BBT press release The BBT is releasing a trove of more than a dozen letters exchanged between Hayagriva Dasa and Jayadvaita Dasa about Bhagavad-gita As It Is while the book was in production. The letters show that the translations especially, far from being Srila Prabhupada’s words lightly edited for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, were the outcome of a multifaceted editorial process. The letters give us some insight into what that process was. The letters, which are preserved at the Bhaktivedanta Archives, thus help document the history of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Hayagriva … [Read more...] about 1970 letters shed new light on how “Gita As It Is” came to be
Archive of articles about editing
Style sheets, articles about editing, and the editorial policies and guidelines for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
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Now online: “Gita changes” for Chapter Eleven
BBT Press release The “annotated scans” for Chapter Eleven of Bhagavad-gita As It Is are now online at BBTedit.com/changes. The scans for this chapter are the latest in a series that shows all the revisions done for the transliterations, word meanings, and purports of the second edition. Nearly every revision also has a note explaining why it was done, along with an image from the BBT’s oldest manuscripts, allowing you to verify the history for yourself. Jayadvaita Swami did his revisions for the second edition on a physical copy of the first edition. The scans show that copy. … [Read more...] about Now online: “Gita changes” for Chapter Eleven
Now online: “Gita changes” for Chapter Ten
BBT Press release The “annotated scans” for Chapter Ten of Bhagavad-gita As It Is are now online at BBTedit.com/changes. The scans for this chapter are the latest in a series that shows all the revisions done for the transliterations, word meanings, and purports of the second edition. Nearly every revision also has a note explaining why it was done, along with an image from the BBT’s oldest manuscripts, allowing you to verify the history for yourself. Jayadvaita Swami did his revisions for the second edition on a physical copy of the first edition. The scans show that copy. (Revisions … [Read more...] about Now online: “Gita changes” for Chapter Ten
Updated BBT style guide (December 2016)
Here is the most recent version of the BBT Style Guide. BBT Style Guide, December 2016 (docx, 433 KB) BBT Style Guide, December 2016 (pdf, 910 KB) The Style Guide offers the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust's latest standards on such matters as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and word choice. This is a routine update. You can always find the latest version of the Style Guide on the permanent page of BBT editorial resources. … [Read more...] about Updated BBT style guide (December 2016)
Now online: “Gita changes” for chapter nine
BBT press release The “annotated scans” for Chapter Nine of Bhagavad-gita As It Is are now online at www.BBTedit.com/changes. The scans for this chapter are the latest in a series that shows all the revisions done for the transliterations, word meanings, and purports of the second edition. Nearly every revision also has a note explaining why it was done, along with an image from the BBT’s oldest manuscripts, allowing you to verify the history for yourself. Jayadvaita Swami did his revisions for the second edition on a physical copy of the first edition. The scans show that copy. … [Read more...] about Now online: “Gita changes” for chapter nine
Change 4,528
According to what I hear, the second edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is has five thousand changes. Here's one that came up in a Gita class a few nights ago: 17.28 (first edition) asraddhaya hutam dattam tapas taptam krtam ca yat asad ity ucyate partha na ca tat pretya no iha asraddhaya -- without faith; hutam -- performed; dattam -- given; tapah -- penance; taptam -- executed; krtam -- performed; ca -- also; yat -- that which; asat -- falls; iti -- thus; ucyate -- is said to be; partha -- O son of Prtha; na -- never; ca -- also; tat -- that; pretya -- after death; no -- nor; iha -- in … [Read more...] about Change 4,528
“Gita changes” for chapter eight an eye-opener, now online
BBT press release The BBT is pleased to announce the release of the annotated scans for chapter eight of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. They are now online at www.BBTedit.com/changes. In this chapter, the revisions made are extensive. In fact, so much of what Srila Prabhupada originally wrote has been restored – and this so enriches the chapter – that lovers of Srila Prabhupada's words may well ask themselves, "How could we not want this in?" You'll see: extensive lost text recovered -- including significant explanations by Srila Prabhupada four instances where the old edition said … [Read more...] about “Gita changes” for chapter eight an eye-opener, now online
These things happen
This letter was sent to me and Dravida Dasa, the chief editor at the North American BBT. Respected Maharaj and Prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I request to read the following purport of SB 9.10.29 "After giving up the body, one is transferred to another body, but sometimes, if one is too sinful, he is checked from transmigrating to another body, and thus he becomes a ghost. To save a diseased person from ghostly life, the funeral ceremony, or sraddha ceremony, as prescribed in authorized sastra, must be performed. Ravana was killed by Lord … [Read more...] about These things happen
Images from the planet of the trees
"There is also a planet of trees presided over by Aryama, who represents Krsna." --Bhagavad-gita As It Is, first edition, purport to 10.29 Turning many heads at last year's Ratha-yatra festival in Los Angeles was a colorful sight: a man on stilts and dressed as a tree, lushly adorned with leaves and branches. Apparently he is a well-known figure at Venice Beach. Spotting him, my godbrother Svavasa Prabhu, the president of the Los Angeles ISKCON temple, called out to me, "Look! The planet of the trees!" I was too late to snap a picture of the tree-man. But I picked up pictures of him and … [Read more...] about Images from the planet of the trees
Now online: “Gita changes” for chapter seven
BBT press release The BBT is pleased to announce the release of the annotated scans for chapter seven of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. They are now online at www.BBTedit.com/changes. This is a historic chapter because here is where Srila Prabhupada switched from typing manuscripts himself to using a dictaphone. What sort of difference did that make? Included with the scans are twelve sample pages from the manuscript, including both typed and dictated portions. So you can see for yourself. In the annotated scans, you'll find examples of both big changes and small ones. Check them out and … [Read more...] about Now online: “Gita changes” for chapter seven
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