Lesson One

Vedas
Veda means knowledge. The original knowledge is the teachings of the Vedas. In the conditioned state
our knowledge is subjected to many deficiencies. There are four defects that a conditioned soul has:
committing mistakes, subject to illusion, cheating propensity and imperfect senses. These deficiencies
make us unfit for having perfect knowledge. Therefore we accept the Vedas as they are.

Vedas are apaurusheya, which means they are not compilations of human knowledge. Vedic knowledge
comes from the spiritual world, from Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the
beginning the first living creature was Brahma. He received the Vedic knowledge from Krishna.

Vedas are compared to desire tree because they contain all things knowable by man. They deal with
mundane necessities as well as spiritual realization. Above and beyond all departments of knowledge
there are specific directions for spiritual realization. Regulated knowledge involves a gradual raising of
the living entity to the spiritual platform, through varna (brahmana - intellectual, kshatriya - ruler,
vaishya - merchant, shudra - worker) and asrama (brahmacharya - student, grihastha - family,
vanaprastha - retired, sannyasa - mendicant). The highest spiritual realization is knowledge that the
Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all pleasures, spiritual tastes.

Formerly there was only the Veda of the name Yajus. The sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas were means
by which the people's occupations according to their orders of life (namely brahmacharya, grihastha,
vanaprastha and sannyasa) could be purified. To simplify the process and make them more easily
performable, Vyasadeva (the empowered incarnation of Krishna) divided the one Veda into four, Rg
(prayers), Yajur (hymns for oblations), Sama (same prayers and hymns in meters for singing), Atharva
(body/world maintenance and destruction) in order to expand them among men.

Thus the original source of knowledge is the Vedas. There are no branches of knowledge either
mundane or transcendental, which do not belong to the original texts of the Vedas. They have simply
been developed into different branches. They were originally rendered by great seers. In other words,
the Vedic knowledge broken into different branches by different disciplic successions (known as
shakhas) has been distributed all over the world. No one, therefore, can claim independent knowledge
beyond the Vedas.

The texts of the Vedas are known as Samhitas. Within these Samhitas there are portions known as
Mantras, which contain prayers in the form of potent sound compounds revealed to great seers for
different purposes. In the Vedic civilization three orders of life lived in the forests. Only grihasthas
inhabited the cities. The regulated knowledge for living in the city, is revealed in the books known as
Brahmanas, whereas the regulated knowledge for living in the forest is revealed in the books known as
Aranyakas.

There are three different sources of vedic knowledge, called prasthana-traya. The Upanishads are
known as shruti-prasthana, the scriptures following the principles of six limbs vedic knowledge
(Vedangas) as well as Mahabharata, Bhagavad-gita, and Puranas a re known as smriti- prasthana and
Vedanta-sutras which present the vedic knowledge on the basis of logic and arguments is known as
nyaya-prasthana. All scientific knowledge of transcendence must be supported by shruti, smriti and a
sound logical basis (nyaya). Smriti and nyaya always confirm that which is said in the shruti.

Vedic injunctions are known as shruti. From the original Veda Samhitas up to the Upanishads are
classified as shruti. The additional supplementary presentations of these principles as given by the
great sages are known as smriti. They are considered as eviden ce for vedic principles. Understanding
the ultimate goal of life is ascertained in the Vedanta-sutras by legitimate logic and argument
concerning cause and effect.

Questions

1) Why should we accept Vedas as the only source of perfect knowledge?

2) What is the meaning of apaurusheya
3) Why Vedas can be compared to desire tree
4) Who divided the Vedas?, why were they divided and how the Vedas
 Lesson Two

Vedangas

There are six aspects of knowledge in the Vedas known as Vedangas:

Siksha - phonetic science

Vyakarana - grammar
Nirukti - context (conclusive meaning)
Candas - meter
Jyotish - time science (astronomy & astrology)
Kalpa - rituals

The seers who have realized these aspects of knowledge from the Vedas, have composed sutras (short
but potent phrases which convey a lot of meanings) on each Vedanga. Kalpa-sutras are of four
categories, viz., shrouta (collective sacrifices), grihya (family rituals), dharma (occupational duties) and
sulba (building of sacrificial fireplaces, altars etc.).

According to the different levels of conditioned consciousness there are instructions in the Vedas for
worship of different controllers, with the aim of reaching different destinations and enjoying different
standards of sense enjoyment. Agamas (emanated scriptures) are books which are classified into five
for this purpose:

Energy - Shakti (Shakta Agamas)

Visible source (Sun) - Surya (Soura Agamas)
Controller - Ganapati (Ganapatya Agamas)
Destroyer - Shiva (Shaiva Agamas)
Ultimate source - Vishnu (Vaikhanasa Agamas)

For those who are below standard for vedic purificatory process, Lord Shiva gave the Tantra sastras.
These have two general classifications, right and left. While the right aspect contains regulations for
purification for those who are grossly engaged in meat eating, intoxication and illicit sex, the left aspect
contains low class activities like black magic etc.

From the point of view of common human activities sense gratification is the basis of material life. To
cater to this aim, there are three paths mentioned in the Vedas:

The karma-kanda path involves fruitive activities to gain promotion to better planets. Using the
methodology from the first five Vedangas, the Kalpa-sutras explain this path.
Upasana-kanda involves worshiping different controllers for promotion to their planets. The Agamas
explain this path.

Jnana-kanda involves realizing the Absolute truth in impersonal feature for the purpose of becoming
one . The Upanishads explain this path.

Though these paths are all from the Vedas, and the Vedas do explain them, one should not think that
that is all the Vedas have. The real purpose of the Vedas is to gradually push one in the path of self
realization to the point of surrender in devotion al service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri
Krishna.
 Lesson Three

Upanishads and Darshanas:

Vedanta and Six Systems of Philosophy

Upanishad means receiving knowledge while sitting near the teacher. These are conversations
between self realized souls and their students on the subject matter of Absolute truth. The
philosophical aspects of all the important processes and practices of k nowledge (known as vidyas) that
are given in the Vedas are discussed in the Upanishads. Veda means knowledge and anta means end.
Upanishads are known as Vedanta, end of knowledge.

In the Upanishads the description is more or less negation of the material conception of everything, up
to the Supreme Lord. It is very important to note that there is no denial of the spiritual, absolute,
transcendental conception in the Upanishads. The purpose of the Upanishads is to philosophically
establish the personal feature of the Absolute Truth as transcendental to material names, forms,
qualities and actions.

There are 108 Upanishads, as accepted by disciplic succession. Among them the following are
considered as topmost:

1) Isa
2) Kena
3) katha
4) Prasna
5) Mundaka
6) Mandukya
7) Taittiriya
8) Aitareya
9) Chandogya
10) Brhad-aranyaka
11) Svetasvatara

Darshana means, sight or vision. In the Vedanta philosophy, the first question is, what is the source of
everything? There are philosophers who saw different stages of the original source, and explained
philosophy according to their vision. These are known as darshanas. They are also known as sad-
darshanas (six systems of philosophy).
The 6 philosophies are different degrees of forgetfulness of Krsna. There are six systems of
philosophy in understanding where everything came from. Each one says what is the source of
everything and in Deciding what is the sourece they are seeing different intermediate sources. So
they are not wrong, they are incomplete. So Vyasadeva in His Brahma sutras, He defeats these six
systems. In other words He establishes where everything comes from "janmadyasya yato" that is
His sutra. "Athato brahmajijnasa, janmadyasya yato." From where everything comes from. When
establishing where everything comes from He defeats their understanding where everything comes
from. So He has written this.

The six philosophical treatises are:

1. Nyaya propounded by Gautama

2. Vaisesika propounded by Kanada
3. Sankhya propounded by Kapila
4. Yoga propounded by Patanjali
5. Purva (karma) Mimamsa propounded by Jaimini
6. Uttara (brahma) Mimamsa propounded by Vyasa

Nyaya-darshana, the philosophy of logic, maintains that the atom is the cause of the cosmic
manifestation.

Vaisesika-darshana, philosophy of specialised logic, maintains that the combination of atoms is the
cause of the cosmic manifestation.

Sankhya-darshana, philosophy of analytical study, maintains that the material nature is the cause of
the cosmic manifestation.

Yoga-darshana, philosophy of mystic perfections, maintains that universal consciousness is the cause
of the cosmic manifestation.

Purva (karma) mimamsa-darshana, philosophy of actions and reactions, maintains that fruitive
activities are the cause of the cosmic manifestation.

Uttara (brahma) mimamsa-darshana has two different categories:

The impersonalists maintain that the impersonal Brahman effulgence is the cause of the cosmic
manifestation.

After studying the six philosophical theses, Vyasadeva completely summarized them all in his Vedanta-
sutra darshana: The Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all
causes.

Anyone who wants to establish his own philosophy certainly cannot explain any scripture according to
the principle of direct interpretation. Among the six kinds of philosophers up to the impersonalist
brahma-mimamsa philosophers, none really cares for th e Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the
cause of all causes. They are always busy refuting the philosophical theories of others and establishing
their own.

Nyaya and Vaisesika philosophers by accepting atoms as source have rejected the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.

The Sankhya philosophers do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because after
scrutinizingly analyzing the material elements, they have come to the conclusion that material nature
is the cause of everything.

The Yoga philosophers imagine a form of the Absolute Truth within many forms , and thus do not give
any information about the transcendental Personality of Godhead.

Purva (karma) mimamsa philosophers maintain that if there is a God, He is subjected to our fruitive
activities. Therefore they do not see any need to become devotees of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.

The impersonalist Uttara (brahma) mimamsa philosophers say that everything is an illusion. Headed by
philosophers like Astavakra, they stress the impersonal Brahman effulgence as the cause of everything,
rejecting the transcendental Personality of Godhead, who is also the source of that Brahman
effulgence.

Srila Vyasadeva wrote the Vedanta-sutras and taking the essence of all vedic literature, established the
supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
 Lesson Four

Vedanta Sutra and Bhashyas

Vyasadeva is an incarnation of Krishna. He compiled Vedanta-sutra to enable one to understand the

Absolute Truth through infallible logic and argument.

Veda means knowledge, and anta means the end. In other words, proper understanding of the ultimate
purpose of the Vedas is called Vedanta knowledge.

A sutra is a code that expresses the essence of all knowledge in a minimum of words. It must be
universally applicable and faultless in its linguistic presentation; this is the definition of sutra according
to Vayu and Skanda Puranas.

Knowledge which is given in the Vedanta-sutra is supported by the Upanisads. Vedanta-sutras are
known as nyaya-prasthana, legitimate logic and argument concerning cause and effect giving the
conclusive understanding of the sruti-prasthana, the Upanishads .

Vedanta-sutra, which consists of codes revealing the method of understanding Vedic knowledge, is the
concise form of all Vedic knowledge. It begins with the words athato brahma-jijnasa: "Now is the time
to inquire about the Absolute Truth". The human form of life is especially meant for this purpose, and
therefore the Vedanta-sutra very concisely explains the human mission. According to the great
dictionary compiler (Kosakara), Hemacandra, Vedanta refers to the purport of the Upanishads and the
Brahmana portion of the Vedas.

The Vedanta-sutras are also known by the following different names:

(1) Brahma-sutra
(2) Saririka-sutra
(3)Vyasa-sutra
(4) Badarayana-sutra
(5) Uttara-mimamsa
(6) Vedanta-darsana
The Vedanta-sutra consists of four chapters. The first two chapters discuss the relationship of the living
entity with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is known as sambandha-jnana, or the knowledge
of relationship.

The third chapter describes how one can act in his relationship with the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. This is called abhideya-jnana.

The fourth chapter describes the result of such action. This is known as prayojana-jnana.

Because the Vedanta-sutra is in codes which contain a lot of knowledge, it required commentaries
(bhashyas).

Sripada Sankaracharya wrote his commentary on Vedanta-sutra based on monism (advaita - not two).
He established that God and the living entity are one. Not accepting the transformation of the energy
of Absolute Truth, which is the actual explanation of th e Vedanta-sutra, he introduced the theory of
illusion. He claimed that everything is one with Supreme.

There are other (theistic) commentaries by vaishnava acharyas:

Nimbarka - dvaitadvaita (oneness and dualism)

Vishnuswami - suddhadvaita (purified oneness)
Ramanujacharya - visistadvaita (specific oneness)
Madhvacharya - dvaita (dualism)
Baladeva Vidyabhusana - acintya bhedabheda (inconceivable oneness and difference)

In each of these commentaries, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is established as the cause of all
causes, the cosmic manifestation is established as transformation of His inconceivable energies, and
devotional service is described very explicitly.
 Lesson Five

Puranas, Itihasas and Kavyas

Puranas are compiled from related historical facts which explain the teachings of the four Vedas. In the
Chandogya Upanishad, the Puranas and the Mahabharata, generally known as histories, are mentioned
as the fifth Veda.

Srila Vyasadeva, due to his kindness and sympathy toward the fallen souls, supplemented the Vedas
with Puranas which easily explain the Vedic truths, intended for different types of men.

All men are not equal. There are men who are conducted by the mode of goodness, others who are
under the mode of passion and others who are under the mode of ignorance. The Puranas are so
divided that any class of men can take advantage of them and gradu ally regain their original position
and get out of the hard struggle for existence.

All the stories mentioned in the Puranas are actual histories, not only of this planet but also on millions
of other planets within the universe.

In the Puranas, (which are classified under the three modes) as a matter of course, Srila Vyasadeva has
certainly given descriptions of the glories of Krishna, but not as many as given to religiosity economic
development, sense gratification and salvation . These four items are by far very inferior to engagement
in the devotional service of the Lord.

Therefore, in the pure-goodness Purana, viz., Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Vyasadeva proclaims that the
prime necessity of human life is to realize one's eternal relationship with the Lord and thus surrender
unto Him without delay.

Itihasas are literatures describing historical events pertaining to either a single hero or a few heroic
personalities in a lineage: for example, Ramayana describing the pastimes of Sri Ramachandra and
Mahabharata describing the pastimes of the Pandavas in the lineage of the Kurus. In these books there
are topics on transcendental subjects along with material topics. The Bhagavad-gita is a part of
Mahabharata. The whole idea of the Mahabharata culminates in the ultimate instructions of the
Bhagavad-gita that one should give up all other engagements and should engage oneself solely and
fully in surrendering unto the lotus feet of Krishna. The conclusive teaching of the Ramayana also is to
fully surrender and take shelter of Lord Sri Ramachandra.

Kavyas are dramatic poetical presentations of selected histories from the Itihasas and/or Puranas,
some examples are Raghuvamsa, Meghaduta, Sakuntala.

All the vedic literatures, are put into systematic order for the benefit of the fallen souls who are
detached from the transcendental loving service of the Lord, It is the duty of the fallen souls to take
advantage of such literatures and become freed from the bondage of material existence.

Lesson Six
Pancharatras

pancharatrasya kritsnasya
vakta to bhagavan svayam

The Pancharatra system is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead (just like the Bhagavad-gita);
there are 108 Pancharatra books in which the system of worship of the Lord in His Deity form is
explained to and through the great authorities of devotional service, viz., Lord Brahma, Lord Siva,
Goddess Lakshmi etc., Padma Pancharatra, Narada Pancharatra, Hayasirsa Pancharatra, Laksmi-tantra,
and Mahesa Pancharatra are some of the most important books of Pancharatra.

Under the Vedic vidhi (rules) a student is required to be a bonafide son of a brahmana or twice born,
but a sudra can be elevated to a brahmanas position by Pancaratrika vidhi.

As human society becomes degraded by the influence of the age of Kali, people become unfit for the
vedic system. So the Pancharatra system of making one qualified by initiating him into the process of
devotional service by which he is engaged fully in the service of the Deity form of the Lord is the only
practical method for deliverance in this age of Kali.

Pancharatra books contain elaborate descriptions on the subject matter of the expansions and
incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, especially the Deity incarnations, detailed
information on day to day worship of the Deity forms, methods of purification of the worshipper and
process of practical meditation, process of installing temple and Deities, and instructions on how to
conduct different festivals in glorification of the pastimes of the Lord.

In the four authorized sampradayas, the acharyas have compiled Deity worship manuals based on these
Pancharatra books. Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami
in the subject matter of Pancharatra and advised them to write books on this subject.

Srila Sanatana Goswami compiled Hari bhakti vilas, giving elaborate descriptions of vaishnava
regulative principles and practice. Srila Rupa Goswami made his treatise on the subject, viz., Bhakti
rasamrta sindhu with profound knowledge of revealed scriptures and authoritative references from
various Vedic literatures, especially Narada Pancharatra.
Srila Prabhupada gave a summary study in prose on Bhakti rasamrta sindhu, in his book Nectar of
Devotion. Thus the codes of conduct book for the Krishna conscious devotees, the Nectar of Devotion,
is the Pancharatra book for the Krishna consciousness movement.

Lesson Seven
The Four Essential Books of Vedic Teachings

Krishna Consciousness or Prema Dharma is compared to a lotus flower that gradually unfolds in due
course of time. At first it is manifest in a budding stage which gradually blooms until it reaches its fully
blossomed stage.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is:

This book is the a, b, c book of spiritual education. This is the essence of the knowledge imparted in the
Upanishads . Since Brahma-sutras give conclusive meaning to the Upanishads , Bhagavad-gita is also
the essence of the subject matter of the Brahma-sutras. Vedic knowledge is complete because it is
above all doubts and mistakes, and Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all such Vedic knowledge. Out of
many standard and authoritative revealed scriptures, the Bhagavad-gita is the best.

In the present age people are so absorbed in mundane activities that it is not possible for them to read
all the Vedic literatures. This one book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is will suffice because it is the essence of all
vedic literatures and especially becau se it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The whole Bhagavad-gita centers around the declaration that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and that the ultimate perfection of life for the living being is to fully surrender unto Him.

Nectar of devotion:

Bhaktirasamrta sindhu by Srila Rupa Goswami is a treatise on the codes of conduct of devotees
compiled in Haribhakti vilas by Srila Sanatana Goswami. Srila Prabhupada gave a summary study of
Bhaktirasamrta sindhu in his book Nectar of Devotion, thus providing the Pancharatra for the devotees
of the Krishna consciousness movement.

The Nectar of Devotion teaches us how to turn that switch that will immediately brighten everything,
everywhere, by engaging in the simple and natural method of loving Krishna, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Even those who are completely confused and frustrated in life, can extinguish immediately
the fire of material existence burning within their hearts, by learning this art of devotional service as
directed in the Nectar of Devotion.
The Nectar of Devotion is specifically presented for persons who are engaged in the Krishna
Consciousness movement.

Srimad-Bhagavatam:

Within the Vedic literature, there are two systems of education. One deals with transcendental
knowledge (para vidya) and the other with material knowledge (apara vidya). The Vedas and their
corollaries the six Vedangas deal with the inferior system of material knowledge, viz, to improve
religion (dharma), economic development (artha), sense gratification (kama), and liberation (moksa).

As far as Vedic literature is concerned, Vedanta-sutra is accepted as the para vidya. Srimad Bhagavatam
is an explanation of that para vidya. It is the fully matured fruit of the desire tree known as Vedic
literature.

Srila Prabhupada has given his Bhaktivedanta (devotional Vedanta) translations and purports on Srimad
Bhagavatam as the graduate study for the devotees of the Krishna consciousness movement.

Sri Chaitanya Caritamrta:

Sri Krishna appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to give practical demonstrations of the teachings
He gave as Krishna. He relished the descriptions of Krishna lila given in the Srimad Bhagavatam by
Vyasadeva.

Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur, the Vyasa of Chaitanya Bhagavata described Lord Chaitanya's pastimes.
Following in his footsteps Sri Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, composed Sri Chaitanya Caritamrta, in which
the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are described in great detail.

One begins with Bhagavad-gita and advances through Srimad Bhagavatam (for which conducting life
according to the codes of Nectar of Devotion is a must), to the Chaitanya Caritamrta. Although all these
great scriptures are on the same absolute level, for t he sake of comparative study Chaitanya Caritamrta
is considered to be on the highest platform.

Srila Prabhupada says in his preface to the Chaitanya Caritamrta, "I sincerely hope that by
understanding the teachings of Lord Chaitanya human society will experience a new light of spiritual
life which will open the field of activity of the pure soul."

Srila Prabhupada says in his purport to text 118 of chapter twenty-two, in the Madhya-lila of Sri
Chaitanya Caritamrta:

"In our Krishna consciousness movement we have therefore limited our study of Vedic literatures to
Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Chaitanya Caritamrta and Bhaktirasamrta sindhu. These four
works are sufficient for preaching purposes. They are adequat e for the understanding of the philosophy
and the spreading of missionary activities all over the world."
The whole ocean of Vedic literature is contained in these four books of Srila Prabhupada - as you have
seen through these lessons. If a student sincerely studies these four books analytically and systematically,
then these four books are enough.