Shloka 25
अत्र प्रमाणं हि भवान् परमेष्ठी यथात्मभू: । अपरे चानुतिष्ठन्ति पूर्वेषां पूर्वजै: कृतम् ॥ २५ ॥
atra pramāṇaṁ hi bhavān parameṣṭhī yathātma-bhūḥ apare cānutiṣṭhanti pūrveṣāṁ pūrva-jaiḥ kṛtam
ഹേ മഹാമുനേ, ഈ വിഷയത്തിൽ നിങ്ങൾ തന്നെയാണ് പ്രമാണം—സ്വയംഭൂ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് (പരമേഷ്ഠി) പ്രമാണമായിരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ. മറ്റുള്ളവർ മുൻഗാമികളുടെ പൂർവ്വജർ ചെയ്തതിനെ പരമ്പരയായി മാത്രം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നു.
It may be argued that Śukadeva Gosvāmī is not the only authority of perfect knowledge in transcendence because there are many other sages and their followers. Contemporary to Vyāsadeva or even prior to him there were many other great sages, such as Gautama, Kaṇāda, Jaimini, Kapila and Aṣṭāvakra, and all of them have presented a philosophical path by themselves. Patañjali is also one of them, and all these six great ṛṣis have their own way of thinking, exactly like the modern philosophers and mental speculators. The difference between the six philosophical paths put forward by the renowned sages above mentioned and that of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, as presented in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is that all the six sages mentioned above speak the facts according to their own thinking but Śukadeva Gosvāmī presents the knowledge which comes down directly from Brahmājī, who is known as ātma-bhūḥ, or born of and educated by the Almighty Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse points to Brahmā (Ātmabhūḥ) as a primary authority and indicates that genuine practice is aligned with the proven path established by the earlier great ones.
Because Brahmā is the first empowered knower within the universe and a foundational link in the Bhagavata’s paramparā; citing him establishes reliability for the teaching being discussed.
Seek guidance from authentic lineages and time-tested sādhana rather than inventing new spiritual “proofs”; verify your practice by aligning with realized predecessors.