Jaipur, Thursday, 20 January, 1972
My Dear Mandali Bhadra,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 28, 1971, and with pleasure I have noted that your translation work is going on.
This I want, that you shall from now on be the Head of the translating department in German language for all ISKCON literatures. You translate yourself as it is comfortable, but all other translations in German language by other translators must be checked by you, edited, and corrected very strictly for grammar and proper use of German language. It is not our philosophy to print errors.
Of course, our spiritual subject matter is transcendental and therefore it remains potent despite mistakes in grammar, spelling, etc. But this type of translation may only be allowed if there is no other way to correct it, then it is all right. But if you know the correct order, then you must make it perfect. That is our philosophy: everything perfect for Krishna.
So far your telling me that some devotees consider that because there may be some grammatical discrepancies in my Srimad-Bhagavatam, first canto, then they may also be allowed to translate with errors accepted, that is just like imitating Raslila. When you do all other things like Krishna, they you can do Raslila.
So if these other writers can do like me and spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world by becoming big Vedic scholars, then they can do. If one is too big, there is no mistake. Arsapreyaya means there may be discrepancies but it is all right. Just like Shakespeare, sometimes there are odd usages of language, but he is accepted as authority. I have explained all these things in my Preface to First Canto.
My first concern is that my books shall be published and distributed profusely all over the world. Practically, books are the basis of our Movement. Without our books, our preaching will have no effect. So I am so much engladdened that you are enthusiastic to please me in this way, and that you are very determined to continue translating profusely. If you can increase translating more and more, that will advance you more and more in spiritual life. Krishna will give you all help.
Why you should go to New York? Stay there and seriously edit all translation work as Chief Editor of German language. Your proposal to meet a Hamburg millionaire is very nice, go ahead. Your sincerity will be accepted by Krishna and He will give you intelligence from within. Simply we must be sincere, then everything else will follow automatically.
Your statements by that big big scientist were very much appreciated by me.
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http://prabhupadabooks.com/letters/jaipur/january/20/1972/mandali_bhadra
A big thank you to the administrator for posting this letter. To my mind it carries all the divine power and the mood of His Divine Grace. And, by the way, the original translation of the Sri Isopanisad into German by Mandali Bhadra Prabhu is still the best, at least in my view. But that be somewhat subjective, because that was the first book about Krishna consciousness I ever read and made me take up this sublime philosophy, along with the Mahamantra (Not to forget the Halavah, of course). And the preaching of the devotees including Mandali Bhadra — that was long before Hansadutta came to Germany.
It is kind of deceptive to talk about “the good old days…” because problems were always there. But then again, the mood was really different then. I never felt that I would join some bureaucracy but rather a dynamic society of devotees who shared that dream of leaving the miserable material world and give a chance to everyone they met, to become Krishna conscious in this very lifetime. Philosophy, divine experiences, singing and dancing and when you get tired take nice Prasadam. Bas.
Atma
Right this first Sri Isopanisad also changed my life. It looked like being printed by monks, made by handcraft, spiritually effulgent. Somehow it seemed that we were all too young. No discipline and perseverance to hold out a dry spell. Although we read Prabhupada’s books every day, experience of life was missing. The traditional vedic parameter of old retired men who become monks – wise and saintly elderly persons – comes to mind. When Prabhupada came for a visit he must have looked upon us like his grandchildren. But still he had so much confidence in his minor followers that things would turn out successful. He seemed to be so sure.