Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Unless we have a bona fide teacher of the Vedas, it is very difficult to understand Vedic language and take advantage of it

Expressions researched:
"unless we have a bona fide teacher of the Vedas, it is very difficult to understand Vedic language and take advantage of it"

Lectures

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

If we follow the regulation given in the Vedas, then automatically we reach to the highest stage of perfection. That is the purpose of Vedas. Therefore you'll find different subject matter dealt in Vedas, and unless we have a bona fide teacher of the Vedas, it is very difficult to understand Vedic language and take advantage of it.

Now, what is the subject matter of these Vedic scriptures? That is summarily summarized, summarized by Lord Caitanya. Veda-śāstra kahe-'sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. There are three things in the Vedic scriptures. What is that? The first thing is, "What is my relationship with God?" Or "What is my relationship with this world?" Or "What is my relationship with this nature?" These three is described.

Then, as soon as you understand your relationship, then your action begins according to . . . just like two businessmen. Two . . . they want to do some business. They wanted to do . . . mutually, they want to do some business. And what is the aim of business? To make some profit. Both of them are interested in making some profit. Without profit, there is no question of business. So first, if the profit is aim, then the two business first come to a contract, or agreement. This is called sambandha, relationship. "Yes, you are supplier; I am purchaser. And you shall supply in this way, and I shall purchase in this way." The agreement. This is called relationship.

And after the sign of the agreement, when actually the activities begin, supply and purchase, that is called abhidheya. And abhidheya means why they are doing this business? Now, some profit. So the profit there must be. Otherwise nobody's interested. Same thing is there also in the Vedas. First of all you have to understand, "What is my relationship with God, or with this world, or the nature?" We must understand first this. And when we understand this, "This is my relationship," then my actual work will begin. That is abhidheya. And after executing that prescribed duty, the result is that I'll get my relationship with the Supreme Lord revived. These three things are described in the Vedas. There is no other thing.

So there are different kinds of knowledge in the Vedas. Veda is a vast knowledge. Even how we shall live in this material world, that is also described. Even medicine, medicine, the science of medicine is also described in Vedas. That is called Āyur-veda. The science of military science also described there in the Vedas. That is called Dhanur-veda. Yajur-veda . . . so many Vedas there are. And ultimately the knowledge is there, how to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth and how to get yourself liberated. That is . . . these are the subject matter of Vedas.

So in the Bhagavad-gītā also the Lord says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15): "The ultimate purpose of Veda is to understand Kṛṣṇa." Ultimate. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam. So Kṛṣṇa or the sādhu and śāstra does not stop your material activities. Because you have to act materially so long you have got this material body, so they give regulation how you should act, so that ultimately you can reach to Kṛṣṇa.

So if we follow the regulation given in the Vedas, then automatically we reach to the highest stage of perfection. That is the purpose of Vedas. Therefore you'll find different subject matter dealt in Vedas, and unless we have a bona fide teacher of the Vedas, it is very difficult to understand Vedic language and take advantage of it.

Therefore Lord Caitanya says that "The subject matter of the Vedas we must understand." And what is that subject matter? That we must know our relationship with God, or with each other, or with this nature, or this world—then what is our action, regulated action—then the prayojana, the ultimate goal of life is reached. 'Kṛṣṇa'-prāpya sambandha, 'bhakti'-prāptyera sādhana. The ultimate end is to reach Kṛṣṇa, or to get Kṛṣṇa. Ultimate end. And that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). The ultimate purpose of the Vedas is to reach Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So this is the ultimate goal of life, and Vedas describes this, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is describing also. We shall come to this point gradually.

Page Title:Unless we have a bona fide teacher of the Vedas, it is very difficult to understand Vedic language and take advantage of it
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-10-20, 10:01:58
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1