Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Canto 5: The Creative Impetus | Chapter 11: Jada Bharata Instructs King Rahūgana |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.11.2
tathaiva rājann uru-gārhamedha-
vitāna-vidyoru-vijrimbhiteshu
na veda-vādeshu hi tattva-vādah
prāyena śuddho nu cakāsti sādhuh
SYNONYMS
tathā — therefore; eva — indeed; rājan — O King; uru-gārha-medha — rituals related to material household life; vitāna-vidyā — in knowledge that expands; uru — very greatly; vijrimbhiteshu — among those interested; na — not; veda-vādeshu — who speak the version of the Vedas; hi — indeed; tattva-vādah — the spiritual science; prāyena — almost always; śuddhah — free from all contaminated activities; nu — indeed; cakāsti — appear; sādhuh — a person who is advanced in devotional service.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, talks of the relationship between the master and the servant, the king and the subject and so forth are simply talks about material activities. People interested in material activities, which are expounded in the Vedas, are intent on performing material sacrifices and placing faith in their material activities. For such people, spiritual advancement is definitely not manifest.
PURPORT
In this verse, two words are significant — veda-vāda and tattva-vāda. According to Bhagavad-gītā, those who are simply attached to the Vedas and who do not understand the purpose of the Vedas or the Vedānta-sūtra are called veda-vāda-ratāh.
pravadanty avipaścitah
nānyad astīti vādinah
"Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say there is nothing more than this." (Bg. 2.42-43)
The veda-vāda followers of the Vedas are generally inclined to karma-kānda, the performance of sacrifice according to the Vedic injunctions. They are thereby promoted to higher planetary systems. They generally practice the Cāturmāsya system. Akshayyam ha vai cāturmāsya-yājinah sukritam bhavati: one who performs the cāturmāsya-yajña becomes pious. By becoming pious, one may be promoted to the higher planetary systems (ūrdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthāh). Some of the followers of the Vedas are attached to karma-kānda, the fruitive activities of the Vedas, in order to be promoted to a higher standard of life. Others argue that this is not the purpose of the Vedas. Tad yathaiveha karma jitah lokah kshīyate evam evam utra punya jitah lokah kshīyate. In this world someone may become very highly elevated by taking birth in an aristocratic family, by being well educated, beautiful or very rich. These are the gifts for pious activities enacted in the past life. However, these will be finished when the stock of pious activity is finished. If we become attached to pious activities, we may get these various worldly facilities in the next life and may take birth in the heavenly planets. But all this will eventually be finished. Kshīne punye martya-lokam viśanti (Bg. 9.21): when the stock of pious activity is finished, one again has to come to this martya-loka. According to the Vedic injunctions, the performance of pious activity is not really the objective of the Vedas. The objective of the Vedas is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: [Bg. 15.15] the objective of the Vedas is to understand Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those who are veda-vādīs are not actually advanced in knowledge, and those who are followers of jñāna-kānda (Brahman understanding) are also not perfect. However, when one comes to the platform of upāsanā and accepts the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes perfect (ārādhanānām sarveshām vishnor ārādhanam param). In the Vedas the worship of different demigods and the performance of sacrifice are certainly, mentioned, but such worship is inferior because the worshipers do not know that the ultimate goal is Vishnu (na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi vishnum [SB 7.5.31]). When one comes to the platform of vishnor ārādhanam, or bhakti-yoga, one has attained the perfection of life. Otherwise, as indicated in Bhagavad-gītā, one is not a tattva-vādī but a veda-vādī, a blind follower of the Vedic injunctions. A veda-vādī cannot be purified from material contamination unless he becomes a tattva-vādī, that is, one who knows tattva, the Absolute Truth. Tattva is also experienced in three features — brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Even after coming to the platform of understanding tattva, one must worship Bhagavān, Vishnu and His expansions, or one is not yet perfect. Bahūnām janmanām ante jñānavān mām prapadyate: [Bg. 7.19] after many births, one who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Krishna. The conclusion is that unintelligent men with a poor fund of knowledge cannot understand Bhagavān, Brahman or Paramātmā, but after studying the Vedas and attaining the understanding of the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is supposed to be on the platform of perfect knowledge.
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness