Introduction 3

scientist and doctor analyzed cow dung and found that it con-
tains all antiseptic propertics.

In India if one person tells another, ““You must do this,”
the other party may say, “What do you mean? Is this a Vedic
injunction that I have to follow you without any argument?”
Vedic injunctions cannot be interpreted. But ultimately, if you
carefully study why these injunctions are there, you will find
that they are all correct.

The Vedas are not compilations of human knowledge. Vedic
knowledge comes from the Spiritual World, from Lord Krsna.
Another name for the Vedas is sruti. Sruti refers to that
knowledge which is acquired by hearing. It is not cxperimental
knowledge. Sruti is considered to be like a mother. We take so
much knowledge from our mother. For example, if you want to
know who your father is, who can answer you’ Your mother.
If the mother says, “Here is your father,” you have to accept it.
Il is not possible to experiment to find out whether he is your
father. Similarly, if you want to know something beyond your
experience, beyond your experimental knowledge, beyond the
activilics of the senses, then you have to accept Vedas. There is
no question of experimenting. It has already been experimented.
It is already settled. The version of the mother, for instance, has
to be accepted as truth. There is no other way.

The Vedas are considered to be the mother and Brahma is
called the grandfather, the forefather, because he was the first
to be instructed in the Vedic knowledge. In the beginning the
first living creature was Brahma. He received this Vedic know-
ledge and imparted it to Narada and other disciples and sons,
and they also distributed it to their disciples. In this way, the
Vedic knowledge comes down by disciplic succession. It is also
confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, that Vedic knowledge is under-
stood in this way. If you make experimental endeavor, you come
to the same conclusion, but just to save time you should accept.
If you want to know who your father is and if you accept your
mother as authority, then whatever she says can be accepted
