Understanding the Subject Matter of God

According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, the vast and diverse bodies of Vedic knowledge all converge upon a single, supreme subject matter: the science of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This is not a mundane topic meant for casual reading or philosophical speculation, but a profound theological science that defines the very purpose of human existence. By submissively studying authorized literatures like the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sincere seekers can awaken their dormant love for God and achieve the ultimate perfection of life.

The Five Principal Truths

The foundation of this transcendental subject matter is laid out in the Bhagavad-gītā. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that to understand reality, one must comprehend five primary subjects and recognize that the Supreme Lord is the controller of them all.

• In Bhagavad-gita five principal subject matters have been discussed: the Supreme Personality of Godhead, material nature, the living entities, eternal time and all kinds of activities. All of these are dependant on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.
• The subject matter of Bhagavad-gita is to know five things, to know what are these living entities, what is God, what is nature, and what is time, and what is work.
• Out of these five basic subject matters in Bhagavad-gita it is established that the Supreme Godhead, or Krsna, or Brahman, or supreme controller, or Paramatma - you may use whatever name you like - is the greatest of all.
• According to the verdict of all Vedic literature, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the living entity and the illusory energy (this material world) constitute the subject matter of knowledge. Everyone should try to understand the relationship between them.

The Glories of the Bhāgavatam

While the Bhagavad-gītā provides the preliminary understanding, Śrīla Prabhupāda points to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the postgraduate study. The Bhāgavatam deals exclusively with the most elevated subject matter: the pastimes of the Supreme Lord and the glories of His pure devotees.

• All these subject matters (the Supreme Lord, the living being, nature, time and space and the process of activity) are concisely discussed in the Bhagavad-gita, and later the subject matters are elaborated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam for further enlightenment.
• Bhagavata means pertaining to God and His devotees. That is called bhagavata. Just like this book is called Bhagavata because it deals only with the subject matter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nothing more.
• Srimad-Bhagavatam describes the glories of the Lord and His devotees. Because the whole subject matter is the glorification of the Lord, naturally the glorification of His devotees automatically follows.
• Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "Thus one's relationship with the Lord, activities in devotional service, and the attainment of the highest goal of life, love of Godhead, are the subject matters of Srimad-Bhagavatam."

Beyond Speculation and Imagination

The nature of God cannot be deduced by ascending material logic or observed with the blunt material senses. Śrīla Prabhupāda severely criticizes those who try to reduce the Supreme Lord to a product of imagination or who reject His pastimes through impersonalist speculation.

• God is not such a subject matter that you can see with this pratyaksa, direct perception. God's another name is Anubhava. Anubhava. Just like in this room we do not see the sun directly. But we know that there is sun.
• God cannot be imagined. That is another foolishness. How you can imagine God? Then God become subject matter of your imagination. He is no substance. That is not God. What is imagined, that is not God.
• The froggish philosophers may go on with their mental speculations on the subject matter of the virat, the gigantic form exhibited by the yogamaya internal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead but no one can measure such a vast exhibition.
• The Mayavadi philosophers completely reject them (transcendental activities of God) as stories, but actually they are great and worshipable subject matters & thus are relishable only for devotees. That is the difference between a Mayavadi and a pure devotee.

The Supreme Science for Human Society

Human life is distinct from animal life because of the facility to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes the tragic irony that modern educational institutions neglect this vital science, leaving society to suffer the miseries of material existence without real solutions.

• It is very dangerous civilization, because . . . dangerous in this sense, that this life, human form of life, is especially meant for God realization, but in that subject matter they are blind.
• There is no educational institution all over the world to discuss this subject matter, how God is great, omnipotent, how I am servant of God. But when we forget our relationship with God, we become subjected to the threefold miseries of material existence.
• The politicians' peace conferences cannot bring about peace in society. It can only be done by hearing the subject matter described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam about the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna.
• Taking advantage of all the facilities offered him, a human being who has taken birth in the land of Bharata-varsa should become a fully enlightened devotee and go back home, back to Godhead. This is the subject matter of the Krsna consciousness movement.

Conclusion

Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes that the subject matter of God is the most sublime and essential education for all of human society. It cannot be grasped by the blunt material senses or ascending philosophical speculation. By hearing submissively from authorized scriptures like the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one perfectly understands the Supreme Lord, the living entities, and material nature. When human society embraces this transcendental science, individuals are freed from the threefold miseries and find true peace in their eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Subject Matter of God. We invite you to click this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

(See our Vanipedia:Methodology for AI-Assisted Articles)

This content is a part of Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani Temple. Source: https://vanipedia.org