On November 25 2020 we received an email from someone from the Ukraine challenging the validity of the book Ekadasi The Day of Lord Hari. Although it was unusual and somewhat strange, we think this can be helpful for anyone interested.
November 25, 2020
From: Bhakti Sangama das <***@mail.ru>
Swamiji’s book “Ekadashi The Day of Lord Hari” says what 26 stories were taken from those puranas: Bhavishya-uttara, Brahma-vaivarta, Brahmanda, Varaha, Kurma, Skanda. But I cannot find these stories in these puranas. As is known, puranas exists in many versions and editions, so what editions of puranas were used for the book “Ekadashi The Day Of Lord Hari”? What sources: printed books, manuscripts, oral transmission? If Swamiji used stories from Padma-purana 6.38-63, then which edition of Padma-purana was used?
November 26, 2020
Dear Bhakta Sangama das,
All glories to His Divine Grace Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Sri Krsna Balaram Swami!
Thank you for writing. The book Ekadasi, The Day of Lord Hari was originally published in 1986. That we know Swamiji’s library is extensive and contains rare books and editions likely not easily available anywhere. You did not mention any of the editions looked into so there is no way for us to comment. Swamiji himself is also a perfect Sanskrit schoolar and devotee of the Lord, so we trust his compilation of Ekadasi stories with awe and respect.
We are very careful when it comes to reviewing editions of these ancient books and the stories. There are many editions of many books out there, and the important thing is always to see who translated/published the book. I found out recently that certain important books published even by Sanskrit Pandits in India also contain speculation. Swamiji told me once that many of these Pandits and publishers drink tea and cannot be trusted completely for their are not serious devotees.
We are fortunate to have someone like our Swamiji to give us Vedic knowledge without any speculation or misinterpretation. We are very fortunate because of that. If you have any other questions please let us know.
In the service of His Divine Grace,
Krishna Kirtan
November 27, 2020
If Swamiji and Bhagavat Dharma Samaj have more authentic versions of puranas, then world needs to know more about these versions. Can someone upload to https://archive.org/ scans of at least one of your rare purana’s editions, or give at least some pages from them, just a few scanned pages with ekadashi stories? Just a few pages can resolve the whole problem. I’m especially interested in story # 1 Utpanna from Bhavishyottara, 24 Haribodhini from Skanda; also 8 Amalaki from Brahmanda, 25-26 Padmini and Parama from Skanda Purana.
May I know at least the numbers of the chapters in Puranas from where were taken ekadashi stories? For example, the book says that stories 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 16, 18, 20 are from Bhavishya-uttara Purana, but from which chapters of Bhavishyottara?
November 28, 2020
Haribol,
Would you be kind to please identify yourself and where you from? It would help to know who we are speaking to. Are you on Facebook?
Thank you. Jay Sri Radhe!
Sincerely,
Krishna Kirtan
November 28, 2020
My name is Tsislitsky Yury, I’m not a vaishnava, not a scholar, atheist from Ukraine, Eastern Europe, don’t have facebook account; if needed, can provide any other information. I’m writing a text in Russian about ekadashi-vrata, going to write that Bhagavat Dharma Samaj can or cannot (depends of your answer) provide
– scanned rare editions of the puranas with ekadashi stories
– scanned or photographed pages with stories
– the numbers of the chapters from where were taken stories
November 28, 2020
Dear Bhakti Sangama das (/or Tsislisky Yury),
We are just a bit more confused now because your original message had a spiritual name for you as ‘Bhakti Sangama das’ and now you claim that you’re not actually a Vaishnava or even a believer in God and your name is Tsislisky Yury. Which is the correct name for you? Because of your last message we also do not understand why you would be interested in the subject of the Ekadasi book if you claim to be an atheist. We are also not able to confirm your identity.
If you are going to write anything about our Swamiji in public please kindly make sure it is actually accurate instead of implying that it may be erroneous in any way. Any kind of erroneous article will have a public follow up response from us.
Our Spiritual Master His Divine Grace Mahamandaleshwar Sri Krsna Balaram Swami has an extensive library of ancient texts and we do not have the facility in India at the moment for scanning from these ancient texts. Many of these ancient books are written in original Sanskrit and only someone who would know Sanskrit could read and/or translate from them and we are not setup for scanning them at the moment. When I find out more about this and I will let you know.
Hoping this meets you well. Thank you. Jay Sri Radhe!
Sincerely,
Krishna Kirtan
November 28, 2020
Why “Bhakti Sangama dasa” – in order for my person’s features have not affected your readiness to provide sources. Why I’m interested in such subject – because the translation of your book is propagated in my country. I’m planning to write in such way: “I have contacted with representatives of the author of the first book; they answered that author used some rare editions of the Puranas, but on a request to give some proofs – scans of the books, scans or photo of a few pages, or the numbers of the chapters from which stories are taken – they answered that they don’t have the facility in India at the moment for scanning”.
“If you are going to write anything about our Swamiji in public please kindly make sure it is actually accurate instead of implying that it may be erroneous in any way.”
If you want this, you must prove by shastras that this book is not erroneous in any way. But if you want, of course.
November 30, 2020
Why “Bhakti Sangama dasa” – in order for my person’s features have not affected your readiness to provide sources. Why I’m interested in such subject – because the translation of your book is propagated in my country. I’m planning to write in such way: “I have contacted with representatives of the author of the first book; they answered that author used some rare editions of the Puranas, but on a request to give some proofs – scans of the books, scans or photo of a few pages, or the numbers of the chapters from which stories are taken – they answered that they don’t have the facility in India at the moment for scanning”.
“If you are going to write anything about our Swamiji in public please kindly make sure it is actually accurate instead of implying that it may be erroneous in any way.”
If you want this, you must prove by shastras that this book is not erroneous in any way. But if you want, of course.
December 1, 2020
Dear Bhakti Sangama das (/or Tsislisky Yury),
In the following link you will find photos of the original Sanskrit of the first chapter of the book Ekadasi the Day of Lord Hari by His Divine Grace Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Sri Krsna Balaram Swami. You can see there a photo of the cover of the book (Bhavisya Purana, Part 3). These books that Swamiji has were printed long long ago, very old books. These are not easily available and are hard to find.
https://www.krsna.org/utpanna-ekadasi-sanskrit/
The link you will also see a photo of the original Garuda Purana. Since you seem so interested in the subject, please make research and try to find out how many verses Vyasa Maharsi wrote 5000 years ago in the Garuda Purana. You may end up finding out how these Sanskrit Pandit schoolars in different editions are summarizing their publications so badly that they are leaving out very important parts and statements, and then printing and putting their books in the market.
This shows how Pandits are destroying all the Puranas nowadays, even books published in Devanagari. Many of these Pandits are eating onion, garlic, drinking tea, coffee, etc; practically speaking 95% of them. All these habits are strictly forbidden for anyone who claims to be a Vaishnava, and at the outset it would spiritually disqualify them to be translating these scriptures. That is happening. These people are putting modified books in the market.
So you may be now thinking that what you have found are original texts but you don’t know this. ISKCON Gurus have made the same mistake, like Satsvarupa das Goswami once did. At one point he thought that what he had in his hands was the entire Padma Purana but that was barely a piece of it and from a source he did not much about either, while the original Padma Purana is much much larger.
So as you can see, when it comes to Westerners they don’t even know Sanskrit to even start reading the original books, what to speak of translating or giving valid opinions on what is right or wrong. They can’t even tell which books is actually an original and which isn’t. Only very few libraries in the world carry ancient books and one would have to be knowledgable enough to know what to look for and who to give credit to.
With all due respect, for example, are you a Sanskrit scholar? And even if you were trying to be, your Sanskrit knowledge would not come even nearly close to our Spiritual Master’s knowledge of Sanskrit. So I think some respect should be there from your part, and for your own benefit. What you seem to be presenting or is trying to present can only leads to speculation because you are not actually a qualified scholar on the subject, much less has is intimately connected to the culture and knowledge and does not have the understanding required to be interpreting Sanskrit words.
After reading some of your words, must say that only a Vaishnava or one who used to claim to be a Vaishnava would be able to speak in the terms that you do by quoting words, terms, sources and so on. So we would kindly like to ask who is your Guru or was your Guru? Whoever is guiding you or has guided you, we request that this person contact us and we would be happy to provide more original Sanskrit chapters of the book Ekadasi The Day of Lord Hari and answer more questions in connection to this. All information is certainly available.
Would also like to point out that there is no need for you to give us a fake spiritual name nor is there the need to speak with us anonymously on any of these subjects. Despite your strange approach to enquire about this we have been forthcoming nevertheless. We are and have always been available to provide answers to all spiritual related questions.
By posing to be someone you are not (and admitting to it), that would not deter us from speaking on spiritual topics at any time. Only a materialist type person would think in these terms, that you’d have to give us a fake spiritual name in an attempt to get information from us. In our culture, a true brahmana is one who will always tell the truth, even to his own enemy. Perhaps you are not aware of these things.
This was the first time someone challenged the validity of his Ekadasi book. Swamiji’s book to this day stands as the most accurate translation of the Ekadasi stories from the various Puranas.
We should also mention that our Swamiji’s Ekadasi book was once translated into Russian and printed, and the people who did this published the book and removed Swamiji’s name from it, a wrongdoing on many levels, starting with a serious and criminal copyright infringment. Swamiji was once even advised to pursue legal action over this, and could include against Gopal Krishna Goswami from ISKCON as well.
The Ekadasi The Day of Lord Hari was written and published by Sri Krsna Balaram Swami, it was printed by him, and the entire ISKCON knew Swamiji as the author of the book since it was written in 1983. The book was also taken the Library of Congress in 1985 and it was soon officially published. Russian devotees translated the book, removed his name, and printed it. Please keep that in mind and make sure to mention in your article if you are going to write one. If the book was translated into Russian and is being propagated in Russian now as you say, the reader should at least know what the translators and publishers have done by removing the name of our Swamiji from it.
Thank you. Jay Sri Radhe!
Sincerely,
Krishna Kirtan
December 25, 2020
UPDATE
Ekadasi The Day of Lord Hari (Original Sanskrit) is now available for download in complete form.
https://www.krsna.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ekadasi_Sanskrit_Original.pdf
