Srimad Bhagavatam 11.3.21
Yogendra Sri Prabuddha to Maharaj Nimi
". Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. Ācārya, guru, he is completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He has taken the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, being completely freed from all material affection. Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam.Everything . . . everyone has got some material desire to fulfill, but a guru or ācārya has no such business. That is the symptom of ācārya. He has no more any material business. Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. He has finished all business of material satisfaction. That is the symptom of ācārya. And śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. And he has taken full bath in the ocean of transcendental . . . (indistinct) . . . Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta , one should surrender to such spiritual master. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, when he is actually serious about inquiring the transcendental subject matter. Otherwise there is no need of accepting guru or ācārya. He has no business. If one is not interested in the transcendental subject matter . . . just like so many people come, they have no interest. Unnecessarily they talk and waste time. As soon as I asked that man that, "If I say something, whether you will accept?" He said: "If I like it, then I shall accept." Then why come to waste my time to inquire from me?"
Srila ACBVSwami Srila Prabhupad to Dr. Patel:
Prabhupāda: Keeping a guru, and "Guru, come here. Come here, guru." (laughter) Not like that. That is useless. And this is the qualification of chela: jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, one who is interested with the Absolute Truth. That requires . . . he requires a guru. And guru means, śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam (SB 11.3.21). This is the qualification. Śābde, he's, in the Vedic knowledge, he's perfect. Śābde pare ca. Niṣṇātam: he has immersed himself in that ocean. And the result is brahmaṇy upaśama . . . he has no more material interests, simply Brahman, that's all. How simple it is, the qualification of chelā and qualification of guru. As soon as Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as his guru, He immediately gave him a slap: aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11): "You are talking like very learned man. You are fool number one."
Dr. Patel: So you told me the same thing. Very good. I must be proud that I am going to be like Arjuna. That is what you mean to say.
Prabhupāda: No, no. This is the guru's . . . guru's business is, when he talks much, he says: "All right, it is all right," but when he accepts guru—slaps.
Srila ACBVPrabhupad lecturing in LA:
Prabhupāda: . . .being completely aware of Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, not a bogus. If you want to receive knowledge, then you must approach a guru who is brahma-niṣṭham. That is the qualification of guru. Brahman, brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. These words are there. He is living in Brahman, Absolute Truth. He has no other business. That is guru.
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
Tattva-darśinaḥ, "who has seen the truth," not imagination. He cannot be guru. Who has actually seen, tattva-darśinaḥ. These are the injunction in the śāstras, and Parīkṣit Mahārāja is strictly following the same principles and asking Parīkṣit. . ., Śukadeva Gosvāmī, bhavanto jānate yathā: "As you have learned from your predecessor." So that is perfect knowledge. The knowledge is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all-perfect, and Arjuna is hearing directly from Him, and the statement of Arjuna is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. He understands that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; that is, he acquired knowledge from Kṛṣṇa.
Srila Prabhupad lecturing in Bombay:
So that light is given by guru. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā (Gautamīya-tantra). That light is given not by bringing one torchlight, but jñānāñjana-śalākayā, the light of knowledge. The light of . . . jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. Guru's business is to give you light by knowledge. Then you understand. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). How the jñāna, knowledge, light is given? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. This is the guru's system, guru's symptom, what is guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. He has completely assimilated the Vedic essence of life. That is called guru. And what is śabda? Śāstra, or Vedas. Śruti-śāstra. Śruti means Veda, knowledge. Veda means knowledge. Or knowledge is received through ear, by hearing. That is real knowledge. Not by experimental knowledge. You cannot understand which is beyond your sense perception by experiment.
Srila Prabhupad lecturing in Hyderbad
And why you should surrender? Jijñāsu: if you are actually inquisitive, inquirer. What about? Śreya uttamam. Śreya means the ultimate benefit of life, and preya means immediate benefit of life. There are two things: śreya and preya. The human life is meant for sreya, and animal life is meant for preya, immediate benefit. That is called preya. And śreya means ultimate benefit of life. That one who is inquisitive to understand about the ultimate goal of life, for him there is need of guru, not a fashion. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsur śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Then what is that guru? That is also explained: śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. Śābde means Vedic literature. Vedic . . . He has drowned himself, he has bathed himself in the ocean of Vedas. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. Just like if you take bathing in a river, deep down you'll become refreshed. Similarly, one has to take śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. And what is the symptom? How I shall know that he has taken bathing fully in the ocean of Veda? Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam: he has finished all desires for material happiness or distress. He is brāhmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. He has taken shelter of Brahman—the same thing, Para-brahman, Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). One who has taken fully shelter under the lotus feet of Para-brahman, Kṛṣṇa, you have to take shelter of such a guru. Otherwise you'll not be able to get out of these clutches of māyā. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21), every śāstra you go.
So therefore here it is said that if you are actually anxious to become free from this material condition of life, then you must accept the service of mahat-sevā. Mahat means one who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He's mahat. Vāsudeva sarvam iti. One who has taken this conclusion, vāsudeva sarvam iti, sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). These are the formulas. So mahātmā means the fully surrendered soul unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. He is the first-class mahātmā. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. Not ordinary mahātmā, but su-durlabhaḥ. And what are the signs? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim, bhajanty ananya-manaso. He has no other business except worshiping Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Mām ekam. In this way, if we find the opportunity, then there is possibility of mukti. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ. And if we associate with the yoṣit saṅgi, those who are desirous of enjoying this material world under different pleas, you. . . if you associate with them, then you glide down to the darkest region of hellish condition of life.
Guru means you have to find out some personality who is well-versed in the Vedic knowledge. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. These are the symptoms of guru: that he is well versed, well cognizant in the conclusion of the Vedas. Not only that he is well versed, but he has actually in his life taken to that path, upaśamāśrayam, without being deviated by any other ways. Upaśama, upaśama. He has finished all material hankerings. He has taken simply to the spiritual life and simply surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And at the same time, he knows all the Vedic conclusions. This is the description of a guru.
Lecture or Essay by Srila Gurudev Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj.
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