One should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying.

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One should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying.

 

Bg 17.15 P The Divisions of Faith

One should not speak in such a way as to agitate the minds of others. Of course,

when a teacher speaks, he can speak the truth for the instruction of his

students, but such a teacher should not speak to others who are not his

students if he will agitate their minds. This is penance as far as talking is

concerned. Besides that, one should not talk nonsense. When speaking in

spiritual circles, one's statements must be upheld by the scriptures. One

should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying. At

the same time, such talk should be very pleasurable to the ear. By such

discussions, one may derive the highest benefit and elevate human society.

There is a limitless stock of Vedic literature, and one should study this. This

is called penance of speech.

SB 7.13.23 P The Behavior of a Perfect Person

A saintly person doesn't wish to speak to anyone and everyone, and he is

therefore grave and silent. Generally a common man does not need to be advised.

Unless one is prepared to take instructions, it is said that a saintly person

should not address him, although sometimes, because of great kindness, a

saintly person speaks to ordinary men. As for Prahlada Maharaja, however, since

he was not a common, ordinary man, whatever questions he posed would have to be

answered, even by a great and exalted personality. Therefore the saintly

brahmana did not remain silent, but began to answer. These answers, however,

were not concocted by him. This is indicated by the words yatha-srutam, meaning

"as I have heard from the authorities." In the parampara system, when the

questions are bona fide the answers are bona fide. No one should attempt to

create or manufacture answers. One must refer to the sastras and give answers

according to Vedic understanding. The words yatha-srutam refer to Vedic

knowledge. The Vedas are known as sruti because this knowledge is received from

authorities. The statements of the Vedas are known as sruti-pramana. One should

quote evidence from the sruti--the Vedas or Vedic literature--and then one's

statements will be correct. Otherwise one's words will proceed from mental

concoction.

740317SB.VRN Lectures

Nirmatsarau. Nirmatsarau means they were not en... Vaisnava is not envious.

Vaisnava's only business is to see people, how they will... (break) ...let them

go to hell. This is Prahlada Maharaja's philosophy. Soce tato vimukha-cetasa

indriyartha-maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan. The whole world is suffering

from the material disease, and they are always unhappy. So let us preach this

Krsna consciousness. They should try to save at least one man. That was the

version of my Guru Maharaja, that "I have got so many temples and buildings. If

by selling all these buildings, if I can save one man from this material

disease, then my mission will be successful." He used to say like that. So that

is gosvami. They are trying, always trying, how to save.

Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau. Just like

Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. Srila Rupa Gosvami, writing Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu,

quoting from so many Vedic literatures, giving evidence. Because formerly

people would take it as truth when it is proved by the version of the Vedic

literature. Nowadays, they have become more and more rascal. They would not

take any evidence. They will take evidence of their only senses. If they like,

they will accept. If they do not like, they will...Formerly, the society was

not so much degraded. They, as soon as you give evidence from the Vedic

literature, they would accept. So these Gosvamis therefore were making research

from the Vedic literature, from the Puranas, from the Vedas, from the

Vedanta-sutra, and Upanisads, like that, Mahabharata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and

Sama Veda, Rg Veda. You'll find in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu evidences...

Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau. What is the, what was

the purpose? The purpose was to establish real religious principles.

730131ND.CAL Lectures

Prabhupada: Just see. Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Rupa Gosvami, he's presenting this

Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, quoting from so many scriptures.

Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau. They were very, very expert in studying sastra

very scrutinizingly. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau.

Why they studied so much? Because they wanted to establish sad-dharma, real

type of religion, bhakti. They are quoting, therefore, from so many,

nana-sastra. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau lokanam

hita-karinau. That is welfare activity. Lokanam hita-karinau. These people are

trying to give some service to the daridra-narayana, but they do not know

actually what is jive daya (?). This is jive daya. Lokanam hita-karinau. They

should know things with reference to the authorized scripture. Not that I

manufacture some words, according to my whims. That is not service to the hu...

That is misleading, disservice. Because, if they are kept in ignorance, what is

the value of such service. Here is (service). He does not manufacture anything.

He's giving immediately evidence, reference to the authorized scripture. That is

the way of presenting things. Not that "I think,In my opinion." What you are?

But in, in Vaisnava philosophy, even Caitanya Mahaprabhu, although He was Krsna

Himself, whenever He spoke something, immediately He gave evidence from the

sastra. Even Krsna. While He was speaking Bhagavad-gita, He also gave reference

to the Vedanta-sutra: brahma-sutra-padais caiva hetumadbhir viniscitaih. He was

giving reference to the Brahma-sutra. That is the way of authorized

presentation. Krsna is Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He was also giving

reference. He also said, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah. We

cannot give up sastras. If we give up sastra, then Krsna says, sa siddhim

savapnoti na sukham na param gatim. If we give up sastra, if we manufacture our

own words, own sastras, these are all rascaldom. That should not be accepted.