Gaudiya Kanthahara
Guru-tattva
One Must Accept a Guru in Disciplic
Succession.
1.1
tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit panih srotriyam brahma-nistham
One who wants to know the Absolute Truth scientifically
must approach
bona fide spiritual master and offer him everything
required for sacrifice. Such
a spiritual master must be fixed in the truth, having
heard it in disciplic
succession. (Mundaka
Upanisad 1.2.12)
1.2
acaryavan puruso veda
Only one who has a guru can know the truth. (Chandogya Upanisad 6.14.2)
1.3
uttisthata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata
ksurasya dhara nisita duratyaya
durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti
Wake up and take advantage of the human form of
life. transcendentalists
say that the path of spiritual life is difficult; it is
sharp like a razor's edge.
(Katha Upanisad 1.3.14)
1.4
yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah
Only unto those great souls who serve guru and Krsna with
implicit faith
is the import of the Vedas fully revealed. (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)
1.5
nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena
yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute
tanum svam
The Supreme Self can never be known by any amount of
argument, reasoning,
intelligence, or by much hearing. To those whom He chooses,
however, He may
His
personal form. (Katha Upanisad 1.2.23)
1.6
janana-maranadi-samsaranala-santapto dipta-sira
jala-rasim iva upahara-panih srotriyam
brahma-nistham gurum upasrtya tam anusarati
Just as a person whose head is afire runs towards water,
one burning from
the fire of material existence birth, death, old age, and
disease must run to a
guru for relief. Such a guru must be fixed in the Absolute
Truth and well-versed
in the scriptures. One should approach him with all that
is needed for sacrifice,
submit to him, and be ready to carry out his every
instruction. (Vedanta-sara 11)
1.7
'krsna-nitya-dasa', jiva taha bhuli'
ei dose maya
Because the soul has forgotten that he is the eternal
servant of Krsna,
Maya has
chained him by the neck. (Cc. Madhya
22.24)
1.8
krsna bhuli' sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha
ataeva maya tare deya samsaradi-duhkha
Forgetting Krsna,
the soul is attracted by the illusory energy since time
immemorial, which gives him innumerable miseries in the material
world.
(Cc. Madhya 20.117)
1.9
krsna-bahir-mukha haiya bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare
pisaci paile yena mati-chhanna haya
maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya
"ami nitya
krsna-dasa" —ei katha bhule
mayara naphara haiya cira-dina bule
kabhu raja, kabhu praja, kabhu vipra, sudra
kabhu sukhi, kabhu duhkhi, kabhu kita, ksudra
kabhu svarge, kabhu martye, narake va kabhu
kabhu deva, kabhu daitya kabhu dasa prabhu
Being averse to the service of the Supreme Lord, the
living entity tries
to satisfy his lusty desires for sense gratification,
and thus the illusory energy
keeps him tightly within her embrace. The living entity,
captured by the illusory
energy, becomes just like a madman under a witch's spell.
"I am the
eternal servant of Krsna"
forgetting this, he becomes the slave
of maya and forever
wanders through a succession of lives. Sometimes he is a
king, sometimes a subject. Now a brahmana, now a sudra. Now an insignificant
ant. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad.
Now he goes to heaven, now to hell.
Sometimes he is a god,
sometimes a devil, now a servant, now a lord.
(Prema-vivarta)
1.10
brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
tate krsna bhaje, kare gurura sevana
maya-jala chute, paya krsnera carana
Wandering throughout the universe, by the mercy of Krsna,
the living
entity who is fortunate meets a bona fide spiritual master.
By the mercy of the
spiritual master, he gets the seed of the bhakti-lata. By worshiping Krsna and
rendering service to the spiritual master, one is liberated
from the illusory world
of maya, and attains the lotus feet of the Lord.
(Cc. Madhya 19.151, 22.25)
1.11
mukam karoti vacalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande paramananda madhavam
I offer my respectful obeisances unto transcendental
bliss personified, Lord
Madhava, by whose mercy a
dumb man can speak eloquently, a blind man can
see the stars, and a lame man can cross mountains.
(Bhavartha Dipika, Mangala Stotram 1)
1.12
caitanya lila-amrta-pura, krsna-lila-sukarpura,
duhe mili' haya sumadhurya
sadhu-guru-prasade, taha yei asvade,
sei jane madhurya pracurya
The pastimes of Sri Caitanya are the abode of nectarean
love of Godhead.
They are like thick condensed
milk. The pastimes of Sri Krsna are like camphor.
When these are combined they
are very sweet. By the mercy of the guru
one can taste that sweetness un-limitedly. (Cc. Madhya 25.277)
A Qualified Guru and Disciple are Hard
to Find
1.13
sravanayapi bahubhir yo na labhyah
srnvanto 'pi bahavo na vidyuh
ascaryo 'sya vakta kus lo 'sya labhda
ascaryo jnata kusalanusistah
Many cannot hear about the soul,
and even after hearing about it many
cannot understand it, because it is hard to find a guru who
is a genuine seer of
the truth. Such a qualified guru is a great soul and is
very rare. Only those who
follow his teachings can realize the truth and become expert
in the science of
God.Such disciples are also
very rare. (Katha Upanisad 1.2.7)
A Genuine Guru Knows the Truth About Krsna, is Surrendered to Him, and is Well-
Versed in the Vedic Literature
1.14
tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijnasuh sreya uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamasrayam
One who is searching for the Ultimate Truth must
surrender to a guru who
knows the inner meaning of the Vedas, is fixed in the
Absolute Truth and is
expert in the sastra. (Bhag.
11.3.21)
1.15
krpa-sindhuh su-sampurnah
sarva-sattvopakarakah
nisprhah sarvatah siddhah
sarva-vidya-visaradah
sarva-samsaya-samchetta
'nalaso gurur
ahrtah
One who is an ocean of mercy, who is fulfilled in all
respects, who has all
good qualities, who works for the benefit of all souls,
who is free from lust, who
is perfect in all respects, who is well-versed in the
scriptures, who knows the science
of Krsna, who can remove all the doubts of his
disciples, and who is always alert in
the service of Krsna is known as a genuine guru.
(Hari-bhakti-vilasa 1.45,46 quoted from Visnu-smrti Vacana)
A Guru is a Master of his Senses
1.16
vaco vegam manasah krodha vegam
jihva vegam udaropastha vegam
etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat
A sober person who can control the urge to speak, the
mind, the urges of
anger, the tongue, belly, and genitals is qualified to make
disciples all over the
world. (Upadesamrta 1)
1.17
sat-karma nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah
avaisnavo guru na syad vaisnavah svapaco guruh
A brahmana may be expert in mantra, ritual, and the six
kinds of
brahminical work performing and teaching sacrifice, studying and
teaching
scripture, giving and receiving charity but if he is not a
Vaisnava he cannot be
a guru. On the other hand, a Vaisnava, even if born in a family of
untouchables,
may be
a guru. (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, quoting Padma Purana Vacana)
A Pure Devotee is the Guru of all Varnas
and Asramas
1.18
vipra ksatriya vaisyas ca guravah sudra janmanam
sudras ca guravas tesam trayanam bhagavat-priyah
A brahmana,
ksatriya or vaisya
can be guru for the sudra class, but
a
Vaisnava, even if born a sudra, because he is dear to the Supreme
Personality of
Godhead, can be the guru of these higher orders. (Padma Purana)
1.19
kiba vipra, kiba nyasi , sudra kene naya
yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei 'guru' haya
Whether a brahmana,
a sannyasi, or a sudra, one who knows the science
of
Krsna is to be accepted as
guru. (Cc. Madhya 8.128)
1.20
kiba varni, kiba srami, kiba varnasrama hina
krsna tattva yei, sei acarya pravina
asala katha chadi' bhai varne ye kare adara
asad-guru kari' ta 'ra vinasta purvapara
One who is expert in the science of Krsna, whatever
social order he may
belong to including sudra and outcaste is to be accepted as
an acarya. Who ignores
this principle and accepts a guru solely on the basis of
social position will be
ruined. (Prema-vivarta)
A Guru is an Acarya of Sambandha-jnana
1.21
vairagya-yug bhakti-rasam prayatnair
apayayan mam anabhipsum andham
krpambudhir yah para-duhkha-dukhi
sanatanam tam prabhum asrayami
I surrender to Srila Sanatana Gosvami, the acarya of
sambandha jnana. He is
an ocean of mercy and always unhappy to see the
suffering of others. Although I was
blind and in the darkest ignorance he gave me the light of
transcendental knowledge.
He taught me the real meaning
of detachment and made me drink the highest
nectarean rasa that of divine love. (Vilapa-kusumanjali, 6)
Who is an Acarya?
1.22
upaniya tu yah sisyam veda-madhyapayed dvijah
sankalpam sa-rahasyam ca tam acaryam pracaksate
An acarya is not
one who only confers the sacred thread. He trains his
disciples in sacrifice and teaches them the confidential
meaning of the Vedas. Such
a spiritual master is an acarya, according to saintly authorities.
(Manu-samhita 2.140)
1.23
acinoti yah sastrartham acare sthapayaty api
svayam acarate yasmad acaryas tena kirttitah
An acarya is one who fully understands the conclusions of
the revealed
scriptures and whose behavior reflects his deep realization. He
is a living example
for he teaches the meaning of the scriptures both by word
and deed. (Vayu Purana)
Example Is Better Than Precept
1.24
yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate
Whatever a great man does, common men follow. Whatever
standards he sets
By exemplary acts, all the world pursues. (Bhagavad-gita
3.21)
1.25
apane acare keha, na kare pracara
pracara karena keha, na karena acara
'acara'
'pracara' namera karaha 'dui' karya
tumi sarva-guru, tumi jagatera arya
Some practice but do not preach, others preach but do not
practice, but one
who is perfect in
both preaching and practice is the guru of the entire universe.
You are a real jagad-guru, for you practice
what you preach.
(Cc. Antya 4.102,103)
1.26
apane karimu bhakta-bhava angikare
apani acari' bhakti sikhamu sabare
I shall accept the role of a devotee, and I shall teach bhakti to everyone
by practicing it Myself. (Cc. Adi 3.20)
1.27
apani na kaile dharma sikhana na yaya
If I do not do this Myself, then
the principles of religion will not be
taught. (Cc. Adi
3.21)
Inconceivable Oneness and Difference of
Guru, Vaisnava, and Krsna
1.28
acaryam mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit
na martya-buddhyasuyeta sarva-devamayo guruh
Know the acarya to
be as good as Myself. Never disrespect him. Never envy
him or consider him an ordinary man for He is the sum
total of all the demigods.
(Bhag. 11.17.27)
1.29
vande gurun isa-bhaktan isam isavatarakan
tat-prakasams ca tac chaktih krsna caitanya samjnakam
I worship the Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya, who appears in
six features as:
instructing and initiating gurus; the Lord's devotees, beginning
with Srivasa Thakura;
His avataras such as Advaita
Acarya; His prakasa, or full
expansion, (Nityananda
Prabhu);
and His sakti, (Gadadhara Pandita). (Cc. Adi 1.1 )
1.30
krsna, guru, bhakta, sakti, avatara, prakasa
krsna sakti ei chaya-rupe karena vilasa
The Supreme Lord appears in six features. As Sri Krsna;
the two kinds of
gurus; devotees; incarnations of Godhead; complete
expansions of His own Self
(purusas); and His divine energy.
In these six features the Lord enjoys His
transcendental pastimes. (Cc.
Adi 1.32)
1.31
yadyapi amara guru caitanyera dasa
tathapi janiye ami tanhara prakasa
Although I know my guru is a servitor of Sri Caitanya, I
know that He is a
full manifestation (prakasa)
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
(Cc. Adi 1.44)
Siksa-guru; Caitya-guru and Mahanta
(personal)-guru.
1.32
guru-krsna-rupa hana sastrera pramane
guru-rupe krsna krpa karena bhakta-gane
According to sastra the guru is non-different from Krsna,
because it is
through the guru that Krsna bestows mercy on His devotees. (Cc. Adi 1.45)
1.33
siksa-guruke ta' jani krsnera svarupa
antaryami, bhakta-srestha, ei dui rupa
One should know the siksa
guru to be Krsna Himself. As guru, Krsna has two
forms as the Supersoul and as the best of devotees. (Cc. Adi 1.47)
1.34
jive saksat nahi, tate guru caittya-rupe
siksa-guru haya krsna mahanta-svarupe
Since one cannot see the Supersoul directly, Krsna appears
as a liberated
devotee. Such a siksa guru
is none other than Krsna Himself. (Cc.
Adi 1.58)
1.35
naivopayanty apacitim kavayas tavesa
brahmayusapi krtam rddha-mudah smarantah
yo 'ntar bahis tanu-bhrtam asubham vidhunvann
acarya-caittya-vapusa sva-gatim vyanakti
O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual
science cannot
fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they had
the lifetime of Brahma,
for You appear in two features externally as the Acarya and internally as the
Supersoul to deliver the
conditioned souls by revealing to them Your devotional
service and teaching them how to approach You on the path of
pure love.
(Bhag. 11.29.6)
By the Mercy of Krsna, one Gets the Mercy of Guru
1.36
krsna yadi krpa kare kona bhagyavane
guru-antaryami-rupe sikhaya apane
By the mercy of Krsna a fortunate soul is guided by the
Supersoul from
within and from the guru without. (Cc. Madhya 22.47)
Guru Gives Scientific Knowledge About the Highest Spiritual Reality
1.37
ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri guruve namah
I was born in the darkest ignorance, but my spiritual
master opened my eyes
with the salve of transcendental knowledge. I offer my
humble obeisance's unto him.
(Prema-bhakti-candrika, Narottama dasa)
1.38
sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena
bhutale
svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam
When will Srila Rupa Gosvami
Prabhupada, who has established the mission to
fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya give me shelter at his lotus
feet?
(Prema-bhakti-candrika, Narottama dasa)
1.39
sri-guru-carana padma, kevala-bhakati-sadma,
bando muni savadhana mate
yahara prasade bhai, e bhava toriya jai,
krsna-prapti hoy jaha ha'te
guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya,
ar na koriho mane asa
sri-guru carane rati, ei se uttama gati,
je prasade pure sarva asa
cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei,
divya-jnan hrde prokasito
prema-bhakti jaha hoite, avidya vinasa jate,
vede gay yahara carito
The lotus feet of the spiritual master are the only way
we can attain pure
devotional service. I bow down to his lotus feet with great awe
and reverence. By
his mercy, one can cross the ocean of material suffering
and obtain the mercy of
Krsna.
My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the
words emanating
from his lotus mouth. Attachment to his lotus feet is the
perfection that fulfill
all desires.
He opens my darkened eyes and fills my heart with
transcendental knowledge.
He is my lord, birth after
birth. From him ecstatic prema
emanates; by him,
ignorance is destroyed. The Vedic scriptures sing of his
character.
Our spiritual master is the ocean of mercy, the friend of
the poor, and
lord and master of the devotees. O master! Be merciful to
me. Give me the shade of
your lotus feet. Your fame is spread all over the three
worlds.
(Prema-bhakti-candrika, Narottama dasa)
The Spiritual Master is the Energy of
Krsna
1.40
na dharmam nadharmam sruti-gana niruktam kila kuru
vraje radha-krsna-pracura-paricaryam iha tanu
saci-sunum nandisvara-pati-sutatve guru-varam
mukunda-prestatve smara param ajasram nanu manah
O mind! Give up all connection with Vedic piety and
impiety and simply
serve Radha and Krsna in Vrndavana with all your heart.
Know that Lord Caitanya,
the son Saci, is Sri Krsna, the son of Nanda and always
remember that Sri Guru is
mukunda-prestha, the dearmost servant of Krsna.
(Manah-Siksa 2, Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami)
Note: In the purport to Cc. Adi 1.46, Srila Prabhupada refers to Srila
Bhaktivinoda's
commentary called Anubhasya:
As
mentioned previously, a disciple should always respect the spiritual
master as a manifestation of Krsna, but at the
same time one should always remember
that a spiritual master is never authorized
to imitate the transcendental pastimes
of the Lord. False spiritual masters pose
themselves as identical with Sri Krsna in
every respect to exploit the sentiments of their followers,
but such impersonalists
can only mislead their disciples, for their
ultimate aim is to become one with the
Lord. This is against the principles of the devotional
cult.
The
real Vedic philosophy is acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which establishes
everything as one with and different from the
Personality of Godhead. Srila
Raghunatha Gosvami confirms that this is the real
position of a bona tide spiritual
master and says one should always think of the
spiritual master in terms of his
intimate relationship with Mukunda.
The Guru is Gaura-sakti and
Gaura-priyattama
1.41
saksad hadritvena samasta sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
According to the verdict of the revealed scriptures and
saintly persons,
the guru is honored as much as Krsna Himself, because he
is the dearmost servant of
the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. I offer my respectful obeisance's unto the
lotus feet of such a spiritual master. (Gurvastakam 7)
l. 42
suddha-bhaktah sri-guro sri sivasya ca bhagavata saha
abheda-drstim-tat-priyatamatvenaiva manyante
Whenever the scriptures describe the spiritual master and
Lord Siva as
non-different from Krsna, pure devotees understand this is because
of their being
the most beloved of Sri Krsna. (Bhakti-Sandarbha, Annucheda 216)
NOTE: Quoting the Anubhasya, Cc. Adi 1.46: "Jiva Gosvami clearly defined
that a
pure devotee's observation of the spiritual
master and Lord Siva as one with the
Personality of Godhead exists in their being very dear
to the Lord, not identical
with Him in all respects."
A Guru in Name Only Commits a Great
Offense
1.43
gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat
pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat
daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syan
na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum
One who cannot deliver his dependents from repeated birth
and death should
never become a guru, a relative, a father, mother, demigod,
or husband.
(Bhag. 5.5.18)
1.44
sei se parama bandhu, sei pita-mata
sri-krsna-carane yei prema-bhakti-data
sakala janme pita-mata sabe paya
krsna guru nahi mile, bhajaha hiyaya
Under ordinary circumstances one's own father and mother
are worshipable,
but in every species one gets a father and mother. Far
rarer is to get guru and
Krsna. The spiritual master can bestow prema-bhakti to the those who have
attained
his mercy, therefore he is the topmost father, mother,
and friend of everyone.
(Caitanya Mangala, Madhya-khanda)
Scholarship is no Qualification for
Becoming a Guru
1.45
sabda-brahmani nisnato na nisnayat pare yadi
sramas tasya srama-phalo hy adhenum iva raksatah
One may be expert in Vedic scholarship, but if he fails
to understand the
position of the Absolute Truth and doesn't recognize Krsna as
the Supreme Personality
of Godhead all his study is a waste of time. His hard
work will be his only reward,
and his efforts will be like the labor of one who
struggles to maintain a cow that
has no calf and cannot produce milk. (Bhag. 11.11.18)
A Non-Vaisnava Cannot
be a Guru
l.46
maha-kula-prasuto 'pi sarva-yajnesu diksitah
sahasra-sakhadhyayi ca na guruh syad avaisnavah
Even if born in an aristocratic brahmana family, initiated with all the
appropriate Vedic sacrifices, and has studied a thousand branches
of Vedic knowledge
--one
who is not a Vaisnava can never be a guru. (Hari-bhakti-vilasa
1.45)
Bogus Gurus
1.47
paricarya-yaso-lipsuh sisyad gurur na hi
One who accepts disciples for personal service and fame
is unfit to be a
guru. (Visnu Smrti)
1.48
guravo bahavah santi sisya-vittapaharakah
durlabhah sad-gurur devi sisya-santapaharakah
Many gurus take advantage of their disciples and plunder
them. They exploit
their disciples for sex, and use them to amass wealth, but
a guru who can remove
the miseries of his disciples is very rare. (Purana-vakya)
The Injunction to Abandon a Bogus Guru
1.49
guror apy avaliptasya karyakaryam ajanatah
utpatha-pratipannasya parityago
vidhiyate
A guru addicted to sensual pleasure and polluted by vice,
who is ignorant
and has no power to discriminate between right and wrong,
or who is not on the path
of suddha-bhakti must be abandoned. (Mahabharata, Udyoga-parva, 179.25)
1.50
snehad va lobhato vapi yo grhniyad diksaya
tasmin gurau sa-sisye tat devata sapa apatet
If a guru, disregarding the standard for giving diksa,
gives the mantra to
his disciple out of greed or mundane affection, he is
cursed by the gods along with
that disciple. (Hari-bhakti-vilasa
2.7)
1.51
yo vyakti nyaya rahitam anyayena srnoti yah
tav ubhau narakam ghoram vrajatah kalam aksayam
One who assumes the dress and position of an acarya, who
speaks against the
conclusions of Srimad Bhagavatam and other scriptures, or
performs kirtana opposed
to the proper glorification of Sri Krsna, certainly goes
to hell for countless
lifetimes along with his disciples and whoever else hears such
non-devotional talks
and kirtanas. (Hari-bhakti-vilasa
1.101)
1.52
vaisnava-vidvesi cet parityajya eva. "guror
api avaliptasye" ti smaranat,
vaisnava-bhava-rahityena avaisnavataya avaisnavopadisteneti vacana-visaya
tvacca.
Yathokta-laksanasya
sri-guror-avidyamanatayastu tasyaiva maha-bhagavatasyaikasya
nitya-sevanam paramam sreyah.
A guru who is envious of pure devotees, who blasphemes
them, or behaves
maliciously towards them should certainly be abandoned,
remembering the verse
"guror api avaliptasya" (See 1.49). Such an envious guru lacks the
mood and
character of a Vaisnava. The sastras enjoin that one should not accept initiation
from a non-devotee (avaisnavopadistena...
See 1.54). Knowing these injunctions of
the scriptures, a sincere devotee abandons a false guru
who is envious of devotees.
After leaving one who lacks
the true qualities of a guru, if a devotee is without a
spiritual guide, his only hope is to seek out a mahabhagavata vaisnava and serve
him. By constantly rendering service to such a pure
devotee, one will certainly
attain the highest goal of life. (Bhakti-sandarbha, Annucheda 238)
A Materialistic, Professional, Family or
Vyavaharika-guru Must be Given up
1.53
paramartha-gurvasrayo vyavaharika-gurvadi parityagenapi kartavyah
One should not accept a spiritual master based on
hereditary, social or
ecclesiastical convention. Such a professional guru should be
rejected. One must
accept a qualified spiritual master, who can help one
advance towards the ultimate
goal of life, krsna-prema.
(Bhakti-sandarbha, annucheda 210)
Who Rejects a False Guru Must Accept a
Real Guru
1.54
avaisnavopadistena mantrena nirayam vrajet
punas ca vidhina samyag grahayed vaisnavad guroh
One who gets his mantra
from a guru who is a non-devotee or who is addicted
to sensual pleasure is doomed to a life in hell. Such a
person must immediately
approach a genuine Vaisnava guru and again accept the mantra from him.
(Hari-bhakti-vilasa 4.366)
Why Become a Disciple
1.55
nr-deham adyam su-labham su-durlabham
plavam su-kalpam guru-karnadharam
mayanukulena nabhasvateritam
puman bhavabdhim na taret sa atma-ha
This human form of life is rare and it can award all the
benefit of life.
It is superior to all other
forms of life, for having attained it, one may easily
cross over the ocean of material existence. The human form
of life is like a ship
for crossing the material ocean. The guru is the captain
and the mercy of Krsna is
the favorable wind that carries the ship safely across.
One who fails to make use
of the human form of life for crossing the ocean of
birth and death is the killer
of the self. (Bhag.
11.20.17)
Who Thinks the Spiritual Master an
Ordinary man Goes to Hell
1.56
gurusu nara-matir yasya va naraki sah
One who thinks that the spiritual master is an ordinary
man is said to live
in hell. (Padma
Purana)
Who Thinks the Guru an Ordinary man Finds his
Attempts at Spiritual Progress as
Useless as an Elephant's
1.57
yasya saksad bhagavati jnana-dipa prade gurau
martyasad-dhih srutam tasya sarvam kunjara-saucavat
The guru is considered as the Supreme Lord Himself,
because he gives the
light of transcendental knowledge to his disciples.
Consequently, for one who
maintains the material conception that the guru is an ordinary
human being,
everything is frustrated. His attempts to progress in spiritual
life, his Vedic
studies and scriptural knowledge, his penances and
austerities, and his worship of
the Deity are all as
useless as the bathing of an elephant. (Bhag.
7.15.26)
For Transcendental Knowledge one Must Approach a Guru
1.58
tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah
Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual
master. Surrender
to him and inquire from him and render service at his
lotus feet. The self-realized
soul can impart knowledge unto you, for he has seen the
truth. (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)
The Guru Takes
one Beyond Jnana to Pure Devotion
1.59
evam gurupasanayaika-bhaktya
vidya-kutharena sitena dhirah
vivrscya jivasayam apramattah
sampadya catmanam atha tyajastram
With steady intelligence you should develop unalloyed
devotional service by
careful worship of
the spiritual master, and with the sharp ax of transcendental
knowledge you should cut off the subtle material covering of
the soul. Upon
realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you should then
give up the ax of
analytic knowledge. (Bhag.
11.12.24)
Guru and Lord Nityananda are
Non-different
1.60
samsarera para haiya bhaktira sagare
ye dubibe se bhajuka nitai candere
amara prabhura prabhu sri gaurasundara
e bada bharasa citte dhari nirantara
Beyond the ocean of birth and death is the bhakti ocean.
Let those who
would go there worship Lord Nityananda (the original guru
). I will hold this
faith within my heart forever: My master is Nityananda; His
Lord is
Gaurasundara. (By the mercy of Lord Nityananda one gets the mercy
of
Gaurasundara. Nityananda is therefore the original guru. As such
the guru is
the representative of Lord Nityananda. These two are
non-different.)
(C.Bhag.. 1.17.152-153)
1.61
nitai-pada-kamala, koti-candra-susitala,
ye chayay jagata juray
heno nitai bine bhai, radha-krsna paite nai,
drdha kori' dharo nitair pay
se sambandha nahi ja'r, brtha janma gelo ta'r,
sei pasu boro duracar,
nitai na bolilo mukhe, majilo samsara-sukhe,
vidya-kule ki koribe tar
ahankare matta hoiya, nitai-pada pasariya,
asatyere satya kori mani
nitaiyer karuna ha'be, vraje-radha-krsna pabe,
dhara nitai-carana du 'khani.
nitaiyer carana satya, tahara sevaka nitya,
nitai-pada sada koro asa
narottama boro dukhi, nitai more koro sukhi,
rakho ranga-caranera pasa
The lotus feet of Lord Nityananda are more soothing than
millions of moons.
This world is ablaze with the fire of birth
and death, but the cool shade of the
lotus feet of Lord Nityananda can give relief to the entire
universe. No one can
approach Radha-Krsna without Lord Nityananda. If one wants to
enter into the
service of Radha-Krsna, he must take shelter at the lotus
feet of Nityananda. He
has not established a relationship with Lord Nityananda
has wasted his life. His
birth in the human form of life is useless. He is no better
than an animal being
absorbed in eating, sleeping, mating, and fighting. Such a
two-legged animal, whose
mouth has never uttered the name "Nitai," wallows
in the pleasures of family life,
and enjoys the happiness offered by birth, death, old
age, and disease in the forest
fire of material existence.
If one has no connection with Nityananda, his so-called
academic education
and birth in a high family or great nation will not
protect him. At the time of
death nature's law will act, his work will be finished. He
will get another body
according to his karma.
Why are these human animals acting in this way? They are
maddened by a
false conception of life. They have identified the self
with the body, and thus
they have forgotten their eternal relationship with
Nityananda. Such forgetful
persons accept the illusory energy as factual. They consider
truth to be unreal
and mistake illusion for reality. By the mercy of
Nityananda prabhu, however, one
can attain the service of Radha-Krsna in Vrndavana.
Therefore, take shelter of the
holy feet of Lord Nityananda. (Prarthana, Narottama Dasa)
The Authorized Sacred Tradition
1.62
amnayah srutayah saksad brahma-vidyeti visrutah
guru-parampara-praptah visva-kartur hi brahmanah
Transcendental knowledge, which is received through the
system of parampara,
beginning with Brahma, the creator, and which is embodied in
the Sruti is known as
amnayah,
or the authorized sacred tradition. (Mahajana-karika)
Lord Brahma, the Original Teacher
1.63
brahma devanam prathamah sambabhuva
visvasya karta bhuvanasya gopta
sa brahma-vidyam sarva-vidya-pratistam
atharvaya jyesta-putraya praha
Lord Brahma is the foremost of the demigods. He is the
creator of the
universe, and its guardian. He instructed his eldest son,
Atharva in the science
of transcendental knowledge (brahma-vidya), and thus
became the first teacher
within the universe. All other knowledge is based on this
knowledge.
(Mundaka Upanisad 1.1.1)
Sri Madhva the Sampradaya Acarya
1.64
ananda-tirtha-nama sukha-maya-dhama yatir jiyat
samsararnava-taranim yam iha janah kirtyanti budhah
All glories to Sri Madhvacarya Prabhu, who is known as
Ananda-tirtha, the
holy abode of transcendental bliss. The wise know him as
the boat for crossing over
the ocean of material existence, and so they always chant
his glories.
(Prameya-ratnavali)
The Brahma-Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya
1.65
sri-krsna-brahma-devarsi-badarayana-sanjnakan
sri-madhva-sri-padmanabha-sriman-nrhari-madhavan
aksobhya-jayatirtha-sri-jnanasindhu-dayanidhin
sri-vidyanidhi-rajendra-jayadharman-kramadvayam
purusottama-brahmanya-vyasatirthams ca samstumah
tato laksmipatim sriman-madhavendran ca bhaktitah
tac chisyan srisvaradvaita-nityanandan-jagat-gurun
devam-isvara-sisyam-sri-caitanyan ca bhajamahe
sri-krsna-prema-danena yena nistaritam jagat
kali-kalusa-santaptam karuna-sindhuna svayam
mahaprabhu-svarupa-sri-damodarah-priyankarah
rupa-sanatanau dvau ca gosvami-pravarau prabhu
sri-jivo-raghunathas ca rupa priyo maha-matih
tat-priyah kaviraja-sri-krsna-dasa-prabhur matah
tasya priyottamah srilah sevaparo narottamah
tad-anugata-bhaktah sri-visvanathah sad-uttamah
tad asaktas ca gaudiya-vedantacarya-bhusanam
vidyabhusana-pada sri-baladeva-sad-asrayah
vaisnava-sarvabhauma-sri-jagannatha-prabhus tatha
sri-mayapura-dhamnas tu nirdesta-sajjana-priyah
suddha-bhakti-pracarasya muli-bhuta ihottamah
sri-bhaktivinodo devas tat-priyatvena visrutah
tad-abhinna-suhrd-varyo maha-bhagavatottamah
sri-gaura-kisorah saksad-vairagyam vigrahasritam
(mayavadi-ku-siddhanta-dhvanta-rasi-nirasakah
visuddha-bhakti-siddhantaih svanta-padma-vikasakah
devo 'sau paramo hamso mattah-sri-gaura-kirtane
pracaracara-karyesu nirantaram-mahotsukah
hari-priya-janair-gamya om visnu-pada-purvakah
sri-pado bhakti-siddhanta-sarasvati-mahodayah
sarve te gaura-vamsyas ca parama-hamsa-vigrahah
vayam ca pranata dasas tad ucchista-grahagrahah)
The above Sanskrt verse
describing the Gaudiya Vaisnava guru-parampara was
composed by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (with the
exception of the part
in parenthesis, which was later added by his disciples).
He translated it in the
form of a Bengali poem, which follows:
1.66
krsna haite catur-mukha, haya krsna sevonmukha,
brahma haite naradera mati
narada haite vyasa, madhva kahe vyasa-dasa,
purna-prajna padmanabha-gati
nrhari madhava vamse, aksobhya-paramahamse,
sisya bali' angikara kare
aksobhyera sisya jaya-tirtha name paricaya,
tanra dasye jnanasindhu tare
taha haite dayanidhi, tanra dasa vidyanidhi,
rajendra haila tanha ha'te
tanhara kinkara jaya-dharma name paricaya,
parampara jana bhala mate
jayadharma-dasye khyati, sri purusottama yati,
ta'ha ha'te brahmanya-tirtha suri
vyasa-tirtha tanra dasa, laksmi-pati vyasa-dasa,
taha ha'te madhavendra puri
mahavendra puri-vara, sisya-vara sri isvara,
nityananda sri-advaita-vibhu
isara-purike dhanya, karilena sri caitanya,
jagad-guru-gaura-mahaprabhu
mahaprabhu sri-caitanya, radha-krsna nahe anya,
rupanuga-janera-jivana
visvambhara priyankara, sri svarupa damodara,
sri gosvami rupa-sanatana
rupa-priya mahajana, jiva raghunatha hana,
tanra priya kavi krsna dasa
krsna dasa priya-vara, narottama sevapara,
yanra pada visvanatha asa
visvanatha bhakta-satha, baladeva jagannatha,
tanra priya sri bhaktivinoda
mahabhagavata-vara, sri-gaura-kisora-vara,
hari-bhajanete yanra moda
sri varsabhanavi-bara, sada sevya-sevapara,
tanhara dayitadasa nama
ei saba hari-jana, gaurangera nija-jana,
tandera ucchiste mora
The teachings of pure devotional service to Krsna begins
with Krsna Him-
self. He revealed this divine knowledge to the four-headed
Brahma,
who taught it to Narada. Narada taught it to Vyasa, who
taught it to his servant,
Madhvacarya. From Madhvacarya it passed to Padmanabha, Narahari,
and
Madhava. Madhava's disciple was Aksobhya. Aksobhya's disciple
was
Jayatirtha, whose foremost
disciple was Jnanasindhu. After Jnanasindhu was
Dayanidhi,
whose disciple was Vidyanidhi, also known as Vidyadhiraja Tirtha.
His disciple was Rajendra
Tirtha, whose principle disciple was Jayadharma,
also known as Vijayadhvaja Tirtha, the famous Bhagavatam commentator. His
disciple was Purusottama Tirtha, whose foremost disciple was
Brahmanya Tirtha.
His disciple was Vyasatirtha,
whose disciple was Laksmipati Tirtha. In this way
one should understand the guru-parampara.
Laksmipati Tirtha initiated Sri Madhavendra Puri, the
best of sannyasis,
whose favorite disciple was Isvara Puri. Two of his
foremost disciples were the
two great incarnations of Godhead, Lord Nityananda and
Advaita Prabhu. Lord
Caitanya made Isvara Puri
greatly fortunate by accepting him as guru. Caitanya
Mahaprabhu is none other than
Sri Radha-Krsna combined. He is the life and
soul of the Rupanuga
Vaisnavas. The most dear follower of Sri Caitanya, who
was also known as Visvambhara, was Svarupa Damodara,
whose principle fol-
lowers were Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami. The beloved followers
of Rupa and
Sanatana were Sri Jiva and
Raghunatha dasa, whose dearmost servant was
Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami.
The dearmost follower of Krsnadasa was
Narottama
dasa Thakura. Narottama's
follower, Visvanatha Cakravarti
Thakura, had no desire other than the service of Narottama's
lotus feet. The
foremost devotee of Visvanatha was Baladeva Vidyabhusana, and
then
Jagannatha
dasa Babaji. The dear servant of
Jagannatha dasa Babaji was
Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura was followed by Sri Gaura Kisora
dasa Babaji, a great devotee, whose only pleasure was the
service of Sri Hari.
All these pure devotees of the Lord represent the dynasty
of Sri Gauranga,
the Gaura-vamsa.
Their holy feet are my only refuge. I am devoid of any real
service to them, but hope that one day their service may be
mine. I am only a
fallen tridandi-sannyasi
by the name of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati."
Thus ends the First Jewel of
the Gaudiya Kanthahara, entitled Guru-tattva.