View source for Authorities of Vedic knowledge

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{{compiler| Siddha Rupa|Visnu Murti}}

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[[Category:Authority|2]]
[[Category:Vedic Knowledge|2]]
[[Category:Authority of the Vedas‎|2]] 
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<div class="section" id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is"><h2>Bhagavad-gita As It Is</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="BG_Preface_and_Introduction" text="BG Preface and Introduction"><h3>BG Preface and Introduction</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="BG" link="BG BG Introduction" link_text="BG BG Introduction">
<div class="heading">Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as is confirmed by all great ācāryas (spiritual masters) like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka Svāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and many other authorities of Vedic knowledge in India</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:BG BG Introduction|BG BG Introduction]]:''' The spirit of Bhagavad-gītā is mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā itself. It is just like this: If we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the directions written on the label. We cannot take the medicine according to our own whim or the direction of a friend. It must be taken according to the directions on the label or the directions given by a physician. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker Himself. The speaker of Bhagavad-gītā is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is mentioned on every page of Bhagavad-gītā as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. Of course the word bhagavān sometimes refers to any powerful person or any powerful demigod, and certainly here bhagavān designates Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as a great personality, but at the same time we should know that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as is confirmed by all great ācāryas (spiritual masters) like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka Svāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and many other authorities of Vedic knowledge in India. The Lord Himself also establishes Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gītā, and He is accepted as such in the Brahma-saṁhitā and all the Purāṇas, especially the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, known as the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]). Therefore we should take Bhagavad-gītā as it is directed by the Personality of Godhead Himself.</div>
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<div class="section" id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="SB_Canto_4" text="SB Canto 4"><h3>SB Canto 4</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="SB" link="SB 4.29.42-44" link_text="SB 4.29.42-44, Purport">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:SB 4.29.42-44|SB 4.29.42-44, Purport]]:''' In the beginning of creation there was a very intelligent personality, Lord Brahmā, and from him emanated all the Manus, and the brahmacārīs like Sanaka and Sanātana, as well as Lord Śiva, the great sages and Nārada. All these personalities underwent great austerities and penances and thus became authorities in Vedic knowledge. Perfect knowledge for human beings, as well as all living entities, is contained in the Vedas. All the above-mentioned great personalities are not only powerful—being cognizant of past, present and future—but are also devotees. Still, in spite of their great education in knowledge, and despite their meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, they cannot actually understand the perfection of the living entity's relationship with Lord Viṣṇu. This means that these personalities are still limited as far as their knowledge of the unlimited is concerned.</div>
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<div class="sub_section" id="SB_Canto_5" text="SB Canto 5"><h3>SB Canto 5</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="SB" link="SB 5.18.23" link_text="SB 5.18.23, Purport">
<div class="heading">The authorities of Vedic knowledge met Lord Rāmacandra in Daṇḍakāraṇya, and by their penances and austerities, they were allowed to enter into the rāsa dance</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:SB 5.18.23|SB 5.18.23, Purport]]:''' "Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, 'I know that there is no fault in the goddess of fortune, but still she could not enter into the rāsa dance. We hear this from revealed scriptures. The authorities of Vedic knowledge met Lord Rāmacandra in Daṇḍakāraṇya, and by their penances and austerities, they were allowed to enter into the rāsa dance. But can you tell me why the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, could not get that opportunity? '
"To this Vyeṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa replied, 'I cannot enter into the mystery of this incident. I am an ordinary living being. My intelligence is limited, and I am always disturbed. How can I understand the pastimes of the Supreme Lord? They are deeper than millions of oceans.'</div>
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<div class="sub_section" id="SB_Cantos_10.14_to_12_(Translations_Only)" text="SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)"><h3>SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="SB" link="SB 11.3.43" link_text="SB 11.3.43, Translation">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:SB 11.3.43|SB 11.3.43, Translation]]: Śrī Āvirhotra replied: Prescribed duties, nonperformance of such duties, and forbidden activities are topics one can properly understand through authorized study of the Vedic literature. This difficult subject matter can never be understood by mundane speculation. The authorized Vedic literature is the sound incarnation of the Personality of Godhead Himself, and thus Vedic knowledge is perfect. Even the greatest learned scholars are bewildered in their attempts to understand the science of action if they neglect the authority of Vedic knowledge.'''</div>
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<div class="section" id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta"><h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="CC_Madhya-lila" text="CC Madhya-lila"><h3>CC Madhya-lila</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="CC" link="CC Madhya 9.122" link_text="CC Madhya 9.122, Translation">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 9.122|CC Madhya 9.122, Translation]]:  “But can you tell Me why the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, could not enter the rāsa dance? The authorities of Vedic knowledge could enter the dance and associate with Kṛṣṇa."'''</div>
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<div class="section" id="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Other Books by Srila Prabhupada"><h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="Krsna,_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" text="Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead"><h3>Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="OB" link="KB 13" link_text="Krsna Book, Chapter 13">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:KB 13|Krsna Book, Chapter 13]]:''' Lord Brahmā, who has full control over the goddess of learning and who is considered to be the best authority in Vedic knowledge, was thus perplexed, being unable to understand the extraordinary power manifested by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the mundane world, even a personality like Brahmā is unable to understand the mystic power of the Supreme Lord. Not only did Brahmā fail to understand, but he was perplexed even to see the display which was being manifested by Kṛṣṇa before him.</div>
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<div class="quote" book="OB" link="KB 21" link_text="Krsna Book, Chapter 21">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:KB 21|Krsna Book, Chapter 21]]:''' While Kṛṣṇa was engaged in tending the cows in the forest of Vṛndāvana or on Govardhana Hill, the gopīs in the village were always absorbed in thinking of Him and discussing His different pastimes. This is the perfect example of Kṛṣṇa consciousness: to somehow or other remain always engrossed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. The vivid example is always present in the behavior of the gopīs; therefore Lord Caitanya declared that no one can worship the Supreme Lord by any method which is better than the method of the gopīs. The gopīs were not born in very high brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya families; they were born in the families of vaiśyas, and not in big mercantile communities but in the families of cowherd men. They were not very well educated, although they heard all sorts of knowledge from the brāhmaṇas, the authorities of Vedic knowledge. The gopīs’ only purpose was to remain always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa.</div>
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<div class="section" id="Lectures" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973]]:''' So when Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa was present, He actually showed by His activities, by His behavior, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For example—it may be unbelievable, but these are in the history of Kṛṣṇa—that Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives. Now, it is unbelievable. We cannot maintain even one wife, but He maintained 16,108 wives, and each wife had big palatial buildings. This description we have got. So that means so far riches are concerned, Kṛṣṇa showed that there is no second comparison in the whole history of the world that one is maintaining sixteen thousand wives and each wife has got special palace. These descriptions are there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and, by all the authorities of Vedic knowledge. Formerly, during Kṛṣṇa's time, there were authorities like Vyāsadeva, like Nārada. They also accepted that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.</div>
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<div class="section" id="Correspondence" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="1970_Correspondence" text="1970 Correspondence"><h3>1970 Correspondence</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="Let" link="Letter to Unknown -- Los Angeles 12 April, 1970" link_text="Letter to Unknown -- Los Angeles 12 April, 1970">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Letter to Unknown -- Los Angeles 12 April, 1970|Letter to Unknown -- Los Angeles 12 April, 1970]]:''' This Vedic knowledge was stated in the Atharva Veda. Later on, just on the beginning of this millenium, the Kali yuga, Vyasadeva, who is the supreme authority of Vedic knowledge, considering the degraded condition of men in this age, divided the whole Veda into departmental knowledge and some of his disciples were entrusted with a particular type of departmental knowledge. In this way the whole Vedic knowledge developed into four Vedas, 108 Upanisads, 18 Puranas, then summarized in Vedanta Sutra, and then again to benefit the less intelligent class of men like women, workers, and the degraded descendants of the higher class he made another fifth Veda known as Mahabharata or the great history of India.</div>
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<div class="sub_section" id="1973_Correspondence" text="1973 Correspondence"><h3>1973 Correspondence</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="Let" link="Letter to Minister in charge of Immigration -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 24 November, 1973" link_text="Letter to Minister in charge of Immigration -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 24 November, 1973">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Letter to Minister in charge of Immigration -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 24 November, 1973|Letter to Minister in charge of Immigration -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 24 November, 1973]]:''' Our preaching is on the basis of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. In this Bhagavad-gita it is stated that God is the Supreme Being, and He is the proprietor of all planets and actually He is the enjoyer of all benefits. Anyone who will understand these three principles of life will be automatically peaceful. So, if every individual is peaceful, naturally there will be peace and prosperity in the community, society, and nation of all over the world. This is our principle. We are trying to broadcast this message on the authority of Vedic knowledge. Everywhere we are very much peaceful, trying to reform the character of the modern man. We teach our students to follow the following regulative principles, namely no illicit sex life, no meat eating, no intoxication, and no gambling. These are the negative principles, and the positive principle is to chant always the Holy Name of God. By the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we have become successful everywhere, in all parts of the world.</div>
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