Non-sanātana religious faith may have some beginning in the annals of human history, but there is no beginning to the history of sanātana-dharma, because it remains eternally with the living entities. Insofar as the living entities are concerned, the authoritative śāstras state that the living entity has neither birth nor death. In the Gītā it is stated that the living entity is never born and he never dies. He is eternal and indestructible, and he continues to live after the destruction of his temporary material body. In reference to the concept of sanātana-dharma, we must try to understand the concept of religion from the Sanskrit root meaning of the word. Dharma refers to that which is constantly existing with a particular object. We conclude that there is heat and light along with the fire; without heat and light, there is no meaning to the word fire. Similarly, we must discover the essential part of the living being, that part which is his constant companion. That constant companion is his eternal quality, and that eternal quality is his eternal religion.
Authoritative sastra
Expressions researched:
"authoritative sastra"
|"authoritative sastras"
|"authoritative sastric injunctions"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Preface and Introduction
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 6
When a woman's bodily features are attractive, when her face is beautiful and when her voice is sweet, she is naturally a trap for a man. The śāstras advise that when such a woman comes to serve a man, she should be considered to be like a dark well covered by grass. In the fields there are many such wells, and a man who does not know about them drops through the grass and falls down. Thus there are many such instructions. Since the attraction of the material world is based on attraction for women, Kaśyapa Muni thought, "Under the circumstances, who can understand the heart of a woman?" Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has also advised, viśvāso naiva kartavyaḥ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu ca: "There are two persons one should not trust—a politician and a woman." These, of course, are authoritative śāstric injunctions, and we should therefore be very careful in our dealings with women.
SB Canto 7
Hiraṇyakaśipu thus passed a long time being very much proud of his opulences and transgressing the laws and regulations mentioned in the authoritative śāstras. He was therefore subjected to a curse by the four Kumāras, who were great brāhmaṇas.
There have been many instances in which demons, after achieving material opulences, have become extremely proud, so much so that they have transgressed the laws and regulations given in the authoritative śāstras. Hiraṇyakaśipu acted in this way. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (16.23):
- yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
- vartate kāma-kārataḥ
- na sa siddhim avāpnoti
- na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim
"He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination." The word śāstra refers to that which controls our activities. We cannot violate or transgress the laws and regulative principles mentioned in the śāstras.
SB Canto 8
O Supreme, You are independent in Your self and do not take help from others. Through Your own potency, You create this cosmic manifestation and enter into it. Those who are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who are fully in knowledge of the authoritative śāstra, and who, through the practice of bhakti-yoga, are cleansed of all material contamination, can see with clear minds that although You exist within the transformations of the material qualities, Your presence is untouched by these qualities.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
In East Bengal there was a brāhmaṇa named Tapana Miśra, who could not ascertain the objective of life or how to attain it.
One must first ascertain the object of life and then understand how to attain it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pointing out to everyone that the object of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa, and to attain that goal of life one must practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following the methods prescribed by the Gosvāmīs with reference to the authoritative śāstras and Vedas.
CC Antya-lila
By the grace of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, anyone can be completely purified, become a preacher of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and become the spiritual master of the entire world. This principle is accepted in all Vedic literature. Evidence can be quoted from authoritative śāstras showing how a lowborn person can become the spiritual master of the entire world. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is to be considered the most munificent personality, for He distributes the real essence of the Vedic śāstras to anyone who becomes qualified by becoming His sincere servant.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
The exemplary character of devotional service manifested by the devotees of Vṛndāvana is the purest type of devotion. It is enjoined in authoritative śāstras that devotional service must be ahaitukī and apratihatā. This means that devotional service to Kṛṣṇa cannot be checked by political or religious convention. The stage of devotional service is always transcendental. The gopīs particularly showed pure devotional service toward Kṛṣṇa, so much so that Kṛṣṇa Himself remained indebted to them. Lord Caitanya thus said that the devotional service manifested by the gopīs in Vṛndāvana excelled all other methods of approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Now there is one rascal, he is preaching there is no need of śāstra. Without śāstra, how you can make progress? Just like you are seeing the sun daily just like a disk. But if you through the śāstra you see geography, then you will understand the sun is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth. So how do you know? You have not gone to the sun planet, but how do you know that it is ninety million miles away from your sight and it is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth? How do you know? Through the śāstra, through the books. So, therefore, you should see through the śāstra, authoritative śāstra, books. What we are speaking about the moon planet, sun planet, or God, His abode is Vaikuṇṭhaloka, spiritual world, so many things we are talking. How we are talking? We are talking through the Vedic literature. Because Vedic literature is authoritative. According to Vedic civilization, we don't accept any book written by rascal. We take, we accept the authority of the Vedas. What is stated there in the Vedas we accept, without any argument.
Do you believe in this, that "I am spiritual atom, and I have developed this material body on the basis of spiritual atom?" It is a fact. It is a fact. Just like in the mother's womb when the spiritual atom takes place, then it grows, it forms the material body. Without that spiritual atom, there cannot be any growth of body. Simply sex intercourse does not give guarantee of pregnancy. Unless that spiritual atom is there, the body does not grow. That is... We get information from authoritative śāstra. So the whole material world is also grown up upon the spiritual existence. And our whole problem is that instead of having this material body, we have to get our spiritual body. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious... That is the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9).
Rūpa Gosvāmī says,
- śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
- pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
- aikāntikī harer bhaktir
- utpātāyaiva kalpate
- (Brs. 1.2.101)
He says that "A show of devotion, a show of spiritual," I mean to say, spirituality, "a show of devotion, a show of spirituality, without reference to the Vedic knowledge, śruti, smṛti, and corollaries to the Vedas, pañcarātra-vidhim, and the definition of bhakti-sūtras like Nārada-bhakti-sūtra and such authoritative books," aikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ, "if a man is showing himself that he is very great devotee, and a man in knowledge, without any reference of the authoritative śāstra, books—oḥ, that is simply disturbance," Utpāta. Utpāta means disturbance. A man showing that he is a great devotee, he's great man of knowledge, but he has no reference with the books of knowledge, or the authoritative books, oh, that is simply creating disturbance. That is not religiosity, neither devotion, nothing else.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Matter cannot work without the direction of the living being. You cannot say matter works independently. That is not possible. Everything is... Just like here it is said... Now we have got experience in the beach. There is always big, big waves. That water is also dull matter, and the air pushing the dull matter, water, and there is big, big waves, and it is dashing on the earth. These things are going on. So they say it is nature's work. But nature is not independent. We get this information from authoritative śāstra. Here Kapiladeva says that... There is high wind. That is due to the command, mad-bhayāt vāti vātaḥ. High wind is there. Sometimes there is breezy, very nice, sometimes very high wind. So there is direction. You cannot say that it is automatically happening, no. There is direction.
So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is ready to help us from within and without, both ways. We have to take advantage of this. So if we become devotee, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ, and engage our body, mind, tanu... Tanu means body, and vāk means words. Tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. And mano means mind. We have got three things: mind, this body, and words, vāk. So we can serve Kṛṣṇa according to the direction of the śāstra. Śāstra, guru, satām. Satām means one who... Ācārya means one who knows śāstra. He will not speak anything which is not in the śāstra. He will never say, "In my opinion you can do like this." No. He must give evidence from the śāstra. Therefore our practice is, whenever we speak something, immediately we quote from authoritative śāstra.
We can take the example that very minute quantity of potash cyanide. There is no taste. In chemical analysis there is a taste. So up to date, nobody has tasted potash cyanide, because as soon as chemist will taste, immediately, he'll not be able to say what is this. (laughing)So you have to understand from the śāstra, śāstra-cakṣuṣa. The Vedas say that you have to see through the śāstra, through the authoritative śāstra. With these blunt eyes what can you see? You're so much anxious. Everyone says, "Can you show me God?" What you can see? What is the power of your eyes? You cannot see even your eyelid. The eyelid is attached to the eye. Can you see? So how you can see God? You're so imperfect. Just like if there is some particle within the eyelid, we become embarrassed. But the eye is attached. Why not see and take it away? This is practical. So what is the power of your eyes? You cannot see the nearest and you cannot see distant place. You cannot see in darkness.
So we were speaking this verse yesterday morning. So vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt. That is to be understood—why Vedas are given so much importance. Here it is explained that Veda means directly Nārāyaṇa. Why? Because Nārāyaṇa is absolute, God is absolute; therefore the words of God are also God. You cannot make any differentiation. Sākṣāt, directly. So this is to be understood, that God—His form, His quality, His pastimes, His entourage—everything of God is God. Even sometimes... Why sometimes? Always, the devotee of God is also God. Just like we chanted this mantra, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ, that "In every scripture the spiritual master is identified as directly God." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Viśvanātha Cakravartī said, not that any section śāstra, but all śāstra, all scriptures, they admit that the spiritual master is God directly. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: ** "It is said. It is mentioned. Authoritative śāstra, actually bona fide śāstra, it is said." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: ** "It is said." And sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ: ** "And that is accepted by all strict followers of transcendental science." Not that somebody admits or somebody does not admit. No. Everyone, sadbhiḥ. Sadbhiḥ means "by the transcendentalists, those who are actually making progress in transcendental science and those who are..., objective is to reach the Supreme." They are doing.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The cow can produce the most vitaminous foodstuff by eating the dry grass. It is God's desire. The cow will eat at least twenty pounds of grass, and how it can eat the grains? It is not possible. So just like elephant—it will eat hundred pounds of thing. He must eat all these branches and twigs. So everything is God's arrangement. We have to accept that. Sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ.
So in the authoritative śāstra, the activities of God is mentioned there, and practically it is demonstrated when God is present. And prakhyāta-daiva-paramārtha-vidāṁ mataiś ca. Mata means opinion. Just like we try to take opinion from a person who is accepted. Just like you are selling your Back to Godhead by Ginsberg's name because he is popular. So similarly, there are popular representative, popular authors, just like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, Kumāra, Kapila, Manu. They have accepted. They have accepted. Even in the modern age, Śaṅkarācārya, he accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
General Lectures
So spiritual knowledge means to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the sum and substance, to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is, not that concocting, manufacturing that "Kṛṣṇa is this. Kṛṣṇa is that." No. As Kṛṣṇa says, as śāstra says what is Kṛṣṇa, you have to understand it like that. So sādhu śāstra guru vākya. It is said that we have to accept knowledge through saintly person. Through śāstra and guru we have to understand. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all the sādhus and ācāryas. Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—all of them accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So ācārya means one who has learned, taken knowledge from the śāstra, authoritative śāstra, Vedas. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended, ācāryopāsanam. If you want real knowledge, then you must take knowledge from the ācāryas or the ācārya-paramparā. Then there is knowledge. Otherwise it is ignorance.
So if we want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then we must increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, and by that process we can understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Then our door to go back to home, back to Godhead is clear. The conclusion is, therefore, that we should take to the bhakti process as it is enunciated in authoritative śāstra, by Kṛṣṇa, by the ācāryas. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the way, only, for our perfection of life.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad..., yah śāstra-vidhim. Śāstra from that śas-dhātu. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya, giving it up, decides by his whims, na siddhim avāpnoti, they'll never get any siddhi, perfection. Therefore the śāstra should be mediator. But these people have no śāstras. They have got simply that barrel of gun. That's all. And that is very rude. And it will never come to perfection. For the temporary time, this party may win or that party may win. That will never... That is the position in the modern world. They have no authoritative śāstra. They manufacture their own way, and therefore there is no peace. First World War, Second World War, Third World War, and there cannot be any peace. As soon as you become strong, you declare war. Hitler thought, "I am now strong. Let me declare war." And another strong party, America came, Russia came. He was killed. So this is no conclusion. And even after Hitler's being killed, there is no conclusion. So this sort of conflict will never bring any peace. That will go on. That is struggle for existence. That is fighting like animals. Two dogs fighting, two hogs fighting, but that is not conclusion. That fighting will go on so long people will remain as dogs and hogs. That will go on. There is no question of peace.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeśa, you can read loudly. We'll hear.
Hṛṣīkeśa: "Qualifications of devotee: 1) kind to everyone, 2) does not quarrel with anyone, 3) fixed in the Absolute Truth, 4) equal to everyone, 5) faultless, 6) charitable, 7) mild, 8) clean, 9) simple, 10) benevolent, 11) peaceful, 12) completely attached to Kṛṣṇa, 13) no material hankering, 14) meek, 15) steady, 16) self-controlled, 17) does not eat more than required, 18) sane, 19) respectful..." (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Not insane.
Hṛṣīkeśa: "...20) humble, 21) grave, 22) compassionate, 23) friendly, 24) poetic, 25) expert..."
Prabhupāda: Poetic.
Hṛṣīkeśa: "...25) expert, and 26) silent."
Prabhupāda: These are the qualities.
Allen Ginsberg: Whose list is that? Is that an old list or have you made that up for young Americans?"
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, these are taken from authoritative śāstras. Yes. This is the test, whether you are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious or not. You have to test yourself, whether you are developing these qualities. This is for testing.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Reporter: Even the śūdras can...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Lower than śūdra. Why śūdra? Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). They become purified if they accept the real representative of Kṛṣṇa. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ. Everything is there in the śāstras. If you take advantage of the benefit of the śāstras, everything can be remodeled, everything can be good. There is no cause for disappointment. But unfortunately they'll not agree. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya. Na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti. One who is acting whimsically, without any reference of the authoritative śāstra, he'll never get success, na siddhim avāpnoti. Na sukham: neither happiness. And what to speak of going to the spiritual world? It is impossible. So we have to take the advantage of the instruction in the śāstra. Now Kṛṣṇa is accepted the supreme authority by all the ācāryas. The molder of destiny of India's culture, all the ācāryas. Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, Lord Caitanya...
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Gurukṛpa: You once told us the story of the rich man, and he died and became a...
Prabhupāda: No, no, that is also believing next life. But if they do not believe next life, then who is coming to be your son? Why you are so anxious for your son and grandson?
Bali-mardana: It is simply an accident.
Prabhupāda: So for accident you are spending so much money and energy? All contradictory. There is no even common sense. Still, they will not take the actual fact from the authoritative śāstra. (break) ...nābhijānāti. (break)
Guest (1) (Gentleman): What kind of a sect are you?
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa conscious.
| Page Title: | Authoritative sastra |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 07 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=3, CC=2, OB=1, Lec=11, Con=3, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 21 |