Kṛṣṇa is this electric lamp, and still, He's not the electric lamp. Kṛṣṇa is this pillow, but He's not the pillow. If, when we say that Kṛṣṇa is everything, therefore . . . Just like some big mission, they say, "Anything we accept as God, it is all right." No, we do not say like that. Neither Kṛṣṇa says. When Kṛṣṇa speaks of worshiping, He does not say that you worship the electric light or something else. Mām ekam, that is the instruction. Not that "Kṛṣṇa has become everything; therefore everything has to be worshiped." No, this is wrong. This is acintya-bhedābheda. We have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa personally—mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ—not the varieties. You have to understand that varieties are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, but not that "Because there are varieties, therefore Kṛṣṇa is finished." No, that is not the philosophy.
Jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu (BG 7.9). Especially tapasvī . . . Tapasvī means those who are seeking after eternal happiness. Karmīs, yogīs, there are many tapasvīs. But real tapasvī . . . tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). That is . . . divyam means transcendental. Just perform tapasya for realizing Kṛṣṇa. Tapo divyam. Otherwise, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he also performed tapasya. What was that tapasya? He performed severe tapasya, so much so that the whole universe become perturbed and Brahmājī came to see, "What do you want?" "No, I am performing tapasya for becoming immortal. So if you make me immortal, it will be very kind of you." He said, "I am myself not immortal. How can I make you immortal? That is not possible." So the idea is he also performed tapasya, but that tapasya was for material gain. But that is not tapasya.
Tapasya means to undergo voluntarily some inconveniences of this body. Because we are accustomed to enjoy bodily senses, and tapasya means voluntarily to give up the idea of sense gratification. That is tapasya. Tapasya. Just like Ekādaśī. Ekādaśī, one day fasting, fortnight, that is also tapasya. Or fasting in some other auspicious day. That tapasya is good, even for health, and what to speak of advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should accept this tapasya. The upavāsa. There are many prescribed days for fasting. We should observe. And the preliminary tapasya: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no . . . no meat-eating . . . there may be some inconvenience, those who are accustomed to this practice, but we'll have to accept. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). If we want to purify our existence . . . at the present moment our existence is not purified, impure. Therefore we are suffering. Just like when one's physiological condition becomes infected, he suffers from fever and other symptoms of disease. Similarly, we are suffering in this material world on account of this material body. If we want really happiness, then we must accept tapasya. Tapasya is required. Without tapasya, if you think that very easily . . . or "Without tapasya, I can get it simply by imagination," then you become sahajiyā. To take things very easily—no. Tapasya.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu (BG 7.9). That acceptance of tapasya means that tapasya is itself Kṛṣṇa. You associate with Kṛṣṇa. When you voluntarily give up meat-eating or intoxication, this giving up, this process, is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu. This is tapasya. Tapasya means to accept voluntarily something as enjoined in the śāstras. Śāstra says . . . Kṛṣṇa says. Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, that is śāstra. What is Veda? Veda means what Kṛṣṇa says; that is Veda. There is no other Veda. Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tene brahma hṛdā (SB 1.1.1). Brahma hṛdā. Brahma means Veda. Brahma, śabda-brahma. So Kṛṣṇa tene, imparted, injected brahma, Vedic, Vedic śabda, śabda-brahma, Vedas, tene brahma hṛdā, through the heart. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. So Brahmā had no other spiritual master, but Kṛṣṇa is there within the heart. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Caitya-guru. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. The caitya-guru, the guru . . . Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He is guru within, and when we are serious, He manifests Himself as a spiritual master. This is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
So guru is helping from inside and from outside, antar-bahiḥ. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Therefore Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself as spiritual master. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, sākṣād-dhari, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Manifestation of; empowered. One who is pure devotee, he's empowered by Kṛṣṇa to act as spiritual master. Therefore spiritual master should be accepted: sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ. It is described there. Tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. Those who are learned scholar, actual devotee, they accept. But that does not mean guru is Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Now, that, if you accept, you . . . Accept means you honor spiritual master as good as Kṛṣṇa, because he's representative. But not that Māyāvāda philosophy that guru and Kṛṣṇa is the same. This is simultaneously one and different. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. He is as good as Kṛṣṇa because he is very, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Why dear? Because he's preaching on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. What Kṛṣṇa wants, he's doing that. Therefore he's very dear.