22 Srimad-Bhagavatam

Vedantists. This does not, however, mean that Vedanta is a monopoly
study of the Sankara sampradaya. Vedanta is studied by all the bona fide
sampradayas, but they have their own interpretations. But those in the
Sankara sampradaya are generally known to be ignorant of the knowledge
of the Vedantist Vaisnavas. For this reason the Bhaktivedanta title was
first offered to the author by the Vaisnavas.

The Lord agreed to take lessons from Bhattacarya on the Vedanta, and
they sat together in the temple of Lord Jagannatha. The Bhattacarya went
on speaking continually for seven days, and the Lord heard him with all
attention and did not interrupt. The Lord’s silence raised some doubts in
Bhattacarya’s heart, and he asked the Lord how it was that He did not ask
anything or comment on his explanations of Vedanta.

The Lord posed Himself before the Bhattacarya as a foolish student and
pretended that He heard the Veddnia from him because the Bhattacarya
felt that this was the duty of a sannyasi. But the Lord did not agree with
his lectures. By this the Lord indicated that the so-called Vedantists
amongst the Sarikara sampradaya, or any other sampradaya, who do not
follow the instructions of Srila Vyasadeva are mechanical students of the
Vedanta. They are not fully aware of that great knowledge. The explana-
tion of the Veddnta-siittra is given by the author himself in the text of
Srimad-Bhagavatam. One who has no knowledge of the Bhagavatam will
hardly be able to know what the Vedanta says.

The Bhattacarya, being a vastly learned man, could follow the Lord’s sar-
castic remarks on the popular Vedantist. He therefore asked Him why He
did not ask about any point which He could not follow. The Bhattacarya
could understand the purpose of His dead silence for the days He heard
him. This shows clearly that the Lord had something else in mind; thus the
Bhattacarya requested Him to disclose His mind.

Upon this, the Lord spoke as follows: ‘‘My dear sir, I can understand
the meaning of the siitras like ‘janmady asya yatah,’ ‘sdstra-yonitvat,’ and
in your own way it becomes difficult for Me to follow them. The purpose
of the siitras is already explained in them, but your explanations are
covering them with something else. You do not purposely take the direct
meaning of the sitras but indirectly give your own interpretations.”

The Lord thus attacked all Vedantists who interpret the Vedanta-siitra
fashionably, according to their limited power of thinking, to serve their
own purpose. Such indirect interpretations of the authentic literatures like
the Vedanta are hereby condemned by the Lord.
