Chapter 1 – Guru-tattva
Guru-niñöhä is the backbone of bhakti
The three symptoms of pure bhakti, elucidated by Çréla Rüpa
Gosvämé in this
key çloka, must be present in the real Guru
1.0
anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaà
jïäna-karmädy-anävåtam
änukülyena kåñëänuçélanaà
bhaktir uttamä
BRS 1.1.11/CC Mad 19.167/MS p.32/BRSB p.3/JD p.184/BTV
p.6/BPKG Biog. p.364
anya-abhiläñitä-çünyam—without
desires other than those for the service of Lord
Kåñëa (or without material desires, especially meat-eating,
illicit sex, gambling and
addiction to intoxicants); jïäna—knowledge aimed at
impersonal liberation;
karma—fruitive, reward
seeking activities; ädi—artificial renunciation, yoga aimed
at attaining mystic powers, and so on; anävåtam—not
covered by; änukülyena—
favourable; kåñëa-anuçélanaà—cultivation of service
to Kåñëa; bhaktiù uttamä—
first-class devotional service. (The prefix änu indicates
änugatya – ‘following, being
under guidance’. Änu also indicates ‘continuous,
uninterrupted’)
Uttama-bhakti, pure
devotional service, is the cultivation of activities that are
meant exclusively for the pleasure of Çré Kåñëa. In other
words, it is the
uninterrupted flow of service to Çré Kåñëa, performed
through all endeavors of body,
mind and speech, as well as through the expression of various
spiritual sentiments
(bhävas). It is not covered by jïäna (knowledge
aimed at impersonal liberation),
karma (reward-seeking
activity), yoga or austerities; and it is completely free from all
desires other than the aspiration
to bring happiness to Çré Kåñëa.
Definition of a Sad-Guru
1.1
tasmäd guruà prapadyeta
jijïäsuù çreya uttamam
çäbde pare ca niñëätaà
brahmaëy upaçamäçrayam
SB 11.3.21/SBG p. 314/BRSB
p.38,44/Arcana-dépikä/Guru-Devatätmä p. 11
tasmät—therefore; gurum—a
spiritual master; prapadyeta—one should take shelter of;
jijïäsuù—being
inquisitive; çreyaù uttamam—about the highest good; çäbde—in the
Vedas; pare—in the Supreme Lord [Çré Kåñëa]; ca—and;
niñëätam—perfectly
knowledgeable, fully realised; brahmaëi—(in these
two aspects) of the Absolute Truth;
upaçama-äçrayam—fixed
in detachment from material desires and conceptions.
Therefore [because we do not have peace or happiness in
this material world], a
person who seriously desires the ultimate spiritual
perfection must seek a bona fide
spiritual master and take shelter of him. The
qualifications of the sad-guru is that he
has realised the Vedic scriptures (çabda-brahma) and
the Supreme Absolute Truth
(parabrahman), and the mundane world holds no charm
for him whatsoever.
At the lotus feet of such a sad-guru, divine relationship,
practice, and the
ultimate objective (sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana) are
all achieved
1.2
tatra bhägavatän dharmän / çikñed gurv-ätma-daivataù
amäyayänuvåttyä yais / tuñyed ätmätma-do hariù
SB 11.3.22/BRSB pp. 46,53
tatra—there (in the
association of the spiritual master); bhägavatän dharmän—the
knowledge of devotional service; çikñet—should
learn; guru-ätma-daivataù—he for
whom the Guru is his very life and soul; amäyayä—without
deceit; anuvåttyä—by
faithful service; yaiù—by which (devotional
knowledge); tuñyet—can be satisfied;
ätmä—the Supreme Soul;
ätma-daù—who bestows His own self; hariù—Lord Hari.
Those divine practices of pure devotional service that
please the self-giving Çré
Hari (who gives Himself to His pure devotees) will be
learned by continuously
serving such a Guru with full sincerity, knowing him to be
one’s dearmost wellwishing
friend and the supremely worshipable embodiment of Çré
Hari.
One must accept a sad-guru who has fully realised both
Çästra and Kåñëa
1.3
tad-vijïänärthaà sa gurum eväbhigacchet
samit-päëiù çrotriyaà brahma-niñöham
Mundaka Upanisad
tat-vijïäna-ärtham—to
learn that transcendental subject matter; saù—one;
gurum—a spiritual
master; eva—certainly; äbhigacchet—must approach; samitpäniù—
carrying the firewood (of sublime faith); çrotriyam—expert
in
understanding the Vedic conclusions; brahma-niñöham—has
fully realised Kåñëa,
directly engaged in His service in the nitya-lélä.
To acquire transcendental knowledge of Çré Bhagavän, one must
approach a Guru
who knows the real import of the Vedic çästra and
who has fully realised Kåñëa. One
should offer him firewood for the yajïa [i.e. the yajïa
of service to Çré Hari, assist
him in the saìkértana yajïa, offer him one’s life
and soul]. Such a spiritual master
must be fixed in the Absolute Truth, having received it in
the disciplic succession.
Guru-Devatätmä – Accepting Çré Guru as one’s life and soul
1.4
bhayaà dvitéyäbhiniveçataù syäd
éçäd apetasya viparyayo ’småtiù
tan-mäyayäto budha äbhajet taà
bhaktyaikayeçaà guru-devatätmä
SB 11.2.37/BR 2.13/BPKG Biog. p. 199, 371/’Guru-Devatätmä’
bhayam—fear; dvitéya—in
something seeming to be other than the Lord;
abhiniveçataù—because
of absorption; syät—it will arise; éçät—from the Supreme
Lord; apetasya—for one who has turned away; viparyayaù—misidentification;
asmåtiù—forgetfulness;
tat—of the Lord; mäyayä—by the illusory energy; ataù—
therefore; budhaù—an intelligent person; äbhajet—should
worship fully; tam—Him;
bhaktyä—with devotion;
ekayä—unalloyed; éçam—the Lord; guru-devatä-ätmä—
one who sees his spiritual master as his lord and his
life-and-soul.
Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as
the material body because
of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord.
When the living entity
thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his
own constitutional
position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering,
fearful condition is caused by the
potency for illusion, called mäyä. Therefore, an
intelligent person should engage
unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the
Lord, under the guidance of
a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his
worshipable deity and as
his very life and soul.
The essence of çästra is revealed to he who is exclusively
devoted to both
Guru and Kåñëa
1.5
yasya deve parä bhaktir
yathä deve tathä gurau
tasyaite kathitä hy arthäù
prakäçante mahätmanaù
Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad 6.23/BRSB p.54/JD Ch.
6&12/Biog p. 3, 377
yasya—of whom; deve—in
the Supreme Lord; parä—transcendental; bhaktiù—
devotion; yathä-deve—as in the Lord; tathä—in
the same way; gurau—in the
spiritual master; tasya—to him; ete—these; kathitäù—as
described; hi—certainly;
arthäù—the imports; prakäsante—are
revealed; mahätmanaù—of those great souls.
The conclusive essence of the scriptures is revealed only
to those great souls who
have parä-bhakti unto Çré Bhagavän and who have an
equal amount of bhakti for Çré
Gurudeva. [parä-bhakti here refers to bhakti which
is under the direct shelter of
Çrématé Rädhäräëé].
Çré Kåñëa tells Uddhava that Çré Guru is His own svarüpa
1.6
äcäryaà mäà vijänéyän
nävamanyeta karhicit
na martya-buddhyäsüyeta
sarva-deva-mayo guruù
SB 11.17.27/CC Adi 1.46
äcäryam—the spiritual
master; mäm—Myself; vijänéyät—one should know;
naavamanyeta—one
should never disrespect; karhicit—at any time; na—never; martyabuddhyä—
with the idea of his being an ordinary man; asüyeta—one
should be envious;
sarva-deva—of all
demigods; mayaù—representative; guruù—the spiritual master.
“Oh Uddhava! The spiritual master is known to be My very svarüpa.
At no time
should one neglect or disrespect the Guru as an ordinary
mortal – out of envy, nor
should he be viewed as having any faults. The Guru is the
sum total of all the demigods.”
Çré Guru is the direct representative of Çré Kåñëa
1.7
säkñäd-dharitvena samasta-çästrair
uktas tathä bhävyata eva sadbhiù
kintu prabhor yaù priya eva tasya
vande guroù çré-caraëäravindam
Çré Gurväñöakam 7, SGG p. 21
säkñät—directly; hari-tva—endowed
with the quality of Çré Hari; samasta—all;
çästraiù—by
scriptures; uktaù—acknowledged; tathä—thus; bhävyate—is
considered; eva—also; sadbhiù—by great
saintly persons; kintu—however;
prabhoù—of the Lord; yaù—who;
priyaù—dear; eva—certainly; tasya—of him (the
Guru); vande—I offer obeisances; guroù—of my
spiritual master; çré—auspicious;
caraëa-aravindam—unto
the lotus feet.
All the scriptures proclaim Çré Gurudeva to be säkñät
hari, endowed with the
quality of Çré Hari, and considered to be His nondifferent,
direct representative.
Because Çré Gurudeva is so dear to the Lord, being His
confidential servitor, I offer
prayers unto his lotus feet.
1.8 – äcäryavän
puruño veda
Candogya Upaniñad 6.14.2/JD ch 20
äcärya—the äcärya; vän—possesses
or follows; puruño—a person; veda—knows.
Only one who has a Guru can know the truth; only one
who follows the disciplic
succession of äcäryas knows things in truth.
Çré Guru must be approached with surrender, service
attitude, and inquiries
1.9
tad viddhi praëipätena
paripraçnena sevayä
upadekñyanti te jïänaà
jïäninas tattva-darçinaù
BG 4.34
tat—this knowledge (of
the Absolute Truth); viddhi—you must understand;
praëipätena—[by
approaching Guru through] prostrated obeisances; paripraçnena—
relevant and submissive inquiries; sevayä—rendering
devotional service;
upadekñyanti—will
reveal; te—unto you; jïänam—that knowledge; jïäninaù—the
selfrealised,
those in knowledge; tattva-darçinaù—those who have
seen the Absolute Truth.
To acquire spiritual knowledge, one must approach a sad-guru
by offering him
prostrated obeisances, by asking relevant questions from
him and by rendering
service to him. The jïänés, those who are expert in
the imports of çästra, and the
tattva-darçés, those
who have realised the Absolute Truth, will enlighten you with
that transcendental knowledge.
Çré Guru serves in the nitya-lilä
1.10
nikuïja-yüno rati-keli-siddhyai
yä yälibhir yuktir apekñanéyä
Çré Gurvañöakam 6
nikuïja-yünaù—of Rädhä
and Kåñëa, the youthful Divine Couple within the groves;
rati—conjugal love; keli—of
the pastimes; siddhyai—for the perfection; yä yä—
whatever; älibhiù—by the gopés; yuktiù—arrangements;
apekñaëéyä—desirable.
Çré Gurudeva is always present with the sakhés,
planning the arrangements for the
perfection of yugala-kiçora’s amorous pastimes (rati-keli)
within the kuïjas of
Våndävana.
A Guru is a ‘gosvämé’,
master of his senses, and he can subdue the six urges
1.11
väco vegaà manasaù krodha-vegaà
jihvä-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etän vegän yo viñaheta dhéraù
sarväm apémäà påthivéà sa çiñyät
Upadeçämåta 1
väcaù—of speech; vegam—the
impetus; manasaù—of the mind; krodha—of anger;
vegam—urge; jihvä—of
the tongue; vegam—urge; udara-upastha—of the belly and
genitals; vegam—urge; etän—these; vegän—urges;
yaù—whoever; viñaheta—can
subdue; dhéraù—sober person; sarväm—entire; api—certainly;
imäm—this;
påthivém—world; saù—that
personality; çiñyät—he can instruct.
A wise and self-composed person who can subdue the impetus
to speak, the
agitation of the mind, the onset of anger, the vehemence of
the tongue, the urge of
the belly and the agitation of the genitals can instruct
the entire world. In other
words, all persons may become disciples of such a
self-controlled Guru.
The first limb of the 64 aìgas of Bhakti is taking shelter
of Çré Guru
1.12
guru-pädäçraya, dékñä, gurura sevana
sad-dharma-çikñä-påcchä, sädhu-märgänugamana
CC Mad 22.115
guru-päda-äçraya—shelter
at the feet of a bona fide Guru; dékñä—initiation by the
spiritual master; gurura sevana—service to the
spiritual master; sat-dharma-çikñä—
instruction in the transcendental process of devotional
service; påcchä—and
inquiry; sädhu-märga—the path of transcendental
devotional service; anugamana—
following strictly.
On the path of regulative devotional service, one must
observe the following
items: (1) One must accept a bona fide spiritual master.
(2) One must accept
initiation from him. (3) One must serve him. (4) One must
receive instructions from
the spiritual master and make inquiries in order to learn
devotional service. (5) One
must follow in the footsteps of the previous äcäryas and
follow the directions given
by the spiritual master.
Çréla Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja (henceforward referred to as
Çréla Gurudeva): “In
the histories of Upamanyu and Aruëi, and also in the history of
Sudämä and Kåñëa, we find miraculous results as the fruit
of surrender to Çré
Gurudeva . There is no possibility of attaining bhakti if
we do not totally follow our
Gurudeva. This is änugatya.”
(Guru-Devatätmä)
Çré Guru is the mercy manifestation of Kåñëa
1.13
brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva
guru-kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja
CC Mad 19.151/BRSB p. 34
brahmäëòa bhramite—wandering
in this universe; kona—some; bhägyavän—most
fortunate; jéva—living being; guru—of the
spiritual master; kåñëa—of Kåñëa;
prasäde—by the mercy; päya—gets;
bhakti-latä—of the creeper of devotional
service; béja—the seed.
According to their karma, all living entities are
wandering throughout the entire
universe. Out of many millions of wandering living
entities, one who is very
fortunate gets an opportunity, by the mercy of both Kåñëa
and Guru, to receive the
seed of the creeper of devotional service.
1.14
yasya prasädäd bhagavat-prasädo
yasyäprasädän na gatiù kuto ’pi
Çré Gurvañöakam 8
prasädät—by the grace;
yasya—of whom (the Guru); prasädaù—(one receives)the
mercy; bhagavat—of Kåñëa; aprasädät—without
the grace; yasya—of Him; na—
(there is) no; gatiù—(spiritual) perfection, goal; kutaù
api—(to be attained)
nowhere.
By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the
benediction of Kåñëa. Without
the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot attain the
goal (of spiritual perfection).
By the Mercy of Çré Guru one attains Kåñëa
1.15
täte kåñëa bhaje, kare gurura sevana
mäyä-jäla chuöe, päya kåñëera caraëa
CC Mad 22.25
täte—therefore; kåñëa
bhaje—if one worships Lord Kåñëa; kare—performs; gurura
sevana—service to his
spiritual master; mäyä-jäla chuöe—gets free from the binding
net of mäyä; päya—gets; kåñëera caraëa—shelter
at the lotus feet of Kåñëa.
“If the conditioned soul engages in the service of the Lord
and simultaneously
carries out the orders of his spiritual master and serves
him, he can get out of the
clutches of mäyä and become
eligible for shelter at Kåñëa’s lotus feet.”
Guru may manifest in many forms
1.16
cintämaëir jayati somagirir gurur me
çikñä-guruç ca bhagavän çikhi-piïcha-mauliù
yat-päda-kalpataru-pallava-çekhareñu
lélä-svayaàvara-rasaà labhate jayaçréù
Kåñëa Karëämåta, Bilvamaìgala Öhäkura/ CC Ädi 1.57
cintämaëiù jayati—all
glory to Cintämaëi; soma-giriù—Somagiri (his initiating
Guru); guruù—spiritual master; me—my; çikñä-guruù—instructing
spiritual master;
ca—and; bhagavän—the
Supreme Lord; çikhi-piïcha—with peacock feathers;
mauliù—whose head; yat—whose;
päda—of the lotus feet; kalpa-taru—like desire
trees; pallava—like new leaves; çekhareñu—at
the toe nails; lélä-svayam-vara—of
conjugal pastimes; rasam—the mellow; labhate—obtains;
jaya-çré—Çrématé Rädhéka.
“All glories to Cintämaëi and my initiating spiritual
master, Somagiri. All glories
to my instructing spiritual master, Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa, who
wears peacock feathers
in His crown. Under the shade of His lotus feet, which are
like desire trees, Jayaçré
[Rädhäräëé] enjoys the transcendental mellow of an eternal
consort.”
Sri Guru is a manifestation of Kåñëa
1.17
kåñëa, gurudvaya, bhakta, çakti, avatära, prakäça
kåñëa ei chaya-rüpe karena viläsa
CC Ädi 1.32
kåñëa—the Supreme
Lord, Çré Kåñëa; gurudvaya—both dékñä and çikñä gurus;
bhakta—the devotees; çakti—the
potencies; avatära—the incarnations; prakäça—
plenary portions; kåñëa—Lord Kåñëa; ei chaya-rüpe—in
these six features; karena
viläsa—enjoys.
Lord Kåñëa enjoys by manifesting Himself as the spiritual
masters, the devotees,
the diverse energies, the incarnations and the plenary
portions. They are all six in
one.
Çré Guru is simultaneously different and non-different from
Kåñëa
1.18
yadyapi ämära guru—caitanyera däsa
tathäpi jäniye ämi täìhära prakäça
CC Ädi 1.44
yadyapi—even though; ämära—my;
guru—spiritual master; caitanyera—of Lord
Caitanya Mahäprabhu; däsa—the servitor; tathäpi—still;
jäniye—know; ämi—I;
täìhära—of the Lord; prakäça—direct manifestation
“Although I know that my spiritual master is a servitor of
Çré Caitanya, I know
Him also as a plenary manifestation of the Lord.”
The dékñä Guru is Kåñëa’s rüpa
1.19
guru kåñëa-rüpa hana çästrera pramäëe
guru-rüpe kåñëa kåpä karena bhakta-gaëe
CC Ädi 1.45/BRSB p. 40/BPKG Biog. p. 232
guru—the spiritual
master; kåñëa-rüpa—as good as Kåñëa; hana—is; çästrera—of
revealed scriptures; pramäëe—by the evidence; guru-rüpe—in
the form of the
spiritual master; kåñëa—Lord Çré Kåñëa; kåpä—mercy;
karena—distributes; bhaktagaëe—
unto His devotees;
According to çästra, the Guru is a manifestation of
Kåñëa. Kåñëa comes in the
form of the Guru to show His mercy to the devotees.
The sikñä Guru is Kåñëa’s svarüpa
1.20
çikñä-guruke ta’ jäni kåñëera svarüpa
antaryämé, bhakta-çreñöha,—ei dui rüpa
CC Ädi 1.47/BRSB p. 40/BPKG Biog. p. 232
çikñä-guruke—the
spiritual master who instructs; ta’—indeed; jäni—I know;
kåñëera—of Kåñëa; sva-rüpa—the
direct representative; antaryämé—the indwelling
Supersoul; bhakta-çreñöha—the best devotee; ei—these;
dui—two; rüpa—forms.
One should know the çikñä Guru to be Kåñëa Himself.
In the form of caittya-guru,
Kåñëa gives encouragement and as the topmost devotee (äcärya)
He gives association
and çikñä.
Kåñëa appears externally as the äcärya and internally as
the Supersoul
1.21
naivopayanty apacitià kavayas taveça
brahmäyuñäpi kåtam åddha-mudaù smarantaù
yo ’ntar bahis tanu-bhåtäm açubhaà vidhunvann
äcärya-caittya-vapuñä sva-gatià vyanakti
SB 11.29.6/CC Ädi 1.48
na eva—not at all; upayanti—are
able to express; apacitim—their gratitude;
kavayaù—learned
devotees; tava—Your; éça—O Lord; brahma-äyuñä—with a
lifetime equal to Lord Brahmä’s; api—in spite of; kåtam—magnanimous
work;
åddha—increased; mudaù—joy; smarantaù—remembering;
yaù—who; antaù
misfortune; vidhunvan—dissipating; äcärya—of
the spiritual master; caittya—of the
Supersoul; vapuñä—by the forms; sva—own; gatim—path;
vyanakti—shows.
[Çré Uddhava said:] “O my Lord! Transcendental poets
and experts in spiritual
science could not fully express their indebtedness to You,
even if they were endowed
with the prolonged lifetime of Brahmä, for You appear in
two features—externally
as the äcärya and internally as the Supersoul—to deliver
the embodied living being
by directing him how to come to You.”
The jéva cannot see the Supersoul, therefore Kåñëa appears
as Çré Guru
1.22
jéve säkñät nähi täte guru caittya-rüpe
çikñä-guru haya kåñëa-mahänta-svarüpe
CC Ädi 1.58
jéve—by the living entity;
säkñät—direct experience; nähi—there is not; täte—
therefore; guru—the spiritual master; caittya-rüpe—in
the form of the Supersoul;
çikñä-guru—the
spiritual master who instructs; haya—appears; kåñëa—Kåñëa;
mahänta—the topmost
devotee, the äcärya; sva-rüpe—in the form of.
Since a conditioned soul cannot directly experience the
presence of the
Supersoul [caittya-guru], He appears before us as a
pure devotee. Such an exalted
devotee is non-different than Kåñëa Himself.
Bhagavän can only be worshiped through Çré Guru
1.23
prathaman tu guruà püjyäà tataç caiva mamärcanam
kurvan siddhim aväpnoti hy anyathä niñphalaà bhavet
HBV 4.344/Manaù-çikñä 2 pt/GKH (P)
prathaman—firstly; tu—most
importantly; guruà—Çré Guru; püjyäm—should be
worshipped; ca eva—and certainly; tataù—thereafter;
mama arcanam—My worship;
hi—certainly; kurvan—so
doing; aväpnoti—one attains; siddhim—perfection;
anyathä—otherwise; bhavet—(one’s
life) will become; niñphalaà—fruitless.
Çré Kåñëa says, “One must always worship one’s Guru first
and only then worship
Me. If one follows this process properly, one will
naturally attain all perfection, but
if one neglects this process then everything will be
fruitless.”
One must approach the Lord through a Guru
1.24
näräyaëo ‘pi vikåtià yäti / guroù pracyutasya durbuddheù
kamalaà jaläd apetaà / çoñayati
ravir na poñayati
Jaladäkhyäna Saàhitä/MS 2, pt/Arcana-dépikä p. 118/KGH (P)
raviù—the sun; çoñayati—dries;
na poñayati—does not nourish it; kamalam—the
lotus; apetam—detached; jalät—from the water;
api—similarly; näräyaëaù—Lord
Näräyaëa; yäti—becomes; vikåtim—alienated; durbuddheù—from
that evil minded
person; pracyutasya—who has left; guroù—his
Guru.
When a lotus flower is situated in water, the rays of the
sun cause it to blossom. The
same sun, however, will wither a lotus which is not
situated in water. In this example
the Guru is compared to water and the Supreme Lord is
compared with the sun.
Çré Gurudeva as very dear to Çré Mukunda
1.25
guru-varaà mukunda-preñöhatve smara param ajasram
Manaù-çikñä 2
Always remember and meditate on Çré Gurudeva as very dear
to Çré Mukunda
(because he is the intimate (maid)servant of Çrématé
Rädhikä).
If one is well-versed in kåñëa-tattva, he should be
accepted as Guru
1.26
kibä vipra, kibä nyäsé, çüdra kene naya
yei kåñëa-tattva-vettä, sei ‘guru’ haya
CC Mad 8.128/BRSB p. 38/JD Ch. 1/Arcana-dépikä p. 118
kibä—whether; vipra—a
brähmaëa; kibä—whether; nyäsé—a sannyäsé; çüdra—a
çüdra; kene—why; naya—not; yei—anyone
who; kåñëa-tattva-vettä—a knower of
kåñëa-tattva; sei—that person; guru—the
spiritual master; haya—is.
Whether one is a brähmaëa, a sannyäsé, a çüdra
or whatever, if he is fully
conversant with kåñëa-tattva, he is eligible to
become a Guru.
A Guru must be a Vaiñëava
1.27
ñaö-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra viçäradaù
avaiñëavo gurur na syäd vaiñëavaù çvapaco guruù
HBV/GKH 1.17/Arcana-dépikä p. 118
ñaö-karma—in the six
prescribed duties of a brähmaëa; nipuëaù—expert; vipraù—a
brähmaëa; mantra—in the matter of hymns and mantras;
tantra—and rules and
regulations; viçäradaù—very skilled; avaiñëavaù—not
a devotee of Kåñëa; guruù—a
spiritual master; na—not; syät—may become; vaiñëavaù—a
devotee of Kåñëa; çvapacaù—
even though born in a family of
dog-eaters; guruù—may become a Guru.
Bogus ‘Gurus’ are common but a real Guru is rare
1.32
guravo bahavaù santi çiñya-vittäpahärakäù
durlabhaù sad-gurur devi çiñya-santäpahärakaù
Puräëa-väkya/GKH 1.48
[Lord Çiva to Pärvaté:] Many ‘Gurus’ take advantage
of their disciples and plunder
them. They exploit their disciples and use them to amass
wealth, but a Guru who can
remove the miseries of his disciples is very rare.
The çästras enjoin to Abandon a Bogus Guru
1.33
guror apy avaliptasya / käryäkäryam ajänataù
utpatha-pratipannasya / parityägo vidhéyate
Mahäbhärata, Udyoga Parva 179.25/BRSB p. 47/JD Ch. 20/GKH
1.49
apy—even; guroù—(one
who has accepted the duty of) a Guru; avaliptasya—who is
attached to sense gratification (rather than the practices
of bhakti); ajänataù—who
is unaware; kärya-akäryam—of what should and should
not be done; utpathapratipannasya—
who has taken to a sinful path, deviating from pure bhakti;
vidhéyate
—should be; parityägaù—abandoned.
It is one’s duty to give up a Guru who is attached to sense
gratification rather than
the practices of bhakti, who does not know what he
should or should not do, and who
deviates from the path of pure bhakti, either
because of bad association or because
he is opposed to Vaiñëavas.
Çréla Jéva Gosvämé’s Commentary: “A Guru who is envious of pure devotees, who
blasphemes them, or behaves maliciously towards them should
certainly be
abandoned, remembering the verse “guror api avaliptasya”.
Such an envious Guru
lacks the mood and character of a Vaiñëava. The çästras enjoin
that one should not
accept initiation from a non-devotee. Knowing these
injunctions of the scriptures,
a sincere devotee abandons a false Guru who is envious of
devotees. After leaving
one who lacks the true qualities of a Guru, if a devotee is
without a spiritual guide,
his only hope is to seek out a mahä-bhägavata Vaiñëava
and serve him. By constantly
rendering service to such a pure devotee, one will
certainly attain the highest goal of
life.“ (Bhakti-Sandarbha, A 238/GKH 1.52)
Both the bogus Guru and his disciples go to hell
1.34
yo vyaktir nyäya-rahitam / anyäyena çåëoti yaù
täv ubhau narakaà ghoraà /
vrajataù kälam akñayam
One who poses as an äcärya, but speaks against the
conclusions of Çrémad
Bhägavatam and other scriptures, or performs kértana opposed
to the proper
glorification of Çré Kåñëa, certainly goes to hell for
countless lifetimes along with his
disciples and whoever else hears such non-devotional talks
and kértanas.
A materialistic, professional, or mundane Guru must be
given up
1.35
paramärtha-gurväçrayo vyavahärika-gurvädi parityägenäpi
kartavyaù
Bhakti-Sandarbha, annucheda 210/GKH 1.53
One should not accept a spiritual master based on
hereditary, social or
ecclesiastical convention. Such a professional ‘Guru’
should be rejected. One must
accept a qualified spiritual master, who can help one advance
towards the ultimate
goal of life, kåñëa-prema.
Who rejects a false Guru must accept a real Guru
1.36
avaiñëavopadiñöena / mantreëa nirayaà vrajet
punaç ca vidhinä samyag / grähayed vaiñëaväd guroù
HBV 4.144/BRSB p. 47/JD ch. 20/GKH 1.54
One goes to hell if he accepts mantra from a
non-Vaiñëava Guru, that is, one who
is associating with women, and who is devoid of kåñëa-bhakti.
Therefore, according
to the rules of çästra, one must take mantra again
from a Vaiñëava Guru.
Serving Çré Guru culminates in ecstatic service to Çré
Kåñëa
1.37
yat-sevayä bhagavataù / küöa-sthasya madhu-dviñaù
rati-räso bhavet tévraù / pädayor vyasanärdanaù
duräpä hy alpa-tapasyä / sevä vaikuëöha-vartmasu
SB 3.7.19-20/MS 7, pt
yat—to whom; sevayä—by
service; bhagavataù—of Bhagavän (both Guru and
Kåñëa); küöa-sthasya—of the unchangeable, fixed; madhu-dviñaù—the
enemy of the
Madhu asura; rati-räsaù—attachment in different
relationships; bhavet—develops;
tévraù—highly
ecstatic; pädayoù—of the feet; vyasana—distresses; ardanaù—
vanquishing; duräpä—rarely obtainable; hi—certainly;
alpa-tapasaù—of one whose
austerity is meager; sevä—service; vaikuëöha—Vaikuëöha;
vartmasu—on the path of.
By serving the feet of Çré Guru, one is able to develop
transcendental ecstasy in
the service of Bhagavän who is the enemy of the Madhu demon
and the remover of
the sufferings of His pure devotees, and whose service
vanquishes one’s material
distresses. For those whose austerity and pious credits are
very meager, it is extremely
difficult to obtain the service of
such devotees who are very dear to Kåñëa.
Devotion to Çré Bhagavän automatically implies devotion to
Çré Guru
1.38
yävanti bhagavad-bhakter aìgäni kathitänéha
präyas tävanti tad-bhakta-bhakter api budhä viduù
BRS 1.2.219/MS 7 pt
The wise recognize that almost all the practices of
devotion for the Supreme Lord
(described in BRS) also apply to the devotee of
Bhagavän (Çré Guru).
Çré Guru is äçrayä Bhagavän
1.39
ayatim niyatià caiva [or]
utpattià pralayaà caiva
bhütänam agatià gatim
vetti vidyäm avidyäà ca
sa väcyo bhagavän iti
Viñëu Puräëa 6.5.78/BB 1.5.37
ayatim—inauspicious; niyatim—auspicious;
ca—also; eva—certainly; bhütänam—
of living entities; agati—ominous destination; gatim—desirable
destination; vetti—
knows; vidyäm—knowledge; avidyäm—ignorance; ca—and;
saù—he; väcyaù—is
designated; bhagavän—the Supreme Lord; iti—
thus.
A person who knows the truth about knowledge and ignorance,
the ultimate goal
and the unfortunate conditioned state of all the living
entities, the creation and the
destruction, only such a person is addressed as ‘bhagavän‘.
The four defects do not occur in çästra or in Guru
1.40
bhrama, pramäda, vipralipsä, karaëäpäöava
ärña-vijïa-väkye nähi doña ei saba
CC Ädi 2.86
bhrama—mistakes; pramäda—illusion;
vipralipsä—cheating; karaëa-apäöava—
imperfectness of the senses; ärña—of the
authoritative sages; vijïa-väkye—in the
wise speech; nähi—not; doña—faults; ei—these;
saba—all.
Mistakes, illusions, cheating and defective perception do
not occur in the sayings
of genuine sädhus [Çré Guru is free from material
defects and therefore everything he
does and says is perfect].
Who is ineligible to be a Guru
1.41
gurur na sa syät sva-jano na sa syät
pitä na sa syäj janané na sä syät
daivaà na tat syän na patiç ca sa syän
na mocayed yaù samupeta-måtyum
SB 5.5.18
guruù—a spiritual
master; na—not; saù—he; syät—should become; sva-janaù—a
relative; na—not; saù—such a person; syät—should
become; pitä—a father; na—
not; saù—he; syät—should become; janané—a
mother; na—not; sä—she; syät—
should become; daivam—the worshipable deity; na—not;
tat—that; syät—should
become; na—not; patiù—a husband; ca—also;
saù—he; syät—should become; na—
not; mocayet—can deliver; yaù—who; samupeta-måtyum—one
who is in saàsära,
the cycle of brth and death.
That Guru is not a Guru, that father is not a father, that
mother is not a mother,
that demigod is not a demigod and that relative is not a
relative who cannot
protect us from the clutches of death, cannot bestow
eternal life upon and cannot
protect us from ignorance, because of which we are deeply
engrossed in this
material world.
It is useless to take shelter of a Guru who is not fully
realised
1.42
çabda-brahmaëi niñëäto / na niñëäyät pare yadi
çramas tasya çrama-phalo / hy adhenum iva rakñataù
SB 11.11.18/SBG p. 315
çabda-brahmaëi—in the
Vedic literature; niñëätaù—expert through complete
study; na niñëäyät—does not absorb the mind; pare—in
the Supreme; yadi—if;
çramaù—labour; tasya—his;
çrama—of great endeavor; phalaù—the fruit; hi—
certainly; adhenum—a cow that gives no milk; iva—like;
rakñataù—of one who is
protecting.
Taking shelter of a ‘Guru’ who has great learning of the
Vedic literature but who
has not realised Parabrahman (Kåñëa), is like protecting a
barren cow who cannot
give milk. It is useless labour and one does not achieve
any real result.
Kåñëa is the Guru of the whole world
1.43
vande kåñëaà jagad-guruà
Çré Garga saàhitä/Närada Païcarätra
My obeisances to Kåñëa who is the
Guru of the whole world.
However, Çrématé Rädhikä is the Guru of Kåñëa
1.44
rädhikära prema—guru, ämi—çiñya naöa
sadä ämä nänä nåtye näcäya udbhaöa
Ädi 4.124
rädhikära—of Çrématé
Rädhäräëé; prema—ecstatic transcendental love; guru—
teacher; ämi—I; çiñya—disciple; naöa—dancer;
sadä—always; ämä—Me; nänä—
various; nåtye—in dances; näcäya—causes to
dance; udbhaöa—novel.
Kåñëa says, “The prema of Rädhikä is My Guru, and I
am Her dancing student.
Her prema makes Me dance various novel dances.”
~ Dékñä – Divine
Knowledge ~
1.45
divyaà jïänaà yato dadyät
kuryät päpasya saìkñayam
tasmät dékñeti sä proktä
deçikais tattva-kovidaiù
Viñëu-yämala/HBV 2.9/CC Mad 15.108 pt/Upad 5 pt/BRSB p. 48
yataù—since; dadyät—it
can give; divyam—divine; jïänam—knowledge; kuryät—
can cause; saìkñayam—utter annihilation; päpasya—of
sin; tasmät—therefore; sä—
it; proktä—is described; iti—as; dékñä—dé-kñä;
deçikaiù—by guides (Gurus); tattvakovidaiù—
who are learned in the science of transcendental truths.
That process which bestows transcendental knowledge (divya-jïäna)
and destroys
(kñä) sinful desires for sense gratification is
called dékñä by learned authorities in the
absolute truth.
Çréla Jéva Gosvämé:
The words “divyaà jïänaà” here refers to the description of
the Lord’s transcendental form as well as knowledge of
one’s relationship with Kåñëa
(given in a seed form within the dékñä-mantras).
Chanting those mantras establishes
a relationship (sambandha) with the Supreme Lord. (Bhakti
sandarbha 283)
1.46
divya-jïänaà kñapayati iti dékñä
Dékñä means... Di,
divya-jïänam, transcendental knowledge (knowledge of one’s
svarüpa and one’s iñöadeva);
kñä means to destroy; also ikñä means darçana, to see, or
kñapayati, explain.
prabhu kahe,—“vaiñëava-deha ‘präkåta’ kabhu naya
‘apräkåta’ deha bhaktera ‘cid-änanda-maya’
dékñä-käle bhakta kare ätma-samarpaëa
sei-käle kåñëa täre kare ätma-sama
sei deha kare tära cid-änanda maya
apräkåta-dehe täìra caraëa bhajaya
CC 3.4.192-3/GKH 13.147/Art of Sädhana ch. 7
prabhu kahe—Çré
Caitanya Mahäprabhu said; vaiñëava deha—the body of a
Vaiñëava; präkåta—material; kabhu naya—is
never; apräkåta—transcendental;
deha—body; bhaktera—of
a devotee; cit-änanda-maya—full of transcendental bliss;
dékñä-käle—at the time
of initiation; bhakta—the devotee; kare—does; ätma—of
himself; samarpaëa—full dedication; sei-käle—at
that time; kåñëa—Lord Kåñëa;
täre—him; kare—makes;
ätma-sama—as spiritual as Himself; sei deha—that body;
kare—makes; tära—his;
cit-änanda-maya—full of transcendental bliss; apräkåtadehe—
in that transcendental body; täìra—His; caraëa—feet;
bhajaya—worships.
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu said, “The body of a devotee is
never material. It is
considered to be transcendental, full of spiritual bliss.
At the time of initiation,
when a devotee fully surrenders to the spiritual master,
Kåñëa makes him like
Himself. He transforms the devotee’s body into spiritual
substance; the devotee then
worships the Lord in that spiritualized body.”
Çréla Bhakti Pramoda Puré Mahäräja: When the living being who has taken to the
devotional path first surrenders himself to the lotus feet
of his spiritual master, then
Kåñëa accepts him as one of His very own. He frees him from
the bondage of bodily
identity and gives him an experience of his eternal
spiritual nature. With this divine
knowledge, the devotee takes a spiritual body appropriate
for the transcendental
service of the Lord. This is the inner mystery of dékñä
(initiation).
The mantra is non-different from the Guru
1.48
yo mantraù sa guruù säkñät
yo guruù sa hariù svayaà
gurur yasya bhavet tuñöas
tasya tuñöo hariù svayam
Vämana-kalpa/HBV 4.353/BRSB p. 41/MK ch.3/GKH (P)
The mantra (which is given by the Guru) is the Guru
himself, and the Guru is
directly the Supreme Lord Hari. There is no difference
between Guru, mantra, and
Hari. He with whom the Guru is
pleased, also obtains the pleasure of Çré Hari Himself.
[Editorial note: “However, it is not proper to give
up a Guru whose knowledge is
meager, if he is not a Mäyävädé or an enemy of the
Vaiñëavas, and is not attached to
sinful activity. In that case, one should still respect him
as Guru, and with his
permission, one should go to another Vaiñëava who is more
knowledgeable, and serve
that Vaiñëava and take instructions from him.” (JD ch.
20)]
Mantra received from a bogus Guru is useless
1.49
sampradäya vihinä ye manträs te niñphaläù matäù
çré brahmä-rudra-sanakä vaiñëaväù kñiti-pävanäù
Padma Puräëa/Prameya-ratnavalé 1.5/JD Ch. 13 /BPKG Biog. p.
62
sampradäya-vihinä—without
being connected with a bona fide sampradäya, or
disciplic succession; ye—which; mantraù—mantras;
te—those; niñphaläù—fruitless;
matäù—are considered.
Vaiñëava äcäryas in the four authorized disciplic
successions – namely
Ramänujäcärya in the Çré-sampradäya, Sri Madhväcärya in the
Brahma-sampradäya,
Viñëusvämé in the Rudra-sampradäya, and Nimbäditya in the
Catuùsanasampradäya
– purify the whole universe. Dékñä-mantras not
received from the bona
fide äcäryas in one of these four sampradäyas will
be fruitless.
The power of a mantra given by a sad-guru to a sat-çiñya
1.50
kibä mantra dila gosäïi kibä tära bala?
japite japite mantra korila pägala
CCÄdi 7.81
(Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu said:) O Gurudeva! What
kind of a mantra have you
given Me? What is its power? By continuously chanting this mantra
I have become
completely mad. Sometimes this mantra makes Me
laugh, sometimes it makes Me cry
or dance or roll on the ground.
~ Thus ends the section Dékñä –
Divine Knowledge ~
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
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