These atheists are all against the revealed scrip-
tures because such persons are intimately
attached to sense pleasures and gross material-
ism. There are also others who do not believe in
the eternity of life. Some of them propose that life
is ultimately to be annihilated and that only the
material energy is conserved. Others are less
concerned with physical laws but do not believe
anything beyond their experience. And still others
equate spirit and matter and declare the distinction
between them to be illusory.

There is no doubt that the Vedas stand as the
most recognized books of knowledge, from every
angle of vision. But over the course of time the
Vedic path has been attacked by philosophers
like Charvaka, Buddha, Arhat, Kapila, Patanjali,
Sankara, Vaikaran, Jaimini, the Nayakas, the
Vaisyasikhas, the Sagunists, the Empericists, the
Pasupat Saivas, the Saguna Saivas, the Brahmas,
the Aryas, and many others (the list of non-Vedic
speculators grows daily, without restriction). The
path of the Vedas does not accord with any princi-
ple devoid of an eternal relation with God, attain-
ment of His devotional service, and culmination in
transcendental love for Him.m=

|
21 The wind carries the clouds to different
parts of the globe, and the clouds distri-
bute rains, to the satisfaction of the people in
general, just as rich kings and merchants distri-
bute their accumulated wealth, inspired by reli-
gious priests.
axe}
