Described in the Scriptures - The Absolute Authority of Śāstra
The human brain is fundamentally limited and prone to illusion. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that to understand both the intricacies of the material universe and the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord, one must abandon mundane common sense and strictly accept the perfect descriptions found in the revealed scriptures.
The Limitation of Common Sense
Mundane logic and empirical research can only take one so far. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that because the material senses are inherently defective, attempting to artificially expand one's sensory power will never yield perfect knowledge; such knowledge must be received from the authoritative śāstras.
- Common sense is always imperfect, whereas the description in the sastras is always perfect and complete. If there is any incongruity, it is due to our imperfection and not the sastras.
- Our senses are so imperfect that simply by expanding the sense power artificially, speculating, we cannot realize. These are described in different way in different scriptures.
- The description given in these books, are not mundane speculations, but they are authorized versions of liberated souls, presented by our humble self. So the strength is not in us, but the strength is in the Supreme Lord.
- We must accept the description of the sastras and concentrate more on the form of the virat-rupa than on common sense.
Identifying the True Incarnation
The modern age is plagued by individuals falsely claiming to be God. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that a true incarnation can only be verified by consulting the śāstras, which provide precise, chronological descriptions of every avatāra's bodily features, parents, and mission long before They appear.
- Generally the future appearance and the activities of the Lord or His incarnations are foretold in the scriptures, and thus the pseudoincarnations are unable to cheat persons who are in knowledge of the events described in the authoritative scriptures.
- At the present time, especially in India, so many rascals are claiming to be incarnations, and people are being misled. Therefore, the identity of an incarnation should be confirmed by the descriptions of the sastras and by wonderful activities.
- In this verse (CC Madhya 20.354) it is clearly stated that a real incarnation of God never claims to be a real incarnation. According to the symptoms described in the sastra, one can understand who is an avatara and who is not.
- There is chronological number, which incarnation, what is His (Krsna's) chronological number, what's His father's name, what is His mother's name, what are His activities, how the bodily feature, what is the mission. Everything is described in the sastra.
The True Form of the Lord
Philosophers often debate whether God has a form or is ultimately a void. Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that the Vedic scriptures explicitly describe the eternal, spiritual forms of the Lord and His pastimes, entirely refuting the imaginary, impersonal theories of the Māyāvādīs.
- All these forms (Krsna's forms) are described in the scriptures, and when they are thus presented they become worshipable. They are not imaginary as the Mayavada philosophy says.
- The authentic scriptures describe the transcendental activities, features, form and qualities of Krsna, and Krsna explains Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, the most authentic scripture in the world.
- By this statement (in SB 3.26.46) of Kapila's it is confirmed that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Brahman, has innumerable forms, which are described in the scriptures.
- The meditation should concentrate on the person of the Supreme Godhead, either in His virat-rupa, the gigantic universal form, or in His sac-cid-ananda-vigraha (BS 5.1), as described in the scriptures.
The Unseen Realities
The scriptures provide windows into realms that modern science cannot detect. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that just because a mundane spacecraft cannot reach the spiritual planets does not mean they do not exist; their existence and the spiritual bodies of their inhabitants are vividly described in the Vedas.
- That spacecraft cannot reach these (Vaikuntha) planets does not mean that there are no such planets, for they are described in the revealed scriptures.
- Impersonal descriptions of transcendence in the scriptures indicate that the bodily features in Vaikunthaloka are never to be seen in any part of the universe.
- The inhabitants in Vaikunthaloka are all personalities with spiritual bodily features not to be found in the material world. We can find the descriptions in the revealed scriptures like Srimad-Bhagavatam.
- The Lord's name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage, etc., as they are described in the revealed scriptures or as performed in the Vaikunthalokas, far, far beyond the material cosmic manifestation, are factually being televised in the heart of the devotee.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes that the authentic Vedic literatures are the absolute and final authority for all spiritual and scientific inquiry. Because the human senses are inherently flawed, relying on common sense or mental speculation inevitably leads to incongruities and illusion. However, by strictly accepting reality as it is described in the śāstras, one gains access to perfect knowledge. The scriptures serve as a vital protective shield, providing the exact chronological descriptions necessary to expose the fraudulent pseudo-incarnations that plague the modern age. Furthermore, the Vedas completely dismantle impersonal philosophies by providing vivid, detailed descriptions of the Supreme Lord's eternal forms, pastimes, and the spiritual planets of Vaikuṇṭha. By submissively hearing these authorized descriptions, the sincere devotee moves beyond the limitations of material perception and awakens to the factual, televised reality of Kṛṣṇa consciousness within the core of their heart.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Described in the Scriptures. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.