You have to accept anything from the authorized source. So according to Vedic civilization, all knowledge is received from the Vedas, perfect authorized source. Sruti-pramana, evidence from the sruti, from the Vedas, that is perfect. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, if you want to establish something you have to quote the section or the injunction from the Vedas, Then it is perfect. In learned circle you cannot say anything hodge-podge. That will not be accepted. If you support your statement from the evidence of the Vedas, then you are accepted as authority.
Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:
You have to accept anything from the authorized source. So according to Vedic civilization, all knowledge is received from the Vedas, perfect authorized source. Sruti-pramana, evidence from the sruti, from the Vedas, that is perfect. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, if you want to establish something you have to quote the section or the injunction from the Vedas, Then it is perfect. In learned circle you cannot say anything hodge-podge. That will not be accepted. If you support your statement from the evidence of the Vedas, then you are accepted as authority. Therefore our principle is... Not only our, this is the Vedic principle. You'll find Caitanya Mahaprabhu giving instruction to Sanatana Gosvami, to Rupa Gosvami, or He was talking with Ramananda Raya -- in Caitanya-caritamrta you'll find -- and quoting support from the Vedas. Although Caitanya Mahaprabhu is God Himself, Krsna, Krsna-Caitanya, but He is not, what is called, autocratic or, what is called, dictator. No. You'll never find Him. Whatever He'll say, immediately He supported by Vedic evidence. He can say anything. He can manufacture anything. No, that He does not do. He does not violate the principle. In the Bhagavad-gita also... Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's also quoting from Vedas. He does not say, "I say." He says, but He says on the Vedic authority. He doesn't say anything superfluous, no. Brahma-sutra-padais caiva hetumadbhir viniscitaih (BG 13.5). He said,
yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim
(BG 16.23)
He says, sastra, evidence, Vedic evidence, must be accepted. The Vedic evidence is very chronologized in the Vedanta-sutra. He especially mentioned, brahma-sutra-padaih. Brahma-sutra means Vedanta-sutra. Vedanta-sutra means the summary of all Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is given in codes. That is called Brahma-sutra. Sutra means code, and Brahman means the Supreme Absolute Truth. Understanding of the absolute truth in code words, and the explanation... A code word requires explanation.
Just like in business circle there is Bentley's code. So for business facility, for saving expenditure, the telegraphic codes are there. So one who does not know what is this code, but he can refer to the book. The explanation is there: "This code means this wording." Similarly, Brahma-sutra means the whole Vedic knowledge is given in codes. Brahma-sutra-padais caiva hetumadbhih. It is called nyaya-prasthana. Nyaya means logic. Nyaya means... There are three kinds of authorities: sruti-prasthana, smrti-prasthana, and nyaya-prasthana. So the Brahma-sutra is nyaya-prasthana, very logically, very logically given.
Just like in the first code in the Brahma-sutra is athato brahma jijnasa. Brahma-jijnasa, to inquire about the Absolute... The jijnasa means inquiry. In the cats' and dogs' life the inquiry is "Where is food? Where is shelter? Where is sex?" and "Where is defense?" only these four inquiries. The cats and dogs, they are busy, "Where is food? Find out some food." The pig is finding out: "Where is stool? Where is stool?" Here I do not know whether you have got experience. In our country, in the villages, there are so many pigs loitering. They are simply finding out where is stool. In the village the children, they pass stool here and there, and the men, they go to the field and pass, evacuate. So all these pigs are always loitering there. So they're seeking. The inquiry is for stool. They may take it as food, but after all, it is stool. So according to the body, the different foods are there. That is also described. Sattvika-ahara, rajasika-ahara, tamasika-ahara. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita.