Take real knowledge

Expressions researched:
"real knowledge is taken" |"take real knowledge" |"Take the real knowledge" |"real knowledge. Take" |"taken his real knowledge" |"real knowledge, take"

CC Madhya-lila

Because of the temperament of the Māyāvādī philosophers, real knowledge is taken from them.

CC Madhya 6.168, Purport: The Māyāvādīs’ conception of spiritual existence is almost identical to the negation of material existence. The Māyāvādīs believe that there is nothing positive in spiritual life. As a result, they cannot understand devotional service or the worship of the Supreme Person, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. The Māyāvādī philosophers consider Deity worship in devotional service to be pratibimba-vāda, or the worship of a form that is the reflection of a false material form. Thus the Lord’s transcendental form, which is eternally blissful and full of knowledge, is unknown to Māyāvādī philosophers. Although the term “Bhagavān” is explicitly described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they cannot understand it. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate: “The Absolute Truth is called Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān.” (SB 1.2.11) The Māyāvādīs try to understand Brahman only, or, at the most, Paramātmā. However, they are unable to understand Bhagavān. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Because of the temperament of the Māyāvādī philosophers, real knowledge is taken from them. Because they cannot receive the mercy of the Lord, they will always be bewildered by His transcendental form. Impersonal philosophy destroys the three phases of knowledge—jñāna, jñeya and jñātā. As soon as one speaks of knowledge, there must be a person who is the knower, the knowledge itself and the object of knowledge. Māyāvāda philosophy combines these three categories; therefore the Māyāvādīs cannot understand how the spiritual potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead act. Because of their poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand the distinction in the spiritual world between knowledge, the knower and the object of knowledge. Because of this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu considers the Māyāvādī philosophers more dangerous than the Buddhists.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Māyā is so strong that she'll not allow to take real knowledge from the real person, but we shall read volumes of books who are defective with their four kinds of imperfectness, namely they commit mistake, they are illusioned, they are cheater and their senses are imperfect.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975: Anyone who is acting on the bodily concept of life, sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13], they are no better than the cats and dogs. That is going on all over the world. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am African," "I am this"—bodily, all bodily. "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am black," "I am white," "I am fat," "I am thin." That's all. So that jñānam, theoretical, and vijñānam, sa-vijñānaṁ vakṣyāmi, Kṛṣṇa will teach, "Take this jñānam." The most perfect personality. So this is our business. But do we...? We don't care for Kṛṣṇa. We do not know Kṛṣṇa and what to speak of taking knowledge from Him. The knowledge is there, but we are so fool that we do not take knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā. We manufacture our own knowledge. This is called māyā. Māyā is so strong that she'll not allow to take real knowledge from the real person, but we shall read volumes of books who are defective with their four kinds of imperfectness, namely they commit mistake, they are illusioned, they are cheater and their senses are imperfect.

We are carrying this Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and we are trying to educate people that "Here is real knowledge. Take it."

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Our proposition is that suppose if you know the president of Japan... Who is the president? A king or president here?

Japanese man: King, emperor.

Prabhupāda: If you know the emperor, you can... Then what is the use of knowing the constable?

Trivikrama: You understand? If you know the prime minister or the head man, then the less important man is not necessary to know. So because Śrīla Prabhupāda knows Kṛṣṇa, it is not important...

Prabhupāda: So what is the use of meeting others? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]. They go to other demigods, to meet, for some benefit, their knowledge being lost, hṛta-jñānāḥ. Just like if I want some benefit in your Japanese state and if I know the emperor, I can ask him, "I want it." Why shall I go to some departmental manager? What is the use? Let them become very big man in their department, but if I want to take some benefit, then I can... If I am known to the emperor, I can ask him that "I want this." He will immediately give me. Why shall I go to the departmental manager? They are subordinate. Therefore it is said, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]. Antava t tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām. We do not disrespect anyone in the government service, but if I know the supreme person in the government, why shall I go and beg from the lower grade officer? If I want something, I can ask the supreme. Is it all right or not? What is the use? They may come to see me, "Oh, he is known to the emperor." They may come to see me. I cannot go to see them. And we have no want. Why shall I see the demigods? We have no want. Kṛṣṇa knows. What is our business? Our business is to spread glories of Kṛṣṇa. We are directly in service of Kṛṣṇa, so whatever is wanted, He will supply. Why shall I go to somebody? It is His business. So for a devotee there is no need of meeting. We have all respect for them, but there is no need of meeting any demigod. They are all servants of Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ... He is the supreme controller. So why should we go to the subordinate controller? Why should we go? Is there any necessity? You do not follow me, what I say?

Trivikrama: Is there any necessity to go? Do we need to go to Indra?

Japanese man: No.

Prabhupāda: Then? There is no need. Why should I bother my head for meeting the demigods? We have no business. We know the supreme, and the supreme knows what I want. So I haven't got to ask even the supreme that "This thing I want." No, there is no need. He knows. He will supply because I am engaged in His business. What is our business? Why we are bothering so much in this old age? The only business is that people may know Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller. That is our business. We have no other business. We don't want anything, either from Kṛṣṇa or from demigod or anyone. Our only business is as advised by Caitanya Mahā..., yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. This is our business. We are carrying this Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and we are trying to educate people that "Here is real knowledge. Take it." This is our business. That means Kṛṣṇa is the supreme. Īśvaraḥ param... That is our only business. That is our only business, that people may know that Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord, that's all. We have no other business.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

They may be Ph.D.s, but he's a rascal because māyā has taken his real knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972: So there are so many societies. Deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu [SB 1.2.34]. And in every society, there is incarnation of God according to their position. According to their language, according to their problems, there is incarnation. We do not see other incarnations, but we can see the human form of incarnation. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. But from the śāstra we can understand that there are incarnations amongst the lower animals, beasts, birds and everywhere. The purpose is to reclaim the fallen souls. So not only He incarnates, but He sends His devotee, He comes as devotee. Just like Kṛṣṇa was misunderstood because Kṛṣṇa demanded that "You surrender unto Me." So we misunderstood because we are mūḍhas. The mūḍhas, they do not surrender. Kṛṣṇa says they are, they are very good scholars of Bhagavad-gītā. But they cannot understand these simple things. Kṛṣṇa is demanding, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], but he'll not do that. And he is a scholar of Bhagavad-gītā. The simple truth, he cannot understand. Neither he can follow. If I am actually follower of Bhagavad-gītā, then Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me," then, if I am actually follower, I shall surrender unto Him. That is my business. But no. I shall not surrender. "I am Kṛṣṇa. Why shall I surrender to You?"

Where does he get this information that he has become Kṛṣṇa? Where is that in the Bhagavad-gītā? But they are preaching Bhagavad-gītā reading means "I have become Kṛṣṇa." Where this nonsense ideas they get? I do not know. But we can take them what he is. We can take... As soon as he does not surrender, then I take him, we take him in three, four classes:

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

Because I see this rascal has not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he must be one of these groups. What is that? Duṣkṛtina, in the group of sinful life. Duṣkṛtina. Mūḍhāḥ, in the groups of rascals. Narādhamāḥ, in the groups of the lowest of the mankind. "No, they are Ph.D.s." Māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. They may be Ph.D.s, but he's a rascal because māyā has taken his real knowledge. He does not know Kṛṣṇa. What is the value of his knowledge? Māyayā apahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Why this is so? Now, āsuraṁ bhāva, their only business is to discard, kill God. Just like asuras. Just like Kaṁsa. His only business was how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ.

If you want real knowledge, take it from Bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974: We don't believe writing of Vyāsadeva. Or sometimes we say, "No, no, this was not written by Vyāsadeva. It is interpretation." If it is interpretation, then why the ācāryas have accepted? They're also fools-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī... They have made commentary on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and they mention, they have accepted, "Yes. Kṛṣṇa has sixteen thousand wives." So Vyāsadeva has written and the ācāryas have accepted. Then I have become such a great scholar that I say it is fictitious. And we have to believe these rascals. So don't go to rascal. If you want real knowledge, take it from Bhagavān. bhagavān uvāca. Then your knowledge is perfect. That is our process. We, we have taken Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and we are preaching. We don't preach anything else which Bhagavān does not say. Bhagavān says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām... [Bg. 18.65]. We are canvassing, "My dear sir, you just become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You always think of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. We say, "You just think of Kṛṣṇa." The same thing. There is no change. We do not interpret any way, "This man-manāḥ means this, and mad-bhaktaḥ means that." No. We don't do that. We present as it is. Therefore if Kṛṣṇa sees that "One is presenting My message as I have given," then He is pleased. Therefore, it is said, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. He has become very dear because he does not, nonsensically, he does not nonsensically change the meaning, that "This meaning's that, this meaning's that." Why? When Kṛṣṇa has said, that is everything perfect. Why should I change it? That is guru-priya. Suppose if you say something and if somebody takes it as it is and behaves like that, then you become pleased. And if you say to your son or to your servant something and he misunderstand and talks something else, then he becomes angry: "What this nonsense has understood?" Similarly, a guru does not change the word of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's called Bhagavān, servant Bhagavān. Kṛṣṇa is the master Bhagavān, master God, and the guru, who is serving Kṛṣṇa sincerely, he's the servant God. Therefore śāstra says, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. In the morning also these boys, they sing Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, āra nā koriho mane āśā. If you have got a pure, bona fide guru, then whatever he says, you do it. You don't think of anything else, āra nā koriho mane āśā. No more. That is all right.

If you take real knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā, that is real knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973: Because Indian philosophy means if you can eat... Just like in Western countries, if you can eat meat you think that "I am very much fortunate." Similarly, in India still, in villages also, they think that "If we can eat more ghee then we are very fortunate." (laughter) So ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. So "Beg, borrow, steal, eat ghee." Eat ghee, because so long you live, you'll live very sumptuously eating ghee and become fatty. That's all. (laughter) So ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. Live very happily. And then if you say that "I have no money. If I borrow from friends ghee, then I'll have to pay...," because these are the injunctions in the śāstras. But he is atheistic. He says, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet. According to Vedic culture, the body is burned into ashes. So when the body is burned to ashes, who is coming again and paying him back? (laughter) "Don't think about it. Everything is finished." So this is the atheistic nonsense. But actually it is not. If you take real knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20], that is real knowledge. After destruction of this body, don't think that you are finished. You live, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati, dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]. This is the first instruction. If you want to enter into spiritual life, you must know that you, spirit soul, you are eternal. You don't die; you are not finished. That after the destruction of this body, you accept another body, tathā dehāntara prāptir. These are the versions in Bhagavad-gītā, authoritative. And dehāntara means another body. There is no guarantee what kind of body you get. That will depend on your work. You may get the body of a king or you may get the body of a hog, as you have done work in this life. This life is a preparation for the next life.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

But take real knowledge. Don't be misled by bluffers who have no authority to speak.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.104 -- New York, July 10, 1976: So we have to go to a person who is as good as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As good... How one can become Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? He is God. How another man can become as good as Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Then he is also God? No. He doesn't require to be God, and neither he can ever become God. That is false. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's equal person means one who speaks the exactly what Caitanya Mahāprabhu speaks. That makes him equal. He doesn't manufacture. If you simply repeat what Kṛṣṇa says or Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, then you become equal to me. Equal to me? That is guru. Guru means who is equal. Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Why guru is accepted as God Himself? Does it mean Māyāvāda philosophy? No. This is not Māyāvāda. Because he is most confidential servant of God—kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya—therefore he's as good as God. He is very, very dear to God. Why? Because he does not speak anything nonsense what his master does not speak, that's all. That is the qualification. Still, "No, I see that his son addresses him 'father.' He is the father, considering him as ordinary man. And still he's as good as God?" Yes. Still he's as good as God. Why? Because he does not speak anything nonsense except what he has heard from God. That is the qualification. In this way, if we study Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and... Of course, Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the higher study. Still we have got all these books, very exalted, authorized books, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Nectar of Devotion. So we request, especially... Of course, I am pleased that these countrymen of this American country, they are taking our books, reading. So gradually they will understand. But take real knowledge. Don't be misled by bluffers who have no authority to speak. And to cheat you... Because you are wanting, hankering after something, so so many bluffers, cheaters, they come and cheat you. Don't be cheated. Here is authorized literature.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Why they are rascal? They will not take real knowledge. Just like children: obstinate.

Morning Walk Conversation -- September 28, 1972, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So they work only with matter, so they forget about spirit.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is their folly. Therefore, they are rascal. That is described in the Bhāgavata, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. They are animals, so what knowledge we can expect from these rascal animals? They are animals. They may pass on as big, big scientist to another animal, but they cannot pass on as big scientist to us.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They have to be spiritualized to pass.

Jayatīrtha: Just like so many times on (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: We... Anyone who is simply understanding this matter, we immediately accept him as an animal, that's all. The animals take it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But majority of the people are all like that.

Prabhupāda: So, therefore, they are all animals. Fools, rascals. Abodha-jāto, they have been described—all rascals, fools. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma. So long they do not come to the point of understanding spirit soul, they are simply rascals. And whatever they are doing, simply being defeated actually. The so-called scientific research, simply their defeat. What they have gained? That is stated in Bhāgavata. Parābhava. Parābhava means defeat. So long they do not come to the understanding of self, the spirit soul, they are simply rascals and fools. And what the rascals and fools can become victorious? They will never become victorious. They will always be subdued by the laws of nature. Parābhava, defeat simply. Whatever scientific discoveries, there is simply defeat, not conquering. That old scientist, he could not check his old age, so what is the value of his scientific discoveries? He could not check his growing in age, so what is the value of scientific advancement? He will die. They cannot check death, they cannot check old age. Nobody can check death. Then what is advancement? The real problems are there. Parābhavas tāvad. Parābhava, simply defeat, wasting time being defeated by the laws of nature. They cannot understand anything properly.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Then why don't they search for real knowledge?

Prabhupāda: Therefore, they are rascal. Why they are rascal? They will not take real knowledge. Just like children: obstinate. The father says, "Don't touch, don't touch this." But he says, "No, touch," and he touches. As soon as he touches it, he (makes noise like one in pain).

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Burned.