# Knowledge from Paramparā *On receiving perfect knowledge through disciplic succession* --- ### Water Directly from the Sky > So that knowledge. *Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam*. As it is stated in the *Bhagavad-gītā,* this knowledge is received by this disciplic succession. That is perfect knowledge. No adulteration. Just like if you see water directly from the sky, it is pure water. And as soon as you take water either from sea or river, it is adulterated. Similarly, we have to receive knowledge direct from Kṛṣṇa. So it is a great opportunity that *Bhagavad-gītā* is directly imparted by Kṛṣṇa. And if we take, accept, *Bhagavad-gītā* as it is, we are full of knowledge. — [[spoken/1968/680318sb.sf|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.2.1, San Francisco, March 18, 1968]] --- ### This Knowledge Is Perfect > Therefore this knowledge is perfect. *Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam*, by disciplic succession from authority. That knowledge is perfect. Our knowledge, most imperfect. Just like we are studying the moon. So many scientists are engaged to study the moon. Every day we read something about moon. And in *Bhāgavata* you see that the moon is very cold planet, and there people drink *soma-rasa.* And the other day I was reading in the paper, the temperature is 200 degrees less than zero. Just you can imagine how cold it is. — [[spoken/1968/680318sb.sf|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.2.1, San Francisco, March 18, 1968]] --- ### We Have to Receive Knowledge from Authorities > The material scientists, they have no information of *ātmā.* Therefore they think that in the moon planet there is no life, in the sun planet there is no life. Simply. This is *kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya.* Dr. Frog Ph.D., he's thinking in his own way. Dr. Frog thinks that this three-feet dimension of the well is all in all; there cannot be anything. These rascal philosopher and rascal scientist, they think in that way, Dr. Frog. There cannot be Atlantic Ocean. That three-feet dimension well water is sufficient. Therefore we have to receive knowledge from authorities. We cannot speculate. Speculation will not help us in approaching the real destination. — [[spoken/1971/710318sb.bom|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.7.19–20, Bombay, March 18, 1971]] --- ### Dumb Becomes a Lecturer > This is subject matter little difficult, but it is very important. Prahlāda Mahārāja is explaining to his demonic class friends. Five-years-old boy, how he's explaining this Sāṅkhya philosophy? Because he's a devotee and he has heard the whole philosophy from authorities, Nārada Muni. *Mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim*. Therefore the spiritual master's mercy is described, *mūkhaṁ karoti vācālam. Mūkham* means dumb, one who cannot speak. He becomes a great lecturer or speaker. Although he is dumb, but he can become a great lecturer, *mūkhaṁ karoti vācālam. Paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim:* and one who is lame, who cannot walk, he can cross over the mountains. *Mūkhaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate. Yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande,* that "By whose mercy these things are possible, I offer my respectful obeisances," *param ānanda bhavam,* "the Supreme Personality of Godhead, reservoir of all pleasure." By Kṛṣṇa's mercy it is possible. — [[spoken/1971/710318sb.bom|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.7.19–20, Bombay, March 18, 1971]] --- ### Scientists' Knowledge Is Imperfect > .he is speaking about knowledge, perfect knowledge. Knowledge received from common man or any person within this material world, infected with four kinds of defects, cannot be perfect. The so-called scientists, philosophers, mental speculators or dramatists or writers, as we experience, their talkings all are nonsense—this is our challenge—because the basic principle of their knowledge is ignorance, *ajñāna.* Big, big scientists, they simply theorize, and they try to support their theories with the words, "it may be," "perhaps." That is not perfect knowledge. — [[spoken/1973/730318le.cal|Lecture, Calcutta, March 18, 1973]] --- *5 verified verbatim quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on knowledge from paramparā*