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Ninth Prameya
TEXT 1
atha
pratyakshanumana-shabdanam eva pramanatvam
yatha shri-bhagavate
shrutih pratyaksham
aitihyam
anumanam catushtayam
atha—now; pratyaksha—direct perception;
anumana—logic; shabdanam—and Vedic authority; eva—certainly;
pramanatvam—sources of evidence; yatha—just as; shri-bhagavate—in the
Shrimad-Bhagavatam (11.16.17); shrutih—the four Vedas; pratyaksham—direct
perception; aitihyam—the Puranas and historical records; anumanam—and logic;
catushtayam—four sources of evidence.
9. Direct Perception, logic and Vedic
revelation are three sources of actual knowledge:
This is described in the
Shrimad-Bhagavatam (11.16.17): "The Four Vedas, direct perception, the
Puranas and Vedic histories, as well as logic are four sources of actual
knowledge."
TEXT 2
pratyaksham anumanam ca
yat-sacivyena shuddhimat
maya-mundavalokadau
pratyaksham vyabhicari yat
pratyaksham—direct perception;
anumanam—logic; ca—also; yat—to which; sacivyena—favorable; shuddhimat—pure;
maya-munda—of those bewildered by the illusory energy of the Lord; avaloka—in
the vision; adau—beginning with; pratyaksham—direct perception;
vyabhicari—evidence; yat—which.
Direct perception and logic are actual
sources of knowledge when they confirm the authoritative statements found in
Vedic revelation. Only foolish persons bewildered by the illusory material
energy of the Lord accept the misleading evidence of direct sensory perception.
TEXT 3
anuma cati-dhume 'drau
vrishti-nirvapitagnike
atah pramanam tat tac sa
svatantram naiva sammatam
anuma—logic; ca—also; ati-dhume—with much
smoke; adrau—on a mountain; vrishti—by rain; nirvapita—extinguished; agnike—on
a fire; atah—from this; pramanam--evidence; tat—this; tat—and that; ca—also;
sva-tantram—independent; na--not; eva—certainly; sammatam—considered.
Logic and mental speculation are
inconclusive and unreliable sources of knowledge. They may be compared to the
forest fire on top of a hill which has just been extinguished by showers of
rain, and thus yields no light, but only a great quantity of smoke. Intelligent
persons to not therefore consider logic and sensory perception to be
independent and infallible sources of knowledge, but rather they are dependent
assistants to the principal source of knowledge: the Vedic revelation.
TEXT 4
anukulo matas tarkah
shushkas tu parivarjitah
anukulah—favorable to the knowledge
revealed inthe scriptures; matah—considered; tarkah—logic; shushkah—dry;
tu—but; parivarjitah—rejected.
When logic confirms the Vedic revelation,
it should be accepted, but otherwise not.
TEXT 5 (a)
tatha hi vajasaneyinah
atma va are drashtavyah
shrotavyo mantavyo nididhyasitavyah. iti.
tatha hi—furthermore; hi—indeed;
vajasaneyinah—Yajnavalkya explains in the Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad; atma—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; vai—certainly; are—O Maitreyi;
drashtavyah—should be seen; shrotavyah—should be heard; mantavyah—should be
understood; nididhyasitavyah—should be meditated upon; iti—thus.
The proper use of logic is described by
Yajnavalkya Muni in the Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad (4.5.6): "O Maitreyi,
one should directly perceive the supreme Personality of Godhead by hearing
about Him from a bona-fide spiritual master. In this way one con properly
understand His position, and constantly meditate upon Him."
TEXT 5 (b)
kathake
naisha tarkena matir
apaneya proktany eva jnanaya preshtha.iti.
kathake—in the Katha Upanishad; na—not;
eshah—He; tarkena—simply by logic; apaneya—is brought; proktani—the
elucidations of a bona-fide spiritual master; eva—certainly; jnanaya—for actual
knowledge; preshtha—O dear Naciketa; iti—thus.
Logic which has no foundation in
scriptural revelation is described in the Katha Upanishad (1.2.9): "My
dear Naciketa, simply by logic one will never be able to understand the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, but only by the descriptions of a realized spiritual
master."
TEXT 6
smritish ca
purvaparavirodhena
ki 'trartho 'bhimato bhavet
ity adyam uhanam tarkah
shushka-tarkam tu varjayet
smritih—the Smriti-shastra; ca—and;
purvapara—with the previous Vedic authorties; avirodhena—not in disagreement;
kah—what; atra—in this connection; arthah—the meaning; abhimatah—accepted;
bhavet—may be; iti—thus; adyam—beginning; uhanam—guesswork speculation;
tarkah—logic; shushka—dry; tarkam—logic; tu—indeed; varjayet—one should reject.
The Smriti-shastra confirms: "One
should reject the dry logic that considers: 'How important is it that one's
reasoning follow the conclusion previously described in Vedic revelation? It
cannot be very important.' Such logic leads one to the process known as
speculative guessing."
TEXT 7 (a)
naveda-vidusham yasmad
brahmadir upajayate
yac caupanishadam brahma
tasman mukhya shrutir mata
na—not; aveda-vidusham—dried-up
philosophers who do not accept the Vedic conclusion; yasmat—for this reason;
brahma—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dhih—the proper understanding;
upajayate—is produced; yat—which; ca—and; aupanishadam—described in the
Upanishads; brahma—the Supreme; tasmat—therefore; mukhya—most important;
shrutih—the Vedas; mata—are considered.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described
in the statements of the Upanishads, and for this reason Vedic revelation is
the best of all sources of knowledge. They who spurn the Vedic revelation do
not have the power to properly understand the Supreme.
TEXT 7 (b)
tatha hi shrutih
navedavin manute tam
brihantam. iti.
aupanishadam purusham
pricchami. iti.
tatha hi--furthermore; shrutih—the Vedas
explain; na—not; aveda-vit—one ignorant of the Vedic revelation;
manute—understands; tam—Him; brihantam—the greatest; iti—thus; aupanishadam—described
in the Upanishads; purusham—Supreme Person; pricchami—I am inquiring about;
iti—thus.
This conclusion is confirmed in the Vedas:
"One ignorant of Vedic knowledge
cannot actually understand the Supreme." (Shruti-shastra)
"Please tell me about the Supreme
Personality of Godhead who is revealed in the Upanishads."
(Brihad-aranyaka 3.9.26)