Guru Tattva: Mundaka Upanisad (The Firewood Verse)
Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
In order to obtain knowledge of that bhagavad-vastu (the absolute truth
concerning Sri Bhagavān ), one should approach sad-guru, carrying fire
wood for sacrifice. The qualification of sad-guru is that he is well versed
in the Vedas, absorbed in the Absolute Truth (brahma-jñānā) and devoted
to the service of Bhagavān.
(Mundaka Upanisad–1.2.12 /JD–p.477)
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One must only accept a guru who has fully realized both śāstra and Kṛṣṇa
tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchetsamit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
Muṇḍaka Upanisad (1.2.12)
tat-vijñāna-artham – to learn the transcendental subject matter of that [Personality of Godhead]; saḥ – one; gurum – a spiritual master; eva – certainly; abhigacchet – should approach; samit-pāniḥ – carrying the firewood [of sublime faith]; śrotriyam – expert in understanding the Vedic conclusions; brahma-niṣṭham – has fully connected with the Supreme Absolute Truth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
One should approach a guru with the purpose of acquiring transcendental knowledge as well as the process for realizing that knowledge. Śrī guru’s qualifications are that
he has complete knowledge of the import of the Vedic śāstras and he is himself fixed in devotion to Parabrahma, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. One should offer him the firewood of sublime faith for the performance of yajña [i.e. the yajña of service to Śrī Hari; of assisting śrī guru in the saṅkīrtana yajña of turning the conditioned souls into lovers of God]
Slokamrtam Bindu
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Video with Verse and Audio Clip of Srila ACBVSwami Srila Prabhupad reciting this verse during a lecture in Hyderbad.
A lecture delivered by Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupad on 12th February, 1936 on the appearance day ofŚrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda in Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭha, Bombay (Rays of the Harmonist Mauni Amavasya 2011 issue, p. 34)
Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaj answers a question about the firewood.
From the Path of Devotion by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj:
This was posted on FB: "Srila Prabhupada...."So there must be faith, faith in the right person. Then it is all right.... Faith is required, but to the right person. Then it will be all right. You know that one barber is honest: then you can make your neck like this and he is with a sharpened razor. But you have faith that "He will not cut my throat; he will shave me." This is faith. And if you do not know him and if you put your neck like this and if he is a rogue, he will cut your throat. That's all. The same faith, if you put it to the right person, you become cleansed, shaved, and the same faith put in the wrong person—your throat is cut off. So you must know where to put the faith. So our Vedic injunction is: "Put your faith to the brahma-nistam,one who is God-realized".... Otherwise there will be disaster. Right faith."
ReplyDelete(Morning Walk—November 26, 1975, New Delhi )
Pic from Srila Prabhupada's last physical/external visit to New Vrindaban dhama in June of 1976 perhaps 40 feet before reaching Radha-Vrindabanchandra's temple building"