SB 1.19.37

अतः पृच्छामि संसिद्धिं योगिनां परमं गुरुम् ।
पुरुषस्येह यत्कार्यं म्रियमाणस्य सर्वथा ॥३७॥

ataḥ pṛcchāmi saṁsiddhiṁ
yogināṁ paramaṁ gurum
puruṣasyeha yat kāryaṁ
mriyamāṇasya sarvathā

ataḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigataḥ

after this; and from him (Rādhika); as such; besides this; beyond this; for this reason; from him; from that (lotus); from this; hence; here; hereafter; in this way; now; obtain; so; than Him (Vāsudeva); than the initiated brāhmaṇa; than this; then; thereafter (from Campa); thereafter; therefore (because Kṛṣṇa's name, form, quality are all on the absolute platform); therefore (due to the rareness of seeing pure devotees of the Lord); therefore; this; thus; to the brāhmaṇas.—therefore; pṛcchāmiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpṛcchāmi

beg to inquire; I am asking.—beg to inquire; saṁsiddhimplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsaṁsiddhim

perfection; the way of perfection.—the way of perfection; yogināmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyoginam

a highly elevated mystic; the yogī.—of the saints; paramamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparamam

a supreme; divine; extreme; foremost; highest; is the supreme; most; supreme; the best (within the universe); the best; the Supreme; the ultimate; the ultimate goal; topmost; transcendental; ultimate; very; very great; very severe; with great.—the supreme; gurumplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biggurum

heavy; his spiritual master; his spiritual master, Vasiṣṭha; his spiritual master, Śukrācārya; most severe; most worshipable; preceptor; spiritual master; the instructor; the master; the perfect spiritual master; the preceptor; the spiritual master; the supreme spiritual master; the supreme spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa; the teacher or spiritual master; unto his guru; unto his spiritual master; unto the spiritual master; you who act as a good advisor to all fallen souls.—the spiritual master; puruṣasyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpurusasya

of a devotee; of a living entity; of a man; of a person; of all persons; of Mahā-Viṣṇu; of spirit; of the puruṣa incarnation; of the virāṭ-puruṣa, the gigantic form; of the virāṭ-puruṣa; of the conditioned soul; of the giant Personality of Godhead; of the gigantic person; of the living being; of the living entity; of the Lord; of the man; of the Personality of Godhead; of the soul; of the spirit; of the Supreme Person; of the Supreme Personality; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the Supreme Person.—of a person; ihaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiha

as a matter of fact; at the present moment; at this place; by this; during this span of life; here (in this body); here (in this life); here (in this universe); here (on this water); here; here in Jagannātha Purī; here in the spiritual world; here in this world; here in Vṛndāvana; here, in this arena of sacrifice; herein; herewith; in material sense gratification; in the foolish species of life; in the material world; in the matter of this offense; in the sacrifice; in the universe; in this (material world); in this (the holy name); in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; in this; in this battle; in this body; in this case; in this connection; in this existence; in this human society; in this land of Bhārata-varṣa; in this life; in this material world (especially in this pious land of Bhārata-varṣa, India); in this material world; in this matter of creation; in this millennium; in this narration; in this place; in this place, in this spot; in this situation; in this universe; in this very life; in this water; in this world; in this world of mortality; in this world or in this life; in Vaikuṇṭha; in which house; it; now; on this planet; on this subject; this; within the universe; within this life; within this material world; within this world.—in this life; yatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyat

which; about whom; all these; all those; although; and as; and whichever; anything; as; as a matter of fact; as it is; as its; as much as; as they are; because; because of; because of which; because of whom; by the result of which; by the Supreme Lord; by which; by which way; by whom (the Supreme Lord); by whom; by whose; by whose merciful; even though; everything that was required; fixed under Your direction; for; for which; from both of whom; from him; from which; from whom; from whose; from Yuyudha; he whose; his; His eternal form which; his son; if; in which; in whom; inasmuch as; Kṛṣṇa; now further; of him (Somāpi); of him; of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune; of the fire-gods; of the Lord; of the Supreme Lord; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of which (the intermediate space); of which; of whom (of the Supreme Lord); who; who is; whom; whose; whose form; Your.—whatever; kāryamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkāryam

as duty; duty; must be done; obligatory; the effect; work.—duty; mriyamāṇasyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmriyamāṇasya

of a person who is just ready for death; of one who is going to die; of the dying man.—of one who is going to die; sarvathāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsarvathā

by all means; in all circumstances; in all respects; in every respect; in every way; without fail.—in every way. ¶

You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die. ¶

Unless one is perfectly anxious to inquire about the way of perfection, there is no necessity of approaching a spiritual master. A spiritual master is not a kind of decoration for a householder. Generally a fashionable materialist engages a so-called spiritual master without any profit. The pseudo spiritual master flatters the so-called disciple, and thereby both the master and his ward go to hell without a doubt. Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the right type of disciple because he puts forward questions vital to the interest of all men, particularly for the dying men. The question put forward by Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the basic principle of the complete thesis of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now let us see how intelligently the great master replies. ¶