So the sādhu and the pious and the devotees of the Lord, out of their compassion, they write books what they have heard in the disciplic succession. They do not manufacture. These Vedas, what is written by Vyāsadeva, you don't think that he has manufactured something. No. Formerly, the Vedic knowledge was simply spoken by the spiritual master, and the disciple simply heard it. Therefore the Veda is known as śruti. There was no need of books. They were so, I mean to say, their memory was so sharp that once heard, they can remember, they could remember. The life was so nice that . . .
In the advancement of Kali-yuga, as I have several times described, that this memory will be decreased. People will be less, less memorious. Their memory will be very shortened. They'll forget. Just like the lady was angry. At once forgets. One moment she says that "Oh, it was terrible heat," and next moment says, "Oh, I don't feel any unhappiness." So that is forgetfulness. So memory will be so short that people will forget. Just like the animals: they forget. There is no memory. In some of the animals there is no mind. That is also analyzed in the Bhagavad-gītā, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So memory shortened. Shortened.
So just to give us remembrance again, the books are . . . Vyāsadeva, he wrote those Vedic tradition into books. Vyāsadeva is the first man who wrote this Vedic knowledge into writing. Before that, there was no writing. Only by hearing, by memory, the students will grasp the whole thing, and coming down, tradition, tradition. Yes. Śruti, by hearing. So, jīvere kṛpāya kaila kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa.
- sādhu-guru-ātma'-rūpe āpanāre jānāna
- kṛṣṇa mora prabhu, trātā'-jīvera haya jñāna
- (CC Madhya 20.123)
So what is the utility of this Vedic knowledge? Now, by understanding, by hearing from authorized sources or by reading from authorized sources, the forgetful living entities will come to his senses. That is the purpose. He will come to his sense: "Oh, my position is this, and I am suffering in this way." So śāstra-guru-ātma-rūpe āpanāre jānāna. So Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is always anxious to revive the memory of these forgotten souls, conditioned souls.
Now, how He revives? He revives in śāstra. Śāstra means scripture. Śāstra, guru, spiritual master. Śāstra, guru, ātma-rūpe. And sometimes He comes Himself or as Paramātmā, or the Supersoul. He is giving you instruction from within as Paramātmā, He's sending you suitable spiritual master so can . . . you can have instruction without, and the books are, the scriptures are there. So many facilities the Lord has created. And therefore the human form of life is meant for utilizing all these facilities.
In the animal form of life there is no facility. They cannot read śāstra. They cannot understand scripture. They cannot take the advantage of a bona fide spiritual master. They cannot consult within with God. They have no this capacity. Their consciousness is so undeveloped that it is not possible to have . . . utilize all these facilities. But in human form of life we can utilize all these facilities. The śāstras are there, the Vedas are there, scriptures are there. And still, although it is the age of Kali, still, those who are following the disciplic succession, there is bona fide spiritual master also. Śāstra, guru and ātmā.
And over all, the Paramātmā. The Paramātmā, the Supersoul, Kṛṣṇa as Supersoul, is sitting within your heart along with you. And as soon as, by the instruction of the scripture and direction of the spiritual master, you begin sincerely something, the Paramātmā, from within you, He'll speak, "Yes, now you are right." He'll speak to you.