Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādī philosopher, they do not take account of the mathematical calculation, 380 degree. They are taking account of... 360 degree, the whole circle. They are taking account only 180 degree. And other 180 degree they're making void. But actually, the whole point is 360 degree. That is geomatrical calculation. If you simply know 180 degree, then the other 180 degree is unknown to you. So real life, real variety, real beauty, real knowledge, everything in reality is there in the spiritual world. It is only reflection. Therefore Bhāgavata explains that janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Supreme Absolute Truth is cognizant, abhijñaḥ. Cognizant and svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. In this way, the explanation of Brahma-sūtra is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam. Yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam. Yasmin paramahaṁsam ekaṁ paraṁ jñānam jñeyate. The knowledge of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is to be understood by the paramahaṁsa, the highest perfected man, paramahaṁsa. It is not ordinary thing.
Brahma-sutra (Conv. and Letters)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
George Harrison: It said, "Don't read books. Meditate."
Prabhupāda: Where?
Yoko Ono: No, but you see, you...
Prabhupāda: He said, brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). He refers that "This scientific knowledge, the Absolute Truth, is explained very nicely in Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra." He refers to the book. Another place Kṛṣṇa says,
- yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
- vartate kāma-kārataḥ
- na sa siddhim avāpnoti
- na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim
- (BG 16.23)
"Anyone who does not follow the scriptural injunction, his attempt will be failure. He'll never be happy. And what to speak of being promoted to the spiritual world.?" These things are there. How you can say Kṛṣṇa has not recommended to read books?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Janmādy asya ya... (SB 1.1.1).
Dr. Patel: Ah! Janmādy asya. It becomes very difficult for me to understand.
Prabhupāda: It is not difficult. No. Because the question... It is the explanation of Brahma-sūtra. So the Brahma-sūtra, the beginning is athāto brahma jijñāsā. "What about Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth?" The next verse is, immediately, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), "The Supreme Absolute Truth is that..."
Dr. Patel: "...from which everything is born."
Prabhupāda: "...everything is born." Now that Bhāgavata begins the answer: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).
Dr. Patel: From the second line of the sūtras.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Answer Brahma-sūtra's question. The answer is Bhāgavata: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Then what is that janmādy asya yataḥ? And he says, Vyāsadeva says, anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ. That... The... Abhijñaḥ. That the Absolute Truth, from whom everything has emanated, He knows everything directly and indirectly. He knows. Because He's abhijñaḥ.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the difference between God and me.
O'Grady: That's the difference between being seventy and thirty-nine.
Prabhupāda: No. There is no question of... That is explained in the..., that Bhāgavata, Brahma-sūtra, who is God, first of all. Who is God?
O'Grady: Who told God?
Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all, "Who is God?" Then we shall ask, "Who told God?" (chuckles) That God... That is the Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now we should enquire about God, what is God, who is God." Unless you know who is God, how can you raise the question, "Who instructed God?" If you do not know God, then the question does not arise, "Who instructed God?" Is it not? Yes. So therefore God is explained in the Brahma-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "God is He from everything comes, emanates." That is God. That God is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "The Supreme Being from whom everything emanates." Now, what is that Supreme Being?
Prabhupāda: Ācchā. Śrī-bhāṣya, Bhagavad-gītā?
Professor La Combe: No. The Śrī-bhāṣya, the Brahma-sūtra bhāṣya. Unfortunately, it is out of print.
Prabhupāda: I see.
Professor La Combe: So one of you, I think...
Devotee: (indistinct)
Professor La Combe: You can read it in the library, but unfortunately, it is out of print. Yes. It is a complete translation of the first part you see. 850 pages with the text and notes.
Prabhupāda: Oh. I see. Just like we do text and transliteration?
Professor La Combe: The text is in nāgarī.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the real point. That is the real point, that you can try to understand what you are. The birds and beasts, they cannot understand. That is the difference. So our human effort should be utilized for that realization, not to act like birds and beasts. (German) Therefore the Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra, instructs in the beginning, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "This life is meant for inquiring about the supreme spirit or Absolute Truth." That is the aim of this life, not like birds and beasts, simply talking and eating and sleeping, but extra responsibility, extra intelligence is there to understand the Absolute Truth. You take the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, first part, yes. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ.
Satsvarūpa: It's not here. First part is not here.
Prabhupāda: No. First of all find out from the index this verse. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ.
Prabhupāda: No. This is the period when foolish men have developed so many. Instead of making solution the fighting increasing. Because they have no standard knowledge. Therefore this Brahma-sūtra says that you should be eager to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now the answer, next quote, is that Brahman, or the Absolute Truth is that from which, or from Whom, everything has come. Athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Now you find out where is the... Everyone is trying to find out what is the ultimate cause. That should be the aim. That if you follow these philosophical quotes then your fighting will stop. You'll be sober. This verse also athāto jijñāsā. Athāto jijñāsā means to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Sit down, because there should be a class of men, very intelligent class of men in the society who are discussing about the Absolute Truth and they will inform others, "This is Absolute Truth, my dear friends, my dear..." Should do it like this. That is one thing.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So eating, sleeping, sex life and trying for defense, these are common formulas both for the animals and for the man. Therefore a human being is distinguished from the animal when he enquires about transcendence. And that is explained in the great literature Brahma-sūtra, or the philosophy of Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now we have got this human form of life. We must enquire about the Brahman, or transcendence." So our bodily necessities of life should be simplified as much as it is required. We must save time for enquiring about transcendence. So unless we enquire about the transcendence, then we are two-legged animals. This is culture, this is the aim of life.
Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He's saying that in European history many, many people, in the name of looking for transcendence, there have been so many wars, hatred between men, and, you may know, in Spain they had what is called the Inquisition where they burned so many people.
Prabhupāda: They are missing the aim of life. That is the... The aim of life is, an..., not according to Vedic, but anyone, the aim of life is how to realize God. That is aim. In the animal life or in other lives less important than the human being there is no question of God realization. In the human life, the civilized human life, there is religion. It doesn't matter whether one is Christian or a Hindu or a Muslim or a Buddhist. These are the principle religions of the world. So any civilized man must be inquisitive to know what is the original source of everything. That philosophy is there. It is called Brahma-sūtra or Vedānta-sūtra. Perhaps you have heard the name, Vedānta philosophy. Veda means knowledge, and anta means end. In the materialistic way of knowledge they did not find any end, and they accept it "That this is progress." But one must come to the end of the knowledge, what is the ultimate knowledge. So generally they are missing what is the ultimate knowledge. We are searching after knowledge in so many ways but what is the ultimate knowledge? The ultimate knowledge, Vedānta, means end of knowledge.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, Bhāgavata is accepted. Yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priya. Any Vaiṣṇava, Bhāgavata is, they write comment or not comment. Formerly.... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not write any.... That does not mean He was not accepting Bhāgavata. That does not mean. But His disciples wrote, disciplic succession. (break) ...not comment. That does not matter. It is dearmost. Just like in our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava there was no comment on the Vedānta-sūtra. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended.... And in the Bhāgavata also, every chapter, Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya. Is that, any chapter? At the end of chapter.
Pradyumna: Here it doesn't have. The Gauḍīya edition. End of chapter: śrī-śrīmad-bhāgavata-mahāpurāṇe paramahaṁsa-saṁhitāyām.
Prabhupāda: Paramahaṁsa-saṁhitāyām. Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya is not there?
Pradyumna: No, only Gauḍīya.
Prabhupāda: Paramahaṁsa-saṁhitāyām. Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya is not there?
Pradyumna: No, only Gauḍīya.
Prabhupāda: So, it is actually bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. It is stated. This is the real commentary on Brahma-sūtra by Vyāsadeva himself, author. Vyāsadeva is the author of Brahma-sūtra, and he has written personally, under the instruction of his guru, Nārada Muni, this Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya. And it begins with the Brahma-sūtra aphorism: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Brahma-sūtra begins with these words: janmādya, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Janmādy asya yataḥ. So these things are explained elaborately. Therefore Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya, bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtra. Vedārtha paribṛṁhita. So therefore in our Gauḍīya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not write any bhāṣya of the Brahma-sūtra, neither the gosvāmīs, because they took it that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the real bhāṣya of Brahma-sūtra. But when.... Sometimes the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas are challenged that "You cannot be accepted as bona fide community, spiritual community, because you have no bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra." Then Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa wrote govinda-bhāṣya. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like or ask His disciples to write, because He thought, "This is the Gauḍīya, Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya." Not Gauḍīya—for every Vaiṣṇava. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. So we have got now Gauḍīya Vedānta-bhāṣya. Rāmānuja Vedānta-bhāṣya is there. Madhvācārya Vedānta-bhāṣya is there, all. And Gauḍīya had not.
Prabhupāda: And Gauḍīya had not. But since this challenge was made in Jaipur, then Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, he took: "Yes," and he finished, Gauḍīya bhāṣya, and it is called Govinda-bhāṣya. Actually, in India, unless one follows the ācāryas and has given commentary on the Brahma-sūtra, he's not a bona fide. Nyāya-prasthāna. Brahma-sūtra is called nyāya-prasthāna. Śruti-prasthāna, smṛti-prasthāna, nyāya-prasthāna. So any bona fide ācārya must give his understanding about these three prasthānas.
Prof. O'Connell: Swamiji, it may be time for us to take your leave. It was a great pleasure and honor to...
Prabhupāda: Thank you very much for your coming. Now my request is that you take up this movement. It is actually a great contribution to the human society. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭha (BG 3.21). Those who are leaders of the society, if they take it, it is easily understood and easily distributed. So there is no question of sectarian thought. It is the necessity of the human society to understand God. The other day in Detroit, two father priests came to see me. I also requested that we require a set of first-class men that is not there at the present moment. There is no head. They are thinking simply arms wanted, defense, and fight amongst themselves. That's all.
Prabhupāda: "You have fully delineated the subject of impersonal Brahman, as well as the knowledge derived therefrom. In spite of all this, why should you be despondent, thinking that you are undone, my dear prabhu?" Purport: "The Vedānta-sūtra or Brahma-sūtra compiled by Śrī Vyāsadeva is the full deliberation of the impersonal absolute feature, and it is accepted as the most exalted philosophical exposition in the world. It covers the subject of eternity, and the methods are scholarly. So there cannot be any doubt about the transcendental scholarship of Vyāsadeva. So why should he lament?"
- vyāsa uvāca
- asty eva me sarvam idaṁ tvayoktaṁ
- tathāpi nātmā parituṣyate me
- tan-mūlam avyaktam agādha-bodhaṁ
- pṛcchāmahe tvātma-bhavātma-bhūtam
"Śrī Vyāsadeva said: All you have said about me is perfectly correct. Despite all this, I am not pacified. I therefore question you about the root cause of my dissatisfaction, for you are a man of unlimited knowledge due to your being the offspring of one, Brahmā, who is self-born, without mundane mother and father." Purport.
Prabhupāda: Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumādbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). Very.... Nyāya-praṣṭhāna. But Vedānta-sūtra is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, they did not write any comment on the Vedānta-sūtra. They accept Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the real bhāṣya. But when the Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇavas are challenged that "You have no Vedānta-sūtra-bhāṣya, therefore you cannot be accepted as transcendental party," so Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana immediately gave Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta. Our Gosvāmīs, they did not write because they knew Brahma-sūtra bhāṣya, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Indian devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was also a victim of this Vivekananda philosophy for a long time, and my father was very against.
Prabhupāda: What is the philosophy?
Prabhupāda: You do not know what is Vedānta. (indistinct) In the beginning of Vedānta, athāto brahma jijñāsā. "Now try to inquire about this Supreme, (indistinct) Brahman." The next verse is janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), Brahman is there, from whom everything emanates. So now, what is that thing from which everything emanates? What is the nature of that thing? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāgavatam is the real explanation of Veda. Brahma-sūtra, (indistinct) mahasyam brahma-sūtrānāṁ vedasya parividyatam (?), this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, vedasya parividyatam, (indistinct) avyayam, brahma-sūtrasya (?) uvaca, by Vyāsadeva himself. Vyāsadeva is the writer of Vedānta-sūtra, so he's writing himself under the instruction of Nārada. So to understand Vedānta, you have to study Bhāgavatam. He's explained janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). Brahman is the original source of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ.
Prabhupāda: Books means solid ground. What we want to preach, it is recorded, not any concocted ideas. There is direction by Rūpa Gosvāmī:
- śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
- pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
- aikāntikī harer bhaktir
- utpātāyaiva kalpate
- (Brs. 1.2.101)
Without the support of śruti, smṛti, purāṇa, any religious movement for understanding God is simply disturbance-utpātāyaiva kalpate. Utpāt... That is the... It is the version given by... Even Kṛṣṇa, He's God Himself, He's speaking, He's giving reference to the Vedānta-sūtra: brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). So without reference to the Vedic literature, anything you speak, it has no ground. Śruti-pramāṇa, this is Vedic culture, śruti-pramāṇa. It must be supported by śruti. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find whenever Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, He gives immediately Vedic evidence, śruti-pramāṇa. Then it is solid. So we are trying to present this movement with śruti-pramāṇa. Our Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will be finished in sixty volumes, and Caitanya-caritāmṛta is already finished in seventeen volumes. So altogether at least we'll have hundred volumes of books, small and big, to give śruti-pramāṇa. This is the example.
Prabhupāda: Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is Vedānta. Yes. That is Vedānta. Brahma-sūtra. This is Vedānta. So this life is meant for Vedānta. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. And what is Brahman? Janmādy asya yataḥ. Brahman means the Supreme Soul of everything. And Kṛṣṇa replies, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Then Vedānta study... I'm inquiring what is the ultimate source of everything and here is the answer. If you don't believe, that is another thing. You go on talking like anything. That is another thing. But answer is there. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). So we have to go to such mahātmā who knows vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Then it will be all right. If we want to waste time, that is another thing. I am very glad to see you. So I wish that you may spread real Vedānta. That is essence of Vedas. Vedānta means the essence of Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Light is, of course there is light in the sunshine and there is light in the sun-globe, but the source of light is coming from the sun-god. Just like electric bulb, thousand power. So the illumination is also light and the source of illumination, the bulb, that is also light. And what is that? Filament within?
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: One who has understood Kṛṣṇa—"Vāsudeva is everything"—he is mahātmā. Sa mahātmā. So that is recommended. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you get the chance of getting such mahātmā, then try to give him service. Become his servant. Then your path of liberation will be open. And tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Those who are after sense gratification, if you associate with them, then you are going to the darkness. Two ways are open: āhur vimukteḥ and dvāram, tamo-dvāram. Now make your choice, "In which way we shall go, in this way or that way?" Everything is given, information, in the Bhagavad-gītā and all other śāstras. Bhagavad-gītā is the gist of all Vedas and Upaniṣads, Vedānta. Vedānta-kṛd vedānta-vit. Kṛṣṇa is vedānta-vit and vedānta-kṛt. Kṛṣṇa, in His incarnation as Vyāsadeva, He has compiled the Vedānta-sūtra. He has recommended also in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). Brahma-sūtra-padaiḥ, everything is established very reasonably. So Kṛṣṇa is speaking Vedānta-sūtra. Veda means knowledge. Anta means the end of knowledge. The end of knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Man of knowledge is jñānavān. So ordinary jñānavān, little knowledge, they cannot understand. Yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). But a person cultivating knowledge for many lives, he can understand. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19).
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
What I want to do immediately are as follows:—
(1) To hold consecutive meetings at different Mohallus & houses of Delhi for impressing the ideas of the mission.
(2) To give training to at least 7 to 10 educated young men in the "parampara lessons of Bhagavad-gita" and then to "Brahma Sutra," Bhagavata & Caitanya Caritamrta
(3) To publish an English monthly paper to sell specially to the English knowing heads of the society and to get printed some relative literatures __.
A meeting of the executives has to be called for discussing the above subjects but before doing so I wish that you all gentlemen may kindly fill up the typed membership forms enclosed herewith—so that following your foot prints other members of the public may __ members of this institution in large numbers.
1968 Correspondence
Lord Krishna says in the 15th chapter that He is the Compiler of Vedanta philosophy, and He is the Knower of Vedanta Philosophy. Lord Krishna says this, and who can be a better Knower of Vedanta philosophy than Krishna? In another place of the 13rd chapter, Lord Krishna had accepted the authority of Brahma Sutra, which is also Vedanta philosophy. So the question is only how one explains Vedanta philosophy or Bhagavad-gita. We are trying to explain Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any interpretation. And you will be glad to know that we are publishing one English edition of Bhagavad-gita, about 400 pages, through Messrs. MacMillan and Company. Another thing you have written to say, "If you keep the gates of names and forms open to ultimately realize the formless, would be entitling in a larger number of persons to your mission."
1974 Correspondence
This is almost similar to Visistadvaita vada. Vaisnava philosophy is now being pushed on all over the world under the Hare Krishna movement, and we feel Sripada Ramanuja a great support for the Vaisnava philosophical understanding. It is like a combination of nyaya sruti and smrti prasthans. The Bhagavad-gita supports the Vedanta Sutra brahma-sutra-padais caiva/ hetumadbhir viniscitaih (BG 13.5).
To the jiva brahma identification is one part of acintya-bheda bheda-tattva. As spirit soul or identical brahma, or jiva brahma is identical with the Supreme Brahma or the param brahma. In this sense jiva soul is avheda or non-different from the param brahma. But on account of the param brahma being the supreme, the biggest, the identical brahma or jiva brahma being very minute, it is different from the param brahma. The summary is that the simultaneous one and different jiva brahma is simultaneously one with and different from the param brahma.
| Page Title: | Brahma-sutra (Conv. and Letters) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, RupaManjari, Mayapur |
| Created: | 05 of Feb, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=18, Let=3 |
| No. of Quotes: | 21 |