Guru means whatever instruction he'll give, we have to accept without any argument. Vedic knowledge is like that. You cannot interpret. As it is, you have to accept. Similarly guru's word also you have to accept. No argument. That is Vedic knowledge. That is the Vedic system. This example we have given many times: Just like this cow dung. Cow dung is the stool of an animal. So the stool of an animal is most impure thing. As soon as you touch, even your own stool . . . You may be very learned scholar or devotee, but that does not meant you can touch your own stool and remain purified. No. Immediately you have to take bath. Even his own, what to speak of others'. But in the Vedic instruction we see that the cow dung, it is the stool of an animal also, lower animal than the man, and it is pure, it is said. So you have to accept pure. No argument that "Such stool is impure. Even my spiritual master's stool is also impure. How is that that animal cow dung is pure?" But because it is in the Vedas it is said pure, you have to accept. Similarly, the conchshell, it is the bone of an animal. The bone, if you touch any dead body's bone, you'll have to take, immediately, purify. But that, this bone is placed in the Deity room. We are daily blowing the conchshell—because the Vedic instruction. So there is no argument. If you accept Vedic instruction, you have to accept it as it is.
Therefore we are protesting to all these rascals who are making interpretation of Bhagavad-gītā, "You rascals, you cannot do anything. You have to accept Kṛṣṇa's word. That is Vedic knowledge. And if, you rascal, if you interpret, then you are lost and everything is lost." Yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. As Kṛṣṇa says,
- evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
- imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
- sa kāleneha
- yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa
- (BG 4.2)
As soon as you give up this paramparā system, immediately the whole thing is lost, sa kālaneha . . . Otherwise what was the use of Kṛṣṇa speaking again to Arjuna? Because Bhagavad-gītā was there, current, but Kṛṣṇa said because the paramparā system is lost, every rascal is interpreting. This is the system always. As soon as some time goes away, so many rascals come, and they interpret Bhagavad-gītā in their own rascaldom way. That is lost. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "Therefore I am advising you again. You take it." So if we take Bhagavad-gītā in that way—or any śāstra—through the paramparā channel, then it is all right. Just like this example. This is Vedic instruction, Vedic order: "Yes, cow dung is pure." We have to take it. This is paramparā. "Yes, conchshell is pure. Although it is bone, never mind. It is pure." The order.
So spiritual master's order, because we do not know, therefore we have to approach mahātmā who can give me right instruction. So mahat-sevā. So if you go to spiritual master . . . Mahātmā and durātmā. Two words are there opposite: brāhmaṇa and a kṛpana. Brāhmaṇa mean one who has understood the Lord, the Supreme Brahman, Kṛṣṇa, Paraṁbrahman. He is brāhmaṇa. And means one who is bhakta, he is brāhmaṇa. A bhakta is brāhmaṇa, and a brāhmaṇa is not a bhakta, not necessarily. Because if he does not know . . . A brāhmaṇa may know what is Brahman, but he may not know what is Kṛṣṇa. So a brāhmaṇa has to become a Vaiṣṇava. Then he is perfect. Brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa-paṇḍita. Otherwise, if he remains simply a brāhmaṇa, then he cannot become guru. That is the instruction.