“Vedic knowledge is called shabda-pramana. Another name is shruti. Shruti means that this knowledge has to be received simply by aural reception. The Vedas instruct that in order to understand transcendental knowledge, we have to hear from the authority.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shri Ishopanishad, Introduction)

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1. Pratyaksha

“Bro, what’s with the bandage around your hand? Oh, you got burned? It looks pretty bad. Where did it happen? Oh, in the kitchen. Did a fire suddenly break out? Were you distracted by your smartphone or something?”

“Wait a second, this was all part of some experiment? You wanted to see if touching the pan on the stove would actually hurt? Have you lost your mind? What were you thinking? I could have told you that it was dangerous. Do you completely lack common sense?”

2. Anumana

“What’s with all the stuff laid out in the kitchen? This doesn’t look like you are about to make something. Oh, you are conducting an experiment. You are going to measure the temperature of the pan prior to placing it on the stove. Then you will turn the heat up to a medium flame, place the pan on top, and then check the temperature again.

“Umm, what exactly are you trying to prove? You have a suspicion that the pan will become extremely hot. You have theorized this based on your knowledge of the potency of fire. I believe that is called an inference. Okay, so I am pretty sure the pan will become dangerously hot. That is how food is made, in case you didn’t know. Did you hit your head on something recently? Did you fall out of the turnip truck last night? You don’t need to speculate or go through with an experiment here.”

3. Shabda

“Do not put your hand anywhere near that pan! Just trust me. You will get burned. You will regret your disobedience later on. I have your best interests at heart. My word has the backing of authority. Just listen and accept the principle.”

…

This is a basic example, but it gets the point across. The issue at hand relates to fire and its potency to cause harm when there is human contact. As explained in Bhagavad-gita, fire is one of the five gross elements in the material world. There are eight elements in total; five gross and three subtle.

भूमिर् आपो ऽनलो वायुः
खं मनो बुद्धिर् एव च
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे
भिन्ना प्रकृतिर् अष्टधा

bhūmir āpo ‘nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego – altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.4)

Of the three ways to gather evidence, shabda is superior. It saves time. It is correct. It also has a track record. A person may object on the grounds of vulnerability to cheating. If I get the wrong information, if someone blatantly lies to me, then my lack of further progression through anumana and pratyaksha will prevent the discovery of the fraud.

The necessity of shabda particularly applies to understanding the world itself. Ample time is not available for pratyaksha. We can never experience everything precisely because if we are in one place, we are not in another. We are alive at a certain time, but we do not remember being around hundreds and thousands of years ago.

We can try the route of inference and hypothesis, applying anumana in an ascending manner, but this also requires some shabda. We have to accept the previous findings on faith. We have to believe what the scientists recorded in their books, that their observations were not tainted by greed or peer pressure.

The clock will eventually run out. The universe is too vast and complex to study in a sufficient manner. Many heads put together still will not reach the inconceivable conclusion of simultaneous oneness and distinction between the living beings and the Supreme, who is the greatest purusha.

सहस्र-युग-पर्यन्तम्
अहर् यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः
रात्रिं युग-सहस्रान्तां
ते ऽहो-रात्र-विदो जनाः

sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te ‘ho-rātra-vido janāḥ

“By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahma’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.17)

The person who actually understands time does so in the context of the creator, Lord Brahma. Considering the time elapsing to reach a kalpa – measuring this distance brings a proper understanding. And time is but one factor in the constant manipulation of the pradhana, which is the original, unmanifest substance.

एवं परम्परा-प्राप्तम्
इमं राजर्षयो विदुः
स कालेनेह महता
योगो नष्टः परन्तप

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.2)

Fortunately, we have access to the original shabda. We can accept the highest knowledge, which is actually wisdom, without having to speculate. We can take it on the word of the highest authority that this human life is meant for spiritual realization, and through humbly accepting shabda and practically applying the principles ourselves, through a discipline of yoga, we can have the necessary vijnana to reach perfection.

In Closing:

For an understanding clear,
With some attention hear.

If perfect at the source,
Then valid in course.

Then anumana not needing,
Or with pratyaksha proceeding.

The original sound available still,
Written pages of shastra to fill.

Categories: the three

Tags: hare krishna, hinduism, logic, philosophy, poem, poems, poetry