View source for Without brahminical qualification one cannot understand Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is stated that a sudra is prohibited from reading Vedas. That does not mean that reading of Vedic culture or Vedic knowledge is monopolized by a certain class of men

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"without this brahminical qualification one cannot understand the Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is stated sometimes that a śūdra is prohibited from reading Vedas. That does not mean that reading of Vedic culture or Vedic knowledge is monopolized by a certain class of men"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|SharmisthaK}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2022-11-03T12:04:09Z}}
{{last|2022-11-03T12:04:09Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Without]]
[[Category:Brahminical Qualifications]]
[[Category:One Cannot]]
[[Category:Cannot Understand]]
[[Category:Understanding Vedic Knowledge]]
[[Category:Therefore]]
[[Category:It Is Stated]]
[[Category:Laborer Class - Sudra]]
[[Category:Prohibited]]
[[Category:Read]]
[[Category:Vedas]]
[[Category:Does Not Mean]]
[[Category:Vedic Culture]]
[[Category:Certain]]
[[Category:Class of Men]]
[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - SHARMISTHA]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
Without this brahminical qualification one cannot understand the Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is stated sometimes that a śūdra is prohibited from reading Vedas. That does not mean that reading of Vedic culture or Vedic knowledge is monopolized by a certain class of men.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:710212 - Lecture CC Madhya 06.149-50 - Gorakhpur|710212 - Lecture CC Madhya 06.149-50 - Gorakhpur]]
</div>
<div class="text">
The Māyāvādīs, they will never worship the transcendental form of the Lord. They'll not worship. They will worship the imperson. And Kṛṣṇa has said, kleśo adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām ([[Vanisource:BG 12.5 (1972)|BG 12.5]]). Of course, impersonal, personal is the same Absolute Truth. But if you try to reach the Absolute Truth through His impersonal attachment, then it will be more troublesome.

The jñānīs, those who want to understand the Absolute Truth by their material, imperfect knowledge, how . . . ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.136|CC Madhya 17.136]]). Our manipulation of the senses is not possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

The Vedic mantra also it is said, nayam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3): "You cannot realize the ātmā, you cannot be self-realized, simply by talking. You may be very big speaker, nice speaker, but that is not the process—simply by speaking very nicely you can understand the Absolute Truth." Nayam ātmā pravacanena labhya na medhayā: "Neither you can understand the Absolute Truth because you have got a very nice brain, a great scientist." Then Sir Isaac Newton would have discovered what is God, or Professor Einstein or Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, they could have understand. No, they cannot. Because they have very nice, finer tissues of the brain, it does not mean.

It is a different process. It is a . . . to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, it is not material process. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 18.55 (1972)|BG 18.55]]): only through devotional service He can be known. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 7.25 (1972)|BG 7.25]]). Kṛṣṇa is covered by the curtain drawn by yogamāyā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by everyone, neither His teaching, Bhagavad-gītā, can be understood without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is not possible.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that bhakto 'si priyo 'si me ([[Vanisource:BG 4.3 (1972)|BG 4.3]]): "Because you are My very dear friend, therefore I shall speak to you." Rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam: "Without you, nobody can understand." Kṛṣṇa (Arjuna) was a military man. He was not a brāhmin, neither a Vedāntist. You cannot expect a military man, a kṣatriya, to be highly learned in Vedic scriptures. That is not possible.

They hear from the brāhmins. The brāhmins, they are expected to be highly learned scholars in Vedas, because that is their department. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam ([[Vanisource:BG 18.42 (1972)|BG 18.42]]). Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa . . . therefore we call brāhmaṇa, "paṇḍita," "paṇḍitajī." Paṇḍitajī has never seen the pages of Vedas, but still, he is going on under the name of paṇḍitajī.

So that kind of paṇḍitajī not wanted. Actually a brāhmaṇa means he is truthful. And one of the greatest commentator of Bhagavad-gītā, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, he says truthful means one should be truthful even to his enemies. Sometimes we have to hide something from the enemies. That is diplomacy. But Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa says: "A brāhmaṇa should be so truthful that he will disclose everything to his enemy also." Satyam. Titikṣa ārjavam śuci śama dama—these are the qualification. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam ([[Vanisource:BG 18.42 (1972)|BG 18.42]]).

So without this brahminical qualification one cannot understand the Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is stated sometimes that a śūdra is prohibited from reading Vedas. That does not mean that reading of Vedic culture or Vedic knowledge is monopolized by a certain class of men. Not that. The idea is . . . just like in our ordinary educational system, there is some prohibition that unless one is graduate, he cannot be admitted in the law college. That is not a prohibition, that is the necessary qualification to understand.

Similarly, to understand the Vedas, the necessary qualification is that one must be a qualified brāhmin. Not that Mr. Max Muller, he has got little knowledge of Sanskrit and he translates. That kind of translation is no use, just like so many commentaries on the Bhagavad-gītā without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa is useless. It has no meaning, because Kṛṣṇa says that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti ([[Vanisource:BG 18.55 (1972)|BG 18.55]]): "Only through devotional service one can understand Me." And how a nondevotee can understand Him? He has no scope to enter into the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā. So first qualification is that he must be a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be revealed.
</div>
</div>
</div>