Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

[quote][cite] abhiram:[/cite]To the verse:
Although rape is not legally allowed, it is a fact that a woman likes a man who is very expert at rape. (SB 4.25.41, p.)

Annotation1: Rape doesnt really mean rape you know...this is victorian english btw.
Annotation2: Not all women may like to be raped so this is a generalization that should not be taken seriously. This doesnt mean you mataji!
Annotation3: Rape may be legal in the future so this verse is subject to change.[/quote]
Weird stuff. But now I understand why devotees suspect that annotations are no good... they are afraid that their preferred views on rape will not be heard...

Real good ones:

"No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none is better loved, in the West, than the Bhagavad-gita. Translation of such a work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit, but an inward sympathy with the theme and a verbal artistry. For the poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things....The Swami does a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian epic with fresh meaning. Whatever our outlook may be, we should all be grateful for the labor that has lead to this illuminating work."
Dr. Geddes MacGregor, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Philosophy
University of Southern California

"The Gita can be seen as the main literary support for the great religious civilization of India, the oldest surviving culture in the world. The present translation and commentary is another manifestation of the permanent living importance of the Gita."
Thomas Merton,
Theologian

"I am most impressed with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupadas scholarly and authoritative edition of Bhagavad-gita. It is a most valuable work for the scholar as well as the layman and is of great utility as a reference book as well as a textbook. I promptly recommend this edition to my students. It is a beautifully done book."
Dr. Samuel D. Atkins
Professor of Sanskrit, Princeton University

"...As a successor in direct line from Caitanya, the author of Bhagavad-gita As It Is is entitled, according to Indian custom, to the majestic title of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The great interest that his reading of the Bhagavad-gita holds for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretation according to the principles of the Caitanya tradition."
Olivier Lacombe
Professor of Sanskrit and Indology, Sorbonne University, Paris

"I have had the opportunity of examining several volumes published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and have found them to be of excellent quality and of great value for use in college classes on Indian religions. This is particularly true of the BBT edition and translation of the Bhagavad-gita."
Dr. Frederick B. Underwood
Professor of Religion, Columbia University

"...If truth is what works, as Pierce and the pragmatists insist, there must be a kind of truth in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, since those who follow its teachings display a joyous serenity usually missing in the bleak and strident lives of contemporary people."
Dr. Elwin H. Powell
Professor of Sociology
State University of New York, Buffalo

"There is little question that this edition is one of the best books available on the Gita and devotion. Prabhupadas translation is an ideal blend of literal accuracy and religious insight."
Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins
Professor of Religion, Franklin and Marshall College

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BBT turns down GBC recommendation, will not add "explanations" to Prabhupadas books

http://www.jswami.info/bbt/editing/no_notes