Vedic Authorities Accept Kṛṣṇa As God

Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently teaches that understanding the Absolute Truth is not a result of mental speculation but follows the rigorous path of receiving knowledge from bona fide authorities. In Vedic culture, the identity of God is established through the consensus of the great ācāryas, the eternal scriptures, and the practical realization of liberated souls. This article explores how the acceptance of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the unanimous conclusion of all authentic Vedic lines of thought.

Unanimous Verdict of the Acaryas

Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the backbone of Vedic knowledge lies in the paramparā system, where all major ācāryas agree on the ultimate conclusion. Even Śaṅkarācārya, who preached the impersonal philosophy for a specific purpose, explicitly admitted in his commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a fact reinforced by all Vaiṣṇava authorities.

• Acaryopasanam: this information (krsnas tu bhagavan svayam) is not concocted, but is accepted by the acaryas in the disciplic succession. Although an impersonalist, Sankaracarya has accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
• At least in India there are many great acaryas - Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu Svami, and even Sankaracarya and Guru Nanak. All of these have accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why, then, should we reject Him.
• It was an emergency (Mayavada philosophy was necessary to defeat the Buddhist philosophy of the nonexistence of the spirit soul). Thus Lord Krsna was accepted by Sankaracarya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his commentation on Bhagavad-gita.

Arjuna's Acceptance Based on Paramparā

In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna serves as the ideal student by accepting Kṛṣṇa's supremacy not merely on sentiment but by citing previous authorities. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that Arjuna validates his realization by referring to great sages like Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa, showing that spiritual truth must be corroborated by the standard authorities.

• Arjuna says that Krsna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not only by himself but by authorities like the sage Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasadeva and so on. These are great personalities who distribute the Vedic knowledge.
• Arjuna has accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the supreme abode of all living entities, not only because of his personal experience but also because of the evidences of great authorities like Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa.
• Everyone claims that "We are also following Vyasadeva." But not superficially. Actually following Vyasadeva. Just like Vyasadeva accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Scientific Process of Verification

Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that accepting Kṛṣṇa is not an act of blind faith but a scientific verification where one tests the definition of God given in the śāstra against reality. If one genuinely studies the Vedic literature and compares the characteristics of God with the activities of Kṛṣṇa, the logical conclusion is undeniable.

• From Vedic knowledge, you get all knowledge. So if you don't accept Krsna as God, that is also your mistake. You do not know God, but here Krsna presents Himself as God, and He is accepted by authorities.
• We are accepting Krsna as God not blindly, but by testing. By testing. His character is mentioned in the books. Therefore, we accept God, not by blind faith, but by testing. Although we cannot test, but sastra gives us the chance of testing.
• If I say, "Here is God," now it is up to you to test my statement. If you know what God is, then test my statement about Krsna, and then you'll accept Him as God.
• You may also accept iron as gold. That is your ignorance: you do not know what gold is. But if you actually know what God is, you will accept Krsna as God. There is no doubt about it.

Conclusion

Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the acceptance of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the hallmark of true knowledge and the termination of all doubts. While demons and speculators may refuse to accept the Lord due to envy or ignorance, those who follow the path of the mahājanas and verify the truth through scripture attain the perfection of life. To reject Kṛṣṇa is to reject the very authorities who preserve the Vedic wisdom, whereas accepting Him is the first step toward eternal safety and bliss.

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