Vedanta study & chanting

[Bhakti Vikasa Swami]

People in general in Kali-yuga are so fallen that it is not possible for them
to obtain perfection simply by studying Vedanta-sutra. One should therefore
seriously take to the constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord..

Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna,
the spiritual master of the entire universe, He nevertheless took the position
of a disciple in order to teach by example how a devotee should strictly follow
the orders of a spiritual master in executing the duty of always chanting the
Hare Krsna maha-mantra. One who is very much attracted to the study of Vedanta
philosophy must take lessons from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In this age, no one
is actually competent to study Vedanta, and therefore it is better that one
chant the holy name of the Lord, which is the essence of all Vedic knowledge,
as Krsna Himself confirms in Bhagavad-gita,
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham
"By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I
am the knower of the Vedas." (Bg. 15.15)

One who imperfectly knows Krsna consciousness cannot know Vedanta philosophy. A
showy display of Vedanta study without Krsna consciousness is a feature of the
external energy, maya, and as long as one is attracted by the inebrieties of
this ever-changing material energy, he deviates from devotion to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. An actual follower of Vedanta philosophy is a devotee
of Lord Visnu, who is the greatest of the great and the maintainer of the
entire universe. Unless one surpasses the field of activities in service to the
limited, one cannot reach the unlimited. Knowledge of the unlimited is actual
brahma-jnana, or knowledge of the Supreme. Those who are addicted to fruitive
activities and speculative knowledge cannot understand the value of the holy
name of the Lord, Krsna, who is always completely pure, eternally liberated and
full of spiritual bliss. One who has taken shelter of the holy name of the
Lord, which is identical with the Lord, does not have to study Vedanta
philosophy, for he has already completed all such study.

One who is unfit to chant the holy name of Krsna but thinks that the holy name
is different from Krsna and thus takes shelter of Vedanta study in order to
understand Him must be considered a number one fool, as confirmed by Caitanya
Mahaprabhu by His personal behavior, and philosophical speculators who want to
make Vedanta philosophy an academic career are also considered to be within the
material energy. A person who always chants the holy name of the Lord, however,
is already beyond the ocean of nescience, and thus even a person born in a low
family who engages in chanting the holy name of the Lord is considered to be
beyond the study of Vedanta philosophy. In this connection the
Srimad-Bhagavatam states:
aho bata sva-paco 'to gariyan
yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te
"If a person born in a family of dog-eaters takes to the chanting of the holy
name of Krsna, it is to be understood that in his previous life he must have
executed all kinds of austerities and penances and performed all the Vedic
yajnas." (S.B. 3.33.7)

There are some sahajiyas who, taking everything very cheaply, consider
themselves elevated Vaisnavas but do not care even to touch the Vedanta-sutras
or Vedanta philosophy. A real Vaisnava should, however, study Vedanta
philosophy, but if after studying the Vedanta one does not adopt the chanting
of the holy name of the Lord, he is no better than a Mayavadi. Therefore, one
should not be a Mayavadi, yet one should not be unaware of the subject matter
of Vedanta philosophy. Indeed, Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His knowledge of
Vedanta in His discourses with Prakasananda Sarasvati. Thus it is to be
understood that a Vaisnava should be completely conversant with Vedanta
philosophy, yet he should not think that studying Vedanta is all in all and
therefore be unattached to the chanting of the holy name. A devotee must know
the importance of simultaneously understanding Vedanta philosophy and chanting
the holy names. If by studying Vedanta one becomes an impersonalist, he has not
been able to understand Vedanta. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (15.15).
Vedanta means "the end of knowledge." The ultimate end of knowledge is
knowledge of Krsna, who is identical with His holy name.


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Extracted from Srila Prabhupada's purports to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila
7.71, 72