Special Thanks to Our Readers

I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere thanks to all of you wonderful souls around the world who have been participating in this e-course by reading our materials, by inquiries, and by following the instructions you have been given. It is because of your appreciation of my humble efforts to serve my spiritual master's mission that this course is going on. Were it not for your participation there would be no Ultimate Self Realization Course. Therefore I very, very much appreciate each and every one of you and am wishing you the very best in your spiritual progress. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is any way I can be of service to you in your spiritual life.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Bhagavad-gita--ABC's or King of Education?

It is said that the Bhagavad-gita is the ABC's of spiritual life. It is also said that Srimad Bhagavatam is the masters level and that Caitanya Caritamrita is the PhD level.

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita 9.2 that "This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed."

If Bhagavad-gita is Raja Vidya-the king of knowledge, then why do we say that it is the ABC's of spiritual life?

Your aspiring servant,

Bhaktivinode das

Answer: Both

You have raised a very interesting question. How can the Bhagavad-gita be considered ABC knowledge, introductory knowledge, and at the same time the most advanced knowledge? Is this contradictory?

No. It is not contradictory. Since Krishna declares the Bhagavad-gita to be the king of knowledge, the highest level knowledge, we cannot doubt this. But then how can it be simultaneously ABC level, introductory level knowledge?

The answer is quite simple. The Bhagavad-gita is the introduction to the highest level of knowledge. Srimad Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya Caritamrita also present the same highest level of knowledge. The difference is that they go deeper and deeper into it.

We can understand a simple analogy in this connection. If you develop a relationship with the king, the first thing is that you are introduced to him. Then you develop a personal relationship with him and later on an even more personal relationship with him. At all three stages you are associating with the king: introductory level, personal level and more personal level. In a similar way we associate with the king of knowledge in an introductory way in the Bhagavad-gita, in an advanced way in the Srimad Bhagavatam, and in even a more advanced way in the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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