Śāstra means, is, the record of the statement of authorities. That is called śāstra. Just like in law court, you put lawbooks. What is that lawbook? Lawbook means the statement of the authorities. Similarly, śāstra... Śāstra means śās-dhātu. Śāstra. Śāstra means weapon, and śāstra means the lawbooks. So what is the lawbook? Lawbook means some authority which has given the law. So the government gives law. So similarly, śāstra means the statement given by the authorities.
So Kuntī is authority. Kuntī is authority. How she has become authority? Because she has followed the authorities, Brahmā, Nārada, Svayambhū... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Those who are strictly following the statements of the authorities, they are also authorities. Just like who is a lawyer? Lawyer is he who has studied law very nicely and following the law. That is lawyer, good lawyer. And third-class lawyer means one who does not know how to follow it. Good lawyer in the court—who can give reference from the lawbooks: "My Lord, you refer to such and such section of such and such law book, and you will find what I am stating." And the judge, when he sees: "Yes, it is all...," then his case is owned. So authority. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājana. Authority means mahājana. Ordinary, common people is called jana, ordinary man. And those who are authority, they are mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ.
So the statements of Kuntī is recorded here, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, not that he's (she's) ordinary woman. Otherwise her statements should not have been mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So we have to accept what Kuntī says,
- manye tvāṁ kālam īśānam
- anādi-nidhanaṁ vibhum
- samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra
- bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ
- (SB 1.8.28)
So misunderstanding of God... There is no misunderstanding of the authorities. The misunderstanding, the common man... Just like in Australia, when I spoke, there was no misunderstanding. There was agreement by the priests and myself. There was complete agreement. (aside:) You were with me? Or... No. You were not. They, after hearing my lecture for one hour, they agreed and clapped for ten minutes. So there cannot be any misun... Those who are actually... They questioned, "What is your opinion of Lord Jesus Christ?" and I said, "He preached God consciousness. He's our guru. Anyone who preaches the message of God, he is guru." So they very much appreciated, and actually it is so. Vaiṣṇava who is preaching, it may be in a different way, according to time and place and the party—they have to change something, deśa-kāla-pātra—but we have to see the essence. Wherever there is God consciousness, wherever is there understanding... Just like we sometime consult dictionary, a small dictionary, pocket dictionary, and a big international dictionary. Both of them are dictionaries. But according to time, deśa-kāla-pātra, for small child, that small dictionary is sufficient. Higher mathematics: higher mathematics and lower class ma... But the two plus two is always the same, in higher mathematics or lower mathematics. It is not that in the higher mathematics two plus two equal to five, no.