Tad-vijñānārtham. If you want to know that science, then tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva (MU 1.2.12). "Must," gacchet. This verb is used when there is the sense "must." If somebody says, "All right, I shall learn even without going to any guru," no, that is not possible. Therefore this verb is used, gacchet: "You must if you want to learn." Otherwise you remain in darkness. This is Vedic injunction. Śuśruma. You must hear from the right source; then you will get perfect knowledge. So therefore, whether there is witness or not witness, we cannot understand from a so-called professor. There is witness, śāstra says. And how can you deny it? If sūrya . . . First word is sūrya. The sūrya is the eyes of God, one eye. Another eye is the moon. And it is described in the śāstra,
- yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahānāṁ
- rāja samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ,
- yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (BS 5.52)
So sūrya, we can see that . . . We have got some rays of the eyes, three feet. But, you see, from the 93,000,000 miles away he is seeing you. So brightly he is seeing. So you have to understand in that way. The śāstra says, "Here is the eye." Another eye, another eye, one after another, one after another. How you will escape? That is not possible.
Therefore we must be very cautious and, I mean to say, with sense we must act. And if we act according to the direction of the śāstra, then our position is safe. Otherwise, we are risking life. Risking life means this human life. Human life . . . The dog has got ear; we have got also ear. But a dog cannot understand śāstra. That is not possible. Or the elephant has got ear, very big ear. (laughter) Does it mean that he can hear more? No. This is rascaldom. One must be quite able to hear to understand śāstra. Therefore śāstra is meant for the human society. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you will find, the Sanātana Gosvāmī's teachings, you will find, anadi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karila (CC Madhya 20.117). Why these Vedas and Purāṇas are there? Just to remind us. The veda purāṇa karila. Veda, the four Vedas and other literatures abiding by the Vedas . . . Purāṇa means supplementary Vedas. There are many historical incidences, they say "mythology." No, it is not mythology. It is from selected historical incidences put together, but the same Vedic instruction for common men. In the Vedas the mantras are there. Common man cannot understand. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), athāto brahma jijñāsā. This Veda mantra goes on. But ordinary persons, they cannot understand. Therefore the same Vedas explained with reference to the historical incidences, that is called Purāṇa. Purāṇa means "who is complete." Purāṇa, pūrayati iti purāṇa. So the Māyāvādī philosopher, they say the Purāṇas are stories. No. The Bhāgavata is Purāṇa. It is full of stories. But what kind of stories? All Vedic instruction.
Just like Ajāmila. Ajāmila began, itihāsa. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is speaking itihāsa, in the beginning. "It is said." Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving incidences of itihāsa, history, example from the history. So this is the actual fact. So in order to convince Parīkṣit Mahārāja how chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is powerful, he is giving a lesson from the history, how Ajāmila was delivered simply by chanting "Nārāyaṇa." This is the incidence from the history. And it is history. The story begins, kānyakubje. Kānyakubja is still there in India. Perhaps you have heard the name of Kanpur. So that is within the Kānyakubja area. Kānyakubje dvijaḥ: "There was a brāhmaṇa in Kānyakubja." Historical name is all . . . So it is history. It is not story, mythology. No story. It is historical fact. Anything which is described in the śāstra . . . The Bhāgavata is Maha-Purāṇa. Don't be misled, "These are mythology." No, these are historical facts. And we have to learn the Vedic knowledge by the description selected from the history so that we can easily understand. This is the purpose.
So in our this human form of life we should be very careful, and what is ordered that "You should do like this . . ." Just like if you go to a medical man, so if you are diseased, a medical man, physician, will give you a prescription that "You take this medicine, and you do not take this kind of food. You can take this kind of food." Āhāra-pathya. So if you want to cure your material disease, then the two things are required: the medicine and the food. Pathya. It is called pathya. The proper food and proper medicine. The proper medicine is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and the proper food is Kṛṣṇa prasādam.