Category:Authority of the Vedas
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the authority of the Vedas is unchallengeable and self-evident, serving as the ultimate law book for human civilization. He emphasizes that a civilized person, especially a brahmana, must have full faith in the authority of the Vedas, a quality known as astikyam. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that although Vedic injunctions may sometimes appear contradictory—such as the purity of cow dung despite it being animal stool—they must be accepted without argument or personal interpretation to maintain their perfect status. He warns that defying the authority of the Vedas is the definition of atheism, or being a nastika, a position famously taken by Lord Buddha to stop animal killing in the name of religion. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that even Lord Buddha is an incarnation of God who superficially denied the Vedas for a specific mission. Furthermore, he teaches that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on the science and authority of the Vedas as simplified by Lord Caitanya. Ultimately, by seeing everything through the medium of Vedic literature and following the instructions of bona fide Vedic authorities, the living entity can distinguish between the material and spiritual worlds and attain the highest perfection of liberation.
- Unchallengeable and Self-Evident: The statements of the Vedas are perfect and must be accepted completely without doubt or interpretation; any attempt to change their meaning renders them imperfect or useless.
- The Definition of Atheism: To be a nastika means to deny the authority of the Vedas; Lord Buddha and the Sankarites are discussed in this context for their respective roles in either decrying or misinterpreting Vedic injunctions.
- Seeing Through Sastra: Vedic civilization requires that one see the world through the authority of revealed scriptures, which allows for the proper understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The Principle of Acceptance: Faith in the Vedas means accepting even seemingly contradictory statements, such as the purity of conchshells and cow dung, because they are recommended by the perfect authority.
- Scientific and Authorized: The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a manufactured sentiment but is a scientific process based on the authority of the Vedas and the examples of great personalities.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: The Unchallengeable Authority of the Vedas.
Subcategories
This category has the following 5 subcategories, out of 5 total.
Pages in category "Authority of the Vedas"
The following 60 pages are in this category, out of 60 total.
2
A
- According to Vedic civilization, one has to see through the authority of the revealed scriptures. One should see everything through the medium of the Vedic literature. In this way, one can distinguish between the spiritual world and material world
- All Vedic knowledge is based on the principle that one must approach a bona fide spiritual master and hear from him the authoritative statements of the Vedas
- Although the Buddhists are directly opposed to Vaisnava philosophy, it can easily be understood that the Sankarites are more dangerous because they accept the authority of the Vedas yet act contrary to Vedic instruction
- At a certain stage of human civilization when such material activities in the name of religion were too much rampant, the Lord incarnated Himself as Buddha and decried the authority of the Vedas in order to stop animal sacrifice in the name of religion
- At that time Nakula said with great anger, "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the nails of His toes are beautified by the light emanating from the jeweled helmets of the authorities of the Vedas"
- Atheism means defying the authority of the Vedas and decrying the great acaryas who teach Vedic scriptures for the benefit of the people in general
- Atheist means who does not take the authority of the Vedas. From philosophical point of view, he is taken as atheist. But we Vaisnava, we know that he is God. He is God, incarnation of God
- Authority of the Vedic version
B
- Because he does not accept the authority of the Vedas, Lord Buddha is depicted as an agnostic or atheist
- Because we follow Vedic principles. So Vedas declare that these four kinds of activity, they are sinful. So we accept. Our authority is Veda, just like lawyer's authority is law book
- Buddha was obliged to deny the authority of the Vedas. And because he did not accept the authority of the Vedas, the Vedantists and the followers of Vedas, they called the Buddhist philosophy as atheistic
F
- For the common man the statements of the Vedas appear to be contradictory. But in spite of such contradiction, because we Hindus accept the Vedas as authority we accept cow dung as pure and allow it to be used even in the kitchen
- From the Bhagavatam we understand that Lord Buddha is the incarnation of Krsna who appeared when materialism was rampant and materialists were using the pretext of the authority of the Vedas. BG 1972 purports
H
- He (a brahmana) has full knowledge, and he knows how to apply knowledge in life. He has full faith in the authority of the Vedas, a quality called astikyam
- He (Lord Caitanya) considered the Sankarites, who wanted to establish Vedic authority by trickery and who actually followed the Mayavada philosophy of Buddha's school, to be more dangerous than the Buddhists themselves
- He who accepts this (BG 4.9) truth on the strength of the authority of the Vedas and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who does not waste time in philosophical speculations attains the highest perfectional stage of liberation. BG 1972 purports
I
- If one wants to understand this sankirtana movement through philosophy and learning and logic, oh, there is ample opportunity. It is not sentimental. It is based on science and based on authority of Vedas. But it is simplified
- In the Bhagavad-gita such people are described as veda-vada-ratah, supposed followers of the Vedas. They do not understand the real purport of the Vedas, yet they think of themselves as Vedic authorities
- In the Tamasa manvantara there were two kinds of demigods, and one of them was known as the Vaidhrtis. The duty of the demigods is to protect the authority of the Vedas
- In Vedic injunctions there are no mistakes, illusions, cheating or imperfection. Unless one understands the authority of the Vedic version, there is no purpose in quoting sastra
L
- Lord Buddha denied the authority of Vedas. Because people will give evidence that, You are preaching no animal-killing, but in the Vedas sometimes in sacrifice the animals are sacrificed. How you can stop this
- Lord Buddha directly denied the authority of the Vedas, and he established his own religion. Only for this reason, the Buddhist religion was not accepted by the strict followers of the Vedas
- Lord Buddha superficially denied the authority of the Vedas because the asuras or the so-called scholars of Vedic literatures put forward the evidence of animal-killing in the Vedas
- Lord Buddhadeva rejected the authority of the Vedas because his mission was to stop animal sacrifices, which are recommended in Vedic ritualistic ceremonies
O
- One should try to understand the appearance and disappearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from Vedic authorities, not from imagination. One who follows his imaginations about the Supreme Personality of Godhead is condemned
- One who has developed sattva-guna, he'll be truthful and controlled of the mind, of the senses, tolerant; simplicity; jnanam, full knowledge; vijnanam, practical application of knowledge in life; astikyam, to have full faith in the authority of the Vedas
S
T
- The authorities in the Vedic literature who are known as the sruti-ganas desired to enter into Lord Sri Krsna’s rasa dance; therefore they began to worship the Lord in the ecstasy of the gopis. In the beginning, however, they were unsuccessful
- The authority of the Vedas is such that even if one does not understand something by his limited perception, he should accept the Vedic injunction and not create interpretations to suit his imperfect understanding
- The authority of the Vedas is unchallengeable and stands without any question of doubt. And whatever is stated in the Vedas must be accepted completely, otherwise one challenges the authority of the Vedas
- The Buddhists do not recognize the authority of the Vedas; therefore they are considered agnostics
- The conchshell and cow dung are bone and stool of two living beings. But because they have been recommended by the Vedas as pure, people accept them as such because of the authority of the Vedas
- The culprit mind is always suspicious; therefore our dealings should always be straightforward and approved by Vedic authorities. If we treat people diplomatically or duplicitously, our spiritual advancement is obstructed
- The descriptions of Brahman as the effulgence of Lord Caitanya, the Paramatma as His partial representation, and the SP of Godhead Krsna as identical with Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu must be verified by evidence from authoritative Vedic literatures
- The great sage Narada cannot decry the authority of the Vedas, but he wanted to indicate to King Pracinabarhisat that the path of karma-kanda is very difficult and risky
- The KC movement is pointing out to everyone that the object of life is to understand Krsna, and to attain that goal of life one must practice KC, following the methods prescribed by the Gosvamis with reference to the authoritative sastras and Vedas
- The transcendental qualities of Krsna as follows: 17) grateful; 18) firmly determined; 19) an expert judge of time and circumstances; 20) sees and speaks on the authority of Vedas, or scriptures; 21) pure; 22) self-controlled
- The Vedas says the stool of an animal is impure, but in another place it says that the stool of the cow animal is pure. So apparently we find contradiction. But still, because we accept the authority of the Vedas, therefore we accept the statement also
- The Vedic statements are self-evident. Whatever is stated there must be accepted. If we interpret according to our own imagination, the authority of the Vedas is immediately lost
- The word devata refers to one who carries the authority of the Vedas, whereas Raksasas are those who defy the Vedic authority. If the authority of the Vedas is lost, the entire universe becomes chaotic
- These Vedic versions corroborate the one of the Bhagavatam which is further confirmed by Sukadeva Gosvami, who affirms that the truth was disclosed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna, Vasudeva, to Brahma the first authority on the Vedas
- This is Vedic knowledge. You cannot argue. There is no scope of argument. Whatever is said, you have to accept. Otherwise how Vedas become authority?
- This Krsna consciousness movement is neither new nor any concocted manufactured thing. It is authorized, based on the Vedas, based on the Vedic authorities, and it is very simple and it has become simplified by the mercy of Lord Caitanya
- Those who are preachers in ISKCON will certainly meet many people who believe in intellectual arguments. Most of these people do not believe in the authority of the Vedas. Nevertheless, they accept intellectual speculation and argument
W
- We quote Vedic evidence to support our statements, but if we interpret it according to our own judgment, the authority of the Vedic literature is rendered imperfect or useless
- We were being taught that "You cannot deny the authority of Vedas," and Lord Buddha, he denied the authority of Vedas
- When Lord Buddha preached his theory of nonviolence, he was obliged to deny the authority of the Vedas, and for this reason he was considered by the followers of the Vedas to be a nastika
- Why we accept Vedas as authority? Because there is the perfect knowledge. I have discussed so many times the authority of the Vedas, accepting cow dung as pure although animal stool is impure
Y
- You cannot understand why Lord Buddha denied the authority of Vedas - to keep you in darkness. He wanted to stop animal-killing, and he preached ahimsa, nonviolence. That was his mission
- You simply hear from Darwin. You have taken Darwin as your authority. But you don't take authority Vedas. That is your fault