Verse Text
bhaktir aikāntikī veyam avicārāt pratīyate |
vastutas tu tathā naiva yad aśāstrīyatekṣyate ||102||
Translation
This type of bhakti appears to be pure only because of misjudging the facts. Actually, it is not aikāntiki-bhakti at all, because lack of scriptural obedience is seen in it.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
How could it be pure, aikāntikī-bhakti, if there is disregard for scriptures? On the other hand, if it is actually pure bhakti, then how can it produce misfortune? This verse answers. The devotion of Buddha, Dattātreya and others, whose philosophies completely reject the Vedic scriptures, appears to be aikāntiki-bhakti, but that is because of one’s misjudgment only, for that “devotion” (yad) completely rejects the scriptures — the Vedas, its aṅgas and scriptures following the Vedas. If that is so, then there can be no proper results, for according to the Vedānta: śāstra-yonitvāt: the Lord is known only through scriptures (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.3). Therefore, if one disregards the Vedas and supporting scriptures attained through the beginningless authorized disciplic succession embodying the teachings of the Lord, who is the very source of Buddha and others, how can that bhakti be pure? This should be the meaning. Moreover, it is by the Vedic scriptures that one can understand that Buddha and others have the status of avatāras. Moreover, it is by the Vedic scriptures that we understand that Buddha preached atheistic scriptures in order to bewilder the asuras. This is explained in the Triyuga portion of the Viṣṇu-dharma. There it is also explained that Buddha was only an aveśāvatāra. Thus, one should not take his teachings as authoritative.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
In this connection, an objection may be raised by those who are not in devotional service and who do not care for the revealed scriptures. An example of this is seen in Buddhist philosophy. Lord Buddha appeared in the family of a high-grade kṣatriya king, but his philosophy was not in accord with the Vedic conclusions and therefore was rejected. Under the patronage of a Hindu king, Mahārāja Aśoka, the Buddhist religion was spread all over India and the adjoining countries. However, after the appearance of the great stalwart teacher Śaṅkarācārya, this Buddhism was driven out beyond the borders of India.
The Buddhists or other religionists who do not care for revealed scriptures sometimes say that there are many devotees of Lord Buddha who show devotional service to Lord Buddha, and who therefore should be considered devotees. In answer to this argument, Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the followers of Buddha cannot be accepted as devotees. Although Lord Buddha is accepted as an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, the followers of such incarnations are not very advanced in their knowledge of the Vedas. To study the Vedas means to come to the conclusion of the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. Therefore any religious principle which denies the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead is not accepted and is called atheism. Atheism means defying the authority of the Vedas and decrying the great ācāryas who teach Vedic scriptures for the benefit of the people in general.
Lord Buddha is accepted as an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but in the same Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that Lord Buddha appeared in order to bewilder the atheistic class of men. Therefore his philosophy is meant for bewildering the atheists and should not be accepted. If someone asks, “Why should Kṛṣṇa propagate atheistic principles?” the answer is that it was the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to end the violence which was then being committed in the name of the Vedas. The so-called religionists were falsely using the Vedas to justify such violent acts as meat-eating, and Lord Buddha came to lead the fallen people away from such a false interpretation of the Vedas. Also, for the atheists Lord Buddha preached atheism so that they would follow him and thus be tricked into devotional service to Lord Buddha, or Kṛṣṇa.