Sutra means

Expressions researched:
"Sutra means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Sūtra means code.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

Brahma-sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra means the summary of all Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is given in codes. That is called Brahma-sūtra. Sūtra means code, and Brahman means the Supreme Absolute Truth. Understanding of the absolute truth in code words, and the explanation... A code word requires explanation.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Vedānta-sūtra means codes of all Vedic knowledge. Sūtra. Sūtra means codes.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

We shall speak something about the compilation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Vyāsadeva. (break) ...known as Vedavyāsa. Vedavyāsa, because he has compiled all the Vedic literatures, wonderful education... There are millions of verses in the Purāṇas, Mahābhārata, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Only Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam contains 18,000 verses. Mahābhārata contains about more than 100,000's of verses. Similarly, there are other Purāṇas. Besides that, Upaniṣads. He is the editor and compiler of all these Vedic literatures.

But he was not satisfied even after his presentation of the Vedānta-sūtra. He summarized all the Vedic knowledge in sūtra—Sūtra means codes—so people may take advantage. Just like there are business codes, Bentley's codes, Henry's codes. So one or two words will give impression of volumes of knowledge. Businessmen, they need it to save the expenditure on wiring, on telegraphing. Just like CIF. "Accept your offering. CIF." CIF means "cost including freight." That means goods will be delivered at your door. So similarly, there are many codes in business matter. In military arts there are so many codes. So Vedānta-sūtra means codes of all Vedic knowledge. Sūtra. Sūtra means codes.

Sūtra means summarized.

Lecture on SB 1.7.10 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1976:

For the sake of knowledge, everyone should study this Vedic literature. And it is summarized in Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore it is called Vedānta-sūtra. Sūtra means summarized. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now these two words, atha ataḥ brahma-jijñāsā-four words—it contains volumes of knowledge. Therefore it is called sūtra. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). They are Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra padaiś caiva. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that brahma-sūtra padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). The truth, Absolute Truth, is fixed up by Brahma-sūtra. So Brahma-sūtra is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Brahma-sūtra is the summary of the whole Vedic literature. Because in future people will misinterpret. Therefore the author of Brahma-sūtra, Vyāsadeva, made natural a comment. And that comment is Brahma-sūtra bhāṣya, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Sūtra means codes.

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa has recommended that "If you want to know things with reason and argument, then try to understand Vedānta-sūtra." Those who want to know the Absolute Truth through reasoning and argument, then one should study Vedānta-sūtra. But Vedānta-sūtra... Sūtra means codes. Just like they have got code book. One word, it is meaning so many other things. Businessmen, they have got codes. When they send cable to their customer or to their principle, they use some codes. It saves so many words. So Brahma-sūtra. Sūtra means codes. So in that code also, required explanation. That explanation is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Brahma-sūtrāṇām, the codes explained in the Brahma-sūtra, that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Business codes. There are some stock words. That stock words is simply by two, one word, the whole stock word comes. Sūtra means that.

Morning Walk -- April 29, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The literal meaning of sūtra...

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...is a condensed statement?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So it is like the...

Prabhupāda: Syn, synopsis. Synopsis. Just like in business there are codes, Bentley's codes. So to minimize the expenditure of telegraph, you give one word. From the other side, they will understand. There is code book. This code means that "Receive your letter. The quotation is supplied, that, that...," so many things, one code. You know that? Business codes. There are some stock words. That stock words is simply by two, one word, the whole stock word comes. Sūtra means that. Just like a, just like you missing something, as soon as you get one little code, you immediately remember: "Yes, yes, everything is there." That is called code, sūtra. Sūtra means thread.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Thread?

Prabhupāda: Thread. Thread sometimes missing. In some stock of thread, you are missing where it begins. So you have to find out. As soon as you find out, the whole thread is open. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Is it like in mathematics, in chemistry, like they call formulas?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Just like symbolic: CH, square root, like that.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Like in chemistry, for example, the molecule of Benzine. So you present it just like six lines, but a hexagon figure with a circle inside, they condense a lot of information.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a code, sūtra. But the chemical symbolic representation, that is understand by the specialist. But this sūtra can be understood by anyone. Just like athāto brahma jijñāsā. The meaning is: "Now, this is the time for inquiring about the Absolute Truth." So this is a question for everyone. Any intelligent man. Here we are understanding everything relatively. Relatively. Just like when I say: "Father," there must be one son... (break) ...truth, there must be one truth. In this way, this is, this world is relative truth.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Sūtra means in aphorism, in small words, a big philosophy is given.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Veda means knowledge, and anta means end of knowledge. That is the combination of Vedānta. So in the Vedānta the beginning is, Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsāḥ. "Now, in the human form of life, they should inquire about the Absolute Truth." That is the Vedānta philosophy. And what is that Absolute Truth? Sūtra means in aphorism, in small words, a big philosophy is given. That is called sūtra. A little link.