94 Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta
PURPORT

The Vedic literature is to be considered a source of real knowledge, but if one
does not take it as it is, one will be misled. For example, Bhagavad-gita is an im-
portant Vedic literature which has been taught for many years, but because it was
commented upon by unscrupulous rascals, people derived no benefit from it, and
no one came to the conclusion of Krsna consciousness. Since the purpose of
Bhagavad-gita is now being presented as it is, however, within four or five short
years thousands of people all over the world have become Krsna conscious. That is
the difference between direct and indirect explanations of Vedic literature. There-
fore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, mukhya-vrttye sei artha parama mahattva: to
instruct Vedic literature according to its direct meaning, without false commentary,
is glorious. Unfortunately, Sri Satikaracarya, by the order of the Supreme Person-
ality of Godhead, compromised between atheism and theism in order to cheat the
atheists and bring them to theism, and to do so he gave up the direct method of
Vedic knowledge and tried to present a meaning which is indirect. It is with this
purpose that he wrote his Sariraka-bhasya commentary on the Vedanta-sutra, One
should not, therefore, attribute very much importance to the Sariraka-bhasya. In
order to understand Vedanta philosophy, one must study the Srimad-Bhagavatam,
which begins with the words, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, janmady asya yato
‘nvayad itaratag carthesv abhijnah sva-rat: ‘| offer my obeisances unto Lord Sri
Krsna, son of Vasudeva, who is the Supreme All-pervading Personality of
Godhead. | meditate upon Him, the transcendent reality, who is the primeval
cause of all causes, from whom all manifested universes arise, in whom they
dwell and by whom they are destroyed. | meditate upon that eternally ef-
fulgent Lord who is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations
and yet is fully independent.” (Bhag. 1.1.1) Srimad-Bhagavatam is the real
commentary on the Vedanta-sutra. Unfortunately, if one is attracted to Sri
Satikaracarya’s commentary, Sariraka-bhasya, his spiritual life is doomed.

One may argue that since Sankaracarya is an incarnation of Lord Siva, how is it
that he cheated people in this way? The answer is that he did so on the order of his
master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in the Padma
Purana in the words of Lord Siva himself:

mayavadam asac-chastram
pracchannam bauddham ucyate
mayaiva kalpitam devi
kalau brahmana-rupina
brahmanas caparam rupam
nirgunam vaksyate maya
sarvasvam jagato’py asya
mohanartham kalau yuge
vedante tu maha-sastre
mayavadam avaidikam
