A saintly person doesnt wish to speak to anyone and everyone, and he is therefore grave and silent. Generally a common man does not need to be advised. Unless one is prepared to take instructions, it is said that a saintly person should not address him, although sometimes, because of great kindness, a saintly person speaks to ordinary men. As for Prahlada Maharaja, however, since he was not a common, ordinary man, whatever questions he posed would have to be answered, even by a great and exalted personality. Therefore the saintly brahmana did not remain silent, but began to answer. These answers, however, were not concocted by him. This is indicated by the words yatha-srutam, meaning as I have heard from the authorities. In the parampara system, when the questions are bona fide the answers are bona fide. No one should attempt to create or manufacture answers. One must refer to the sastras and give answers according to Vedic understanding. The words yatha-srutam refer to Vedic knowledge. The Vedas are known as sruti because this knowledge is received from authorities. The statements of the Vedas are known as sruti-pramana. One should quote evidence from the srutithe Vedas or Vedic literatureand then ones statements will be correct. Otherwise ones words will proceed from mental concoction.