Puru Das, das anudas

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO Sri Krsna Caitanya Mandir 111-14 101 Avenue South Richmond Hill, NY 11419-1122 Tomorrow, April 21st at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM for Vaisnava Homa -- Fire Yagna -- for Sripada Puru Prabhu http://www.mapquest.com/ Questions may be directed to Bhumipati prabhu at 917-406-5640 or Bhutabhavana at 208-610-0515 Thanks for everyone's very kind comments about Puru, BVML will soon have a new section devoted to the Curator. Your servant, rand0M aXiS (using Puru's computer in NY)

Srila Prabhupada's attitude toward Radha Kunda is nicely explained in the purports to verse 9 of Nectar or Instruction: "In Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila) it is stated that when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu first visited the area of Vrajabhumi, He could not at first find the location of Radha-kunda. This means that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was actually searching for the exact location of Radha-kunda. Finally He found the holy spot, and there was a small pond there. He took His bath in that small pond and told His devotees that the actual Radha-kunda was situated there. Later the pond was excavated by Lord Caitanya's devotees, headed first by the six Gosvamis, such as Rupa and Raghunatha dasa. Presently there is a large lake known as Radha-kunda there. Srila Rupa Gosvami has given much stress to Radha-kunda because of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's desire to find it. Who, then, would give up Radha-kunda and try to reside elsewhere? No person with transcendental intelligence would do so. The importance of Radha-kunda, however, cannot be realized by other Vaisnava sampradayas, nor can persons uninterested in the devotional service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu understand the spiritual importance and divine nature of Radha-kunda. Thus Radha-kunda is mainly worshiped by the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, the followers of Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu." NOI Vese 9 There are other more remarkable statements in the purports to vereses 10, 11 and 12. However, despite Srila Prabhupada's deep appreciationand realization about Radha Kunda, I never heard HDG advocate to any of his followers to take up residence there prematurely. Nevertheless look at what he says in the last purport to verse 11: ". . . It is stated that a devotee will at once develop pure love of Krsna in the wake of the gopis if he once takes a bath in Radha-kunda. Srila Rupa Gosvami recommends that even if one cannot live permanently on the banks of Radha-kunda, he should at least take a bath in the lake as many times as possible. This is a most important item in the execution of devotional service. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in this connection that Sri Radha-kunda is the most select place for those interested in advancing their devotional service in the wake of the lady friends (sakhis) and confidential serving maids (manjaris) of Srimati Radharani. Living entities who are eager to return home to the transcendental kingdom of God, Goloka Vrndavana, by means of attaining their spiritual bodies (siddha-deha) should live at Radha-kunda, take shelter of the confidential serving maids of Sri Radha and under their direction engage constantly in Her service. This is the most exalted method for those engaged in devotional service under the protection of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In this connection Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes that even great sages and great devotees like Narada and Sanaka do not get an opportunity to come to Radha-kunda to take their baths. What, then, to speak of ordinary devotees? If, by great fortune, one gets an opportunity to come to Radha-kunda and bathe even once, he can develop his transcendental love for Krsna, exactly as the gopis did. It is also recommended that one should live on the banks of Radha-kunda and should be absorbed in the loving service of the Lord. One should bathe there regularly and give up all material conceptions, taking shelter of Sri Radha and Her assistant gopis. If one is thus constantly engaged during his lifetime, after giving up the body he will return back to Godhead to serve Sri Radha in the same way as he contemplated during his life on the banks of Radha-kunda. The conclusion is that to live on the banks of the Radha-kunda and to bathe there daily constitute the highest perfection of devotional service. It is a difficult position to attain, even for great sages and devotees like Narada. Thus there is no limit to the glory of Sri Radha-kunda. By serving Radha-kunda, one can get an opportunity to become an assistant of Srimati Radharani under the eternal guidance of the gopis." NOI PUrport verse 11 HDGSACBSP Actual residence at Radha Kunda is something very extraordinary. Who is qualfied to perform genuine bhajana there? Only Vaisnavas on the level of Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami, and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. If living on the banks of Radha-kunda and bathing there daiily is "a difficult position to attain, even for great sages and devotees like Narada," then what to speak of ordinary jivas like ourselves?

Might I point out that strong philosophical differences also manifested directly amongst the disciples of SBSST after his departure. . THe followers of Ananata Vasudeva, to this day, do not accept the pancha tattva mantra, and the potency of the maha mantra. <CENTER>jaya sri-krishna-chaitanya prabhu nityananda sri-adwaita gadadhara shrivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda </CENTER> TRANSLATION I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhara Pandit, Srivas Thakur, and all the devotees of Lord Caitanya. They chant a different mantra. One of their followers who lives behind the large S. Indian Mahaprabhu temple on the parikrama marga, just before the town of Radha Kunda, told me "You cannot enter the kunja by chanting hare krsna maha mantra or the pancha tattva mantra. This is bcause you are chanting nama aparadha and therefore You must chant this other mantra." When I tried to recite the pancha tattva mantra verse out loud, He would not allow me to finish the mantra past Sri Krsna Caitanya. He had no regard for Lord Nityananda, ekanda guru tattva. He is convinced he can "enter the kunja" without the mercy of Lord Nityananda. No suprise that Srila Prabhupada cautioned us about hearing from such confused persons and felt so strongly about the affect his godbrother's deviation from the teachings of SBSST and SBT had upon the Gaudiya Matha, and wrote this: http://www.bvml.org/ACBSP/viraha.htm ". . . But in your absence, Srila Prabhupada, The ‘resolute determination’ explained by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura* Has become broken by the forces of darkness And those who were not fixed in devotional service Have divided your holy Gaudiya Mission into many separated branches. It appears that the essence of your teachings did not enter very deeply into their ears, And that the tigress of desire for material prestige Has regrettably claimed a great many victims. Indeed, I am wondering where I, too, will receive the strength To remain steady in my bhajana in separation from your lotus feet. O Srila Prabhupada. The depth of your compassion was such that the suffering of the misguided humanity was a cause of much suffering for you; And I am acutely feeling lost and alone On this day of your departure from our vision. 5 Persons afflicted by the jaundice of ignorance Cannot taste the ambrosial sweetness Of the heart-transforming names of Hare, Krsna, and Rama. And therefore they do not chant the holy Maha-mantra. Whose thirty-two syllables are like resplendent pearl-like droplets Which constitute the elixir of immortality--- The very medicine for curing the disease of such persons. One of your closest disciples Whose cup you lovingly filled to the brim With the deathless nectar of your instructions Has ungratefully thrown away that chalice, And his regrettable preference for infectious poison Has resulted in an epidemic of sahajiyaism. It seems that the prize valiantly acquired by the triumphant lion Has at present been unscrupulously stolen by a jackal. The oppressive forces of nescience have reduced everyone to tears, And it appears that each of the young lions Is ‘again becoming a mouse.’ O Srila Prabhupada Where are your pure teachings to be found at this dark hour? Standing as we are on the shore of the ocean of spiritual devastation, Only your lifesaving glance of causeless mercy can save us from certain death Only by your infallible grace can we perceive a way to somehow retrace our steps: To return to al life of divine remembrance of the Holy Name in great happiness And implicit faith in your ‘Vaikuntha message”. O blessed master, please awaken some good intelligence In this insignificant servant of yours, Increasing the fullness of his faith in your sublime message day by day. You compassionately took the suffering of misguided humanity Upon your own holy head, And I am feeling severe pangs of separation from your lotus feet On this day upon which you disappeared for our vision.

If we are strict with ourselves and only repeat what we have heard from our spiritual masters then there is no question of disrespecting any living entity,as pure devotees bear no animosity toward anyone. There is however the matter of satyam, and His Divine Grace Srila Prabhpada has written in the purport to Bg. 10,4-5 as follows: ". . . Satyam, truthfulness, means that facts should be presented as they are for the benefit of others. Facts should not be misrepresented. According to social conventions, it is said that one can speak the truth only when it is palatable to others. But that is not truthfulness. The truth should be spoken in a straight and forward way, so that others will understand actually what the facts are. If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he is a thief, that is truth. Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one should not refrain from speaking it. Truthfulness demands that the facts be presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is the definition of truth. . . ." So in that mood, and particularly to protect their disciples from what they feel are misdirections in the matter of how to execute sadhana, GAudiya acaryas like SBSST and HDGSACBSP, and SBVNM sometimes are impelled to speak out on what may appear to be controversial or "political" topics. They advise their followers against what they feel are unbona fide methods of devotional practice that serve to ultimately degrade and not really benefit any sadhaka. We know how strongly His Divine Grace felt about gopi bhava groups, and sahajaism. He felt it was the greates enemy to "preaching" KC.Here is another example: Question: In Sri Brahma-samhita it is described that Sri Sri Radha and Krsna are seated on a divine throne, and the whorl of the lotus flower upon which They are seated is described as a hexagonal figure. What is the meaning of this hexagonal figure? Srila Guru Maharaja: I am sorry, but we are not to enter into the discussion of such higher and subtle position of the Lila of Radha-Krsna. That is not to be brought into public, and that is the distinction between the Gaudiya Math and the sahajiya section. The sahajiyas are trying to imitate all this things, but we have no faith in imitation. The higher Lila will come in an individual case, and it will awaken in an irresistible way. When the programme of the sadhana stage is finished it will come automatically, spontaneously. We are believers in that, and not to know the form already and then we will reach there -- that is not the policy accepted by Guru Maharaja, Prabhupada: Transcribed from an informal talk at Nabadwip Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math on 13th March , 1981. Fools Rush In Where Angels Fear to Tread by Srila Bhaktiraksaka Sridara Goswami Maharaja http://bvml.org/SBRSM/index.htm We also know that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarsavati Thakura preached very strongly against certain groups of babas, and did not advocate siddha pranali initiations for undeserving practitioners, especially neophyte disciples who must first execute the regulative principles of vaidhi bhakti and make gradual progress from aropa siddha bhakta to sanga siddha bhakti and eventually to svarupa siddha bhakti but only when they have sufficient adhikara, and otherwise not. Sravanam kirtanam with the emphasis on kirtanam first so one may become quailfied to practice sravanam correctly and with the proper deep insights it truly requires. Srila Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Maharaja http://bvml.org/SBBTM/index.htm pointed out to me that sahajiya groups never study the Sri Upadesamrta of Srila Rupa Gosvami, only the other books he wrote. He told me that they are "afraid" of the subject matter in those verses,especially sloka one.

Seems to me that 2+2=5 in this discussion and not 4. That is because Srila Narayana Maharaja's class: Boycott the Sahajiya Babajis http://www.bvml.org/SBNM/btsb.htm was never directed specifically at Ananta das Babaji Maharaja, or any other individual. His remarks summarize three basic philosophical differences between the followers of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and other groups, not specifically identified that have a different mind set. Such concepts may be shared either partially or completel by certain individuals, no matter. We know that Srila Ananta das Babaji Maharaja speaks very beautifully and his subject matter is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the books left by the six gosvamis. As far as I know he does not accept our guru varga and therefore we are hesitant to hear from him on the advanced topics he speaks and writes about. In this hesitancy, or conservative position, there is no criticism of him, only an exercise ofour discrimination and choice as to which sadhu's we will follow, take shelter of and give our heart to. Love is never forced and everyone will vote with their feet and march to the beat of their own drum. NO harm. Birds of any feather will flock together. FYI I asked Srila B.V. Narayana Maharaja in Brazil if I could examine Srila Ananta das babaji Maharaja's books. He said to me "No harm." But the only problem remains for me that the only English translations of his work are done by someone who has an inimical attitude toward my siksa guru. So better safe than sorry. BTW Jagatananda (who was mentioned) appears to have adopted all three philosophical divergances mentioned by SBVNM. Once on the vnn forum I had a long argument with him as to the veracity of a book from the 13th century, supposedly proving that Prakasananda Sarasvati and Prabhodananda Sarasvati were identical personalities. He told me, "SBSST simply was not aware of that book." This showed his acceptance of the second divergance, that he had no faith at all in our guru varga. It is a preposterous proposal that a mahabhagavata like SBSST would "require" corrobaration of anything related to spiritual life, from a 13th century scholar. Prerposterous to anyone with even slight realization about the guru varga we accept, but logical to the lecogographical empiricists, mayavadis and sahajiya followers like jagat. In other posts he also betrayed his position by declaring that he thought Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, "Invented" shastra. Whatever. Srila B.V. Naryana Maharaja has written a much more extensive critique on the differences between our guru varga and other groups, in his essay about third initiation: <table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="84%"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" bgcolor="#ccffcc" width="82%">Five Essential Essays - Prabandha Panchakam</td> <td align="right" bgcolor="#ccffcc" valign="top" width="18%"> View Download</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="5%"></td> <td class="inhalttext" colspan="2" width="95%">This exceptional book is a compilation of five different essays which Srila Gurudeva has written over the past 20 years in defense of Gaudiya sampradaya tattva siddhanta. Each refutation is elaborately and conclusively proven with evidence from sastra. Included in this edition are two lectures by Srila Gurudeva which glorify and follow the example of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada who boldly re-established the true conceptions of Sriman Mahaprabhu and the gosvamis, and began the preaching mission which is today bringing this pure bhakti tattva siddhanta to every country in the world.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Thank you. <center>TEXT 1 </center> <center> isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam </center> <center>SYNONYMS </center> isvarah--the controller; paramah--supreme; krsnah--Lord Krsna; sat--comprising eternal existence; cit--absolute knowledge; ananda--and absolute bliss; vigrahah--whose form; anadih--without beginning; adih--the origin; govindah--Lord Govinda; sarva-karana-karanam--the cause of all causes. <center>TRANSLATION </center> Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.

Thank you for your kindness. I underwent quadruple by pass openheart surgery 17 years ago when I was 41. My left leg is always worse than the right, and this is simply a matter of physics. The surgeons removed the sapphenous vein from my left leg and placed it on the circumflex artery on the back of my heart, which was 90% blocked. Swelling only manifested some years later after the operation, and comes and goes like the tides. Visiting Puri this winter, after kartike, set it off again. Puri is the land of Lord Jagannath and Mahaprabhu's extraordinary pastimes in Gambhira, the sea, Rathayatra, Gundica etc.. and this part of Orissa also looks to be the elephantitis capital of the world is it not? Water is indeed the answer. None of the doctors I saw in India had any brain to prescribe sufficient water pills opr correctly adjust my blood pressure medicaton. One look at me in NY and one of our sanga members who is a physician, changed my medication drastically and I have been improving slowly, slowly ever since I started the regimen he prescribed. The alopathic medicines he has me taking do a very effective job of increasing the amount of water that goes in and out of the material body. The only other aide is to elevate one's legs, and that requires sitting or lying immobile. At night for rest I can do this sometimes, but during the day the modes churn too rapdiily and I am more inclined to be active. Thanks for the tip though. I appreciate your concern. ys pda

It is from the end of the footnote. Just scrolll up from the bottom of the url I gave http://bvml.org/SBNM/JaivaDharma/07.html and see: J A I VA - D H A R M A CHAPTER 7 168<o:p></o:p> – continuation of footnote 2 (from page 155): Stonehearted there is nothing confusing about the layout of this page: http://bvml.org/SBNM/JaivaDharma/07.html Kindly take notice that all the footnotes are clearly indicated and are posted in smaller typeface than Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's text. Unless I wanted Jaiva Dharma up in pdf format this is the best way I could come up with to do the footnotes in an html scrolling copy of each chapter. Anyway what matter? Read the quote and the explanation of the sloka is straightforward, shastrially based and bona fide. Srila Prabhupada explained it the same way. So have other acaryas.

Then kindly stop hiding behind a pen name, guest AN. Why are we wasting our valuable time here in the contentious atmosphere of cyber debate instead of absorbing ourselves more in hari nama? Computer connections in India aren't easy and if you don't have any phone line you have to spend laxmi to post from a cyber cafe. In Govardhana one brahamcari (and that could be you) asked me why I wasted my time posting here I should have asked him why he wastes time reading here? . Why don't we both chant one lac tomorrow instead of going tit for tat? I really have too much to do to waste much more effort here anyway prahu. Posting on these forums sometimes is like having malaria. You get a fever and it lasts for a while and then you recover. Jump into a discussion here and lose so much valuable time,and for what? An exercise in false ego, a jalpa discussion in the mode of passion, tit for tat tal fruit discussions. Shame on me for speaking too much, yet again to the tar baby. http://www.otmfan.com/html/brertar.htm Sripad Tridandi Maharaj very kindly mailed me a book detailing the history and philosophies of the four Vaisnava sampradayas. I have to study it very carefully so I can speak on the topic later this summer in the U.K. So please take whatever last word you want to in this exchange, because after this post I just can't invest any more time discussing with you how you think and feel about my diksa guru, and his legacy. Thank you. How magananimous of you prabhu. Sripad B.V. Van Maharaja has a full set of Cc. and SB in the small room in the Kesavji Gaudiya Matha where he used to live. Thing is that only devotees like yourself, who are fluent in English, can have any idea at all of the value of Srila Swami Maharaja's writing. The many brahmacaries who speak only Bengali and/or Hindi will remain clueless to their value. What can be done? Sadly in this life we will never be able to read the tikhas they do in bengali, and they will not be able to read our sources either. Seems apparant that Krsna has made an arrangement for everyone, regardless of his janma, to be able to connect to the absolute truth through the medium of print, whatever language. There is no doubt that Srila Gurudeva's writing will also pass the "test of time." Consider then how would you appreciate it if 30 years down the road someone in a forum treats his efforts so glibly as you do Swamiji's and observes that Srila Gurudeva's translations were a "good atempt.?" or "the best for their time." No one ever suggested that the Gaudiya library was a closed shop.You make a lot of false assumptions and then address them a though someone had actually said such things. What a useless exercise prabhu. Better we chant and study more and post less.You can stop making observations of things no one said, and I won't have to waste time answering them. Your post points out a difference between us. You think you are a brahmacari in the "Gaudiya Matha", and I believe "I am of no faction" . I am firmly convinced that Srila Gurudeva's sanga has more to do with cultivating suddha bhakti and less to do with institutional identification and/or loyalty than you do. Srils Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Maharja has also explained in chapter 5 of Sri Guru and His Grace: http://bvml.org/SBRSM/SGaHG.html#5 "We need society only to help us. If our affinity to the society keeps us down, then that should be given up, and we must march on. There is the absolute consideration and the relative consideration. When they come into clash, the relative must be given up, and the absolute should be accepted. If my inner voice, my spiritual conscience decides that this sort of company cannot really help me, then I will be under painful necessity to give them up, and to run towards my destination, wherever my spiritual conscience guides me. Any other course will be hypocrisy, and it will check my real progress. If we are sincere in our attempt, then no one in the world can check us or deceive us; we can only deceive ourselves (na hi kalyana-krt kascid durgatim tata gacchati) [bg. 6.40]. We must be true to our own selves, and true to the Supreme Lord. We must be sincere." There may be a certain level of stability and facility in any institution of any acarya during his nara lila. After his maha samadhi,that may change or stay steady if another self effulgent acarya from the same mission succeedes him. It ma change drastically also. However, according to Srila Srirupa Siddhanti maharaja's observations, we find out who was associating with him there for what reasons. http://bvml.org/SBSST/sna.html "(15) Only at the time of Sri Gurudeva’s disappearance can one recognise the actual identity of his disciples. One can then understand who has approached Sri Guru with what intention. (16) Even after taking shelter of a sad-guru’s lotus feet, some disciples secretly strive to occupy the seat of Sri Gurudeva at the time of his disappearance. Their acceptance of the shelter of Sri Guru’s feet was merely deceit. They are, in fact, hostile and inimical to guru. . . ." He was only "sannyasa" for 4 or 5 years longer, and if he understood that Srila Swami Maharaja was his siksa guru perhaps you should just go along with that conception. Srila Gurudeva accepted him as good as Srila Bhakti Prajnan Kesava Maharaja because he understood then only too well that guru is one and manifests in many different forms. Actually Srila Gurudeva's realization of our other acaryas is so high that we can't begin to approach it with our intellect. The Gaudiya acaryas know each other eternally ,and are all connected to the eternal seva of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, so we can only guess as to the depth of their connection to one another. Not only present, but the priest in charge of the whole function. But here you go again prabhu, making a false distinction between the service your diksa guru and that of a predecessor acarya,and only because of how that seva touches you personally in this one birth that you seem to identify with. Your estimation of "less or more" shows that you have a lot to learn about guru tattva, and lot more to learn about what our guru parampara means. My conclusion is you simply have not listened to many of Srila Swami Maharajs' public lectures. You are most certainly too young in this birth to have had his vapuh association unless you did so in a previous lifeh. How old are you , 24? In his first years in the U.S. Srila Swami Maharaja spoke mostly from the Cc. His classes were as rasika as any one of our other acaryas' ever has spoken including Srila Gurudeva. Methinks you are not paying close enough attention to the explanations of diksa and siksa guru given by Srila Prabhupada in his Cc. purports. Therein he has written: " When by learning from the self-realized spiritual master one actually engages himself in the service of Lord Visnu, functional devotional service begins. The procedures of this devotional service are known as abhidheya, or actions one is dutybound to perform. Our only shelter is the Supreme Lord, and one who teaches how to approach Krsna is the functioning form of the Personality of Godhead. There is no difference between the shelter-giving Supreme Lord and the initiating and instructing spiritual masters. If one foolishly discriminates between them, he commits an offense in the discharge of devotional service." His Divine Grace may just be a name in Gaudiya history to you, but to myself and to his other disciples and to Srila Gurudeva himself he is much more. Personally I don't see why it should upset or concern you that siksa disciples of Srila Gurudeva,who accepted diksa from other acaryas make such connection to their diksa guru. If associating with Srila Swami Maharaja's followers disturbs your mental quantum then you should avoid us baba. We just live in the past by your estimation. However Srila Gurudeva seems to share the same love and affection for His Divine Grace that we do and so we cling to his point of view. We hear about that conection from him all the time and anyone can read about it here: My Siksa Guru and Priya Bandhu [This is a collection of recollections and reflections about His Divine GraceSrila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada from one of his earliest siksafollowers and friends, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. These descriptiveaccounts of his association with Srila Prabhupada span a long period of time, since they first met in 1947.] http://bvml.org/SBNM/msgapb.htm It is a very simple matter for me and anyone else to embrace Srila Gurudeva's perception of Srila Swami Maharaja and happily and easily ignore yours. In future if you ever accept any siksa guru after Srila Gurudeva's physical departure you may find yourself doing exactly the same thing, looking for parallels in their vanih. Please indeed!!! Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Maharaja has explained this point.this search, nicely in Sri Guru and His Grace: http://bvml.org/SBRSM/SGaHG.html In chapter Three he says: " So, the very gist of the guru parampara, the disciplic succession, is siksa, the spiritual teaching, and wherever it is to be traced, there is guru. One who has the transcendental eye, the divine eye, will recognize the guru wherever he appears. One who possesses knowledge of absolute divine love in purity --- he is guru. Otherwise the guru parampara is only a body parampara: a succession of bodies . . . The Gaudiya Math deals with reality, not with the frame. We are trying to understand what is what in the spiritual thought-world. We are not enchanted or captured by the mere form. We are interested in the step by step development in spiritual thought. In his Upadesamrta (10), Srila Rupa Goswami has said, karmibhyah parito hareh priyataya vyaktim yayur jnaninas, tebhyo jnanavimukta bhakti-paramah premaika nisthas tatah. "Out of many materialists one may be a philosopher. Out of many philosophers, one may become liberated and take to devotional service. Out of many devotees, one may attain pure love of Krsna. He is the best of all." We are interested in understanding this gradation: what is the Viraja river, what is the spiritual sky, the planet of Lord Siva, the Vaikuntha world of Visnu, Lord Rama's Ayodhya, and then Krsna in Dwaraka, Mathura, and Vrndavana? We want to know the realistic view of the whole gradation of devotional thought I suggest you take associaton from devotees who live less in the "past" and more in the "present." I don't bother with godbrothers who are in an iskcon time bubble either. However guru nistha is not limited to one acarya, but to the principle of ekanda guru tattva. Again Srila Sridhar Maharaja has written: "So, the absolute and the relative are two different classes of interest. And we find more importance in the absolute interest. We must be sincere to our own creed. The form is necessary to help me in a general way to maintain my present position. At the same time, my conception of the higher ideal will always goad me to advance, to go forward, and wherever I do, I must follow the greater model, the greater ideal. Spiritual life is progressive, not stagnant. We are in the stage of sadhana, and we want to go ahead, not backwards. The formal position will help me to maintain my present status, and my extraordinary affinity for the ideal will goad me towards the front. The search for Sri Krsna is dynamic and living, so adjustment and readjustment is always going on. And we should also change our present position accordingly, so that we may not have to sacrifice the high ideal for which we have come. Einstein had to leave Germany and go to America for his high ideal of life. And so many similar instances may be found in the world. The ideal is all in all. The highest ideal in a man is his highest jewel. Our most precious gem is our ideal." Sri Guru and His Grace In the future, when Srila Gurudeva is not physically manifesting eartlhy pastimes you will have to face what Srila Swami Maharaj's disciples have had to deal with since 1977. Again Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Maharaj's vanih is of great help in this regard. Take note of his words: "What we have received from our spiritual master we understood only in a rough estimation. Now, things have come in such a way that we have to scrutinize ourselves in every position. We have to analyze ourselves. Atma-niksepa, self-analysis has begun. We are under trial. What we have received from our spiritual master, in what way have we received it? Properly, or only showingly? The time has come to purify us, to test whether we are real students, real disciples, or his disciples only in face and confession. What is the position of a real disciple? If we live in a society, what is the depth of our creed? In what attitude have we accepted his teachings? How deep-rooted is it within us? The fire has come to test whether we can stand. Is our acceptance real? Or is it a sham, an imitation? This fire will prove that. So, this is the real field of sadhana, or practice. Our practice, our advancement needs these difficulties. Otherwise, we may not know what is progress, and we will become hypocrites, and give the adulterated thing to others. So, to purify ourselves, it is necessary that so many disturbances come. And God has no error. He commands the environment. It is not our responsibility. The responsibility of the environment does not rest upon us. If I am sincere, then I have to adjust myself with this environment and put my faith before Him. "Everyone may leave me, but I shall stand alone!" With this attitude we must march on, whatever the circumstances may be. Then the recognition may come in my favor, that "Yes, under such trying circumstances he is still there." Our superiors will be pleased with us. The relative and absolute considerations are always coming in clash. The absolute should be accepted and the relative sacrificed. Still the relative is necessary. After graduation from primary school another teacher is accepted for higher education, but that does not mean that the primary teacher is neglected or insulted. For our own interest, whatever we find which is akin to what was given to us by our guru maharaja, whatever we find that will enlighten us further, and whatever will help us to understand more clearly what we heard from our guru maharaja, must be accepted. Is my realization a living thing, or is it dead? Anyone who has come in connection with the infinite cannot but say this: "I am nothing." That should be the salient point. We have left all social concerns and so many other shackles. For what? For the Absolute Truth And wherever I shall find that, I must bow down my head. And if a great soul shows us, "This is the path to where you will find your thirst quenched. The line is in this zigzag way," we must accept that for our own interest. We are worshipers not of this form, but of substance. Wherever I feel the presence of my Lord in an intense form, I must be attracted to that side. Krsna says, sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. Wherever we shall find Him, we must run in that direction. My interest is with Him. Not that we can challenge, "Why did Krsna appear here, and why is He appearing there?" If a man in a boat is passing through the current and finds himself in danger, then from whatever side help may come, he must run to that side." from Sri Guru and His Grace: http://bvml.org/SBRSM/SGaHG.html#5 If you are who I think you are then I'm very sorry that I yelled at you in Govardhana. I know only too well that I cannot be around anyone when I am plagued by fatigue, physical illness and near starvation. Forewarned was forearmed. For you as Srila B.V. Narayana Maharaja's diksa disciple it is your present position to be ahaituki, single pointed, in the direction of your gurueva. Doesn't bother me in the least. However you should also be broadminded with regard to all the other Gaudya acaryas, as your spiritual master certainly is. Be on guard because Srila Bhaktivinioda Thakura has observed: "Sectarianism is a natural byproduct of the Absolute Truth. When acaryas first ascertain and instruct the Truth, it is not polluted with sectarianism. But the rules and regulations received through disciplic succession regarding the goal and the method of achieving it are changed in due course of time according to the mentality and locale of the people." from: Non-Sectarian Vaisnava-Dharma [On the nature of sectarianism from the introduction to the Sri Krsna Samhita] For other sadhakas who were fortunate to have also taken the association of Srila Swami Maharaja, their perspepctive and point of view is perhaps something you will not ever appreciate or understand. No matter, no harm and so what? We are all family members in the same group are we not? No to worry prabhu. Since returning to NY I am recovering my health slowly, and I can cook without too much salt and/or red chillies,get adequate rest and worship Thakurji without anyone telling me that I am not qualified to do so. I only have to deal with the contention that comes from famly members, who are never satisfied no matter what I do, and stay focused on my service to Sri Guru and Gauranga. Stay well and please forgive any offenses I may have committed at your feet either wililngly or unwilingly, due to the physical pain of severe edema (swelling) in my 58 year old legs,and the fatigue that 6 months in India had inflicted upon me.

The Brahma-vaivarta Purana (Krsna-khanda 115.112-113) states:<o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> asvamedham gavalambham sannyasam palapaitrkam<o:p></o:p> devarena sutotpattim kalau panca vivarjayet<o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> In Kali-yuga five activities are forbidden: the offering of a horse in sacrifice,<o:p></o:p>the offering of a cow in sacrifice, the acceptance of sannyasa, offering flesh <o:p></o:p>to the forefathers, and begetting children through a husband’s brother.<o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Some people try to establish on the basis of this sloka that the acceptance of sannyasa is forbidden in Kali-yuga. However, this sloka has a hidden intention. The purpose of this sloka is not to forbid<o:p></o:p> sannyasa altogether. Indeed, many great personalities who appeared in Kali-yuga were tyagis or sannyasis, including Sri Ramanuja, Sri Madhva, Sri Visnu-svami, and other acaryas who were well acquainted<o:p></o:p> with all the sastras, as well as the crown jewels of all acaryas, the Six Gosvamis, who were bhaktas of Sri Gaura.<o:p></o:p> The pure succession of sannyasa is continuing, even today. The injunction against accepting sannyasa in Kali-yuga actually means that it is improper to accept the ekadanda-sannyasa that evolved<o:p></o:p> from the unauthorized line of thought propagated by Acarya Sankara, and which is expressed in maxims such as so ‘ham (I am that brahma) and aham brahmasmi (I am brahma). It is this type of<o:p></o:p> sannyasa that has been forbidden.<o:p></o:p> Tridanda-sannyasa is the real, perpetual sannyasa, and it is applicable at all times. Sometimes tridanda-sannyasa externally appears in the form of ekadanda-sannyasa. Ekadanda-sannyasis of this<o:p></o:p> type, who are actually great souls, accept the eternality of tridandasannyasa that symbolizes the three features of sevya (the object ofservice), sevaka (the servitor), and seva (service). Such people<o:p></o:p> consider the ekadanda-sannyasa propagated by Sankara to be completely unauthorized and not supported by sastra. It is therefore proven, even on the basis of the Brahma-vaivarta Purana sloka cited by smarta acaryas, that it is logical for sadhakas who are pursuing the nivrtti-marga to accept sannyasa. excerpted from Chapter 7 of Srila Bhaktivnoda Thakura's Jaiva Dharma: Chapter 7 -- Nitya-Dharma & Material Existence<o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> http://bvml.org/SBNM/JaivaDharma/07.html<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->

I did not say that His Divine grace "codified the words of all the predeecesor acaryas into one particular purport" did I? I said "His Divine Grace's genius was that he could summarize and codify the other commentaries into his "own" purport and present the material in a digestable and easily understandable format for neophyte western disciples, and any other readers in general." I also said I would contact Pradyumna prabhu "For the exact names of the other acaryas' tikhas in the SB he used we can consult Pradyumna prabhu, who also worked with the same book. I will try to contact him and ask." and find out which Vaisnava acaryas His Divine Grace refered to (codified if you will) when he did his SB translation work. I can repeat what I have heard from my preceptors according to my own realization. Some realization,however limited it may be, to the potency and efficacy of His Divine Grace's books, I do have, whether you think so or not. You have read the Vaisnava tosani and Sararth darsini in their original language??? Making claims that I said this or that when I did not is typical internet diatribe. Call the dog bad and then hang him. Shame GuestAN, cheap shots.

You are missing my point completely. Srila Prabhupada said in l936: "Gentlemen, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this evening to the acaryadeva is not a sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva or acaryadeva, we speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any question of discriminating my guru from yours or anyone else’s. There is only one guru, who appears in an infinity of forms to teach you, me and all others. . ." from: What is your name ? Where were you and when did you hear Srila Gurudeva say ""I think my books will be 'more' than what Swamiji gave." Where can we read the whole conversation and not just one sentence out of context that will be easily misinterpreted by envious persons who have no mamata for Srila Narayana Maharaja's association? In one sense the SB recitation by Suta Gosvami is "more" than the earlier recitation of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami.After all it also contains additional questions and answers of the sages of Naimisharanya. Such recitation by Srila Suta Gosvami only serves to glorify all the more the earlier speaker,his spiritual master Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, does it not??? Every acarya is unique in himself. Kindly examine samples of the vanih of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Maharaja http://bvml.org/SBRSM/index.htm and in particular his commentary on the 4 catur slokas of the Bg.: http://bvml.org/SBRSM/thtotsa.html before you falsely imply that Srila Gurudeva is the "only" rasika Vaisnava acarya. Certainly his writing is unique. No one else has translated into Hindi the particular tikhas and choice of literature that he has done. That is the nature of our guru parampara. They each make a particular contribution to the Gaudiya library, as did the four sampradaya acaryas when they each presented their respective philosophical answers to Sankaracarya, Also if you examine carefully the writings of Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaja, http://bvml.org/SBPPG/index.htm You will find many parrallels to Srila Gurudeva's classes and purports. His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada also wrote: in the purport to Cc. Adi lila 7.37,: “ Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was an ideal acarya. An acarya is an ideal teacher who knows the purpose of the revealed scriptures, behaves exactly according to their injunctions and teaches his students to adopt these principles also. As an ideal acarya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu devised ways to capture all kinds of atheists and materialists. Every acarya has a specific means of propagating his spiritual movement with the aim of bringing men to Krsna consciousness. Therefore, the method of one acarya may be different from that of another, but the ultimate goal is never neglected. Srila Rupa Gosvami recommends: tasmat kenapy upayena manah krsne nivesayet sarve vidhi-nisedha syur etayor eva kinkarah An acarya should devise a means by which people may somehow or other come to Krsna consciousness. First they should become Krsna conscious, and all the prescribed rules and regulations may later gradually be introduced. In our Krsna consciousness movement we follow this policy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu...” “...It is the concern of the acarya to show mercy to the fallen souls. In this connection, desa-kala-patra (the place, the time and the object) should be taken into consideration...” Cc. Adi lila 7.37-38 It behooves you to inject false distinction into the mix in your inappropriatel worded attempt to glorify Srila Narayan Maharaj's literary contribution. Makes me beleive that you do not realize Srila B.V. Narayana Maharaja's mood, and while you claim to be his sisya, you are really a sectarian thinker hiding behind a pen name "guest" pretending to be his sisya. Seems to me your attempting to actually discredit rather than glorify him. We see the same narrow thinking from many institutionalized iskcon wallahs and gm bengali fanatics It wears the same. Sorry you don't appreciate the depth of Srila Prabhupada's writing. A clear example of what I am pointing out regarding "codify" is his The Nectar of Instruction If you examine the translation of this same book, Sri Upadesamrta of Srila Rupa Gosvmi, by Srila Narayana Maharaja Sri Upadesamrta View Download you can read in English the separate tikhas of Radha Raman Gosvami, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Compare them to Srila Swami Maharaja's commentaries and it is abundantly clear to any open minded reader that he summarized the same information and also added his own stamp, and made the other commentaries digestable and easily understood by the neophyte and advanced English reader. Srila Narayana Maharja so apprecaites this book that he has given many classes based on the Bhaktivedanta purports in it and has also printed them in his English book, Essence of All Advise. Sorry I don't have a copy of it online, as of yet. Srila Prabhupada never claimed he was the "only" Gaudiya commentator. He expresses abundant appreciation for and quotes the Six Gosvamis, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and almost every other Vaisnava author throughout his Cc. and SB purports. Your attitude makes me think you have not read his books carefully. Kindly don't put words in his mouth,or mine, or anyone else's if you please. No one has made the claim that Srila Prabhupada's books are the "be all and end all." except yourself. I haven't seen this style of diatribe and false insinuation since the VNN forums. Most of the readers of His Divine Grace's books, ,including myself, are not fluent in Bengali. His contribution in English is certainly unique. Who else except perhaps Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has made KC so readily available to the English speaking world? Was that not the desire and mood of SBSST, to offer KC to all human beings around the world, not just India. Srila Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Maharaja, another living acarya says that very thing boldly in his classes, spoken in Hindi in Delhi, and translated by his secretary Tamal Krsna Prabhu into English for the benefit of everyone from the west is not bi-lingual. "With all due respepct" actually means with none at all, and you sound like a follower of the part of the GM that lacked sufficient appreciation of His Divine Grace's preaching. Some members of the GM (names are unecessary) also could similarly not appreciate His Divine Grace's Krsna Book (summary study of the 10th Canto) because it was written in prose, with the purports melted throught the descriptions of the lila, and hasa no sankskrit verse and word for word translations. Such thinking places form over substance. Such thinkers also don't see the value of the Nectar of Devotion, the summar study of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu either. You are no doubt a subtle fault finder extraordinaire, and I doubt seriously that you are the sisya of SBVNM. Who are you anyway? It behooves anyone to glorify one spiritual master at the "expense" of another.

<o:p></o:p>Ladies and gentlemen, today’s subject matter is the teachings of the Vedas. What are the Vedas? The Sanskrit verbal root of veda can be interpreted variously, but the purport is finally one. Veda means knowledge. Any knowledge you accept is veda, for the teachings of the Vedas are the original knowledge.. . . The Vedas are not compilations of human knowledge. Vedic knowledge comes from the spiritual world, from Lord Krishna. Another name for the Vedas is sruti. Sruti refers to that knowledge which is acquired by hearing. It is not experimental knowledge. Sruti is considered to be like a mother. We take so much knowledge from our mother. For example, if you want to know who your father is, who can answer you? Your mother. If the mother says, “Here is your father,” you have to accept it. It is not possible to experiment to find out whether he is your father. Similarly, if you want to know something beyond your experience, beyond your experimental knowledge, beyond the activities of the senses, then you have to accept the Vedas. There is no question of experimenting. It has already been experimented. It is already settled. The version of the mother, for instance, has to be accepted as truth. There is no other way. The Vedas are considered to be the mother, and Brahma is called the grandfather, the forefather, because he was the first to be instructed in the Vedic knowledge. In the beginning the first living creature was Brahma. He received this Vedic knowledge and imparted it to Narada and other disciples and sons, and they also distributed it to their disciples. In this way, the Vedic knowledge comes down by disciplic succession. It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that Vedic knowledge is understood in this way. If you make experimental endeavor, you come to the same conclusion, but just to save time you should accept. If you want to know who your father is and if you accept your mother as the authority, then whatever she says can be accepted without argument. There are three kinds of evidence: pratyaksha, anumana and sabda. Pratyaksha means “direct evidence.” Direct evidence is not very good because our senses are not perfect. We are seeing the sun daily, and it appears to us just like a small disc, but it is actually far, far larger than many planets. Of what value is this seeing? Therefore we have to read books; then we can understand about the sun. So direct experience is not perfect. Then there is anumana, inductive knowledge: “It may be like this”—hypothesis. For instance, Darwin’s theory says it may be like this, it may be like that. But that is not science. That is a suggestion, and it is also not perfect. But if you receive the knowledge from the authoritative sources, that is perfect. If you receive a program guide from the radio station authorities, you accept it. You don’t deny it; you don’t have to make an experiment, because it is received from the authoritative sources. Vedic knowledge is called sabda-pramana. Another name is sruti. Sruti means that this knowledge has to be received simply by aural reception. The Vedas instruct that in order to understand transcendental knowledge, we have to hear from the authority. Transcendental knowledge is knowledge from beyond this universe. Within this universe is material knowledge, and beyond this universe is transcendental knowledge. We cannot even go to the end of the universe, so how can we go to the spiritual world? Thus to acquire full knowledge is impossible. There is a spiritual sky. There is another nature, which is beyond manifestation and nonmanifestation. But how will you know that there is a sky where the planets and inhabitants are eternal? All this knowledge is there, but how will you make experiments? It is not possible. Therefore you have to take the assistance of the Vedas. This is called Vedic knowledge. In our Krishna consciousness movement we are accepting knowledge from the highest authority, Krishna. Krishna is accepted as the highest authority by all classes of men. I am speaking first of the two classes of transcendentalists. One class of transcendentalists is called impersonalistic, Mayavadi. They are generally known as Vedantists, led by Sankaracarya. And there is another class of transcendentalists, called Vaishnavas, like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Vishnu-svami. Both the Sankara-sampradaya and the Vaishnava-sampradaya have accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankaracarya is supposed to be an impersonalist who preached impersonalism, impersonal Brahman, but it is a fact that he is a covered personalist. In his commentary on the Bhagavad-gita he wrote, “Narayana, the Su-preme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this cosmic manifestation.” And then again he confirmed, “That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, is Krishna. He has come as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva.” He particularly mentioned the names of His father and mother. So Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all transcendentalists. There is no doubt about it. Our source of knowledge in Krishna consciousness is the Bhagavad-gita, which comes directly from Krishna. We have published the Bhagavad-gita As It Is because we accept Krishna as He is speaking, without any interpretation. That is Vedic knowledge. Since the Vedic knowledge is pure, we accept it. Whatever Krishna says, we accept. This is Krishna consciousness. That saves much time. If you accept the right authority, or source of knowledge, then you save much time. For example, there are two systems of knowledge in the material world: inductive and deductive. From deductive, you accept that man is mortal. Your father says man is mortal, your sister says man is mortal, everyone says man is mortal—but you do not experiment. You accept it as a fact that man is mortal. If you want to research to find out whether man is mortal, you have to study each and every man, and you may come to think that there may be some man who is not dying but you have not seen him yet. So in this way your research will never be finished. In Sanskrit this process is called aroha, the ascending process. If you want to attain knowledge by any personal endeavor, by exercising your imperfect senses, you will never come to the right conclusions. That is not possible. There is a statement in the Brahma-samhita: Just ride on the airplane which runs at the speed of mind. Our material airplanes can run two thousand miles per hour, but what is the speed of mind? You are sitting at home, you immediately think of India—say, ten thousand miles away—and at once it is in your home. Your mind has gone there. The mind-speed is so swift. Therefore it is stated, “If you travel at this speed for millions of years, you’ll find that the spiritual sky is unlimited.” It is not possible even to approach it. Therefore, the Vedic injunction is that one must approach—the word “compulsory” is used—a bona fide spiritual master, a guru. And what is the qualification of a spiritual master? He is one who has rightly heard the Vedic message from the right source. And he must practically be firmly established in Brahman. These are the two qualities he must have. Otherwise he is not bona fide . . . Originally there was only one Veda, and there was no necessity of reading it. People were so intelligent and had such sharp memories that by once hearing from the lips of the spiritual master they would understand. They would immediately grasp the whole purport. But five thousand years ago Vyasadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people in this age, Kali-yuga. He knew that eventually the people would be short-lived, their memories would be very poor, and their intelligence would not be very sharp. “Therefore, let me teach this Vedic knowledge in writing.” He divided the Vedas into four: Rig, Sama, Atharva and Yajur. Then he gave the charge of these Vedas to his different disciples. He then thought of the less intelligent class of men—stri, sudra and dvija-bandhu. He considered the woman class and sudra class (worker class) and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu refers to those who are born in a high family but who are not properly qualified. A man who is born in the family of a brahmana but is not qualified as a brahmana is called dvija-bandhu. For these persons he compiled the Mahabharata, called the history of India, and the eighteen Puranas. These are all part of the Vedic literature: the Puranas, the Mahabharata, the four Vedas and the Upanishads. The Upanishads are part of the Vedas. Then Vyasadeva summarized all Vedic knowledge for scholars and philosophers in what is called the Vedanta-sutra. This is the last word of the Vedas. Vyasadeva personally wrote the Vedanta-sutra under the instructions of Narada, his Guru Maharaja (spiritual master), but still he was not satisfied. That is a long story, described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Vedavyasa was not very satisfied even after compiling many Puranas and Upanishads, and even after writing the Vedanta-sutra. Then his spiritual master, Narada, instructed him, “You explain the Vedanta-sutra.” Vedanta means “ultimate knowledge,” and the ultimate knowledge is Krishna. Krishna says that throughout all the Vedas one has to understand Him: vedanta-krid veda-vid eva caham. Krishna says, “I am the compiler of the Vedanta-sutra, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” Therefore the ultimate objective is Krishna. That is explained in all the Vaishnava commentaries on Vedanta philosophy. We Gaudiya Vaishnavas have our commentary on Vedanta philosophy, called Govinda-bhashya, by Baladeva Vidyabhushana. Similarly, Ramanujacarya has a commentary, and Madhvacarya has one. The version of Sankaracarya is not the only commentary. There are many Vedanta commentaries, but because the Vaishnavas did not present the first Vedanta commentary, people are under the wrong impression that Sankaracarya’s is the only Vedanta commentary. Besides that, Vyasadeva himself wrote the perfect Vedanta commentary, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam begins with the first words of the Vedanta-sutra: janmady asya yatah [sB 1.1.1]. And that janmady asya yatah is fully explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Vedanta-sutra simply hints at what is Brahman, the Absolute Truth: “The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates.” This is a summary, but it is explained in detail in Srimad-Bhagavatam. If everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the Absolute Truth? That is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Absolute Truth must be consciousness. He is self-effulgent (sva-rat). We develop our consciousness and knowledge by receiving knowledge from others, but for Him it is said that He is self-effulgent. The whole summary of Vedic knowledge is the Vedanta-sutra, and the Vedanta-sutra is explained by the writer himself in Srimad-Bhagavatam. We finally request those who are actually after Vedic knowledge to try to understand the explanation of all Vedic knowledge from Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Bhagavad-gita.

The Introduction to Sri Isopanisad: Sri Isopanishad “Teachings of the Vedas”<o:p></o:p> [Delivered as a lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda on October 6, 1969, at Conway Hall, London, England. http://bvml.org/books/SI.html answers all of your questions.

Sri Brahma-samhita