Prabhupāda: Aiye. Yes. So when the language is clear, it is . . . just like anything you take, all these Vedic literatures, simply by interpretation they have played havoc. Now, this Vedānta-sūtra, Vedānta, is accepted as the supreme authority of all Vedic literature. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the sutra, that janmādy asya yataḥ: "The Absolute Truth must be the original source of everything." There is no question of interpretation.
This is the clear meaning. Janmādi. Janma means birth, and . . . Janma, sthiti and loya. There are three words in this material world. The things come out, just like this body has come out from the womb of my mother. It stays for some time, it grows, it gives some by-products, then it becomes old and again vanishes. So therefore janmādy asya: "Beginning from birth up to the annihilation, everything is emanation from the Absolute Truth."
So is not that very clear? Absolute Truth must be that which is the source of everything and reservoir of everything, and who is maintaining everything. That is the meaning of . . . now, Bhāgavata, because it is interpretation of the Vedānta-sūtra, it begins from that sutra, janmādy asya yataḥ. Now, how that janmādy asya yataḥ? It is explained: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ.
If the original source . . . how the characteristics of the original source should be? The original source must be cognizant indirectly and directly of everything. The original Absolute Truth should be cognizant, abhijñaḥ. If He is the source of everything, then He must be cognizant of everything, either directly or indirectly.
Just like for example this body is my product. I am spiritual spark. This spiritual spark, as soon as takes shelter into the womb of a woman, it develops this body. The spiritual spark has that power, develops body. So I am a spirit soul, I have developed this body. That means I am a spiritual spark, which is source of this body, all mechanisms. And similarly, the whole creation, it . . . there is supreme spirit. The whole creation, janmādy asya yataḥ.
So He knows everything because He is perfect. But I do not know. Although it is by my energy this body is produced, I do not know how these veins are created, how these bones are created. I do not know. Therefore I am not God. I do not know . . . I say "my body," but actually this body has developed—me, as spirit soul—but I do not know how many hairs are there on my head and how it is growing. But He knows. That is a characteristic of the Absolute Truth. He must be knowing everything, and that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vedahaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26): "I know everything in the past. I know what will happen in the future. I know everything." That is God.
When Arjuna was asked to Kṛṣṇa that, "How can I accept that You taught this philosophy to sun-god? Because You are my contemporary. We are born practically on the same date." So He replied, "Yes. Both you and Me, we took many, many births. But you have forgotten. I know everything." And that is God. That is God. Abhijñaḥ. God must be cognizant of everything. And I do not know everything, and still, I claim I am God, and people accept. How rascals.
The Bhāgavata explains that the Absolute Truth is cognizant of everything, abhijñaḥ. "So how His knowledge is so perfect?"—the next question. Because we become cognizant by taking knowledge or accepting knowledge from spiritual master. But how He has become so cognizant? The answer is svarāṭ: fully independent. He hasn't got to learn anything from anyone. I am . . . I am real . . . realize myself as God by taking knowledge from another Māyāvādī sannyāsī.
But He is God without taking knowledge from anybody. That is real God. Svarāṭ. In this way Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has explained the Vedānta-sūtras, that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the right explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrānām. The Brahma-sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra. And the real commentary and explanation is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, of Vedānta.