The word sastra refers to the scriptures, particularly the Vedic books of knowledge. The VedasSama, Yajur, Rg and Atharvaand any other books deriving knowledge from these Vedas are considered Vedic literatures. Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all Vedic knowledge, and therefore it is the scripture whose instructions should be especially accepted. In this essence of all sastras, Krsna personally advises that one give up all other duties and surrender unto Him (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]).

One should be initiated into following the principles of sastra. In offering initiation, our Krsna consciousness movement asks one to come to the conclusion of sastra by taking the advice of the supreme speaker of the sastra, Krsna, forgetting the principles of the materialistic way of life. Therefore the principles we advise are no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating. These four types of engagement will enable an intelligent person to get free from the materialistic life and return home, back to Godhead.

In regard to the instructions of the father and mother, it may be said that every living entity, including even the insignificant cats, dogs and serpents, takes birth of a father and mother. Therefore, getting a material father and mother is not a problem. In every form of life, birth after birth, the living entity gets a father and mother. In human society, however, if one is satisfied with his material father and mother and their instructions and does not make further progress by accepting a spiritual master and being educated in the sastras, he certainly remains in darkness. The material father and mother are important only if they are interested in educating their son to become free from the clutches of death. As instructed by Rsabhadeva (Bhag. 5.5.18): pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat/ na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. One should not strive to become a mother or father if one cannot save ones dependent son from the impending danger of death. A parent who does not know how to save his son has no value because such fathers and mothers may be had in any form of life, even among the cats, dogs and so on. Only a father and mother who can elevate their son to the spiritual platform are bona fide parents. Therefore according to the Vedic system it is said, janmana jayate sudrah: one is born of a material father and mother as a sudra. The purpose of life, however, is to become a brahmana, a first-class man.

A first-class intelligent man is called a brahmana because he knows the Supreme Brahman, the Absolute Truth. According to the Vedic instructions, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [MU

tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham

To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.
[Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12]

The Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this higher knowledge of retiring from materialistic life to return to Godhead, but unfortunately many parents are not very satisfied with this movement. Aside from the parents of our students, many businessmen are also dissatisfied because we teach our students to abandon intoxication, meat-eating, illicit sex and gambling. If the Krsna consciousness movement spreads, the so-called businessmen will have to close their slaughterhouses, breweries and cigarette factories. Therefore they are also very much afraid. However, we have no alternative than to teach our disciples to free themselves from materialistic life. We must instruct them in the opposite of material life to save them from the repetition of birth and death.

Narada Muni, therefore, advised the Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, that instead of begetting progeny, it would be better to leave and achieve the perfection of spiritual understanding according to the instructions of the sastras. The importance of the sastras is mentioned in Bhagavad-gita (16.23):