Book Changes | The Hare Krishna Movement

The Rod of Chastisement

27 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition, Book Changes, Locanananda das, Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, Arsha Prayoga, Book Changes, faith, God, locan-ananda-dasa, rod-of-chastisement, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada

I saw this posted on Facebook, and thought we would share it here with all of you. In this article by Locan Ananda Prabhu, he again makes the argument for Arsa-prayoga, or no change.

Srila Prabhupada was recognized as a great Sanskrit scholar. His depth of knowledge was unfathomable. Not a single word of his should have been changed. That policy is called arsa-prayoga, and it guarantees that the spiritual head of our institution should never be dishonored by changing his words.

THE ROD OF CHASTISEMENT IS GONE!!!

by Locan Ananda Dasa

One of my favorite verses in the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is

was once found in Chapter 10, verse 38:

“Among punishments I am the rod of chastisement, and of those who seek victory, I am morality. Of secret things I am silence, and of the wise I am wisdom.” (B.g. 10.38, original)

Chapter 10 is entitled, “The Opulence of the Absolute” wherein Krishna enumerates some of His extraordinarily splendorous manifestations. On August 12, 1976, Srila Prabhupada was having an evening darshan in Tehran, the capital and largest city in Iran. He was talking about how ordinary people know little about the greatness of God. “They say, ‘God is great,’ but how great? That they do not know.” Srila Prabhupada then asked his secretary at the time, Harikesa dasa, to read selected verses from the Bhagavad-Gita, beginning with Chapter 10, verse 20:

“I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.” (B.g. 10.20)

Harikesa prabhu continued to read through the verses that followed, the chapter ending with verse 42:

“But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge. With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.” (B.g. 10.42)

When he finished the reading, Srila Prabhupada said, “That’s it. This is greatness. So we should not simply be satisfied ‘God is great.’ We must try to know how great He is. Then our God consciousness will be fixed up. It’s all right?”

A Crisis in Leadership

16 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition, Book Changes, Book Distribution, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Locanananda das, Uncategorized Tags: ac-bhaktivedanta, as it is, Bhagavad-gita, Book Changes, hinduism, history, India, Krishna, Krishna Consciousness, Krsna, philosophy, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada

…One issue that many find shocking is the extent to which Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is was edited without having been authorized by His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada. He was never a fan of extensive editing of any of his published works. What’s more, the over-edited edition published in 1983 removed thirty-two color pages that Srila Prabhupada insisted be included in his great opus. Three of those eliminated color pages were of the predecessor acaryas, namely Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji Maharaja and Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode.

Even the pocket Gita printed in India included all of the color plates found in the Macmillan edition.

If you are just hearing about this for the first time, please contact the GBC representative in your area and humbly request that this offense be rectified with the next printing. Doing so will attract Srila Prabhupada’s blessings. Do not fear when the cause is just.

A CRISIS IN LEADERSHIP

by Locan Ananda dasa

Many followers of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings have been calling for the worldwide reformation of the leadership of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The charge being made is that leaders and managers need to adhere more closely to the specific instructions of our Founder Acarya. There should be greater vigilance and the immediate correction of inappropriate behavior on the part of errant leaders.

Arsha Prayoga: No Change

16 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, Book Changes, books, Krishna, locananda-das, no-change-b-ooks, philosophy, religion, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada books

Arsha Prayoga – Part One
April 26, 2010 by Locanananda Prabhu

…For those who saw the Hare Krishna movement spread from city to city and from country to country, it was clear that the original version of Srila Prabhupada’s books was full of spiritual potency and did not require to be changed in any way for his words to act upon the hearts of the conditioned souls…

The question as to whether the writings of the acarya may or may not be revised by his disciples after his disappearance is answered by the rule of “arsa prayoga”. This principle states that one should not see mistakes in what the spiritual master has written or think that his writings may be changed to make them more effective or politically correct. To preserve his teachings in their originally published form is the way by which the acarya is honored, and to do otherwise is to dishonor him. That is the rule of “arsa prayoga”, a principle that devoted followers of a bona fide spiritual master must adhere to without deviation.

The rationale for changing Srila Prabhupada’s books was based on a series of false arguments, many of which were defeated by Srila Prabhupada himself as this article will show. To justify their actions, the BBT editors created the illusion that Srila Prabhupada’s books were defective and in need of extensive editing even though they knew His Divine Grace had never authorized anyone to revise his books after his disappearance. Subsequent to his departure, they conveniently overlooked the principle of “arsa prayoga” and proceeded to do exactly what vaisnava tradition strictly prohibits.

Sastra Sadhu and Guru

22 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, Book Changes, faith, God, guru, Krishna, sadhu, sastra, Srila Prabhupada

Sastra Sadhu and Guru

God’s word cannot be changed. Then what will be the difference between God and ourself? He is always perfect. He is always perfect. What He said forty millions of years ago, what He said five thousand years ago, that is also correct up to date. That is sastra. Not that “So many years have passed and it has become old. Now let us reform it and put it into new way.” No.