Just like there is the Constitution of America, and commentaries written
by lawyers, all these can be used to understand the Constitution. Similarly we
use all the Vedic knowledge. So let's find out from the Vedas about God.
Let us first go to the SamVeda, the Kenopanishad of the SamVeda.
the Kenopanishad says, (Sanskrit verse)
You have come to know about God?
Yes, I am seeking knowledge of God. In that case, first know this. That person
who thinks I can know God, has no knowledge of God. That person who thinks
nobody can know God, he truly knows God.
What the Vedas have deflected us. They say, if you think you can know God you do
not know him. If you think you can never know God, then you actually know Him. not
in one place. Once again (Sanskrit verse)
You wish to understand God? "Yes." then first understand
that if you understand that somebody can understand God, then you have no
understanding of God. if your understanding is who can understand God,
then you truly understand Him. The Vedas have again deflected us. What is the
indication out here - that you can never know Him. The Vrihadaranyakopanishad says
(Sanskrit verse) He is incomprehensible to you.
(Sanskrit verse) The Kathopanishad says, God is beyond your
logic and argumentation. (Sanskrit verse)
The Taitteriyopanishad says, your intellect cannot grasp God.
Not only the Vedas. Come to the Bhagavad-Gita.
Sanskrit verse
(seventh chapter, 26th verse of Bhagavad Gita) Shri krishna says, "Arjun,
I am "Trikaldarshi", I have knowledge of the present, the future, the past.
But (Sanskrit verse) me nobody knows. Again He says, (in 7th chapter, 25th verse of Bhagavad Gita).
(Sanskrit verse) "Arjun, there is a curtain of
Yogamaya that is upon me and a curtain of Maya that is upon the soul. The soul
is unable to remove the curtain of Maya. How will the soul remove the curtain of
Yogamaya? (Sanskrit verse) The other religious traditions
are saying the same thing. The Bible says, "my thoughts are not your thoughts and my
ways are not your ways, for the heavens are higher than the earth and so are my
thoughts higher than your thoughts and my ways higher than your ways." And the
Quran Sharif says,
This is the ayat of the Quran Sharif. It is saying, no one but Allah alone knows the difference between heaven and earth.
The Gurugranth saheb says, my lord you alone understand who
you are and what you are. There was a Western philosopher, called
F. A. Jacobi. He said, God whom we could know, would be no God. If you could know
Him you would become God. So everybody is saying in one voice, "God
is unknowable." There was a Christian Saint, called Augustine. He wrote many
books talking about God, describing Him. One day he was on the beach side. He
found a little boy, filling water from the ocean into a hole. He would
repeatedly go take the ocean water and put it in the hole. St. Augustine's
curiosity was aroused. What's going on here. He went and asked that boy, "what are
you doing?" The boy said, "I am filling the ocean in that hole." St. Augustine said
how can you do that? impossible!" The little boy said, "but you are doing
the same thing. you are trying to describe the indescribable God. That is
equally impossible." So if we cannot know God then how will we develop love for
Him. On one side, the Vedas said you need to know God. By knowing him, you will
attain the Bliss that your soul is seeking. And now that we strive to know
Him, the Vedas are telling us you cannot know Him. Why can we not know Him?
let's find out. What is the problem with Him? The problem is not with Him.
The problem is with us, the knower. What is the problem with us? Our
instruments of knowledge are defective.
you