Prabhupāda: .....That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Then from the very beginning you'll spoil it. Then what is the meaning of preaching Bhagavad-gītā? If you do not accept the direction of the author, then what right you have got to say that you have understood Bhagavad-gītā?


Guest (Indian man): Could it be that there may be different interpretations?


Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. That is not the process. You cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā. If you want to preach Bhagavad-gītā, you must preach what Kṛṣṇa has said. If you have got a different philosophy, you can say differently. You don't cheat people that you take Bhagavad-gītā and interpret in your own way and cheat others and be cheated yourself. You cannot do that.


Guest: Well, for example, Tilak Maharaj...


Prabhupāda: Tilak may be, Gandhi may be, whoever may be. But the point is that you have to understand Bhagavad-gītā according to the direction of the author. Because you are Mr. Tilak or Mr. Gandhi, you can do everything on Bhagavad-gītā...


Guest: No no, that is not the idea. But there are different type ślokas.


Prabhupāda: Now how you have got a different types of... Just like the Bhagavad-gītā begins, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ [Bg. 1.1]. So dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre, how you can interpret in a different way? Kurukṣetra is already there. But how you can interpret, "Kurukṣetra means this, Kurukṣetra means that?" You cannot interpret.


Guest: Yes, but who is decided what exactly the meaning...
Prabhupāda: Exactly the meaning is there.


Guest: Literal, literally.


Prabhupāda: Literally, yes. The thing is the interpretation is required when you cannot understand.

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Prabhupāda:....You try to understand that before me for 200 years so many swamis, yogis were there. Not a single man became Kṛṣṇa conscious. (Hindi conversation) He is not teacher he is cheater. Why should you change Kṛṣṇa's words? That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Don't manufacture. What Kṛṣṇa has said, you say.

Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation December 20, 1976, Bombay