We are used to reading Prabhupada’s books and accepting the translations he gives as authoritative, and we may automatically do the same when reading books from other authors, accepting and quoting whatever they translate, but this is quite dangerous.

The point about “translations” of Sanskrit works is that they are rarely translations, but more like interpretations. Understanding the scriptures demands making assumptions about the meaning of the words and the way they relate to each other, and thus the same verse can be translated in many different ways.

Take for exemple verse 8.14.1 from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad:

ākāśo ha vai nāma-rūpayor nirvahitā te yad antarā tad brahma tad amṛtaṁ sa ātmā

It can be translated as:

“Sky is the creator of names and forms. That sky within is expanded without limit. That sky is eternal. That sky is the Self.”

The main word in this verse is “akasa”, which means “sky” or “ether” (the subtle material element). However, we can see that in this verse it doesn’t seem to make much sense. Sky or ether is an inanimate material element, so how can be the creator of names and forms? How can it be the self?

The Vedas bring the idea of Varnasrama-dharma, a perfect system of social division based on work and qualification. This is a divine system described by Krsna in the Bhagavad-Gita (4.13): “According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.”

The idea of Varnasrama is frequently confused with the hereditary caste system, but these two systems are actually diametrically opposite. The caste system is based on hereditary privileges, while true Varnasrama is based on training and qualification.

Of the four classes, Brahmanas, Ksatriyas, and Vaishyas are considered to possess the necessary qualifications to study the Vedas, while Sudras are excluded from studying it due to their lack of qualifications. At first, this may appear as a discriminatory idea, but that’s not the point. When it’s affirmed that the Sudras are not qualified to study the Vedas, the understanding is that they should progress and become qualified by going through the appropriate process, and not that they should remain eternally in ignorance.

On the Vedanta Sutra 1.3.31, Vyasadeva mentions: madhv-ādiṣv asambhavād anadhikāraṁ jaiminiḥ

This can be translated as: “Jaimini is of the opinion that devas do not engage in madhu-vidyā and other forms of Vedic meditation because it is not possible for them to do so.”

Here, the opinion of Jaimini is mentioned. Who is Jaimini and why is he mentioned here?

During the past few weeks, I have beem studying the Govinda Bhashya of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana with the purpose of writing an explanation of the Vedanta Sutra according to Vaishnava philosophy that can be at the same time deep and easy to understand.

A few things I realized during this process:

a) The explanation of the Vedanta Sutra by Sankaracarya (that is the basis for most of the books we have in the market) is very indirect, confusing, and contradictory. It is so because Sankaracarya tried to cover the real meaning of the verses. We all know that Sankaracarya is Lord Shiva, he came to teach impersonalism to lure the Buddhists back into accepting the Vedas.

b) Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu convinced great scholars such as Savabhauma Battacarya and Prakasananda Sarasvati by explaining the direct meaning of the Vedanta Sutra, which is clear and logical.

c) For someone who studied all the books from Srila Prabhupada, the philosophical conclusions of the Vedanta Sutra are nothing new. It’s impressive how Srila Prabhupada included all the conclusions of the Vedanta in his purports.

Continuing our series with the study of obscure, peculiar, and deep philosophical passages from the scriptures, there is an intriguing passage in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.1.1-6), that describes the Dahara, a small sky inside the heart that we should all seek:

atha yad idam asmin brahma-pure daharaṁ puṇḍarīkaṁ veśma daharo ṣminn antar ākāśas
tasmin yad antas tad anveṣṭavyaṁ tad vijijñāsitavyam

“In a great city is a small lotus palace. In that palace is a small sky. That sky should be sought. That sky should be asked about.”

The verse mentions the word “akasa”, therefore one could conclude that the verse speaks about the element ether, which is the usual translation for the term. The space is described as small, so one could conclude that it speaks about the jiva, since the jiva is also described as small.

To this, Vyasadeva answers (Vedanta Sutra 1.3.14): dahara uttarebhyaḥ. The dahara, the small space inside the heart is the Supreme Lord, because of what is described later in the text.

What is said there? The 8.1.2 to 8.1.1-6 of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad mentions:

When we speak about the difficulties we face in our spiritual practice, we frequently focus on the mind. In the Bhagavad-Gita (6.5), Krsna mentions that the mind is the greatest friend of the living entity, but his enemy as well. This means that when our desires are properly purified, the natural function of the mind of desiring things becomes very positive for our development since we start to desire things connected with the service to Krsna. However, when our desires are impure, the mind works against us, propelling us away in the direction of sin and forgetfulness of Krsna.

Although the voices inside our heads may suggest that the mind is some kind of conscious being, that’s not exactly the case. The mind is more like a force that pushes us. As we see and experience things, the different desires are stored and the mind pushes us in the direction of trying to satisfy them. Just like a physical force like fire or wind, the push of the mind can be very difficult to resist. In Bhagavad-Gita (6.34), Arjuna mentions that the mind is so obstinate that controlling it is harder than controlling the wind.

Directly stopping the workings of the mind is not only extremely difficult but actually dangerous for our spiritual development. Without the push of the mind, the conditioned soul becomes just some inert and apathetic being, like a stone. This may sound like an attractive goal for an impersonalist or nihilist but is certainly not desirable for a devotee. We don’t want to extinguish all desires, we want to start desiring to serve Krsna instead of matter. The path for us is thus to purify our desires and make the mind a friend. When the mind becomes a friend, it starts pushing us in the right direction, back to Godhead, just like favorable winds propelling a sailboat. Until we can awaken our spiritual body, complete with spiritual mind, spiritual intelligence, and spiritual ego, the material mind is the toll we have to work with.

There are many posts on social platforms mentioning the wrongdoings of gurus, sannyasis, and other sadhus. It’s indeed true that there were fall-downs and misuse of power in the past, and some of it still happens in the present and will probably continue in the future. Many devotees in exalted positions committed mistakes (due to actions or negligence) just like most of us also commit mistakes and do our share of harm to others.

One point to keep in mind in such cases, however, is that the spiritual process of Krsna Consciousness is practically the only process that allows one to factually change his mentality and behavior and become purified to the core. There is no sin that is great enough not to be forgiven when one sincerely adopts the process of devotional service. Valmiki was a great thief and killer, but after chanting the name of Rama became completely purified and was able to write the great epic Ramayana.

There are also cases of sadhus who start on the path, fall down at some point, but later continue with renewed strength, like in the case of Bilvamangala Thakura, who was practicing since childhood, having taken birth in a family of Brahmanas, fell down at some point with a prostitute, but later went back to the path much more determined and eventually became one of our most revered acaryas.