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Culture of Vedic knowledge

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

By culture of Vedic knowledge one must know Lord Kṛṣṇa and should not falsely speculate on the word aham, or "I."
SB 3.6.40, Purport: The froggish calculator may raise the objection that if the Absolute is unknowable even by the controlling deities of speech, mind and ego, namely the Vedas, Brahmā, Rudra and all the demigods headed by Bṛhaspati, then why should the devotees be so interested in this unknown object? The answer is that the transcendental ecstasy enjoyed by the devotees in delineating the pastimes of the Lord is certainly unknown to nondevotees and mental speculators. Unless one relishes transcendental joy, naturally one will come back from his speculations and concocted conclusions because he will see them as neither factual nor enjoyable. The devotees can at least know that the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu, as the Vedic hymns confirm: oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) also confirms this fact: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. By culture of Vedic knowledge one must know Lord Kṛṣṇa and should not falsely speculate on the word aham, or "I." The only method for understanding the Supreme Truth is devotional service, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18.55): bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. Only by devotional service can one know that the ultimate truth is the Personality of Godhead and that Brahman and Paramātmā are only His partial features. This is confirmed in this verse by the great sage Maitreya. With devotion he offers his sincere surrender, namaḥ, to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavate. One has to follow in the footsteps of great sages and devotees like Maitreya and Vidura, Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and engage in the transcendental devotional service of the Lord if one would know His ultimate feature, which is above Brahman and Paramātmā.

Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The brāhmaṇa community was so strong that because acceptance of service is the business of the śūdra... The brāhmaṇas, they would not accept anyone's service. The kṣatriyas, they would not accept anyone's service. And the vaiśyas also. They should live independently. Brāhmaṇas, by culture of Vedic knowledge.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972, null: The brāhmaṇa community was so strong that because acceptance of service is the business of the śūdra... The brāhmaṇas, they would not accept anyone's service. The kṣatriyas, they would not accept anyone's service. And the vaiśyas also. They should live independently. Brāhmaṇas, by culture of Vedic knowledge. Kṣatriyas by exacting taxes from the citizens. And vaiśyas by trade, agriculture. They should live. To serve one is the business of the dog. That is mentioned in Bhāgavata. So if there is dire necessity, a brāhmaṇa can accept the profession of a kṣatriya or the, even the profession of a vaiśya, but not the profession of a śūdra. But at the present moment, because everyone accepts the profession of śūdra, therefore śāstra says: kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Here is the example, that Sākara Mallika, he was brāhmaṇa, sārasvata brāhmaṇa. But because he accepted... They were learned brāhmaṇas, not fools. Very good scholar in Sanskrit and Arabian language, still because they accepted service in the Muhammadan government, they were rejected. Immediately. No. Punishment.
Page Title:Culture of Vedic knowledge
Compiler:Sraddha
Created:09 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:2