Vedanta philosophy (Lectures)

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"philosophy of the vedanta" |"philosophy of vedanta" |"vedanta philosopher" |"vedanta philosophers" |"vedanta philosophy"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:

Rūpa Gosvāmī gives this direction that the initiation must be done according to śruti, smṛti or pāñcarātrikī vidhi. There is nyāya-prasthāna, śruti-prasthāna and smṛti-prasthāna. To make spiritual progress in three ways: by the Vedānta philosophy, or Vedic ways, or according to Smṛti. Smṛti means authorized books written in accordance to the Śruti. Śruti smṛti. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is not directly Vedas, but the all the stanzas of Bhagavad-gītā, they're strictly according to the Nyāya-prasthāna and Śruti-prasthāna. So any book which is strictly written according to the Vedas and Vedāntas, that is also accepted as Vedic literature. So Pāñcarātrikī vidhi means that it doesn't matter whether man is śūdra or caṇḍāla... Caṇḍāla means less than śūdra. Pañcama The fifth grade. First class, brāhmaṇa; second class, kṣatriya; third class, vaśya; fourth class, śūdra; and below this fourth class, they're all caṇḍālas. Caṇḍālas means pañcama. Untouchable. They are called untouchable.