The whole material world is blazing fire. Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam (Gurv-aṣṭaka 1). Now, this dāvānala . . . Just like in the forest, you cannot send your fire brigade. That is not possible. Neither you can go there to help the animals for extinguishing the fire by bucketful of waters. That is also not possible. Helpless. Similarly, this saṁsāra dāvānala, you cannot extinguish it. So how it will be extinguished? Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. You have to beg for the mercy of Kṛṣṇa; then this blazing fire can be extinguished. Not by your arrangement. That is not possible. Trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. That cloud is mercy cloud, not this ordinary cloud. Because dāvānala, the example, personal experience that on the hill of Nainital, some thousand feet high, how this fire will be extinguished? The extinguished it will be when there is cloud on the sky and there is rainfall. Otherwise it is not possible. Similarly, the mercy cloud, kāruṇya, kāruṇa ghanāghanatvam . . . So just like ordinary cloud is made possible by evaporating water from the sea, similarly, Kṛṣṇa has the sea of mercy, kāruṇayamaya, kāruṇa-sāgara. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Kāruṇa-sāgara. So as the air evaporate or the heat evaporate from the sea and the cloud is formed in the sky, similarly, one who has connection or the power to evaporate the mercy sea of Kṛṣṇa, he can extinguish the saṁsāra dāvānala. And that is guru. Guru is the cloud, or he is the agent of drawing water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa and turn it into a mercy cloud and pour water on the saṁsāra dāvānala, and then it is extinguished. Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa (Gurv-aṣṭaka 1).
Therefore guru must be authorized person, not that bhūmi-phala-guru(?). No. "I am guru," no. You cannot become guru unless you are agent to draw out the mercy water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. So therefore, a guru is not an ordinary person. He is the representative, bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra: "Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, Kṛṣṇa is your property. If you like, you can give." Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ adurlabhaṁ ātma-bhaktau (BS 5.33). You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by studying Vedas. That is not possible. There is Kṛṣṇa in the Vedas, but you cannot pick up. It is not possible. But if you go to the Kṛṣṇa's favorite person . . . Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Kṛṣṇa's very dear servant, confidential servant, is guru. Nobody can become guru unless he is in confidence of Kṛṣṇa. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). These things are there. Not that by magic one can become guru. No. He must be . . . Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa.
Everything is there in the śāstra. We have to see whether a person is actually bona fide agent of Kṛṣṇa. Then we accept him as guru. Otherwise, useless waste of time. Gurur apy avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānataḥ (Mahābhārata, Udyoga parva 179.25). Guru is very confidential serv . . . Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ (Gurv-aṣṭaka 7). Guru is sākṣād hari; there is no distinction between guru and Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you have got some business with a very big man, when his representative comes, you treat him as the same person because he is authorized agent. That is natural. Just like in India during British days, the governor general, Viceroy—his name was Viceroy—so people treated him exactly like the king, Viceroy, in place of the king. Although he was a servant, but still, the honor was given to him just like the king. His dress was like king. He was given honor like king. Wherever he would go, he was received like the king. But he is not king. He does not say that "I am king," but his honor is like the king. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair, uktaḥ. It is said in our all . . . that you sing always, vede gaya yahāra carito. You read this verse daily. Guru-mukha . . . vede gaya yahāra car . . . What is that? Eh? Who can sing this?
Gurudāsa: Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā . . . Vede gāya jāhāra carito.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. Vede gāya jāhāra carito. This is according to, strictly according to the version of the Ve . . . Sākṣād-dhari . . . You'll see. This is . . . Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing, vede gāya yāhāra carita, and Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he is also singing, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. So there is no difference. Not that one ācārya will say, "I have seen . . ."—so-called ācārya, not real ācārya—"I have seen in dream." The other day the letter came? He has seen, realized in dream, nitāi-gaura rādhe-śyāma. This is not the process. Process is the śāstra, authority. That is we have to. Not that jugglery: "I have seen in dream I have to become guru." No. Whether you are actually in terms of the śāstra? Whether actually you are dear to Kṛṣṇa, you are most confidential servant? That we have to test.
And what is the confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa? Everything is explained. Kṛṣṇa says, ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati (BG 18.68). This paramaṁ guhyam. What is that paramaṁ guhyam? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is paramaṁ guhyam, Kṛṣṇa said. Guhyād guhyatamam. What is that verse? Who can say? Just before saying sarva-dharmān parityajya, Kṛṣṇa said that "You are My very dear friend. Therefore I am talking to you the most confidential part of knowledge." Is it not? What is that confidential part? Sarva-dharmān parityajya: "Give up everything. Simply surrender unto Me." This is confidential knowledge. Jñāna, karma, yoga, this will not help. It will take some time. You can waste your time in that way, you are at liberty, but real dharma is that "You fully surrender unto Me. Don't talk nonsense." Arjuna was talking so many nonsense things. So Kṛṣṇa ultimately said, "My dear Arjuna, you are My confidential friend. Therefore I am asking you. You do this. Don't waste your time. It will not help." It will help—bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). You can go on with your learning, with your study of Vedas, with your practice of yoga or ritualistic ceremonies, karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, but unless you come to this point—sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)—there is no happiness. That is not possible.