Authorized scriptures

Expressions researched:
"authorized revealed scriptures" |"authorized scripture" |"authorized scriptures"

SB Canto 2

SB 2.2.35, Purport:

The Superself is a partial representation or plenary portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhagavad-gītā affirms that the Supreme Personality of Godhead dominates all over the material world by His partial representation only. God is great, and He cannot be simply an order supplier of the individual selves; therefore the Superself cannot be a full representation of the Supreme Self, Puruṣottama, the Absolute Personality of Godhead. Realization of the Superself by the individual self is the beginning of self-realization, and by the progress of such self-realization one is able to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead by intelligence, by the help of authorized scriptures, and, principally, by the grace of the Lord. The Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary conception of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the further explanation of the science of Godhead.

SB 2.6.36, Purport:

Anyone denying this surrendering process as recommended both in the Bhagavad-gītā and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—and, for that matter, in all authorized scriptures—will be forced to surrender unto the laws of material nature.

SB 2.7.2, Purport:

In order to guard against the invention of unauthorized incarnations of God by the fanciful, less intelligent persons, the name of the father of the bona fide incarnation is also mentioned in the authorized revealed scriptures. No one, therefore, can be accepted as an incarnation of the Lord if his father's name, as well as the name of the village or place in which he appears, is not mentioned by the authorized scriptures. In the Bhāgavata Purāṇa the name of the Kalki incarnation, which is to take place in almost four hundred thousand years, is mentioned along with the name of His father and the name of the village in which He will appear. A sane man, therefore, does not accept any cheap edition of an incarnation without reference to the authorized scriptures.

SB 2.7.3, Purport:

When the Lord descends personally or by His personal plenary expansions, such incarnations are called aṁśa, kalā, guṇa, yuga and manvantara incarnations, and when the Lord's associates descend by the order of the Lord, such incarnations are called śaktyāveśa incarnations. But in all cases all the incarnations are supported by the invulnerable statements of the authorized scriptures, and not by any imagination of some self-interested propagandist. Such incarnations of the Lord, in either of the above categories, always declare the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be the ultimate truth.

SB 2.8.7, Purport:

Even if one is fixed in devotional service like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he must still inquire from the realized spiritual master all about this. In other words, the spiritual master must also be well versed and learned so that he may be able to answer all these inquiries from the devotees. Thus one who is not well versed in the authorized scriptures and not able to answer all such relevant inquiries should not pose as a spiritual master for the matter of material gain. It is illegal to become a spiritual master if one is unable to deliver the disciple.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.7.39, Purport:

Sūris are great scholars, but they may not always be anagha, or spotless. The anagha-sūri is one who is a pure devotee of the Lord. Those who are not pure devotees of the Lord, or who want to be on an equal level with Him, are not anagha-sūri. Pure devotees have prepared many books of knowledge on the basis of authorized scriptures. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and his assistants, under the instructions of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, have all written various literatures for the guidance of prospective devotees, and anyone who is very serious about raising himself to the standard of a pure devotee of the Lord must take advantage of those literatures.

SB 3.31.9, Purport:

After birth the child may forget about the difficulties of his past lives, but when we are grown-up we can at least understand the grievous tortures undergone at birth and death by reading the authorized scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If we do not believe in the scriptures, that is a different question, but if we have faith in the authority of such descriptions, then we must prepare for our freedom in the next life; that is possible in this human form of life.

SB 3.32.28, Purport:

In this verse it is clearly said that those who are averse to the Supreme Personality of Godhead speculate with their imperfect senses about the nature of the Absolute Truth. The formless Brahman conception, however, can be received only by aural reception and not by personal experience. Knowledge is therefore acquired by aural reception. It is confirmed in the Vedānta-sūtra, śāstra-yonitvāt: one has to acquire pure knowledge from the authorized scriptures. So-called speculative arguments about the Absolute Truth are therefore useless.

SB 3.32.28, Purport:

When uncontaminated pure knowledge is uncovered from the modes of material nature, the actual identity of the living entity is discovered: he is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The process of uncovering is like this: the rays of sunshine are luminous, and the sun itself is also luminous. In the presence of the sun, the rays illuminate just like the sun, but when the sunshine is covered by the spell of a cloud, or by māyā, then darkness, the imperfection of perception, begins. Therefore, to get out of the entanglement of the spell of nescience, one has to awaken his spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in terms of the authorized scriptures.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.2.28, Purport:

Asat-śāstra, as explained here, means the doctrine of Māyāvāda impersonalism, or becoming one with the Supreme. Bhṛgu Muni cursed that persons who worshiped Lord Śiva would become followers of this Māyāvāda asat-śāstra, which attempts to establish that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is impersonal. Besides that, among the worshipers of Lord Śiva there is a section who live a devilish life. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Nārada-pañcarātra are authorized scriptures that are considered sat-śāstra, or scriptures which lead one to the path of God realization. Asat-śāstras are just the opposite.

SB 4.16.1, Purport:

As stated by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, sādhu-śāstra-guru: one has to test all spiritual matters according to the instructions of saintly persons, scriptures and the spiritual master. The spiritual master is one who follows the instructions of his predecessors, namely the sādhus, or saintly persons. A bona fide spiritual master does not mention anything not mentioned in the authorized scriptures.

SB 4.30.28, Purport:

Thus it is the duty of every sincere devotee to accept the arcā-vigraha at home or in the temple and worship the form of the Lord as advised in authorized scriptures and directed by the spiritual master.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.14.29, Purport:

There are many pāṣaṇḍīs who, without referring to the śāstras, pose themselves as incarnations, and foolish people follow them. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has left behind Him Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Not referring to these authorized scriptures, rascals take shelter of man-made scriptures and try to compete with Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the greatest difficulty one encounters when trying to promote spiritual consciousness in human society.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.1.7, Purport:

Lord Kṛṣṇa urges that one give up all other duties and surrender to Him, and He promises, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I shall free you from all sinful reactions and give you liberation." Therefore in response to the inquiries of Parīkṣit Mahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, his guru, could have immediately explained the principle of bhakti, but to test Parīkṣit Mahārāja's intelligence, he first prescribed atonement according to karma-kāṇḍa, the path of fruitive activities. For karma-kāṇḍa there are eighty authorized scriptures, such as Manu-saṁhitā, which are known as dharma-śāstras. In these scriptures one is advised to counteract his sinful acts by performing other types of fruitive action.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.5.23-24, Purport:

rīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives the following explanation in his Tathya. The word śravaṇa refers to giving aural reception to the holy name and descriptions of the Lord's form, qualities, entourage and pastimes as explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā and similar authorized scriptures. After aurally receiving such messages, one should memorize these vibrations and repeat them (kīrtanam). Smaraṇam means trying to understand more and more about the Supreme Lord, and pāda-sevanam means engaging oneself in serving the lotus feet of the Lord according to the time and circumstances.

SB 7.14.16, Purport:

If a gṛhastha, or householder, is sufficiently educated in Vedic knowledge and has become sufficiently rich to offer worship to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he must perform yajñas as directed by the authorized scriptures.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.8.12, Translation:

The great sages performed the bathing ceremony of the goddess of fortune as directed in the authorized scriptures, the Gandharvas chanted all-auspicious Vedic mantras, and the professional women dancers very nicely danced and sang authorized songs prescribed in the Vedas.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.13.12, Purport:

There are many instances of excellent government under a monarch. Gradually the democratic government is becoming unfit for the needs of the people, and therefore some parties are trying to elect a dictator. A dictatorship is the same as a monarchy, but without a trained leader. Actually people will be happy when a trained leader, whether a monarch or a dictator, takes control of the government and rules the people according to the standard regulations of the authorized scriptures.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 2.18, Purport:

The authorized scriptures direct the individual souls to revive their relationship with the Supersoul. Indeed, the system of yoga is the process of transcending the influence of the material elements by establishing a connection with the puruṣa known as Paramātmā. One who has thoroughly studied the intricacies of creation can know very easily that this Paramātmā is the plenary portion of the Supreme Being, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

CC Adi 5.41, Purport:

The Upaniṣads declare, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "He is the supreme living entity among all the living entities." Therefore He is vibhu-caitanya, the greatest. He is directly the cause of the cosmic manifestation and the infinitesimal living beings. He is the infinite living entity, and ordinary living entities are infinitesimal. Therefore He is never to be considered an ordinary living being, for that would be against the conclusion of the authorized scriptures. The living entities are also beyond the limitations of birth and death. This is the version of the Vedas, and it is accepted by those who follow scriptural injunctions and who have actually descended in the disciplic succession.

CC Adi 6.14-15, Purport:

If matter were accepted as the original cause of creation, all the authorized scriptures in the world would be useless, for in every scripture, especially the Vedic scriptures like the Manu-smṛti, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is said to be the ultimate creator. The Manu-smṛti is considered the highest Vedic direction to humanity.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 15.42, Purport:

These people accept the material body, which is a bag of three material elements (kuṇape tri-dhātuke), as themselves. They think that Nityānanda Prabhu's body was similarly material and that it was meant for sense gratification. Whoever thinks in this way is a candidate for the darkest regions of hell. Those who hanker after women and money, who are self-interested and have the mentality of merchants, can certainly discover many things with their fertile brains and speak against the authorized revealed scriptures. They also engage in some moneymaking businesses to cheat innocent people, and they try to support their business programs by making such offensive statements. Actually Nityānanda Prabhu, being the expansion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is the most munificent incarnation. No one should consider Him an ordinary human being or an entity like the prajāpatis, who were ordered by Brahmā to increase generations. Nityānanda Prabhu should not be considered instrumental for sense gratification. Although professional so-called preachers support this idea, such statements are not found in any authorized revealed scriptures. Actually there is no support for these statements made by sahajiyās or other professional distributors of kṛṣṇa-bhakti.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1:

The third offense is to consider the bona fide spiritual master to be a common man. The fourth offense is to blaspheme Vedic literature and authorized scriptures like the Purāṇas. The fifth offense is to consider the glories attributed to the holy names to be exaggerations.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1:

It is also considered to be disadvantageous to desire liberation. The only desire should be the desire to render service. Neglect of restrictions and prohibitions is also disadvantageous. The prohibitions are mentioned in the authorized scriptures: One should not indulge in illicit sex life, intoxication, meat eating or gambling. These things are forbidden to one who is attempting devotional service.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1:

The Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by all the Vedas and Upaniṣads, as well as by the sāṅkhya system of philosophy and all authorized scriptures, was considered to be born in her womb. It is also stated (SB 10.9.12) that Mother Yaśodā bound the child Kṛṣṇa with a rope, as if He were an ordinary son born of her body. Similarly, there are other descriptions of Kṛṣṇa's being treated as an ordinary person (SB 10.18.24).

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 21:

A person who acts exactly according to the tenets of scripture is called śāstra-cakṣus. Śāstra-cakṣus means one who sees through the eyes of the authorized scriptures. Actually, any man of knowledge and experience should see everything through these books.

Easy Journey to Other Planets

Easy Journey to Other Planets 2:

Many people claim, "God is great," but this is a hackneyed phrase. One must know how He is great, and that can be known from authorized scripture. In the Bhagavad-gītā God describes Himself. He says, "My appearance of taking birth just like an ordinary human being is actually transcendental."

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 7:

The mūḍhas, or rascals, take Kṛṣṇa to be an ordinary man or a slightly more powerful man; out of their great misfortune, they cannot accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes such unfortunate persons misrepresent themselves as incarnations of Kṛṣṇa without referring to the authorized scriptures.

Krsna Book 52:

In this modern age, Kali-yuga, the so-called brāhmaṇas have accepted the abominable position of śūdras or less and still want to pass as qualified brāhmaṇas. Actually, a qualified brāhmaṇa always sticks to his own duties and never accepts those of a śūdra or of one less than a śūdra. It is advised in the authorized scriptures that a brāhmaṇa may, under awkward circumstances, accept the profession of a kṣatriya or even a vaiśya, but never is he to accept the profession of a śūdra.

Krsna Book 69:

In one palace He was found sitting in meditation as if concentrating His mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond these material universes. Meditation, as recommended in authorized scripture, is meant for concentrating one's mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu.

Krsna Book 78:

The Lord replied, “Yes, I must atone for this action, which may have been proper for Me but is improper for others; therefore, I think it is My duty to execute a suitable act of atonement enjoined in the authorized scriptures. Simultaneously I can also give this Romaharṣaṇa Sūta life again, with a span of long duration, sufficient strength and full power of the senses.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.6:

The law of God is such that it punishes the killers of both man and animals; both acts of murder are penalized. The atheists deny the existence of God because in this way they think they can commit sins unhindered. But all the revealed, authorized scriptures say that by killing innocent creatures, the householders commit many sins willingly or unwillingly while performing their normal daily activities.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.10:

Demigod-worshippers often try to rationalize their worship of the demigods by thinking, "I am a devotee of this demigod, so he will certainly shower his grace upon me and fulfill all my heart's desires. Hence he is indeed the Supreme Lord." But the authorized scriptures condemn such demigod-worshippers and their worship as unethical and philosophically wrong.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 4.3:

Those who try to understand the Bhagavad-gītā by receiving it from one in the disciplic succession coming down from Arjuna can actually understand its esoteric knowledge; others fail miserably. It is imperative that one attentively hear what the Bhagavad-gītā and other authorized scriptures have to say about the impersonal Brahman. The scriptures amply prove that the impersonal Brahman is the Supreme Lord's bodily effulgence, just as sunshine is the brilliant emanation from the sun.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 4.4:

The authorized scriptures have declared that Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Lord and the source of all incarnations. In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.7), He says in His own words, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: "O conqueror of wealth, there is no Truth superior to Me."

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

The noble Arjuna thoroughly analyzed what was good and bad, what was his duty and not his duty, and decided not to take up arms to fight. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa, understanding that Arjuna was motivated by self-gratificatory social sentiments and sheer selfish interests, gave him two kinds of instructions: The first dealt with the process by which the conditioned jīva attains liberation; the second taught Arjuna how the liberated soul can surrender to the Lord and render pure devotional service. Authorized scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā contain the transcendental teachings of the Lord Himself or of self-realized personalities. These scriptures are free from the four human frailties, that is, illusion, mistakes, limited senses, and the cheating propensity.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

What do they know, the botanists and the biologists? So it is very serious. People should take it very seriously, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a humbug thing. It is based on authorized scriptures, Vedic literatures. Unfortunately, we have no customer for this knowledge.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Yoga means to keep your consciousness intact with Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. That is the perfection of yoga. Here it is automatically, even the child can do it. The child is coming along with his mother and bowing down, "Kṛṣṇa, I bow down." So he is also Kṛṣṇa conscious. A small child, he's clapping. Why? "Hey Kṛṣṇa." So anyway, everyone is remembering always Kṛṣṇa. Keeping Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even a child here is the highest yogi. It is not our boastfulness. It is stated in authorized scripture like Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly giving people how to understand Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ, in truth. So we are giving Kṛṣṇa knowledge based on this authorized scripture, Bhagavad-gītā, Vedas. Vedas means knowledge.

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

So hearing is the first experience. Similarly, if you want to get experience of the planet where God lives, then you have to hear. There is no other way. You cannot immediately make experiment. That is not possible. You cannot make experiment even on this material planet. You have no knowledge what other planets are, but you can hear from a description of the scriptures. Similarly, we have got experience by hearing from authorized scriptures.

Lecture on BG 9.2-5 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

Because persons who are acting for transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, they are called Kṛṣṇa conscious, so it has connection with God. Therefore it is religion, dharma. And how a religion is accepted? Religion accepted from authorized source. Just like Vedic religion, Bible religion. Because they have got source from authority. Śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa religion. You cannot manufacture religion. It must be according to the Vedic rules or authorized scriptures.

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

Those who manufacture the method of understanding transcendental science, they are not bona fide. So we have already discussed many times that śāstra-vidhi. Guru means one who teaches the regulative principle from śāstra, from authorized scripture. That is guru.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 23, 1975:

So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is further explanation of the knowledge given in the Bhagavad-gītā. So it is recommended also that we have to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam always, twenty-four hours. Not that bhāgavata-saptāha. It is a business. Bhāgavata-saptāha is not recommended in anywhere in authorized scripture.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

Similarly, the whole material nature is working, and these are the venues of nature's work, rivers, ocean, and the mountains, and the vegetables or the plants and creepers, and trees, drugs. Everything will give you sufficient supply if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you act according to Kṛṣṇa's direction.Where you get the direction? Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. You get Kṛṣṇa's direction from saintly persons, from authorized scriptures, Vedic literature... Sādhu, śāstra, and guru. Guru means who knows how to follow previous saintly persons, who knows what is written there in the book of knowledge, he is guru. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. And śāstra means that the direction of Kṛṣṇa; that is called śāstra.

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- Detroit, June 15, 1976:

So by understanding knowledge, real life from sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, by approaching saintly persons, sādhu... Śāstra means authorized scriptures. Sādhu, śāstra and guru, and spiritual master. This is the source of knowledge. And the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to learn that higher transcendental platform of knowledge, one should approach a guru, bona fide guru, who knows.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:

The duration of life has reduced to one hundred years. Not even one hundred years. Fifty years, sixty years, seventy years at most, but within. And so far life is concerned, three-fourths of the life irreligious, one-fourth only religious. That is also doubtful. So therefore in this age, the sastric injunction... Therefore the injunction of the authorized scripture is that kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. In the golden age when people used to live for one hundred thousands of years, meditation was possible.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

The regulative principles means that you don't manufacture anything. Regulative principle means authorized—as they are mentioned in the authorized scriptures and as it is confirmed by the spiritual master. Because we do not know. When it is confirmed by the spiritual master, yes, it is right.

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

These people are trying to give some service to the daridra-nārāyaṇa, but they do not know actually what is jīve dayā (?). This is jīve daya. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. 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.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 3.87-88 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

These things are going on. And people are captivated by nice explanation. Oh, the theory is that "Everyone can interpret in his own way, everyone is free, everyone is God," and everything, all nonsense. No. We should give up that nonsensical way of realizing God. We should learn from the authorized scripture.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.254 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1968:

This is a prayer offering to Lord Caitanya. The central figure, dancing, a boy about eighteen years old, He introduced this movement, saṅkīrtana movement, being compassionate with the fallen souls of this age. He recommended, He recommended from the authorized scriptures, not that He manufactured.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.119-121 -- New York, November 24, 1966:

Poetic, expert and silent. One who is too much talkative, that means he's lacking in devotion. He should simply talk about Kṛṣṇa, nothing more. And when he, when one is actually absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, he cannot talk nonsense. He has no time. He does not waste time. So these are the qualities. Here, he's called sādhu. Sādhu means these are the qualifications. Of course, not that we may develop all these qualities immediately, but sādhu means this. Sādhu means, what is called, pious man. These are the qualities of pious man, sādhu. And śāstra. Śāstra means the scripture. By study of scripture, you can develop these qualities. That is called scripture. That is authorized scripture.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.119-121 -- New York, November 24, 1966:

Sādhu means that he has to give evidence from the scriptures. Not that "I think... In my opinion you can do this." He's not a sādhu; he's a fool. What is your opinion? You are a conditioned soul. Can you manufacture something? No. You cannot manufacture anything. You have to give reference from authorized scripture.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

This verse is quoted from Bṛhad-Nāradīya Purāṇa. Out of eighteen Purāṇas, this Bṛhad-Nāradīya Purāṇa is also... So this is recommended. So Lord Caitanya's recommendation also is corroborating. He is not recommending this process by manufacturing Himself, but He is quoting from the authorized scripture and authorized sources so that people can accept it. So we should accept this process.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.330-335 -- New York, December 23, 1966:

So as the ages, either it is fallen or risen, that doesn't matter. Just like if you go to a doctor, he has got different kinds of medicine, different kinds of treatment. There is no question of being hopeless. There is no question of being hopeless. If we follow the injunction given in these authorized scriptures, then even in this Kali-yuga we can attain perfection. And the process is this: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.353-354 -- New York, December 26, 1966:

Just like Vyāsadeva. Who can be more famous than Vyāsadeva? He's the compiler of all Vedic literatures in the world, Vyāsadeva. And Nārada, he's greatest ṛṣi, sage. Asita, Devala—there are many. Vasiṣṭha. There are many stalwarts. And especially these twelve person, just like Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Manu, Kapila, Mahārāja Prahlāda, Bhīṣma. There are authorities. So even their evidences in the authorized scriptures, even they are accepted by great stalwarts and sages and munis, still, the asura prakṛti, those who are atheistic persons, they'll never accept.

Initiation Lectures

Lecture & Initiation -- Seattle, October 20, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nobody should minimize the authorized scripture. This is also offense.

General Lectures

Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:

Now, this lamp is a light, but it is being offered for satisfying the sun. Now, sun is so lightful, this light is merely insignificant before the sunlight. But still, because I have no other means, I am getting a sunlight, imitation of that light, and offering, and that offering is accepted. So these are spiritual conception. When we gradually make our progressive advancement, these things will be realized. But for the present we can take this instruction from authorized scripture that,

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

(CC Madhya 17.136)

The God's name, God's form, God's quality, God's paraphernalia, God's entourage, like that, and anything in relation to God cannot be realized with our present senses.

Lecture -- Montreal, June 26, 1968:

Everyone's heart, Kṛṣṇa is there, or the Paramātmā is there. And mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). And all the speculation or real understanding or forgetfulness or real knowledge, they are coming, being initiated from Him. Mattaḥ: "from Me." Smṛtir means memory; jñāna means knowledge. Apohanaṁ ca: "forgetfulness." Everything is... Forgetfulness is also from Him. Knowledge is also from Him. Memory is also from Him. And vedais, vedais means all books of knowledge. Vedaiś ca sarvair. Sarvair means all varieties. It is not that simply the four Vedas, as we accept in India, Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. No. Any authorized scripture, that is Vedas. Any authorized scripture. Vedaiś ca sarvair. "All kinds of Vedas, they are searching after Me."

Lecture -- Paris, June 26, 1971:

Anyone who knows in truth about the Supreme Personality of Godhead... People say, "God is great." That is a hackneyed word. But if we want to know how God is great, that can be also known from authorized scriptures. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā God Himself describes about Himself. So we can know.

Lecture -- London, August 23, 1973:

Therefore we have to understand dharma from scriptures. Veda, veda means the book of knowledge. Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vido jñānam. Jñāna. So we have to take knowledge from authorized scriptures, authorized lawbook.

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 27, 1975:

I could have spoken in Hindi, but with the permission of Śrīpāda Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī, because most of my students here present, they could not understand the Hindi speaking, so it is my duty to inform them the substance of his speech in English so that you can appreciate how much he has eulogized our movement. You haven't got to be disappointed because some of the envious person, they are not accepting you as Vaiṣṇava. Śrīpāda Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī, quoting from many authorized scriptures, he has proved that in the matter of engaging oneself in the devotional service, there is no check, there is no impediment. That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ahaituky apratihatā.

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to rectify this mistake. Bhagavad-gītā is the most authorized scripture in the Vedic literature. Vedic literature means it is not spoken by any ordinary human being. Apaureṣaya means this literature, Vedic literature, is spoken directly by the Supreme Person or Lord.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes. So if anyone believes in the śāstras, they should take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is intelligence, to take advantage of authorized scriptures. You'll find in the Bhāgavata, There is a history of Candragupta, and "The Yavanas will become kings." That means English occupation, Mohammedan occupation. Everything is there.

Discussion with BTG Staff -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Prabhupāda: No. It is better to make everything sound but slow. We want to create this position of Back to Godhead as very authorized representation of the science of God. In future people may refer to it, so we should very cautiously and very nicely do it. It is very important thing, Back to Godhead. If our movement is going to be recognized as scientific, God consciousness movement, then this Back to Godhead will be referred as authorized scripture.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: Just like here in the human society there is law that if you kill a man, you should be also killed. Similarly, in God's laws so the same law is there. Māṁ sa, māṁsa. If I eat an animal then he will have the chance to eat me next life. This is karma. Who is caring for all these things? Who is caring? Nobody's caring. They're slaughtering animals like anything. So this kind of adjustment will not help. They must know scientifically what is the value of life. They must take information from authorized scriptures.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: And just see. That which is impossible, they are trying for that. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), chewing the chewed, that's all. When your senses are imperfect, then what you will see? Whatever you see, that is imperfect. So what is the meaning of seeing? Therefore our seeing is śāstra-cakṣuṣāt: "We should see through the authorized scriptures."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- May 11, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: You have to realize from authorized scripture, not whimsically. Just like this boy asked, "God, Christ said like that," without any authority. Without reading, without understanding, he says like that. So you have to take from authority.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Archbishop of Canterbury -- Los Angeles 1969:

From this definition of religion as we find in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the criterion test of religion is how it helps people to develop their dormant Love of God. This love is not artificially invoked, but it is aroused by association with devotees of the Lord and by hearing from the authorized scriptures.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 23 January, 1970:

So, the moving of the cloud may appear to the layman's eyes as moving of the moon, but that is not a fact. Similarly, the moving of the body of a pure devotee is not the moving of the pure devotee. After all these are facts for the process of realization, but we can try to understand them as far as possible from the statement of authorized Scriptures through the version of the Spiritual Master or saintly persons.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. K. T. Desai -- Bombay 12 November, 1975:

You mention transcendental meditation, but what is transcendental meditation? We do not find it in any authorized scripture, but jnana-yoga is there in the Vedic literature and the yogis practice this type of yoga. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gita 6th Chapter very nicely. And in the other Vedic literature we find that a yogi by concentrating his mind can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the core of his heart.