adhītya caturo vedān sarva-śāstrāṇy anekaśaḥ |
brahma-tattvaṁ na jānāti darvī pāka-rasaṁ yathā ||
(Muktikā Upaniṣad: 2.65)
“[Even] After repeatedly studying the four Vedas and all the śāstras, one does not understand the nature of Brahman, just as a spoon does not know the taste of cooked food [i.e., to realize Brahman one has to not only acquire knowledge of Brahman but also purify the mind of saṁsārika vāsanās].”
aiśvaraṁ śāstram utsṛjya bandha-mokṣānudarśanam |
vivikta-padam ajñāya kim asat-karmabhir bhavet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.5.18)
“What can be the use of the meaningless acts here [i.e., in this world] of one who rejects śāstra, which is expressive of Īśvara and portrays bondage and liberation, and [who thus] remains unaware of the distinguished subject therein [i.e., the reality constituted of spirit and matter]?”
śamārthaṁ sarva-śāstrāṇi vihitāni manīṣibhiḥ |
sa eva sarva-śāstra-jñaḥ yasya śāntaṁ manaḥ sadā ||
(Mahābhārata)
“All the śāstras have been compiled by the wise for the purpose of equanimity. One whose mind is always peaceful is truly learned in all the śāstras.”
aneka-saṁśayocchedi parokṣārthasya darśakam |
sarvasya locanaṁ śāstraṁ yasya nāsty andha eva saḥ ||
(Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra, Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha, Hitopadeśa: 1.10)
“The remover of numerous doubts and revealer of the invisible, śāstra is the eye of everyone. One without it is certainly blind.”
śāstraṁ hi śāsanātmakam | śāsanaṁ copadeśaḥ | sa ca dvidhā sākṣād arthāntara-dvārā ca | sākṣād-upadeśas tu śrutir iti paribhāṣyate | sākṣāttvaṁ cātra nirapekṣatvam ucyate | tad uktaṁ nirapekṣa-ravā śrutir iti |
(Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 29)
“Śāstra is educational. Education is instruction. This is of two types: direct and by way of another meaning [i.e., indirect]. Direct instruction is termed śruti. Its being direct means it is independent [i.e., it does not require anything else to produce its effect]. Thus, it is said [in Artha-saṅgraha: 16], ‘An independent statement is called śruti.’”
tasmāt tvam uddhavotsṛjya codanāṁ praticodanām |
pravṛttiñ ca nivṛttiñ ca śrotavyaṁ śrutam eva ca ||
mām ekam eva śaraṇam ātmānaṁ sarva-dehinām |
yāhi sarvātma-bhāvena mayā syā hy akuto-bhayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.12.14–5)
“Therefore, O Uddhava, abandoning injunctions and prohibitions [i.e., the injunctions and prohibitions given in the Śruti and the Smṛti], engagement and resignation [i.e., the dharmas of a gṛhastha and of a sannyāsī], and that which is to be heard and that which has been heard [i.e., all that pertains to such dharmas and the injunctions and prohibitions related to them in śāstra; alt., all else that is to be heard from śāstra, that is, all that is said in śāstra related to the jñāna-mārga], you should take shelter exclusively in me alone, the Ātmā of all embodied beings, with the full existence of your self. With me [i.e., thus becoming situated in my shelter], be completely fearless.”
aṇubhyaś ca mahadbhyaś ca śāstrebhyaḥ kuśalo naraḥ |
sarvataḥ sāram ādadyāt puṣpebhya iva ṣaṭ-padaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.8.10)
“A wise person should collect the essence from the śāstras, both great and small, like a bee collects nectar from flowers everywhere.”
sādhavaḥ śāstrānuvartinaḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.25.21; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.17 in reference to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.5.2)
“Sādhus are [defined as] followers of śāstra.”
vedāntārthānuguṇo’sau na nivāryate |
(Siddhānta-ratna: 1.14)
“Reasoning that conforms to the meaning of the Veda is not prohibited.”
tat-poṣa-kārī tarkas tv apekṣata eva |
(Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 2.1.11)
“Reasoning which supports that [i.e., Śruti] is certainly necessary.”
