Sastra yonit vat

[Guest guest]

Some say that this text didn't make it onto the conference so here it is

again.

 

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

 

Letter PAMHO:8767676 (75 lines)

Shyamasundara (das) ACBSP (Vedic Astrologer) (USA)

21-Sep-04 23:01 -0700 (02:01 -0400)

Antardwip (das) JPS (UK) [6923]

Modern Culture in Relation to Varnashrama [16201]

Cc: DMW (Dharma of Men and Women) [4867] (sender: Basu Ghosh (das)

ACBSP (Baroda - IN))

Cc: ISKCON India (news & discussion) [5783]

Cc: Basu Ghosh (das) ACBSP (Baroda - IN) [60107] (received:

22-Sep-04

03:40 -0700)

Reference: Text PAMHO:8766545 by Antardwip (das) JPS (UK)

Sastra yonit vat

---------------------------

> > Since I quoted Manu Smriti so much in previous text find attached a copy

> > of Manu for those who don't have it.

>

> Thanks, it will take me time to read it. I appreciate how you back up your

> position with evidence.

>

> ys

>

> Antardwip das

 

 

Dear Antardvipa Prabhu,

 

Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Bhaktivignavinasa Nrsimhadeva Bhagavan kijaya!

 

Thank you. Before I became a devotee I was studying pure mathematics. When I

first read Srila Prabhupada's books (after having read other "eastern"

philosophy books) I was very much impressed by the way Srila Prabhupada

wrote; it was just like the presentation of a mathematical theorem. In a

mathematical proof you don't give your opinion, rather you back up

everything with an already proven and universally accepted mathematical

theorem or axiom such as the Pythagorean theorem. In this way everything

rests on a firm bedrock of already known truths and is unassailable. And

that is exactly the way that Srila Prabhupada wrote and spoke, he always

supported all of his assertions with sastra. In this way he was a perfect

representative of the guru paramapara. In any case he convinced me that he

was not just giving his opinion by his solid presentation of sastra and

surrendered to him.

 

A guru is only a guru if he supports sastra, an acarya is only an acarya if

he supports sastra, and a sadhu is only a sadhu if he supports sastra

because everything comes from sastra. "Sastra yonit vat" (The existence of

Brahman cannot be inferred), because He is known only through sastra.

Vedanta Sutra 1.1.3. The sutra literally states that knowledge is born

(yonit) from sastra. And of course there is Rupa Goswami's

 

sruti-smrti-puranadi-

pancaratra-vidhim vina

aikantiki harer bhaktir

utpatayaiva kalpate

 

"Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic

literatures like the Upanisads, Puranas and Narada-pancaratra is simply an

unnecessary disturbance in society."

 

So it goes without saying that if we want to stay on track we have to be

kept in check by sastra otherwise we are liable to speculate and create a

disturbance. And we know how much Srila Prabhupada rightly abhorred

speculation, which is basically a form of gambling. See how Srila Prabhupada

explains the meaning of sastra as the means to be ruled:

 

So... "Kindly speak to me that.So why shall I speak to you?" Here says:

sisyas te 'ham [bg. 2.7]. "Now I am accepting You as my guru. I become Your

sisya." Sisya means: "Whatever you'll say, I'll accept." That is sisya. The

sisya word comes from sas-dhatu. Sas-dhatu. Sastra. Sastra. Sasana. Sisya.

These are from the same root. Sas-dhatu. Sas-dhatu means rule, ruling. So we

can rule in various ways. We can be ruled, becoming a sisya of a proper

guru. That is sas-dhatu. Or we can be ruled by sastra, weapon. Just like

king has got weapon. If you don't follow the king's instruction or

government's instruction, then there is police force, military force. That

is sastra. And there is sastra also. Sastra means book, scripture. Just like

Bhagavad-gita. Everything is there. So we must be ruled, either by sastra,

sastra or guru. Or becoming sisya. Therefore it is said: sisyas te 'ham [bg.

2.7]. "I become voluntarily... I surrender unto You.Now you become sisya.

What is the proof that you have become My sisya?" Sadhi mam tvam prapannam.

"Now I am fully surrender." Prapannam.

 

Bhagavad-gita 2.1, - Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972

 

Yours in the service of my eternal master Srila Prabhupada,

 

Shyamasundara Dasa

 

www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com

(Text PAMHO:8767676) ------

 

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