Who needs a guru? A third-class, fourth-class man, ordinary man, doesn't require a guru. Guru, to keep a guru or to have a guru, is not a fashion. One who is very serious to understand spiritual life, he requires a guru. Otherwise, there is no need of guru. Just like you keep a dog as a fashion, don't keep a guru. Guru means . . . is a question of necessity. One must be very serious to understand what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relation with God, how to act. When we are very much serious on this subject matter, then we require a guru. Don't go to a guru as a matter of fashion. That is useless. That is useless. Therefore śāstra says, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Because we have to go to guru and surrender there. Without surrendering, you cannot learn anything. If you want to challenge guru, it is not possible. Then you'll learn nothing. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Praṇipātena.
So just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru, he said, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam (BG 2.7): "I am now surrendered unto You." That is the process. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). To . . . guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative, former ācāryas representative. Kṛṣṇa's . . . all ācāryas are representative of Kṛṣṇa; therefore guru should be offered the same respect as you offer to God. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. Because guru is bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, or God, so if you surrender to guru, bona fide guru, that means you surrender to God. God is accepting your surrenderance through the guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. If you surrender to guru, that means Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): surrender. That somebody argues, "Where is Kṛṣṇa, I shall surrender?" No. You surrender to His representative, then you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.
So guru is the representative of God. Therefore the śāstra says, the authority says, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair (Śrī Śrī Gurv-aṣṭaka 7). Guru is as good as God. Here, in this Vyāsa-pūjā day, we are teaching, or they are doing, offering respect to guru. That means they are learning how to offer respect to God. It is not personal affair; it is required. Because they are trying to be God conscious, they must learn how to offer respect to God or God's representative. That is required. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair. In all the śāstra, Vedic literature, guru is described as good as God. But guru will never say that, "I am God." The disciple's duty is to offer respect to guru as he offers respect to God. But guru will never say that, "I am . . . because my disciples are offering me respect as God, therefore I have become God." As soon as he thinks so, he becomes dog. He is no more God.
Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī says . . . why guru is offered respect like God? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Guru is offered the same respect as we offer respect to God. Just like in the morning: The other side, ārātrika was going on, offering to Kṛṣṇa, God, and this side was ārātrika was going on to offer respect to the spiritual master. The same respect. But guru will never say, and he's not that. Guru will never say: "Now I have become God." No. God does not become. God is always God. So God is God and guru is guru. But, as a matter of etiquette, God is the sevya God, worshipable God, and guru is the worshiper God. Just try to understand: worshipable God and worshiper God. This is. Sevya bhagavān-sevaka bhagavān. Just like guru is addressed "Prabhupāda." Prabhu means "the Lord" and pāda means "the position." "One who has taken the position of the Lord." The same thing: sākṣād-dharitvena, prabhupāda. These are the terms. One who is serious to study this science of God, they'll learn all these things.
So one who is very serious to understand the science of God, for him a guru is required. Don't try to keep a guru as a matter of fashion, that it has become a fashion to accept somebody, some rascal, as guru, and say that, "I have got my guru." What kind of guru you have got? You are talking nonsense. One who has accepted guru, he'll talk sense, where there is meaning. He'll never talk any nonsense. That is the sign that he has got guru. He has got the sacred thread. Yes, he's accepted by bona fide guru. That is the sign, sacred thread. So you are offering good respect to your spiritual master. That is very nice. You are very thankful. But at the same time we should remember that how to carry out the orders of the guru so that people may not think that you are talking nonsense. You must be very careful.
So in the Bhagavad-gītā also . . . I am reciting, citing various verses from various śāstras—Kaṭhopaniṣad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now here is another verse. Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā, in the Bhagavad-gītā.
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
So you have to learn from guru by three process. What is that? First process is you must surrender. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Surrender. You have to find out such a exalted person where you can willingly surrender: "Yes." Therefore it is enjoined in the śāstras, before making a guru, try to study him, whether you can surrender there. Don't accept any guru all of a sudden, as fanatic. No, don't do that. That is the injunction. And guru also must study the disciple who wants to become a disciple; must study him, whether he's fit for becoming a disciple. This is the way of making relationship between guru and disciple. Everything is there, provided we take them seriously. Then we can be trained up how to become bona fide disciple, how to find out bona fide guru, how to establish our relationship with guru and act accordingly and make our life successful.