# Śāstra (Scripture) *On the authority and role of revealed scriptures* --- ### Evidence from Three Sources > Real evidence is, it must be stated in the scriptures, it must be explained by the spiritual master or saintly persons. Sādhu guru śāstra vākya. That is evidence. When you cannot understand, you should get it explained by your spiritual master. Therefore one has to accept a spiritual master to understand. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Cannot Manufacture Religion > Nobody can create religious principle. A man cannot create. That is not possible. Any religious system which is created by man, that is not religion. Religion means what is created by God. That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Incarnations Described > If there is incarnation of God... That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Their activities are mentioned, wonderful activities. We accept Lord Rāmacandra as God, Lord Kṛṣṇa as God, Caitanya Mahāprabhu as God, because They are mentioned in the śāstras, all the incarnations, even this age. — [[spoken/1975/750310bg.lon|Bhagavad-gītā 7.2, London, 1975]] --- ### Direct from the Lord > The Vedic knowledge was imparted in the heart of Brahmā, the first created living being. And Brahmā in his turn disseminated the knowledge to his sons and disciples as they were originally received from the Lord. — [[spoken/1966/660711bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 and Review, New York, 1966]] --- ### Cannot Reach by Logic > It is said that you cannot reach to the right conclusion of the Vedic literature simply by your arguments, by your force of argument or logic. That is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. There are many things which do not come within our arguments, within our sense of logic. So tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. You cannot understand the Supreme Truth simply by arguments. — [[spoken/1966/660711bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 and Review, New York, 1966]] --- ### Different for Different Classes > So scriptures are made according to different classes of men. There are three classes of men: first class, second class and third class. The third-class man cannot understand the philosophy and scriptural injunction of the first-class man. Therefore it is said, śrutayo vibhinnāḥ: the scriptures are different. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Accept Without Cutting > That is also not allowed, that we accept a certain portion of Bhagavad-gītā and reject another portion. That is also not accepted. We must accept the Bhagavad-gītā without interpretation, without any cutting, and without our own whimsical participation in the matter, because it should be taken as the most perfect Vedic knowledge. — [[spoken/1966/660711bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 and Review, New York, 1966]] --- ### Nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa > Although Kṛṣṇa is not physically present as He was present before Arjuna, still, His book, Bhagavad-gītā, is there. And that Bhagavad-gītā is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's teaching, the same, absolute. That is Absolute Truth. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Only Purports Are Lost > There were many scholars, and still, how it is lost? The lost means that the purport of Bhagavad-gītā is lost. Because scholars, they can interpret in their own way about Bhagavad-gītā, but that is not Bhagavad-gītā. — [[spoken/1966/660711bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 and Review, New York, 1966]] --- ### Approach with Right Attitude > It is just like this: If we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the particular direction mentioned on the label of the medicine. Similarly, the Bhagavad-gītā also should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker Himself. — [[spoken/1966/660711bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 and Review, New York, 1966]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on śāstra* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]