Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 6 Verse 147

SYNONYMS

brahma-sabde -- by the word "Brahman"; kahe -- it is said; purna -- complete; svayam -- personally; bhagavan -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam -- personally; bhagavan -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead; krishna -- Lord Krishna; sastrera pramana -- the verdict of all Vedic literature.

TRANSLATION

"The word 'Brahman' indicates the complete Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Sri Krishna. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature.

PURPORT

This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (15.15), where the Lord says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. The ultimate object in all Vedic literature is Krishna. Everyone is searching for Him. This is also confirmed elsewhere in the Bhagavad-gita (7.19):

bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate

vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah

"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare."

When one has actually become wise through the study of Vedic literature, he surrenders unto Vasudeva, Bhagavan Sri Krishna. This is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.7-8):

vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah

janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam

dharmah sv-anushthitah pumsam vishvaksena-kathasu yah

notpadayed yadi ratim srama eva hi kevalam

Understanding Vasudeva is real knowledge. By engaging in the devotional service of Vasudeva, Krishna, one acquires perfect knowledge and Vedic understanding. Thus one becomes detached from the material world. This is the perfection of human life. Although one may perfectly follow religious rituals and ceremonies, he is simply wasting his time (srama eva hi kevalam) if he does not attain this perfection.

Before the creation of the cosmic manifestation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead possessed His totally transcendental mind and eyes. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krishna. A person may think that there is no direct statement about Krishna in the Upanishads, but the fact is that the Vedic mantras cannot be understood by people with mundane senses. As stated in the Padma Purana, atah sri-krishna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih: [BRS. 1.2.234] a person with mundane senses cannot fully understand the name, qualities, form and pastimes of Sri Krishna. The Puranas are therefore meant to explain and supplement Vedic knowledge. The great sages present the Puranas in order to make the Vedic mantras understandable for common men (stri-sudra-dvija-bandhunam). Considering that women, sudras and dvija-bandhus (unworthy sons of the twice-born) cannot understand the Vedic hymns directly, Srila Vyasadeva compiled the Mahabharata. Actually, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is vedeshu durlabham (untraceable in the Vedas), but when the Vedas are properly understood or when Vedic knowledge is received from devotees, one can understand that all Vedic knowledge leads to Sri Krishna.

The Brahma-sutra (1.1.3) confirms this fact also: sastra-yonitvat. Commenting upon this Brahma-sutra aphorism, Sri Madhvacarya says, "The Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda, Mahabharata, Pancaratra and the original Valmiki Ramayana are all Vedic literatures. Any literature following the conclusive statements of these Vedic literatures is also to be considered Vedic literature. That literature which does not conform to Vedic literature is simply misleading."

Therefore when reading Vedic literature, we must take the path traversed by great acaryas: maha-jano yena gatah sa panthah. Unless one follows the path traversed by great acaryas, he cannot understand the real purport of the Vedas.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness