Srila Prabhupada, New York, August 12, 1966: […] In the Kathopanisad also it is said that tad-vijnanartham gurum eva abhigacchet: “If you want to understand the transcendental science, then you have to approach to a spiritual master.” And who is spiritual master? Oh, nowadays everyone wants to be spiritual master. Oh, that is also mentioned, who is spiritual master.
Samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham: [MU 1.2.12] “You have to approach a spiritual master who is srotriyam and brahma-nistham.” Srotriyam means who has come down from the disciplic succession, or from the Supreme. Just like we have understood in the Fourth Chapter, in the beginning of the Fourth Chapter, evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2].
There is a parampara; there is disciplic succession. So one who is coming into that disciplic succession and by coming from that disciplic succession, he is firmly convinced in the Absolute, he is firmly conversant in the Absolute Truth, he is guru. Two qualifications. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena [Bg. 4.34].
In Katha Upanisad it is said tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Abhigacchet. This is a Sanskrit grammatical injunction. Where there is the question if imperative, “you must,” there vidhilin, this form of verb, is used, gacchet, gacchet.
Gacchet means “You must go.” You don’t think that without going to a qualified, bona fide spiritual master you can have. No. That is not possible. Here also, Lord Krishna also recommends, tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya: [Bg. 4.34] “If you want to learn that transcendental science, then you have to find out a transcendentalist first of all.” That is also recommended in Kathopanisad.
In Bhagavata also, it is said, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] “One who is hankering after the highest type of question…” We have got so many questions. We can question the whole day and night “What is the rate of this commodity? What is happening in the political field?
What is going on in China?” These questions are not… Not these question. Sreya uttamam. One who has become inquisitive in the uttamam. Uttamam means udgata-tama, not any question of pertaining to the material world. One who is eager to question about the Absolute Truth or the spiritual world, he requires a spiritual master. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. The first injunction is that tasmad gurum prapadyeta: “You must submit to a spiritual master.”
Who? Who is recommended to find out a spiritual master? Tasmad gurum…jijnasuh. Jijnasuh means who is inquisitive. What kind of inquisitive? Jijnasuh sreya uttamam: “What is the ultimate goal of my life?” If you have no such view to inquire what is the ultimate goal of your, you need not require to search out a spiritual master. Spiritual master is not a show bottle.
Just like, “Oh, so many people, they have got a spiritual master. Let me have also some spiritual master.” It is not like that. It is only jijnasuh, one must be very much inquisitive of the transcendental subject matter. He requires a spiritual master. So here also, the Lord says that tad viddhi: “If you want to understand that transcendental subject matter, then you must approach a person, a bona fide spiritual master.”
And the process is pranipata, pranipatena. Pranipata means full surrender. Pra means prakrsta-rupena, fully, and nipata means completely becoming a blank slate. Blank slate. Nobody should approach a bona fide spiritual master just to argue with him and just to, with a desire that “I shall see what kind of spiritual master.” No. This is useless. You have to select a spiritual master…
My Guru Maharaja, my spiritual master, used to say that you have to select a spiritual master not by seeing but by your ear, but by hearing. And you don’t select a spiritual master who has got a very good hair or beard or some very beautiful feature, “Oh, he is a very good, nice looking.” No. You must hear. Tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg. 4.34]. Sruti. The whole process is sruti. The Vedas are called sruti. The ear has to aural reception.
So here also the same thing recommended by Lord Krishna, that pranipata. First of all, you have to find out a bona fide spiritual master, and then you should surrender unto him. This is the first process. Pranipatena pariprasnena. Pariprasnena means by sincere inquiries. Not only surrender, you must be intelligent enough to inquire. Not that when something is heard, and there is no question. No. There must be some question. Pariprasnena and sevaya. So surrender, inquiry, and seva, service.
We sing this song every day,
yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ’pi dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam vande guroh sri-caranaravindam **
Yasya, if we actually find a spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master, and if we can make him satisfied by my service, then my path for realization of God is guaranteed. This is the thing. Here it is. First of all we have to find out a bona fide spiritual master.
Then by my service, by my surrender, by my questions, if we utilize, then my path for back to Godhead, back to home, is guaranteed. That is the… It is very important verse. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya, upadeksyanti te jnanam [Bg. 4.34]. That knowledge by which you can go to the point of your self-interest, Visnu, that knowledge you can realize.
Thank you very much. If there is any question. Full Lecture
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