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The knowledge coming from the supreme source, that is called avaroha-pantha, and the knowledge which is being sought after by using our imperfect senses, that is called aroha-pantha

Expressions researched:
"The knowledge coming from the supreme source, that is called avaroha-pantha, and the knowledge which is being sought after by using our imperfect senses, that is called aroha-pantha"

Lectures

General Lectures

All methods of acquiring knowledge can be divided into two groups. One group is called āroha-panthā, or research, inductive process. And another method is called deductive process, or avaroha-panthā. The knowledge coming from the supreme source, that is called avaroha-panthā, and the knowledge which is being sought after by using our imperfect senses, that is called āroha-panthā. Ascending process and descending process. So by ascending process, we can never come to the real knowledge. That is not possible, because our senses are imperfect.
Lecture -- Montreal, June 26, 1968:

There is nice verse in which it is stated that,

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ
vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd cāham
(BG 15.15)

The purport of this verse is that "I am situated in everyone's heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna... (BG 18.61). 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." The knowledge... Actually, the destination of knowledge, as Śrīman Janārdana... What we are searching after? He has summarized that we are searching after happiness. That's a fact. But we do not know where the happiness is there. That is our... Searching, I am... Subject matter of searching is happiness. Everyone in this material world is after happiness. But unfortunately, one has no information where is the happiness. That remembrance can be... Where is the happiness? That can be had from the Supersoul, who is sitting with you within your heart. Within your heart. Because Kṛṣṇa says that "I am sitting in everyone's heart as Supersoul, and from Me, intelligence, memory, knowledge, forgetfulness—everything—is being happened."

Now the question is why one is in forgetfulness and why one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Is it a fact that Kṛṣṇa is dealing with different persons differently, that one is being fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and another is in different consciousness, or forgetting Kṛṣṇa? Apohanam. That is also due to Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa is very merciful. The why answer can be given that Kṛṣṇa is very merciful. How merciful? One is given forgetfulness. How Kṛṣṇa is merciful? Yes, He's merciful. How is it? Because he wanted to forget Kṛṣṇa. He wanted to forget Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa will give him such sources of forgetfulness that he'll never be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. "You enjoy. You want to forget Kṛṣṇa, or God? All right. I'll give you intelligence so that you will never be able to understand what is God." Not exactly memory... Because living entity, sometimes by good association will come... So this is not Kṛṣṇa's partiality. He has given everyone a little quantity of independence. Just like these boys who have come here, that is out of independence. They are playing, but out of independence they have come. And they may sit down for some time and out of independence may go away. So this independence is there even in the ant, even in the worm and everywhere, because we are part and parcel of God and God is fully independent. But we cannot be fully independent. Just like in the state. You are belonging to an independent state, but that does not mean that you can do anything and everything. You have no such independence. There is state law and order. Similarly, as in the state we are independent citizens, but if we violate law and order, then we shall be punished. It is very simple thing. But the rascal civilization, they say God is dead. How God can be dead? The law of God are acting so nicely. How God can be dead? That means he wanted to forget God, so he has come to the conclusion, "God is dead." He has come to this conclusion. While, on the other hand, who wants God, they are perfectly visioning that "Next life I am going to meet God face to face." This intelligence is given to him by God also. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayanti te
(BG 10.10)

"Those who are constantly engaged with love and faith in My service, teṣām, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi, I give them such intelligence by which gradually they make progress to come back to Me."

So actually, although we have got independence, we have got consciousness, we have got power of thinking, of understanding, but it is limited. Therefore we don't agree with one another. However I may be big philosopher, I may be very big philosopher, very logician, but as soon as another big logician, another big philosopher comes, he defeats me. That is the way. And every philosopher, every logician is trying to defeat your theory, as you are trying to defeat others' theories. This is going on. So as Śrīman Janārdana said, the knowledge which you are searching in different ways, that is impossible to come to the conclusion. Because we are searching with... However I may accept this method or that method or that method, but accepting the method means employing my senses. But the senses are imperfect. Either I accept this or that, I have to work with my senses. There are no other instruments. So when senses are imperfect, so whatever method you accept, that will be imperfect. Then which method will be perfect? That method will be perfect, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). When Kṛṣṇa from within yourself will give you right direction, then you'll come to the ultimate destination. Otherwise, whatever, however a great philosopher, scientist, or anything you may be, you'll simply hover on the material, mental plane. That's all.

So either you call perfect knowledge or you call happiness, anything, what you call, if you want to know the ultimate goal of your life perfectly, you have to follow a different method. A different method. That method is called avaroha-panthā. There are... All methods of acquiring knowledge can be divided into two groups. One group is called āroha-panthā, or research, inductive process. And another method is called deductive process, or avaroha-panthā. The knowledge coming from the supreme source, that is called avaroha-panthā, and the knowledge which is being sought after by using our imperfect senses, that is called āroha-panthā. Ascending process and descending process. So by ascending process, we can never come to the real knowledge. That is not possible, because our senses are imperfect. How we can ascend? Just like people are trying to ascend to the higher planetary system, but the instrument, sputnik itself, is imperfect. How you can go there? You can go 25,000 miles, again come back. Punar mūṣiko bhava. So this is going on. Because we are imperfect in every respect, so therefore we have to receive knowledge from the perfect. That is the process, real process. If your knowledge... Just like Janārdana suggested three processes, one by applying our senses, another by accepting knowledge from others, and another, rejection. Two ways. Or skepticism, make void. So this is out of frustration. So make the mind void, no more thinking. And knowledge by imperfect senses, that will always remain imperfect. And knowledge from others, that is real goal. But provided you receive that knowledge from the perfect... As we have given several times the example, just like a child wants to know who is his father. Now if he searches out "Who is my father?" he asks everybody, "Are you my father? Are you my father? Are you my father?" he will have to go on searching. Then again if he asks his neighbor, "Who is my father?" the neighbor also may not know and may give him misinformation. So that is also not possible. But if he goes to his mother and his mother is sincere and perfect, she can give, "My dear boy, he is your father." That is perfect. So neither by researching one can find out his father, neither by employing his imperfect senses. But if he receives the knowledge from the sincere mother, then the knowledge is perfect. And he has no other alternative to know who is his father except the source of a sincere mother. Similarly, the Bhāgavat says, acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Things which are beyond your power of realization, don't try to understand by your so-called logic and argument. All nonsense. All nonsense.

Tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ. This process of argument and logic, gymnasium, is imperfect always. You cannot realize what is the ultimate goal of life. Tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā. Śruta means Vedas or books of knowledge. There are different kinds of theories and doctrines. So if you read those books, unless you are very nicely directed, that will create also perplexity. Śrutayo vibhinnam. And so far philosophical speculation is concerned, the Bhāgavata says that nāsau muni yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. Muni means mental speculator. So you cannot find any mental speculator who is not differing from another mental speculator. So tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ, the path of so-called logic and argument, is not perfect. Then, simply if you study different books of knowledge, that will also not give you perfect knowledge. If you consult so-called mental speculators, their different views, then dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. The ultimate goal of life is very confidential and mysterious. And how to know it? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājana means the perfect realized souls who have realized, you have to follow them. That's all. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Therefore this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is accepting the mahājana, the authority. The first authority is Kṛṣṇa. From Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is hearing. There is no question about it. Now if you simply understand as Arjuna understood, then you have got the perfect knowledge. And if you speculate, if you try to comment in your own nonsense way, then you are misled immediately. So this is the way. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājana means those who are perfect personalities. That will give you (?). That will do (?). Now, there are, according to Vedic system, there are twelve mahājanas. They are all in agreement that the supreme power is the Absolute Personality of Godhead. And they have become all devotees, they have served, they have prescribed rules and regulations. You can... So if we follow these rules and regulations and the mahājana, and many... As it is stated in Bhāgavatam, that those who have followed, they have got perfection. You can get also perfection, there is no doubt about it. Simply you have to follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Then your life will be perfect.

Page Title:The knowledge coming from the supreme source, that is called avaroha-pantha, and the knowledge which is being sought after by using our imperfect senses, that is called aroha-pantha
Compiler:Narottama
Created:14 of Jun, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1