Understanding God transcends all sectarianism; devotional service is the supreme knowledge and ultimate wealth.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: veda-śāstra kahe—'sambandha', 'abhidheya', 'prayojana' 'kṛṣṇa'—prāpya sambandha, 'bhakti'—prāptyera sadhana [Cc Madhya 20.124] [”The Vedic literatures give information about the living entity’s eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, which is called sambandha. The living entity’s understanding of this relationship and his acting accordingly is called abhidheya. Returning home, back to Godhead, is the ultimate goal of life and is called prayojana.] [coughs] ...Somebody must be there to open the door. Devotee: [indistinct] abhidheya-nāma 'bhakti', 'prema'—prayojana puruṣārtha-śiromaṇi prema mahā-dhana [Cc Madhya 20.125] [”Devotional service, or sense activity for the satisfaction of the Lord, is called abhidheya because it can develop one’s original love of Godhead, which is the goal of life. This goal is the living entity’s topmost interest and greatest wealth. Thus one attains the platform of transcendental loving service unto the Lord.] So Vedic, Vedas, veda means knowledge. Vetti veda-vido jñānam. Veda means knowledge by which one understands. [aside: indistinct]. [big noise, door?] Ohhh!
Can't you stop it? Devotee: [indistinct] Prabhupāda: It will be very much disturbing. Somebody must remain there. To open and close it, nicely. Devotee: [indistinct] Prabhupāda: So Veda means knowledge. Don't accept [coughs] that Vedas is a sectarian religious scripture.
No. Vedas means knowledge. That is the real import of the word Veda. Vetti veda vida jñāne.
There are two forms of verb: vetti, veda, and the original verbal root is vid, vid-dhātu. Vetti veda vida jñāne. Vinte vid vicāraṇe. The same vid-dhātu, verbal root, takes different forms.
That is described here: vinte vid vicāraṇe. When one scrutinizingly analyze something, tries to understand, in that way the verb is vinte vid vicāraṇe. Vidyate vid satāyām, and when there is meaning of existence, the same root takes the form of vidyate, vidyate vid satāyām. lābhe vindati, vindate. Again the same vid-dhātuḥ can be used for profit: vindate, he's enjoying. So original meaning is vid-dhātu veda or vid-dhātu the veda comes.
Veda means knowledge and what is that supreme knowledge? Knowledge, there are different departmental knowledge but what is the ultimate knowledge? The ultimate knowledge is to understand God. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3].
[If one knows the original cause, the subordinate causes are automatically known.] If you understand God then you understand everything. He is the origin automatically. So if you understand God then you become liberated also. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā [4.9]: janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. [One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.] "Anyone who understands Me, how I appear, how I disappear, what are My functions, simply by understanding this." Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ.