Guru-tattva
One Must Accept a Guru in Disciplic Succession.
1.1
tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit panih srotriyam brahma-nistham
One who wants to know the Absolute Truth scientifically must approach bona fide spiritual master and offer him everything required for sacrifice. Such a spiritual master must be fixed in the truth, having heard it in disciplic succession. (Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12)
1.2
acaryavan puruso veda
Only one who has a guru can know the truth. (Chandogya Upanisad 6.14.2)
1.3
uttisthata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata
ksurasya dhara nisita duratyaya
durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti
Wake up and take advantage of the human form of life. transcendentalists say that the path of spiritual life is difficult; it is sharp like a razor's edge. (Katha Upanisad 1.3.14)
1.4
yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah
Only unto those great souls who serve guru and Krsna with implicit faith is the import of the Vedas fully revealed. (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)
1.5
nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena
yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam
The Supreme Self can never be known by any amount of argument, reasoning, intelligence, or by much hearing. To those whom He chooses, however, He may His personal form. (Katha Upanisad 1.2.23)
1.6
janana-maranadi-samsaranala-santapto dipta-sira
jala-rasim iva upahara-panih srotriyam
brahma-nistham gurum upasrtya tam anusarati
Just as a person whose head is afire runs towards water, one burning from the fire of material existence birth, death, old age, and disease must run to a guru for relief. Such a guru must be fixed in the Absolute Truth and well- versed in the scriptures. One should approach him with all that is needed for sacrifice, submit to him, and be ready to carry out his every instruction. (Vedanta- sara 11)
1.7
'krsna-nitya-dasa', jiva taha bhuli' gela
ei dose maya tara galaya bandhila
Because the soul has forgotten that he is the eternal servant of Krsna, Maya has chained him by the neck. (Cc. Madhya 22.24)
1.8
krsna bhuli' sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha
ataeva maya tare deya samsaradi-duhkha
Forgetting Krsna, the soul is attracted by the illusory energy since time immemorial, which gives him innumerable miseries in the material world. (Cc. Madhya 20.117)
1.9
krsna-bahir-mukha haiya bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare
pisaci paile yena mati-chhanna haya
maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya
"ami nitya krsna-dasa" —ei katha bhule
mayara naphara haiya cira-dina bule
kabhu raja, kabhu praja, kabhu vipra, sudra
kabhu sukhi, kabhu duhkhi, kabhu kita, ksudra
kabhu svarge, kabhu martye, narake va kabhu
kabhu deva, kabhu daitya kabhu dasa prabhu
Being averse to the service of the Supreme Lord, the living entity tries to satisfy his lusty desires for sense gratification, and thus the illusory energy keeps him tightly within her embrace. The living entity, captured by the illusory energy, becomes just like a madman under a witch's spell.
"I am the eternal servant of Krsna" forgetting this, he becomes the slave of maya and forever wanders through a succession of lives. Sometimes he is a king, sometimes a subject. Now a brahmana, now a sudra. Now an insignificant ant. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad. Now he goes to heaven, now to hell. Sometimes he is a god, sometimes a devil, now a servant, now a lord. (Prema-vivarta)
1.10
brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
tate krsna bhaje, kare gurura sevana
maya-jala chute, paya krsnera carana
Wandering throughout the universe, by the mercy of Krsna, the living entity who is fortunate meets a bona fide spiritual master. By the mercy of the spiritual master, he gets the seed of the bhakti-lata. By worshiping Krsna and rendering service to the spiritual master, one is liberated from the illusory world of maya, and attains the lotus feet of the Lord. (Cc. Madhya 19.151, 22.25)
1.11
mukam karoti vacalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande paramananda madhavam
I offer my respectful obeisances unto transcendental bliss personified, Lord Madhava, by whose mercy a dumb man can speak eloquently, a blind man can see the stars, and a lame man can cross mountains. (Bhavartha Dipika, Mangala Stotram 1)
1.12
caitanya lila-amrta-pura, krsna-lila-sukarpura,
duhe mili' haya sumadhurya
sadhu-guru-prasade, taha yei asvade,
sei jane madhurya pracurya
The pastimes of Sri Caitanya are the abode of nectarean love of Godhead. They are like thick condensed milk. The pastimes of Sri Krsna are like camphor. When these are combined they are very sweet. By the mercy of the guru one can taste that sweetness un-limitedly. (Cc. Madhya 25.277)
A Qualified Guru and Disciple are Hard to Find
1.13
sravanayapi bahubhir yo na labhyah
srnvanto 'pi bahavo na vidyuh
ascaryo 'sya vakta kus lo 'sya labhda
ascaryo jnata kusalanusistah
Many cannot hear about the soul, and even after hearing about it many cannot understand it, because it is hard to find a guru who is a genuine seer of the truth. Such a qualified guru is a great soul and is very rare. Only those who follow his teachings can realize the truth and become expert in the science of God. Such disciples are also very rare. (Katha Upanisad 1.2.7)
A Genuine Guru Knows the Truth About Krsna, is Surrendered to Him, and is Well- Versed in the Vedic Literature
1.14
tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijnasuh sreya uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamasrayam
One who is searching for the Ultimate Truth must surrender to a guru who knows the inner meaning of the Vedas, is fixed in the Absolute Truth and is expert in the sastra. (Bhag. 11.3.21)
1.15
krpa-sindhuh su-sampurnah
sarva-sattvopakarakah
nisprhah sarvatah siddhah
sarva-vidya-visaradah
sarva-samsaya-samchetta
'nalaso gurur ahrtah
One who is an ocean of mercy, who is fulfilled in all respects, who has all good qualities, who works for the benefit of all souls, who is free from lust, who is perfect in all respects, who is well-versed in the scriptures, who knows the science of Krsna, who can remove all the doubts of his disciples, and who is always alert in the service of Krsna is known as a genuine guru. (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 1.45,46 quoted from Visnu-smrti Vacana)
A Guru is a Master of his Senses
1.16
vaco vegam manasah krodha vegam
jihva vegam udaropastha vegam
etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat
A sober person who can control the urge to speak, the mind, the urges of anger, the tongue, belly, and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world. (Upadesamrta 1)
1.17
sat-karma nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah
avaisnavo guru na syad vaisnavah svapaco guruh
A brahmana may be expert in mantra, ritual, and the six kinds of brahminical work performing and teaching sacrifice, studying and teaching scripture, giving and receiving charity but if he is not a Vaisnava he cannot be a guru. On the other hand, a Vaisnava, even if born in a family of untouchables, may be a guru. (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, quoting Padma Purana Vacana)
A Pure Devotee is the Guru of all Varnas and Asramas
1.18
vipra ksatriya vaisyas ca guravah sudra janmanam
sudras ca guravas tesam trayanam bhagavat-priyah
A brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya can be guru for the sudra class, but a Vaisnava, even if born a sudra, because he is dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can be the guru of these higher orders. (Padma Purana)
1.19
kiba vipra, kiba nyasi , sudra kene naya
yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei 'guru' haya
Whether a brahmana, a sannyasi, or a sudra, one who knows the science of Krsna is to be accepted as guru. (Cc. Madhya 8.128)
1.20
kiba varni, kiba srami, kiba varnasrama hina
krsna tattva yei, sei acarya pravina
asala katha chadi' bhai varne ye kare adara
asad-guru kari' ta 'ra vinasta purvapara
One who is expert in the science of Krsna, whatever social order he may belong to including sudra and outcaste is to be accepted as an acarya. Who ignores this principle and accepts a guru solely on the basis of social position will be ruined. (Prema-vivarta)