Authorities in...

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Preface and Introduction

He wanted Arjuna to become the authority in understanding the Bhagavad-gītā

BG BG Introduction: Here the Lord clearly tells Arjuna that He is making him the first receiver of a new paramparā (disciplic succession) because the old succession was broken. It was the Lord's wish, therefore, to establish another paramparā in the same line of thought that was coming down from the sun-god to others, and it was His wish that His teaching be distributed anew by Arjuna. He wanted Arjuna to become the authority in understanding the Bhagavad-gītā. So we see that Bhagavad-gītā is instructed to Arjuna especially because Arjuna was a devotee of the Lord, a direct student of Kṛṣṇa, and His intimate friend.

BG Chapters 1 - 6

One has to follow in the footsteps of previous authorities in the line of disciplic succession

BG BG 4.16, Purport: To act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to follow the leadership of authorized persons who are in a line of disciplic succession as explained in the beginning of this chapter. The system of Kṛṣṇa consciousness was first narrated to the sun-god, the sun-god explained it to his son Manu, Manu explained it to his son Ikṣvāku, and the system is current on this earth from that very remote time. Therefore, one has to follow in the footsteps of previous authorities in the line of disciplic succession. Otherwise even the most intelligent men will be bewildered regarding the standard actions of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For this reason, the Lord decided to instruct Arjuna in Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly. Because of the direct instruction of the Lord to Arjuna, anyone who follows in the footsteps of Arjuna is certainly not bewildered.

To understand all this one has to associate with authorities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and learn the secret from them; this is as good as learning from the Lord directly

BG BG 4.17, Purport: If one is serious about liberation from material bondage, one has to understand the distinctions between action, inaction and unauthorized actions. One has to apply oneself to such an analysis of action, reaction and perverted actions because it is a very difficult subject matter. To understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness and action according to its modes, one has to learn one's relationship with the Supreme; i.e., one who has learned perfectly knows that every living entity is an eternal servitor of the Lord and that consequently one has to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The entire Bhagavad-gītā is directed toward this conclusion. Any other conclusions, against this consciousness and its attendant actions, are vikarmas, or prohibited actions. To understand all this one has to associate with authorities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and learn the secret from them; this is as good as learning from the Lord directly. Otherwise, even the most intelligent persons will be bewildered.

BG Chapters 7 - 12

The power of thought should be developed in association with persons who are authorities in the scriptures, saintly persons and spiritual masters and those whose thinking is highly developed

BG 10.4-5, Purport: Control of the senses means that the senses should not be used for unnecessary personal enjoyment. There is no prohibition against meeting the proper needs of the senses, but unnecessary sense enjoyment is detrimental for spiritual advancement. Therefore the senses should be restrained from unnecessary use. Similarly, one should restrain the mind from unnecessary thoughts; that is called śama. One should not spend one's time pondering over earning money. That is a misuse of the thinking power. The mind should be used to understand the prime necessity of human beings, and that should be presented authoritatively. The power of thought should be developed in association with persons who are authorities in the scriptures, saintly persons and spiritual masters and those whose thinking is highly developed. Sukham, pleasure or happiness, should always be in that which is favorable for the cultivation of the spiritual knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And similarly, that which is painful or which causes distress is that which is unfavorable for the cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anything favorable for the development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be accepted, and anything unfavorable should be rejected.

BG Chapters 13 - 18

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the highest authority in explaining this knowledge

BG BG 13.5, Purport: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the highest authority in explaining this knowledge. Still, as a matter of course, learned scholars and standard authorities always give evidence from previous authorities. Kṛṣṇa is explaining this most controversial point regarding the duality and nonduality of the soul and the Supersoul by referring to a scripture, the Vedānta, which is accepted as authority.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.5.15, Purport: Śrīla Vyāsadeva is the authority in Vedic explanations in the Mahābhārata, etc., and his encouragement in sense enjoyment in some form or other is a great barrier for spiritual advancement because the people in general will not agree to renounce material activities which hold them in material bondage.

SB 1.6.31, Purport: Ṛṣis like Marīci are authorities in fruitive work, and ṛṣis like Sanaka and Sanātana are authorities in philosophical speculations. But Śrī Nārada Muni is the prime authority for transcendental devotional service of the Lord. All the great authorities in the devotional service of the Lord follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni in the order of the Nārada-bhakti-sūtra, and therefore all the devotees of the Lord are unhesitatingly qualified to enter into the kingdom of God, Vaikuṇṭha.

SB 1.8.19, Purport: For less intelligent men there must be such things as temples, mosques or churches so that they may begin to recognize the authority of the Lord and hear about Him from authorities in such holy places.

SB 1.9.9, Purport: Bhīṣmadeva was one of the twelve great authorities in preaching this cult of devotional service, and therefore he could receive and welcome all the powerful sages assembled there at his deathbed from all parts of the universe.

SB 1.9.12, Purport: As long as a person is fully in cooperation with the wishes of the Lord, guided by the bona fide brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas and strictly following religious principles, one has no cause for despondency, however trying the circumstances of life. Bhīṣmadeva, as one of the authorities in the line, wanted to impress this point upon the Pāṇḍavas.

SB 1.12.25, Purport: Bali Mahārāja: One of the twelve authorities in the devotional service of the Lord. Bali Mahārāja is a great authority in devotional service because he sacrificed everything to please the Lord and relinquished the connection of his so-called spiritual master who obstructed him on the path of risking everything for the service of the Lord. The highest perfection of religious life is to attain to the stage of unqualified devotional service of the Lord without any cause or without being obstructed by any kind of worldly obligation.

SB 1.12.25, Purport: Prahlāda Mahārāja was an authority in the devotional service of the Lord because he had his father killed by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, setting the example that even a father should be removed from the path of devotional service if such a father happens to be an obstacle.

SB 1.18.18, Purport: Lord Śrī Caitanya revived the original Vedic system, and He elevated Ṭhākura Haridāsa to the position of nāmācārya, or the authority in preaching the glories of the holy name of the Lord, although His Holiness Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura was pleased to appear in a family of Mohammedans.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.3.11, Purport: However, the followers of the Vedas have a different method of acquiring knowledge. They accept the statements of the Vedic literatures as authority in toto, as we have already discussed in Canto One, and therefore they have full and reasonable knowledge of God and demigods and of their different residential planets situated within the compass of the material world and beyond the limit of the material sky.

SB 2.5.11, Purport: Lord Brahmājī said to Nārada that his impression that Brahmā was not the supreme authority in the creation was correct. Sometimes less intelligent men have the foolish impression that Brahmā is the cause of all causes. But Nārada wanted to clear the matter by the statements of Brahmājī, the supreme authority in the universe. As the decision of the supreme court of a state is final, similarly the judgment of Brahmājī, the supreme authority in the universe, is final in the Vedic process of acquiring knowledge.

SB 2.8.1, Purport: Similarly, the disciplic succession which strictly follows the transcendental instruction is the bona fide chain of disciplic succession, and the test for such bona fide spiritual masters is that there should be no difference between the instruction of the Lord originally imparted to His devotee and that which is imparted by the authority in the line of disciplic succession.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.1.10, Purport: Political suggestions by Vidura are known as expert, just as, in modern times, Paṇḍita Cāṇakya is considered the authority in good counsel in both political and moral instructions.

SB 3.20.9, Purport: Significant here is the word avyakta-mārga-vit, "one who knows that which is beyond our perception." To know matters beyond one's perception, one has to learn from a superior authority in the line of disciplic succession. Just to know who is our father is beyond our perception. For that, the mother is the authority. Similarly, we have to understand everything beyond our perception from the authority who actually knows. The first avyakta-mārga-vit, or authority, is Brahmā, and the next authority in disciplic succession is Nārada. Maitreya Ṛṣi belongs to that disciplic succession, so he also is avyakta-mārga-vit. Anyone in the bona fide line of disciplic succession is avyakta-mārga-vit, a personality who knows that which is beyond ordinary perception.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.24.18, Purport: Lord Śiva is one of the twelve great personalities, as stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.20):

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ

kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

balir vaiyāsakir vayam

These are twelve great authorities in preaching God consciousness. The name Śambhu means Lord Śiva. His disciplic succession is also known as the Viṣṇu Svāmī-sampradāya, and the current Viṣṇu Svāmī-sampradāya is also known as the Vallabha-sampradāya. The current Brahma-sampradāya is known as the Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya.

SB 4.25.9, Purport: The word śruti jātam indicates that in the Vedas animal sacrifice is recommended, but Lord Buddha directly denied Vedic authority in order to stop animal sacrifice. Consequently Lord Buddha is not accepted by the followers of the Vedas. Because he does not accept the authority of the Vedas, Lord Buddha is depicted as an agnostic or atheist. The great sage Nārada cannot decry the authority of the Vedas, but he wanted to indicate to King Prācīnabarhiṣat that the path of karma-kāṇḍa is very difficult and risky.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.1.11, Purport: Of the twelve great authorities in devotional service, four—Lord Brahmā himself, his son Nārada, Svāyambhuva Manu and Lord Śiva—were present before Priyavrata. They were accompanied by many other authoritative sages. Brahmā first wanted to impress upon Priyavrata that although these great personalities are all authorities, they cannot possibly disobey the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described in this verse as deva, which means "always glorious." The power, glory and potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can never be diminished.

SB 5.9.4, Purport: Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī said, "O regulative principles of karma-kāṇḍa, please excuse me. I cannot follow all these regulative principles, for I am fully engaged in devotional service." He expressed the desire to sit somewhere beneath a tree and continue chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Consequently he did not execute all the regulative principles. Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was born in a Mohammedan family. From the very beginning of his life he was never trained in the karma-kāṇḍa system, but because he was always chanting the holy name of the Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted him as nāmācārya, the authority in chanting the holy name. As Jaḍa Bharata, Bharata Mahārāja was always engaged in devotional service within his mind. Since he had executed the regulative principles continuously for three lives, he was not interested in continuing to execute them, although his brāhmaṇa father wanted him to do so.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.15.21, Purport: For a devotee to be satisfied with the bare necessities is therefore the best advice for spiritual advancement. Learned authorities in devotional life consequently advise that one not endeavor to increase the number of temples and maṭhas. Such activities can be undertaken only by devotees experienced in propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. All the ācāryas in South India, especially Śrī Rāmānujācārya, constructed many big temples, and in North India all the Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana constructed large temples. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura also constructed large centers, known as Gauḍīya Maṭhas. Therefore temple construction is not bad, provided proper care is taken for the propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even if such endeavors are considered greedy, the greed is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and therefore these are spiritual activities.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.8.5, Purport: Nanda Mahārāja was trying to take advantage of the opportunity afforded by Gargamuni's presence, for Gargamuni was a great authority in this knowledge of astrology, by which one can see the unseen events of past, present and future. It is the duty of a father to understand the astrological position of his children and do what is needed for their happiness. Now, taking advantage of the opportunity afforded by the presence of Gargamuni, Nanda Mahārāja suggested that Gargamuni prepare a horoscope for Nanda's two sons, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 11.5.33, Translation: My dear Lord, You are the Mahā-puruṣa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and I worship Your lotus feet, which are the only eternal object of meditation. Those feet destroy the embarrassing conditions of material life and freely award the greatest desire of the soul, the attainment of pure love of Godhead. My dear Lord, Your lotus feet are the shelter of all holy places and of all saintly authorities in the line of devotional service and are honored by powerful demigods like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. My Lord, You are so kind that You willingly protect all those who simply bow down to You with respect, and thus You mercifully relieve all the distress of Your servants. In conclusion, my Lord, Your lotus feet are actually the suitable boat for crossing over the ocean of birth and death, and therefore even Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva seek shelter at Your lotus feet."

SB 12.4.20-21, Translation: In the unmanifest stage of material nature, called pradhāna, there is no expression of words, no mind and no manifestation of the subtle elements beginning from the mahat, nor are there the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. There is no life air or intelligence, nor any senses or demigods. There is no definite arrangement of planetary systems, nor are there present the different stages of consciousness—sleep, wakefulness and deep sleep. There is no ether, water, earth, air, fire or sun. The situation is just like that of complete sleep, or of voidness. Indeed, it is indescribable. Authorities in spiritual science explain, however, that since pradhāna is the original substance, it is the actual basis of material creation.

SB 12.6.61, Translation: The disciples of Vaiśampāyana became authorities in the Atharva Veda. They were known as the Carakas because they executed strict vows to free their guru from his sin of killing a brāhmaṇa.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 11 January, 1968: Jayananda is a very sincere and intelligent boy and I think his decision should be accepted as final in the matter. Not only in this case, but in every other complicated case. The elected authorities in the management of the temple should be the final authority in these matters. Otherwise, the society cannot be managed. Our main principle should be to advance the cause of K.C.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 14 November, 1968: Yes, there is definitely a vast difference between initiated and non-initiated. One who is initiated is authorized, and one who is not initiated is not authorized. Just like, for example, Pradyumna is attending class in Sanskrit in a college, he is given chance to learn Sanskrit, but he is not equal with the regular students. One who becomes initiated is channelized to the authorities in the disciplic succession. One who isn't initiated may chant Hare Krishna (and should certainly be encouraged to do so) and serve in his own way, and gradually by doing so he may want to be initiated. But otherwise he may fall away from following the rules and regulations.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1969: There are religious classes held in almost every university of your country, and they are eager also to study different kinds of religions. So far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, there is no doubt about it that I am the only authority in your country in this matter. Nobody can speak on the Bhagavad-gita so authoritatively as I can do. That is a fact. So if the university wants to take advantage of this opportunity, even in this old age I can go from one university to another, and I am sure they can learn from me only the true teachings of the Bhagavad-gita; from me and from my students who are already trained up in this connection.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Rudra -- Los Angeles 9 March, 1970: I am also glad to note that you are making practice of keeping in mind various important verses from our scriptures. This is the approved process: mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186] to "follow in the footsteps of the great authorities in Krishna Consciousness like Narada Muni and our other Acaryas. Now we are requiring our students to be very well familiar with all our literatures so that we may present our philosophy before even the most educated persons. This is very important as our movement is now growing and attracting greater notice.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 16 June, 1972: The women are best for teaching small children, especially if they are themselves mothers, and when they become brahmacaris at 5 or 6 years old then they may be instructed by the men. If Stoka Krsna is finding difficulty to manage things then you find out some men to help him from your zone. Let him do all of the organizing and be the authority in charge how everything is running, and let others follow his direction and free him to supervise.

Letter to Cyavana -- Los Angeles 28 June, 1972: Yes, Giriraja is to be regarded as the absolute authority in all matters. Why do you disobey? Of course, everything should be departmentally managed, but unless there is discipline how will anything get done? If you are in disagreement at every point, how it will be possible to finish this important work? Anyway, please cooperate with Giriraja and the others, and if this is impossible then I will have to take other steps.

Letter to Gurudasa -- London 1 August, 1972: I understand from Ksirodakasayi that we must submit detailed plans to the municipal authorities in Vrindaban, so kindly arrange for that as quickly as possible so that we may get the permission. But first you should send me one copy of the final plan as selected by you.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Cyavana -- Bombay 9 January, 1973: Your plan for rotating the chief man at Nairobi Center is nice, provided the sense of authority and continuity is not weakened by so much switching of head men. As long as you are recognized to be the leader of Nairobi Center with full authority in all matters, that is the point. This constantly changing the head man and whimsically dividing the attention is not good. Someone must be there who will stick tightly to the temple and develop it gradually to the highest standard.

Letter to Satsvarupa, Hrdayananda -- Bombay 9 January, 1973: Try to present everything very logically and always quoting our Sanskrit authorities in connection with the main points, and that will impress them greatly. Yes, and if you also yourselves write something daily, that will sharpen your use of language and you will be able to make your points very clear. And if you dress neatly and conduct yourselves properly, that will help further.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Durgesh -- Bombay 27 December, 1974: Therefore I would be very happy to see you living in the temple, following all of our principles of pure life and becoming an expert scholar in Vedic knowledge, through studying my books diligently. This is real education. The so-called education that they are teaching in the schools and universities today is simply useless knowledge which is all based on atheistic and speculative theories. The teachers themselves are following no real authorities in wisdom neither do they set any good examples for their students. By going to school today there is always the danger through bad association of becoming entangled in so many unwanted things such as illicit sex, intoxication etc. Therefore definitely the best thing for you is to live in our temple in London.

Letter to Mr. Punja -- Bombay 29 December, 1974: So you can go ahead and register our Society there with taking all proper and necessary steps. Before the finalization of registration takes place I would request you to send me one copy of the constitution for our society there so I can approve it finally. My name should be there as the founder-acharya, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. I should have full authority in all matters.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Aja -- Vrindaban 4 December, 1975: Prahlada Maharaja, a great devotee and authority in our line said, Krishna consciousness should be taught from the beginning of Childhood. The defect of modern education is that the children are taught all nonsense things. They do not receive even the first point of knowledge, that I am pure spirit soul part and parcel of God. Everyone is interested in the body only, which is compared in Bhagavad gita to a dress, "As a person puts on new garments, giving up the old and useless ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones." [Bg. 2.22] this simple fact they have yet to learn. So if you can teach them just this one point it will be a great success, because this is the basic platform of advancing in spiritual understanding. If we want to read and write, then it is essential to learn first of all A, B, C's.