Text 2] Jada Bharata Instructs King Rahigana 377

The veda-vada followers of the Vedas are generally inclined to karma-
kanda, the performance of sacrifice according to the Vedic injunctions.
They are thereby promoted to higher planetary systems. They generally
practice the Caturmasya system. Aksayyam ha vai cdturmdsya-ydjinah
sukrtam bhavati: one who performs the cdaturmdsya-yajiia becomes
pious. By becoming pious, one may be promoted to the higher planetary
systems (ardhvarh gacchanti sattva-sthah). Some of the followers of the
Vedas are attached to karma-kanda, the fruitive activities of the Vedas,
in order to be promoted to a higher standard of life. Others argue that
this is not the purpose of the Vedas. Tad yathaiveha karma-jitah lokah
ksiyate evam evam utra punya-jitah lokah ksiyate. In this world some-
one may become very highly elevated by taking birth in an aristocratic
family, by being well educated, beautiful or very rich. These are the gifts
for pious activities enacted in the past life. However, these will be
finished when the stock of pious activity is finished. If we become at-
tached to pious activities, we may get these various worldly facilities in
the next life and may take birth in the heavenly planets. But all this will
eventually be finished. Ksine punye martya-lokar visanti (Bg. 9.21):
when the stock of pious activity is finished, one again has to come to this
martya-loka. According to the Vedic injunctions. the performance of
pious activity is not really the objective of the Vedas. The objective of the
Vedas is explained in Bhagavad-gita. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva
vedyah: the objective of the Vedas is to understand Krsna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Those who are veda-vadis are not actually ad-
vanced in knowledge, and those who are followers of jridna-kanda
(Brahman understanding) are also not perfect. However. when one
comes to the platform of updsand and accepts the worship of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes perfect (drédhananam
sarvesam visnor Gradhanam param). In the Vedas the worship of
different demigods and the performance of sacrifice are certainly men-
tioned, but such worship is inferior because the worshipers do not know
that the ultimate goal is Visnu (na te viduh svdrtha-gatim hi visnum).
When one comes to the platform of visnor dradhanam, or bhakti-yoga,
one has attained the perfection of life. Otherwise. as indicated in
Bhagavad-gita, one is not a tattva-vadi but a veda-vadi, a blind follower
of the Vedic injunctions. A veda-vddi cannot be purified from material
contamination unless he becomes a tattva-vddi, that is. one who knows
tattva, the Absolute Truth. Tattva is also experienced in three features —
