Understanding God requires purified consciousness and moral foundation, not mere academic knowledge or religious label.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Room Conversation with Sir Alistair Hardy — July 21, 1973, London 730721R1-LONDON [34:22 Minutes] Conv_730721R1-LONDON Pradyumna: "...by the conditioned soul. Thus God is all-good, and God is all-merciful. Antaḥ praviṣṭaḥ śāstā janānām. The living entity forgets as soon as he quits his present body, but he begins his work again, initiated by the Supreme Lord.
Although he forgets, the Lord gives him the intelligence to renew his work where he ended his last life. So not only does the living entity enjoy or suffer in this world according to the dictation from the Supreme Lord situated locally in the heart, but he receives the opportunity to understand Vedas from Him. If one is serious to understand the Vedic knowledge, then Kṛṣṇa gives the required intelligence. "Why does He present the Vedic knowledge for understanding? Because the living entity individually needs to understand Kṛṣṇa.
Vedic literature confirms this. Yo 'sau sarvair vedair gīyate. In all Vedic literature, beginning from the four Vedas, Vedānta-sūtra and the Upaniṣads and Purāṇas, the glories of the Supreme Lord are celebrated. By performing Vedic rituals, discussing the Vedic philosophy and worshiping the Lord in devotional service, He is attained.
Therefore the purpose of the Vedas is to understand Kṛṣṇa. The Vedas give us direction to understand Kṛṣṇa and the process of understanding. The ultimate goal is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vedānta-sūtra confirms this in the following words: tat tu samanvayāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.4]. One can attain perfection by understanding Vedic literature, and one can understand his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead by performing the different processes.
Thus one can approach Him, and at the end attain the supreme goal, who is no other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this verse, however, the purpose of the Vedas, the understanding of the Vedas and the goal of Vedas are clearly defined." Prabhupāda: So God is acting within the heart of everyone. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. Sir Alistair Hardy: Yes. That's what I certainly believe. Prabhupāda: Yes. Sir Alistair Hardy: I certainly believe that.
Oh, I think we're very close, really, in our views of God, except that I'm concentrating on studying the working of God in the people of today. You are studying the message of God given by Kṛṣṇa in the... And I'm trying to show they are the same, the same view as that revealed by Jesus and by other great... Prabhupāda: No... When we speak of Veda, Veda means knowledge.
So knowledge means knowledge of God. Any scripture that gives knowledge of God, that is Veda. Don't think that Vedas means that only the Sāma, Yajur, Atharva. Those who are following the principles to give knowledge about God, that is Veda.