would order it corrected if he met with Prof Shastriji. That's why

HDG has editors. Translating Sanskrit is a far cry from composing it. Please

note.

 

Satya Vrat Shastri

Hearty blessings

"Richard Shaw Brown"

Wednesday, 9 September, 2009, 9:42 PM

 

Dear Sri Hrisikesananda das Ji,

Many thanks for your kind e-mail. I am extremely

grateful to you for updating the Website. Since the conferment of the Award I

have been inundated with requests for interviews by newspapers and Radio and

Television channels that keeps me busy almost round the clock.

The verse may have to be re-drafted in keeping with the exigencies of meter and grammar as follows :

sarasvataya devaya gauravanipracarine

namo' stu sunyavadipascatyadesatarine

In this construction which is faultless

grammatically and prosodically nirvisesa is left out, but then, it is of no

consequence. It is a far cry to interpret it as impersonalism from its basic

sense of with no distinction or difference.

 

Everything else is fine here. We are having now

some rain after a long spell of drought which is good for the economy.

Your Mataji joins me in conveying the heartiest

of blessings to Ayusman Jiva, Ayusmati Champakalata and your noble self.

Yours Affectionately,

Satya Vrat Shastri

 

IMPORTANT: So the matter is a simple

choice:

1) Take and apply correction from India’s top

Sanskritist

OR

2) STOP misleading the public that Swami Prabhupada is a

“Great Sanskrit Scholarâ€

 

Y/s,

Hrsikesananda das

 

Attached is the suspect

composition as a scan.

 

 

 

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