Transformation and Continuity: The Commentaries of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Abstract

The article "THE DANCE OF THE DEXTEROUS HERMENEUTE: TRANSFORMATION VS. CONTINUITY: TENSIONS IN SCRIPTURAL TRANSMISSION Hermeneutical Strategies in the Commentaries of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada" by Tamal Krishna Goswami, explores the hermeneutical strategies employed by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna Movement. The article discusses how Prabhupada, as a translator and commentator of Sanskrit and Bengali texts, balanced the continuity of ancient Gaudiya Vaishnava traditions with the necessity of transforming their presentation for a modern Western audience. It highlights Prabhupada's approach to scripture as divinely inspired and infallible, emphasizing his "canon within the canon" centered on Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The article also delves into his use of scriptural intertextuality, the importance of disciplic succession (parampara), and his unique translations of key terms like "Bhagavan" as "Supreme Personality of Godhead" and "bhakti" as "devotional service" to convey the universal nature of Krishna consciousness and drive spiritual transformation.