brahma-Å›abde kahe pÅ«rṇa svayaá¹ bhagavÄn
svayaá¹ bhagavÄn kṛṣṇa, — Å›Ästrera pramÄṇa

 brahma-Å›abde - by the word 'Brahman'; kahe - it is said; pÅ«rṇa - complete; svayam - personally; bhagavÄn - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam - personally; bhagavÄn - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛṣṇa - Lord Kṛṣṇa; Å›Ästrera pramÄṇa - the verdict of all Vedic literature.


Text

“The word ‘Brahman’ indicates the complete Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature.

Purport

This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (15.15), where the Lord says, vedaiÅ› ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. The ultimate object in all Vedic literature is Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is searching for Him. This is also confirmed elsewhere in the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (7.19):

bahÅ«nÄá¹ janmanÄm ante jñÄnavÄn mÄá¹ prapadyate
vÄsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahÄtmÄ sudurlabhaḥ

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.â€

When one has actually become wise through the study of Vedic literature, he surrenders unto VÄsudeva, BhagavÄn ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa. This is also confirmed in ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (1.2.7-8):

vÄsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty ÄÅ›u vairÄgyaá¹ jñÄnaá¹ ca yad ahaitukam
dharmaḥ sv-anuṣṭhitaḥ puá¹sÄá¹ viá¹£vaksena-kathÄsu yaḥ
notpÄdayed yadi ratiá¹ Å›rama eva hi kevalam

Understanding VÄsudeva is real knowledge. By engaging in the devotional service of VÄsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, one acquires perfect knowledge and Vedic understanding. Thus one becomes detached from the material world. This is the perfection of human life. Although one may perfectly follow religious rituals and ceremonies, he is simply wasting his time (Å›rama eva hi kevalam) if he does not attain this perfection.

Before the creation of the cosmic manifestation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead possessed His totally transcendental mind and eyes. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. A person may think that there is no direct statement about Kṛṣṇa in the Upaniá¹£ads, but the fact is that the Vedic mantras cannot be understood by people with mundane senses. As stated in the Padma PurÄṇa, ataḥ Å›rÄ«-kṛṣṇa-nÄmÄdi na bhaved grÄhyam indriyaiḥ: a person with mundane senses cannot fully understand the name, qualities, form and pastimes of ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa. The PurÄṇas are therefore meant to explain and supplement Vedic knowledge. The great sages present the PurÄṇas in order to make the Vedic mantras understandable for common men (strÄ«-śūdra-dvija-bandhÅ«nÄm). Considering that women, śūdras and dvija- bandhus (unworthy sons of the twice-born) cannot understand the Vedic hymns directly, ÅšrÄ«la VyÄsadeva compiled the MahÄbhÄrata. Actually, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is vedeá¹£u durlabham (untraceable in the Vedas), but when the Vedas are properly understood or when Vedic knowledge is received from devotees, one can understand that all Vedic knowledge leads to ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa.

The Brahma-sÅ«tra (1.1.3) confirms this fact also: Å›Ästra-yonitvÄt. commenting upon this Brahma-sÅ«tra aphorism, ÅšrÄ« MadhvÄcÄrya says, “The Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, SÄma Veda, Atharva Veda, MahÄbhÄrata, PañcarÄtra and the original VÄlmÄ«ki RÄmÄyaṇa are all Vedic literatures. Any literature following the conclusive statements of these Vedic literatures is also to be considered Vedic literature. That literature which does not conform to Vedic literature is simply misleading.â€

Therefore when reading Vedic literature, we must take the path traversed by great ÄcÄryas: mahÄ-jano yena gataḥ sa panthÄḥ. Unless one follows the path traversed by great ÄcÄryas, he cannot understand the real purport of the Vedas.