308. Diksa Mantra Correction

[Action Order]

WHEREAS Srila Prabhupada repeatedly stressed that the Sanskrit language in
his books and other ISKCON publications should be edited in strict
accordance with the standard Sanskrit grammar and usage:

WHEREAS the word “guruh” in the third of the diksa-mantras (the
guru-gayatri) in ISKCON is mistakenly spelled as “guroh”, thus contradicting
the standard Sanskrit grammar;

WHEREAS in all three of Srila Prabhupada’s own tape recordings of the
diksa-mantras, available in the VedaBase-2003, he pronounces “guruh”;

WHEREAS the above misspelling has over the years become ISKCON’s standard;

WHEREAS authoritative scriptural references to guru-gayatri followed in the
Gaudiya Vaisnava line, like Bhaktivinode Thakur’s Bhajana-rahasya and
Dhyanacandra Goswami’s Gaura-govindarcana-smarana-paddhati, have the correct spelling for guruh.

RESOLVED:

All official ISKCON publications and diksa-mantra sheets be corrected to
conform with the proper form “guruh” in the guru-gayatri.