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Re: God is not impersonal (Bhagavad-Gita 7.24-25)

 
mani@srirangam.esd.sgi.com (Mani Varadarajan) wrote:
 
>In article <3r0m0i$igt@gap.cco.caltech.edu> madhudvisa@krishna.org
(Madhudvisa dasa       ) writes:
>> No educated person would dare criticise the books of His Divine Grace
A.C.
>> Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the Hare Krishna
>> movement. They have been praised by so many recognised scholars both in
>> India and in the West.
 
>[Quotes of Western scholars deleted]
 
>Why is it that the Hare Krishnas accept the plaudits of Western
>scholars but condemn these very same scholars whenever they
>disagree with their conclusions? Does this not smack of hypocrisy?
 
We don't accept the Western scholars as authorities on Krishna consciousness. Only
a bhakta, a devotee, one who has love for Krishna can understand Krishna:
 
                         naham prakasah sarvasya
                            yoga-maya-samavrtah
                          mudho 'yam nabhijanati
                           loko mam ajam avyayam
 

 
"I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am
covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am
unborn and infallible."
 
 
                          bhaktya mam abhijanati
                         yavan yas casmi tattvatah
                         tato mam tattvato jnatva
                            visate tad-anantaram
 
 
"One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by
such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." (Bhagavad-gita 18.55)
 
 
>Take, for example, the universally held opinion among Western
>scholars that the Bhagavata Purana was composed in its final
>form around the 9th Century A.D. by Vaishnavas from South
>India.
 
Why sould we believe them when the Vedic literature itself and our acaryas clearly
state otherwise? Some Mayavadis argue the Bhagavatam was not complied by Sri
Vyasadeva at all, They say someone called Vopadeva compiled it. But Sri Sridhara
Swami points out in his commentary of the Bhagavatam that there are references to
the Bhagavatam in many of the oldest Purnans. The first sloka of the Bhagavatam
begins with the Gayatri mantra. There is reference to this in the Matsya Purana,
which is the oldest Purana. And there is the history of Vrtasura. Anyone who makes
a gift of this work on a full-moon day attains the highest perfection of life by
returning to Godhead. There is reference to the Bhagavatam in other Puranas also
where it is clearly stated that this work was finished in twelve cantos, which
include 18,000 slokas. In the Padma Purana there is also a reference to the
Bhagavatam in a conversation between Gautama and Maharaja Ambarisa. The King was
advised to regularly read the Srimad Bhagavatam if he desired liberation from
material bondage. Under the circumstances there is no doubt about the authority of
the Srimad Bhagavatam. (From Srila Prabhupada's purport to S.B. 1.1.1)
 
>If I mention this fact to a Hare Krishna, they typically
>respond with, "And you expect us to believe the opinions of
>Western scholars?!"
 
Of course we don't believe them over the Vedas and the authorized Acaryas in the
disciplic succession! We accept the correct authorities.
 
>This only serves to underscore the anti-intellectual and
>anti-rational trend within the Hare Krishna movement.
 
The Gaudiya Viasnava tradition is completely rational and intellectual. There is
no comparison to the rational and intellectual arguments presented in the sastra
anywhere in the western world. Mostly the western "intellectuals" are hell-bent on
justifying a godless world-view so naturally they can't appreciate the Vedic
knowledge. But you appear to be an Indian. You should be able to appreciate it.
 
>This
>has gotten better over the years, but many are intellectual
>opportunists.
 
We should use every opportunity to try and help people remember Krishna. Other
things are not so important...
 
 
Thank you. Hare Krishna!
 
Madhudvisa dasa       
(madhudvisa@krishna.org)     /sudarsana
 
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
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