How To Understand Vedanta-Sutra?

[suchandra]

Two lawyers present their different points of view, who decides? The questions seems larger than “who decides”, it becomes also “on what basis”. In the Bhagavad-gītā when Krishna and Arjuna were talking as friend, there was no conclusion. The talking was going on but no conclusion was made. Therefore Arjuna decided to accept Krishna as his guru.

 

Prabhupāda: The Vedantists they have come from the impersonal explanation of Śaṅkarācārya. Śārīraka-bhāṣya. But they simply give stress on the Śārīraka-bhāṣya, but there are other bhāṣyas. Bhāṣyas means commentary. And the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary by the author himself. Besides that, there are Vedānta-bhāṣyas written by the Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇusvāmī, and all the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas. Unfortunately, they do not care to read all these Vedānta-bhāṣyas. They simply take Śārīraka- bhāṣya and become impersonalist and call themselves as Vedantist.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What is the reason for that?

Prabhupāda: Reason means people do not know. They cheat. Suppose I present something, a misconception, and if there are others also who can speak something on the… There are two lawyers. One is speaking one point of law, another lawyer is speaking. So if you take one side only, then how you will understand? So they are simply reading this Śārīraka-bhāṣya. They are not reading other bhāṣyas, just like the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is natural. And they are cheating people. That’s all. Why there are two lawyers? Two opposite parties, there are two lawyers. One lawyer says this law is like this, and the other party says, “No, it is this.” And the judge is there, he will take what is the real meaning. But this interpretation is required when things are not clear. Now the Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ [Bhāg. 1.1.1], “The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything comes in, emanates.” Now, here is… In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa said that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8] Clearly. That “I am the origin of everything, and everything comes from Me.” So why don’t you take it? Why simply you remain theoretically understood that Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates. But when the Absolute Truth comes before you and says that “I am the origin of everything. Everything comes from Me.” Why don’t you accept Kṛṣṇa as Absolute Truth? Why do you take the so-called impersonalist view only, that God has no form? Here is God speaking, person. Why don’t you take it? If you want to be cheated, then who can stop you? Here Kṛṣṇa says, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo [Bg. 15.15]. Find out this verse. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca…

Hari-śauri: Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo…

Prabhupāda: Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-krd veda- vid eva cāham. Read it?

Hari-śauri:

sarvasya cāham hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham [Bg. 15.15]

Prabhupāda: Vedānta-kṛd, I am the compiler of Vedānta. Why these rascals do not take who compiled Vedānta? Vyāsadeva is the incarnation of God. He compiled Vedānta. Why he does not take the original Vedantist. Here it is clearly stated, vedānta-kṛd. Read the purport.

Hari-śauri: “Translation: I am seated in everyone’s heart and from Me comes remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta and I am the knower of the Vedas.”

Prabhupāda: So they do not go to the compiler of Vedānta. They go to a rascal. How they will understand Vedānta? Suppose I have written this book. If you cannot understand something, if you come directly to me, that is real. Why do you go to a rascal who has nothing to do with this book? If some rascal claims that “I am Vedanti,” so your description should… Why shall I not go to the real compiler of Vedānta. Why shall I go to a rascal? That means they are rascals. They are being cheated. Let them take to Bhagavad-gītā and let them take to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They will understand Vedānta. They’re real Vedantist. But these rascals, they’re avoiding Bhagavad- gītā and avoiding Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and claiming themselves as Vedantist. So if you go to a cheater you’ll be cheated. That is your business.

 

Answers to a Questionnaire

from Bhavan’s Journal

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

June 28, 1976, Vṛndāvana

[Pankaja_Dasa]

Taking one point of view, when there are others views to consider ?. Whether you like it or not Gaudiya Vaishnavism has everything.! That was nice to read.

[CCC]

where can i get the vedanta sutras??

[Pankaja_Dasa]

Vedya vyasa has them.

[raghu]

 

Two lawyers present their different points of view, who decides? The questions seems larger than “who decides”, it becomes also “on what basis”.

 

The answers to both questions are quite simple. Given that it is your spiritual life on the line, you had better be the one to carefully examine the different points of view and decide which one seems most consistent and is a "best fit" for the evidence in shruti and smriti. This of course means you have to study the evidence too. Being a mute spectator and just passively accepting whatever you are told is a surefire way of getting mislead.

 

 

In the Bhagavad-gītā when Krishna and Arjuna were talking as friend, there was no conclusion. The talking was going on but no conclusion was made. Therefore Arjuna decided to accept Krishna as his guru.

 

What are you talking about? Krishna and Arjuna's conversation came to a very definite conclusion.

 

Have you even read the Gita?

[bija]

Hi CCC,

 

I presume from previous posts your interest in vedanta is in relation to Gaudiya Vaisnavism.

 

Here is a Gaudiya commentary (bhasya) to Vedanta Sutra by Sri Baladeva Vidyabhushan click here

 

Many other free books of Gaudiya Vaisnavism can be read online (Nitaai Veda) here

 

If you like what you see in the above links then the whole compilation of books in one Nitaai Veda Vanibase can be downloaded here.

 

I know you love reading and books, so this collection should satisfy you:pray: