YOU LEARN FIRST OF ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR

You read any book; you learn first of all about

the author, his life, his everything...You read

any book. You try to understand, to know

something about the author. That is natural...

That is needed. That is needed. That is needed.

Prabhupada: No, no, why advaita, dvaita? First of all you take the preliminary things, that you are accepting the philosophy of Krsna, Bhagavad-gita, but you have no knowledge of the person who has spoken Bhagavad-gita. Then where is your understanding? You do not understand the person who has spoken the Bhagavad-gita. Then what is the meaning of your understanding Bhagavad-gita?
Indian man: No, we have to try...
Prabhupada: No, no. Try, try, another thing.
Indian man: We have to understand it.
Prabhupada: No, you have to understand it... First of all you have to understand Krsna, the person who is speaking.
Indian man: Oh, you mean Krsna the person you must understand, then Krsna of Bhagavad-gita you must understand.
Prabhupada: Yes, that is the way. You read any book; you learn first of all about the author, his life, his everything.
Indian man: Sometimes we need not...
Prabhupada: No, it is needed. It is needed. No, that is the way.
Indian man: We need not approach the guru. What he speaks that is enough sometimes.
Prabhupada: No, that is the way. You read any book. You try to understand, to know something about the author. That is natural.
Indian man: When He rips up (unclear) partha, that's enough, just we will start out. Then when He say, mam ekam saranam vraja, again we will go to Him. But we need not go through...
Prabhupada: No, no. That is needed. That is needed. That is needed. If you do not understand what is Krsna, when Krsna says, mam ekam saranam vraja, how you will accept it?
Indian man: I will accept, but not as Krsna of Bhagavata. I may not know anything about Him as of...
Prabhupada: No, no, this is not very good theory. You do not know anything about Him, and you surrender to Him. What is this?
Indian man: We may have our own idea.
Prabhupada: No, we don't accept that. If we surrender, we must know Him first of all, what He is. Then we surrender. We are not blind. Suppose you tell me that "You surrender unto me." Shall I do that? Why shall I do it?
Indian man: But...
Prabhupada: No "but." First of all answer this. If I do not know anything about you and you demand from me, "You surrender," shall I do it?

[S.P. Room Conversation with Yoga Student, March 14, 1975, Iran]

LEARN ABOUT SRILA PRABHUPADA

SRILA PRABHUPADA LILAMRTA AS IT IS

THE AUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY

If you want to know me, then you must know about me from me.

You can not speculate about me.

[S.P. Room Conversation with Reporter June 4, 1976, Los Angeles]

So that means, anyway, if you want to know about me,

then you must know from me. That is authentic. That is authentic.

[Bhagavad-gita Lecture, 3.17-20, New York, May 27, 1966]