This body is machine. The . . . those who are very much attached to this machine, for them, the yoga system is recommended because . . . one who is very much in the conception of the body, so they have been taught just to concentrate the mind, some practice, some gymnastic, so that mind may be concentrated and he can focus the mind towards Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. Real purpose is to understand Viṣṇu, the Supreme. So the yoga system is therefore a mechanical arrangement. But the bhakti system is above the machine, above this mechanical arrangement. That is . . . therefore it is called tad-vijñāna. The mechanical understanding is material, and above that, tad-vijñāna.
So tad-vijñānārtham, if you want to understand spiritual knowledge, then you have to approach a guru. Guru. Guru means weighty, I mean to say, one who has got better knowledge. Heavy. Guru means heavy, heavy with knowledge. And what is that knowledge? "I have got so much knowledge." No. Transcendental. Tad-vijñāna. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). That heaviness is brahma-niṣṭham, how much one is attached to Brahman, Para-brahman, Bhagavān. That is guru's qualification. Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. This is the mantra of Kaṭhopaniṣad: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. Similarly, in the Bhāgavata also it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Tasmāt, "Therefore one must approach guru." The here, in the Upaniṣad also gives definition who is guru. Guru means śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12), "One who has received knowledge by hearing Vedas," śrotriyam. Because Vedas are called śruti.
So those who are in the line of hearing from the preceptorial succession, disciplic succession . . . as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). Not, I mean to say, upstart knowledge. Standard knowledge. Standard knowledge is received from the paramparā system, disciplic succession. Therefore it is said, śrotriyam. Śrotriyam means "who has heard from the paramparā system." Śrotriyam. And the result is brahma-niṣṭham: "He is firmly fixed up in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Brahma-niṣṭham. He has no other business. This is two qualification. He must have heard the Vedic knowledge through the disciplic succession. It does not require that he is very learned scholar. No. Simply he must hear from the authority. Śrotriyam. You have . . . Kṛṣṇa has given you, God has given you the ear. This is our system. Simply they hear and they become big, big preacher. It doesn't require that he has to pass M.A., C.B.A.C., or Ph.D. examinations. Hearing is sufficient. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ (SB 10.14.3). You remain in your position, in your place. You do not require to change it. Sthāne sthitāḥ.
Sthāne sthitāḥ means the varṇāśrama, four varṇas and four āśramas. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. So this is civilization. Unless the society is divided into these eight divisions, that is animal civilization; that is not human civilization. You must be systematized, regulated system. Just like in this body there are different divisions: the head division, the arm division, the belly division, the leg division. Similarly, without these four divisions, no society can be conducted very nicely. Then it will be chaos. So sthāne sthitāḥ means to remain in these regulative principles of varṇāśrama. That is called sthāne sthitāḥ. You remain in your position. It doesn't require you have to change. It is not that a śūdra, without becoming a brāhmaṇa . . . of course, he will become brāhmaṇa—by hearing. Brāhmaṇa means brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. If he hears, even a śūdra, he can understand what is Brahman. Then he becomes brāhmaṇa. So this is required. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. With great attention, body, mind and words, intelligence—with everything—one must hear.