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Gurv-asrayam means

Expressions researched:
"Gurv-asrayam means"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Gurv-āśrayam means to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, ādau gurv-āśrayam, and this takes place when there is śraddhā.
Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

Dayānanda: (chants verse, etc.) "Translation: Prahlāda Mahārāja thus fixed up in his mind with full attention, the mind and sight, everything was placed in complete trance. Thus, on account of love, he began to offer his prayer in faltering voice."

Prabhupāda:

astauṣīd dharim ekāgra-
manasā susamāhitaḥ
prema-gadgadayā vācā
tan-nyasta-hṛdayekṣanaḥ
(SB 7.9.7)

So, this is gradual progress of spiritual mind, and this state is called prema, prema-gadgadayā. So, we have to make progress as it is exemplified by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Ādau gurv-āśrayam sad-dharma-pṛcchā sādhu-mārga-anugamanam. (aside:) Stop that. The first business is ādau, in the beginning, gurv-āśrayam. Gurv-āśrayam means to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, ādau gurv-āśrayam, and this takes place when there is śraddhā. Just like in this meeting, persons who have got little faith, they can sit down and hear. This is called śraddhā. And the higher stage of śraddhā is to completely accept the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that is highest state of śraddhā. In the lower stage, little faith, "So here is something going on about Kṛṣṇa, let us sit down and hear it." This is kaniṣṭha-śraddhā, and this śraddhā, faith, has to be increased. That ultimately, in the mature stage of śraddhā, faith, that is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta,

śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa (kahe) sudṛḍha niścaya
kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya
(Cc. Madhya 22.62)

This is śraddhā. Śraddha-śabde, this śraddhā, faith, means sudṛḍha niścaya, śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa. Kṛṣṇa says

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi...
(BG 18.66)

This is called faith. Yes, Kṛṣṇa says that simply by surrendering at His lotus feet one becomes immediately a liberated person. Kṛṣṇa says that.

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi...
(BG 18.66)

Just like if I offer you that if you do this work, I shall give you immediately fifty thousand rupees. So, who will believe me? "This man is a beggar, sannyāsī, how he'll give fifty thousand rupees?" So there is no śraddhā. But we cannot do so with reference to Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), that is a fact. That is not a bogus promise, because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all-powerful. Whatever He likes, He can do. This is called faith.

Page Title:Gurv-asrayam means
Compiler:Vaishnavi
Created:21 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1