Describing a Spiritual Master - The Representative of Kṛṣṇa
Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the spiritual master is the most confidential servant of the Lord. By understanding the genuine qualities of a bona fide guru, conditioned souls can safely cross the ocean of material nescience and attain the supreme destination.
The Spiritual Master as the Lord's Representative
Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently teaches that the bona fide spiritual master is non-different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because the guru acts strictly as the empowered representative of Lord Kṛṣṇa, all Vedic scriptures mandate that he be honored and worshiped on an equal level with the Lord Himself.
- All the sastras describe the guru as being on an equal basis with Krsna, for he is the representative of Krsna. Therefore he is worshiped as Krsna.
- In all scriptures it is described that guru is as good as Bhagavan. Means he knows from the right source. Therefore he may be - not may be exactly, but as good - saksad-dharitvena.
- Spiritual master is described as good as God in all scriptures, and all advanced spiritualists accept this. But he is the most confidential servant of God.
- Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says: saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih. The spiritual master is described in every scripture as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Qualifications and Duties of a Bona Fide Guru
To properly guide disciples, the ācārya must be situated in absolute truth, having perfectly heard from his own spiritual master in the disciplic succession. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that such a qualified teacher lifts living entities out of the darkness of ignorance and grants them their second birth through transcendental knowledge.
- Guru means who knows the science of Krsna. If you go to a bogus man, that is your misfortune. So this is the description of guru: yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's statement.
- Who is bona fide spiritual master? That is also described, srotriyam brahma-nistham: "One who has heard from his spiritual master." This is... Spiritual master becomes by disciplic succession.
- The Manu-samhita (2.140) explains the duties of an acarya, describing that a bona fide spiritual master accepts charge of disciples, teaches them the Vedic knowledge with all its intricacies, and gives them their second birth.
- In this material world, every living entity is covered by the darkness of ignorance. Therefore the Vedas enjoin that one should approach the Supreme Lord through the spiritual master, who is described and offered prayers in the Gautamiya-tantra.
The Empowering Mercy of the Guru
The transformative power of the spiritual master is inconceivable, capable of turning a dumb man into a great orator. Through the causeless mercy of the guru and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, exalted devotees and highly learned scholars are empowered to establish the science of devotional service globally.
- The spiritual master's mercy is described, mukham karoti vacalam. Mukham means dumb, one who cannot speak. He becomes a great lecturer or speaker.
- Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was the instructing spiritual master of Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami and has therefore been described as sri-guru.
- The characteristics of Rupa Gosvami have thus been described in various places by the poet Kavi-karnapura. An account has also been given of how Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bestowed His causeless mercy upon Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami.
- Srila Srinivasa Acarya describes in his prayers to the six Gosvamis that they were all highly learned scholars, not only in Sanskrit but also in foreign languages such as Persian and Arabic.
Examples of Exalted Spiritual Masters
Throughout the Vedic literatures, great sages and spiritual masters are often addressed with the highest titles due to their unmatched learning and experience. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes historical personalities like Nārada Muni, Maitreya, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī as perfect examples of empowered authorities who travel everywhere to deliver fallen souls.
- The great sage Maitreya Muni is described here (SB 3.5.17) as bhagavan because he surpassed all ordinary human beings in learning and experience. Thus his selection of the greatest welfare service for the world is considered authoritative.
- Maitreya is considered a powerful sage, and therefore he is also described as bhagavan.
- The great sage Narada travels everywhere. He goes to the demons and the demigods and is equally respected. He is consequently described herein (SB 4.31.3) as surasuredya, worshiped both by demons and by demigods.
- Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, who is described herein (SB 1.19.26) as the son of Vyasadeva, was by his knowledge more experienced than all the sages present there, although he was only sixteen years old.
Conclusion
The position of the spiritual master on equal footing with the Lord is essential in the journey of devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that whether one examines the scriptural injunctions that equate the guru with Lord Kṛṣṇa or studies the lives of exalted sages, the principle remains constant. As Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently emphasizes, one must take shelter of a perfectly qualified spiritual master to awaken transcendental knowledge and return back home, back to Godhead.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Describing a Spiritual Master. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.
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