When there are so many scriptures how is the essential scriptural message to be understood?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So Krishna and the Bhagavad Gita doesn’t talk much about the Vedas per se. So when we talk about Shastra, what is the parameter by which we decide what is Shastra? Yes, Aneka Shastram Bahuvedi Tauvyam, Alpashcha Kaala Bahuveshcha Vigna, Tatsara Bhutam Vedupasitauvyam, Hamso Yatha Sangaha. What it says is, there are Aneka Shastram, there are many, many scriptures and Bahuvedi Tauvyam, that each of them, each of the verses in the scripture can be interpreted in many ways, interpreted not just in terms of speculation, but it can have many levels of meaning also.
And Alpashcha Kaala, we have very little time. On top of that, Bahuveshcha Vigna, even with the time that we have, there are so many obstacles. We start studying scriptures, suddenly our cell phone rings.
We start studying scriptures and suddenly maybe our child or grandchild comes and wants to play. So we, because the scriptures are so big, their import is so deep, because our time is so little, because our obstacles are so many, so therefore, rather than even attempting an exhaustive study of scripture, Tatsara Bhutam Vedupasitauvyam, therefore focus on the essence, cherish that and just as a Hamsa focuses on milk, takes the milk out of the water and uses that. So broadly speaking, scripture is, essentially scripture is God’s guideline to humanity to elevate our consciousness.
Just as God has provided us knowledge, sorry, arranged for the provision of food, of water, of air, of heat, light, just as all these are the necessities of life and God has provided for them, similarly knowledge is also a necessity of life and God has provided for that also. So that means from the basic understanding of God and his provision, we can infer that God will provide knowledge also and that knowledge comprises revelation, scriptures which are the revealed knowledge coming from God. Now within this, God recognizes the different people at different levels and he gives guidelines for which they can be elevated.
So the broad Vedic message can be categorized into three categories, there is Karma Kanda, there is Jnana Kanda, there is Upasana Kanda and there is Bhakti. So Karma Kanda focuses primarily on how we can religiously enjoy this world. We can do certain Punya, we can do certain activities by which we can get good results and we can enjoy this world.
Jnana goes to, so if we consider a pendulum, Karma is one extreme of the pendulum, we do Dharma and enjoy. Jnana is the other extreme of the pendulum, which is, this world is a temporary place, it is a place of illusion, of bondage, get out of this world and renunciation is the focus and then the balance stage is Bhakti, where we understand that this world is meant neither for my enjoyment, nor is it meant for my renunciation, it is meant for God’s service. So in Karma people romanticize the world, in Jnana people demonize the world, in Bhakti we utilize the world.
So Jnana comes in the, often Jnana comes in the, Jnana Marga, I’ll come to the point, wait a minute. See there are, there is a significant difference between Jnana itself and Jnana Kanda or Jnana Marga. Jnana Marga, the path of Jnana, it focuses primarily on knowledge and on the renunciation of the world.
The path of Bhakti focuses on utilization of the world. Now within Bhakti, there is Karma and Jnana both, but so it’s the words, when we talk about Karma Marga, that is different from Karma itself. So Karma, if you just use it generically to mean action and Jnana to mean generically knowledge, then Karma and Jnana are both included in Bhakti.
Anyabhilashitashvinyam Jnana-karmadhi-anavartam Anukulyena krishnanu shilanam bhaktiruttama. So Karma and Jnana are both uncovered, purified and then they are utilized in Bhakti. But Jnana Marga itself means, which focuses primarily on renunciation of the world.
So the Vedas, in terms of the four Samhitas, Riksam, Yajuratharva, the Vedas Samhitas, they primarily focus on Karma Kanda. The Upanishads, they focus primarily on Jnana Kanda. And that’s why within, if you look from the Vedas to the Upanishads, the Upanishads strongly reproach many of the sacrifices that are glorified in the Vedas.
Down with the sacrifices, down with the sacrifices, they are all temporary, they will keep you in the realm of darkness. So there are state forces like that in the Upanishads.