The Vedic knowledge is given to everyone because Krishna is within everyone’s heart (sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah), but one must be qualified to receive that knowledge. Krishna helps us by giving us knowledge both from within as the Supersoul (caitya-guru) and from without as the spiritual master. Brahma receives knowledge from Krishna and distributes that Vedic knowledge, and therefore he is an authority. We have to accept Krishna through the disciplic succession. There are four sampradayas, disciplic successions. One comes from Lord Brahma (the Brahma-sampradaya), and another comes from Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, (the Sri-sampradaya). There are also the Kumara-sampradaya and the Rudra-sampradaya. We have to approach an authoritative representative of Krishna appearing in one of these sampradayas, and then we can receive real knowledge. At the present moment, the Brahma-sampradaya is represented by the Madhva-sampradaya. The Madhav-Gaudiya-sampradaya stems from Madhvacarya. In that sampradaya, there was Madhavendra Puri, and Madhavendra Puri’s disciple was Sri Isvara Puri. Sri Isvara Puri’s disciple was Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus, the followers of Madhav-Gaudiya-sampradaya are coming in the disciplic succession from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It is not that they have manufactured a sampradaya; rather, their sampradaya stems from Lord Brahma. There is also the Ramanuja-sampradaya, which comes from the Sri-sampradaya, and there is the Viṣṇusvami-sampradaya, which comes from the Rudra-sampradaya. The Nimbaditya-sampradaya comes from the Kumara-sampradaya. If we do not belong to any sampradaya, our conclusion is fruitless. It is not that one should think, “I am a big scholar, and I can interpret Bhagavad-gita in my own way. All these sampradayas are useless.” We cannot manufacture our own comments. There are many commentaries made in this way, and they are all useless. They have no effect. We have to accept the philosophy as it was contemplated by Lord Brahma, Narada, Madhvacarya, Madhavendra Puri and Isvara Puri. These great acaryas are beyond the imperfections of so-called scholars. Mundane scientists and philosophers use the words “perhaps” and “maybe” because they cannot arrive at a proper conclusion. They are simply speculating, and mental speculation cannot be perfect.

Source: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (2014 edition), “Teachings of Queen Kunti”, Page 133
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (2007 edition), “Teachings of Lord Kapila, The Son of Devahuti”, Page 190

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