Just like a child wants to do something according to his whims. Father checks him, "My dear child, do not do this." But if he likes, if he persists, father says, "All right, you do it." This is the position. The Hrsikesa, Paramatma, He is always guiding us, but we do not accept His guidance. This is our position. Arjuna has accepted Krsna, that "I shall be guided by You. Although You'll not fight." Therefore here it is said, Hrsikesa, He's guiding Arjuna. The hrsika means the senses. Hrsika-isa. Isa means Lord, master, isvara or isa. So Hrsikesa. Actually, He is the master of the senses. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find. In the Eleventh Chapter it is said, sarvatah pani-padam tat, "God has His hands and legs all over the universe." What is that? This, our hand, our legs, this is God's hands, God's leg. He is the master. I am claiming, "This is my hand," but as soon as God withdraws the power of your hand, it is paralyzed, you cannot repair. Therefore the real proprietor is Krsna. You are not proprietor. You have been given the facility to use it, for..., use it not for your sense gratification, but for the satisfaction of the Lord. Then your life is perfect. Because the things belongs to Krsna. He is Hrsikesa. He is the master. Just like we are sitting in this house. Somebody has given us. Similarly, everything belongs to God. This is self-realization. My body belongs to God, my mind belongs to God, my intelligence belongs to God, I am spirit soul, I am part and parcel of God. Therefore everything belongs to...Isavasyam idam sarvam (Iso mantra 1). Everything belongs to God. So if you don't use it for God, that is called demonism. And if you use it for God, that is devotion. That's all.
Arjuna accepted Krsna as guru
Expressions researched:
"Arjuna accepted Krishna as the Spiritual Master"
|"Arjuna accepted Krsna as guru"
|"Arjuna accepted Krsna as his guru"
|"Arjuna accepted Krsna as his spiritual master"
|"Arjuna accepted Krsna as spiritual master"
|"Arjuna accepted Krsna as teacher"
|"Arjuna accepted Krsna as the spiritual master"
|"Arjuna accepted Krsna: sisyas"
|"Arjuna accepted Lord Krsna as his spiritual master"
|"Arjuna accepting Krsna as spiritual master"
|"Arjuna accepts Krsna as the spiritual master"
|"Arjuna has accepted Krsna as guru"
|"Arjuna has accepted Krsna as his guru"
|"Arjuna has accepted Krsna, that"
|"Arjuna is accepting Krsna as guru"
|"Arjuna. He's accepting Krsna as guru"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
There are many inexperienced persons who advocate self-realization without the help of a spiritual master. They decry the necessity of the spiritual master and try themselves to take his place by propagating the theory that a spiritual master is not necessary. Srimad-Bhagavatam, however, does not approve this viewpoint. Even the great transcendental scholar Vyasadeva had need of a spiritual master, and under the instruction of his spiritual master, Narada, he prepared this sublime literature, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Even Lord Caitanya, although He is Krsna Himself, accepted a spiritual master; even Lord Krsna accepted a spiritual master, Sandipani Muni, in order to be enlightened; and all the acaryas and saints of the world had spiritual masters. In Bhagavad-gita Arjuna accepted Lord Krsna as his spiritual master, although there was no necessity of such a formal declaration. So, in all cases, there is no question about the necessity of accepting a spiritual master. The only stipulation is that the spiritual master should be bona fide; i.e., the spiritual master must be in the proper chain of disciplic succession, called the parampara system.
We shall eternally enjoy the relationship with the Supreme Lord in different aspects. A special feature of this verse is the acceptance of the Supreme Lord as the supreme preceptor. Bhagavad-gītā was spoken directly by the Supreme Lord, and Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru, or spiritual master. Similarly, we should accept only Kṛṣṇa as the supreme spiritual master.
SB Canto 7
Arjuna accepted Krsna as his spiritual master (sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam (BG 2.7)), and Krsna sometimes chastised him. For example, the Lord said, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: (BG 2.11) "while speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief." The Lord also said, kutas tva kasmalam idam visame samupasthitam: "My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you?" Such was the intimate relationship between the Pandavas and Krsna. In the same way, a pure devotee of the Lord is always with Krsna through thick and thin; his way of life is Krsna. This is the statement of the authority Sri Narada Muni.
SB Canto 8
Sometimes less intelligent men ask whether one has to approach a guru to be instructed in devotional service for spiritual advancement. The answer is given here -- indeed, not only here, but also in Bhagavad-gita, where Arjuna accepted Krsna as his guru (sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam (BG 2.7)). The Vedas also instruct, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) one must accept a guru for proper direction if one is seriously inclined toward advancement in spiritual life. The Lord says that one must worship the acarya, who is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (acaryam mam vijaniyat (SB 11.17.27)). One should definitely understand this. In Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that the guru is the manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, according to all the evidence given by the sastra and by the practical behavior of devotees, one must accept a guru. Aditi accepted her husband as her guru, so that he would direct her how to advance in spiritual consciousness, devotional service, by worshiping the Supreme Lord.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Prabhupada: Here is a technique. The same Krsna and same Arjuna, they are talking as friends. Then what was the necessity of Arjuna accepting Krsna as spiritual master? The same Arjuna and same Krsna, they'll talk, but what is the necessity of accepting as spiritual master? That means after accepting spiritual master he'll not argue. He'll simply accept whatever He says. That is the technique. Friendly talks, equal level, He, Krsna was talking something and he was replying. So that argument has no end. But when he accepts Him as spiritual master, there is no more argument. One has to accept whatever He says. Therefore he's accepting as spiritual master. After this, Arjuna will never say, "This is wrong, this is, no," or "I don't agree." No. He'll accept. So acceptance of spiritual master means to accept anything, whatever he says. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whom he can completely surrender. That is the technique. Veda-vakya. Just like in the Vedic injunction, nobody can deny. Similarly, spiritual master is also representative of Veda. Acaryavan puruso veda. So similarly, it is just like Vedic injunction. So spiritual master has also got the great duty. He has to instruct the disciple in such a way that he may not be misled, and that is not possible because a spiritual master is he who will simply speak from authoritative sources. He'll speak from Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavata, or what was spoken by Narada, Vyasa, that is his authority. He does not say, "In my opinion it is..." No. Therefore it is perfect, it is coming from the disciplic succession, and if one agrees to such instruction, then he's also perfectly advancing. It is not difficult to understand. So he's accepting. "Now I accept You as my spiritual master. You teach me." Is that the statement? Yes. What is that?
Tamala Krsna: "He offers himself to Krsna as a disciple. He wants to stop friendly talks. Krsna is therefore the original spiritual master in the science of the Bhagavad-gita, and Arjuna is the original disciple in understanding the Gita. How Arjuna understands the Bhagavad-gita is stated in the Gita itself, and yet foolish mundane scholars explain that one need not submit to Krsna as a person but to the unborn within Krsna. There is no difference between Krsna's within and without, and one who has no sense of this understanding is the greatest fool, the greatest pretender."
So we must select guru. Here it is, example, Arjuna. He's accepting Krsna as guru. Why he is accepting? Because, he says,
- na hi prapasyami mamapanudyad
- yac chokam ucchosanam indriyanam
- avapya bhumav asapatnam rddham
- rajyam suranam api cadhipatyam
- (BG 2.8)
So he has selected that the right person, guru, and he said that "Unless I hear from You what is right and wrong, I cannot decide whether I shall fight or I shall not fight. Which way is better for me I cannot understand." In this way,
- evam uktva hrsikesam
- gudakesah parantapah
- na yotsya iti govindam
- uktva tusnim babhuva ha
- (BG 2.9)
"After addressing Krsna that 'You give me the right direction; otherwise I am not going to fight,' he left his weapon and became silent."
- tam uvaca hrsikesah
- prahasann iva bharata
- senayor ubhayor madhye
- visidantam idam vacah
- (BG 2.10)
Now, Krsna took the position of guru, and He began to instruct. Tam uvaca hrsikesah. Hrsikesa..., Krsna's another name is Hrsikesa. Hrsikesa means hrsika isa. Hrsika means the senses, and isa, the master. Therefore Krsna is the master of our senses, everyone's senses. That will be explained in the Thirteenth Chapter, that ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata (BG 13.3). In this body there are two living entities. One is myself, the individual soul, atma; and the other is Krsna, Paramatma. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati (BG 18.61). So actually the proprietor is Paramatma. I am given the chance to use it, so my senses, so-called my senses, that is not my senses. I have not created my hand.
We should take the position of Arjuna, disciple. When a disciple is serious about making, about making a solution of the suffering, then he requires a spiritual master. And what sort of spiritual master? Krsna, the most perfect man, the most perfect man. So a spiritual master is representative of Krsna. Of course, Krsna is not present before us. But at least we must have a person as our spiritual master who represents Krsna. And who can represent Krsna? One who is devotee of Krsna, in the line, disciplic succession. You see? So see here. Arjuna accepts Krsna as the spiritual master. Now, question may be that "Why Arjuna...? There was many learned men, not only Krsna, but there were Vyasadeva and other great sages and brahmanas. Why...?" Krsna was also ksatriya. Krsna was not a brahmana. Of course, He took His, mean... He appeared in the family of a ksatriya. And they were cousin-brothers. Krsna and Arjuna, they were cousin-brothers. Krsna was the son of the brother, and Arjuna was the son of the sister. Arjuna's mother and Krsna's father, they were brother and sister. So they are in the family relation. They were intimately related, and at the same time, they were of the same age and friends. Now, the question may be: "Why Krsna is accepted as the spiritual master?" That is the selection of the disciple, that Arjuna says,
- na hi prapasyami mamapanudyad
- yac chokam ucchosanam indriyanam
- avapya bhumav asapatnam rddham
- rajyam suranam api cadhipatyam
- (BG 2.8)
Now, he says that "I am so perplexed that my lamentation cannot be satisfied even if I get the kingdom of the universe. I am going to fight for the kingdom only of this earth, or the India."
So real proprietor is God. Real proprietor is God, everything. Isavasyam idam sarvam (Iso mantra 1). This is God consciousness. This is God consciousness. One who is in God consciousness, he is a perfect man. He is a perfect man. So here, the significant word,
- tam uvaca hrsikesah
- prahasann iva bharata
- senayor ubhayor madhye
- visidantam idam vacah
- (BG 2.10)
Now, Krsna is smiling. Krsna is smiling because that "Just see. Arjuna is such a hero. He is My friend, and now he is so much perplexed." Now, when he sat down and he, Arjuna, accepted Krsna as the spiritual master, now Krsna begins to speak. Sri-bhagavan uvaca. Sri-bhagavan uvaca. Here the book does not say, krsnah uvaca. Sri-bhagavan uvaca. Now, we should understand what is the meaning of bhagavan. Bhaga... Bhaga means opulence. Opulence. There are six kinds of opulence.
When one becomes disciple, he cannot disobey the order of the spiritual master. Sisya. Sisya, this word, comes from the root sas-dhatu, means "I accept your ruling." So previously Arjuna has accepted, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I am now surrendered to You, and I agree voluntarily to accept Your ruling." This is the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple. So we have got ten kinds of offenses in chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. So the first offense is guror avajna, means to disobey the orders of guru, spiritual master. One cannot disobey the orders of guru. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, although He is Krsna Himself, he also says, guru more murkha dekhi' karila sasana: (CC Adi 7.71) "My guru, My spiritual master, saw Me a fool, and therefore he has chastised Me." So therefore Krsna... Because Arjuna has accepted Krsna as guru, therefore He is chastising him that "You are lamenting on a subject matter which is not done by any learned man." That means "You are not a learned man. You are fool." "The learned man does not do like this" -- that means "You are not learned man because you are doing this." So Krsna said that "You... Practically you are not in the knowledge of things. Still, you are lamenting on the bodily concept of life." Anyone who accepts this body as self, he is not only unlearned, but he is compared with the animal.
So Arjuna accepted Krsna as spiritual master. In the beginning, he was talking like friend. Friend to friend, talking, sometimes it comes to nil, no conclusion, simply waste of time. It is called vitanda. That sort of argument has no value. Because it will never come into conclusion. But when we talk with authority, the spiritual master, representative of Krsna, then we cannot argue. We have to accept. Guru-vakya. Guru-vakya, you cannot deny it. It may not be agreeable to you in the beginning, but you cannot deny it. That is it: system of Vedic system. Here Arjuna has accepted Krsna as the spiritual master. Sisyas te aham. "I become Your disciple. Because we were talking till now as friends, but this will not decide the case. My case is very serious. My duty is to fight, but I do not like to fight. Some affection, some family relationship, is deterring me to fight, making me coward. So therefore it is a very complex position. And I find that You can make a solution of this complex position. I therefore accept You as my spiritual master. And I fall down under Your lotus feet as Your disciple." Sadhi mam prapannam. "I am surrendered. Now You kindly protect the surrendered soul."
We have got cheating propensity, we are prone to commit mistake, and we accept illusory things. These four principles of imperfect is in the conditioned soul. But who is liberated soul or who is God, they are not under these conditions. Therefore Krsna is considered to be the highest perfectional personality, and Arjuna selected Him as the spiritual master. Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: (BG 2.7) "My dear Krsna, we are talking on the platform of friendship." That will not make a solution. Because friendly talks, sometimes they are not taken seriously, friendly talks. But when there is talk between the spiritual master and disciple, there is some discipline and there is some gravity. So Arjuna created that gravity and discipline. He accepted Krsna as the spiritual master.
And as soon as Arjuna accepted Krsna as the spiritual master, so as master, He at once chastised him in these words,
- asocyan anvasocas tvam
- prajna-vadams ca bhasase
- gatasun agatasums ca
- nanusocanti panditah
- (BG 2.11)
"My dear Arjuna, you are posing yourself as a very great learned man, but I see that you are fool number one. You are fool number one." Why? "Now, because you are lamenting for things which are not to be lamented." This was the first answer of Krsna. So a person like Arjuna, he was not an ordinary person; still, in the eyes of the perfect personality, he happened to be a fool. So this material knowledge, if anyone is very proud of his material knowledge...
Devotee: This is number eleven. "While speaking learned words..."
Prabhupada: Eleven. Yes.
- sri bhagavan uvaca
- asocyan anvasocas tvam
- prajna-vadams ca bhasase
- gatasun agatasums ca
- nanusocanti panditah
- (BG 2.11)
The translation reads, "The Blessed Lord said, While speaking learned words..." Arjuna accepted Krsna as the spiritual master. First of all he was talking just like friends, but when he saw that by friendly talkings the problem which was present before him, that cannot be solved, therefore he accepted Krsna as the spiritual master, and the spiritual master, Krsna, first of all chastised him in this way, that asocyan anvasocas tvam: (BG 2.11) "You are lamenting on the subject matter which is not object of lamentation." Asocyan. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams... "But you are talking like a very learned scholar." So He mildly rebuked him that "This kind of lamentation is not done by pandita, by learned scholar." That means "You are rascal number one. You are fool. You are talking like learned scholar, but you are a fool." Indirectly He says that gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. "Panditah, those persons who know..." Just like this body. Panditah, those who are learned scholar, they know that his body is the lump of matter. Just like a nice Rolls Royce car. It is very nice car, very valuable car. But it is after all a lump of matter. The car is important so long the driver is there. Otherwise, it is lump of matter. So those who are fools... Suppose if there is accident in the car. They become bewildered, "Oh, I am lost, I am lost." What you are lost? You are not this car. You are not this car. You are not this car. You get another car. Where is the cause of lamentation? That is being put, that "Why you are lamenting for this body? The body is not the object of lamentation. Either it is living or dead, it is a lump of matter." This is the meaning.
So this is the first business, that "Where we shall take knowledge?" Tad-vijnanartham. Vedic lesson is that tad-vijnanartham gurum eva abhigacchet: "You should go to guru." Just like Arjuna has accepted Krsna as guru. When Arjuna was puzzled, he surrendered to Krsna. Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I am ksatriya. It is my duty to fight, but I am declining. Although You are requesting me to fight, still I am declining. So I am puzzled. Anyway, I can understand You can drive away my, this puzzling position. Therefore I am becoming Your sisya." Sisyas te 'ham. "I become Your disciple. I am not going to argue with You on equal footing." Sisya means he is always subordinate. Whatever the guru will say, he will accept. That is the guru and sisya. So Krsna became guru and Arjuna became a sisya, disciple, not friend. Of course, he knew what is Krsna. So sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam. So similarly, we have to find out guru for perfect instruction. That is the only way. Otherwise we shall keep ourself in ignorance, in mistake, in illusion, in imperfectness and so many other things.
This is the first condition. First of all find out such person whom, upon whom you have full faith that whatever he will say, you will accept. That is guru. If you think that you know better than your guru, then there is no use. First of all you find out the person that one who is better than you. Then you submit. Therefore the rules and regulation are that nobody should accept blindly any guru, and nobody should blindly accept any disciple. They must behave, one another, at least for one year so that the prospective disciple can also understand, "whether I can accept this person as my guru," and the prospective guru also can understand, "whether this person can become my disciple." This is the instruction by Sanatana Gosvami in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa.
So here Arjuna has accepted Krsna as his guru. And he submissively says that prakrtim purusam caiva. Prakrti, prakrti means nature, and purusa means the exploiter of the nature. Just like here in this material world, especially in the Western countries they are very much fond of developing undeveloped countries. That means exploiting, or to become purusa, enjoyer. You Americans, you came from Europe, and now you have developed the whole America, very nice cities, towns, and very well developed. That is called the exploiting the resources.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Our heart is filled up with dirty things. The dirty things is misunderstanding. The first misunderstanding is accepting, identifying oneself with this body: "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am this," "I am that." This identification is one of the greatest misunderstanding, and when Krsna began His teaching in the Bhagavad-gita, He first... Because Arjuna accepted Him a his spiritual master. In the beginning he was talking like friend, but when the questions were not solved, Arjuna accepted Krsna as his spiritual master, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam (BG 2.7). At that time, when Krsna was accepted by Arjuna as his spiritual master, He first of all chastised him. He said, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase (BG 2.11). Because Krsna..., Arjuna was talking as a family man, so therefore He first of all chastised him that "You are talking from a low-grade platform, but you are talking just like a learned man. You are not learned." Gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. "You are not talking like a learned man." That means Krsna indirectly said that "You are a fool. You do not know what is your identification."
This is the position to approach a guru, when you are bewildered. When things are not in order, brain is puzzled... Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru when he could not ascertain whether he shall fight or not, bewilderment, so similarly, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja also became bewildered, that "I have killed so many prajās. What is my position? I have become so much sinful. How can I rule over the empire?"
They are thinking that they are this body, and they are fighting. And everywhere it is going on: "I am this body." Cats and dogs are fighting. So actually, we are not this body. That is knowledge. Therefore Bhagavad-gita begins when Arjuna was thinking in terms of his body that he was declining to fight in terms of body. "Krsna, they are my family members, my brothers, my grandfather, my nephews. How can I kill them?" So therefore Krsna, when Arjuna accepted Krsna as his spiritual master... Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Krsna, now we are talking like friends, but that will not make a solution, because friendly talking useless waste of time. Let us talk seriously. So I accept You as my spiritual master." Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam. "Now you teach me."
So there are two kinds of ruler or controller. One is the government, and the other is the teacher. Or guru means spiritual master. Spiritual master can control. The disciples obey the order of the spiritual master out of love. Guror-hitam. This is brahmacari. Brahmacari guru-grhe vasan danto guror hitam. What guru wants, the brahmacari has to do, not for his hitam. Just like Arjuna accepted Krsna: sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam (BG 2.7). So Arjuna, for his personal benefit he did not want to fight, but for Krsna's sahitam, hitam, for benefit of Krsna, he fought. This is the example. He did not like to kill his kinsmen for his hitam. "Oh, if I kill my kinsmen I'll go to hell, I'll be responsible, this, that..." So many arguments he put forward. That means he was considering his hitam, not Krsna's hitam. But Krsna wanted that fight, and when Arjuna agreed, "No, no more my hitam. Your hitam," oh, that is wanted. That is wanted. Guror-hitam.
In spite of our superior qualities, we are always fool. You should know. Don't be puffed up with your superior qualities. You should remain always fool. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He presents Himself as a fool. So even Caitanya Mahaprabhu presents Himself before His spiritual master as a fool. So that is a good qualification, to remain a fool. Otherwise, it he becomes puffed up -- "Oh, I have learned everything. My business is finished" -- so there is prone to fall down again. And the spi... Because... Arjuna was addressed as a fool because Krsna accepted, er, Arjuna accepted Krsna as his spiritual master. So the spiritual master has the right, just like father has the right to say like that. So there was nothing wrong. (break) ...kirtanam visnoh. This is chanting and hearing of the glories of Visnu, harer nama kirtanam (CC Adi 17.21). So that is the beginning. Devotional service begins from hearing. Unless there is chanting, what you can hear? Sravanadi-suddha-citte. Sravanadi. Sravana means hearing. That is the beginning of devotional... As you chant and hear, so you become purified more and more. Then your heart becomes cleansed. Ceto-darpana-marjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The whole thing is that we have accumulated so many nasty things in our heart. That has to be moved. It is cleansing process. So chanting Hare Krsna mantra means beginning the cleansing process. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. Is it clear?
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So if you voluntarily accept somebody, that "I shall be ruled by you," that is guru. Not that "I shall rule over you by giving some money." Then it is not accepting guru. Guru means in all circumstances. Guror hitam. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam (SB 7.12.1). Therefore the first training is to live in gurukula, to learn how to respect guru, how to abide by the orders of guru. So Kṛṣṇa is guru. So Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. Śiṣyas te 'ham (BG 2.7). "I am Your now disciple. Now give, teach me." Then Bhagavad-gītā was begun. Not before that.
Initiation Lectures
Revatinandana: "Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master."
Prabhupada: Yes. This is one offense. These are offenses. When we accept spiritual master, it is understood that you cannot deny his order. Just like Krsna and Arjuna was talking as friends, but when Arjuna accepted Krsna as spiritual master, he was simply hearing, and whenever there was difficulty to understand, he was questioning. Not that he was equally arguing with Krsna. Before accepting Him, he was arguing. So this is the position. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He said that "My spiritual master found Me a great fool (CC Adi 7.71)." Caitanya Mahaprabhu is not a fool, but it is the good qualification of a disciple to remain a fool before the spiritual master. Therefore he'll never, I mean to say, dare to argue or disobey. That is offense. Now, go on. That does not mean that when you cannot understand, you cannot question. Question must be there. That is stated in this Bhagavad-gita, tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya (BG 4.34). Your relationship is to know from a spiritual master everything, but you should know that with three things. What is that? First of all you should surrender. You must accept the spiritual master as greater than you. Otherwise what is the use of accepting one spiritual master? Pranipat. Pranipat means surrendering; and pariprasna, and questioning; and seva, and service. There must be two sides, service and surrender, and in the middle there must be question. Otherwise there is no question and answer. Two things must be there: service and surrender. Then answer of question is nice.
General Lectures
Without surrendering, you cannot learn anything. If you want to challenge guru, it is not possible. Then you'll learn nothing. Tasmad guruṁ prapadyeta. Praṇipātena. So, just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru, he said, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I am now surrendered to you." That is the process.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No. No. No. You cannot... First of all you have to understand what is spiritual value of life. Then you can harmonize. If you do not know what is spiritual life, then what you can harmonize? That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā. In the beginning, when Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru, then He began to explain about the value of life. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam (BG 2.13), find out this verse. It's in the Second Chapter. Which verse?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupada: No. No, no. Real guru means those who are interested in these material affairs, they do not require a guru. It is... It is a fashion. "Such man has kept such and such guru." Just like keeping a dog. This is not guru.
Dr. Patel: (laughs) That is good.
Prabhupada: Keeping a guru, and "Guru, come here, come here, guru." (laughter) Not like that. That is useless. And this is the qualification of cela. Jijnasuh sreya uttamam. One who is interested with the Absolute Truth. That requires, he requires a guru. And guru means, sabde pare ca nisnatam. Sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam (SB 11.3.21). This is the qualification. Sabde, he's, in the Vedic knowledge, he's perfect. Sabde pare ca. Nisnatam. He has immersed himself in that ocean. And the result is brahmany upasama..., he has no more material interests, simply Brahman. That's all. How simple it is, the qualification of cela and qualification of guru. As soon as Arjuna accepted Krsna as his guru, He immediately gave him a slap: asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase (BG 2.11). "You are talking like very learned man. You are fool number one."
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Professor (Hrdayananda): He's saying that for example he could listen to everything that you were saying, and then he could repeat it, and someone might say to him that "Oh, you are an expert. You are a master," but actually he's not. He's simply repeating.
Prabhupada: No, this is example. By receiving a knowledge, you must corroborate by your knowledge or by your experience, by the method. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita, it is said that Arjuna was declining to fight in the war. So Krsna said that "You are simply lamenting on this body, but you do not know what is the active principle of the body." So this you can understand very nicely, that everyone is working for this body, but nobody knows what the active principle of the body. Without the active principle of the body, this body, alive or dead, is the same thing, lump of matter. So Arjuna accepted Krsna as teacher; therefore He is chastising him that "You are talking like a learned man, but you are lamenting on this body, but no learned man laments on this body, either dead or alive." Because without the knowledge of the active principle which is moving the body, what is the use of simply understanding the bodily construction? The medical science knows the construction of the body, anatomy, physiology, the bone, this muscle, the blood and everything, but he does not know what is the active principle. When the active principle gone, they cannot repair it. So there may be vast advancement of medical science, but if the medical science cannot check birth, death, old age and disease, then what is the use of it? It may have some temporary use, but actually it is not science. Nobody wants to die. Is there medical science which can stop death? So that knowledge may be temporary, beneficial, but ultimately, it is not the knowledge. I am anxious for not dying. Nobody wants to die. This is my anxiety. And where is that science, medical science? So we are satisfied with some temporary knowledge. We have no ultimate knowledge. And because it is very difficult subject matter, we have avoided it very carefully.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupada: So he has said already that "I do not find any other means to pacify me, and You are the only..." The purport is that Arjuna is accepting Krsna as guru to instruct him how to get relief from the perplexed position. So in this sense the real guru is Krsna. Krsna is guru. Not only for Arjuna, for everyone. So if we take instruction from Krsna and abide by that order, instruction, then our life is successful. That is our mission. Krsna consciousness movement means accept Krsna as guru. We don't say... Don't divert your attention. We don't say that "I am Krsna." We never say that. We simply ask people that "You abide by the order of Krsna." Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja (BG 18.66), and we say that "You surrender to Krsna. Give up all other ideas of so-called dharma or religiosity." The same thing. But we don't say that you or me, "I am the authority." No, we don't say that. We say, "Krsna is the authority, and you try to understand Krsna." This is Krsna consciousness movement. Therefore the question is guru. So here, from the behavior of Arjuna, we see that guru is necessary. Arjuna was talking with Krsna as friend, but Arjuna saw that "This is, there is no good talking like this. We can continue talking.... Because we are equal status. Krsna is my friend. I am also His friend. So He's answering, I am giving something. If this talking will go on, there will be no fruit." Therefore he said, "Now, Krsna, I am becoming Your disciple." Disciple means there is no argument. Whatever the guru will say, you have to accept. That is disciple. That is final. There is no argument. So Arjuna put him into that position that "I cease to talk with You on equal level of friends. Now I accept You as guru." Therefore the guru is necessary, undoubtedly, because every one of us in perplexed position. But who is guru? Guru means Krsna or Krsna's representative. And all others are bogus. If one does not say on the standard of Krsna, then he's not guru. He's a bogus.
Prabhupāda: That we have to test, whether I can surrender to him. That we have to behave with him. Therefore according to system, one has to study that "Whether I can surrender to him?" If you think that "No, I know better than him," don't accept a formal guru. That is mistake. And guru also will see, "He's appealing to me, he is going to accept my discipleship, let me see whether he is qualified." Then there should be guru and śiṣya, not that as a fashion. Like Arjuna, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru after talking with Him. Find out that verse, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam.
Jnanagamya: Then we must take it to the absolute platform in order to actually have a sincere argument, to make a sincere decision.
Prabhupada: Yes. There is no end of such things. Therefore unless one accepts a person guru, there is no need of talking. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Unless one accepts somebody as guru, the instruction will not be fruitful. Just like Arjuna is accepting Krsna as guru. So long he was talking as friend, it was not effective. Arjuna therefore decided... Find out that verse, karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah.
Prabhupada: In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, the first beginning of the teachings of Bhagavad-gita you have to take. (aside:) No children. Otherwise it will be disturbed. When Arjuna accepted Krsna as the spiritual master, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam (BG 2.7). First of all, he was talking like friends. When he saw "The friendly talking will not help us," so Arjuna accepted Krsna as his spiritual master. Then as spiritual master He said, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are lamenting on the subject matter which is not the subject matter of lamentation, and you are talking like a very learned man." Gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. This body, either alive or dead, it is not a serious subject matter of study, neither a learned man laments over it. This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gita, or spiritual knowledge. Those who are not human being, according to Vedic sastra anyone who has no self-realization, he's animal. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke (SB 10.84.13). If one is identifying with this body, "I am this body which is made of three elements, kapha, pitta, vayu..." Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke. Tri-dhatuke, this combination of three elements. Sa eva go-kharah (SB 10.84.13). He's animal. So practically now in this age especially, everyone is identifying with this body. That is the basic principle of nationalism, communism, or this "ism" or that "ism." The bodily conception of life. And according to Vedic version, anyone who is identifying with this body, he is animal. So under the circumstances-(aside:) Hare Krsna -- we are trying to revive the spiritual education of the human society. That is Krsna consciousness movement.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
You have inquired why Caitanya Mahaprabhu has not mentioned anything about accepting a Spiritual Master in His Siksastaka. But perhaps you have missed the point that He says amanina manadena kirtaniya sada hari. This means one has to chant the Holy Names of Krishna, becoming humbler than the straw, and more tolerant than the tree. So who can become humbler than the straw unless he accepts a Spiritual Master? The whole world is puffed up. Everyone wants to become the Lord of everything. Ultimately, the Mayavadi philosopher wants to become one with the Supreme Lord. This means that when one fails to become Lord of everything, he wants to mix up with the Supreme Lord and tries in that way to automatically become Lord of everything. What he can't perform by his own capacity he wants to have done by being merged into the Supreme Lord. That is the mentality of the general people. But if anyone becomes humbler than the grass and more tolerant than the tree, it is understood that he has accepted a Spiritual Master. Besides that, if we accept Sikshastak as authority given by Lord Caitanya, this means we accept Lord Caitanya as Spiritual Master. In the Bhagavad-gita it is openly mentioned that Arjuna accepted Krishna as the Spiritual Master. There is another mention in the Sikshastak, Lord Caitanya says "I do not want any wealth of this world, I do not want any following, neither do I want a beautiful wife. Simply I want to become a servant of the Lord." To become the servant of the Lord means to accept a Spiritual Master. Without accepting somebody as master, how can one become an expert servant? It is not that in every literature you will find the words that everyone has to accept a Spiritual Master, but we have to study things scrutinizingly. In the Caitanya Caritamrta there is mention guru krsna krpaya paya bhakti lata bija (CC Madhya 19.151). By the mercy of the Spiritual Master and Krishna one can get the seeds of bhakti lata, the plant of devotional service.
| Page Title: | Arjuna accepted Krsna as guru |
| Compiler: | Eivind, Chris, Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 30 of Jul, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=4, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=19, Con=7, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 31 |