Do we seek only an operational knowledge of scripture and not actual knowledge?

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Hare Krishna Brahm, so regarding your question, do we always prefer operational understanding of scripture also instead of a functional understanding, sorry, instead of a fundamental understanding of the nature of reality as given in scriptures? Answer, we approach scripture with a service attitude. We are meant to serve Krishna and if knowledge alone becomes our end, in scripture our devotion can come to a dead end because knowledge ultimately can just go to the head and inflate the head. So we want our knowledge to be an aid for our hard journey towards Krishna.

That is the essence of bhakti yoga. Jiva Goswami says that a devotee seeks the knowledge that stresses not the jiva-eshwara-ekatva but the jiva-eshwara-bhinnata, not that we and God are one but that we are tiny and God is infinite and by understanding his glories we can deepen our devotion. So for most devotees the operational knowledge of things is what is required for their spiritual growth.

As far as the fundamental knowledge of things, if you look at Shri Prabhupada's example, Prabhupada did not go too much into the, he spoke focus on spiritual fundamentals but even if in the Bhagavatam some technical purports are given, say for example say Deeti or Aditi or you know like that is performing a particular sacrifice which involves intricate rituals. Prabhupada does not go into those intricate rituals at all Prabhupada focuses primarily on coming to the essence of we are souls and we are meant to move towards Krishna ultimately. So Shri Prabhupada's view also was very pragmatic.

If you look at the previous Acharyas, Baldevite, Bhushan and Jiva Goswami for example have written technical commentaries wherein they see say the Govinda Bhashya, all the Satsang Darbhas but they too are driven by a particular purpose. So one of the principles of understanding the world is that just as Krishna is Achintya, his energy also is potentially Achintya. This doesn't mean operationally we can't understand how it works.

Just like astrology is operationally quite strong in terms of this will lead to this, this will lead to this but how exactly this will lead to this? That is not okay. If Saturn is in this position, this will happen. That means Saturn is malefic but what exactly does it mean? So now of course whether astrology as it is practiced today works or not is also not open to question but without going into that aspect we can focus on the principle that we all are on our journey through this material world and we want to understand this world for three purposes we could say.

Broadly to be able to function more effectively in this world. Second is to satisfy our intellectual curiosity where we have it and thirdly to learn about the qualities of Krishna and to become devoted to Krishna. So for a devotee the third purpose is most important and the first and the second can be taken care of and addressed to the extent as is needed.

So a devotee may or may not know what Ayurveda personally. You always go to specialist Ayurvedic doctors. Similarly devotee may or may not know what technical philosophical aspects.

You always go to specialists when required. So if we feel strongly inspired and driven to study a subject very deeply then it is perfectly fine that we make that as a specialization. We make that as a major area of our service and work towards getting a deeper understanding of things according to our particular inspiration.

So rather than categorizing our scriptural study as operational or fundamental I would say that our scriptural study is for pursuing the fundamental purpose of scripture and that is to learn to direct our head and heart towards Krishna and for pursuing that fundamental purpose of scripture if we would like if we feel driven inspired to get a fundamental understanding of the nature of certain aspects of material things then we can get that. So Vedanta is more about ultimate truth. It is not like Sankhya or Vaisheshika which is about more about nature of the material world.

So devotees can also study Sankhya and Vaisheshika but they ultimately want to study Krishna. So if it's a specific intellectual need then getting the technicalities of things in the material world for the specific service is fine but otherwise we focus on pursuing the fundamental or ultimate purpose of scripture through our scriptural study that is learning to love Krishna. Thank you.