Ādi-līlā, Chapter 7
91
from inattention while hearing, and cheating is the transmission of such defective knowledge to others. Materialistic scientists and philosophers generally use such words as “maybe” and “perhaps” because they do not have actual knowledge of complete facts. Therefore their instructing others is an example of cheating. The final defect of the materialistic person is his inefficient senses. Although our eyes, for example, have the power to see, they cannot see that which is situated at a distance, nor can they see the eyelid, which is the object nearest to the eye. To our untrained eyes the sun appears to be just like a plate, and to the eyes of one who is suffering from jaundice everything appears to be yellow. Therefore we cannot rely on the knowledge acquired through such imperfect eyes. The ears are equally imperfect. We cannot hear a sound vibrated a long distance away unless we put a telephone to our ear. Similarly, if we analyze all our senses in this way, we will find them all to be imperfect. Therefore it is useless to acquire knowledge through the senses. The Vedic process is to hear from authority. In  Bhagavad-gītā  the Lord says,  evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ : “The supreme science was thus received through the chain of discipline succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way.” (Bg. 4.2) We have to hear not from a telephone but from an authorized person, for it is he who has real knowledge.
TEXT 108
উপনিষৎ-সহিত সূত্র কহে যেই তত্ত্ব।  
 মুখ্যবৃত্ত্যে সেই অর্থ পরম মহত্ত্ব ॥ ১০৮ ॥
upaniṣat-sahita sūtra kahe yei tattva  
 mukhya-vṛttye sei artha parama mahattva
SYNONYMS
upaniṣat —the authorized Vedic version;  sahita —along with;  sūtra —the  Vedānta-sūtra ;  kahe —it is said;  yei —the subject matter;  tattva —in truth;  mukhya-vṛttye —by direct understanding;  sei —that truth;  artha —meaning;  parama —ultimate;  mahattva —glory.
TRANSLATION
“The Absolute Truth is described by the Upaniṣads and Brahma-sūtra, but one must understand the verses as they are. That is the supreme glory in understanding.
PURPORT
It has become fashionable since the time of Śaṅkarācārya to explain everything regarding the  śāstras  in an indirect way. Scholars take pride in explaining everything in their own way, and they declare that one can understand the Vedic scriptures in any way he likes. This “any way you like” method is foolishness, and it has created havoc in the Vedic culture. One cannot accept scientific knowledge in his own whimsical way. In the science of mathematics, for example, two plus two equals