Publishing
Regarding printing of KRSNA on the cover and Title, it should not be “KRSNA Book,” but it should be “KRSNA” in large type on the first line, that is the Title, and on the second line, by way of adjective, “The Supreme Personality of Godhead” should be printed in smaller type.
— Letter to Brahmananda, Los Angeles, 20 March 1970
Why did you publish this college program book independently and unauthorized? Any literature that is to be published on behalf of the movement, must be authorized by the BBT Trustees. You have not even mentioned my name in this book. This is not at all good. Why have you done this?
— Letter to Bhakta dasa, Jayananda, Bahulasva, Honolulu, 17 June 1975
I am not very much enthusiastic to publish our books by some publication house, including MacMillan and Company. So far as I know, Ramakrishna Mission has their own publication organization; Aravinda Ashram has their own publication organization; Theosophical Society has their own arrangement; Bible Society has their own arrangement; Ravindra Natha Thakura has their own arrangement. So why Iskcon should fail to have its own organization? The thing is that the publishers are interested in money. They will make a condition that you purchase 5,000 copies, investing your money, and give some restriction that you don’t go to booksellers. That means they publish with our money, our literature, and sometimes, if somebody goes to sell to some bookseller, they take strong objection. At the same time, they want to publish from the business point of view, without taking into consideration the aesthetic and philosophical side of the literature. I am enclosing herewith one copy of the letter of the MacMillan Company sent by Brahmananda to me, and you seriously consider the whole situation along with Tamala and let me know your definite opinion what to do.
— Letter to Gargamuni, London, 22 September 1969
Yes, in the future you should make sure that all the books, no matter what size or color, have the words Bhaktivedanta Book Trust under the logos. Whether it is clear or unclear it should be there.
— Letter to Jayadvaita, Bombay, 20 December 1974
Editing
Regarding our books, the scholarly way should be followed. That means as Dr. Radhakrishnan and Bon Maharaja do it, and as Dr. Singh recommends. In all our books and magazines henceforward the whole process should be changed. Whatever is done in the past forget. Now everything should be revised and presented in the scholarly way. That means throughout Krishna should be spelled Krsna, Visnu should be spelled Visnu and Caitanya should be spelled Caitanya, etc. I think this will clear the whole thing and there will be no more Maya impediment.
— Letter to Pradyumna, Tittenhurst, 13 October 1969
In every publication house all printing matters are edited at least three times. So we should be very much careful about grammatical and printing mistakes. That will mar the prestige of the press and the institution.
— Letter to Brahmananda, London, 10 December 1969
I note that for the new printing of the abridged Gita, Dia Nippon, there were mistakes. Why there should be mistakes? Mistakes makes the book useless. You must be very, very careful. It will be detrimental to the sales.
— Letter to Ramesvara, Bombay, 20 November 1975
The incident of Kirtanananda and Hayagriva chapter may now be closed. We shall always pray to Krishna for their recovery and we should not seriously take their counter propaganda. I am sure they will flap for some time without any effect on our Krishna Consciousness, service. Let us go ahead with our work and everything will be all right. Most important thing at present is to deal with MacMillan Co. Regarding editing of my books it was rightly entrusted to you from the very beginning but Kirtanananda wanted that the editing should be done by Hayagriva. But I understand from your version that in some places of Gita Upanisad he has followed Swami Nikilananda who is quite unaware of Krishna Consciousness. By their present behavior it appears that Hayagriva belongs to the same feather and Krishna has saved His Gita Upanisad by transferring the whole thing into your hands. Now please do your best and hand it over to MacMillan Co. for necessary action. We have tried our best in the Gita Upanisad that Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person and His energies acting impersonally. The devotees are primarily concerned with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna and His impersonal expansion of energy is of secondary importance to the devotees. Less intelligent asuras are attracted by the impersonal manifestation because they have no chance to meet Krishna face to face. In the last paragraph of your letter of the 7th, you have mentioned very nobly that you can work with me on the project of Srimad-Bhagavatam and it will be a great success of my mission if we jointly finish up complete Bhagavatam published by MacMillan Co. The chance is there, let us carefully handle up the situation and as soon as I return to the States, we shall take up Srimad-Bhagavatam in the same Spirit as I have published First Canto. The MSS of Canto two & three is ready and if we jointly work on the other 9 cantos I shall feel very much obliged to you. If I can leave behind me the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Gita Upanisad, and Lord Caitanya’s Teachings, & if you continue to work in the spirit of pure Krishna Consciousness, surely we shall be able to do some tangible service to Humanity at large.
— Letter to Rayarama, Calcutta, 15 November 1967
If there is good English it is welcome but we should not edit as Hayagriva has replaced “devotional service” with “knowledge of self”.
— Letter to Brahmananda, Calcutta, 12 December 1967
Regarding diacritical markings, you may refer to the book First Lessons in Sanskrit Grammar and Reading by Judith Tyberg of the East-West Cultural Center published in 1964. Each letter should be transliterated in a careful manner so that one may be able to know the Devanagari character corresponding. Devanagari type characters will not be there in this new book we are preparing.
— Letter to Pradyumna, Los Angeles, 22 January 1968
It is very much encouraging to see you are a good and scrutinizing editor. May Krishna bless you.
So far the vyabhicary symptoms are concerned, just now it is not possible to give you the two points missing because the reference books are left in London. So without waiting further for these minor discrepancies, you can finish the subject adding “etc.” or do it at your best discretion as Krsna will dictate from within you. I can rely on you.
— Letter to Jayadvaita, Los Angeles, 10 February 1970
Now you are in good opportunity to do the transliteration work and in cooperation with your professors and Hayagriva, make the Srimad-Bhagavatam revised edition in such a nice way that it may be accepted in any scholarly society. In the last editions, because the transcription was not there, some of the universities in the western countries refused to stock them. Of course, the American Congress library purchasing department in India are pleased to purchase 18 copies of my Srimad-Bhagavatam, as soon as it is published and they have open order for it. Still we want it to be done so nicely that it may not be refused by any scholarly section. So the transliteration and divisions should be so nicely done that it will go to your credit when they are accepted everywhere. I think by Krishna’s Grace Hayagriva’s attempt to revise it nicely and your attempt to fix up transliteration perfectly will make the next edition as perfect as possible. Do it very sincerely, and also pray Krishna to help you, and I am sure it will come out successful.
— Letter to Pradyumna, Los Angeles, 18 November 1968
Art Department
Ramesvara has asked some questions regarding the art work for the 7th canto, 1st volume. Please inform him of the following:
1. The sketch showing Hiranyakasipu very big is the better of the two. Yes, you should show fire emanating from his head.
2. There should be no effulgence around Prahlada. Hiranyakasipu should not be shown with a pipe. He was a non-smoker.
3. Krishna killing Sisupala took place inside, not outside.
4. To illustrate Prahlada being protected when he is thrown of the cliff, there should be a semi-visible Krishna waiting below, as if to catch.
5. Yes, you can show dead bones, skulls, and snakes in the dungeon. Prahlada was not actually attacked with the tridents, just threatened.— Letter to Radhavallabha, Mayapur, 3 February 1976
Book Pricing
I have seen the BBT Memo to all centers dated October 16, 1974 together with the inventory of book stock prepared by Bhugarbha das. Now henceforward you make the following arrangement for getting payment from the temples for BBT. For all book orders the BBT will present the invoice and shipping documents to your bank a/c BBT for collection. The orders may be shipped by rail, so the temples will pay the invoice amount in order to receive the shipping documents from the Bank, and then collect the goods. Now that the inventory has been sent to all centers, there should be no complaint that there are no books being made available. Let them pay for what they order, and you fill the orders promptly, so there should be no difficulty.
— Letter to Giriraja, Mayapur, 20 October 1974
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 