Vedic knowledge means to understand God. That's all. One who has understood God, he has studied all Vedas. Finished. And one who has not understood God, simply studying this literature, that literature, that scripture, then he's simply wasting his time. That's all. Because ultimate knowledge is God. If one cannot understand what is God after so much education, then Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8): "It is simply labor, labor, waste of time." Simply waste of time. There is no education. Education, knowledge, means ultimately to understand, to know what is God. Actually; not fictitiously, vaguely.
So there are many classes of men who have no understanding of God. Some of them are saying, "God is dead," or "God is impersonal," "There is no God," "Zero," "I am God," "You are God," so many things. All these people do not know what is God, therefore there are different theories. Therefore somehow or other if you can understand God, then your life is successful. Somehow or other. Because this human life is especially meant for understanding God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā, the Vedānta-sūtra. You have heard the name of Vedānta. Vedānta means . . . Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. The ultimate knowledge. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15): "The ultimate purpose of reading Vedas is to know Me."
So who can read Vedānta philosophy? Very learned scholar he must be. At least, he must be very learned scholar in Sanskrit. He must have sufficient brain substance to understand what are these Vedānta-sūtras. Because everything is there in a small aphorism. Just like the first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra is athāto brahma jijñāsā. In three words: atha, ataḥ, brahma, jijñāsā. Four words. So it contains volumes of philosophy.
Then next aphorism is janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janma, ādi, asya, yataḥ. "From whom," asya, viśvasya, "of this universe, cosmic manifestation," from where this cosmic manifestation has come, and where it rests, and where it will dissolve. Janmādy asya yataḥ. In this way, Vedānta-sūtra means . . . gives you the whole purpose of Veda, knowledge, in small code words.
So to understand these code words, one must have very big brain or very highly standard educational qualification. Then . . . all the ācāryas, those who are controlling Vedic civilization, like Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, they have all written their commentaries on the Vedānta-sūtra. Because unless one explains Vedānta-sūtra, he'll not be accepted as an authorized ācārya. He's not . . . not that anyone can become ācārya. He must give explanation of the Vedānta-sūtra, prasthāna-traya. There is system.
So ultimately, Vedānta-sūtra, as Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. Sarvaiḥ means including Vedānta-sūtra. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15): "I am to be understood." Why? Vedānta-kṛt vedānta-vit ca aham. Vedānta-kṛt, "I am the compiler of Vedānta-sūtra." The Vedānta-sūtra was compiled by Vyāsadeva. He is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Dvaipāyana Vyāsa.
So therefore, it is compiled by His incarnation, so it is compiled by Him. Because His incarnation, He is the same. So vedanta-kṛt means Veda . . . compiler of the Vedānta, and the compiler of the compiler of the Vedānta is vedanta-vit, one who knows Vedānta. Because I have written some book, so I know what is the purpose of writing my book. You cannot know. My purpose you cannot know.