Satsvarūpa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we were all asked by the rest of the GBC to come to ask some questions. Most . . . these are the members of the original GBC as you first made it up. So our first question is about the GBC members. We want to know how long should they remain in office?
Prabhupāda: They should remain for good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They should remain for good.
Prabhupāda: Selected men are chosen, so they cannot be changed. Rather, if some competent man comes, he should be added. I shall recommend that Vāsudeva to become one of the GBC.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vāsudeva is Deoji Punja. He's the founder of our . . . he's building the temple in Fiji.
Prabhupāda: How many GBCs are there already?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty-three.
Prabhupāda: So add him. GBC is not to be changed.
Satsvarūpa: But then, in the event that some present GBC member leaves, either leaves . . .
Prabhupāda: Another should be elected.
Satsvarūpa: By the votes of the present GBC. Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, particularly at that time when you're no longer with us. We want to know how first and second initiation would be conducted.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating ācāryas.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that called ṛtvik-ācārya?
Prabhupāda: Ṛtvik, yes.
Satsvarūpa: Then what is the relationship of that person who gives the initiation and the . . .
Prabhupāda: He's guru. He's guru.
Satsvarūpa: But he does it on your behalf.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is formality. Because in my presence one should not become guru, so on my behalf, on my order . . . āmāra ājñāya guru hañā (CC Madhya 7.128). Be actually guru, but by my order.
Satsvarūpa: So they may also be considered your disciples.
Prabhupāda: Yes, they are disciples. Why consider? Who?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, he's asking that these ṛtvik-ācāryas, they're officiating, giving dīkṣā. Their . . . the people who they give dīkṣā to, whose disciple are they?
Prabhupāda: They're his disciple.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're his disciple.
Prabhupāda: Who is initiating. He is granddisciple.
Satsvarūpa: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's clear.
Satsvarūpa: Then we have a question concer . . .
Prabhupāda: When I order, "You become guru," he becomes regular guru. That's all. He becomes disciple of my disciple. That's it.
Satsvarūpa: Next we have a question about the BBT. At present, no translation work is to be published without your seeing and approving it. So the question is, is there any system for publishing works in the future that you may not see? For example, we've heard suggested that the Padma Purāṇa or the Ṣaṭ-Sandarbha may be translated. But what would the system be to insure the paramparā if you would not personally see these translations?
Prabhupāda: That you have to examine expertly.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In other words, there's no set principle that only the works which you have already translated can be published by the BBT. If there is some worthy translation of a bona fide Vedic reference, if it's properly done, the BBT could publish it.
Prabhupāda: That we are doing, just like Hindi. We are doing other languages. If it is properly translated, it can be . . .
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even if it's a work which you have not yet translated yourself.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no, the principle is . . . just like my translation, another person translating into Hindi or other languages, we are publishing. Similarly, if somebody has translated properly, it can be published. But amongst our disciples, I don't think there are many who can translate properly.