Mahajanas, or authorities
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 8
Śukadeva Gosvāmī, one of the mahājanas, or authorities. He says, yathānukīrtayanti: one should recite the mantra as it is, without deviation, for then one will be eligible to rise to the platform of all good fortune.
SB 8.4.15, Purport: Every verse in the Vedic literature, especially in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, is a Vedic mantra. Here the words yathānukīrtayanti are used to recommend that this literature be presented as it is. Unscrupulous persons, however, deviate from the actual narration and interpret the text in their own way with grammatical jugglery. Such deviations are to be avoided. This is a Vedic injunction supported by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, one of the mahājanas, or authorities. He says, yathānukīrtayanti: one should recite the mantra as it is, without deviation, for then one will be eligible to rise to the platform of all good fortune. Śukadeva Gosvāmī especially recommends that those who are brāhmaṇas (śucayaḥ) recite all these mantras after rising from bed in the morning.
There are twelve mahājanas, or authorities, of whom Brahmā is one.
SB 8.5.26, Purport: All the Vedic mantras, or śruti-mantras, are included in this verse spoken by Lord Brahmā, for Brahmā and his followers, the Brahma-sampradāya, understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the paramparā system. We have to gain understanding through the words of our predecessors. There are twelve mahājanas, or authorities, of whom Brahmā is one.
- svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ
- kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ
- prahlādo janako bhīṣmo
- balir vaiyāsakir vayam
- (SB 6.3.20)
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
One must understand the position of the Lord through the authorities, or mahājanas.
SB 10.3.20, Purport: The real understanding of śukla, rakta and kṛṣṇa is as follows. The Lord is always transcendental, but for the sake of creation He assumes the color rakta as Lord Brahmā. Again, sometimes the Lord becomes angry. As He says in Bhagavad-gītā (16.19):
- tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān
- saṁsāreṣu narādhamān
- kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān
- āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
People are so unfortunate that they do not accept the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead, they want to be supported by so-called mahājanas, or authorities.
CC Madhya 17.185, Purport: Those who follow social customs and behavior forget to follow the path chalked out by the mahājanas; thus they are offenders at the feet of the mahājanas. Sometimes they consider such mahājanas very conservative, or they create their own mahājanas. In this way they ignore the principles of the paramparā system. This is a great misfortune for everyone. If one does not follow in the footsteps of the real mahājanas, one’s plans for happiness will be frustrated. This is elaborately explained later in the Madhya-līlā (Chapter Twenty-five, verses 55, 56 and 58). It is there stated:
- parama kāraṇa īśvare keha nāhi māne
- sva-sva-mata sthāpe para-matera khaṇḍane
- tāte chaya darśana haite ‘tattva’ nāhi jāni
- ‘mahājana’ yei kahe, sei ‘satya’ māni
- śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-vāṇī—amṛtera dhāra
- tiṅho ye kahaye vastu, sei ‘tattva’—sāra
Page Title: | Mahajanas, or authorities |
Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
Created: | 15 of Oct, 2008 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=3, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 4 |