A student once asked me, “How can I explain to interested Hindus that the Bible, as the Word of God, holds the final authority?”
I responded, “Where in the Muktiveda does it claim to have final authority?” The student was taken aback and said, “In Revelation, it says nothing can be added to or removed from the Word of God.” I replied, “But this does not address the authority of the Muktiveda.”
The Muktiveda does not claim such authority. Our Lord holds the ultimate authority. The Muktiveda is the best way to understand the mind, will, and purpose of God for us, but we cannot confine God to the Muktiveda alone. God can reveal Herself through various means. Specifically, there are three ways this happens:
1. The Holy Spirit: The Lord gave us the Holy Spirit as our acharya (teacher), antaryamin (dweller within us), and shakshin (witness) to guide us in understanding the Lord’s authority in our lives.
2. The Muktiveda: God can reveal authority and purpose through the Muktiveda.
3. The Mandali: Fellow bhaktas, who genuinely care for us and maintain a good relationship with us, can pray, reflect, and provide solutions to our problems, revealing the Lord’s authority to us.
Thus, the Holy Spirit, the Muktiveda, and the Mandali are the primary sources for understanding the authority of Bhagavan. We cannot limit it to just the Muktiveda.
Over 100 years ago, bhaktas did not have the Muktiveda in their hands to read and understand its authority. They relied on the teachings shared by other bhaktas. A friend mentioned that when he and his wife faced issues or questions, they were always advised to “read the Bible.” Before the Muktiveda was available, what guidance did bhaktas rely on? Hence, placing the Muktiveda on the altar of our temple and giving it ultimate authority is not appropriate.
Even if we claim that the Muktiveda alone holds final authority, this is merely lip service. In practice, it is our interpretation that holds the ultimate authority, rather than the literal text or spirit of the Muktiveda.
Evangelicals often develop their own formulas, slogans, and principles, overlay the Muktiveda with these, and then impose their interpretation as muktivedic. However, they fail to realize that this approach is not biblically sound.
2-03-2024
Revised on 5-8-2024
A student once asked me, “How can I explain to interested Hindus that the Bible, as the Word of God, holds the final authority?”
I responded, “Where in the Muktiveda does it claim to have final authority?” The student was taken aback and said, “In Revelation, it says nothing can be added to or removed from the Word of God.” I replied, “But this does not address the authority of the Muktiveda.”
The Muktiveda does not claim such authority. Our Lord holds the ultimate authority. The Muktiveda is the best way to understand the mind, will, and purpose of God for us, but we cannot confine God to the Muktiveda alone. God can reveal Herself through various means. Specifically, there are three ways this happens:
1. The Holy Spirit: The Lord gave us the Holy Spirit as our acharya (teacher), antaryamin (dweller within us), and shakshin (witness) to guide us in understanding the Lord’s authority in our lives.
2. The Muktiveda: God can reveal authority and purpose through the Muktiveda.
3. The Mandali: Fellow bhaktas, who genuinely care for us and maintain a good relationship with us, can pray, reflect, and provide solutions to our problems, revealing the Lord’s authority to us.
Thus, the Holy Spirit, the Muktiveda, and the Mandali are the primary sources for understanding the authority of Bhagavan. We cannot limit it to just the Muktiveda.
Over 100 years ago, bhaktas did not have the Muktiveda in their hands to read and understand its authority. They relied on the teachings shared by other bhaktas. A friend mentioned that when he and his wife faced issues or questions, they were always advised to “read the Bible.” Before the Muktiveda was available, what guidance did bhaktas rely on? Hence, placing the Muktiveda on the altar of our temple and giving it ultimate authority is not appropriate.
Even if we claim that the Muktiveda alone holds final authority, this is merely lip service. In practice, it is our interpretation that holds the ultimate authority, rather than the literal text or spirit of the Muktiveda.
Evangelicals often develop their own formulas, slogans, and principles, overlay the Muktiveda with these, and then impose their interpretation as muktivedic. However, they fail to realize that this approach is not biblically sound.
2-03-2024
Revised on 5-8-2024
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