Dandavats hypocrites against distribution of Original Srimad-Bhagavatams
Recently there was a post on Dandavats with a letter by the
BBT Communications Team trying to justify their attempts to stop the
distribution of the newly printed Original Srimad-Bhagavatams that
Jitarati Prabhu has printed. I read the article with some interest,
just to hear their argument and justification, for trying to stop the
distribution of this fine set. But what was more interesting to me was
the nice comment posted by Padmapani Prabhu (at the bottom of this article).
Mahasringa Das (MD) defeating nonsense
statements posted on Dandavats exposing their lies
Dandavats: “Recently, the
BBT trustees became aware that Jitarati Prabhu, through his company
Pristine International, printed sets of Srila Prabhupada’s
Srimad-Bhagavatam in New Delhi without consulting with or being
authorized or licensed by the BBT. This is a serious legal matter,
and his printing also has ramifications for the worldwide distribution
of Srila Prabhupada’s books; and so the BBT trustees who discovered
Jitarati Prabhu’s printing have delayed the release of the books.
MD: Last December a
BBT member saw the ‘only Prabhupada’ Srimad Bhagavatam sets at a
printer and became so envious of their superior quality they started a
bogus law suit. They knew Jitarati prabhu was authorized by KBI to print them and didn’t need to ‘consult’ BBT.
Dandavats:
Jitarati Prabhu stated in a public memo that his independent printing of
Srimad-Bhagavatam is his way of preserving an older edition of the
text. He also expressed concern that the books he printed might now be
destroyed by the BBT.
MD: Where is this public memo? BBT lawyers submitted a 30 point accusation and 3 of the points said that the books should be turned over to BBT or be destroyed so wouldn’t any Prabhupada disciple be ‘concerned’?
Dandavats:
First, please note that Jitarati Prabhu’s edition and the BBT’s edition
of Srimad-Bhagavatam are practically identical. There is no question of
“preserving” some earlier edition of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. In fact, the
BBT not only preserves Srila Prabhupada’s books, but it also publishes
earlier editions of them when needed. For example, it regularly prints
the first edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is for those who prefer it.
MD: Hold the phone folks! Jitarati prabhu published everything Srila Prabhupada wrote on the Srimad Bhagavatam including the Krsna Book in 10 volumes. BBT published 12 Cantos of the Srimad Bhagavatam including a conditioned souls comments and even had the audacity to say the set was done by Srila Prabhupada.
Dandavats: The
BBT trustees have not proposed that the books Jitarati Prabhu printed be
destroyed. Rather, the trustees discussed ideas with Jitarati Prabhu
about how to move forward. Because he hasn’t liked the proposals, the
matter is now before the court.
MD: This is a
lie which will be proved when people see what was presented to the
court. Lie two is that Bhima gave Jitarati a proposal that he take out
the 50,000 pages that KBI printed the book and replace it with a BBT
printed it, ship all the books to America, sign a wrongful confession
that he didn’t have permission from KBI to print, pay them $1000,000 and
swear he’ll never publish another book in his life
Dandavats: The
devotees who serve at the BBT, especially its legally appointed
trustees, are bound not only to uphold the BBT’s founding documents,
personally approved by Srila Prabhupada, but also to execute the
specific instructions Srila Prabhupada gave on March 14, 1974 in his
“Memorandum to all ISKCON Centers.” In that memorandum, Srila Prabhupada
forbids the printing of his books outside the BBT as well as the
collection and spending of the proceeds from sales by anyone other than
the BBT. “This must not go on.” Why? Because such independent printing
“could eventually cause the financial ruin of the BBT.”
MD: The BBT legally appointed trustees were the ones who agreed to let KBI print all pre 1978 Prabhupada books in 1998
and the “specific instructions” approved by Srila Prabhupada were that
the BBT print only his books not some conditioned souls. Mismanagement,
false ego and politics will cause the financial ruin of BBT not printing
more of Prabhupada’s books.
Dandavats:
Jitarati Prabhu and others are in direct opposition to Srila
Prabhupada’s orders on these matters and should not be lauded for their
departure from these instructions.
MD: Jitarati,
myself and others are in direct opposition to the unaccountability of
BBT thinking they can dictate to the Temples and devotees they must take
cheaply printed books at the price they dictate, give no accounts, fly
all over the world convincing people they should take a Bhagavad-gita with 4985 changes as an “IMPROVED” Prabhupada version and do a “Prabhupada said” thinking we’re ‘sheep’.
Dandavats:
There is no doubt that Srila Prabhupada wanted to safeguard the BBT and
the BBT’s exclusive rights to print his books in order to protect and
encourage the distribution of those books around the world. The
distribution of BBT books is on the rise all over the world; in
particular, BBT book sales have more than doubled in the last five years
in North America, and there are similar increases in India, the UK, and
Africa.
MD: Prabhupada
wanted to safeguard his books, words and purports given by Paramatma
because he knew they could save the world. However, now the BBT distributes, by force, changed books, conditioned souls books along with calendars and diaries.
Dandavats: This
is not happening by accident. Rather, such increases require
painstaking planning, cooperation, and dedication. Independent and
unauthorized printing of Srila Prabhupada’s books can easily sabotage
this growth. Governments all over the world provide strict laws to
protect companies from unfair interference in their businesses. Srila
Prabhupada enacted similar protections for his main business interest,
the BBT, to prevent undercutting by competitors not held to the same
responsibilities he established for the BBT – for example, his desire to
use BBT profits to “print as many books in as many languages” and then
to distribute them throughout the whole world, and also to contribute
significantly toward the construction of ISKCON temples.
MD: Who wrote this? They don’t know that BBT authorized, encouraged and allowed KBI to print in 1998.
Of course they know, but choose to spin this twist of independence of
an authorized agent of KBI because his quality of Srimad Bhagavatam will
put there’s to shame.
Dandavats:
Every follower of Srila Prabhupada holds his books as sacred. However,
his specific instructions that his disciples and followers cooperate
with the BBT for the printing and distribution of his books, his formula
for allocating BBT profits for BBT and ISKCON development, and his
specific written empowerment of legally appointed trustees to oversee
these proceedings are also sacred.
MD: If the BBT hold Prabhupada’s books as sacred why do they mention 3 times in their court presentation they want them destroyed.
Prabhupada’s formula hasn’t been followed for 3 decades by the BBT
regarding 50% of the profits of sale of books are suppose to go for
building Temples (development) and there was any accounts shown to where
their profits went although recently they’ve just begun to give to the
TOVP.
Dandavats:
Srila Prabhupada invested the BBT with the exclusive right to print his
books in order to keep the BBT financially solvent and able to print his
books in perpetuity. This is something we all want.”
MD: Regurgitating the same point knowing that
BBT gave KBI the right to print pre 1978 “
unchanged”
books is the old ‘bait and switch’ tactic used to bewilder the simple.
It will be the BBT’s fault when Prabhupada’s books go to Public domain
which is something we all ‘don’t want’.
CONCLUSION:
FALSE ARGUMENTS CAN BE CONQUERED BY FACTUAL ASCERTAINMENT.
(Purport S.B. 1.9.27 Only Prabhupada edition of Srimad Bhagavatam)
COMMENT BY PADMAPANI PRABHU
Hare Krishna Prabhus. Thank you for airing this matter publicly. I’ve
been deluged with inquiries from concerned devotees around the world
about this conflict and I’d like to get a better understanding of the
details so that I can respond accurately. I was under the impression
that devotees had reached
an amicable agreement
after the last court case that KBI (Krishna Books Inc.) could legally
print Srila Prabhupada’s original books, so I was surprised and dismayed
to learn that there is yet another court case on the horizon. Surely
devotees can somehow or other work this out co-operatively between one
another without resorting to expensive lawyers and creating even more
bad publicity for Srila Prabhupada’s movement.
On a personal note, I’d like to mention that I served with Jitarati
Prabhu back in the 70’s in both the Winnipeg and Montreal yatras. Due to
Jitarati’s leadership and dedication to sankirtana, the Winnipeg temple
was consistently number one in distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books
for years in the small temple category. Later Jitarati helped to
spearhead large-scale collections for remodeling the old church in
Montreal which is now the beautiful home of Sri Sri Radha Manohara.
Although I haven’t seen Jitarati Prabhu for at least 40 years, I always
remember him as a sincere and devoted disciple of Srila Prabhupada.
We all have our own slants in Krishna Consciousness, but Srila
Prabhupada repeatedly told us that we should try and work together
despite our differences. I know from personal experience in publishing a
magazine for devotees back in the 80’s (The Vaisnava Journal) that we
can get along no matter how far apart we might be on personal or
philosophical issues. Devotees of all persuasions and from all camps —
including the GBC — were communicating together on the same page, so I
know it can be done. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
If you have any questions to Jitarati Prabhu please write to his email:
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