Authoritative answer

Expressions researched:
"authoritative answer"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving authoritative answer as it was spoken by Kṛṣṇa. This is the way of speaking. One should cite authority.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967: Not only one goddess of fortune, but many hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune is serving Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu in the spiritual planet. "So the devotee of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, they appear to be poorer than the devotees of Lord Śiva, who is less than a poor man. Why this contradiction?"

So the contradiction was answered by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, not personally. He took authority. What is that authority? He said immediately, "My dear king, this answer I shall not give you, but a similar answer was put forward by your grandfather, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, to your other grandfather, Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa also happened to be grandfather of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Because Kṛṣṇa's sister was married to Arjuna and Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the grandson of Subhadrā, Arjuna's wife. Therefore Kṛṣṇa also happens to be grandfather of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira also happens to be grandfather, being the eldest brother of his grandfather. So Kṛṣṇa is the authority. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving authoritative answer as it was spoken by Kṛṣṇa. This is the way of speaking. One should cite authority. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was not less authority. As I described the other day that there are twelve authorities. Out of them, Śukadeva Gosvāmī himself is one of the authorities. But still, he is citing the authority of Kṛṣṇa. That is the way of presenting things. That is called Vedic knowledge, that you must giving... Whatever you say, it must be supported by the authority. Just like a good lawyer. He gives good evidence from other courts' judgement, authority. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that "This very question was inquired by your grandfather, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, to Kṛṣṇa because they were put into so many calamities, the Pāṇḍavas. Kṛṣṇa was their personal friend. Still, they were put into so many calamities for which they had to fight forcibly." So Kṛṣṇa answered. When Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira inquired "Why this contradiction? The Vaiṣṇava, who is worshiper of the most opulent personality, Viṣṇu, they appear to be poorer, whereas the worshiper of Lord Śiva, who appears to be poorer than ordinary man, they become very richer. Why?"

Kṛṣṇa answered that yasyāham anugṛhnāmi hariṣye tad-dhanam śanaiḥ: [SB 10.88.8] "My dear brother, Yudhiṣṭhira, My first evidence of mercy to My devotee is to plunder all his wealth, whatever he has got. You see? Whatever he has got, I take it away. Then he tries again to accumulate some money. Again I take it away. In this way, he tries; I take away. When he becomes confused and baffled, he fully surrenders unto Me." Hā hā prabhu nanda-suta. Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is praying Kṛṣṇa, hā hā prabhu nanda-suta: "Oh my dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja," vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta, "oḥ, You are standing before me accompanied by Rādhārāṇī, the daughter of Mahārāja Vṛṣabhānu." Koruṇā karoho ei-bāro: "Now this is the time to show me mercy." Narottama-dāsa kahe: "Narottama dāsa is appealing to You." Nā ṭheliho rāṅgā pāy: "Don't push me away." Tomā bine ke āche āmāra: "I have no other personality than Yourself. I have lost everything." This is surrender. So one should think like that. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I have nothing more except Kṛṣṇa." So that has to be practiced, and not that if one thinks like that, that he has nothing except Kṛṣṇa. One who has Kṛṣṇa, he has everything. He has everything. The Bhagavad-gītā supports, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If you can gain Kṛṣṇa, then there is no more necessity of any other profit. All profit is there.

1969 Correspondence

The Vedic literature which we are following has the perfect and authoritative answer. But to understand about God one must be purified.

Letter to Patti Birnack -- Tittenhurst House, England September 13th , 1969: I am very pleased to learn that you are coming to our Krishna Consciousness temple in Ohio and you are nicely appreciating this movement. I can understand that you are a sincere soul, and I am sure that Krishna will help you to solve all of your present difficulties. So far as the questions and doubts raised by your father, you may rest assured that to every question your father may raise regarding the existence of God and even to much higher questions regarding the nature and activities of God, the Vedic literature which we are following has the perfect and authoritative answer. But to understand about God one must be purified. In contaminated state one cannot expect to understand about the Absolute Truth. Our Krishna Consciousness movement is for bringing the devotee to the purified consciousness where he understands Krishna and serves Him in unalloyed devotional service. Regarding the inquiry, “If there is God, how can there be suffering and disease,” the similar question may be asked, “In the presence of an affectionate father, why should a child suffer from diseases?” God is the Supreme Father and He gives us the process for being relieved of our sufferings. But if one refuses to accept this gift of God, then he must suffer from the results of his activities. Anyone who is suffering or enjoying in this material world is doing so as a result of his own activities. Krishna says that if we surrender unto Him, He will relieve us of all sufferings, so if someone rejects this offer of Krishna and then says that there is no God because he is experiencing some suffering, that is not a very intelligent position. Krishna wants everyone to go back to Home, back to Godhead, and enjoy eternal life and blissful knowledge there. If your father agrees to this process, he also can be taken back to Home, back to Godhead, with my other disciples. There will be no difficulty for me. You can tell your father that. But if he does not agree, what responsibility is God’s? Everyone has got his independence.