Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead (Deluxe Edition)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 2003, 844pp, $49.95)
Shrila
Prabupada’s Krsna first appeared in 1970 and has been issued in
several different editions over the years—both as two and three volumes
sets. The first single volume edition issued in the 1990’s was simply
a consolidation of earlier editions without change to text or form. The new
edition of Krsna issued last year by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT)
is the first completely new edition of this work since it first appeared.
Even before opening its covers, one cannot help but be impressed by the beauty of this edition. The book is simply one of the finest examples of modern publishing in recent years. The book is solid, the pages printed on high quality paper aand not “Bible” paper. Even the dust-jacket with its watercolor cover, gold foil highlighting and soft matte spine is beautiful to behold.
Prebhupada’s Krsna is a summary and discussion of the tenth canto of Shrila Vyasadeva’s Srimad Bhagavatam. Often called the “Biography of God” this is the inside story of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and his pastimes. The work tells of his adventures, demonic confrontations, romances and playful encounters. The book includes discussion of his advent on Earth, his adolescence in Vrndavan through to his founding of the city Dvaraka.
For this edition BBT commissioned Lithuanian artist Devaki Dasi to create 77 new illustrations to accent Prabhupada’s text. Devaki Dasi spent several years creating a poignant and inspiring collection of original images. Her technique employing watercolor and India ink is perfectly suited to the content and context of the work. The drawings give the impression of tradition Indian batik over block printing. Each has the feel of sacred tapestries that could easily adorn a temple’s wall. Devaki Dasi’s images have a sweetness that makes them highly suitable as accompaniment when retelling the story of Krsna to children.
This edition of Krsna is more than a highly artistic repackaging of the text of previous editions. BBT went back to the source tapes containing Prabhupada’s original dictation and verified the transcription word-for-word. Due, no doubt, to Prabhupada’s heavily accented English, numerous errors in transcription were found. The new edition thus brings us the authentic text of Prabhupada’s original intended work for the first time.
In addition to the beautiful book itself, the work also contains a poster-size map of ancient India and a multi-media CD. The map allows one to visually track the relative location of Krsna’s past-times. The companion CD, which works on both PC and Mac platforms, contains a study quiz, a multi-media telling of the story of the Syamantaka Jewel (narrated by Krpamoya dasa), Shrila Prebhupada singing the Maha Mantra and giving a talk on its meaning, Krsnaprema dasa singing the Maha Mantra, and the complete book in PDF format.
All the improvements taken as a whole, this edition of Krsna is the definitive and academically rigorous edition of this classic work.
At a minimum, this and Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is should be components of any spiritual seeker’s library.