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Footnotes and references for

"Vedic" in the Terminology of Prabhupada and His Followers

 

Part One and Part Two

[ Footnotes 1-20 ] [ Footnotes 21-40 ] [ Footnotes 41-60 ] [ Footnotes 61-75 ]

 [ Abbreviations ] 

  1. On this issue see also the remarks by Patrick Olivelle in his review of Johannes Bronkhorst's The Two Sources of Indian Asceticism (Bern 1993) in: Journal of the American Oriental Society 115.1995, pp.162-164.

     
  2. See Johannes Bronkhorst: "Veda", Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute 70.1989, pp.125-135. Cf. also Michael Witzel: "The Vedic Literature", Vaishnavism. Contemporary Scholars Discuss the Gaudiya Tradition. Steven J. Rosen, editor. New York (Folk Books) 1992, pp.19-26.

     
  3. On this see e.g. Wilhelm Halbfass: India and Europe. An Essay in Understanding. Albany (State University of New York Press) 1988, pp.359-367.

     
  4. Jiva's arguments have been conveniently presented on pp.75ff. of Stuart Mark Elkman: Jiva Goswamin's Tattvasandarbha. A Study on the Philosophical and Sectarian Development of the Gaudiya Vaishnava Movement. Delhi/ Varanasi/ Patna/ Madras (Motilal Banarsidass) 1986. See also Heramba Chatterjee Sastri: "Criticism on the Source-Materials of the Vaishnava Philosophy of Bengal", Vaishnavism in Eastern India. Edited by Suresh Chandra Bhatta-charya. Calcutta (Firma KLM under the auspices of the University of Calcutta) 1995, pp.19-27 (esp. pp.22ff.), as well as J. Ganguly Shastri: "The Absorption of Non-Vedic Vaishnavism into the Fold of Smarta Religion in Eastern India", ibid., pp.34-45 (esp. pp.40ff.).

     
  5. Halbfass too has not failed to draw due attention to this.

     
  6. Ram'mohan Ray: "Gosbamir sahit bicar", Ram'mohan ranabali (samagra bamla racana, samskrita o pharsi racanar anubad, patrabali ebam pradhan pradhan imraji racanasaha ek khande sampurna). Pradhan sampadak Ajit'kumar Ghosh. Sampadak'mandali Mani Bag'ci, Shib'das Cakrabarti, Ab'dul Ajij Al-Aman. Kal'kata (Haraph Prakasani) 1973, pp.155-168; see pp.158-161. The whole tract has been translated into English: "Reply to a Goswamin, 1818", The Only True God, works on religion by Rammohun Roy selected and translated from Bengali and Sanskrit, with an introduction and notes, by D.H. Killingley. Newcastle upon Tyne (Grevatt & Grevatt) 1982, pp.30-45 (see pp.35-38).

     
  7. This is the Bengali form of the name, anglicised as Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In ISKCON writings, the last part of the name is generally given with a diacritic sign.

     
  8. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada And His Disciples: Mukunda-Mala-Stotra. The Prayers of King Kulasekhara. Los Angeles/ London/ Stockholm/ Bombay/ Sydney/ Hong Kong (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1992, p.35.

     
  9. Cf. e.g. Gerald James Larson: "The song celestial: Two centuries of the Bhagavad Gita in English", Philosophy East and West 31.1981, pp.513-541.

     
  10. I have not felt up to examining in detail Prabhupada's views of the relationship between Mahabharata and Bhagavadgita, and their position within the continuum of traditional, and varying, opinions in this regard. I also could not examine whether the fact that there were different recensions of the Bhagavadgita, and a traditional controversy surrounding the question of which recension is most authentic, may have played a role in his deliberations. (On the traditional controversy about the authenticity of different recensions, see e.g. F. Otto Schrader: "Neues über die Bhagavadgita", Aus Indiens Kultur. Festgabe Richard von Garbe dem Forscher und Lehrer zu seinem 70. Geburtstag dargebracht von seinen Freunden, Verehrern und Schülern. Im Verein mit Alfred Hillebrandt und Hermann Jacobi herausgegeben von Julius von Negelein. Erlangen [Palm & Enke] 1927, pp.171-183.)

     
  11. Examples are: SR, pp. 80f., TC, pp. 66; 226; 231, BG, pp.1 22; 504; 529; 726, BP 1.1,pp. 92f., 1.2,pp.48; 169, 3.2,p. 280, 4.4,p. 473, 6.1, pp. 34f. In some cases the statements are not so explicit, as e.g. SR, p.104, which states that the chanting of the name of Krishna "is recommended in the Vedas. In the Brihan-naradiya Purana it is clearly stated that it is only chanting of the holy name of Hari (Krishna) that can save people." Is the Puranic text being called Vedic in this statement? Or is the statement of the Purana merely a reinforcement of the foregoing statement? The latter seems to be the case, for Prabhupada after a while continues: "And, if you want references from the Vedas, I can give you many." This seems to show that what was quoted before (and this includes the Bhagavadgita, which is quoted after the Brihannaradiyapurana), is not Vedic, especially since the following quotations are from the Mandukyopanishad and the Atharvavedasamhita. After this (pp.96ff.) we find quotations from other texts, including the Bhagavadgita, which refer to the Vedas, from which it also seems to follow that these latter texts are not regarded as Vedic by Prabhupada. I have neglected statements of this sort and confined myself to listing only those with a clear distinction.

     
  12. BG, p.783.

     
  13. BG, p.782.

     
  14. E.g. BG, pp.590; 726.

     
  15. TC, p.108.

     
  16. The usual forms given by Prabhupada are: Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva respectively. BG, p.472 refers to three Vedas (of Ric, Saman and Yajus).

     
  17. E.g. SR, pp.229f. See also SR, p.110.

     
  18. SR, p.111.

     
  19. See for instance SR, p.111, BAG, p.28, BP 1.1,pp.57; 194; 332, 1.2,pp.176; 298, 1.3,p.155, 6.1,p.284, 8.2, p.179, 10.1,p.69, 10.3,p.62.

     
  20. CC Madhya-lila 2,p.276, BP 1.1,pp.54; 93; 214f.; 229.

     
  21. Here again I am using the Bengali form of the name, whose Sanskrit equivalent is Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

     
  22. Rupa-vilasa dasa Adhikari: The Seventh Goswami. A Biography of His Divine Grace Shrila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914). Edited by Karnamrita dasa Adhikari. Washington MS (New Jaipur Press) 1989 (Lives of the Vaishnava Acharyas 2), p.198.

     
  23. ND, p.105.

     
  24. TC, pp.201; 240; 247; 259, BP 1.1,pp.242; 348.

     
  25. TC, p.247.

     
  26. The Bengali form of the name, the Sanskrit form being Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

     
  27. CC Madhya-lila 7,p.254. Cf. also the references in note 19.

     
  28. BP 9.2,p.209 has the interesting explanation that the Veda in its undivided form was "the Atharva Veda (or, some say, the Yajur Veda)." On this explanation with regard to the Yajurveda cf. Elkman (op.cit. in note 4), pp.81-83.

     
  29. Whose matter is identical to that in the Pancaratra (TC, p.211).

     
  30. E.g. CC Madhya-lila 8,p.200, Antya-lila 3,p.136, BP 1.1,pp.165;220, 6.2,p.78, TC, pp.211;248.

     
  31. ND, p.50.

     
  32. BP 1.1,p. 226. See also CC, Madhya-lila 2,p.276, BP 1.1,pp.204; 229.

     
  33. E.g. BG, pp.3;172ff.;253;463;581;767, SR, p.153, TC, p.61;218;232, CC Adi-lila 1,p.111, 2,pp.84;92;106;178;188, 3,p.343, Madhya-lila 2, p.268, 7,pp.254;378, BP1.1,p.57;65;195;215;220f.;252;255;290, 1.2,p.103, 1.3,p.155, 3.2,pp.155;190, 8.1,p.136, 9.3,p.241, 10.2,p.42. CC Adi-lila 2,p.128 quotes a verse saying vede ramayane caiva purane bharate tatha, in which the Ramayana, the Puranas and the Mahabharata are clearly differentiated from the Veda (singular); this is however translated as: "In the Vedic literature, including the Ramayana,Puranas and Mahabharata..."

     
  34. TC, p. 259.

     
  35. BG, pp.24;713.

     
  36. BG, p.130, CC Madhya-lila 8,p.200, BP 1.1,p.220 (the Puranas and Samhitas - here probably not the Vedic ones, for these are already mentioned, but the Vaishnava Samhitas - are also mentioned as a fifth Veda). BP 3.2,p.155 refers to the Puranas as the fifth Veda.

     
  37. CC Madhya-lila 8,p.200.

     
  38. Halbfass (see note3), p.354: "The Vedas and their auxiliary sciences (vedanga) are considered to be of 'non-human origin,' while the 'fifth Veda,' i.e. the Mahabharata and the Puranas, the 'additional Vedas,' and the Smriti (i.e. Dharmashastra) are of 'human origin' [according to this text]."

     
  39. BG, p.718.

     
  40. BG, pp.24;253;366, SR, p.153, TC, pp.61;218;232, CC Adi-lila 2,pp.92;106;178;188, BP 1.1,pp.57;195;255;290, 1.2,p.103, 9.3,p.241.

     
  41. BG, p.600.

     
  42. BP 1.1,p.92.

     
  43. BP 6.1,p.284.

     
  44. Ganga Prasad Upadhyaya: The Vedas. Holy Scriptures of Aryans. Allahabad (Arya Samaj Vishva-Prachar Series) n.d. (Arya Samaj Vishva-Prachar Series 3), p.32.

     
  45. E.g. BG, p.626, BP 1.1,pp.229;332.

     
  46. TC, p.273. BG, p.223 differentiates only between "the Vedas" and "the Vedic supplementary literatures", an example of which is the Bhagavatapurana. Similarly, CC, Adi-lila 2,p.178 refers to "Vedic literatures such as the four Vedas and the Puranas."

     
  47. TC, p.267: "In India there is a class of men known as arya-samaja who say that they accept the original Vedas only and reject all other Vedic literatures. The motive of these people, however, is to give their own interpretation."

     
  48. CC Madhya-lila 2,p.276.

     
  49. Änandathértha [sic] Bhagavatpäda (Madhwacharya): Sarvamula Granthäh [sic]. Prasthänatrayi. (With the versions of the oldest manuscript of Sri Hrishikesha Thirtha [sic], one of the direct disciples of Sri Anandathirtha [sic]. Volume - 1. (Sanskrit title: Änandatérthabhagavatpäda: Sarvamülagranthäù.Çrémadäcäryapädaçiñyapravaraçré Håñékeçatérthädiikhitapratanatarakoçänusäri päöhasaàvalitam, päöhäntara-viçeñaöippaëyädibhir upodbalitam, prasthänatrayavyäkhyärüpaà prathamaà sampuöam .) Udipi (Akhila Bhärata Mädhwa Mahä Mandala) 1969, p.10 of Sütraprasthänam:
    ågyajuùsämätharväç ca bhärataà païcarätrakam
    mülarämäyaëaà caiva çästram ity abhidhéyate
    yac cänukülam etasya tac ca çästraà prakértitam
    ato 'nyo granthavistäro naiva çästraà kuvartma tat.
    [NB. This footnote should be viewed with Tamal font to keep the diacritics]

     
  50. CC Madhya-lila 2,p.267, TC, p.270.

     
  51. Op.cit. in note 49, p.60 of Sütraprasthänam:
    ågyajuùsämätharväkhyä (var.: (sämätharväç ca) mülarämäyaëaà tathä
    bhärataà païcarätraà ca vedä ity eva çabditäù
    puräëäni ca yänéha vaiñëaväni vido viduù
    svataù prämäëyam eteñäà nätra kiïcid vicäryate.
    [NB. This footnote should be viewed with the Tamal font to keep the diacritics]

     
  52. Cf. on Madhva's statements also Halbfass (see note3), p.360.

     
  53. BG, p.3.

     
  54. BG, p.138, SR, pp.99;111, BP 1.1,p.332, 1.2,p.142, 4.4,p.473, ac Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: Krishna. The Supreme Personality of Godhead. A Summary Study of Shrila Vyasadeva's Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto. Volume One. Twelfth Printing Los Angeles/London/Paris/Bombay/Sydney/Hong Kong (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1984, p.108.

     
  55. See note 2.

     
  56. BG, pp.581;713, BP 6.2,p.78.

     
  57. CC Adi-lila 2, p.106.

     
  58. E.g. CC Adi-lila 2,p.125. Unfortunately, I did not note down other occurrences, but there are several.

     
  59. Eg. Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute. Editor: Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Mahäräja, Bhakti Rakshaka Shridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja, rendered into English by Akshayananda Swami Maharaja. Nabadwip Dham (Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math) 1985, pp.xxxviif.

     
  60. Brahmananda Das was kind enough to point out this usage to me and to supply me with the relevant references.

     
  61. See e.g. Collected Teachings of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Unedited and Unabridged Complete Archival Collectors Edition. Volume Four. Los Angeles/London/Bombay/Sydney/Stockholm/Hong Kong (The Bhativedanta Book Trust) 1994, pp.135f. (note particularly p.136: "Bible is also part of Vedas", where the plural at once makes one think of the Samhitas), A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: Beyond Birth and Death. Eighth English Printing. Los Angeles/London/Paris/Frankfurt/Bombay (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1979, p.7, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: Conversations With Shrila Prabhupada. Unedited and Unabridged Complete Archival Collectors' Edition. Volume Five. London, July 12, 1973 to Stockholm, September 5, 1973. Los Angeles/London/Bombay/Sydney/Stockholm/Hong Kong (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1989, p.46, and A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: Collected Lectures on Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. Unedited and Unabridged Complete Archival Collectors' Edition. Volume Two. 2.13-3.13. Los Angeles/London/Bombay/Sydney/Stockholm/Hong Kong (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1995, pp.403f.

     
  62. See, p.154 of Rahul Peter Das: "Neuere Werke zum bengalischen Vaishnavismus", Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft 143.1993, pp.135-178.

     
  63. Thus Edward C. Dimock, Jr. in his foreword to BG, p.x refers to Prabhupada's interpretation of the Bhagavadgita as "the Vedic exegetical tradition, justly famous, in action." One would really have liked to know what exactly Dimock means by this remark.

     
  64. Mostly through the good offices of Steven Rosen.

     
  65. Nanda-nandana: The Secret Teachings of the Vedas: The Ancient Knowledge of the East. Detroit (The World Relief Network) 1986.

     
  66. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Readings in Vedic Literature: The Tradition Speaks for Itself. New York/Los Angeles/London/Bombay (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1977.

     
  67. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Living with the Scriptures. Volume 1. Philadelphia (Gita-Nagari Press) 1984, p.v.

     
  68. I may also mention in this context that on p.91 Prabhupada is quoted as answering a question on "Hinduism", namely on what he considers its most important text passages. Satsvarupa dasa rephrases this question as one asking for the most important part of Vedic knowledge (p.95), but that is not the question, nor does Prabhupada answer in this vein.

     
  69. See notes 49 and 51.

     
  70. See above, note 43.

     
  71. Ravindra Svarupa dasa: Endless Love: Collected Essays 1978-1983. [Philadelphia] (Gita-Nagari Press) 21984.

     
  72. See note 46.

     
  73. Examples are: Steven J. Rosen: Narasimha Avatar: The Half-Man/Half-Lion Incarnation. [New York] (Folk Books) 1994, p.11 (speaks of "Veda" and "Vedic literature", when what is referred to is clearly the Puranas); Steven Rosen: Food for the Spirit: Vegetarianism and the World Religions. [Reprint] Old Westbury, N.Y. (Bala/Entourage Books) 1990, p.71 ("Vedic literature" includes the Rigvedasamhita, the Mahabharata together with the Bhagavadgita, and the Puranas); Om Shalom: Judaism and Krishna Consciousness. Conversations Between Rabbi Jacob N. Shimmel and Satyaraja Dasa Adhikari [= Steven Rosen]. Brooklyn, New York (Folk Books) 1990, p.202 ("Vedic texts" and "Vedic literature" include Puranas); Steven Rosen: The Lives of the Vaishnava Saints: Shrinivas acharya, Narottam Das Thakur, Shyamananda Pandit. [New York] (Folk Books) 1991, p.9 ( Bhagavatapurana is an example of "earlier Vedic texts", which raises the interesting question of what later texts of this category would be).

     
  74. Vaishnavism (see note 2), p.10.

     
  75. Op.cit., p.9.

    Abbreviations

    BG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda: Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Complete Edition with original Sanskrit text, Roman transliteration, English equivalents, translation and elaborate purports. Fifth printing. New York (Collier Books)/London (Collier Macmillan Publishers) 1974.

    BPShrimad Bhagavatam... With the Original Sanskrit Text, Its Roman Transliteration, Synonyms, Translation and Elaborate Purports by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. New York/Los Angeles/London/Bombay (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1972-1980 (up to volume 10.3, the rest not being by Prabhupada himself any more).

    CCShri Chaitanya-charitamrita of Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami... with the original Bengali text, Roman transliterations, synonyms, translation and elaborate purports by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. New York/Los Angeles/London/Bombay (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1973-1975.

    ND A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: The Nectar of Devotion. The Complete Science of Bhakti Yoga. A Summary Study of Shrila Rupa Goswami's Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu. New York/Los Angeles/London/Bombay (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1970.

    SR A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: The Science of Self Realization. Reprint Los Angeles/London/Paris/Bombay/Sydney (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1994.

    TC A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: Teachings of Lord Caitanya. The Golden Avatara. New York/Los Angeles/London/Bombay (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) 1974.

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