Jñānīs are anxious to merge into the existence of the Brahman effulgence, and the karmīs, their highest aim is how to be elevated in the higher planetary system, Svarga-loka, where Lord Indra is there, or Brahmā is there. That is karmī's ambition, to go to the heaven. They all, except Vaiṣṇava philosophy, in all other literature, all other scripture, means Christian and Mohammedan, their aim is how to be elevated to the heaven.
Scripture means
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Veda means the book of knowledge. Now, the book of knowledge... According to the climate, according to the population, according to the country, there are different books of knowledge. Just like in India the book of knowledge is accepted as the Vedas, Vedas, Vedic knowledge. In your European, American countries the book of knowledge accepted as the Old Testament, New Testament. Similarly, the book of knowledge amongst the Muhammadans, they have accepted as the Koran. Actually, they are book of knowledge, undoubtedly. There is no doubt about it. But what are these book of knowledge, religious scripture? Religious scripture means they are meant for training you to that conception of life that you are pure soul, nothing more. They restrict your bodily activities under certain conditions, under certain conditions. That is called morality.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Guru means who knows how to follow previous saintly persons, who knows what is written there in the book of knowledge, he is guru. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. And śāstra means that the direction of Kṛṣṇa; that is called śāstra. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na sa siddhim avāpnoti (BG 16.23). Therefore you cannot manufacture scripture. That is not possible. Therefore it is said, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Śāstra, scripture, means the words and the laws given by God. So what is the law? How can I know? Bhagavad-gītā is there. Why don't you take it? Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is the law. "You simply think of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "become My devotee," mad-yājī, "worship Me." Just like you are doing in the temple. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, simply remembering Kṛṣṇa, man-manāḥ. And this Deity worship, temple worship, is done by the bhaktas. So one who is engaged in this service, he's a devotee.
In the present age people are very much fond of mental speculation. In the śāstra it is said, tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ: (CC Madhya 17.186) "Simply by arguing you cannot come to the right conclusion." You may be very good arguer, but another arguer may defeat you by his argument. So in this way, simply by dry arguments it is not possible to come to the conclusion. Tarko 'pratiṣṭha śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Scripture. There are different scriptures. If you simply... Scripture means Vedic, Vedas. There are four Vedas and many other also, corollaries. So by studying at home these books, that is also not possible to understand. And nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And if you follow philosophers, so one philosopher is differing from another philosopher. Just like our Śyāmasundara has brought one book, Ideas of Philosophers, different philosophers talking differently. So how you can take the conclusion? Even Aristotle, he is talking so many things nonsense. So mental speculators, philosophers. In this way you cannot.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Now, Lord Caitanya is explaining this system, different system, ritualistic, philosophical, meditation, morality, all these in śāstra-kahe. Real Vedic instruction... Just like, what is Veda? Veda means the words of the Lord. That is Veda. Scripture means the words of the Lord. God says, "Let there be light." God says, "Let there be creation." These words are scripture. Now one who takes out... Just like sound is transmitted from a certain place, and one who catches by the machine, he gets the information. Similarly, Veda means instruction transmitted by the Supreme Lord, and there are capable personalities, just like Brahmā, that capture it, and that is distributed, either in writing or by tradition, by hearing. That is scripture. The words of God. Now, here the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is personally speaking Bhagavad-gītā. Is it not Veda? That is Veda. That is real Veda. Sarva-upaniṣade. In the Gītā-māhātmya it is said, "This is the essence of all Veda." This is Vedānta. Simply by studying Bhagavad-gītā, one becomes a learned science in the science of God.
General Lectures
Sādhu śāstra: saintly persons and scriptures, two things, and with spiritual master, three, three parallel lines, who accept the sādhu and the scripture. Sādhu confirms the scriptures and spiritual master accept the scripture. Simple process. So they are not in disagreement. What is spoken in the scripture is accepted by saintly person, and what is spoken in the scripture, the spiritual master explains only that thing. That's all. So via media is the scripture. Just like lawyer and the litigants-via media is the lawbook. Similarly, the spiritual master, the scripture... Saintly person means who confirms the Vedic injunction, who accepts. And scripture means what is accepted by the saintly person. And spiritual master means who follows the scriptures. So things equal to the same thing are equal to one another. This is axiomatic truth. If you have got one hundred dollars, and another man has got hundred dollar, and if I have got hundred dollar, then we are all equal. Similarly, sādhu śāstra guru vākya, when these three parallel lines in agreement, then life is success.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: They are very aristocratic family. I do, I did not belong to that family, but I was born in that family, you see? And from the very beginning the Kashi Mallik, they have got nice Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. So I was standing before the deity, and I was seeing, "Oh, He is Kṛṣṇa. Oh, people say He is dead. How he is dead?" Like that I was thinking. And then my, I asked my father, "Oh, I shall worship Kṛṣṇa, give me." So my father gave me Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, so I, whatever I was eating, I was offering them. So the statement of the śāstra and my practical experience corroborates. So we we have to take instance like that, you see? Sādhu śāstra guru vākya. We have to test everything from three positions: the spiritual master, scripture, and holy man. Scripture means, just like Bible. What is Bible? Scripture. Why the scripture? It is fully contains the instruction of sādhu, holy man, or spiritual master, Lord Jesus Christ, therefore is scripture. The scripture means the statement of liberated holy man. That is sādhu. Therefore, scripture should be tested through the holy man and spiritual master. Spiritual master should be tested through scripture and holy man, and holy man should be tested through spiritual master and scripture.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Page Title: | Scripture means |
Compiler: | Rishab, Serene |
Created: | 11 of Feb, 2012 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=6, Con=2, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 8 |