· Srila Prabhupada on the result of additions and alterations
“… If you concoct, ‘I am more intelligent than my Guru,’ ‘I can make additions and alterations,’ then you are finished…” Srila Prabhupada Lecture. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. July 4, 1975
- Do not adulterate.
So many people sometimes they come forward to give me some credit that I have done very wonderful thing. So, I reply that ” I do not know how to do something wonderful. I cannot manufacture gold, I cannot show any jugglery, but if there is any credit, then the only credit is I don’t adulterate. That’s all. Srila PrabhupadaLecture, Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. January. 1, 1976
· Srila Prabhupada regarding the result of additions and alterations: “You are finished” “…Therefore, we present Bhagavad-Gita as it is, no addition, no alteration. The same thing, AS SOON AS THERE IS ADDITION, ALTERATION, IT IS GONE, FINISHED…” Srila Prabhupada Lecture. Melbourne, Australia. July 2, 1974
Srila Prabhupada warns what will happen if you make additions and alterations“… Therefore, whatever little success you see than my all my Godbrothers, it is due to this. I have no capacity, but I took it, the words of my guru, as life and soul. So, this is fact. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya **. Everyone should do that. But if he makes addition, alteration, then he is finished. No addition, alteration. You have to approach guru—guru means the faithful servant of God, Kṛṣṇa—and take his word how to serve Him. Then you are successful. If you concoct, “I am more intelligent than my guru, and I can make addition or alteration,” then you are finished. So, that is the only…” Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures [Sb. 6.1.26-27], Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. July 12, 1975 “…Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. No change. Others they are interpreting in their own way. That is not Bhagavad-Gita. That is something else…” Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, Paris, France. December I, 1996So, in the parampara system in that disciplic succession, you will find no change…you cannot change anything “…So, in the parampara system in that disciplic succession, you will find no change…you cannot change anything…” Srila Prabhupada Lecture. New York, New York, USA. December I, 1996″…We cannot water down the philosophy to make it more palatable. Our books must remain as they are,” Srila Prabhupada Letter, March 31, 1977
And one who does not believe in the words of the Vedas, they want to change, they want to misinterpret, interpolate, they are atheists You are speaking, without any malinterpretation, without any change of words, I believe in it.” This is theist understanding People must be truthful, they must be equipoised, not disturbed, not being disturbed by different situations. They must learn how to control the senses. They must learn how to control the mind. Śamo damas ti… They must be tolerant, titikṣā. Ārjava: they must be very simple, no duplicity. Ārjava. Jñānam: they must know everything in full knowledge. Vijñānam: apply the knowledge in practical life. Āstikyam: they must believe in the Vedic injunctions. Āstikya. That is called āstikya. The atheist and, and theist. The theist believes in the Vedic injunction. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. That is theist. Not that “I believe in God.” They must believe in the injunction of the Vedas; what is said in the Vedas, one must believe. That is called theist. As we have given several times the example: the Vedas says that cow dung is pure. One who believes in that, he is theist. And one who does not believe in the words of the Vedas, they want to change, they want to misinterpret, interpolate, they are atheists. Bhagavad-gītā, anyone misinterpreting, giving wrong interpretation, or according to his concocted inter…, they are atheists. Theist, he’ll believe all the words of Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as Arjuna believed: sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava [Bg. 10.14]. “My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are speaking, without any malinterpretation, without any change of words, I believe in it.” This is theist understanding. Not like the so-called rascal scholars: “It is not like this. It is not like that. I think it is like this.” These are all rascaldom Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures [Sb 1.2.24], Vrindavana, Uttara Pradesh, India. November 4, 1972