## Chapter IV The Disciple: Qualifications, Characteristics and Duties ### 1. The Disciple Must Inquire and Hear from the Spiritual Master **The desire to inquire from the spiritual master is essential:** **Śrī Vyāsadeva said: What did you [Nārada] do after the departure of the great sages who had instructed you in scientific transcendental knowledge before the beginning of your present birth?** PURPORT: Vyāsadeva himself was the disciple of Nāradajī, and therefore it was natural to be anxious to hear what Nārada did after initiation from the spiritual masters. He wanted to follow in Nārada's footsteps in order to attain to the same perfect stage of life. This desire to inquire from the spiritual master is an essential factor to the progressive path. This process is technically known as *sad-dharma-pṛcchā.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/6/2|1.6.2]]* **How to accept a spiritual master:** Sanātana fell at the feet of the Lord and with great humility asked about his own real identity. "I am born of a lower family," Sanātana said. "My associations are all abominable, and I am fallen, the most wretched of mankind. I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life. Indeed, I do not even know what is beneficial for me. Although I am what is known in the world as a great learned man, I am in fact so much of a fool that I myself even think that I am learned. You have accepted me as Your servant, and You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life. Now please tell me what my duty is in this liberated state." ... Sanātana further inquired, "Who am I? Why are the threefold miseries always giving me trouble? And finally, tell me how I can be relieved from this material entanglement. I do not know how to question You about the advancement of spiritual life, but I beg that You kindly, mercifully, let me know everything that I need to know." This is the process of accepting a spiritual master. One should approach a spiritual master, humbly submit to him and then inquire from him about one's spiritual progress. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The disciple of the spiritual master must be very inquisitive:** **O great sage, representative of the Lord, kindly satisfy my inquisitiveness in all that I have inquired from you and all that I may not have inquired from you from the very beginning of my questionings. Since I am a soul surrendered unto you, please impart full knowledge in this connection.** PURPORT: The spiritual master is always prepared to impart knowledge to the disciple and specifically when the disciple is very inquisitive. Inquisitiveness on the part of a disciple is greatly necessary for the progressive disciple. Mahārāja Parīkṣit is a typical disciple because he is perfectly inquisitive. If one is not very inquisitive about self-realization, one need not approach a spiritual master simply to make a show of discipleship. Not only is Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquisitive concerning all he has inquired about, but he is also anxious to know about what he has not been able to inquire. Factually it is not possible for a man to inquire about everything from the spiritual master, but the bona fide spiritual master is able to enlighten the disciple in every way for the disciple's benefit. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/2/8/24|2.8.24]]* **Without inquiring intelligently from the spiritual master, one cannot make spiritual progress:** It is not that we should blindly surrender, but we should be able to inquire with intelligence. Without inquiry, we cannot make advancement. In school a student who makes inquiries from the teacher is usually an intelligent student. It is generally a sign of intelligence when a small child inquires from his father, "Oh, what is this? What is that?" We may have a very good spiritual master, but if we have no power to inquire, we cannot make progress. ... The beginning injunction of the *Vedānta-sūtra *is: [[sb/4/25/26|athāto brahma-jijñāsā]]. "Now is the time to inquire about Brahman." The word *atha *means that one who is intelligent, who has come to the point of realizing the basic frustrations of material life, is capable of making inquiry. In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *it is stated that one should inquire from a spiritual master about subjects that are "beyond this darkness." This material world is by nature dark, and it is artificially lighted by fire. Our inquiries should be about the transcendental worlds which lie beyond this universe. If one is desirous to find out about these spiritual worlds, he should seek out a spiritual master; otherwise there is no point in searching.... It is not that we are to submit ourselves blindly. The spiritual master may be self-realized and situated in the Absolute Truth, yet we have to question him in order to understand all spiritual points. *— Rāja-vidyā: The King of Knowledge* **The disciple must inquire from the spiritual master all about the process of devotional service:** In the process of devotional service, the first step is to take shelter of the spiritual master and then inquire from the spiritual master all about the process. This inquiry is essential for immunity to all kinds of offenses on the path of devotional service. Even if one is fixed in devotional service like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he must still inquire from the realized spiritual master all about this. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/8/7|2.8.7]]* **One should approach a spiritual master only if anxious to inquire seriously about the way of perfection:** **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.** PURPORT: 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. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/1/19/37|1.19.37]]* **Blind following and absurd inquiries (of the spiritual master) are condemned:** Both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. One should not only hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/4/34|4.34]]* **One should approach a guru in a mood of surrender and submissive inquiry:** Vidura was very eager to receive transcendental knowledge, and because of this, Maitreya was very pleased with him. One can please the spiritual master simply by surrendering to him and rendering service, saying, "Sir, I am your most obedient servant. Please accept me and give me instructions." Although Arjuna was a very intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa's, before receiving *Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā *he surrendered himself, saying, *śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam: *"Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me." (Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/2/7|2.7]]) This is the proper way to ask for knowledge. One does not approach the spiritual master with a challenging spirit. One should also be inquisitive to understand the spiritual science. It is not that one considers himself superior to the *guru. *One must first find a *guru *to whom one can surrender, and if this is not possible, one shouldn't waste his time. By surrendering to the proper person, one can very quickly come to understand transcendental knowledge. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **The disciple must be eager to inquire from the spiritual master, in a submissive attitude:** **Whatever doubts I have about a particular subject matter I shall ask you about later. For the time being, these mysterious *yoga *instructions you have given me for self-realization appear very difficult to understand. Please repeat them in a simple way so that I can understand them. My mind is very inquisitive, and I want to understand this clearly.** PURPORT: The Vedic literature instructs: *tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam* [SB [[sb/11/3/21|11.3.21]]]*. *An intelligent man must be very inquisitive to know the transcendental science deeply. Therefore one must approach a *guru, *a spiritual master. Although Jaḍa Bharata explained everything to Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa, it appears that his intelligence was not perfect enough to understand clearly. He therefore requested a further explanation. As stated in *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/4/34|4.34]]): *tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. *The student must approach a spiritual master and surrender unto him fully *(praṇipātena). *He must also question him in order to understand his instructions *(paripraśnena). *One should not only surrender to the spiritual master but also render loving service unto him *(sevayā) so *that the spiritual master will be pleased with the student and explain the transcendental subject matter more clearly. A challenging spirit before the spiritual master should be avoided if one is at all interested in learning the Vedic instructions in depth. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/5/12/3|5.12.3]]* **The disciple should be very inquisitive to hear from (and thus receive the favor of) the spiritual master:** **I have fortunately been instructed by you, and thus great favor has been bestowed upon me. I thank God that I have listened with open ears to your pure words.** PURPORT: Manu said that since he was advised and instructed by Kardama Muni, he was very much favored. He considered himself lucky to receive the message by aural reception. It is especially mentioned here that one should be very inquisitive to hear with open ears from the authorized source of the bona fide spiritual master. How is one to receive? One should receive the transcendental message by aural reception. The word *karṇa-randhraiḥ *means through the holes of the ears. The favor of the spiritual master is not received through any other part of the body but the ears. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/22/7|3.22.7]]* **One must inquire from the bona fide spiritual master in disciplic succession:** **A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly.** PURPORT: To unfold the mystery of *bhakti-yoga ... *is* *the ultimate stage of all inquiries or the highest objective for the inquisitive. Everyone is searching after self-realization in different ways-by *karma-yoga, by jñāna-yoga, *by *dhyāna-yoga, *by *rāja-yoga, *by *bhakti-yoga, *etc. To engage in self-realization is the responsibility of every living entity developed in consciousness. One who is developed in consciousness certainly makes inquiries into the mystery of the self, of the cosmic situation and of the problems of life, in all spheres and fields-social, political, economic, cultural, religious, moral, etc.-and in their different branches.... One who is imbued with such sincere inquiries must ask the bona fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession from Brahmājī, and that is the direction given here. Because the mystery was disclosed before Brahmājī by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the mystery of all such inquiries regarding self-realization must be put before such a spiritual master, who is directly the representative of the Lord, acknowledged in that disciplic succession. Such a bona fide spiritual master is able to clear up the whole thing by evidence from the revealed scriptures, both direct and indirect. Although everyone is free to consult the revealed scriptures in this connection, one still requires the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, and that is the direction in this verse. The bona fide spiritual master is the most confidential representative of the Lord, and one must receive direction from the spiritual master in the same spirit that Brahmājī received it from the Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa.... The Lord is not to be found simply by education or by a good fertile brain, but surely He can be found by the sincere student through the transparent medium of the bona fide spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/2/9/36|2.9.36]]* **A human being's only business is to inquire from a spiritual master about extrication from the entanglement of fruitive activities and their reactions:** **The king replied: O great soul, Nārada, my intelligence is entangled in fruitive activities; therefore I do not know the ultimate goal of life. Kindly instruct me in pure knowledge so that I can get out of the entanglement of fruitive activities.** PURPORT: As long as a person is entangled in fruitive activities, he is bound to accept one body after another. This is called *karma-bandha-phāṅsa-*entanglement in fruitive activities. It does not matter whether one is engaged in pious or impious activities, for both are causes for further entanglement in material bodies ... one cannot be happy by simply executing pious or impious activities. Such activities simply cause entanglement and transmigration from one body to another. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura calls this *karma-bandha-phāṅsa.* King Prācīnabarhiṣat admitted this fact and frankly asked Nārada Muni how he could get out of this *karma-bandha-phāṅsa, *entanglement in fruitive activities. This is actually the stage of knowledge indicated in the first verse of Vedānta-sūtra: [[sb/4/25/26|athāto brahma-jijñāsā]]. When one actually reaches the platform of frustration in an attempt to discharge *karma-bandha-phāṅsa, *he inquires about the real value of life, which is called *brahma-jijñāsā. *In order to inquire about the ultimate goal of life, the *Vedas *enjoin: *tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet* (*Muṇḍaka Upanisad *1.2.12). "In order to understand the transcendental science, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master." King Prācīnabarhiṣat found the best spiritual master, Nārada Muni, and he therefore asked him about that knowledge by which one can get out of the entanglement of *karma-bandha-phāṅsa, *fruitive activities. This is the actual business of human life. *Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ *(*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/1/2/12|1.2.12]]). As stated in the Second Chapter of the First Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, *a human being's only business is inquiring from a bona fide spiritual master about extrication from the entanglement of *karma-bandha-phāṅsa.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/25/5|4.25.5]]* **The disciple must be seriously inclined to inquire from a spiritual master:** **Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: While traveling on a pilgrimage, Vidura received knowledge of the destination of the self from the great sage Maitreya and then returned to Hastināpura. He became as well versed in the subject as he desired. After asking various questions and becoming established in the transcendental loving service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Vidura retired from putting questions to Maitreya Muni.** PURPORT: Like Vidura, an inquisitive conditioned soul must approach a bona fide spiritual master like Maitreya and by intelligent inquiries must try to know everything about *karma *(fruitive activities), *jñāna *(philosophical research for the Supreme Truth) and *yoga *(the linking process of spiritual realization). One who is not seriously inclined to put questions before a spiritual master need not accommodate a show-bottle spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/13/1|1.13.1-2]]* **One should search out a guru not to cure some material disease or to become successful in business, but to learn about the Absolute Truth:** To receive Vedic knowledge, we must approach the proper *guru. *The *guru's *qualification is given in every *śāstra. *In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *([[sb/11/3/21|11.3.21]]) it is said: *tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. *One should not accept a *guru *unless one is inquisitive to know the ultimate goal of life. An ordinary man interested in bodily comforts does not need a *guru. *Unfortunately, at the present moment, the word *guru *refers to someone who can give bodily medicine. One approaches a Mahātmājī and says, "I am suffering from this disease. Please help me." And the Mahātmājī says, "Yes, I have a *mantra *that will heal you and give you success. Give me a little money and take it." This is not a real *guru. *One should approach a *guru *to learn about *tattva, *the Absolute Truth. One should not search out a *guru *to cure some material disease; rather, one requires a doctor. Similarly, people think that if a person can make him successful in business, that person is a *guru. *The *śāstras *do not confirm this either. A *guru *is* *one who knows the *Vedas *and the Vedic conclusion. The Vedic conclusion is the understanding of Kṛṣṇa. *Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ:* "By all the *Vedas, *I am to be known." (*Bhagavad-gītā As It Is* [[bg/15/15|15.15]]) *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **It is the right of the disciple to ask about, and the duty of the guru to explain, any confidential matter:** A student and disciple has the right to ask the *guru *about any confidential service, and it is the duty of the *guru *to explain these confidential matters to his disciple. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/10/12/43|10.12.43]]* **For answers to spiritual inquiries, one must approach a qualified spiritual master, not a layman:** **O greatly learned one, kindly eradicate all my doubts, and let me know of all that I have inquired from you from the beginning to the end.** PURPORT: Vidura asked all relevant questions of Maitreya because he knew well that Maitreya was the right person to reply to all the points of his inquiries. One must be confident about the qualifications of his teacher; one should not approach a layman for replies to specific spiritual inquiries. Such inquiries, when replied to with imaginative answers by the teacher, are a program for wasting time. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/10/2|3.10.2]]* **One should approach a bona fide spiritual master to inquire from him, not to follow fashion:** **Saint Vidura was a great and pure devotee of the Lord, and therefore his questions to His Grace Ṛṣi Maitreya must have been very purposeful, on the highest level, and approved by learned circles.** PURPORT: Questions and answers among different classes of men have different value. Inquiries by mercantile men in the business exchange cannot be expected to be highly purposeful in spiritual values. Questions and answers by different classes of men can be guessed by the caliber of the persons concerned.... According to *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, *one is advised to approach a bona fide spiritual master when one is actually inclined to question from an elevated level of spiritual understanding. A common man who has no interest in spiritual values has no need to approach a spiritual master just as a matter of following fashion. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/1/4|3.1.4]]* **The most important process in devotional service is hearing from the guru, sādhu and śāstra:** One should not give up the process of devotional service, which is performed in nine different ways *(śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, *etc. [SB 7.5.23]). The most important process is hearing (*śravaṇam*)* *from the *guru, sādhu *and *śāstra—*the spiritual master, the saintly *ācāryas *and the Vedic literature. *Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya.... Śravaṇa *is* *very important; one must hear from the Vaiṣṇava *sādhu, guru *and *śāstra.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/10/2/37|10.2.37]]* **By hearing from the perfect authority, the spiritual master, one's knowledge is perfect:** Hearing is more important than directly studying or perceiving. If one is expert in hearing and hears from the right source, his knowledge is immediately perfect. This process is called *śrauta-panthā, *or the acquirement of knowledge by hearing from authorities. All Vedic knowledge is based on the principle that one must approach a bona fide spiritual master and hear from the authoritative statements of the *Vedas. *It is not necessary for one to be a highly polished literary man to receive knowledge; to receive perfect knowledge from a perfect person, one must be expert in hearing. This is called the descending process of deductive knowledge, or *avaroha-panthā.* *— *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi *[[cc/adi/16/52|16.52]]* **One should hear from a realized soul:** All men should take advantage of hearing from realized souls and gradually become able to understand everything. The worship of the Supreme Lord will then undoubtedly take place. Lord Caitanya has said that in this age no one needs to change his position, but one should give up the endeavor to understand the Absolute Truth by speculative reasoning. One should learn to become the servant of those who are in knowledge of the Supreme Lord. If one is fortunate enough to take shelter of a pure devotee, hear from him about self-realization and follow in his footsteps, he will gradually be elevated to the position of a pure devotee.... Although the common man is often not as capable as so-called philosophers, faithful hearing from an authoritative person will help one transcend this material existence and go back to Godhead, back to home. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/13/26|13.26]]* **Divine consciousness is kindled by hearing submissively from the spiritual master:** The Lord can be realized through the aural reception of the transcendental message, and that is the only way to experience the transcendental subject. As fire is kindled from wood by another fire, the divine consciousness of man can similarly be kindled by another divine grace. His Divine Grace the spiritual master can kindle the spiritual fire from the woodlike living entity by imparting proper spiritual messages injected through the receptive ear. Therefore one is required to approach the proper spiritual master with receptive ears only, and thus divine existence is gradually realized. The difference between animality and humanity lies in this process only. A human being can hear properly, whereas an animal cannot. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/2/32|1.2.32]]* **The seed of devotional service implanted in the disciple by the spiritual master must be watered by hearing and chanting:** **"When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of *śravaṇa *and *kīrtana *[hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout."** PURPORT: One who is faithful to his spiritual master gets the *bhakti-latā-bīja. *This *bhakti-latā-bīja *is* *received when one is initiated by the bona fide spiritual master. After receiving the spiritual master's mercy, one must repeat his instructions, and this is called *śravaṇa-kīrtana-*hearing and chanting. One who has not properly heard from the spiritual master or who does not follow the regulative principles is not fit for chanting *(kīrtana).... *One who has not listened carefully to the instructions of the spiritual master is unfit to chant or preach the cult of devotional service. One has to water the *bhakti-latā-bīja *after receiving instructions. from the spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/152|19.152]]* **If the disciple hears from the guru patiently, without unnecessary opposition, the guru will have mercy on him:** All of us should hear him [the *guru*] patiently. If we listen to the transcendental sound without unnecessary opposition, he will surely have mercy upon us. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **When a disciple is eager to hear spiritual subject matters, the spiritual master becomes very happy:** **After hearing of His mother's uncontaminated desire for transcendental realization, the Lord thanked her within Himself for her questions, and thus, His face smiling, He explained the path of the transcendentalists, who are interested in self-realization.** PURPORT: When a student hears spiritual subjects attentively, the spiritual master becomes very happy. Kapiladeva was very happy to see His mother eager to understand spiritual subject matters. He therefore thanked His mother for her inquiry.... When Kapila saw His mother interested, He thanked her from within, not openly. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **To have the real key to transcendental knowledge, one must hear from a bona fide ācārya who is never disturbed about the changes of the material world:** **It is said that one result is obtained by worshiping the supreme cause of all causes and that another result is obtained by worshiping that which is not supreme. All this was heard from the undisturbed authorities who clearly explained it.** PURPORT: The system of hearing from undisturbed authorities is approved in this *mantra. *Unless one hears from a bona fide *ācārya, *who is never disturbed about the changes of the material world, one cannot have the real key to transcendental knowledge. The bona fide spiritual master, who has also heard the *śruti-mantras, *or Vedic knowledge, from his undisturbed *ācārya, *never manufactures or presents anything which is not mentioned in the Vedic literatures. *— *Śrī* Īśopaniṣad Mantra 13* **The result of serving the servants of the Lord:** By serving the servants of the Lord, one gradually gets the quality of such servants, and thus one becomes qualified to hear the glories of God. The eagerness to hear about God is the first qualification of a devotee eligible for entering the kingdom of God. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/2/16|1.2.16]]* **One can glorify the Lord by having heard submissively from his spiritual master:** **In spite of my inability, whatever I have been able to hear [from the spiritual master] and whatever I could assimilate I am now describing in glorification of the Lord by pure speech, for otherwise my power of speaking would remain unchaste.** PURPORT: Maitreya's statement is that in order to avoid unchaste conscious activities, he was trying to describe the unlimited glories of the Lord, although he did not have the ability to describe them perfectly. This glorification of the Lord is not a product of research, but the result of hearing submissively from the authority of the spiritual master. It is also not possible to repeat all that one has heard from his spiritual master, but one can narrate as far as possible by one's honest endeavor. It does not matter whether the Lord's glories are fully explained or not. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/6/36|3.6.36]]* **By hearing instructions from a liberated soul, the devotee is overwhelmed with transcendental ecstasy:** **My dear King, in this way, after hearing the transcendental messages of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees from the great sage Maitreya, Vidura was overwhelmed with ecstasy. With tears in his eyes, he immediately fell down at the lotus feet of his guru, his spiritual master. He then fixed the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the core of his heart.** PURPORT: This is the sign of associating with great devotees. A devotee takes instructions from a liberated soul and is thus overwhelmed by ecstasy from transcendental pleasure. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/4/31/28|4.31.28]]* **By hearing the instructions of a bona fide spiritual master, one gets knowledge, detachment and ultimately liberation:** The individual soul is liberated when it comes out of the material heart or cleanses the heart to make it spiritualized.... When a living entity increases his attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is to be considered like fire. A blazing fire is visible by its exhibition of heat and light; similarly, when the living entity within the heart becomes enlightened with full spiritual knowledge, and detached from the material world, he burns up his material covering of the five elements-earth, water, fire, air and sky-and becomes free from the five kinds of material attachments, namely ignorance, false egoism, attachment to the material world, envy and absorption in material consciousness.... When these are all burned into ashes by the blazing fire of knowledge and detachment, one is fixed firmly in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless one takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and advances his attraction for Kṛṣṇa by his instructions, the five coverings of the living entity cannot be uncovered from the material heart. The living entity is centered within the heart, and to take him away from the heart is to liberate him. This is the process. One must take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and by his instruction increase one's knowledge in devotional service, become detached from the material world and thus become liberated. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/4/22/26|4.22.26]]* **Scriptural knowledge heard from the bona fide spiritual master is scientific (realized) knowledge:** Knowledge is information gathered from the scriptures, and science is practical realization of that knowledge. Knowledge is scientific when it is gathered from the scriptures through the bona fide spiritual master, but when it is interpreted by speculation, it is mental concoction. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **For the spiritual master to speak and disciple to hear kṛṣṇa-kathā, both must be free from material desires:** > nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano- 'bhirāmāt ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt pumān virajyeta vinā paśu-ghnāt [SB [[sb/10/1/4|10.1.4]]] **Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the *paramparā *system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation.** PURPORT: For *kṛṣṇa-kathā, *topics about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there must be a speaker and a hearer, both of whom can be interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness if they are no longer interested in material topics.... For topics concerning Uttamaśloka, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master speaks, and the disciple hears with attention. Unless both of them are free from material desires, they cannot be interested in topics of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The spiritual master and disciple do not need to understand anything more than Kṛṣṇa because simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa and talking about Kṛṣṇa, one becomes a perfectly learned person *(yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati*) (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3). *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/10/1/4|10.1.4]]* **One can be elevated to the highest standard of spiritual life by hearing about the rāsa-līlā from an authorized spiritual master in disciplic succession:** Śukadeva Gosvāmī concludes this episode of *rāsa-līlā* by pointing out that if a person hears from the right source of the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, who is Viṣṇu Himself, and the *gopīs, *who are expansions of His energy, then he will be relieved from the most dangerous type of disease, namely lust. If one actually hears *rāsa-līlā, *he will become completely freed from the lusty desire of sex life and elevated to the highest level of spiritual understanding. Generally, because they hear from Māyāvādīs and they themselves are Māyāvādīs, people become more and more implicated in sex life. The conditioned soul should hear the *rāsa-līlā *dance from an authorized spiritual master and be trained by him so that he can understand the whole situation; thus one can be elevated to the highest standard of spiritual life, otherwise one will be implicated. Material lust is a kind of heart disease, and to cure the material heart disease of the conditioned soul, it is recommended that one should hear, but not from the impersonalist rascals. If one hears from the right sources with right understanding, then his situation will be different. ... One must hear from disciplic succession. *Anu *means following, and *anu *means always. So one must always follow the disciplic succession and not hear from any stray professional reciter, Māyāvādī or ordinary man. *Anuśṛṇuyāt *means that one must hear from an authorized person who is in the disciplic succession and is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When a person wants to hear in this way, then the effect will be sure. By hearing *rāsa-līlā, *one will be elevated to the highest position of spiritual life. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **The conviction to worship Kṛṣṇa is established by hearing from the undisturbed ācārya with faith and love:** All Vedic literatures confirm that Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa, is the cause of all causes. In *Brahma-saṁhitā *also it is said that the Supreme Lord is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, the delight of every living being and the primeval cause of all causes. The really learned person knows this from evidence given by the great sages and the *Vedas. *Thus the learned man decides to worship Lord Kṛṣṇa as all in all. Persons are called *budha, *or really learned, when they fasten themselves to the worship of Kṛṣṇa only. This conviction is established when one hears the transcendental message from the undisturbed *ācārya *with faith and love. One who has no faith in or love for Lord Kṛṣṇa cannot be convinced of this simple truth. Those who are faithless are described in *Bhagavad-gītā *as *mūḍhas, *fools and asses (Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/9/11|9.11]]). It is said that the *mūḍhas* deride the Personality of Godhead because they do not have complete knowledge from the undisturbed *ācārya.* *— *Śrī* Īśopaniṣad Mantra 13* **The proper conditions for the disciple receiving transcendental knowledge from the spiritual master:** **O Sūta Gosvāmī, we are eager to learn about the Personality of Godhead and His incarnations. Please explain to us those teachings imparted by previous masters [*ācāryas*], for one is uplifted both by speaking them and by hearing them.** PURPORT: The conditions for hearing the transcendental message of the Absolute Truth are set forth herein. The first condition is that the audience must be very sincere and eager to hear. And the speaker must be in the line of disciplic succession from the recognized *ācārya. *The transcendental message of the Absolute is not understandable by those who are materially absorbed. Under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, one becomes gradually purified. Therefore, one must be in the chain of disciplic succession and learn the spiritual art of submissive hearing. In the case of Sūta Gosvāmī and the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya, all these conditions are fulfilled because Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī is in the line of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya are all sincere souls who are anxious to learn the truth. Thus the transcendental topics of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's superhuman activities, His incarnation, His birth, appearance or disappearance, His forms, His names and so on are all easily understandable because all requirements are furfilled. Such discourses help all men on the path of spiritual realization. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/1/13|1.1.13]]* **By hearing of the Lord from a bona fide spiritual master, one can remember the Lord at the time of death:** **TRANSLATION:... Those who have dedicated their lives to the transcendental topics of the Personality of Godhead, of whom the Vedic hymns sing, and who are constantly engaged in remembering the lotus feet of the Lord, do not run the risk of having misconceptions even at the last moment of their lives.** PURPORT: The highest perfection of life is attained by remembering the transcendental nature of the Lord at the last moment of one's life. This perfection of life is made possible by one who has learned the actual transcendental nature of the Lord from the Vedic hymns sung by a liberated soul like Śukadeva Gosvāmī or someone in that line of disciplic succession. There is no gain in hearing the Vedic hymns from some mental speculator. When the same is heard from an actual self-realized soul and is properly understood by service and submission, everything becomes transparently clear. Thus a submissive disciple is able to live transcendentally and continue to the end of life. By scientific adaptation, one is able to remember the Lord even at the end of life, when the power of remembrance is slackened due to derangement of bodily membranes. For a common man, it is very difficult to remember things as they are at the time of death, but by the grace of the Lord and His bona fide devotees, the spiritual masters, one can get this opportunity without difficulty. And it was done in the case of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/18/4|1.18.4]]* ### 2. The Disciple Must Strictly Follow the Instructions of the Spiritual Master General Instructions **The disciple should be prepared to lay down his life to execute the will of the spiritual master:** A devoted disciple of the spiritual master would rather die with the spiritual master than fail to execute the spiritual master's mission. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down upon the earth to reestablish the principles of religion, so His representative, the spiritual master, also comes to reestablish religious principles. It is the duty of the disciples to take charge of the mission of the spiritual master and execute it properly. Otherwise the disciple should decide to die along with the spiritual master. In other words, to execute the will of the spiritual master, the disciple should be prepared to lay down his life and abandon all personal considerations. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/28/50|4.28.50]]* **One who executes the order of the spiritual master, however painstaking, achieves the Lord's mercy:** In executing penance, one must be determined to return home, back to Godhead, and must decide to undergo all types of tribulations for that end. Even for material prosperity, name and fame, one has to undergo severe types of penance, otherwise no one can become an important figure in this material world. Why, then, are there severe types of penance for the perfection of devotional service? An easygoing life and attainment of perfection in transcendental realization cannot go together. The Lord is more clever than any living entity; therefore He wants to see how painstaking the devotee is in devotional service. The order is received from the Lord, either directly or through the bona fide spiritual master, and to execute that order, however painstaking, is the severe type of penance. One who follows the principle rigidly is sure to achieve success in attaining the Lord's mercy. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/2/9/24|2.9.24]]* **The secret of success for the disciple—he must hear from the bona fide spiritual master and act on his instructions:** **Lord Brahmā underwent penances for one thousand years by the calculations of the demigods. He heard this transcendental vibration from the sky, and he accepted it as divine. Thus he controlled his mind and senses, and the penances he executed were a great lesson for the living entities. Thus he is known as the greatest of all ascetics.** PURPORT: Lord Brahmā heard the occult sound *tapa, *but he did not see the person who vibrated the sound. And still he accepted the instruction as beneficial for him, and therefore he engaged himself in meditation for one thousand celestial years.... His acceptance of the sound was due to his pure vision of the absolute nature of the Lord. And due to his correct vision, he made no distinction between the Lord and the Lord's instruction. There is no difference between the Lord and sound vibration coming from Him, even though He is not personally present. The best way of understanding is to accept such divine instruction, and Brahmā, the prime spiritual master of everyone, is the living example of this process of receiving transcendental knowledge. The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent.... One has to receive the transcendental sound from the right source, accept it as a reality and prosecute the direction without hesitation. The secret of success is to receive the sound from the right source of a bona fide spiritual master. Mundane manufactured sound has no potency, and as such, seemingly transcendental sound received from an unauthorized person also has no potency. One should be qualified enough to discern such transcendental potency, and either by discriminating or by fortunate chance, if one is able to receive the transcendental sound from the bona fide spiritual master, his path of liberation is guaranteed. The disciple, however, must be ready to execute the order of the bona fide spiritual master as Lord Brahmā executed the instruction of his spiritual master, the Lord Himself. Following the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the only duty of the disciple, and this completely faithful execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the secret of success. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/2/9/8|2.9.8]]* **The disciple must take up the order of his spiritual master as the sustenance of life:** A devotee of the Lord cannot give up the service of the Lord, for he is ordered by his spiritual master. Pure devotees like Nārada and Nityānanda Prabhu take up the order of the spiritual master as the sustenance of life. They do not mind what becomes of the future of their lives. They take the matter very seriously as the order comes from the higher authority, from the representative of the Lord, or from the Lord Himself. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/2/8/6|2.8.6]]* **One pleases the guru by carrying out his orders:** **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **... If you please God's representative, then automatically God becomes pleased, and thus you can directly see Him. **An Indian gentleman: **How to please God's representative? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **You have to carry out his orders, that's all. God's representative is the guru. He asks you to do this, to do that-if you do that, that is pleasing. *— Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers* **Krṣna's order comes through the spiritual master; the guru's orders, therefore, should be taken as the prime duty of life:** **In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me.** PURPORT: When one acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not act as the master of the world. Just like a servant, one should act fully under the direction of the Supreme Lord. A servant has no individual independence. He acts only on the order of the master. A servant acting on behalf of the supreme master has no affection for profit and loss. He simply discharges his duty faithfully in terms of the order of the Lord. Now, one may argue that Arjuna was acting under the personal direction of Kṛṣṇa, but, when Kṛṣṇa is not present, how should one act? If one acts according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa in this book, as well as under the guidance of the representative of Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be the same. The Sanskrit word *mat-paraḥ *is* *very important in this verse. It indicates that one has no goal in life save and except acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. And, while working in that way, one should think of Kṛṣṇa only: "I have been appointed to discharge this particular duty by Kṛṣṇa." While acting in such a way, one naturally has to think of Kṛṣṇa. This is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should, however, note that, after doing something whimsically, he should not offer the result to the Supreme Lord. That sort of duty is not in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should act according to the order of Kṛṣṇa. This is a very important point. That order of Kṛṣṇa comes through disciplic succession from the bona fide spiritual master. Therefore the spiritual master's order should be taken as the prime duty of life. If one gets a bona fide spiritual master and acts according to his direction, then his perfection in life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is guaranteed. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/18/57|18.57]]* **Those who love Kṛṣṇa are simply determined to execute the order of the spiritual master, not caring for personal inconvenience or impediments:** **"After receiving the transcendental orders of Gopāla, this great personality traveled thousands of miles just to collect sandalwood by begging. Although Mādhavendra Purī was hungry, he would not beg food to eat. This renounced person carried a load of sandalwood for the sake of Śrī Gopāla. Without considering his personal comforts, Mādhavendra Purī carried one mound (about eighty-two pounds) of sandalwood and twenty tolas (about eight ounces) of camphor to smear over the body of Gopāla. This transcendental pleasure was sufficient for him. Since there were restrictions against taking the sandalwood out of the Orissa province, the toll official confiscated the stock, but Mādhavendra Purī showed him the release papers given by the government and consequently escaped difficulties. Mādhavendra Purī was not at all anxious during the long journey to Vṛndāvana through the provinces governed by the Mohammedans and filled with unlimited numbers of watchmen. Although Mādhavendra Purī did not have a farthing with him, he was not afraid to pass by the toll officers. His only enjoyment was in carrying the load of sandalwood to Vṛndāvana for Gopāla. This is the natural result of intense love of Godhead. The devotee does not consider personal inconveniences or impediments. In all circumstances he wants to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.** PURPORT: It is natural for those who have developed intense love of Kṛṣṇa not to care for personal inconvenience and impediments. Such devotees are simply determined to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, the spiritual master. In all circumstances, even amidst the greatest dangers, they undeviatingly carry on with the greatest determination.... An intense lover of Kṛṣṇa does not care for any number of material discomforts, scarcity, impediments or unhappiness. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/4/180|4.180-86]]* **To execute the order of one's spiritual master is the essence of the favorable execution of Kṛṣṇa consciousness:** As far as possible, one has to execute the order of one's spiritual master. That will enable one to progress. That is the essence of the favorable execution of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In my old age, I have come to America, and I am trying to teach Kṛṣṇa consciousness because my spiritual master gave me an order that I must do it. It is my duty. I do not know whether I shall be a success or failure. It doesn't matter; my duty is completed if I can present before you whatever I have heard from my spiritual master. This is called the favorable execution of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Those who are actually serious should take the order of Kṛṣṇa through the representative of Kṛṣṇa as their entire life and soul. One who sticks to this principle is sure to progress. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The way of perfection for the disciple is to act according to the instruction of the spiritual master:** Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī also advises that if we want to be successful in our attempt to go back to Godhead, we must very seriously act according to the instruction of the spiritual master. That is the way of perfection. There need be no anxiety over attaining perfection because if one follows the instruction given by the spiritual master he is sure to attain perfection. Our only concern should be how to execute the order of the spiritual master. A spiritual master is expert in giving special instructions to each of his disciples, and if the disciple executes the order of the spiritual master, that is the way of his perfection. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/8/71|4.8.71]]* **The disciple should always meditate upon and execute the order of the spiritual master:** **When all the sons of Prācīnabarhi left home to execute austerities, they met Lord Śiva, who, out of great mercy, instructed them about the Absolute Truth. All the sons of Prācīnabarhi meditated upon the instructions, chanting and worshiping them with great care and attention.** PURPORT: It is clear that to perform austerities or penances, or, for that matter, any form of devotional service, one has to be guided by a spiritual master. Here it is clearly stated that the ten sons of Mahārāja Prācīnabarhi were favored by an appearance of Lord Śiva, who, out of great kindness, gave them instructions regarding the execution of austerities. Lord Śiva actually became the spiritual master of the ten sons, and in turn his disciples took his words so seriously that simply by meditating upon his instructions (*dhyāyantaḥ*)* *they become perfect. This is the secret of success. After being initiated and receiving the orders of the spiritual master, the disciple should unhesitatingly think about the instructions or orders of the spiritual master and should not allow himself to be disturbed by anything else. This is also the verdict of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, who, while explaining a verse of *Bhagavad-gītā *(*vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana, *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/2/41|2.41]]), points out that the order of the spiritual master is the life substance of the disciple. The disciple shouldn't consider whether he is going back home, back to Godhead; his first business should be to execute the order of the spiritual master. Thus a disciple should always meditate on the order of the spiritual master, and that is perfectional meditation. Not only should he meditate upon that order, but he should find out the means by which he can perfectly worship and execute it. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/24/15|4.24.15]]* **The disciple should consider the execution of the instruction of the spiritual master as his life and soul:** Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given directions, in his *Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, *on how to accept a bona fide spiritual master and how to deal with him. First, the desiring candidate must find a bona fide spiritual master, and then he must very eagerly receive instructions from him and execute them. This is reciprocal service.... This combination, the instruction of the spiritual master and the faithful execution of the instruction by the disciple, makes the entire process perfect. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura describes in his explanation of the verse in *Bhagavad-gītā, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ, *that one who wants to be certain to achieve spiritual success must take the instruction from the spiritual master as to what his particular function is. He should faithfully try to execute that particular instruction and should consider that his life and soul. The faithful execution of the instruction which he receives from the spiritual master is the only duty of a disciple, and that will bring him perfection. One should be very careful to receive the message from the spiritual master through the ears and execute it faithfully. That will make one's life successful. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/22/7|3.22.7]]* **Surrender to a guru means to accept whatever he says:** We have to render service to a *guru *and surrender ourselves. It is not that one should accept just any person as a *guru. *The *guru *must be the representative of Kṛṣṇa; then one can surrender oneself. Surrender means that one will accept whatever the *guru *says. It is not that one thinks, "I do not care for my *guru's *order. Still I am a disciple." That is not actually accepting a *guru. *Of course, it has become a fashion to accept a *guru *in this way, but this will not help anyone. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **A serious student of transcendental science must strictly follow the words of the spiritual master and thus become perfect:** "My dear sir, My spiritual master considered Me a great fool," Lord Caitanya replied. "Therefore he has more or less punished Me by saying that because I am such a fool I have no capacity to study *Vedānta. *So in turn he gave Me the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. My spiritual master told Me, 'Just go on chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra; *it will make You all-perfect.'" Actually Lord Caitanya was neither foolish nor ignorant of the principles of *Vedānta.... *The Lord wanted to teach that a serious student of transcendental science should follow the words of his spiritual master. According to the calculations of the spiritual master, Lord Caitanya appeared to be a fool; therefore he said that He should not indulge in the study of *Vedānta *but should continue chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra. *Lord Caitanya strictly obeyed this order. In other words, Lord Caitanya impressed on the Māyāvādīs that the words of a bona fide spiritual master must be strictly followed. By following them, one becomes perfect in all respects. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The principle of very rigidly carrying out the orders of the spiritual master must be observed:** **Raghunātha dāsa spent more than twenty-two hours out of every twenty-four chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *and remembering the lotus feet of the Lord. He ate and slept for less than an hour and a half, and on some days that also was impossible. Topics concerning his renunciation are wonderful. Throughout his life he never allowed his tongue sense gratification. He never touched anything to wear except a small torn cloth and a patchwork wrapper. Thus he very rigidly executed the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.** PURPORT: The principle of very rigidly carrying out the order of the spiritual master must be observed. The spiritual master gives different orders to different people. For example, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Jīva Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī to preach, and He ordered Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī to strictly follow the rules and regulations of the renounced order. All Six Gosvāmīs strictly followed the instructions of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is the principle for progress in devotional service. After receiving an order from the spiritual master, one must strictly try to execute the order. That is the way of success. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/6/310|6.310-12]]* **By following the instructions of the spiritual master, one is liberated from all sinful reactions:** **"Nārada Muni assured the hunter, 'If you listen to my instructions, I shall find the way you can be liberated.'"** PURPORT: *Gaurāṅgera bhakta-gaṇe jane jane śakti dhare. *The purport of this song is that the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are very powerful, and each and every one of them can deliver the whole world. What, then, to speak of Nārada Muni? If one follows the instructions of Nārada Muni, one can be delivered from any amount of sinful reactions. This is the process. One must follow the instructions of a spiritual master; then one will certainly be delivered from all sinful reactions. This is the secret of success. *Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau* [ŚU 6.23]*. *If one has unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, the result is *tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ: *all the conclusions of revealed scriptures will be open to such a person. A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa can make the same demands that Nārada Muni is making. He says, "If you follow my instructions, I shall take responsibility for your liberation." A pure devotee like Nārada can give assurance to any sinful man because by the grace of the Lord such a devotee is empowered to deliver any sinful person if that person follows the principles set forth. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/24/255|24.255]]* **The order of the spiritual master must be obeyed:** **Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, "The order of the spiritual master is very strong and cannot be disobeyed. That is the injunction of the *śāstras, *the revealed scriptures.** "'Being ordered by His father, Paraśurāma killed His mother, Reṇukā, just as if she were an enemy. Lakṣmaṇa, the younger brother of Lord Rāmacandra, immediately engaged Himself in the service of His elder brother and accepted His orders. The order of the spiritual master must be obeyed without consideration.' [*Raghuvaṁśa* 14.46]" *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta* Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/10/144|10.144-45]]* **The secret of success in spiritual life-faith in the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa:** **Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the *brāhmaṇa, *"My dear sir, why are you in such ecstatic love? Which portion of *Bhagavad-gītā *gives you such transcendental pleasure?" The *brāhmaṇa *replied, "I am illiterate and therefore do not know the meaning of the words. Sometimes I read *Bhagavad-gītā *correctly and sometimes incorrectly, but in any case I am doing this in compliance with the orders of my spiritual master."** PURPORT: This is a good example of a person who had become so successful that he was able to capture the attention of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu even while reading *Bhagavad-gītā *incorrectly. His spiritual activities did not depend on material things such as correct pronunciation. Rather, his success depended on strictly following the instructions of his spiritual master.... Actually, the meaning of the words of *Bhagavad-gītā *or *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *are revealed to one strictly following the orders of the spiritual master. They are also revealed to one who has equal faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, being faithful to both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master is the secret of success in spiritual life. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/9/97|9.97-98]]* **The success of ISKCON is based on the principle of strict faith in the order of the spiritual master:** Disagreement among the disciples of one *ācārya *is* *also found among the members of the Gauḍīya Maṭha. In the beginning, during the presence of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottaraśata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, all the disciples worked in agreement; but just after his disappearance, they disagreed. One party strictly followed the instructions of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, but another group created their own concoction about executing his desires.... Therefore, we do not belong to any faction. But because the two parties, busy dividing the material assets of the Gauḍīya Maṭha institution, stopped the preaching work, we took up the mission of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura to preach the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu all over the world, under the protection of all the predecessor *ācāryas, *and we find that our humble attempt has been successful. We followed the principles especially explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in his commentary on the *Bhagavad-gītā *verse *vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana *[*Bg *[[bg/2/41|2.41]]]*. *According to this instruction of Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, it is the duty of a disciple to follow strictly the orders of his spiritual master. The secret of success in advancement in spiritual life is the firm faith of the disciple in the orders of his spiritual master. The *Vedas *confirm this: > yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau tasyaite kathitā hy arthāh prakāśante mahātmanaḥ [ŚU 6.23] **"To one who has staunch faith in the words of the spiritual master and the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the secret of success in Vedic knowledge is revealed."** The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being propagated according to this principle, and therefore our preaching work is going on successfully, in spite of the many impediments offered by antagonistic demons, because we are getting positive help from our previous *ācāryas. *One must judge every action by its result. The members of the self-appointed *ācārya's *party who occupied the property of the Gauḍīya Maṭha are satisfied, but they could make no progress in preaching. Therefore by the result of their actions one should know that they are *asāra, *or useless, whereas the success of the ISKCON party, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which strictly follows *guru *and Gaurāṅga, is increasing daily all over the world. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura wanted to print as many books as possible and distribute them all over the world. We have tried our best in this connection, and we are getting results beyond our expectations. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/12/8|12.8]]* **Disciples who do not follow the order of the spiritual master are useless, because they have no authority:** **At first all the followers of Advaita Ācārya shared a single opinion. But later they followed two different opinions, as ordained by Providence. Some of the disciples strictly accepted the orders of the *ācārya, *and others deviated, independently concocting their own opinions under the spell of *daivī māyā.*** **The order of the spiritual master is the active principle in spiritual life. Anyone who disobeys the order of the spiritual master immediately becomes useless.** PURPORT: The words *daivera kāraṇa *indicate that by dint of Providence, or by God's will, the followers of Advaita Ācārya divided into two parties. Such disagreement among the disciples of one *ācārya *is* *also found among the members of the Gauḍīya Maṭha. In the beginning, during the presence of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, all the disciples worked in agreement; but just after his disappearance, they disagreed. One party strictly followed the instructions of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, but another group created their own concoction about executing his desires. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, at the time of his departure, requested all his disciples to form a governing body and conduct missionary activities cooperatively. He did not instruct a particular man to become the next *ācārya. *But just after his passing away, his leading secretaries made plans, without authority, to occupy the post of *ācārya, *and they split in two factions over who the next *ācārya *would be. Consequently, both factions were *asāra, *or useless, because they had no authority, having disobeyed the order of the spiritual master. Despite the spiritual master's order to form a governing body and execute the missionary activities of the Gauḍīya Maṭha, the two unauthorized factions began litigation that is still going on after forty years with no decision.... The members of the self-appointed *ācārya's *party who occupied the property of the Gauḍīya Maṭha are satisfied, but they could make no progress in preaching. Therefore by the result of their actions one should know that they are *asāra, *or useless. ... When disciples do not stick to the principle of accepting the order of their spiritual master, immediately there are two opinions. Any opinion different from the opinion of the spiritual master is useless. One cannot infiltrate materially concocted ideas into spiritual advancement. That is deviation. There is no scope for adjusting spiritual advancement to material ideas.... Persons who strictly follow the orders of the spiritual master are useful in executing the will of the Supreme, whereas persons who deviate from the strict order of the spiritual master are useless. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/12/8|12.8-10]]* **Lord Caitanya taught by example that the disciple must carry out the spiritual master's instructions without deviation:** **"'You are a fool,' he said. 'You are not qualified to study *Vedānta *philosophy, and therefore You must always chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.' ... Since I received this order from My spiritual master, I always chant the holy name..."** PURPORT: Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja comments in this connection, "One can become perfectly successful in the mission of his life if he acts exactly according to the words he hears from the mouth of his spiritual master." This acceptance of the words of the spiritual master is called *śrauta-vākya, *which indicates that the disciple must carry out the spiritual master's instructions without deviation. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks in this connection that a disciple must accept the words of his spiritual master as his life and soul. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu here confirms this by saying that since His spiritual master ordered Him only to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, He always chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *according to this direction.... Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master of the entire universe, He nevertheless took the position of a disciple in order to teach by example how a devotee should strictly follow the orders of a spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/72|7.72]], [[cc/adi/7/77|77]]* **By carrying out the orders of, and pleasing, the spiritual master, the disciple can be endowed with extraordinary power:** **Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, said: O Indra, I know the cause for your enemy's becoming so powerful. The *brāhmaṇa *descendants of Bhṛgu Muni, being pleased by Bali Mahārāja, their disciple, endowed him with such extraordinary power.** PURPORT: Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, informed Indra, "Ordinarily, Bali and his forces could not achieve such strength, but it appears that the *brāhmaṇa *descendants of Bhṛgu Muni, being pleased with Bali Mahārāja, endowed them with this spiritual power." In other words, Bṛhaspati informed Indra that Bali Mahārāja's prowess was not his own but that of his exalted *guru, *Śukrācārya. We sing in our daily prayers, *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. *By the pleasure of the spiritual master, one can get extraordinary power, especially in spiritual advancement. The blessings of the spiritual master are more powerful than one's personal endeavor for such advancement. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says: > guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra na kariha mane āśā Especially for spiritual advancement, one should carry out the bona fide order of the spiritual master. By the *paramparā *system, one can thus be endowed with the original spiritual power coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead *(evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ* [*Bg* [[bg/4/2|4.2]]]*).* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/8/15/28|8.15.28]]* **The disciple should execute the instructions of the spiritual master, without deviating from or surpassing them:** The instructions received from the spiritual master must be followed immediately. One should not deviate from or surpass the instructions of the spiritual master. One should not be simply intent on consulting books but should simultaneously execute the spiritual master's orders. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/5/5/14|5.5.14]]* **If the disciple strictly follows the instructions of the spiritual master, he will see the Supreme Personality of Godhead without difficulty:** When one becomes serious to follow the mission of the spiritual master, his resolution is tantamount to seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As explained before, this means meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the instruction of the spiritual master. This is technically called *vāṇī-sevā. *Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura states in his *Bhagavad-gītā *commentary on the verse *vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana *(Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/2/41|2.41]]) that one should serve the words of the spiritual master. The disciple must stick to whatever the spiritual master orders. Simply by following on that line, one sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead ... if one sticks to the principles enunciated by the spiritual master, somehow or other he is in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since the Lord is in the heart, He can advise a sincere disciple from within.... In conclusion, if a disciple is very serious to execute the mission of the spiritual master, he immediately associates with the Supreme Personality of Godhead by *vāṇī* or *vapuḥ. *This is the only secret of success in seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead of being eager to see the Lord in some bush in Vṛndāvana while at the same time engaging in sense gratification, if one instead sticks to the principle of following the words of the spiritual master, he will see the Supreme Lord without difficulty. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/28/51|4.28.51]]* **How the disciple can always remain in a liberated position-by abiding by the order of the spiritual master:** One has to execute the order of Lord Viṣṇu, whether receiving it directly from Him or from His bona fide representative, the spiritual master.... every man's duty is to receive orders from Lord Kṛṣṇa or from His bona fide representative and take these orders as his life and soul, without personal considerations. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura states that one should not care very much whether he is going to be liberated or not, but he should simply execute the direct order received from the spiritual master. If one sticks to the principle of abiding by the order of the spiritual master, he will always remain in a liberated position. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/20/13|4.20.13]]* **A disciple who takes the order of his spiritual master as his life and soul becomes perfect:** **Sons ought to render service to their father exactly to this extent. One should obey the command of his father or spiritual master with due deference, saying, "Yes, sir."** PURPORT: The son or disciple should accept the words of his spiritual master and father without hesitation. Whatever the father and the spiritual master order should be taken without argument: "Yes." There should be no instance in which the disciple or the son says, "This is not correct. I cannot carry it out." When he says that, he is fallen.... the order of the spiritual master is the life and soul of the disciples. As a man cannot separate his life from his body, so a disciple cannot separate the order of the spiritual master from his life. If a disciple follows the instruction of the spiritual master in that way, he is sure to become perfect. This is confirmed in the *Upaniṣads: *the import of Vedic instruction is revealed automatically only to one who has implicit faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and in his spiritual master. One may be materially considered an illiterate man, but if he has faith in the spiritual master as well as in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then the meaning of scriptural revelation is immediately manifested before him. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/24/13|3.24.13]]* **To attain the perfection of life, one must follow the direction of Kṛṣṇa and His representative, the spiritual master:** The Supreme Personality gives directions as to what is good and what is bad, and one simply has to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to attain the perfection of life. No one can ascertain his destiny as the Supreme Lord can; therefore the best course is to take direction from the Supreme Lord and act. No one should neglect the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the order of the spiritual master who is the representative of God. One should act unhesitatingly to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead-that will keep him safe under all circumstances. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/18/58|18.58]]* **In devotional service, one should execute the orders of the spiritual master with patience, depending on his mercy:** These activities [of devotional service] must be executed with patience. One should not be impatient in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Indeed, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started single-handedly, and in the beginning there was no response, but because we continued to execute our devotional activities with patience, people gradually began to understand the importance of this movement, and now they are eagerly participating. One should not be impatient in discharging devotional service, but should take instructions from the spiritual master and execute them with patience, depending on the mercy of *guru *and Kṛṣṇa. *— Nectar of Instruction [[books/noi/3|Text 3]]* **The disciple can receive and execute the spiritual master's orders sincerely when he keeps aloof from bodily activities:** As a king, Pṛthu Mahārāja was ordered by Lord Viṣṇu to keep himself always aloof from the activities of the bodily situation and to engage always in the service of the Lord and thus keep himself in the liberated stage.... One can fully remain in intimate connection with the Supreme Lord directly or receive orders from His bona fide representative the spiritual master and execute the orders sincerely when one keeps aloof from the activities of the body.... If we follow the instruction of the spiritual master and execute devotional service to the Lord, we will remain always free from the contamination of bodily or material activities, and our life will be successful. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/20/13|4.20.13]]* **To test who is a useful disciple, one must measure his activities in executing the will of the spiritual master:** **Paddy is mixed with straw at first, and one must fan it to separate the paddy from the straw.** PURPORT: This example given by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī is very appropriate. In the case of the Gauḍīya Maṭha members, one can apply a similar process. There are many disciples of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, but to judge who is actually his disciple, to divide the useful from the useless, one must measure the activities of such disciples in executing the will of the spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/12/12|12.12]]* **The disciple must obey and satisfy the spiritual master:** Service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As such, to be well-versed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one's mission in life. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as follows: > yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **"By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master."** *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/2/41|2.41]]* **One should avoid niyamāgraha and should act under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master who adjusts things according to time and circumstance:** To broadcast the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to learn the possibility of renunciation in terms of country, time and candidate. A candidate for Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Western countries should be taught about the renunciation of material existence, but one would teach candidates from a country like India in a different way. The teacher (*ācārya*)* *has to consider time, candidate and country. He must avoid the principle of *niyamāgraha-*that is, he should not try to perform the impossible. What is possible in one country may not be possible in another. The *ācārya's *duty is to accept the essence of devotional service. There may be a little change here and there as far as *yukta-vairāgya *(proper renunciation) is concerned. Dry renunciation is forbidden by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and we have also learned this from our spiritual master, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Gosvāmī Mahārāja. The essence of devotional service must be taken into consideration, and not the outward paraphernalia.... A Vaiṣṇava is immediately purified, provided he follows the rules and regulations of his bona fide spiritual master. It is not necessary that the rules and regulations followed in India be exactly the same as those in Europe, America and other Western countries. Simply imitating without effect is called *niyamāgraha. *Not following the regulative principles but instead living extravagantly is also called *niyamāgraha. *The word *niyama *means "regulative principles," and *āgraha *means "eagerness." The word *agraha *means "not to accept." We should not follow regulative principles without an effect, nor should we fail to accept the regulative principles. What is required is a special technique according to country, time and candidate. Without the sanction of the spiritual master, we should not try to imitate. This principle is recommended here: *suṣka-vairāgya-jñāna saba niṣedhila. *This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's liberal demonstration of the *bhakti *cult. We should not introduce anything whimsically, without the sanction of the bona fide spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/9/97|23.105]]* **By executing the order of Kṛṣṇa and guru, all necessities are automatically provided by Kṛṣna:** As stated in *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/3/31|13.3]]), *kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. *The individual souls are proprietors of their individual bodies, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the proprietor of all bodies. Since He is the witness of everyone's body, nothing is unknown to Him. He knows what we need. Our duty, therefore, is to execute devotional service sincerely, under the direction of the spiritual master. Kṛṣṇa, by His grace, will supply whatever we need in executing our devotional service. In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we simply have to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa and *guru. *Then all necessities will be supplied by Kṛṣṇa, even if we do not ask for them. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/8/6/14|8.6.14]]* **Many people who accept a spiritual master hesitate, however, when he directs them to give up fruitive activities and fully engage in devotional service:** Śrīla Nārada Muni is personally acting as the spiritual master of King Barhiṣmān. It was Nārada Muni's intention that through his instructions the king would immediately give up all engagements in fruitive activity and take to devotional service. However, although the king understood everything, he was still not prepared to give up his engagements.... This is the position of most people. They accept a bona fide spiritual master and listen to him, but when the spiritual master indicates that they should leave home and fully engage in devotional service, they hesitate. The duty of the spiritual master is to instruct the disciple as long as he does not come to the understanding that this materialistic way of life, fruitive activity, is not at all beneficial. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/29/52|4.29.52]]* **It is the spiritual master's duty to teach the disciple how to give up materialistic life, and the disciple's duty to do so:** **Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after hearing the instructions of Nārada, the Haryaśvas, the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa, were firmly convinced. They all believed in his instructions and reached the same conclusion. Having accepted him as their spiritual master, they circumambulated that great sage and followed the path by which one never returns to this world.** PURPORT: From this verse we can understand the meaning of initiation and the duties of a disciple and spiritual master. The spiritual master never instructs his disciple, "Take a *mantra *from me, pay me some money, and by practicing this *yoga *system you will become very expert in material life." This is not the duty of a spiritual master. Rather, the spiritual master teaches the disciple how to give up materialistic life, and the disciple's duty is to assimilate his instructions and ultimately follow the path back home, back to Godhead, from whence no one returns to this material world.... [The Haryaśvas'] materialistic father had instructed them to increase the population, but because of the words of Nārada Muni, they could not heed that instruction. Nārada Muni, as their spiritual master, gave them the śāstric instructions that they should give up this material world, and as bona fide disciples they followed his instructions. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/6/5/21|6.5.21]]* **Devotional service means that one does not do anything independently of the sanction of the previous ācaryas:** Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, "My dear Lord, let me be engaged in Your transcendental loving service, as indicated by the previous *ācāryas, *and let me live in the association of pure devotees. That is my desire, life after life." In other words, a devotee does not much care whether or not he is liberated, but he is anxious only for devotional service. Devotional service means that one does not do anything independent of the sanction of the *ācāryas. *The actions of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are directed by the previous *ācāryas, *headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī; in the association of devotees following these principles, a devotee is able to perfectly maintain his transcendental position. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **Execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is factual control of the senses:** Controlling the senses means engaging them in the transcendental service of the Lord. The Lord's order descends in disciplic succession through the bona fide spiritual master, and thus execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is factual control of the senses. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/9/8|2.9.8]]* **Without following the directions of a spiritual master, one cannot control the mind and senses:** Sometimes people neglect to accept a spiritual master, and instead they endeavor for self-realization by mystic *yoga *practice, but there are many instances of failure, even by great *yogīs *like Viśvāmitra. Arjuna said in the *Bhagavad-gītā *that controlling the mind is as impractical as stopping the blowing of a hurricane. Sometimes the mind is compared to a maddened elephant. Without following the direction of a spiritual master one cannot control the mind and senses. In other words, if one practices *yoga *mysticism and does not accept a bona fide spiritual master, he will surely fail. He will simply waste his valuable time. *— Kṛṣṇa* **Anyone who follows the simple instructions of a pure devotee easily finds the door of liberation open:** The instructions of a pure devotee to his disciple are very simple. No one feels any difficulty in following in the footsteps of a pure devotee. Anyone who follows in disciplic succession from recognized devotees of the Lord, such as Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the Kumāras, Manu, Kapila, King Prahlāda, King Janaka, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Yamarāja, etc., very easily finds the door of liberation open. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **The way to advance in spiritual science-to accept the words of the spiritual master:** **The king said, "Bhaṭṭācārya, you are the most learned and experienced person I know. Therefore when you address Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Lord Kṛṣṇa, I accept this as the truth."** PURPORT: This is the way to advance in spiritual science. One must accept the words of an *ācārya, *a bona fide spiritual master, to clear the path for spiritual advancement. This is the secret of success. However, one's guide must be a spiritual master who is actually an unalloyed devotee strictly following the instructions of the previous *ācārya *without deviation. Whatever the spiritual master says must be accepted by the disciple. Only then is success certain. This is the Vedic system. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/10/17|10.17]]* **As soon as the disciple thinks independently, neglecting the instructions of the spiritual master, he is a failure:** For advancement in anything, especially in spiritual life, one must strictly follow the bona fide instructions of the teacher.... As confirmed in the Vedic injunctions, *yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau* [ŚU 6.23]*. *One should have complete faith in the *guru, *who helps the disciple make progress in spiritual life. As soon as the disciple thinks independently, not caring for the instructions of the spiritual master, he is a failure *(yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi).* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/8/17/1|8.17.1]]* **The disciple must be obedient to the spiritual master:** **The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, because of their pious nature, all the sons of Prācīnabarhi very seriously accepted the words of their father with heart and soul, and with these words on their heads, they went toward the west to execute their father's order.** PURPORT: In this verse *sādhavaḥ *(meaning pious or well behaved) is very important, especially at the present moment. It is derived from the word *sādhu. *A perfect *sādhu *is* *one who is always engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prācīnabarhi's sons are described as *sādhavaḥ *because of their complete obedience to their father. The father, king and spiritual master are supposed to be representatives of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such they have to be respected as the Supreme Lord. It is the duty of the father, the spiritual master, and the king to regulate their subordinates in such a way that they ultimately become fully unalloyed devotees of the Supreme Lord. That is the duty of the superiors, and it is the duty of the subordinates to obey their orders perfectly and in a disciplined way. The word *śirasā *(on their heads) is also significant, for the Pracetās accepted the orders of their father and carried them on their heads, which means they accepted them in complete surrender. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/24/19|4.24.19]]* **By offering obeisances to and following the directions of the spiritual master, the disciple becomes advanced:** Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says: *daṇḍavat-praṇāmās tān anupatitaḥ. By *immediately offering obeisances (*daṇḍavat*)* *unto the spiritual master and by strictly following his directions, the student becomes advanced. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/5/1/36|5.1.36]]* **The disciple's duty is to carry out the order of the spiritual master with great respect:** **Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After thus being fully instructed by Lord Brahmā, who is the spiritual master of the three worlds, Priyavrata, his own position being inferior, offered obeisances, accepted the order and carried it out with great respect.** PURPORT: It is the duty of the inferior to carry out the order of the superior with great respect. Priyavrata therefore immediately said, "Yes, sir. I shall carry out your order." Priyavrata is described as a *mahā-bhāgavata, *a great devotee. The duty of a great devotee is to carry out the order of the spiritual master, or the spiritual master of the spiritual master in the *paramparā *system. As described in *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/4/2|4.2]]), *evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: *one has to receive the instructions of the Supreme Lord through the disciplic chain of spiritual masters. A devotee of the Lord always considers himself a servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord [*Cc Madhya* [[cc/madhya/13/80|13.80]]]. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/1/20|5.1.20]]* **By carrying out the order of the spiritual master in disciplic succession, one overcomes the four defects of conditioned life:** **Lord Brahmā said: My dear son Kardama, since you have completely accepted my instructions without duplicity, showing them proper respect, you have worshiped me properly. Whatever instructions you took from me you have carried out, and thereby you have honored me.** PURPORT: Brahmā praises Kardama because he carried out the orders of the spiritual master *in toto *and without cheating. A conditioned soul in the material world has the disqualification of cheating. He has four disqualifications: he is sure to commit mistakes, he is sure to be illusioned, he is prone to cheat others, and his senses are imperfect. But if anyone carries out the order of the spiritual master by disciplic succession or the *paramparā *system, he overcomes the four defects. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/24/12|3.24.12]]* **To honor the spiritual master means to fully carry out his instructions:** **Lord Brahmā said: My dear son Kardama, since you have completely accepted my instructions without duplicity, showing them proper respect, you have worshiped me properly. Whatever instructions you took from me you have carried out, and thereby you have honored me.** PURPORT: Lord Brahmā, as the first living entity within the universe, is supposed to be the spiritual master of everyone, and he is also the father, the creator, of all beings. Kardama Muni is one of the Prajāpatis, or creators of the living entities, and he is also a son of Brahmā. Brahmā praises Kardama because he carried out the orders of the spiritual master *in toto *and without cheating.... Brahmā knew well that Kardama Muni exactly carried out the instructions received from him and that he actually honored his spiritual master. To honor the spiritual master means to carry out his instructions word for word. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/24/12|3.24.12]]* **The disciple should follow the instructions of, not imitate, the Lord's empowered servants:** "One should simply follow the instructions of the Lord and His empowered servants. Their instructions are all good for us, and any intelligent person will perform them as instructed. However, one should guard against trying to imitate their actions. One should not try to drink the ocean of poison in imitation of Lord Śiva." *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/10/33/30|10.33.30]] [cited: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/3/24|3.24]]]* **The disciple cannot follow the instructions of the spiritual master without being self-controlled, disciplined and obedient:** Without being self-controlled, without being disciplined and without being fully obedient, no one can become successful in following the instructions of the spiritual master, and without doing so, no one is able to go back to Godhead. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/1/5/24|1.5.24]]* **If the disciple executes the order of the spiritual master and does not offend other Vaiṣṇavas, his path is clear:** Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, *chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: *unless one serves a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot be delivered. The spiritual master initiates the disciple to deliver him, and if the disciple executes his order of the spiritual master and does not offend other Vaiṣṇavas, his path is clear. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/1/218|1.218]]* The disciple associates eternally with his spiritual master by remembering and following his vāṇī, instructions **The spiritual master and disciple are eternally united through the association of vāṇī, i.e., by the disciple's following the spiritual master's instructions:** The disciple and spiritual master are never separated, because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of *vāṇī* (words). Physical presence is called *vapuḥ.* As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/28/47|4.28.47]]* **In his absence, the spiritual master's words of direction should be the pride of the disciple (there is no difference between the guru and his instructions):** It is imperative that one accept a spiritual master if he at all desires to gain the favor of the Lord. The service of the spiritual master is essential. If there is no chance to serve the spiritual master directly, a devotee should serve him by remembering his instructions. There is no difference between the spiritual master's instructions and the spiritual master himself. In his absence, therefore, his words of direction should be the pride of the disciple. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/35|1.35]]* **The spiritual master is always present with the disciple by his vāṇī, his words:** Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his *vāṇī*, his words. There are two ways of association-by *vāṇī* and by *vapuḥ. Vāṇī* means words, and *vapuḥ *means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but *vāṇī* continues to exist eternally. Therefore we must take advantage of the *vāṇī*, not the physical presence. *Bhagavad-gītā, *for example, is the *vāṇī* of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Although Kṛṣṇa was personally present five thousand years ago and is no longer physically present from the materialistic point of view, *Bhagavad-gītā *continues. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta "Concluding Words"* ### 3. The Disciple Must Serve the Spiritual Master **The disciple should approach the spiritual master with inquiries and submissive service:** > paripraśnena sevayā **Inquire from him [the spiritual master] submissively and render service unto him.** PURPORT: A spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/4/34|4.34]]* **By serving the spiritual master with heart and soul, the disciple achieves all the mercy of the spiritual master and the Lord:** By the grace of Kardama Muni, Devahūti experienced actual realization simply by serving. We get a similar example in the life of Nārada Muni. In his previous life, Nārada was a maidservant's son, but his mother was engaged in the service of great devotees. He got the opportunity to serve the devotees, and simply by eating the remnants of their foodstuff and carrying out their orders he became the great personality Nārada. For spiritual achievement the easiest path is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and to serve him with heart and soul. That is the secret of success. As stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in his eight stanzas of prayer to the spiritual master, *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. *By serving or receiving the grace of the spiritual master, one receives the grace of the Supreme Lord. By serving her devotee-husband, Kardama Muni, Devahūti shared in his achievements. Similarly, a sincere disciple, simply by serving a bona fide spiritual master, can achieve all the mercy of the Lord and the spiritual master simultaneously. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/23/7|3.23.7]]* **One who dedicates his life to the service of the spiritual master becomes most dear to Kṛṣṇa:** "As the Supersoul of the living entities, sitting in everyone's heart, I observe everyone's activity in every stage and order of life. Regardless of which stage one is in, when I see that one is engaged seriously and sincerely in discharging the duties ordered by the spiritual master, and is thus dedicating his life to the service of the spiritual master, that person becomes most dear to Me." *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **One can acquire transcendental knowledge by surrender and service to the guru:** To receive the transcendental knowledge we must completely surrender ourselves to the real *ācārya *in a spirit of ardent inquiry and service. Actual performance of service to the Absolute under the guidance of the *ācārya *is* *the only vehicle by which we can assimilate the transcendental knowledge. Today's meeting for offering our humble services and homage to the feet of the Ācāryadeva will enable us to be favored with the capacity for assimilating the transcendental knowledge so kindly transmitted by him to all persons, without distinction. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The disciple should serve the spiritual master as a menial servant:** > guru-śuśrūṣayā bhaktyā... One must accept the bona fide spiritual master and render service unto him with great devotion and faith.... PURPORT: The words *guru-śuśrūṣayā *mean that one should personally serve the spiritual master by giving him bodily comforts, helping him in bathing, dressing, sleeping, eating and so on. This is called *guru- śuśrūṣaṇam. *A disciple should serve the spiritual master as a menial servant. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.7.30* **A disciple who gives personal service to the spiritual master is a bona fide candidate for receiving instructions:** The word *śuśrūṣābhiratāya *indicates a person who faithfully engages in serving the spiritual master. One should give personal service and all kinds of comfort to the spiritual master. *A *devotee who does so is also a bona fide candidate for taking this instruction. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/32/42|3.32.42]]* **The disciple must care for (offer facilities to) the spiritual master:** *A *spiritual master is not an enjoyer of facilities offered by his disciples. He is like a parent. Without the attentive service of his parents, a child cannot grow to manhood; similarly, without the care of the spiritual master one cannot rise to the plane of transcendental service. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **The invalidity of the spiritual master gives his disciples a chance to serve him:** A Vaiṣṇava is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but if he appears to be an invalid, this gives a chance to his disciples to serve him. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/9/11|9.11]]* **A disciple should be concerned not merely with formalities and rituals, but practical service:** A devotee should see to the right discharge of devotional service under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master and should not stick only to the formalities. Under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, one should see how much service is being executed, and not simply in the matter of rituals. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/2/8/21|2.8.21]]* **To get the mercy of the Supreme Lord, one must serve the spiritual master, the captain of the boat of the human form of body for crossing the ocean of nescience:** This human form of body is a most valuable boat, and the spiritual master is the captain, *guru-karṇadhāram, *to guide the boat in plying across the ocean of nescience. The instruction of Kṛṣṇa is a favorable breeze. One must use all these facilities to cross over the ocean of nescience. Since the spiritual master is the captain, one must serve the spiritual master very sincerely so that by his mercy one will be able to get the mercy of the Supreme Lord. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/15/45|7.15.45]]* **One should approach the spiritual master in an attitude of service and surrender:** [One should not] approach the spiritual master with a challenging spirit, but should go with the aim of rendering service. The word *nipat *means "to fall down," and *pra *means "without reservation." Transcendental knowledge is based on *praṇipāta. *Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, *sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja.* [*Bg* [[bg/18/66|18.66]]]* *"Just surrender unto Me." Just as we surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, we have to surrender unto His representative, the spiritual master. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **Favorable service to the spiritual master means to serve him as he desires, not to concoct service:** Suppose I were to ask a disciple, "My dear student, please give me a glass of water." It is then his duty to give me a glass of water. If he thinks, "Prabhupāda wants a glass of water, but why not give him something better? Why not a glass of hot milk?" That is not service. In his consideration, hot milk is very palatable and is better than water, yet because I have asked for water, he has to give me water, not milk. That is favorable service. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The conditioned soul can attain liberation from the clutches of māyā by serving a bona fide spiritual master:** > tāte kṛṣṇa bhaje, kare gurura sevana māyā-jāla chuṭe, pāya kṛṣṇera caraṇa **"If the conditioned soul engages in the service of the Lord and simultaneously carries out the orders of his spiritual master and serves him, he can get out of the clutches of *māyā *and become eligible for shelter at Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet."** PURPORT: It is a fact that every living entity is eternally a servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is forgotten due to the influence of *māyā, *which induces one to believe in material happiness. Being illusioned by *māyā, *one thinks that material happiness is the only desirable object. This material consciousness is like a chain around the neck of the conditioned soul. As long as he is bound to that conception, he cannot get out of *māyā's *clutches. However, if by Kṛṣṇa's mercy he gets in touch with a bona fide spiritual master, abides by his order and serves him, engaging other conditioned souls in the Lord's service, he then attains liberation and Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's shelter. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/22/25|22.25]]* **By serving the spiritual master, one can develop ecstatic devotional service to Kṛṣṇa:** **By serving the feet of the spiritual master, one is enabled to develop transcendental ecstasy in the service of the Personality of Godhead, who is the unchangeable enemy of the Madhu demon and whose service vanquishes one's material desires.** PURPORT: The association of a bona fide spiritual master like the sage Maitreya can be of absolute help in achieving transcendental attachment for the direct service of the Lord. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/7/19|3.7.19]]* ### 4. The Disciple Must Satisfy and Please the Spiritual Master **The disciple receives transcendental knowledge by serving and satisfying the spiritual master:** **The great sage Nārada also inquired in detail from his father, Brahmā, the great-grandfather of all the universe, after seeing him well satisfied.** PURPORT: The process of understanding spiritual or transcendental knowledge from the realized person is not exactly like asking an ordinary question from the schoolmaster. The schoolmasters in the modern days are paid agents for giving some information, but the spiritual master is not a paid agent. Nor can he impart instruction without being authorized. In the *Bhagavad-gītā ... *Arjuna was advised to receive transcendental knowledge from the realized person by surrender, questions and service. Receiving transcendental knowledge is not like exchanging dollars; such knowledge has to be received by service to the spiritual master. As Brahmājī received the knowledge directly from the Lord by satisfying Him fully, similarly one has to receive the transcendental knowledge from the spiritual master by satisfying him. The spiritual master's satisfaction is the means of assimilating transcendental knowledge. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/2/9/43|2.9.43]]* **The disciple must satisfy the spiritual master because simply by his good wishes, the disciple can make wonderful progress in devotional service:** The candidate must be prepared to satisfy the spiritual master in every way. A bona fide spiritual master who is fully cognizant of the methods of spiritual science, learned in the spiritual scriptures such as the *Bhagavad-gītā, Vedānta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *and *Upaniṣads, *and who is also a realized soul who has made a tangible connection with the Supreme Lord, is the transparent medium by which the willing candidate is led to the path of the Vaikuṇṭhas. The spiritual master must be satisfied in all respects, because simply by his good wishes a candidate can make wonderful progress along the path. *— Easy Journey to Other Planets* **Activities performed according to the order of the spiritual master are spiritual; concocted activities displease the spiritual master and are material:** Any activities performed favorably for the satisfaction of the Lord, under the direction of the spiritual master, are spiritual. But for a person to disregard the order of the spiritual master and act by concoction, accepting his nonsensical activities to be spiritual, is *māyā. *One must achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the mercy of the spiritual master. Therefore one must first please the spiritual master, and if he is pleased, then we should understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also pleased. But if the spiritual master is displeased by our actions, they are not spiritual. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura confirms this: *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. *Activities that please the spiritual master must be considered spiritual, and they should be accepted as satisfying to the Lord. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/14/29|14.29]]* **The disciple should desire only to satisfy the previous ācāryas, represented by his spiritual master:** A devotee must always remember to please his predecessor *ācārya. *The Gosvāmīs are represented by one's spiritual master. One cannot be an *ācārya *(spiritual master) without following strictly in the disciplic succession of the *ācāryas. *One who is actually serious in advancing in devotional service should desire only to satisfy the previous *ācāryas. Ei chaya gosāñi yāra, mui tāra dāsa. *One should always think of oneself as a servant of the servant of the *ācāryas, *and thinking this, one should live in the society of Vaiṣṇavas [*Cc Madhya *[[cc/madhya/13/80|13.80]]]. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/156|19.156]]* **By satisfying the spiritual master, one can satisfy Kṛṣṇa:** **The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is everlastingly independent and who exists in everyone's heart, is very pleased with those who follow in His footsteps and engage without reservation in the service of the descendants of *brāhmaṇas *and Vaiṣṇavas. For He is always dear to *brāhmaṇas *and Vaiṣṇavas, and they are always dear to Him.** PURPORT: It is said that the Lord is most pleased when He sees one engage in the service of His devotee. He does not need any service from anyone because He is complete, but it is in our own interest to offer all kinds of services to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These services can be offered to the Supreme Person not directly but through the service of *brāhmaṇas *and Vaiṣṇavas. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, *chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā, *which means that unless one serves the Vaiṣṇavas and *brāhmaṇas, *one cannot get liberation from the material clutches. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura also says, *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: *by satisfying the senses of the spiritual master one can satisfy the senses of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus this behavior is not only mentioned in scriptures but also followed by *ācāryas.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/21/39|4.21.39]]* **By satisfying the spiritual master, one gets the Lord's mercy:** **"The Lord has already changed His mind due to Rāmānanda Rāya's description of your pure love for Him."** PURPORT: At first the Lord did not want to see the king, but due to Bhaṭṭācārya's and Rāmānanda Rāya's earnest endeavors, the Lord's mind was changed. The Lord already declared that Kṛṣṇa would be merciful upon the king due to the king's service to the devotees. This is the process by which one can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyā prasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. *Our first duty, therefore, is to satisfy the spiritual master, who can arrange for the Lord's mercy. A common man must first begin to serve the spiritual master or the devotee. Then, through the mercy of the devotee, the Lord will be satisfied. Unless one receives the dust of a devotee's feet on one's head, there is no possibility of advancement.... Unless one approaches a pure devotee, he cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mahārāja Pratāparudra worshiped both Rāmānanda Rāya and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. Thus he touched the lotus feet of pure devotees and was able thereby to approach Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/11/58|11.58]]* **By taking trouble for the satisfaction of the guru, one becomes free from one's debt to him:** Kṛṣṇa continued to talk with His *brāhmaṇa *friend: "My dear friend, I think you remember our activities during the days when we were living as students. You may remember that once we went to collect fuel from the forest on the order of the *guru's *wife. While we were collecting the dried wood, we by chance entered the dense forest and became lost. There was an unexpected dust storm and then clouds and lightning in the sky and the explosive sound of thunder. Then sunset came, and we were lost in the dark jungle. After this, there was severe rainfall; the whole ground was overflooded with water, and we could not trace out the way to return to our *guru's āśrama.* You may remember that heavy rainfall-it was not actually rainfall but a sort of devastation. On account of the dust storm and the heavy rain, we began to feel greatly pained, and in whichever direction we turned we were bewildered. In that distressed condition, we took each other's hand and tried to find our way out. We passed the whole night in that way, and early in the morning when our absence became known to our Gurudeva, he sent his other disciples to search us out. He also came with them, and when they reached us in the jungle they found us to be very distressed. "With great compassion our Gurudeva said, 'My dear boys, it is very wonderful that you have suffered so much trouble for me. Everyone likes to take care of his body as the first consideration, but you are so good and faithful to your *guru *that without caring for bodily comforts you have taken so much trouble for me. I am also glad to see that bona fide students like you will undergo any kind of trouble for the satisfaction of the spiritual master. That is the way for a bona fide disciple to become free from his debt to the spiritual master. It is the duty of the disciple to dedicate his life to the service of the spiritual master.'" *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **If one pleases the guru, he can receive knowledge from him:** It is stated that Vidura heard from Maitreya Ṛṣi, and that Maitreya Ṛṣi was very pleased. Unless one satisfies his *guru, *one cannot receive proper knowledge. That is quite natural. If one receives his *guru *properly and seats him comfortably, and if the *guru *is* *pleased with one's behavior, the *guru *can speak very frankly and freely, and this will be very beneficial to the student. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* The disciple derives his strength only from his spiritual master, by pleasing him: **O Indra, your enemies, the demons, were extremely weak because of their disrespect toward Śukrācārya, but since they have now worshiped Śukrācārya with great devotion, they have again become powerful. By their devotion to Śukrācārya, they have increased their strength so much that now they are even able to easily seize my abode from me.** PURPORT: Lord Brahmā wanted to point out to the demigods that by the strength of the *guru *one can become most powerful within this world, and by the displeasure of the *guru *one can lose everything. This is confirmed by the song of Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura: *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyā prasadān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. *"By the mercy of the spiritual master one is benedicted by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement." Although the demons are insignificant in comparison to Lord Brahmā, because of the strength of their *guru *they were so powerful that they could even seize Brahmaloka from Lord Brahmā. We therefore pray to the spiritual master: > mukaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam By the mercy of the *guru, *even a dumb man can become the greatest orator, and even a lame man can cross mountains. As advised by Lord Brahmā, one should remember this śāstric injunction if one desires success in his life. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/6/7/23|6.7.23]]* **By pleasing the spiritual master, one automatically pleases the Supreme Personality of Godhead:** **Any person upon whom the *brāhmaṇas *and Vaiṣṇavas are pleased can achieve anything which is very rare to obtain in this world as well as after death. Not only that, but one also receives the favor of the auspicious Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu, who accompany the *brāhmaṇas *and Vaiṣṇavas.** PURPORT: The devotees, out of their extreme love for Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, always carry the Lord within their hearts. The Lord is already in the heart of everyone, but the Vaiṣṇavas and the *brāhmaṇas *actually perceive and see Him always in ecstasy. Therefore *brāhmaṇas *and Vaisṇavas are carriers of Viṣṇu.... When the *brāhmaṇas *and Vaiṣṇavas are pleased with a person, Lord Viṣṇu is also pleased. This is confirmed by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in his eight stanzas on the spiritual master: *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ.* By pleasing the spiritual master, who is both *brāhmaṇa *and Vaiṣṇava, one pleases the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased, then one has nothing more to achieve either in this world or after death. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/22/8|4.22.8]]* **The secret of success in spiritual life-satisfying the spiritual master and thereby getting his sincere blessings:** **And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them.** PURPORT:The secret of success in spiritual life is in satisfying the spiritual master and thereby getting his sincere blessings. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has sung in his famous eight stanzas on the spiritual master as follows: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master. Only by his satisfaction can one please the Personality of Godhead, and when he is dissatisfied, there is only havoc on the path of spiritual realization." It is essential, therefore, that a disciple be very much obedient and submissive to the bona fide spiritual master. Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī furfilled all these qualifications as a disciple, and therefore he was endowed with all favors by his learned and self-realized spiritual masters such as Śrīla Vyāsadeva and others. The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya were confident that Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī was bona fide. Therefore they were anxious to hear from him. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/1/1/8|1.1.8]]* **The bhakti-latā-bīja, the seed of devotional service, can be received only through the mercy of the spiritual master, by satisfying him:** > guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja **By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.** PURPORT: *Bhakti-latā-bīja *means "the seed of devotional service." Everything has an original cause, or seed. For any idea, program, plan or device, there is first of all the contemplation of the plan, and that is called *bīja, *or the seed. The methods, rules and regulations by which one is perfectly trained in devotional service constitute the *bhakti-latā-bīja, *or seed of devotional service. This *bhakti-latā-bīja *is received from the spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Other seeds are called *anyābhilāṣa-bīja, karma-bīja *and *jñāna-bīja. *If one is not fortunate enough to receive the *bhakti-latā-bīja *from the spiritual master, he instead cultivates the seeds of *karma-bīja, jñāna-bīja, *or political and social or philanthropic *bīja. *However, *bhakti-latā-bīja *is* *different from these other *bījas*. *Bhakti-latā-bīja* can be received only through the mercy of the spiritual master. Therefore one has to satisfy the spiritual master to get *bhakti-latā-bīja (yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ). Bhakti-latā-bīja *is* *the origin of devotional service. Unless one satisfies the spiritual master, he gets the *bīja*, or root cause, of *karma, jñāna *and *yoga *without the benefit of devotional service. However, one who is faithful to his spiritual master gets the *bhakti-latā-bīja. *This *bhakti-latā-bīja *is* *received when one is initiated by the bona fide spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/151|19.151-52]]* **By satisfying the spiritual master, the disciple automatically becomes satisfied:** A person who serves the Lord in order to satisfy the senses of the Lord becomes satisfied because Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul, and the individual living entity is His part and parcel. If He is satisfied, then the living entity is satisfied. If the stomach is satisfied, then all the parts of the body are satisfied, for they receive nourishment through the stomach. When one of my Godbrothers began to fan my Guru Mahārāja (spiritual master) on a very hot day, Guru Mahārāja asked, "Why are you fanning me all of a sudden?" The boy replied, "Because if you are satisfied, we are all satisfied." This is the formula-we should not try to satisfy our senses separately, but should try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses. Then naturally we will become satisfied. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **By pleasing the spiritual master, the disciple gets knowledge as well as strength from the Supreme Personality of Godhead with which to engage in devotional service to cross the ocean of nescience:** **As long as one has to accept a material body, with its different parts and paraphernalia, which are not fully under one's control, one must have the lotus feet of his superiors, namely his spiritual master and the spiritual master's predecessors. By their mercy, one can sharpen the sword of knowledge, and with the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's mercy one must then conquer the enemies mentioned above. In this way, the devotee should be able to merge into his own transcendental bliss, and then he may give up his body and resume his spiritual identity.** PURPORT: The spiritual master is certainly very merciful to his disciples, and consequently by satisfying him a devotee gets strength from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, *guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja:* [*Cc *Madhya* *[[cc/madhya/19/151|19.151]]]* *one must first please the spiritual master, and then one automatically pleases Kṛṣṇa and gets the strength with which to cross the ocean of nescience. If one seriously desires to return home, back to Godhead, one must therefore become strong enough by pleasing the spiritual master, for thus one gets the weapon with which to conquer the enemy, and one also gets the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Simply getting the weapon of *jñāna* is insufficient. One must sharpen the weapon by serving the spiritual master and adhering to his instructions. Then the candidate will get the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.... In summary, as stated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one must get in touch with a bona fide spiritual master coming in the *paramparā *of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for by his mercy and instructions one is able to get strength from Kṛṣṇa. Thus one engages in devotional service and attains the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of Viṣṇu. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/7/15/45|7.15.45]]* **One becomes a great soul by the grace of the mahātmā spiritual master, by satisfying him:** The perfection of transcendental life can be achieved simply by touching the holy dust of the lotus feet of a holy man. In the *Bhāgavatam *it is said, *mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam, *which means to be blessed by the holy dust of the lotus feet of a *mahat, *a great devotee. As stated in *Bhagavad-gītā, mahātmānas tu: *those who are great souls are under the spell of spiritual energy, and their symptom is that they fully engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the service of the Lord. Therefore they are called *mahat. *Unless one is fortunate enough to have the dust of the lotus feet of a *mahātmā *on his head, there is no possibility of perfection in spiritual life. The *paramparā *system of disciplic succession is very important as a means of spiritual success. One becomes a *mahat *by the grace of his *mahat *spiritual master. If one takes shelter of the lotus feet of a great soul, there is every possibility of his also becoming a great soul. When Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa asked Jaḍa Bharata about his wonderful achievement of spiritual success, he replied to the king that spiritual success is not possible simply by following the rituals of religion or simply by converting oneself into a *sannyāsī *or offering sacrifices as recommended in the scriptures. These methods are undoubtedly helpful for spiritual realization, but the real effect is brought about by the grace of a *mahātmā. *In Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's eight stanzas of prayer to the spiritual master, it is clearly stated that simply by satisfying the spiritual master one can achieve the supreme success in life, and in spite of executing all ritualistic performances, if one cannot satisfy the spiritual master, he has no access to spiritual perfection. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/22/6|3.22.6]]* ### 5. The Disciple Must Have Faith in the Spiritual Master General instructions **The secret of success in spiritual life-to have complete faith in the words of the spiritual master:** > ei tāṅra vākye āmi dṛḍha viśvāsa dhari' **"I firmly believe in these words of my spiritual master...."** PURPORT: It is said in the *Vedas:* > yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ [ŚU 6.23] **"Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed."** This Vedic injunction is very important, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu supported it by His personal behavior. Believing in the words of His spiritual master, He introduced the *saṅkīrtana *movement, just as the present Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started with belief in the words of our spiritual master. He wanted to preach, we believed in his words and tried somehow or other to furfill them, and now this movement has become successful all over the world. Therefore faith in the words of the spiritual master and in the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the secret of success. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never disobeyed the orders of His spiritual master and stopped propagating the *saṅkīrtana *movement. Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī, at the time of his passing away, ordered all his disciples to work conjointly to preach the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu all over the world. Later, however, some self-interested, foolish disciples disobeyed his orders. Each one of them wanted to become head of the mission, and they fought in the courts, neglecting the order of the spiritual master, and the entire mission was defeated. We are not proud of this; however, the truth must be explained. We believed in the words of our spiritual master and started in a humble way-in a helpless way-but due to the spiritual force of the order of the supreme authority, this movement has become successful. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/95-96|7.95-96]]* **To understand transcendental knowledge, one must have full faith in the words of the spiritual master:** **Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: My dear friends, if you can place your faith in my words, simply by that faith you can also understand transcendental knowledge, just like me, although you are small children....** PURPORT: These words of Prahlāda Mahārāja are very important in regard to knowledge descending by the disciplic succession. Even when Prahlāda Mahārāja was a baby within the womb of his mother, he became fully convinced of the existence of the supreme power because of hearing the powerful instructions of Nārada and understood how to attain perfection in life by *bhakti-yoga. *These are the most important understandings in spiritual knowledge. > yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ [ŚU 6.23] **"Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed." (*Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad* 6.23)** ... These are Vedic instructions. One must have full faith in the words of the spiritual master and similar faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then the real knowledge of *ātmā *and Paramātmā and the distinction between matter and spirit will be automatically revealed. This *ātma-tattva, *or spiritual knowledge, will be revealed within the core of a devotee's heart because of his having taken shelter of the lotus feet of a *mahājana *such as Prahlāda Mahārāja. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/7/7/17|7.7.17]]* **The disciple should be fixed in the conviction that the spiritual master is beyond criticism:** **Dāmodara Paṇḍita impudently said to the Lord, "Everyone says that You are a great teacher because of Your instructions to others, but now we shall find out what kind of teacher You are."** PURPORT: Dāmodara Paṇḍita was a great devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sometimes, however, a person in such a position becomes impudent, being influenced by the external energy and material considerations. Thus a devotee mistakenly dares to criticize the activities of the spiritual master or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Despite the logic that "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion," a devotee should not be disturbed by the activities of his spiritual master and should not try to criticize him. A devotee should be fixed in the conclusion that the spiritual master cannot be subject to criticism and should never be considered equal to a common man. Even if there appears to be some discrepancy according to an imperfect devotee's estimation, the devotee should be fixed in the conviction that even if his spiritual master goes to a liquor shop, he is not a drunkard; rather, he must have some purpose in going there. It is said in a Bengali poem: *yadyapi nityānanda surā-bāḍi yāya/ tathāpio haya nityānanda-rāya. *"Even if I see that Lord Nityānanda has entered a liquor shop, I shall not be diverted from my conclusion that Nityānanda Rāya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/3/11|3.11]]* **Without staunch faith in the spiritual master, one cannot realize the Supreme Lord by yoga and Vedic ritualistic performances:** **Ritualistic ceremonies, regulative principles, austerities and the practice of *yoga *are all meant to control the senses and mind, but even after one is able to control the senses and mind, if he does not come to the point of meditation upon the Supreme Lord, all such activities are simply labor in frustration.** PURPORT: One may argue that one may achieve the ultimate goal of life-realization of the Supersoul-by practicing the *yoga *system and ritualistic performances according to the Vedic principles, even without staunch devotion to the spiritual master. The actual fact, however, is that by practicing *yoga *one must come to the platform of meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in the scriptures, *dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ:* [SB [[sb/12/13/1|12.13.1]]]* *a person in meditation achieves the perfection of *yoga *practice when he can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By various practices, one may come to the point of controlling the senses, but simply controlling the senses does not bring one to a substantial conclusion. However, by staunch faith in the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one not only controls the senses but also realizes the Supreme Lord.... It is further stated, *tuṣyeyaṁ sarva-bhūtātmā guru-śuśrūṣayā *and *taranty añjo bhavārṇavam. *Simply by rendering service to the spiritual master, one crosses the ocean of nescience and returns home, back to Godhead. Thus he gradually sees the Supreme Lord face to face and enjoys life in association with the Lord. The ultimate goal of *yoga *is* *to come in contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless this point is achieved, one's so-called *yoga *practice is simply labor without any benefit. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/7/15/28|7.15.28]]* **Complete faith in the spiritual master, as demonstrated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda for his Guru Mahārāja:** Today, Sunday, November 10, 1974 ... we have now finished the English translation of Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī's *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *in accordance with the authorized order of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Gosvāmī Mahārāja, my beloved spiritual master, guide and friend. Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his *vāṇī*, his words.... I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye. *Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates. It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work. I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta "Concluding Words"* A disciple lacking faith in the spiritual master cannot become successful in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa **A disciple lacking faith in the words of the spiritual master and who acts independently cannot attain success in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa:** Lord Caitanya's spiritual master blessed Him, telling Him to "dance, sing, propagate this *saṅkīrtana *movement, and by instructing people about Kṛṣṇa, try to deliver them from nescience." ... Lord Caitanya further informed Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī: "Because I have full faith in My spiritual master's words, I am always engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. I do not exactly know how I have become just like a madman, but I believe the name of Kṛṣṇa has induced Me. I realize that the transcendental pleasure derived from chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is just like an ocean. In comparison, all other pleasures, including the pleasure of impersonal realization, are like shallow water in channels." It appears from the talks of Lord Caitanya that a person who cannot keep his faith in the words of the spiritual master and who acts independently cannot attain the desired success in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedic literatures it is stated that the import of all transcendental literature is revealed to one who has unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord and his spiritual master. Lord Caitanya firmly believed in the statements of His spiritual master, and He never neglected the instruction of His spiritual master by stopping His *saṅkīrtana *movement. Thus the transcendental potency of the holy name encouraged Him more and more in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, the *mahā-mantra.* *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **A faithless, independent disciple never receives the authority to chant the holy names of the Lord:** **"I firmly believe in these words of My spiritual master, and therefore I always chant the holy name of the Lord, alone and in the association of devotees. That holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa sometimes causes Me to chant and dance, and therefore I chant and dance. Please do not think that I intentionally do it. I do it automatically."** PURPORT: A person who cannot keep his faith in the words of his spiritual master but acts independently never receives the authority to chant the holy name of the Lord. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/95-96|7.95-96]]* ### 6. The Disciple Must Be Submissive and Humble **One must remain a fool before his guru:** Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself said, "My Guru Mahārāja, My spiritual master, considered Me a great fool." He who remains a great fool before his guru is a guru himself. However, if one says, "I am so advanced that I can speak better than my guru," he is simply a rascal. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **A disciple should always remain a fool before his spiritual master:** Only fools give up the service of the spiritual master and think themselves advanced in spiritual knowledge. In order to check such fools, Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself presented the perfect example of how to be a disciple. A spiritual master knows very well how to engage each disciple in a particular duty, but if a disciple, thinking himself more advanced than his spiritual master, gives up his orders and acts independently, he checks his own spiritual progress. Every disciple must consider himself completely unaware of the science of Kṛṣṇa and must always be ready to carry out the orders of the spiritual master to become competent in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A disciple should always remain a fool before his spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā [[cc/adi/7/72|7.72]]* **The disciple should approach the guru in a submissive attitude, in order to accept instructions:** In order to become free from the miseries of material nature, one should approach a bona fide spiritual master inquisitively and submissively. When Arjuna submitted to Kṛṣṇa, he said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, now I no longer care to talk to You as a friend because friendly talks will not benefit me now." Generally we talk to a friend just to spend time, but when we approach a spiritual master, we should be submissive. Friends approach one another on an equal basis, but this is not the way to approach a spiritual master. Unless one is submissive, one cannot accept sublime instructions. Arjuna teaches us submission by giving up his friendly relationship with Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says, "I have now become Your disciple. Please instruct me." *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **If one approaches a Kṛṣṇa conscious spiritual master in a challenging, puffed-up attitude, he cannot gain anything and he remains in material consciousness:** Lord Caitanya actually took the subordinate position before Rāmānanda Rāya. This has very great significance. If one is serious about understanding the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he should approach a person who is actually enriched with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should not be proud of his material birth, material opulence, material education and beauty and with these things try to conquer the mind of an advanced student of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who thus goes to a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, thinking that he would be favorably induced, is deluded about this science. One should approach a Kṛṣṇa conscious person with all humility and put relevant questions to him. If one goes to challenge him, such a highly elevated Kṛṣṇa conscious person would not be available for any service. A challenging puffed-up person cannot gain anything from a Kṛṣṇa conscious man; he would simply remain in material consciousness. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The disciple must inquire submissively from the spiritual master:** Those who listen to the *Bhāgavatam *may put questions to the speaker in order to elicit the clear meaning, but this should not be done in a challenging spirit. One must submit questions with a great regard for the speaker and the subject matter. This is also the way recommended in *Bhagavad-gītā. *One must learn the transcendental subject by submissive aural reception from the right sources. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/1/5|1.1.5]]* **One should submit a proposal to the spiritual master only with great humility and submission:** **The *brāhmaṇa *immediately fell at the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and requested Him to accept his proposal in a joyful mood. "My dear Lord, I have invited all the *sannyāsīs *of Benares to my home. My desires will be furfilled if You also accept my invitation."** PURPORT: The Vedic injunctions state, *tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā: *one must approach a superior authority in humbleness (Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/4/34|4.34]]). One cannot challenge a superior authority, but with great submission one can submit his proposal for acceptance by the spiritual master or spiritual authorities. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is an ideal teacher by His personal behavior, and so also are all His disciples. Thus this *brāhmaṇa, *being purified in association with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, followed these principles in submitting his request to the higher authority. He fell down at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ... and fervently appealed to the Lord to be compassionate and grant his request. Thus he humbly submitted his desire. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/53|7.53-54]]* **Even if the spiritual master deals harshly, the disciple must be submissive:** Respectable superiors ... are always worshipable. Even if they attack, they should not be counterattacked. It is general etiquette that superiors are not to be offered even a verbal fight. Even if they are sometimes harsh in behavior, they should not be harshly treated. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/2/4|2.4]]* How a bona fide student should pray when approaching a bona fide spiritual master: When a bona fide student approaches a bona fide spiritual master, he submissively prays to the spiritual master, "My dear lord, kindly accept me as your student and train me in such a way that I will be able to give up all other kinds of processes for self-realization and simply engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service." *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* ### 7. The Disciple Must Honor and Respect the Spiritual Master as a Manifestation or Representative of God (See Part Two, Section 2: The Spiritual Master Is a Manifestation of Kṛṣṇa (and Should Not, Therefore, Be Regarded as an Ordinary Man) ### 8. The Characteristics and Duties of the Brahmacārī Disciple **Brahmacarya is meant for devoting one's life for the service of the spiritual master while performing austerities and penances:** "Everyone should divide his life into four parts. One should utilize the first part of life in becoming a bona fide student, receiving adequate knowledge and keeping oneself in the vow of *brahmacarya, *so that one may completely devote his life for the service of the spiritual master without indulging in sense gratification. A *brahmacārī *is meant to lead a life of austerities and penance." *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **Characteristics of the brahmacārī disciple of the spiritual master:** **Nārada Muni said: A student should practice completely controlling his senses. He should be submissive and should have an attitude of firm friendship for the spiritual master. With a great vow, the brahmacārī should live at the *guru-kula, *only for the benefit of the guru.** At both junctions of day and night, namely, in the early morning and in the evening, he should be fully absorbed in thoughts of the spiritual master, fire, the sun-god and Lord Viṣṇu, and by chanting the Gāyatrī *mantra* he should worship them. Being called by the spiritual master, the student should study the Vedic *mantras* regularly. Every day, before beginning his studies and at the end of his studies, the disciple should respectfully offer obeisances unto the spiritual master. The *brahmacārī *should go out morning and evening to collect alms, and he should offer all that he collects to the spiritual master. He should eat only if ordered to take food by the spiritual master; otherwise, if the spiritual master does not give this order, he may sometimes have to fast. A *brahmacārī* should be quite well behaved and gentle and should not eat or collect more than necessary. He must always be active and expert, fully believing in the instructions of the spiritual master and the *śāstra. *Fully controlling his senses, he should associate only as much as necessary with women or those controlled by women. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/11/1|7.11.1-3]], [[sb/7/11/5|5-6]]* **A brahmacārī sacrifices everything for the guru:** Before entering household life, one should be trained as a *brahmacārī, *living under the care of the *guru, *whose place is known as the *gurukula. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam* (*Śrīm*ad-*Bhāgavatam* [[sb/7/12/1|7.12.1]]). From the very beginning, a *brahmacārī *is* *trained to sacrifice everything for the benefit of the *guru. A brahmacārī *is* *advised to go begging alms door to door, addressing all women as mother, and whatever he collects goes to the benefit of the *guru. *In this way he learns how to control his senses and sacrifice everything for the *guru.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/7/6/9|7.6.9]]* **The brahmacārī is a menial servant of the guru:** According to the Vedic system, a child is sent to a *guru-kula *to learn spiritual knowledge from the very beginning. When a child goes to a *guru-kula, *he becomes a *brahmacārī* and works like a menial servant. He may be the son of a great *brāhmaṇa *or a great king; it doesn't matter. When one goes to a *guru-kula, *he immediately becomes the menial servant of the *guru. *If the *guru *orders him to perform some lowly service, he is prepared to do it. This is the business of a *brahmacārī. *Even Kṛṣṇa went to a *guru-kula *to teach us. There was no need for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to go to a *guru-kula, *but He did this simply to set an example. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **A naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī can remember whatever he has heard from his spiritual master:** The *brahmacārī* system of life is especially advantageous in that it increases the power of memory and determination. It is specifically mentioned in this connection that because Nārada was *naiṣthika brahmacārī *he could remember whatever he heard from his spiritual master and would never forget it. One who can remember everything perpetually is called *śruta-dhara. *A *śruta-dhara brahmacārī *can repeat all that he has heard verbatim without notes and without reference to books.... Thus the great sage Nārada, after hearing from his spiritual master Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, became completely realized. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* ### 9. Householder Disciples Regulate Sex Life in Accordance with the Order of the Spiritual Master **Householder disciples should indulge in sex life only in accordance with the order of the guru:** **All the rules and regulations [concerning association of man and woman] apply equally to the householder and the *sannyāsī, *the member of the renounced order of life. The *gṛhastha, *however, is given permission by the spiritual master to indulge in sex during the period favorable for procreation.** PURPORT: It is sometimes misunderstood that a *gṛhastha,* a householder, is permitted to indulge in sex at any time. This is a wrong conception of *gṛhastha *life. In spiritual life, whether one is a *grhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsī *or *brahmacārī, *everyone is under the control of the spiritual master. For *brahmacārīs *and *sannyāsīs *there are strong restrictions on sexual indulgence. Similarly, there are strong restrictions for *gṛhasthas. Gṛhasthas *should indulge in sex life only in accordance with the order of the *guru. *Therefore it is mentioned here that one must follow the orders of the spiritual master (*guru-vṛttir vikalpena*). When the spiritual master orders, the *gṛhastha *may accept sex life. This is confirmed in *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/7/11|7.11]]). *Dharmāviruddho bhuteṣu kāmo 'smi: *indulgence in sex life without disobedience to the religious rules and regulations constitutes a religious principle. The *gṛhastha *is* *allowed to indulge in sex life during the period favorable for procreation and in accordance with the spiritual master's order. If the spiritual master's orders allow a *gṛhastha *to engage in sex life at a particular time, then the *gṛhastha *may do so; otherwise, if the spiritual master orders against it, the *gṛhastha *should abstain. The *gṛhastha *must obtain permission from the spiritual master to observe the ritualistic ceremony of *garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. *Then he may approach his wife to beget children, otherwise not. A *brāhmaṇa *generally remains a *brahmacārī *throughout his entire life, but although some *brāhmaṇas *become *gṛhasthas *and indulge in sex life, they do so under the complete control of the spiritual master. The *kṣatriya *is* *allowed to marry more than one wife, but this also must be in accordance with the instructions of the spiritual master. It is not that because one is a *gṛhastha *he may marry as many times as he likes and indulge in sex life as he likes. This is not spiritual life. In spiritual life, one must conduct one's whole life under the guidance of the *guru. *Only one who executes his spiritual life under the direction of the spiritual master can achieve the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. *Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. *If one desires to advance in spiritual life but he acts whimsically, not following the orders of the spiritual master, he has no shelter. *Yasyā prasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. *Without the spiritual master's order, even the *gṛhastha *should not indulge in sex life. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/7/12/11|7.12.11]]* ### 10. How a Disciple Should Deal with His Godbrothers **No one should disrespect his Godbrothers:** **Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then continued speaking to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. "Consider this point. The servant of the spiritual master is always respectable for Me. As such, it is not befitting that the *guru's *servant engage in My personal service. Yet My spiritual master has given this order. What shall I do?"** PURPORT: A guru's servants or disciples are all Godbrothers to one another, and as such they should all respect one another as prabhu, or master. No one should disrespect his Godbrother. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/10/142|10.142-43]]* **How devotees who have received first and second initiation should be honored:** > kṛṣṇeti yasya giri taṁ manasādriyeta dīkṣāsti cet praṇatibhiś ca bhajantam īśam **One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation *(dīkṣā) *and is engaged in worshiping the Deity...** PURPORT: Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises that we should meet with the Vaiṣṇavas in an appropriate way, according to their particular status. In this verse he tells us how to deal with three types of devotees—the *kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī *and *uttama-adhikārī. *The *kaniṣṭha-adhikārī* is a neophyte who has received the *hari-nāma *initiation from the spiritual master and is trying to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. One should respect such a person within his mind as a *kaniṣṭha-vaiṣṇava.* A* madhyama-adhikārī *has received spiritual initiation from the spiritual master and has been fully engaged by him in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The *madhyama-adhikārī *should be considered to be situated midway in devotional service.... those neophyte devotees who are actually initiated by the bona fide spiritual master and are seriously engaged in carrying out the orders of the spiritual master should be offered respectful obeisances. In this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement ... when we see that someone is actually interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and wants to be initiated, we accept him as a disciple for the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. When a neophyte devotee is actually initiated and engaged in devotional service by the orders of the spiritual master, he should be accepted immediately as a bona fide Vaiṣṇava, and obeisances should be offered unto him. *— Nectar of Instruction [[books/noi/5|Text 5]]* **The disciple should not be envious of his Godbrothers; he should respect advanced Godbrothers as almost equal to the spiritual master:** [The disciple] should not be unnecessarily envious of his Godbrothers. Rather, if a Godbrother is more enlightened and advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should accept him as almost equal to the spiritual master, and one should be happy to see such Godbrothers advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/32/42|3.32.42]]* **The disciple should consider his spiritual master and older Godbrothers to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead:** **... [Prahlāda] considered his teachers, spiritual masters and older Godbrothers to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead....** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.4.32* ### **11.** **The Disciple Should Respect His Spiritual Master's Godbrothers** **One should respect one's spiritual master's Godbrothers as one respects one's spiritual master:** Śrī Advaita Prabhu and Īśvara Purī, Lord Caitanya's spiritual master, were both disciples of Mādhavendra Purī, who was also the spiritual master of Nityānanda Prabhu. Thus Advaita Prabhu, as Lord Caitanya's spiritual uncle, was always to be respected because one should respect one's spiritual master's Godbrothers as one respects one's spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi *[[cc/adi/5/147|5.147]]* **One should respect one's spiritual master's Godbrothers as one's spiritual master:** **Thinking, "He [Śrī Advaita Ācārya] is a disciple of Śrī Mādhavendra Purī," Lord Caitanya obeys Him, respecting Him as His spiritual master.** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi *[[cc/adi/6/40|6.40]]* ### 12. Proper Dealings Between the Disciple and the Young Wife of His Spiritual Master **The relationship between the disciple and the spiritual master's wife:** **If the wife of the spiritual master is young, a young *brahmacārī* should not allow her to care for his hair, massage his body with oil, or bathe him with affection like a mother.** PURPORT: The relationship between the student or disciple and the wife of the spiritual master or teacher is like that between son and mother. A mother sometimes cares for her son by combing his hair, massaging his body with oil, or bathing him. Similarly, the wife of the teacher is also a mother (*guru-patnī*), and therefore she may also care for the disciple in a motherly way. If the wife of the teacher is a young woman, however, a young *brahmacārī* should not allow such a mother to touch him. This is strictly prohibited. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/7/12/8|7.12.8]]* **If the wife of the spiritual master is young, the disciple is forbidden to see her or render service to her:** One is warned herewith that one should be extremely careful in dealings with women. A *brahmacārī *is forbidden even to see the wife of his spiritual master if she happens to be young. The wife of the spiritual master may sometimes take some service from the disciple of her husband, as she would from a son, but if the wife of the spiritual master is young, a *brahmacārī *is forbidden to render service to her. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/9/19/17|9.19.17]]* ### 13. A Disciple Advances in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Only Due to the Mercy and Blessings of His Spiritual Master **The disciple makes advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the mercy of the spiritual master:** > yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Kṛṣṇa. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.** *— * Śrī Śrī-gurv-aṣṭaka *Verse 8 Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura* **Pure devotional service and Kṛṣṇa's mercy are attainable only by the mercy of the spiritual master:** > śrī-guru-caraṇa-padma, kevala bhakati-sadma vando mui sāvadhāna-mate yāhāra prasāde bhāi, e bhava tariyā yāi, kṛṣṇa-prāpti haya yāhā haite **The lotus feet of our spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his grace one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.** *— *Śrī-guru-caraṇa-padma *Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura* **One can achieve perfection simply by the blessings of a spiritual master:** By the blessings of a Vaisṇava, everything is possible. This is described in *Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu *as *kṛpā-siddhi, *or perfection attained simply by the blessings of a superior person. One usually becomes liberated and perfect by executing the regulative principles set down in the *śāstras. *Nonetheless, many persons have achieved perfection simply by the blessings of a spiritual master or superior. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/5/1/10|5.1.10]]* **The power of the spiritual master's blessings:** One should approach the spiritual master with all humility and offer him all services so that he will be pleased to bestow his blessings upon the disciple. Because the bona fide spiritual master is a representative of Kṛṣṇa, if he bestows any blessings upon his disciple, that will make the disciple immediately advanced without the disciple's following the regulative principles. Or, the regulative principles will be easier for one who has served the spiritual master without reservations. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/13/8-12|13.8]]* **As the most confidential servitor of Kṛṣṇa, the guru can bestow blessings upon the disciple:** Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has greatly stressed the mercy of the *guru, *and it is an actual fact that if we satisfy the *guru *by our service, he will give us his blessings. This is a very great opportunity, for the *guru *is* *the confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. The *guru *never claims that he is Kṛṣṇa, although he is worshiped as Kṛṣṇa.... All the *śāstras *describe the *guru *as being on an equal basis with Kṛṣṇa, for he is the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is worshiped as Kṛṣṇa. Being the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, the *guru *is* *very dear to Kṛsṇa; therefore if he recommends someone to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa accepts the person.... If we cannot receive the mercy of the *guru, *Kṛṣṇa is very difficult to approach directly. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **One is elevated to the platform of devotional service by the mercy of the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa:** > sādhu-saṅga-kṛpā kiṁvā kṛṣṇera kṛpāya kāmādi 'duḥsaṅga' chādi' śuddha-bhakti pāya **"One is elevated to the platform of devotional life by the mercy of a Vaisṇava, the bona fide spiritual master, and by the special mercy of Kṛṣṇa. On that platform, one gives up all material desires and the association of unwanted people. Thus one is elevated to the platform of pure devotional service."** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/97|24.97]]* **Unless one is blessed by the spiritual master, spiritual instructions will not develop within the heart:** When Lord Caitanya finished His instructions to Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Sanātana, being empowered and enlightened, was so transcendentally pleased that he at once fell at the feet of Lord Caitanya and said: "I am born of a very low family, and I have always associated with lowly people; therefore I am the lowest of sinners. Yet You are so kind that You have taught me lessons which are not even understood by Lord Brahmā, the greatest being in this universe. By Your grace I have appreciated the conclusions which You have taught me, but I am so low that I cannot even touch a drop of the ocean of Your instructions. Thus if You want me, who am nothing but a lame man, to dance, then please give me Your benediction by placing Your feet on my head." Thus Sanātana Gosvāmī prayed for the Lord's confirmation that His teachings would actually evolve in his heart by His grace. Otherwise Sanātana knew that there was no possibility of his being able to describe the Lord's teachings. The purport of this is that the *ācāryas *(spiritual masters) are authorized by higher authorities. Instruction alone cannot make one an expert. Unless one is blessed by the spiritual master, or the *ācārya, *such teachings cannot become fully manifest. Therefore one should seek the mercy of the spiritual master so that the instructions of the spiritual master can develop within oneself. After receiving the prayers of Sanātana Gosvāmī, Lord Caitanya placed His feet on the head of Sanātana and gave him His benedictions so that all His instructions would develop fully. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **One cannot progress in spiritual life without the mercy of the guru:** Spiritual life begins with the association of a devotee, a *sādhu. *One cannot progress an inch without the mercy of a *sādhu.... *Hiraṇyakaśipu asked Prahlāda Maharāja, "My dear son Prahlāda Mahārāja, how have you become so advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Although Hiraṇyakaśipu was a demon, he was nonetheless inquisitive. Prahlāda Mahārāja replied, "My dear father, O best of the *asuras, *one can receive Kṛṣṇa consciousness only from the instructions of a *guru. *One cannot attain it simply by speculating. Ordinary men do not know that their ultimate destination is to return to Viṣṇu." *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **The spiritual master distributes the greatest mercy to his disciples:** The word *guru-prasāda *indicates that the spiritual master is very merciful in bestowing the boon of devotional service upon the disciple. That is the best possible gift the spiritual master has to offer. Those with a background of pious life are eligible to receive life's supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy. Endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious. Thus the spiritual master trains his disciples to render devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called *guru-kṛpā. *It is *kṛṣṇa-prasāda, *Kṛṣṇa's mercy, that He sends a bona fide spiritual master to the deserving disciple. By the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one meets the bona fide spiritual master, and by the mercy of the spiritual master, the disciple is fully trained in the devotional service of the Lord. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/152|19.152]]* **By the blessings of the spiritual master, the disciple becomes perfect:** In the last portion of *Caitanya-caritāmṛta, *Chapter Eight, [[cc/antya/8/26|verses 26-29]], it is stated:..."At the last stage of his life Śrī Mādhavendra Purī became an invalid and was completely unable to move, and Īśvara Purī so completely engaged himself in his service that he personally cleaned up his stool and urine. Always chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *and reminding Śrī Mādhavendra Purī about the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the last stage of his life, Īśvara Purī gave the best service among his disciples. Thus Mādhavendra Purī, being very pleased with him, blessed him, saying, 'My dear boy, I can only pray to Kṛṣṇa that He will be pleased with you.' Thus Īśvara Purī, by the grace of his spiritual master, Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, became a great devotee in the ocean of love of Godhead." Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī states in his *Gurv-aṣṭaka *prayer, *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: *"By the mercy of the spiritual master one is benedicted by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Without the grace of the spiritual master one cannot make any advancement." It is by the mercy of the spiritual master that one becomes perfect, as vividly exemplified here. A Vaiṣṇava is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but if he appears to be an invalid, this gives a chance to his disciples to serve him. Īśvara Purī pleased his spiritual master by service, and by the blessings of his spiritual master he became such a great personality that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted him as His spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā* [[cc/adi/9/11|9.11]]* **When the guru is satisfied by the disciple's service, he blesses him:** [After returning to Their teacher his revived dead son:] The brothers asked if Their teacher had anything more to ask from Them, but he replied, "My dear sons, You have done enough for me. I am now completely satisfied. What further want can there be for a man who has disciples like You? My dear boys, You can go home now. These glorious acts of Yours will always be renowned all over the world. You are above all blessing, yet it is my duty to bless You. I give You the benediction that whatever You speak will remain as eternally fresh as the instruction of the *Vedas. *Your teachings will not only be honored within this universe or in this millennium, but in all places and ages and will remain increasingly new and important." Due to this benediction from His teacher, Lord Kṛṣṇa's *Bhagavad-gītā *is* *ever-increasingly fresh and is not only renowned within this universe, but in other planets and in other universes also. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **By the mercy of the spiritual master, one can achieve happiness, peace and prosperity and be able to fulfill the mission of human life:** "With great compassion our Gurudeva said ... 'It is the duty of the disciple to dedicate his life to the service of the spiritual master. My dear best of the twice-born, I am greatly pleased by your action, and I bless you: May all your desires and ambitions be furfilled. May the understanding of the *Vedas *which you have learned from me always continue to remain within your memory, so that at every moment you can remember the teachings of the *Vedas *and quote their instructions without difficulty. Thus you will never be disappointed in this life or the next.'" Kṛṣṇa continued: "My dear friend ... both of us can realize that without the blessings of the spiritual master no one can be happy. By the mercy of the spiritual master and by his blessings, one can achieve peace and prosperity and be able to fulfill the mission of human life." *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **A disciple's prayer for the mercy of his spiritual master:** Gurudeva, give to this servant just one drop of mercy. I am lower than a blade of grass. Give me all help. Give me strength. Let me be as you are, without desires or aspirations. I offer you all respects, for thus I may have the energy to know you correctly. Then, by chanting the holy name in great ecstasy, all my offenses will cease. When will such mercy fall to this one who is weak and devoid of intelligence? Allow me to be with you. If you examine me, you will find no qualities. Your mercy is all that I am made of. If you are not merciful unto me, I can only weep, and I will not be able to maintain my life. *— *Gurudeva! kṛpā-bindu-diyā *Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura* ### 14. The Disciple Must Avoid Committing Offenses Against the Spiritual Master **The mad elephant offense-disobeying the instructions of the spiritual master:** **"If the devotee commits an offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava while cultivating the creeper of devotional service in the material world, his offense is compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and breaks it. In this way the leaves of the creeper dry up."** PURPORT: One should always think of oneself as a servant of the servant of the *ācāryas, *and thinking this, one should live in the society of Vaiṣṇavas [*Cc Madhya* [[cc/madhya/13/80|13.80]]]. However, if one thinks that he has become very mature and can live separate from the association of Vaiṣṇavas and thus gives up all the regulative principles due to offending a Vaiṣṇava, one's position becomes very dangerous. Offenses against the holy name are explained in *Ādī-līlā* (Chapter Eight,[[cc/adi/8/24|verse 24]]). Giving up the regulative principles and living according to one's whims are compared to a mad elephant, which by force uproots the *bhakti-latā *and breaks it to pieces. In this way the *bhakti-latā *shrivels up. Such an offense is especially created when one disobeys the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called *gurv-avajñā. *The devotee must therefore be very careful not to commit offenses against the spiritual master. As soon as one is deviated from the spiritual master, the uprooting of the *bhakti-latā *begins, and gradually all the leaves dry up. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/156|19.156]]* **The mad elephant offense occurs when the disciple leaves the association of devotees and, in the association of nondevotees, engages in nondevotional activities:** **"The gardener must defend the creeper by fencing it all around so that the powerful elephant of offenses may not enter."** PURPORT: While the *bhakti-latā *creeper is growing, the devotee must protect it by fencing it all around. The neophyte devotee must be protected by being surrounded by pure devotees. In this way he will not give the maddened elephant a chance to uproot his *bhakti-latā *creeper. When one associates with nondevotees, the maddened elephant is set loose. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said: *asat-saṅga-tyāga-ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra* [*Cc *Madhya* *[[cc/madhya/22/87|22.87]]]*. *A so-called mature devotee, however, commits a great offense by giving up the company of pure devotees. The living entity is a social animal, and if one gives up the society of pure devotees, he must associate with nondevotees *(asat-saṅga). *By contacting nondevotees and engaging in nondevotional activities, a so-called mature devotee will fall victim to the mad elephant offense. Whatever growth has taken place is quickly uprooted by such an offense. One should therefore be very careful to defend the creeper by fencing it in-that is, by following the regulative principles and associating with pure devotees. If one thinks that there are many pseudodevotees or nondevotees in the Kṛsṇa consciousness society, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult with the spiritual master. However, unless one follows the spiritual master's instructions and the regulative principles governing chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. By one's mental concoctions, one falls down. By associating with nondevotees, one breaks the regulative principles and is thereby lost. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/157|19.157]]* **To protect the creeper of devotional service, one must avoid gurv-aparādha, offenses at the lotus feet of the spiritual master:** While describing the system of protection for the creeper of devotional service, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has especially stressed protection from offenses unto the lotus feet of Vaiṣṇavas. This is called *vaiṣṇavāparādha. Aparādha *means "offense." If one commits *vaiṣṇavāparādha, *all of his progress in devotional service will be checked. Even though one is very much advanced in devotional service, if he commits offenses at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava, his advancement is all spoiled.... Therefore one should be very careful about committing offenses at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava. The most grievous type of *vaiṣṇavāparādha *is* *called *gurv-aparādha, *which refers to offenses at the lotus feet of the spiritual master. In the chanting of the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this *gurv-aparādha *is* *considered the most grievous offense. *Guror avajñā śruti-śāstra-nindanam (Padma Purāṇa). *Among the ten offenses committed against the chanting of the holy name, the first offenses are disobedience to the spiritual master and blasphemy of the Vedic literature. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/21/37|4.21.37]]* **The foolish disciple who, considering the spiritual master an ordinary man, tries to overtake him and occupy his post, immediately falls down:** One cannot attain perfection without smearing the dust from the lotus feet of an exalted devotee on his head. If one always follows the orders of the spiritual master, there is no question of falling down. As soon as a foolish disciple tries to overtake his spiritual master and becomes ambitious to occupy his post, he immediately falls down. *Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi.* If the spiritual master is considered an ordinary man, the disciple surely loses his chance to advance further. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/5/12/14|5.12.14]]* **Guror avajñā—the third offense against the holy name:** The third offense at the lotus feet of the holy name, which is called *guror avajñā, *is* *to consider the spiritual master to be material and therefore envy his exalted position. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/8/24|8.24]]* **The disciple should never (due to familiarity) be disrespectful to or envy the spiritual master:** **Lord Brahmā said: O best of the demigods, unfortunately, because of madness resulting from your material opulence, you failed to receive Bṛhaspati properly when he came to your assembly. Because he is aware of the Supreme Brahman and fully in control of his senses, he is the best of the *brāhmaṇas. *Therefore it is very astonishing that you have acted impudently toward him.** PURPORT: Lord Brahmā recognized the brahminical qualifications of Bṛhaspati, who was the spiritual master of the demigods because of his awareness of the Supreme Brahman. Bṛhaspati was very much in control of his senses and mind, and therefore he was a most qualified *brāhmaṇa. *Lord Brahmā chastised the demigods for not properly respecting the *brāhmaṇa, *who was their *guru. *Lord Brahmā wanted to impress upon the demigods that one's *guru *should not be disrespected under any circumstances. When Bṛhaspati entered the assembly of the demigods, they and their king, Indra, took him for granted. Since he came every day, they thought, they did not need to show him special respect. As it is said, familiarity breeds contempt. Being very much displeased, Bṛhaspati immediately left Indra's palace. Thus all the demigods, headed by Indra, became offenders at the lotus feet of Bṛhaspati, and Lord Brahmā, being aware of this, condemned their neglect. In a song we sing every day, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, *cakṣu-dāna dila yei, janme janme prabhu sei: *the *guru *gives spiritual insight to the disciple, and therefore the *guru *should be considered his master, life after life. Under no circumstances should the *guru *be disrespected, but the demigods, being puffed up by their material possessions, were disrespectful to their *guru. *Therefore *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* ([[sb/11/17/27|11.17.27]]) advises, *ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit / na martya-buddhyāsuyeta: *the *ācārya *should always be offered respectful obeisances; one should never envy the *ācārya, *considering him an ordinary human being. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/6/7/21|6.7.21]]* **Envious neophytes who do not follow the ācāryas cannot make genuine spiritual advancement:** The neophytes, due to their being in the lower stage of devotional service, are invariably envious, so much so that they invent their own ways and means of devotional regulations without following the *ācāryas. *As such, even if they make a show of constantly chanting the holy name of the Lord, they cannot relish the transcendental taste of the holy name. Therefore, the show of tears in the eyes, trembling, perspiration or unconsciousness, etc., is condemned. They can, however, get in touch with a pure devotee of the Lord and rectify their bad habits; otherwise they shall continue to be stonehearted and unfit for any treatment. A complete progressive march on the return path home, back to Godhead, will depend on the instructions of the revealed scriptures directed by a realized devotee. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/2/3/24|2.3.24]]* **The disciple should not be familiar with the spiritual master:** One should not come very near a superior. The Deity of the Lord and the spiritual master should be seen from a distant place. This is called *maryādā. *Otherwise, as is said, familiarity breeds contempt. Sometimes coming too near the Deity or the spiritual master degrades the neophyte devotee. Personal servants of the Deity and the spiritual master should therefore always be very careful, for negligence may overcome them in their duty. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/12/212|12.212]]* **To envy a bona fide spiritual master is to envy the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself; such envy is detrimental to transcendental realization:** **One should know the *ācārya *as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him to be an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods. (*Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/11/17/37|11.17.37]])** PURPORT: 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. Such a spiritual master is known as *ācāryadeva. *Influenced by an envious temperament and dissatisfied because of an attitude of sense gratification, mundaners criticize a real *ācārya. *In fact, however, a bona fide *ācārya *is* *nondifferent from the Personality of Godhead, and therefore to envy such an *ācārya *is* *to envy the Personality of Godhead Himself. This will produce an effect subversive to transcendental realization. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **By disrespecting one's spiritual master, one becomes degraded:** **Because of your misbehavior toward Bṛhaspati, you have been defeated by the demons. My dear demigods, since the demons were weak, having been defeated by you several times, how else could you, who were so advanced in opulence, be defeated by them?** PURPORT: The *devas *are celebrated for fighting with the *asuras *perpetually. In such fights the *asuras *were always defeated, but this time the demigods were defeated. Why? The reason, as stated here, was that they had offended their spiritual master. Their impudent disrespect of their spiritual master was the cause of their defeat by the demons. As stated in the *śāstras, *when one disrespects a respectable superior, one loses his longevity and the results of his pious activities, and in this way one is degraded. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/6/7/22|6.7.22]]* **It is an offense to discipline or advise the spiritual master:** It is an offense to consider an empowered Vaiṣṇava an object of disciplinary action. It is offensive to try to give him advice or to correct him. One can distinguish between a neophyte Vaiṣṇava and an advanced Vaiṣṇava by their activities. The advanced Vaiṣṇava is always situated as the spiritual master, and the neophyte is always considered his disciple. The spiritual master must not be subjected to the advice of a disciple, nor should a spiritual master be obliged to take instructions from those who are not his disciples. This is the sum and substance of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī's advice in the sixth verse. *— Nectar of Instruction [[books/noi/7|Text 7]]* **The disciple cannot dictate to the spiritual master:** A disciple must first decide that he should worship the Supreme Lord, and then the spiritual master will give the disciple correct directions. One cannot dictate to the spiritual master, just as a patient cannot demand that his physician prescribe a certain type of medicine. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/8/16/22|8.16.22]]* **A disciple should never try to instruct his spiritual master:** **Formerly, when Mādhavendra Purī was at the last stage of his life, Rāmacandra Purī came to where he was staying. Mādhavendra Purī was chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and sometimes he would cry, "O my Lord, I did not get shelter at Mathurā." Then Rāmacandra Purī was so foolish that he fearlessly dared to instruct his spiritual master. "If you are in full transcendental bliss," he said, "you should now remember only Brahman. Why are you crying?"** PURPORT: As stated in *Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā:* [Bg [[bg/18/54|18.54]]]* *a Brahman realized person is always happy. *Na śocati na kāṅkṣati: *he neither laments nor aspires for anything. Not knowing why Mādhavendra Purī was crying, Rāmacandra Purī tried to become his advisor. Thus he committed a great offense, for a disciple should never try to instruct his spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/8/18|8.18-21]]* **Because the ācārya is on the same platform as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he should not be subject to adverse criticism by the neophyte devotees:** In the higher stages of devotional service, a devotee is not even concerned with the list of do's and do not's. Such a position can be maintained only by following in the footsteps of the *ācāryas. *Because a pure devotee follows in the footsteps of the *ācāryas, *any action he performs to discharge devotional service is to be understood to be on the transcendental platform. Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore instructs us that an *ācārya *is* *above criticism. A neophyte devotee should not consider himself to be on the same plane as the *ācārya. *It should be accepted that the *ācāryas *are on the same platform as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such, neither Kṛṣṇa nor His representative *ācārya *should be subject to any adverse criticism by the neophyte devotees. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **Disqualifications of a disciple-duplicitousness, hypocrisy, unfaithfulness, disrespect, familiarity:** **King Indra said: Therefore with great frankness and without duplicity I shall now bow my head at the lotus feet of Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods. Because he is in the mode of goodness, he is fully aware of all knowledge and is the best of the *brāhmaṇas. *Now I shall touch his lotus feet and offer my obeisances unto him to try to satisfy him.** PURPORT: Coming to his senses, King Indra realized that he was not a very sincere disciple of his spiritual master, Bṛhaspati. Therefore he decided that henceforward he would be *niśaṭha, *nonduplicitous. *Niśaṭhāt śīṛṣṇā tac-caraṇaṁ spṛśan: *he decided to touch his head to the feet of his spiritual master.... A disciple should never be a hypocrite or be unfaithful to his spiritual master. In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *([[sb/11/17/27|11.17.27]]), the spiritual master is also called *ācārya. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt: *the Supreme Personality of Godhead says that one should respect the spiritual master, accepting him as the Lord Himself. *Nāvamanyeta karhicit: *one should not disrespect the *ācārya *at any time. *Na martya-buddhyāsuyeta: *one should never think the *ācārya *an ordinary person. Familiarity sometimes breeds contempt, but one should be very careful in one's dealings with the *ācārya.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/6/7/15|6.7.15]]* **One should not criticize the bodily condition of the spiritual master:** **Being situated in his original Kṛṣṇa conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee's having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water.** PURPORT: *Bhakti-yoga* is the proper activity of the soul, and when one actually engages in unalloyed, uncontaminated devotional service, he is already liberated *(sa guṇān samatītyaitān* [Bg [[bg/14/26|14.26]]]*). *Kṛṣṇa's devotee is not subjected to material condition, even though his bodily features may appear materially conditioned. One should therefore not see a pure devotee from a materialistic point of view. Unless one is actually a devotee, he cannot see another devotee perfectly.... No one should criticize the bodily defects of a pure devotee. If there are such defects, they should be overlooked. What should be taken into account is the spiritual master's main business, which is devotional service, pure service to the Supreme Lord.... If we consider the bodily defects of a Vaiṣṇava, we should understand that we are committing an offense at the lotus feet of the Vaiṣṇava. An offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava is very serious. Indeed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described this offense as *hātī mātā, *the mad elephant offense. A mad elephant can create a disaster, especially when it enters into a nicely trimmed garden. One should therefore be very careful not to commit any offense against a Vaiṣṇava.... One is forbidden to observe the activities of a pure Vaiṣṇava from a material point of view. For the neophyte especially, considering a pure devotee from a material point of view is very injurious. One should therefore avoid observing a pure devotee externally, but should try to see the internal features and understand how he is engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. In this way one can avoid seeing the pure devotee from a material point of view, and thus one can gradually become a purified devotee himself. *— Nectar of Instruction [[books/noi/6|Text 6]]* **One should not impart spiritual instructions in the presence of a superior personality:** **Śrī Uddhava said: You may take lessons from the great learned sage Maitreya, who is nearby and who is worshipable for reception of transcendental knowledge. He was directly instructed by the Personality of Godhead while He was about to quit this mortal world.** PURPORT: Although one may be well versed in the transcendental science, one should be careful about the offense of *maryādā-vyatikrama, *or impertinently surpassing a greater personality. According to scriptural injunction one should be very careful of transgressing the law of *maryādā-vyatikrama *because by so doing one loses his duration of life, his opulence, fame and piety and the blessings of all the world. To be well versed in the transcendental science necessitates awareness of the techniques of spiritual science. Uddhava, being well aware of all these technicalities of transcendental science, advised Vidura to approach Maitreya Ṛṣi to receive transcendental knowledge. Vidura wanted to accept Uddhava as his spiritual master, but Uddhava did not accept the post because Vidura was as old as Uddhava's father and therefore Uddhava could not accept him as his disciple, especially when Maitreya was present nearby. The rule is that in the presence of a higher personality one should not be very eager to impart instructions, even if one is competent and well versed. So Uddhava decided to send an elderly person like Vidura to Maitreya, another elderly person, but he was well versed also because he was directly instructed by the Lord while He was about to quit this mortal world. Since both Uddhava and Maitreya were directly instructed by the Lord, both had the authority to become the spiritual master of Vidura or anyone else, but Maitreya, being elderly, had the first claim to becoming the spiritual master, especially for Vidura, who was much older than Uddhava. One should not be eager to become a spiritual master cheaply for the sake of profit and fame, but should become a spiritual master only for the service of the Lord. The Lord never tolerates the impertinence of *maryādā-vyatikrama. *One should never pass over the honor due to an elderly spiritual master in the interests of one's own personal gain and fame. Impertinence on the part of the pseudo spiritual master is very risky to progressive spiritual realization. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/4/26|3.4.26]]* **The devotional service of a devotee who offends his spiritual master is spoiled:** While instructing Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī about the many restrictive rules and regulations for Vaiṣṇavas, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has very vividly described the effects of offenses at the lotus feet of a Vaisṇava. *Yadi vaiṣṇava-aparādha uṭhe hātī mātā* (*Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/156|19.156]]). Offending or blaspheming a Vaiṣṇava has been described as the greatest offense, and it has been compared to a mad elephant. When a mad elephant enters a garden, it ruins all the creepers, flowers and trees. Similarly, if a devotee properly executing his devotional service becomes an offender at the lotus feet of his spiritual master or a Vaiṣṇava, his devotional service is spoiled. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/3/213|3.213]]* **If one offends the spiritual master, he falls down to the material platform to speculate:** **Rāmacandra Purī was thus denounced by Mādhavendra Purī. Due to his offense, gradually material desire appeared within him.** PURPORT: The word *vāsanā *("material desires") refers to dry speculative knowledge. Such speculative knowledge is only material.... In the *Bhakti-sandarbha *(111) it is said: . ..."Even though one is liberated in this life, if one offends the Supreme Personality of Godhead he falls down in the midst of material desires, of which dry speculation is one." In his *Laghu-toṣaṇī* commentary on *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *([[sb/10/2/32|10.2.32]]), Jīva Gosvāmī says:..."Even if one is liberated in this life, he becomes addicted to material desires because of offenses to the Supreme Personality of Godhead." These are references from authoritative revealed scriptures. If one becomes an offender to his spiritual master or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he falls down to the material platform to merely speculate. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/8/26|8.26]]* **If a disciple offends the spiritual master, he is rejected by the spiritual master and becomes fallen:** **If one's spiritual master rejects him, one becomes so fallen that he, like Rāmacandra Purī, commits offenses even to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not consider the offenses of Rāmacandra Purī, for the Lord considered him His spiritual master. However, his character instructed everyone about the result of offending the spiritual master.** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/8/99|8.99-100]]* ### 15. Other Important Instructions Concerning the Qualifications, Characteristics and Duties of the Disciple **The disciple becomes beloved to his spiritual master through good behavior, obedience, meekness and unhesitating service:** **Nārada, the most dear of the inheritor sons of Brahmā, always ready to serve his father, strictly follows the instructions of his father by his mannerly behavior, meekness and sense control.** PURPORT: Lord Brahmā, being the creator of all living beings in the universe, is originally the father of several well-known sons, like** **Dakṣa, the Catuḥsanas, and Nārada.... But out of them all, Nārada is described here as the most beloved son of Brahmā because of good behavior, obedience, meekness and readiness to render service unto the father. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/9/41|2.9.41-42]]* **Qualifications of a sincere disciple:** **I was very much attached to those sages. I was gentle in behavior, and all my sins were eradicated in their service. In my heart I had strong faith in them. I had subjugated the senses, and I was strictly following them with body and mind.** PURPORT: These are the necessary qualifications of a prospective candidate who can expect to be elevated to the position of a pure unadulterated devotee. Such a candidate must always seek the association of pure devotees. One should not be misled by a pseudodevotee. He himself must be plain and gentle to receive the instructions of such a pure devotee. A pure devotee is a completely surrendered soul unto the Personality of Godhead. He knows the Personality of Godhead as the supreme proprietor and all others as His servitors. And by the association of pure devotees only, one can get rid of all sins accumulated by mundane association. A neophyte devotee must faithfully serve the pure devotee, and he should be very much obedient and strictly follow the instructions. These are the signs of a devotee who is determined to achieve success even in the existing duration of life. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/5/29|1.5.29]]* **The spiritual master is pleased to enlighten the disciple, provided the disciple is gentle, submissive and devoted:** **Vidura requested Maitreya: My dear *brāhmaṇa, *you are well conversant with all subjects, both past and future. Therefore I wish to hear from you all the activities of King Vena. I am your faithful devotee, so please explain this.** PURPORT: Vidura accepted Maitreya as his spiritual master. A disciple always inquires from the spiritual master, and the spiritual master answers the question, provided the disciple is very gentle and devoted. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura said that by the mercy of the spiritual master one is benedicted with the mercy of the Supreme Lord. The spiritual master is not inclined to disclose all the secrets of transcendental science unless the disciple is very submissive and devoted. As stated in the *Bhagavad-gītā, *the process of receiving knowledge from the spiritual master entails submission, inquiry and service. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/13/24|4.13.24]]* **The qualifications of a bona fide disciple:** **"In your book there should be the characteristics of the bona fide *guru *and the bona fide disciple. Then, before accepting a spiritual master, one can be assured of the spiritual master's position. Similarly, the spiritual master can also be assured of the disciple's position...."** PURPORT: The qualifications of a bona fide disciple are described in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *([[sb/11/10/6|11.10.6]]) as follows: > amānya-matsaro dakṣo nirmamo dṛḍha-sauḥrdaḥ asatvaro 'rtha jijñāsur anasūyur amogha-vāk The disciple must have the following qualifications. He must give up interest in the material bodily conception. He must give up material lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy. He should be interested only in understanding the science of God, and he should be ready to consider all points in this matter. He should no longer think, "I am this body" or "This thing belongs to me." One must love the spiritual master with unflinching faith, and one must be very steady and fixed. The bona fide disciple should be inquisitive to understand transcendental subject matter. He must not search out faults among good qualities, and he should no longer be interested in material topics. His only interest should be Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/330|24.330]]* **The disciple receives transcendental knowledge from the spiritual master in disciplic succession through surrender, inquiries and service:** **Śrī Nārada Muni asked Brahmājī: O chief amongst the demigods, O firstborn living entity, I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto you. Please tell me that transcendental knowledge which specifically directs one to the truth of the individual soul and the Supersoul.** PURPORT: Brahmājī, the firstborn living entity, received knowledge directly from the Supreme Lord, and the same knowledge was imparted to Nārada, the next disciple. Nārada asked to receive the knowledge, and Brahmājī imparted it upon being asked. Therefore, asking for transcendental knowledge from the right person and receiving it properly is the regulation of the disciplic succession. This process is recommended in the *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/4/2|4.2]]). The inquisitive student must approach a qualified spiritual master to receive transcendental knowledge by surrender, submissive inquiries and service. Knowledge received by submissive inquiries and service is more effective than knowledge received in exchange for money. A spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from Brahmā and Nārada has no demand for dollars and cents. A bona fide student has to satisfy him by sincere service to obtain knowledge of the relation and nature of the individual soul and the Supersoul. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/2/5/1|2.5.1]]* **The sign of having accepted a bona fide guru-one speaks intelligently:** One who has accepted a *guru *speaks intelligently. He never speaks nonsense. That is the sign of having accepted a bona fide *guru.* *— The Science of Self-Realization* **A disciple who has love for his spiritual master is endowed with all confidential knowledge:** The word *snigdha *(very peaceful) and the word *su-snigdha *(affectionate) are ... found in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *([[sb/1/1/8|1.1.8]]): *brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya guravo guhyam apy uta. *"A disciple who has actual love for his spiritual master is endowed, by the blessings of the spiritual master, with all confidential knowledge." Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī has commented that the word *snigdhasya *means *premavataḥ. *The word *premavataḥ *indicates that one has great love for his spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/17/15|17.15]]* **Both the guru and the disciple must be self-controlled:** One who is not self-controlled, specifically in sex life, can become neither a disciple nor a spiritual master. One must have disciplinary training in controlling speaking, anger, the tongue, the mind, the belly and the genitals. One who has controlled the particular senses mentioned above is called a *gosvāmī. *Without becoming a *gosvāmī* one can become neither a disciple nor a spiritual master. The so-called spiritual master without sense control is certainly the cheater, and the disciple of such a so-called spiritual master is the cheated. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/2/9/43|2.9.43]]* **A disciple is one who has voluntarily agreed to be disciplined in austerity by the spiritual master:** **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **... You have no mind to follow austerities, but when you accept a spiritual master, you have to carry out his order. That is austerity. **Śyāmasundara: **Even if you don't want to practice austerity, you must. **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Yes, you must. Because you have surrendered to your spiritual master, his order is final. So even if you don't like it, you have to do it. To please me. **Śyāmasundara: **Ah. **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **But you don't like... [He laughs.] Nobody likes to fast, but the spiritual master says, "Today, fasting," so what can be done? A disciple is one who has voluntarily agreed to be disciplined by the spiritual master. That is austerity. *— Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers* **After initiation, the disciple should engage in tapasya in devotional service:** To achieve success in life, one should follow the example of Lord Brahmā, the first living creature in the beginning of creation. After being initiated by the Supreme Lord to execute *tapasya, *he was fixed in his determination to do it, and although he could not find anyone besides himself, he could rightly understand that the sound was transmitted by the Lord Himself.... After being initiated by the proper spiritual master in the chain of succession, one should engage himself in the discharge of *tapasya *in the execution of devotional service. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/2/9/7|2.9.7]]* **The relationship between guru and disciple is spiritual:** In the material world, a servant serves the master as long as the servant is pleased and as long as the master is pleased. The servant is pleased as long as the master pays, and the master is pleased as long as the servant renders good service. However, in the spiritual world, if the servant cannot serve under certain conditions, the master is still pleased. And if the master does not pay, the servant is also pleased. That is called oneness, absolute. A guru may have hundreds of disciples, hundreds of servants, but he doesn't have to pay them. They are serving out of spiritual love, and the guru is teaching without receiving a salary. This is a spiritual relationship. There are no cheaters and cheated in such a relationship. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **Even one who has a nice guru cannot remain Kṛṣṇa conscious if he is determined to remain in the material world:** Even one who has a nice guru cannot remain Kṛṣṇa conscious if he is determined to remain in this material world. If my determination is to remain in this material world to enjoy material life, then for me Kṛṣṇa consciousness is impossible. *— Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System* **So-called disciples who take a spiritual master for an ulterior motive cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness:** There are so-called disciples who become submissive to a spiritual master most artificially, with an ulterior motive. They ... cannot understand what Kṛṣṇa consciousness or devotional service is. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/3/32/40|3.32.40]]* **To attain happiness, one should engage his wealth and possessions in the service of the Lord under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master:** The wealth and riches acquired through previous pious activities should not be misused for sense gratification. Enjoying them for sense gratification is like enjoying the fruits of a poisonous tree. Such activities will not help the conditioned soul in any way, neither in this life nor the next. However, if one engages his possessions in the service of the Lord under the guidance of a proper spiritual master, he will attain happiness both in this life and the next. Unless he does so, he eats a forbidden apple and thereby loses his paradise.... Material wealth and opulence attained through previous pious activities can be fully utilized for one's benefit in this life and the next if one is Kṛṣṇa conscious. One should not try to possess more than he needs for the bare necessities. If one gets more than is needed, the surplus should be fully engaged in the Lord's service. That will make the conditioned soul, the world and Kṛṣṇa happy, and this is the aim of life. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/5/14/12|5.14.12]]* **Whatever the disciple has (life, wealth, intelligence, words, etc.) should be offered to the spiritual master as a matter of duty (with heart and soul, not to gain material prestige):** > sarva-labdhārpaṇena **Whatever one has in one's possession should be offered to the spiritual master.** PURPORT: Whatever [the disciple] has in his possession should be dedicated to the spiritual master. *Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. *Everyone has his life, his wealth, his intelligence and his words, and all of them should be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the via medium of the spiritual master. Everything should be offered to the spiritual master as a matter of duty, but the offering should be made to the spiritual master with heart and soul, not artificially to gain material prestige.... Whatever is offered to the spiritual master should be offered with love and affection, not for material adoration. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.7.30* **After initiation, the sincere disciple seriously chants the glories of the Lord for his own and for others' benefit:** **Thus I began chanting the holy name and fame of the Lord by repeated recitation, ignoring all the formalities of the material world. Such chanting and remembering of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord are benedictory. So doing, I traveled all over the earth, fully satisfied, humble and unenvious.** PURPORT: The life of a sincere devotee of the Lord is thus explained in a nutshell by Nārada Muni by his personal example. Such a devotee, after his initiation by the Lord or His bona fide representative, takes very seriously chanting of the glories of the Lord and traveling all over the world so that others may also hear the glories of the Lord. Such devotees have no desire for material gain. They are conducted by one single desire: to go back to Godhead. This awaits them in due course on quitting the material body. Because they have the highest aim of life, going back to Godhead, they are never envious of anyone, nor are they proud of being eligible to go back to Godhead. Their only business is to chant and remember the holy name, fame and pastimes of the Lord and, according to personal capacity, to distribute the message for others' welfare without motive of material gain. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/1/6/26|1.6.26]]* **After being convinced by the spiritual master that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the disciple engages in devotional service:** Mahārāja Pratāparudra had firm faith in Bhaṭṭācārya, who declared Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Having firm faith in Bhaṭṭācārya as his spiritual master, King Pratāparudra immediately accepted Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the Supreme Lord. Thus he began worshiping Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in his mind. This is the process of devotional service.... This process is very simple. One need only be firmly convinced by the spiritual master that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one decides this, he can make further progress by thinking of Kṛṣṇa, chanting of Krsṇa and glorifying Him. There is no doubt that such a fully surrendered devotee will receive the blessings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/11/51|11.51]]* **It is essential that the disciple offer guru-dakṣiṇā to his spiritual master in return for learning received:** Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the reservoir of all knowledge of arts and sciences, exhibited Their perfect understanding when They offered to serve Their teacher by awarding him anything he desired. This offering by the student to the teacher or spiritual master is called *guru-dakṣiṇā. *It is essential that a student satisfy the teacher in return for any learning received, either material or spiritual. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **The disciple can never repay his debt to his spiritual master for receiving knowledge of Kṛṣṇa from him:** **Pṛthu Mahārāja continued: How can such persons, who have rendered unlimited service by explaining the path of self-realization in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whose explanations are given for our enlightenment with complete conviction and Vedic evidence, be repaid except by folded palms containing water for their satisfaction? Such great personalities can be satisfied only by their own activities, which are distributed amongst human society out of their unlimited mercy.** PURPORT: Great personalities of the material world are very eager to render welfare service to human society, but actually no one can render better service than one who distributes the knowledge of spiritual realization in relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.... Saintly persons like the Kumāras, Nārada, Prahlāda, Janaka, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Kapiladeva, as well as the followers of such authorities as the Vaiṣṇava *ācāryas *and their servants, can render a valuable service to humanity by disseminating knowledge of the relationship between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity. Such knowledge is the perfect benediction for humanity. Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is such a great gift that it is impossible to repay the benefactor. Therefore Pṛthu Mahārāja requested the Kumāras to be satisfied by their own benevolent activities, which involved delivering souls from the clutches of *māyā. *The king saw that there was no other way to satisfy them for their exalted activities. The word *vinoda-pātram *can be divided into two words, *vinā *and *udapātram, *or can be understood as one word, *vinoda-pātram, *which means joker. A joker's activities simply arouse laughter, and a person who tries to repay the spiritual master or teacher of the transcendental message of Kṛṣṇa becomes a laughingstock just like a joker because it is not possible to repay such a devotee. The best friend and benefactor of all people is one who awakens humanity to its original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/22/47|4.22.47]]* **A disciple, and the work with which he is entrusted, are blessed if he is authorized by his spiritual master:** **The Supreme Personality of Godhead then said: O Brahmā, O depth of Vedic wisdom, be neither depressed nor anxious about the execution of creation. What you are begging from Me has already been granted before.** PURPORT: Any person authorized by either the Lord or by His bona fide representative is already blessed, as is the work entrusted to him. Of course, the person entrusted with such a responsibility should always be aware of his incapability and must always look for the mercy of the Lord for the successful execution of his duty. One should not be puffed up because he is entrusted with certain executive work. Fortunate is he who is so entrusted, and if he is always fixed in the sense of being subordinate to the will of the Supreme, he is sure to come out successful in the discharge of his work. Arjuna was entrusted with the work of fighting on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and before he was so entrusted, the Lord had already arranged for his victory. But Arjuna was always conscious of his position as subordinate to the Lord, and thus he accepted Him as the supreme guide in his responsibility. Anyone who takes pride in doing responsible work but does not give credit to the Supreme Lord is certainly falsely proud and cannot execute anything nicely. Brahmā and persons in the line of his disciplic succession who follow in his footsteps are always successful in the discharge of loving transcendental service to the Supreme Lord. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/9/29|3.9.29]]* **Remembrance of the spiritual master destroys all difficulties:** **In the beginning of this narration, simply by remembering the spiritual master, the devotees of the Lord, and the Personality of Godhead, I have invoked their benedictions. Such remembrance destroys all difficulties and very easily enables one to furfill his own desires.** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/20|1.20-21]]* **A disciple who is a very strong devotee can carry his spiritual master with him to Vaikuṇṭha-loka:** **Dhruva was seated in the transcendental airplane, which was just about to start, when he remembered his poor mother, Sunīti. He thought to himself, "How shall I go alone to the Vaikuṇṭha planet and leave behind my poor mother?"** **The great associates of Vaikuṇṭha-loka, Nanda and Sunanda, could understand the mind of Dhruva Mahārāja, and thus they showed him that his mother, Sunīti, was going forward in another plane.** PURPORT: This incident proves that the *śikṣā *or *dīkṣā-guru *who has a disciple who strongly executes devotional service like Dhruva Mahārāja can be carried by the disciple even though the instructor is not as advanced. Although Sunīti was an instructor to Dhruva Mahārāja, she could not go to the forest because she was a woman, nor could she execute austerities and penances as Dhruva Mahārāja did. Still, Dhruva Mahārāja was able to take his mother with him. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja also delivered his atheistic father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. The conclusion is that a disciple or an offspring who is a very strong devotee can carry with him to Vaikuṇṭha-loka either his father, mother or *śikṣā *or *dīkṣā-guru. *Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say, "If I could perfectly deliver even one soul back home, back to Godhead, I would think my mission-propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness-to be successful." The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading now all over the world, and sometimes I think that even though I am crippled in many ways, if one of my disciples becomes as strong as Dhruva Mahārāja, then he will be able to carry me with him to Vaikuṇṭha-loka. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/12/32|4.12.32-33]]* **In all actions, the spiritual master must be consulted:** In all actions, the experienced guide, the spiritual master, who is the manifested mercy of the Lord, should always be consulted, and the path of progress will be assured. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/1/10/36|1.10.36]]* **The disciple, never thinking himself independent of his spiritual master, should submit to him all doubts:** **"I saw that I had become mad by chanting the holy name, and immediately submitted this at the lotus feet of My spiritual master."** PURPORT: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as an ideal teacher, shows us how a disciple should deal with his spiritual master. Whenever there is doubt regarding any point, he should refer the matter to his spiritual master for clarification. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that while chanting and dancing He had developed the kind of mad ecstasy that is possible for only a liberated soul. Yet even in His liberated position, He referred everything to His spiritual master whenever there were doubts. Thus in any condition, even when liberated, we should never think ourselves independent of the spiritual master, but must refer to him as soon as there is some doubt regarding our progressive spiritual life. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/80|7.80]]* **The disciple must not tolerate blasphemy committed against the spiritual master:** A materialist who was very proud of his reputation as a great Sanskrit scholar approached Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana to argue with them about the revealed scriptures. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, not wanting to waste their time, gave him a written statement that he had defeated them in a debate on the revealed scriptures. Taking this paper, the scholar approached Jīva Gosvāmī for a similar certificate of defeat, but Jīva Gosvāmī did not agree to give him one. On the contrary, he argued with him regarding the scriptures and defeated him. Certainly it was right for Jīva Gosvāmī to stop such a dishonest scholar from advertising that he had defeated Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, but due to their illiteracy the *sahajiyā *class refer to this incident to accuse Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī of deviating from the principle of humility. They do not know, however, that humility and meekness are appropriate when one's own honor is insulted. But when Lord Viṣṇu or the *ācāryas *are blasphemed, one should not be humble and meek but must act.... One should tolerate insults against oneself, but when there is blasphemy committed against superiors such as other Vaiṣṇavas, one should be neither humble nor meek; one must take proper steps to counteract such blasphemy. This is the duty of a servant of a *guru *and Vaiṣṇavas. Anyone who understands the principle of eternal servitude to the *guru *and Vaiṣṇavas will appreciate the action of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī in connection with the so-called scholar's victory over his *gurus, *Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/10/85|10.85]]* **A first-class devotee is one who has strictly followed the rules and regulations of devotional service under the training of a bona fide spiritual master:** Devotees can be divided into three classes. The first or uppermost class is described as follows: one is very expert in the study of relevant scriptures, and he is also expert in putting forward arguments in terms of those scriptures. He can very nicely present conclusions with perfect discretion and can consider the ways of devotional service in a decisive way. He understands perfectly that the ultimate goal of life is to attain to the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, and he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the only object of worship and love. This first-class devotee is one who has strictly followed the rules and regulations under the training of a bona fide spiritual master and has sincerely obeyed him in accord with revealed scriptures. Thus being fully trained to preach and become a spiritual master himself, he is considered first class. A first-class devotee never deviates from the principles of higher authority, and he attains firm faith in the scriptures by understanding with all reasons and arguments. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **The disciple must offer respects and suitable prayers when approaching his spiritual master:** It is the duty of a son or a disciple to offer respects and recite suitable prayers when he approaches his father or spiritual master. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **Talks between the spiritual master and the disciple are serious:** [Arjuna] offers himself to Kṛṣṇa as a disciple. He wants to stop friendly talks. Talks between the master and the disciple are serious, and now Arjuna wants to talk very seriously before the recognized spiritual master. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/2/7|2.7]]* **Śrīla Prabhupāda's prayer to his Guru Mahārāja for realization of his position as the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa:** Personally, I have no hope for any direct service for the coming crores of births of the sojourn of my life, but I am confident that some day or other I shall be delivered from this mire of delusion in which I am at present so deeply sunk. Therefore let me with all my earnestness pray at the lotus feet of my divine master to allow me to suffer the lot for which I am destined due to my past misdoings, but to let me have this power of recollection: that I am nothing but a tiny servant of the Almighty Absolute Godhead, realized through the unflinching mercy of my divine master. Let me therefore bow down at his lotus feet with all the humility at my command. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **In the spiritual master's old age, the disciple should actively preach so that the spiritual master can render nirjana-bhajana, solitary worship of the Lord:** When disciples are grown up and are able to preach, the spiritual master should retire and sit down in a solitary place to write and execute *nirjana-bhajana. *This means sitting silently in a solitary place and executing devotional service.... The devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness now render service as preachers in various parts of the world. Now they can allow the spiritual master to retire from active preaching work. In the last stage of the spiritual master's life, the devotees of the spiritual master should take preaching activities into their own hands. In this way the spiritual master can sit down in a solitary place and render *nirjana-bhajana.... *when the spiritual master retires for *nirjana-bhajana, *some of his advanced devotees follow him and engage in his personal service. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/28/33|4.28.33-34]]* **The disciple should not blindly accept his spiritual master as God Himself:** **Yet we are moved to wonder about the existence of someone more powerful than you when we think of your great austerities in perfect discipline, although your good self is so powerful in the matter of creation.** PURPORT: Following in the footsteps of Śrī Nārada Muni, one should not blindly accept his spiritual master as God Himself. A spiritual master is duly respected on a par with God, but a spiritual master claiming to be God Himself should at once be rejected. Nārada Muni accepted Brahmā as the Supreme due to Lord Brahmā's wonderful acts in creation, but doubts arose in him when he saw that Lord Brahmā also worshiped some superior authority. The Supreme is supreme and He has no worshipable superior. The *ahaṅgrahopāsitā, *or the one who worships himself with the idea of becoming God Himself, is misleading, but the intelligent disciple can at once detect that the Supreme God does not need to worship anyone, including Himself, in order to become God. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/5/7|2.5.7]]* **Before speaking on transcendental knowledge, one should first offer one's obeisances to one's spiritual master:** **The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī said:... Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva and then begin describing topics concerning the activities of Lord Hari.** PURPORT: In this verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī offers his respectful obeisances *kṛṣṇāya munaye, *which means to Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana Vyāsa. One must first offer one's respectful obeisances to one's spiritual master. Śukadeva Gosvāmī's spiritual master is his father, Vyāsadeva, and therefore he first offers his respectful obeisances to Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana Vyāsa and then begins describing topics of Lord Hari. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *7.1.4-5* **The disciple offers obeisances not only to his own spiritual master, but to the entire paramparā:** In the beginning of *Caitanya-caritāmṛta, *Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī writes: "I offer my respects to my spiritual masters." He uses the plural here to indicate the disciplic succession. It is not that he offers obeisances to his spiritual master alone but to the whole *paramparā, *the chain of disciplic succession beginning with Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Thus the *guru *is* *addressed in the plural to show the author's highest respect for all the Vaiṣṇavas. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *Intro.* **The disciple should offer respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of his instructing spiritual masters:** **The instructing spiritual masters are Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. These six are my instructing spiritual masters, and therefore I offer millions of respectful obeisances unto their lotus feet.** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/36|1.36-37]]* **Only initiated disciples should be allowed to touch the feet of the spiritual master:** **One day when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had finished His dancing, a woman, the wife of a *brāhmaṇa, *came there and caught hold of His lotus feet. As she took the dust of His lotus feet again and again, the Lord became unlimitedly unhappy. Immediately He ran to the River Ganges and jumped in to counteract the sinful activities of that woman. Lord Nityānanda and Haridāsa Ṭhākura caught Him and raised Him from the river.** PURPORT: This holding of a great personality's lotus feet is certainly very good for the person who takes the dust, but this example of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's unhappiness indicates that a Vaiṣṇava should not allow anyone to take dust from his feet. One who takes the dust of a great personality's lotus feet transfers his sinful activities to that great personality. Unless one is very strong, he must suffer the sinful activities of the person who takes the dust. Therefore ordinarily it should not be allowed. Sometimes in big meetings people come to take the same advantage by touching our feet. On account of this, sometimes we have to suffer from some disease. As far as possible, no outsider should be allowed to touch one's feet to take dust from them. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally showed this by His example.... Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is God Himself, but He was playing the part of a preacher. Every preacher should know that being allowed to touch a Vaiṣṇava's feet and take dust may be good for the person who takes it, but it is not good for the person who allows it to be taken. As far as possible, this practice should ordinarily be avoided. Only initiated disciples should be allowed to take this advantage, not others. Those who are full of sinful activities should generally be avoided. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi *[[cc/adi/17/243|17.243-45]]* **To stand up before the spiritual master to show him respect is an item of regulative devotional service:** **"One should also... (14) stand up before the Deity and the spiritual master just to show them respect....** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/22/122|22.122]]* **Etiquette to observe when receiving the spiritual master:** **"The hunter then received both the great sages in the courtyard of his house. He spread out a straw mat for them to sit upon, and with great devotion he begged them to sit down. He then fetched water and washed the sages' feet with great devotion. Then both husband and wife drank that water and sprinkled it on their heads."** PURPORT: This is the process one should follow when receiving the spiritual master or someone on the level of the spiritual master. When the spiritual master comes to the residence of the disciples, the disciples should follow in the footsteps of the former hunter. It doesn't matter what one was before initiation. After initiation, one must learn the etiquette mentioned herein. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/24/274|24.274-75]]* **The pure disciple can ask a favor from his spiritual master after satisfying him fully:** When a disciple is perfectly in consonance with the spiritual master, having received his message and executed it perfectly and sincerely, he has a right to ask a particular favor from the spiritual master. Generally a pure devotee of the Lord or a pure disciple of a bona fide spiritual master does not ask any favor either from the Lord or the spiritual master, but even if there is a need to ask a favor from the spiritual master, one cannot ask that favor without satisfying him fully. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/3/22/8|3.22.8]]* **The spiritual master is naturally victorious in an argument with the disciple:** **After hearing this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya rendered his judgment, saying, "Brahmānanda Bhāratī, I see that you are victorious." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, "I accept whatever Brahmānanda Bhāratī has said. It is quite all right with Me." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu thus posed Himself as a disciple and accepted Brahmānanda Bhāratī as His spiritual master. He then said, "The disciple is certainly defeated in an argument with the spiritual master." ...** PURPORT: Brahmānanda Bhāratī admitted that when there is an argument between the spiritual master and the disciple, the spiritual master is naturally victorious, although the disciple may put forward a strong argument. In other words, it is customary that the words of the spiritual master are more worshipable than the words of a disciple. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/10/172|10.172-75]]* **The disciple should not desire material profit from his spiritual master, and the spiritual master should not bestow benedictions upon the disciple to maintain a prestigious position:** **A servant who desires material profits from his master is certainly not a qualified servant or pure devotee. Similarly, a master who bestows benedictions upon his servant because of a desire to maintain a prestigious position as master is also not a pure master.** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/10/5|7.10.5]]* **The faithful disciple will collect some earth from the birthsite of his spiritual master and eat a small portion daily:** To teach others by example how to be a faithful disciple of one's spiritual master, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, visited the birthplace of Īśvara Purī at Kāmarhaṭṭy and collected some earth from his birthsite. This He kept very carefully, and He used to eat a small portion of it daily. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā* [[cc/adi/9/11|9.11]]* **After studying the Vedas under the spiritual master and remunerating him, the disciple, following the spiritual master's order, should become a gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsī:** **[After studying the *Vedas *under the spiritual master] if possible the student or disciple should reward the spiritual master with the remuneration the spiritual master requests, and then, following the spiritual master's order, the disciple should leave and accept one of the other *āśramas, *namely the *gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha āśrama *or *sannyāsa-āśrama, *as he desires.** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.12.14*