Prabhupāda: Samāsa. So we are imperfect, just like they are going to study the planets. What they will study from here? This kind of knowledge has no value, speculation.
Interviewer (4): That is something inborn, isn't it? That scientists . . .
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is your inquisiti . . . you have got born inquisitiveness, jijñāsu. That is especially manifested in human form of life. So for jijñāsu it is recommended, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). You have to go to the proper person. So that we are not doing. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). These are the Vedic injunctions. Jijñāsu is our natural instinct, but we go to who has no knowledge. That is the difficulty. We are misled. But the knowledge is there already: the Vedic knowledge is there. There are so many Vedas, Upaniṣads, Vedānta-sūtra and Bhagavad-gītā, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Purāṇas. But there is no systematic study of this literature. We are neglecting.
Interviewer (5): Swāmījī, another doubt. In this mahā-mantra that you publicize, Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is Kṛṣṇa that is emphasized . . . (indistinct) . . . emphasis His Bhāgavata and other things are popularized. Is it corresponding . . .
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. If you have studied Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. If you accept it that this is supreme name of God, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma:
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)
This is the Vedic injunction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. In the Bhāgavata it is said, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). These things are there. It is not a manufactured program. It is based on śāstra. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. These things are there. You have to accept some authority. If you don't accept authority, you speculate. That is your business, but we don't do it. We accept the authority.
Interviewer (4): The same claim is made by Durgā also.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Interviewer (4): . . . (indistinct) . . . śakti cult, they also give you the same . . .
Prabhupāda: Yes, Durgā, we say:
- sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā
- chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā
- icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (BS 5.44)
Durgā is all-powerful within this material world, but she is acting under the direction of Govinda. She is not acting independently. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). "Under My supervision." Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority. (break) . . . but they go to the supreme person who can give spiritual knowledge. Durgā is not neglected.