# The Identity of the Spiritual Master *The guru as representative and manifestation of Kṛṣṇa.* ← Back to [[wiki/compile/spiritual-master-disciple|The Spiritual Master and the Disciple]] --- ## The representative of the Lord is nondifferent from the Lord ![[sb/4/29/51#purport|One who is an actually bona fide spiritual master, representative of Kṛṣṇa, is not different from Kṛṣṇa]] —SB [[sb/4/29/51|4.29.51]] Purport --- ## The spiritual master is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa > *guru kṛṣṇa-rūpa hana śāstrera pramāṇe* > *guru rūpe kṛṣṇa kṛpā karena bhakta-gaṇe* > > According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees. > > PURPORT: The relationship of a disciple with his spiritual master is as good as his relationship with the Supreme Lord. A spiritual master always represents himself as the humblest servitor of the Personality of Godhead, but the disciple must look upon him as the manifested representation of Godhead. —Cc. [[cc/adi/1/45|Ādi 1.45]] --- ## No difference between the initiating and instructing spiritual masters > *śikṣā-guruke ta' jāni kṛṣṇera svarūpa* > *antaryāmī, bhakta-śreṣṭha,—ei dui rūpa* > > One should know the instructing spiritual master to be the personality of Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself as the Supersoul and as the greatest devotee of the Lord. > > PURPORT: There is no difference between the shelter-giving Supreme Lord and the initiating and instructing spiritual masters. If one foolishly discriminates between them, he commits an offense in the discharge of devotional service. —Cc. [[cc/adi/1/47|Ādi 1.47]] --- ## The spiritual master as God and the representative of God > [In the Eleventh Canto of the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*] Sage Prabuddha continued to speak to the king [Nimi] as follows: "My dear King, a disciple has to accept the spiritual master not only as spiritual master, but also as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supersoul. In other words, the disciple should accept the spiritual master as God because he is the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa." This is confirmed in every scripture, and a disciple should accept the spiritual master as such. —The Nectar of Devotion --- ## The spiritual master must not be envied > In the Eleventh Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* Seventeenth Chapter, 27th verse, it is stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Uddhava, the spiritual master must be accepted not only as My representative but as My very self. He must never be considered on the same level with an ordinary human being. One should never be envious of the spiritual master, as one may be envious of an ordinary man. The spiritual master should always be seen as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by serving the spiritual master, one is able to serve all the demigods." —The Nectar of Devotion --- ## A direct manifestation of the Lord > Although I know that my spiritual master is the servitor of Śrī Caitanya, I know him also as a plenary manifestation of the Lord. > > PURPORT: Every living entity is essentially a servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the spiritual master is also His servant. Still, the spiritual master is a direct manifestation of the Lord. With this conviction, a disciple can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The spiritual master is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa because he is a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. —Cc. [[cc/adi/1/44|Ādi 1.44]] --- ## The six principles of the Absolute Truth > I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters, the devotees of the Lord, the Lord's incarnations, His plenary portions, His energies, and the primeval Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. > > PURPORT: [Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī] offers his respectful obeisances to the six principles of the Absolute Truth.... *Tat-prakāśān* indicates the direct manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nityānanda Prabhu, and the initiating spiritual master. —Cc. [[cc/adi/1/34|Ādi 1.34]] --- ## The Lord has simultaneously entered and not entered the spiritual master ![[sb/7/12/15|One should realize that in the fire, in the spiritual master, in one's self and in all living entities...the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, has simultaneously entered and not entered]] —SB [[sb/7/12/15|7.12.15]] --- ## By surrendering to the guru, one surrenders to God > The *guru* is Kṛṣṇa's representative, the former *ācāryas'* representative. Kṛṣṇa says that all *ācāryas* are His representatives; therefore the *guru* should be offered the same respect one would offer to God. As Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says in his prayers to the spiritual master, *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ:* "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the benediction of Kṛṣṇa." Thus, if we surrender to the bona fide *guru,* we surrender to God. God accepts our surrender to the *guru.* —The Science of Self-Realization --- ## The spiritual master as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead ![[sb/7/14/41#purport|a qualified brāhmaṇa...becomes the counterpart body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead]] —SB [[sb/7/14/41|7.14.41]] Purport --- ## The āśraya-vigraha—the manifestation of the Lord of whom one must take shelter > Only out of His immense compassion does the Personality of Godhead reveal Himself as the spiritual master. Therefore in the dealings of an *ācārya* there are no activities but those of transcendental loving service to the Lord. He is the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead. It is worthwhile to take shelter of such a steady devotee, who is called *āśraya-vigraha,* or the manifestation or form of the Lord of whom one must take shelter. —Cc. [[cc/adi/1/46|Ādi 1.46]] Purport --- ## The servants of God are to be respected as God ![[sb/1/2/16#purport|The servants of God are to be respected as God by the devotees who actually want to go back to Godhead]] —SB [[sb/1/2/16|1.2.16]] Purport --- ## The oneness of the spiritual master with the Lord > The bona fide spiritual master always engages in unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By this test he is known to be a direct manifestation of the Lord and a genuine representative of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu.... Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in his *Bhakti-sandarbha* (213), has clearly defined that a pure devotee's observation of the spiritual master and Lord Śiva as one with the Personality of Godhead exists in terms of their being very dear to the Lord, not identical with Him in all respects. —Cc. [[cc/adi/1/46|Ādi 1.46]] Purport --- ## The guru speaks only what is spoken by the Lord ![[sb/8/24/48#purport|the Lord's representative is as good as the Lord Himself because such a representative does not say anything unless it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead]] —SB [[sb/8/24/48|8.24.48]] Purport --- ## The spiritual master transmits Kṛṣṇa's instructions without change ![[sb/7/15/27#purport|Bhagavad-gītā...is presented by the spiritual master as it is, without deviation. Therefore the Absolute Truth is present in the spiritual master.]] —SB [[sb/7/15/27|7.15.27]] Purport --- ## The guru acts on behalf of the Supreme Lord ![[sb/8/24/46#purport|The representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who acts to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also guided by the Supreme Lord to act properly]] —SB [[sb/8/24/46|8.24.46]] Purport --- ## Kṛṣṇa's representative does not say "I am Kṛṣṇa" > Kṛṣṇa's representative does not say, "I have become Kṛṣṇa." Such a person is neither a representative nor a *guru.* He is simply a cheater. Kṛṣṇa's representative is one who canvasses for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "Give up everything and surrender unto Me." Kṛṣṇa's representative says, "Give up everything and simply surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." This is certainly not very difficult to understand. Anyone can become Kṛṣṇa's representative. —Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūti --- ## The pure devotee is honored equally with the Lord ![[sb/1/1/15#purport|The pure devotees whose only business is serving are honored by the names Prabhupāda and Viṣṇupāda]] —SB [[sb/1/1/15|1.1.15]] Purport --- ## The difference between the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord ![[sb/7/15/27#purport|The spiritual master is called sevaka-bhagavān, the servitor Personality of Godhead, and Kṛṣṇa is called sevya-bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is to be worshiped]] —SB [[sb/7/15/27|7.15.27]] Purport --- ## The spiritual master is the jīva-tattva servitor of the Lord > In *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (*Ādi-līlā* 5.142) it is said, *ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya:* the only supreme master is Kṛṣṇa, and all others, both *viṣṇu-tattva* and *jīva-tattva,* engage in the service of the Lord. Both the *viṣṇu-tattva* (as Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita) and the *jīva-tattva* (*śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda*) engage in the service of the Lord, but one must distinguish between the *viṣṇu-tattva* servitors and the *jīva-tattva* servitors. The *jīva-tattva* servitor, the spiritual master, is actually the servitor God. —Cc. [[cc/adi/7/14|Ādi 7.14]] Purport --- ## The eternal identity of the spiritual master > Every living entity is eternally a servant of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; therefore the spiritual master cannot be other than a servant of Lord Caitanya. The spiritual master's eternal occupation is to expand the service of the Lord by training disciples in a service attitude. —Cc. [[cc/adi/1/44|Ādi 1.44]] Purport --- ## The spiritual master as an associate of the gopīs > *nikuñja-yūno rati-keli-siddhyai* > *yā yālibhir yuktir apekṣaṇīyā* > *tatrāti-dākṣyād ati-vallabhasya* > *vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam* > > "The spiritual master is very dear because he is expert in assisting the *gopīs,* who at different times make different tasteful arrangements for the perfection of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa's conjugal loving affairs within the groves of Vṛndāvana. I offer my most humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master." —Śrī Śrī-gurv-aṣṭaka, Verse 6 (Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura)