Scholars praise Srila Prabhupada's
books
BHAGAVAD-GITA AS IT IS
"No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none
is better loved, in the West, than the Bhagavad-gita. Translation
of such a work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit, but an
inward sympathy with the theme and a verbal artistry. For the
poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things....The Swami
does a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian
epic with fresh meaning. Whatever our outlook may be, we should
all be grateful for the labor that has lead to this illuminating
work."
Dr. Geddes MacGregor, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Philosophy
University of Southern California
"The Gita can be seen as the main literary support for the great
religious civilization of India, the oldest surviving culture
in the world. The present translation and commentary is another
manifestation of the permanent living importance of the Gita."
Thomas Merton, Theologian
"I am most impressed with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's
scholarly and authoritative edition of Bhagavad-gita. It is a
most valuable work for the scholar as well as the layman and is
of great utility as a
reference book as well as a textbook. I promptly recommend this
edition to my students. It is a beautifully done book."
Dr. Samuel D. Atkins Professor of Sanskrit, Princeton University
"...As a successor in direct line from Caitanya, the author of
Bhagavad-gita As It Is is entitled, according to Indian custom,
to the majestic title of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada. The great interest that his reading of the Bhagavad-gita
holds for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretation
according to the principles of the Caitanya tradition."
Olivier Lacombe Professor of Sanskrit and Indology, Sorbonne University,
Paris
"I have had the opportunity of examining several volumes published
by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and have found them to be of excellent
quality and of great value for use in college classes on Indian
religions. This is particularly true of the BBT edition and translation
of the Bhagavad-gita."
Dr. Frederick B. Underwood Professor of Religion, Columbia University
"...If truth is what works, as Pierce and the pragmatists insist,
there must be a kind of truth in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, since
those who follow its teachings display a joyous serenity usually
missing in the bleak and strident lives of contemporary people."
Dr. Elwin H. Powell Professor of Sociology State University of
New York, Buffalo
"There is little question that this edition is one of the best
books available on the Gita and devotion. Prabhupada's translation
is an ideal blend of literal accuracy and religious insight."
Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins Professor of Religion, Franklin and Marshall
College
"The Bhagavad-gita, one of the great spiritual texts, is not as
yet a common part of our cultural milieu. This is probably less
because it is alien per se than because we have lacked just the
kind of close interpretative commentary upon it that Swami Bhaktivedanta
has here provided, a commentary written from not only a scholar's
but a practitioner's, a dedicated lifelong devotee's point of
view."
Denise Levertov, Poet
"The increasing numbers of Western readers interested in classical
Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta.
By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already
known to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold."
Dr. Edward C Dimock, Jr. Department of South Asian Languages and
Civilization University of Chicago
"The scholarly world is again indebted to A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada. Although Bhagavad-gita has been translated many
times, Prabhupada adds a translation of singular importance with
his commentary...."
Dr. J. Stillson Judah, Professor of the History of Religions and
Director of Libraries Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California
"Srila Prabhupada's edition thus fills a sensitive gap in France,
where many hope to become familiar with traditional Indian thought,
beyond the commercial East-West hodgepodge that has arisen since
the time Europeans first penetrated India.
"Whether the reader be an adept of Indian spiritualism or not,
a reading of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is will be extremely profitable.
For many this will be the first contact with the true India, the
ancient India, the eternal India."
Francois Chenique, Professor of Religious Sciences Institute of
Political Studies, Paris, France
"As a native of India now living in the West, it has given me
much grief to see so many of my fellow countrymen coming to the
West in the role of gurus and spiritual leaders. For this reason,
I am very excited to see the publication of Bhagavad-gita As It
Is by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It will help to
stop the terrible cheating of false and unauthorized 'gurus' and
'yogis' and will give an opportunity to all people to understand
the actual meaning of Oriental culture."
Dr. Kailash Vajpeye, Director of Indian Studies Center for Oriental
Studies, The University of Mexico
"...It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully
explained work. I don't know whether to praise more this translation
of the Bhagavad-gita, its daring method of explanation, or the
endless fertility of its ideas. I have never seen any other work
on the Gita with such an important voice and style....It will
occupy a significant place in the intellectual and ethical life
of modern man for a long time to come."
Dr. Shaligram Shukla Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University
"I can say that in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is I have found explanations
and answers to questions I had always posed regarding the interpretations
of this sacred work, whose spiritual discipline I greatly admire.
If the aesceticism and ideal of the apostles which form the message
of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is were more widespread and more respected,
the world in which we live would be transformed into a better,
more fraternal place."
Dr. Paul Lesourd, Author Professeur Honoraire, Catholic University
of Paris
SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM
"This is a work to be treasured. No one of whatever faith or philosophical
persuasion who reads these books with an open mind can fail to
be both moved and impressed...."
Dr. Garry Gelade Professor of Psychology Oxford University
"It has been my great pleasure recently to have read the Srimad-Bhagavatam
in the superb edition authorized by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada....I
am sure this monumental work will go far to bring the sublime
message of the Bhagavatam to numerous Westerners who otherwise
would miss this opportunity. "
Dr. Alex Wayman Professor of Sanskrit, Columbia University
"The Srimad-Bhagavatam is extremely useful for all those interested
in ancient India, whether their interest be that of the philosopher,
the student of religion, the historian, the linguist, the sociologist
or the political
scientist....I truly hope that Srila Prabhupada will complete
his translation of the entire Bhagavata and continue to translate
other eminent Sanskrit works as well. Undoubtedly, this work of
Swamiji's is a great contribution to the troubled human society
of today's world."
Dr. Sooda L. Bhatt Professor of Indian Languages, Boston University
"The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust editions of famous religious classics
of India, with new translations and commentaries, are an important
addition to our expanding knowledge of spiritual India. The new
edition of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is particularly welcome."
Dr. John L. Mish Chief, Oriental Division, New York Public Library
"...A commentary on the Vedanta-sutra by Srila Vyasadeva divided
into twelve 'cantos' of which four are presented here in eight
beautifully produced volumes. These lavish volumes, obviously
the product of devotional effort, contain many lovely full-color
illustrations...."
Choice magazine, June, 1975
"In the diversity
of religious approaches offered by the yogis of India, the most
significant, of course, is the way of Krsna consciousness. It
is amazing to see how Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami has in less than
ten years succeeded, by his personal devotion, untiring energy
and efficient direction, in organizing the International Society
for Krishna Consciousness. Now, he has undertaken the stupendous
project of rendering the entire Bhagavata, the great devotional
classic of India, into English. His edition is learning blended
with devotional feeling and inspired by a definite purpose of
communicating the intense Iyrical and devotional quality of the
Bhagavata. Srila Prabhupada has done an excellent service by his
able rendition of 'the abode of divine joy' that the Bhagavata
is."
Dr. Mahesh Mehta, Professor of Asian Studies University of Windsor,
Ontario, Canada
"It is axiomatic that no book can be expected entirely to satisfy
all its potential readers. Here is one, however, which can be
said to come remarkably close to that ideal....we have here the
ideal of what an edition of a Sanskrit text for a Western audience
should be."
Dr. R. E. Asher Professor of Linguistics, University of Edinburgh
"...For those who have no access to the Sanskrit language, these
books convey, in superb manner, the message of the Bhagavatam.
In addition to being a scholarly work, it directly reflects the
spiritual aspirations of a religious community which has gained
considerable popularity in modern America."
Dr. Alaka Hejib Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies, Harvard
University
"Srimad-Bhagavatam is a valuable source material and cannot but
be attractive to serious students and scholars of religion and
philosophy. I recommend this series, to anyone, as an important
and useful reference work."
Dr. C. P. Agrawal, Chairwoman Department of Humanities, University
of Michigan
SRI CAITANYA-CARITAMRTA
"I am most happy to have these handsomely printed volumes which
embody the work of so learned and sincere a believer in the message
of the Caritamrta. I thank you."
Dr. Daniel H. H. Ingalls Chairman Department of Sanskrit and Indian
Studies Harvard University
"The appearance of an English translation of Krsnadasa Kaviraja
Gosvami's Sri Caitanya-caritamrta by A.C. Bhaktivedanta [Founder-Acarya
of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness] is a cause
for celebration among both scholars in Indian studies and lay-people
seeking to enrich their knowledge of Indian spirituality. It will
fill a most serious lacuna in our libraries and in our courses
on the religious traditions of India. "...For the first time we
possess a readily accessible edition for this great religious
classic that will provide opportunity for scholars in Indian literature
and followers of the Krsna consciousness tradition alike to compare
the original text with a modern English translation and become
acquainted with the deeper spiritual meaning of this work through
the learned commentary of Sri Bhaktivedanta. "...Anyone who gives
a close reading to the commentary will sense that here, as in
his other works, Sri Bhaktivedanta has combined a
healthy mixture of the fervent devotion and aesthetic sensitivity
of a devotee and the intellectual rigor of a textual scholar.
At no point does the author allow the intended meaning of the
text to be eclipsed by the promotion of a particular doctrinal
persuasion. "...These exquisitely wrought volumes will be a welcome
addition to the libraries of all persons who are committed to
the study of Indian spirituality and religious literature, whether
their interests are sparked by the motivations of the scholar,
the devotee or the general reader."
Dr. J. Bruce Long Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University
"It is a remarkable document of great historical and sociological
importance, giving a picturesque presentation of the socio-religious
climate in the India of Sri Caitanya's times and the far-reaching
social and religious changes wrought by him. As a literary piece,
it is regarded as a work of great merit, having no parallel in
the whole of Bengali literature. As a religious text, its sanctity
is comparable to that of the Bhagavad-gita. "This English edition
translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is superb. It
contains the original Sanskrit and Bengali verses with their English
transliteration, synonyms, translation and elaborate purports,
easily bearing testimony to the author's profound knowledge of
the subject."
Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor, Emeritus Chairman and Professor, Department
of Philosophy Government Postgraduate College, Gyanpur, India
"It is a genuine joy to have this momentous biographical work
on the life of Bengal's great saint Caitanya, prepared by his
best-known modern interpreter, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada."
Dr. Mark Juergensmeyer, Associate Professor of Ethics and the
Phenomenology of Religions Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley,
California
"Year by year, interest in Eastern religious thought and philosophy
grows in America. The editing and translating of the important
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta will make a substantial contribution to
those who seek information about Indian concepts...." Dr. Gerald
A. Larue Professor of Religion, University of Southern California
"I can recommend Sri Caitanya-caritamrta as a source of rich insights
for every serious student of consciousness."
Dr. Rory O'Day, Department of Human Relations University of Waterloo,
Ontario, Canada
OTHER MAJOR WRITINGS BY HIS DIVINE GRACE
"Teachings of Lord Caitanya is an authentic and lucid account,
in English, of the life and philosophy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The spiritual movement initiated by 'the Great Master' five hundred
years ago has profoundly influenced millions of men and women
in India ever since, and is presently making its mark throughout
the world. "Sri A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the present
spiritual master of the movement in disciplic succession, has
done a great service to the English-speaking world by making this
spiritual treasure available in English."
Dr. K. L. Seshagiri Rao Professor of Religious Studies, University
of Virginia
"Krsna is an important book both for the new student of the history
of religions and for the professional scholar. It is a helpful
and significant contribution to the growing phenomenon of interest
in the religions of Asia."
William A. Johnson Professor of Philosophy, Brandeis University
"The book Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead should prove
to be an important addition to materials available for college
courses in religion. It is one of the best sources in English
for gaining insight into the bhakti religious tradition."
Louis Roberts, Executive Chairman Faculty of Foreign Languages
and Literatures, Syracuse University
"The Perfection of Yoga is most useful for anyone wishing to understand
the meaning of yoga. It also introduces the student to the study
of Bhagavad-gita and shows how direct and simple, yet in another
sense, how profoundly complex is the path of spiritual growth
through yoga practice. It is a scholarly book, yet has a direct
personal meaning for all--a powerful combination."
Dr. Frank Ledwith, Professor of Psychology University of St. Andrews,
Fife, Scotland
"I think the best feature of the Hare Krsna movement is that it
is providing scholars with excellent translations of the rarest
books on krsna-bhakti."
Dr. Lawrence Shinn Professor of Religion, Oberlin College
"I have read Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami's books with great care,
attention and profound interest, and have found them to be of
incalculable value to anyone who is curious about India's spiritual
and cultural heritage. The author of these books displays on every
page an astounding scholarship in the subjects treated, and also
an understanding and ease of exposition of abstruse ideas, which
are rarest gifts."
Dr. H. B. Kulkarni Professor of English and Philosophy, Utah State
University
"The publications of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust are very valuable
documents and will no doubt become classics for the English reader
of Indian religious literature."
Dr. Jerry M. Chance, Chairman Department of Philosophy and Religion,
Florida A+M University
"These books are not only beautiful, but also relevant to our
times, as we as a nation search for new cultural patterns for
our way of life."
Dr. C. L. Spreadbury Professor of Sociology, Stephen F. Austin
State University
