Speculative knowledge (Lect. and Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"speculative empiric knowledge" |"speculative knowledge" |"speculative, experimental knowledge"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973:

Anyābhīlāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Not tinted by all these contamination, jñāna and karma. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, jñāna-kāṇḍa, karma-kāṇḍa, sakalī viṣera bhāṇḍa. Either you are engaged in the activities of karma or either you are engaged in the activities of speculative knowledge or acquiring knowledge, this is jñāna-kāṇḍa and karma-kāṇda. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "Both these, jñāna-kāṇḍa and karma-kāṇḍa, are pots of poison. Either you drink this or that, it doesn't matter."

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:

Hṛdayānanda: (translating) Do we have to liberate ourselves from karma in order to achieve Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes. The karma is the binding. So long our mind is karma conscious, then we have to take another body. Therefore bhakti is defined, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Karma. People are very much enthusiastic to be engaged in karma, fruitive activities, and some of them are very eager to speculative knowledge. That is called jñāna. Therefore bhakti is jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). It must be uncovered by the speculative knowledge and fruitive activities.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Somebody is addicted to speculate philosophically. So for the speculator, Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). The persons who are addicted to speculative knowledge, after many, many births, he comes to the understanding: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything." That means termination of knowledge. That is jñāna-yoga.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

What kind of knowledge we can get? We are deficient, imperfect in so many ways. So what is the use of speculating, of our knowledge? Therefore jñāna. And karma, fruitive activities. "Let me work hard and get the result and enjoy." This is called karma. And jñāna means speculative knowledge. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Simply cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Bombay, March 31, 1974:

For the jñānīs, those who are seeking out the Absolute Truth by speculative knowledge, they want to make these varieties of material world as void. The Buddha philosophy, śūnyavādi. Because they are disgusted with these material varieties, therefore they want something opposite. That opposite is voidism, śūnyavāda.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

Just like you cannot speculate about the position of a very big man. Suppose there is a very big man in your country. If you speculate about him at home, the knowledge is never perfect. It cannot be. Speculative knowledge is never perfect, especially when you imagine something about somebody. That is all humbug; it has no meaning. So God cannot be realized by speculation. But here is a chance wherein God is speaking about Himself, so you can understand what is God.

Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa's different features, His name, His quality, His pastimes, His form, His entourage—so many things—you can simply think over. That is practical and actual meditation. If you study Vedic literature, you get so many information about Kṛṣṇa. And all these will be revealed to you. Svayam eva. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by our speculative knowledge. If we try to do that, then we can approach up to the impersonal Brahman feature of Kṛṣṇa. Brahmeti. That is not full Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's partial realization.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

So this knowledge, this process of knowledge, is received by submissive mood. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. One has to give up the false prestigious position that "I can understand God and everything by my speculative, experimental knowledge." This is called jñāne prayāsam.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:

When he proposed this verse, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Yes, this is nice. This is nice." What is that meaning? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Because you are no better than an animal, so what is the value of your speculative knowledge? Jñāne prayāsam. Don't endeavor in this speculative way. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Give it up. Namanta eva. Just become namra humble, humble and meek. Lord Jesus Christ also said, "The Kingdom of God is for the humble and meek."

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:

After studying Vedas, speculative knowledge, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān, when one is actually a wise man, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Why? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Because Kṛṣṇa is everything. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is, everything, Kṛṣṇa's energy.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974:

One can understand impersonal Brahman by dint of his speculative knowledge, but he cannot understand Paramātmā, who is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣ... (BG 18.61). That is Paramātmā feature. That Paramātmā feature is also one fourth expansion of Kṛṣṇa's personal existence.

Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

If you want to know what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, then you have to go through this bhakti-mārga, or devotional... There is no other way. Kṛṣṇa never says that He can be known through speculation or cultivation of so-called speculative knowledge. No. Then He would have said "Through jñāna one can understand Me." No. Neither karma one can understand. Neither yoga.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

Only through devotion, submission, surrender you can understand Kṛṣṇa, not by your so-called scholarship or research work, no. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa never said, "By cultivating knowledge, speculative knowledge, one can understand Me," no. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). So therefore Vyāsadeva engaged himself in bhakti-yoga to understand the Supreme Truth.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:

For forever, millions of years, if you speculate, to understand what is God, it is not possible. It is not a subject matter of speculative knowledge. No. It is to be received through the right source, deductive process, not inductive process. Because our senses are limited. We cannot have any perfect idea on account of our senses being limited.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

Knowledge, progressive knowledge, so, when it comes to the real standard, yadā, jñānaṁ yadā, when the knowledge or speculative empiric knowledge, pratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram, no more affected by the waves of these modes of nature ... Our present conditioned stage is due to our being carried away by the waves of material nature. We are being carried away.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

So speculative knowledge cannot be perfect. Just like we are sitting here. If there is some sound on the roof... Now we are, say, one hundred persons sitting here. We can speculate that "This sound may be for this reason." That, all of them, may be imperfect, and if somebody says from the roof that "This sound was caused for this reason," that is perfect. That is perfect because he has got direct experience.

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

You just engage yourself in bhakti-yoga process, mām avyabhicāreṇa, without any mixture, without any deviation. And how it can be, deviation? Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), without any material desire, without any motive. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), not mixed up with fruitive activities or speculative knowledge-pure, simple.

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

You cannot bring Kṛṣṇa under your speculative knowledge, avan manasa-gocaraḥ, because He is beyond the scope of the activities of the mind, Adhokṣaja. Therefore don't try to bring Kṛṣṇa within your speculative knowledge. Speculative knowledge, how can you go? That is Dr. Frog. Dr. Frog cannot... Frog is in the well, three-feet well, and how he can imagine about the Atlantic Ocean? It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

Don't try to approach God with your so-called speculative knowledge and fruitive activities, as people are trying to do. It is not possible. You may, by such activities, you can come to the platform of this sattva-guṇa, sattva-guṇa. But that is also guṇa. You remain saguṇa. You are not nirguṇa. But you require to be nirguṇa. That is bhakti.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1975:

Prabhupāda: I have already explained that there are three ways, karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, and upāsanā-kāṇḍa. Therefore Veda is called trayī, three kinds of activities. So devotees, they are not in the karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa. He is not pure devotee. Bhakti means jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: (CC Madhya 19.167) "There is no touch of this fruitive activities or speculative knowledge." The devotees do not accept this.

Lecture on SB 6.1.10 -- Honolulu, May 11, 1976:

One karma cannot be nullified by another karma. Karma means activity. They are going on, passing resolution after resolution and laws after laws, but things are in the same position. They are not changing. Therefore it cannot be checked in that way. Karmaṇā karma-nirhāra. Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī is suggesting the platform of speculative knowledge. When it has failed that a thief repeatedly committing criminal activities, repeatedly he is being punished but he is not corrected, then what is the remedy? That is vimarśanam, speculative knowledge. Progressing from karma-kāṇḍa to jñāna-kāṇḍa, he is proposing prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam: real atonement is full knowledge. One should be given knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

Pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no material desire, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), without any coverage of fruitive activities and speculative knowledge. Because the real purpose of successful life is to invoke your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976:

There are so many philosophers, but they are speculating only without any definite knowledge. So śāstra says that speculative knowledge will not be successful at any time. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām (Bs. 5.34). Manaso, by mental speculation, muni-puṅgavānām, one who speculates, he is called muni. So muni-puṅgava. Puṅgava means the most exalted muni, if he simply speculates about the Absolute Truth, how many years? Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976:

You should not think yourself that you are very advanced, "By my speculative knowledge I can understand God." That is mistake. That is not possible. You have to give up first of all this attempt, that "I am very learned," "I am very rich,"or "I am very this and that.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

So Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he's describing this Caitanya-caritāmṛta strictly according to the verdict of the śāstras. His statement is that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān is person; Bhagavān is not imperson. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). First realization of the Absolute Truth by speculative knowledge is impersonal effulgence of the Lord, which is called brahmajyoti. Then next realization is Paramātmā, the localized aspect of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But realization of Kṛṣṇa, that is the ultimate realization. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Lokanatha dasa -- New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969:

Don't try to be puffed up artificially by your speculative knowledge that you are the same God. Don't try for it. If you actually want to be happy, and if you want, actually, you want to be God realized or Kṛṣṇa conscious person, then the first thing is that you give up this nonsense habit—by speculation, you want to be God.

General Lectures

Lecture Engagement -- Montreal, June 15, 1968:

So you cannot get perfect knowledge by imperfect senses, by speculative knowledge. You have to accept authority. Just like if you want to know who is your father, the authority is your mother.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

And Bhagavad-gītā also confirms this. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Jñānavān, those who are speculating on knowledge, they are called jñānavān, jñānī. But that jñāna, that speculative knowledge is not sufficient to give you liberation unless he takes to devotional service.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977:

Just like in the modern age they are going very high by aeroplane or sputnik, but because they do not get a shelter in either the moon planet or Mars planet, they again come down. So simply speculative knowledge, philosophical knowledge, will not give us actual shelter in the nirviśeṣa, nirākāra-brahman.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Latin Professor -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore, our speculative knowledge, intellectual platform, is not helpful. We must receive knowledge from superior source, perfect source. That knowledge is perfect.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That suppose if you are speculating what may be the Swamiji's strength of bank balance. So how you can know it by speculation? But if I say that my bank balance is such and such, than you can understand what is bank balance. So by speculative knowledge you can not understand God. When God says what He is, then you can understand.