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Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Would you like to hear another question, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: “It is said that whereas the śrutis [the four original Vedas, the Upaniṣads, and the Vedānta-sūtra] embody eternal …

Śrīla Prabhupāda: The smṛtis are given by the Lord and His representatives. They come from spiritual authorities such as Lord …

“Although in this age there are so many faults – it is truly an ocean of faults – still, there …

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So the śrutis are eternally relevant and constant?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, everything is based on the śrutis. As the Vedānta-sūtra says, anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt: simply by chanting the Lord’s …

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Also, the smṛtis are directly based on the original śrutis?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, for instance, Bhagavad-gītā is considered smṛti. And Bhagavad-gītā also says, satatāṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ: “Fully …

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is smṛti more than just rules of conduct?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Here is what smṛti means:

The four original Vedas are considered śruti. But simply by hearing them, one cannot understand fully. Therefore, the smṛtis have …

So whether you take śruti or smṛti, the subject matter is the same. Both śruti and smṛti are spiritual evidence. …

You cannot become purified or actually God conscious without reference to both śruti and smṛti. So as we push on …

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Nevertheless, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the question asks, “Do the smṛtis need to be revised according to the changing times?”

Śrīla Prabhupāda: They cannot be changed.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The smṛtis cannot be changed?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Nothing can be changed. But according to the time, you have to apply the principles properly. For instance, …

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There is no question, then, of – as the magazine puts it – “new smṛti.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda: No. New smṛti? They may take it as “new smṛti,” but smṛti is smṛti – it is not …