On 22 Apr 1999, Gauranga Prema Dasa wrote:

> > Everything I need to know is in Srila Prabhupada's books.

On 22 Apr 1999, Jagat wrote:

> Do you not think that perhaps Prabhupada's
> understanding might have been influenced
> by his own context -- his own birth, family
> background, etc.? Don't you think it might
> help you to understand Prabhupada if you
> understand HIS context? How can you do
> that without recourse to something
> else? Understanding can only come
> out of comparison. A single color
> is meaningless without the
> existence of other colors.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 6]

TEXT 130

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then revealed His mind, saying: "I can understand the meaning of each sutra very clearly, but your explanations have simply agitated My mind.

TEXT 131

"The meaning of the verses in the Vedanta-sutra contain clear purports in themselves, but other purports you presented simply covered the meaning of the sutra like a cloud.

TEXT 132

"You do not explain the direct meaning of the Brahma-sutras. Indeed, it appears that your business is to cover the real meaning."

TEXT 133

Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued: "Vedanta-sutra is the summary of all the Upanisads; therefore whatever direct meaning is there in the Upanisads is also recorded in the Vedanta-sutra or Vyasa-sutra.

TEXT 134

"For each verse the direct meaning must be accepted without interpretation. However, you simply abandon the direct meaning and proceed with your imaginative interpretation.

TEXT 135

"Although there is other evidence, the evidence given in the Vedic version must be taken as foremost. Vedic versions understood directly are first class evidence."

Back To Godhead, Oct 10, 1968, Seattle Washington:

Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out

There is no question of interpretation. Then the authority is gone. As soon as you interpret, there is no authority. And those who are interpreting unnecessarily, they should be rejected immediately. Immediately, without consideration.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 6]

TEXT 137

svatah-pramana veda satya yei kaya
'laksana' karile svatah-pramanya-hani haya

SYNONYMS

svatah-pramana - self evidence; veda - Vedic literature; satya - truth; yei - whatever; kaya - say; laksana - interpretation; karile - by making; svatah-pramanya - self-evidential proof; hani - lost; haya - becomes.

Translation

"The Vedic statements are self evident. Whatever is stated there must be accepted. If we interpret according to our own imagination, the authority of the Vedas is immediately lost."

PURPORT

Out of four main types of evidence - direct perception, hypothesis, historical reference and the Vedas - Vedic evidence is accepted as the foremost. If we want to interpret the Vedic version, we must imagine an interpretation according to what we want to do. First of all, we set forth such an interpretation as a suggestion or hypothesis. As such, it is not actually true, and the self-evident proof is lost. Srila Madhvacarya, commenting on the aphorism drsyate tu (Vedanta-sutra 2.1.6), quotes the Bhavisya Purana as follows:

rg-yajuh-samatharvas ca
   bharatam panca-ratrakam
mula-ramayanam caiva
   veda ity eva sabditah

puranani ca yaniha
  vaisnavani vido viduh
svatah-pramanyam etesam
  natra kincid vicaryate

The Rg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda, Mahabharata, Pancaratra and original Ramayana are all considered Vedic literature. The Puranas (such as the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, Naradiya Purana, Visnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana) are especially meant for Vaisnavas and are also Vedic literature. As such, whatever is stated within the Puranas, the Mahabharata and Ramayana is self evident. There is no need for interpretation. Bhagavad-gita is also within the Mahabharata; therefore all the statements of Bhagavad-gita are self evident. There is no need for interpretation, and if we do interpret, the entire authority of Vedic literature is lost.

TEXT 138

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued: "The Brahma-sutra, compiled by Srila Vyasadeva, is as radiant as the sun. One who tries to interpret its meaning simply covers that sunshine with a cloud."

THE SCIENCE OF SELF REALIZATION pg. 228:

Srila Prabhupada: We accept such a statement without argument. That is the way of Vedic understanding.

Prof. Kotovsky: The difficulty is that our approach is that we do not believe in anything without argument. We can believe only things based on argument.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, that is allowed. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita [4.34]. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya. Pariprasna, argument, is allowed - but not in the challenging spirit, but rather with the spirit to understand. Argument is not denied. But as far as Vedic statements are concerned, they are infallible, and the scholars of the Vedas accept them in that way.

Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Introduction] pg. 23:

The Vedic injunctions are self authorized, and if some mundane creature adjusts the interpretations of the Vedas, he defies their authority. It is foolish to think of oneself as more intelligent than Srila Vyasadeva. He has already expressed himself in his sutras, and there is no need of help from personalities of lesser importance.

Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 2 Text 18]

PURPORT

Bhagavata book and person are identical.

BHAGAVAD-GITA INTRODUCTION:

Vedic knowledge is not a question of research. Our research work is imperfect because we are researching things with our imperfect senses. We have to accept perfect knowledge which comes down, as is stated in Bhagavad-gita, by the parampara (disciplic succession). We have to receive knowledge from the proper source in disciplic succession beginning with the supreme spiritual master, the Lord Himself, and handed down to a succession of spiritual masters. Arjuna, the student who took lessons from Lord Sri Krsna, accepts everything that He says without contradicting Him. One is not allowed to accept one portion of Bhagavad-gita and not another. No. We must accept Bhagavad-gita without interpretation, without deletion and without our own whimsical participation in the matter.

PURPORT

The Vedic knowledge is infallible because it comes down through the perfect disciplic succession of spiritual masters beginning with the Lord Himself. The Vedic knowledge is received from the transcendental sources and the first word was spoken by the Lord Himself. The words spoken by the Lord are called apauruseya, not delivered by any person of the mundane world. A living being of the mundane world has four defects, which are 1. that he must commit mistakes. 2. he must sometimes be illusioned. 3. he must try to cheat others and 4. he is endowed with imperfect senses. With these four principles of imperfection one cannot deliver perfect information in the matter of all-pervading knowledge. The Vedas are not known like that. The Vedic knowledge was originally imparted into the heart of Brahma, the first created living being, and Brahma in his turn disseminated the knowledge to his sons and disciples, who have continued the process down through history.

THE SCIENCE OF SELF REALIZATION pg. 61, 62:

The genuine guru has only one opinion, and that is the opinion expressed by Krsna, Vyasadeva, Narada, Arjuna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Goswamis. Five thousand years ago Lord Sri Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita, and Vyasadeva recorded it. Srila Vyasadeva did not say, "This is my opinion."

Whatever Vyasadeva wrote was originally spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Vyasadeva did not give his own opinion. Consequently, Srila Vyasadeva is a guru. He does not misinterpret the words of Krsna, but transmits them exactly as they were spoken. If we send a telegram, the person who delivers the telegram does not have to correct it, edit it, or add to it. He simply presents it. That is the guru's business. The guru may be this person or that, but the message is the same; therefore it is said that guru is one. In disciplic succession we simply find repetition of the same subject.

The six Goswamis also transmitted the same message, and we are simply following in their footsteps. There is no difference. We do not interpret the words of Krsna by saying, "In my opinion, the Battlefield of Kuruksetra represents the human body." Such interpretations are set forth by rascals. In the world there are many rascal gurus who give their own opinion, but we can challenge any rascal.

> > The social institution known as varnasrama-dharma--the
> > institution dividing society into four divisions or
> > castes--is not meant to divide human society
> > according to birth. Such divisions are in
> > terms of educational qualifications.

> Prabhupada and the Gaudiya Math make a big deal out
> of this because they have to fight a deeply ingrained
> system. Why is it so ingrained? Well, one reason is that
> it has been going on for so long -- at least from the time
> of the Mahabharata. The evidence? The Gita itself provides
> it. The word varna-sankara means "mixing of castes."
> Intermarriage between castes. This word cannot have
> any meaning whatsoever unless you accept the
> principle of caste by birth.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/4830/Varnasrama_Debate-12B.html

> To me, it still seems that Prabhupada's idea
> of VAD is basically a return to aristocracy and
> feudal type society (which if implemented would
> likely result in birth oriented varna structures).
> This seems highly impractical to me, though
> there may perhaps be farm communities that
> successfully apply this model. For city
> dwellers, another model is needed.

Conversations With Srila Prabhupada Vol. 7 pg. 301, 1974:

Srila Prabhupada: So everywhere in each center this system should be introduced, and there must be practical application of varnasrama. At the same time this program of devotional service.

Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 7 TEXT 12]

PURPORT

If the American people are serious about curbing the degraded criminal life of their nation they must take to the Krsna consciousness movement and try to create the kind of human society advised in the Bhagavad-gita (catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah). They must divide their nation into first class men, second class men, third class men and fourth class men.

> What is VAD based on education? My answer:
> a kind of work ethic based on vocation.

Conversations With Srila Prabhupada Vol. 16 pg. 265 & 266, October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupada: Now, if they take to Krsna consciousness, select amongst them. Just like I am training. You are brahmana by training. So one who is prepared to be trained as brahmana, classify him in the brahmana. One is trained up as ksatriya, classify him. In this way, catur-varnyam maya srs...

Harikesa: And that ksatriya would engage everyone basically as sudra and then pick from them.

Prabhupada: Hm.?

Harikesa: He would initially pick...

Prabhupada: No, no, no. You pick up... You take the whole mass of people as sudra. Then...

Harikesa: Pick out.

Prabhupada: Pick out. And rest, who is neither brahmana nor ksatriya nor vaisya, then he is sudra. That's all, very easy thing. If he cannot be trained up as engineer, then he remains as a common man. There is no force. This is the way of organizing society. There is no force. Sudra is also required.

Pusta Krsna: Now the incentive in modern society to become educated or to become engineer is money. What is the incentive in Vedic culture?

Prabhupada: There is no need of money. The brahmana teaches everything free of charge. There is no question of money. Anyone can take education as a brahmana or a ksatriya, as a vaisya. There is no... Vaisya doesn't require any education. Ksatriyas require little. Brahmana require. But that is free. Just find out a brahmana guru and he will give you free education. That's all. This is is society. Now as soon as... At the present moment, as soon as one wants to be educated, he requires money. But in the Vedic society there is no question of money. Education free.

THE SCIENCE OF SELF REALIZATION pg. 211:

Everyone should be tested to find out which education he is suited for. Some sudras may be given technical education, but most sudras should work on the farms.

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

Dear Prabhus

Please accept my respectful obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Have I committed any offenses,
taken any quotes out of context,
made any mistakes, and/or
done anything I shouldn't have?
If so, I'm sorry.

Aspiring to be the sincere
servant of the servant,

Yours Truly,
Gauranga Prema Dasa

Hare Krsna

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