Brahma-sutra (Lectures, other)

Expressions researched:
"brahma-sutra" |"brahma-sutras"

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

When Vyāsadeva finished his all scripture writing, all the Vedas, Purāṇas, even Brahma-sūtra, he was not happy. He was not happy, and his spiritual master, Nārada, came, inquired: "Why you are not happy? You have done so much work." So he could not explain. He said, "I, I do not find why I am unhappy. But because you are my spiritual master, you can say." So he indicated that "Because you did not describe about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore you are not happy. Now you try to describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead, particularly." And therefore he wrote this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You'll find this in the Third Chapter of the First Canto.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī wanted to please Sanātana Gosvāmī. Our duty is to please the superior, not the public. We are giving service to the public according to the direction of the superior authority. We do not manufacture any program of service. That is not our business. Whatever is ordered by the... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. Still, He was following the authorities. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality, He was also referring to the Brahma-sūtra: brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva viniścitam. So this is the way, that any bona fide spiritual propaganda must be following the footsteps of previous authority.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:

Ācārya will not manufacture any new type of religion, a new type of phrase of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is not potent. The... Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is in the śāstra. So that is potential. Now if we add and subtract something from these sixteen words, that is my manufacture. That will have not the potency. They do not understand it. They are thinking if they can manufacture some new line, adding with Hare Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes particularly noted. But he spoils the whole thing. That is the... He does not make any new thing. The new thing he does, he spoils the whole thing. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu never did so, although He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. He stuck to the point of śāstra. Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also indicates: yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti (BG 16.23). He indicates that nobody can give up the injunction of the śāstra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). Kṛṣṇa says. He can give. Whatever He says, that is śāstra, that is Veda. But still, He gives reference to the śāstra.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

They should know things with reference to the authorized scripture. Not that I manufacture some words, according to my whims. That is not service to the hu... That is misleading, disservice. Because, if they are kept in ignorance, what is the value of such service. Here is (service). He does not manufacture anything. He's giving immediately evidence, reference to the authorized scripture. That is the way of presenting things. Not that "I think," "In my opinion." What you are? But in, in Vaiṣṇava philosophy, even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was Kṛṣṇa Himself, whenever He spoke something, immediately He gave evidence from the śāstra. Even Kṛṣṇa. While He was speaking Bhagavad-gītā, He also gave reference to the Vedānta-sūtra: brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). He was giving reference to the Brahmā-sūtra. That is the way of authorized presentation.