Looking at the Cultural Background 99

Sruti-smrti-puranadi-
pancaratra-vidhim vind
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
[Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.101]

That is, without references to sruti, smrti, Purdnas, and Pafcaratras, un-
adulterated devotional service is never achieved. Therefore, anyone who
shows a devotional ecstasy without reference to the sdstras [Vedic scrip-
tures] simply creates disturbances. On the other hand, if we simply stick
to the srutis, then we become veda-vdda-ratah,* who are not very much
appreciated in the Bhagavad-gita.

Therefore Bhagavad-gita, although smrti, is the essence of all Vedic
scripture, sarvopanisado gavah.t It is just like a cow which is delivering
the milk, or the essence of all the Vedas and Upanisads, and all the
acaryas, including Sankaracarya, accept the Bhagavad-gita as such.
Therefore you cannot deny the authority of the Bhagavad-gita because it
is smrti; that view is sruti-smrti-virodhah, ‘‘in conflict with the smrti and
the sruti,’’ as you have correctly said.

Regarding Anandagiri’s quotation that kirtanam means vedanta-sra-
vanam pranava-japas ca [‘‘listening to the Vedanta and muttering om’’),
the knower of Vedanta is Krsna, and He is the compiler of Vedanta. He is
veda-vit and vedanta-krt. So where is there a greater opportunity for ve-
danta-sravanam than to héar it from Krsna?

Regarding the next verse, in which it is mentioned that jfana-
yajnena... yajanto mam, the object of worship is Krsna, as indicated by
mam [‘‘Me’’]. The process is described in the /sopanisad, mantra 11:

vidyam cavidyam ca yas
tad vedobhayam saha

avidyaya mrtyum tirtva
vidyayamrtam asnute

‘‘Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcen-
dental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated
birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality.”

*[Bg. 2.42] ‘‘Engaged in merely mouthing the words of the scriptures, but not understand-
ing or practicing: them.”
+See the fourth of Sankaracdrya’s meditations (page 84 of this book).
