Suhṛt satām. Kṛṣṇa is sitting within your heart. Kṛṣṇa is the . . . is acting as your spiritual master, caitya-guru. Caitya-guru. Caitya-guru means the guru, or the spiritual master, who is sitting in my heart, citta. So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ.
When you begin to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then the hearing of kṛṣṇa-kathā, the topics about Kṛṣṇa, is puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. It is, even if you do not understand, it will increase your virtue. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi. We have accumulated so much dust by our material contact. By so many years' association with the matter, we have accumulated so much dirty things within our heart. That becomes gradually cleansed. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi. Hṛdy antaḥ-stho means the dirty things which we have accumulated within our heart, that becomes cleared.
That . . . how it is cleared? Hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is friend of everyone, but He's a special friend to the devotee. That you will find in Bhagavad-gītā. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29):
"I am friend of everyone. Nobody is My enemy and nobody is My friend. But I am equal to everyone." Sama, sama means equal. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ bhaktyā teṣu te mayi (BG 9.29): "But a person who is devoted to Me and is engaged in devotional service with Me, I have got special attention for him."
Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is suhṛt satām. Satām. Satām means those who are trying for having eternal life. Because in this material world we don't get anything eternal. All, everything, temporary. Therefore it is called asat. Asato mā sad gama. The Vedic injunction is, "Don't try to remain in this temporary world." Sad gama: "Just try to go to the eternal world." Tamaso mā jyotir gama: "Don't try to remain in this darkness. You go to the kingdom of light." These are Vedic injunctions.
So Kṛṣṇa, He is within our heart. Hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ. Therefore, as soon as we become a little inclined towards Kṛṣṇa, then from within our heart He gives us the, I mean to say, favorable instruction so that we can gradually make progress. Gradually.
Kṛṣṇa is the first spiritual master, and when we become more interested, then we have to go to a physical spiritual master. That is enjoined in the next verse:
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
Now, Kṛṣṇa advises that, "If you want to know that transcendental science, then you just try to approach somebody." Praṇipātena. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena and sevayā. What is praṇipāta? Praṇipāta means surrender. Surrender. You must select a person where you can surrender yourself, because nobody likes to surrender to anyone.
We have got . . . everyone, we are puffed up with our whatever knowledge we have got. Everyone is puffed up: "Oh, who can give me knowledge?" There is regular propaganda that "For spiritual realization there is no need of spiritual master." But so far Vedic literature is concerned, so far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, so far Bhāgavata is concerned, so far the Upaniṣads and Vedic literatures are concerned, they do not say. They say that there is need of a spiritual master.
Take for example the Upaniṣads, the Vedic Upaniṣads. In the Vedic Upaniṣads it is said, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12)
This mantra, that: "If you want to learn that transcendental subject, then . . . first word is that if you are eager to learn that subject.
In the material world also, suppose if I want to learn the art of music. Then I have to find out somebody who is a musician. Without having the association of a musician, nobody can learn the art of music. Or any art. Suppose if you want to become an engineer. So you have to enter yourself in an engineering college or technical college and learn there. Nobody can become a medical practitioner simply by purchasing book from the market and reading at home. That is not possible. You have to admit yourself in a medical college and undergo training and practical examination, so many things. Simply by purchasing book, it is not possible.
Similarly, if you want to learn Bhagavad-gītā or any transcendental subject matter, here is the instruction by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, because He is the speaker of this Bhagavad-gītā, He says that tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34):
You must go to a person where you can surrender yourself. That means you have to check, "Who is the real person who can give me instruction on Bhagavad-gītā or any Vedic literature, or any scripture, right?" And not that to search out a person as a, whimsically. No. You have to search out a person very serious, that who is actually in the knowledge of the thing. Otherwise why you shall surrender? No. There is no necessity of surrender.
But here it is said clearly that, "You have to surrender to a person." That means you have to find out such a person where you can voluntarily surrender. Without finding, your mission will not be fulfilled. Because very word, first thing, is . . . just like Arjuna in the beginning. We have discussed that point. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa in friendly terms, just like friend. He was . . . Kṛṣṇa was saying something, "Oh, you cannot . . . you are a kṣatriya. You are a military man. How can you give up the fighting?" Just like friendly talks. But when Arjuna saw it, that "Our friendly talk will not make a solution," so he surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa that, "I'll . . . siṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7):
"I just become surrendered disciple unto You. Please instruct me what is my duty." So this is the process. Here also, Kṛṣṇa advises that "If you have to learn," say, for Bhagavad-gītā, "then you have to go to a person where you can surrender." Not only surrender—not blindly surrender—you must be able to enquire. Paripraśna. The next qualification is paripraśna. Paripraśna means enquiry. Without enquiry, you cannot make advance. Just like a student in the school who enquires from the teacher, he's very intelligent. Even a boy, a child, if he enquires from the father, "Oh, father, what is this? What is this?" that child is very intelligent. Very intelligent.
So enquiry is required, so not only praṇipāta . . . "Oh, I have found out a very good spiritual master, very learned and very good, soul. All right. I have surrendered. Then all my business finished." No. That is not . . . you may have a very good spiritual master, but if you have no power to enquire, then you cannot make progress. Enquiries must be there. But enquiry, how enquiry? Not to challenge. Enquiry, not that "Oh, I shall see what kind of spiritual master he is. Let me challenge him and put some irrelevant question and talk nonsensically, this way and that way." Oh, that will not make . . . enquiry on the point. Paripraśna means enquiry on the point, and that enquiry should be sevā.