We hear that the Vedas are eternal knowledge, and thus we get the impression that the Vedas are always available. While this is true in the absolute sense, there are cycles for the revelation of the Vedas inside the universe and on each particular planet.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krsna reveals that the knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita had been transmitted to the sun-god, Vivasvan many millions of years ago, and this knowledge had reached our planet through Iksvaku. However, with the passage of time that succession had been broken and the knowledge forgotten. Because of this, Krsna was again transmitting the same knowledge to Arjuna.
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana describes that not only the Bhagavad-Gita but the whole Vedic knowledge was almost lost at the end of the previous Dwapara-yuga, being replaced by different atheistic philosophies, like the atheistic Sankhya, Karma Mimansa, etc. that although superficially based on the Vedas, go against their conclusions. In this environment, it took an empowered incarnation of the Lord, Vyasadeva, to restore the real meaning of the Vedas.
Similarly, by the time of Lord Buddha the so-called followers of the Vedas had degenerated into a group of hedonists who were using the Vedas to justify their meat eating. This led to the advent of a sequence of acaryas, including Lord Buddha, Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madvacarya, etc. who gradually restored the meaning of the Vedas. This culminated with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who brought the ultimate conclusion, pure love of Godhead.
However, even after Mahaprabhu, the work was not complete. With his disappearance, the movement he established was quickly taken over by Baulas, Sahajiyas, caste Goswamis, and other deviant sects who again covered the true teachings. This led to a new sequence of acaryas, including Narottama, Viśvanātha, Baladeva, Jagannātha, Bhaktivinoda, Gaurakiśora, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī and Prabhupāda, who gradually established the true teachings of Mahaprabhu, fighting against deviations and speculations.
While all the different schools who accept the canting of the whole name and the process of service to Krsna can be considered parts of the movement of Mahaprabhu, it doesn’t mean everyone has a correct philosophical understanding. There are 500 years of philosophical speculation around, that can confuse even the most sincere seeker.
Just like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is accepted as an incarnation of Krsna not due to sentimentality, but due to the symptoms and empowerment He showed, Prabhupada is accepted as a pure devotee and as an empowered acarya due to his capacity to spread the movement of Mahaprabhu in the western countries, something that was considered impossible until he did it. Even more important was the work done by Srila Prabhupada in formalizing the conclusions of the philosophy of Mahaprabhu in his books, calling the bluff of Sahajiyas, Mayavadis, and others.
It’s time for us to accept that while many philosophical conclusions are the same in all Vaishnava schools, not all schools have the correct conclusions for all topics. All these correct conclusions are revealed in the books of Srila Prabhupada and as our collective understanding of his books deepens, incorrect conclusions that accumulated over the last 500 years may gradually be replaced by them.
It’s important thus to not be intimidated when conclusions of other Vaishnava schools, including ancient ones may clash with conclusions given by Prabhupada in his books. This is part of the process of philosophical revelation that leads to an incomplete revelation being replaced by a higher one that has been going on since the times of Vyasadeva. When this happens, we should have the confidence to understand that the conclusions given by Prabhupada are correct, and be prepared to respectfully defend them case necessary.
One example of how Prabhupada saw the necessity of establishing the philosophy of our movement is his plan to write a commentary on the Vedanta Sutra, which he called Bhaktivedanta-bhasya.
As he wrote:
“The necessity of presenting the Bhaktivedanta-bhasya commentary on Vedanta-sutra should also be explained herein. My spiritual master, Om Visnupada Paramhamsa Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, ordered me to present the Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy in English as far as possible, and in this attempt for the English-knowing persons, since 1965 I have been in the western countries with my three books of the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Then I presented my commentary on the Srimad-Bhagavad-gita known as The Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and similarly, I have presented The Teachings of Lord Caitanya. Also, as requested by many of my Western disciples, especially my worthy disciples Sriman Hansadutta Das Adhikari and Janardana Das Adhikari, who are in charge of the Montreal Center, I am trying to present an English commentary on the Vedanta-sutra as follows.
At the present moment all over the world, there are major portions of godless persons. Generally, people are very attached to the void philosophy presented by Lord Buddha or the impersonal philosophy presented by Sankaracarya. In other words, to be more plain and simple, people are becoming very atheistic.
To say that there is no God, as the atheists declare, is rather bold and simple, but to say that there is a supreme cause that is void, or there is God but He has no form, is more dangerous than the simple declaration that there is no God.
Our society, known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has now started the movement for Krsna Consciousness, and it is very gratifying that the younger generation of the western part of the world, in America, Canada, and Europe, are taking interest in this great movement. We already have branches in almost every important city in the United States and Canada, and we have started centers also in London and Hamburg. We hope that our Krsna Consciousness movement will gradually increase, as predicted by Lord Caitanya, who said that His missionary activities, the same as the Krsna Consciousness movement, will be preached all over the world, in every village in every country. Taking into consideration the present activities of this movement, it is hoped that the prediction of Lord Caitanya will soon be fulfilled and the people of the world will be very happy, having Krsna Consciousness.”
Writing a commentary on the Vedanta Sutra is considered an essential step in establishing a philosophical school because it shows how the philosophical conclusions upheld by it relate to the conclusions given by Vyasadeva in the Brahma Sutras. In this way, Prabhupada had the idea of establishing the conclusions of our movement in this way.
Of course, we know that Prabhupada didn’t have time to finish it, leaving in its place his commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam. The Bhagavatam is the authorized commentary of Vyasadeva on the Brahma Sutras, therefore by writing his commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam, Prabhupada concluded his commentary on the Vedanta Sutra, and established the philosophical conclusions of our movement.
We have now the responsibility of carefully studying it, and not being shy of sustaining the correct conclusions when confronted with opposing ideas, understanding that this is part of the natural process of upliftment of our sampradaya.