Kṛṣṇa says that all these living entities . . . we are all living entities. Actually, every one of us is spirit soul, living entities. It does not matter whether I am a human being or other than human being—lower animal, birds, beasts, trees or higher celestial beings. There are many varieties of life, 8,400,000. Nine . . . jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi (Padma Purāṇa). In the water there are living entities of 900,000 varieties. We simply know that there are some fishes and crocodiles or sharks in the water, but śāstra, Vedic śāstras, they give definite information, how many forms and varieties of life are there within the water: 900,000. How many we have seen? Our scientist, our botanist, how many they have seen?
So actually you cannot have perfect knowledge by the experimental method. Now, if I say . . . I don't say, but the śāstra says there are 900,000 forms of aquatics. So you cannot say no, because you have no experience. You have no experience. But from the śāstra, Vedic literature, we get this information, Padma Purāṇa. We are not speaking unauthorizedly. The śāstras are accepted by the ācāryas, the great teachers. And we get knowledge from the śāstra. I may be imperfect, but I get knowledge from the perfect source. That is perfect knowledge.
Just like a child may ask his father that, "What is this?" because he is astonished that the sound is very loud. So the child may not know, so inquires from the father, "Father, what is this?" So father says: "My dear child, this is microphone. And when you speak through this machine, your sound becomes louder." So the child takes the knowledge from the father, and if he repeats or he understands firmly, "My father has said. It is perfectly right," then his knowledge is perfect. The child may be imperfect, but because he receives the knowledge from the authority, father, his knowledge is perfect.
So our Vedic process is like that. We do not make any research. It is not possible to come to the right knowledge by so-called research, because our senses are imperfect. Just like we see through the telescope and we come under certain conclusion, but the fact is that I am the same person seeing through the telescope, and telescope is also manufactured by me or by you. So machine is imperfect, and my seeing power is also imperfect. Then how you can have perfect knowledge? The machine is created by a person who has got imperfect knowledge, and the seer is also a person; he is also imperfect. The imperfect person is seeing through the imperfect machine. Then how we can conclude perfect knowledge? This is not possible.
Therefore the method is, according to the Vedic knowledge, that if you want perfect knowledge, then you should approach the perfect person. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the Vedic injunction. If you want perfect knowledge, then you must approach a perfect person, guru. Now, at the present moment, there are so many gurus. How we will understand who is perfect? That is also another problem. So that perfection is . . . that I have already explained, that the child who has heard from his father that "This is microphone," and if he speaks that "This is microphone," then his knowledge is perfect. The child is not perfect, but because he has heard from the perfect authority, what he is speaking, although he is child, that is perfect. Similarly, this guru means who has heard from the perfect person. Therefore his knowledge is perfect, because he has heard. This is called paramparā system, or disciplic succession.
In this Bhagavad-gītā you will find in the Fourth Chapter Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Paramparā. Kṛṣṇa is the original person, perfect, and He says:
- imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
- proktavān aham avyayam
- vivasvān manave prāha
- manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
- (BG 4.1)
- evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
- imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
- sa kāleneha . . .
- yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa
- (BG 4.2)
Kṛṣṇa is explaining to Arjuna. You will find these statement in the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa said that "This perfect knowledge of yoga system as I am explaining in this . . ." Now it is known, Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā means the . . . generally in this Western world they say, "Song of God." So Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So He said that "This is not a new literature. Millions of years ago I spoke about this yoga system, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān . . . (BG 4.1). Proktavān means, "I said." Whom? Vivasvān. Vivasvān is the name of the sun-god, or the president of the sun planet. Just like here in this planet we have got presidents in each country. So now there are so many presidents. Formerly, even on this planet there was one president. They are trying to be united. The United Nation Organization, they want to unite. For the last twenty years the United Nations are trying to unite, but the result is we are disunited. Instead of making one flag, the flags are increasing every year: "This is Pakistan, this is Hindustan, this is this, this is that, this is . . ." They are not united. How they can be united? They cannot be united, because prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), everyone is under the control of the material nature, full control.