# Cc. Madhya 20.353 > সর্বজ্ঞ মুনির বাক্য — শাস্ত্র-‘পরমাণ’ । > আমা-সবা জীবের হয় শাস্ত্রদ্বারা ‘জ্ঞান’ ॥৩৫৩॥ ## Text > sarvajña munira vākya—śāstra-'paramāṇa' > āmā-sabā jīvera haya śāstra-dvārā jñāna' ## Synonyms *sarva-jña munira vākya*—the words of the omniscient muni (Vyāsadeva); *śāstra-paramāṇa*—evidence of revealed scriptures; *āmā-sabā*—all of us; *jīvera*—of the conditioned souls; *haya*—there is; *śāstra-dvārā*—through the medium of revealed scriptures; *jñāna*—knowledge. ## Translation **"The Vedic literatures composed by the omniscient Mahāmuni Vyāsadeva are evidence of all spiritual existence. Only through these revealed scriptures can all conditioned souls attain knowledge.** ## Purport Foolish people try to concoct knowledge by manufacturing something in their brains. That is not the real way of knowledge. Knowledge is *śabda-pramāṇa,* evidence from Vedic literature. Śrīla Vyāsadeva is called Mahāmuni. He is also known as Vedavyāsa because he has compiled so many *śāstras.* He has divided the *Vedas* into four divisions—*Sāma, Ṛg, Yajur* and *Atharva.* He has expanded the *Vedas* into eighteen *Purāṇas* and has summarized Vedic knowledge in the *Vedānta-sūtra.* He also compiled the *Mahābhārata,* which is accepted as the fifth *Veda. Bhagavad-gītā* is contained within the *Mahābhārata.* Therefore *Bhagavad-gītā* is also Vedic literature (*smṛti).* Some of the Vedic literatures are called *śrutis,* and some are called *smṛtis.* Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends in the *Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu* (1.2.101): > śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi- > pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā > aikāntikī harer bhaktir > utpātāyaiva kalpate Unless one refers to *śāstra (śruti, smṛti* and *purāṇādi),* one's spiritual activity simply disturbs society. There is no king or government to check people, and therefore society has fallen into a chaotic condition as far as spiritual understanding is concerned. Taking advantage of this chaotic condition, many rascals have appeared and proclaimed themselves incarnations of God. As a result, the entire population is indulging in sinful activities such as illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. Out of many sinful people, many incarnations of God are emerging. This is a very regrettable situation, especially in India.