Liberation from Material Planets
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minuscule knowledge, and one who arrives at this conclusion is considered intelligent by Vedic literature. One should come to understand, submissively, that he is a very insignificant segment of the universe. Abandoning the endeavor to understand the Supreme by limited knowledge or mental speculation, we should become submissive and hear of the Supreme through authoritative sources such as  Bhagavad-gītā  or through the lips of a realized soul.
In  Bhagavad-gītā , Arjuna is hearing about God from the lips of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. In this way Arjuna set the criteria for understanding the Supreme by submissive hearing. It is our position to hear  Bhagavad-gītā  from the lips of Arjuna or his bona fide representative, the spiritual master. After hearing, it is necessary to practice this acquired knowledge in daily life. “My dear Lord, You are unconquerable,” the devotee prays, “but by this process, by hearing, You are conquered.” God is unconquerable, but He is conquered by the devotee who abandons mental speculations and listens to authoritative sources.
According to  Brahma-saṅhitā , there are two ways of acquiring knowledge—the ascending process and descending process. By the ascending process, one is elevated by knowledge acquired by himself. In this way one thinks, “I don’t care for any authorities or books. I will attain knowledge myself by meditation, philosophy, etc. In this way I will understand God.” The other process, the descending process, involves receiving knowledge from higher authorities.  Brahma-saṅhitā  states that if one takes to the ascending