Sunday, June 25, 2006

Hear from Krishna directly

From Srimad Bhagavatam 11.19.17

śrutih pratyaksam aitihyam
anumānam catustayam
pramānesv anavasthānād
vikalpāt sa virajyate

"From the four types of evidence — Vedic knowledge, direct experience, traditional wisdom and logical induction — one can understand the temporary, insubstantial situation of the material world, by which one becomes detached from the duality of this world."

Every verse of the Srimad-Bhagavatam has layers of meaning. As declared by Sri Chaytanya Mahaprabhu in CC.Madya.24.318;

"Srimad-Bhagavatam is as great as Krishna, the Supreme Lord and shelter of everything. In each and every verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam and in each and every syllable, there are various meanings.”

So lets look at this verse in a diferent way.

The four types (catustayam) of evidence are;

śrutih — Vedic knowledge;
pratyaksam — direct experience;
aitihyam — traditional wisdom;
anumānam — logical induction;

pramānesv anavasthānād vikalpāt
"but because they (the four types of evidence) are often mutually contradictory in their description of the highest truth,"

sa virajyate
"One should therefore be detached from the duality of mundane evidence and hear from the Lord directly."

"One should accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the actual authority. Both in Bhagavad-gītā and here in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lord Krsna is personally speaking, and thus there is no need to enter into the bewildering network of competing systems of mundane logic. One can directly hear from the Absolute Truth Himself and immediately acquire perfect knowledge. One thereby becomes detached from inferior systems of knowledge, which cause one to hover on the material mental platform."


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