# Accepting the Vedas *On the authority of Vedic scriptures* --- ### Cow Dung and Conch Shell > *Jīvera asthi-viṣṭhā dui saṅkha-gomaya.* For example, the stool and bone of a man or an animal are considered impure according to our Vedic rules. Just like when we pass stool in the morning immediately we take a bath. Although it is our stool but because we have touched it our body has become impure. We all know this. Therefore we take a bath to purify ourselves. Similarly while walking in the street if we touch a bone we should take bath. This is scriptural prescription. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is presenting these evidences. *Jīvera asthi-viṣṭha dui saṅkha-gomaya.* Saṅkha which we blow in the temple of the Supreme Lord is *asthi* or bone of an animal, and *gobar* or cow *dung* is *viṣṭha* or stool of an animal. *Śruti vākye-sei dui mahā-pavitra haya.* The Vedas declare these two items as pure. — [[spoken/1971/710203cc.gor|Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta 6.124 with Hanuman Prasad Poddar, Gorakhpur, February 3, 1971]] --- ### Logic Will Not Work > Conch-shell is a bone, but if anyone interprets that bone is considered impure and stool is also impure. But how do the Vedas say that cow dung is pure and conch-shell is also pure? How can we accept? But we do accept. The whole Hindu community accepts the Vedic injunctions. Cow dung is smeared on the body of the Supreme Lord and conch-shell is blown after the *ārati* offered to the Lord. So if we bring in logic into consideration that how can the bone and stool be pure? It's impossible. Then that logic will not work. — [[spoken/1971/710203cc.gor|Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta 6.124 with Hanuman Prasad Poddar, Gorakhpur, February 3, 1971]] --- ### Believing in the Sastra > So Kṛṣṇa says... This is called theism, believing in the *śāstra.* Any *śāstra.* It doesn't mean that simply... All *śāstras,* according to time, circumstances, people, there're different *śāstras.* The Bible is also *śāstra.* Koran is also *śāstra* as much as... But they are spoken according to the time, according to the circumstances. Just like in the Bible, the first injunction is "Thou shall not kill." This means the people were, in those days, at least people who were all around Christ, they were very much expert in killing. Otherwise why he says first, "Thou shall not kill"? So this injunction must be followed. — [[spoken/1975/750203bg.hon|Bhagavad-gītā 16.7, Honolulu, February 3, 1975]] --- ### The Meaning Is Clear > *Prabhu kahe,*-"*sūtrera artha bujhiye nirmala.* Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, Mahārāja, I can very easily understand the meaning of the *sūtras* you are quoting. But I cannot understand anything about your explanation. The meaning of the *sūtras* I can understand. What is the difficulty of understanding clear statements. *Athāto brahma jijñāsā.* Now in the human form of life one should inquire about what is Brahma: Absolute truth. Everyone can understand this. The answer is given, *janmādy asya yataḥ:* the Absolute truth is that from which everything emanates. Everyone understands this. — [[spoken/1971/710203cc.gor|Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta 6.124 with Hanuman Prasad Poddar, Gorakhpur, February 3, 1971]] --- ### This Is Science, Not Religion > This is not religion, this is science! Religion is very far away. This is *dehāntara-prāptir.* Like an infection or disease say small pox, you will be infected by small pox. This is not religion, this is science. *Karaṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo.* So if you are infected with small pox then you have to suffer it. Where is religion in this? When you are a human being then only there will be religion! — [[spoken/1975/750927r1.ahm|Room Conversation, Ahmedabad, September 27, 1975]] --- *5 verified verbatim quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on accepting the Vedas*