There are two processes for attaining knowledge: one is inductive and the other, deductive. The deductive method is considered to be more perfect.
How is the premise that all men are mortal arrived at? Followers of the inductive method wish to arrive at this premise through experiment and observation. We may thus study that this man died and that man died, and after seeing that so many men have died we may conclude or generalise that all men are mortal. The major defect in this method is that our experience is limited.
We may never have seen a man who is not mortal, but we are judging this on our personal experience, which is finite. Our senses have limited power, and there are so many defects in our conditioned state. The inductive process consequently is not always perfect, whereas the deductive process from a source of perfect knowledge is perfect. The Vedic process is such a process. There are successive disciples of Ramanujacharya, Madhva-charya, Nimbarka, Vishnuswami and other great sages. Vedic literature is understood through masters.
Arjuna understood the Bhagavad Gita from Krishna, and if we wish to understand it, we have to do so - so to speak - from Arjuna. We ought to tally our understanding with that of Arjuna to know that our understanding is correct. The Gita is neither an ordinary book of knowledge nor a dictionary. It is not difficult to understand the necessity of going through rigorous tutelage to understand the Gita.
If we wish to be a lawyer, engineer or doctor, we have to receive the knowledge from qualified lawyers, engineers or doctors. A new lawyer has to become an apprentice of an experienced lawyer, or a young man studying to be a doctor has to become an intern and work with those who are already licensed practitioners. Our knowledge of a subject cannot be perfected unless we receive it through authoritative sources. This has been acknowledged in the Gita.
In the Bhagavatam, Vamana said to Shukracharya, the spiritual master of demons: "Your disciple Bali Maharaj is in difficulty, it will be befitting for you to perform yajna for his bene-fit". Shukracharya smiled and replied, "My disciple has seen you and you have graced him... and he has performed 'Anusankirtana', that is, he has recapitulated your Name, Form, Attributes, Pastimes, after hearing about these from a bona fide pure devotee.
Where is the necessity of performing Karmakanda Yajna? By utterance of your Holy name and glories, all defects in the utterance of mantra and tantra (inversion of sequence) and sinister influence of place, time and articles are removed".
Anusankirtana means recapi-tulation of the glories of the Supreme Lord, heard through a bona fide preceptorial channel. Preferably, the hearing should be from a bona fide devotee, not from a professional singer. The Brihad Naradiya Purana emphasises that the way in kali-yuga is Harinama. Sage Veda Vyasa confirms the same in the Bhagavatam. There are infinite forms of devotion, of which chanting of the Holy Name is the foremost.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given the following five principal forms of devotion: association of sadhus, chanting of the Name, hearing of the Bhagavatam, dwelling in transcendental realm of Mathura Dham, and worship of deities with firm faith. Out of these, namasankirtana is the best.
The writer is president, All India Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math and World Vaishnava Association.