Lawbooks means

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"lawbook means" |"lawbooks means"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lawbook means the statement of the authorities.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

So that kālam, that eternal time, is Kṛṣṇa. Tvām. Manye: "I think that eternal time, You are, Kṛṣṇa." That's the fact. And īśānam. Īśānam means the Supreme Controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Controller means īśvara; īśvara means controller. He's the Supreme Controller. He's controlling the whole creation. Īśānam. Kālam īśānam. But who is controlling Him? No, He is not controlled. Anādi-beginningless. Neither endless or beginningless, anādi or nidhanam. And vibhum, the Supreme. This is the understanding of Kṛṣṇa. We have to take lessons from authorities. Here is Kuntī, authority. Therefore his (her) statements are recorded in the śāstra. What is śāstra? Śāstra means, is, the record of the statement of authorities. That is called śāstra. Just like in law court, you put lawbooks. What is that lawbook? Lawbook means the statement of the authorities. Similarly, śāstra... Śāstra means śās-dhātu. Śāstra. Śāstra means weapon, and śāstra means the lawbooks. So what is the lawbook? Lawbook means some authority which has given the law. So the government gives law. So similarly, śāstra means the statement given by the authorities.

So Kuntī is authority. Kuntī is authority. How she has become authority? Because she has followed the authorities, Brahmā, Nārada, Svayambhū... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Those who are strictly following the statements of the authorities, they are also authorities. Just like who is a lawyer? Lawyer is he who has studied law very nicely and following the law. That is lawyer, good lawyer. And third-class lawyer means one who does not know how to follow it. Good lawyer in the court—who can give reference from the lawbooks: "My Lord, you refer to such and such section of such and such law book, and you will find what I am stating." And the judge, when he sees: "Yes, it is all...," then his case is owned. So authority. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājana. Authority means mahājana. Ordinary, common people is called jana, ordinary man. And those who are authority, they are mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ.

General Lectures

Lawbooks means that is given by the state. That is one lawbook, only one. That cannot be two. It is not that you take lawbook from other state or other authority. No. Lawbooks means it is the books, it is the laws, which is given by the state.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

Prabhupāda: No, why...? Then you are wrong also. You are learning from books. What is your education? You are learning from books.

Man (8): No, but we read these things from Bhagavad-gītā, as it...

Prabhupāda: No, no. What is your education? What is your process of knowledge?

Man (8): Well, the process of knowledge—you are reading something in the form of authority.

Prabhupāda: That's their way. So similarly, you take the books of authority, Vedic knowledge. You have got all knowledge.

Man (8): No, but lot of times, books you read one thing, and lot of times, as soon as you've taken to it... You don't understand it. Few days more... Something wrong from what you wanted to know.

Prabhupāda: What is wrong?

Man (8): Suppose you read a book of one kind.

Prabhupāda: No. You have to select the authoritative books, not "kind." Just like lawbooks. Oh, there is no "one kind" of lawbook. Lawbooks means that is given by the state. That is one lawbook, only one. That cannot be two. It is not that you take lawbook from other state or other authority. No. Lawbooks means it is the books, it is the laws, which is given by the state. Similarly, our process is to accept the Vedas, not other kind of books. There is no question of other kind of books. Only Vedas. Just like we are speaking of Bhagavad-gītā. So that is one, not "other kind of Bhagavad-gītā." Bhagavad-gītā is one.

Man (8): But that one may be also wrong.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Man (8): Why not? You take philosophy wrong. You won't take from another script(?).

Prabhupāda: No. If you take in that way, then it is not book of authority. If it is wrong, then it is not book of authority. The Vedic literatures are accepted, fundamentally accepting that they are not wrong. They are not cheating. They are fact. Without this understanding there is no question of accepting any book.