When Srila AC Bhavtivedanta Swami Prabhupada formed his GBC  governing body , he did so with the aims of forming  an intelligentsia, the intelligentsia are made up of different types of persons, some very scholarly, some very devotional and advanced in the highest levels of pure Bhakti and some excellent practical spiritualists. Prabhupada no doubt expected this initial set up to refine itself and mature as time went on , and so it did , and so it does .
The full understandings of the workings of the Vedic way are not so easily grasped , Srila Goswami tells the eighteen Puranas with their 40000 verses along with the Mahabharata and Itihasas need contemplations and applications.  Of course, the Bhagavatam brings practical applications and incorporates many of the different aspects of the overall Vedic teachings . The Bhagavatam  and the Smritis of the Goswami’s of Vrndavana,  who Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally taught , are our real treasure of wisdom , the new testament , as given by Mahāprabhu, and the old smarta ways are to be discarded .

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“A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada initiated the need for an ISKCON constitution to establish foundational management, spiritual guidelines, and the duties of the Governing Body Commission (GBC), often referencing the “Direction of Management” as part of this structure. The official ISKCON Constitution was formally inaugurated on Jan 23, 2026, to ensure legal and theological continuity. 

Key aspects of the constitution call include:

To define the legal and theological framework of ISKCON.

 The GBC is recognized as the ultimate authority, but one that is also accountable to the constitution.

 The document incorporates the original 7 purposes of ISKCON drafted by Prabhupada in 1966, along with his instructions regarding the “Direction of Management”.

The finalized 2026 constitution includes over 50% direct quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and shastra
http://www.thevedicspectator.com

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