Prabhupada:

sri-bhagavan uvaca
mayy asakta-manaḥ; partha
yogaṁ yuñjan mad-asrayaḥ;
asaṁsayam samagraṁ maṁ
yatha jñasyasi tac chrṇu
[Bg. 7.1]

So by the end of the Sixth Chapter, Krṣṇa has explained the aṣṭa, aṣṭaṅga-yoga-siddhi. Aṣṭaṅga-yoga-siddhi, that yoginam api sarveṣaṁ mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. Always who is thinking of Krṣṇa within himself, sraddhavan, with faith and knowledge, he is first-class yogi. So how this first-class yoga system helps me? Because the other yoga systems, they will disagree, that "Simply by thinking of Krṣṇa within one's heart, how one becomes perfect?" That is explained from the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, how simply by understanding Krṣṇa, you become well aware of everything, this yoga system. In the Vedas also it is stated, kasmin tu bhagavo vijñate sarvam idaṁ vijñataṁ bhavati. If you, if you simply understand Krṣṇa, then you know everything. Krṣṇa is the root of everything. Therefore Krṣṇa says, sri-bhagavan uvaca.

We should always remember that this Bhagavad-gita is being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So no more better authority. And God is speaking about Himself. Otherwise, by speculation you cannot understand God. That is not possible. You have to hear from God Himself about God.

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
na canya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan
[SB 10.14.29]

"A person who has got little favor," athapi te deva padambu..., "little favor from the lotus feet of Your Lordship, he," janati tattvam, "he knows what is tattva, what is the Absolute Truth." Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanu..., prasada-lesa: Little favor, not all. Prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi janati tattvam, na ca anya ciraṁ vicinvan. Others may go on speculating for years and years. It is not possible to understand. And similarly, in the Brahma-saṁhita, another Vedic literature, it is said, panthas tu koṭi-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-puṅgavanam [Bs. 5.34]. Muni-puṅgavanam, great saintly persons, sages, if they travel for millions of years... Panthas tu koṭi-sata-vatsara. Koṭi, again multiplied by hundreds and hundreds. Vayor athapi, on the airplane of air. Not this metal airplane, but actually air airplane or by the airplane of mind. Mind speed, we know. Mind can run within a second many thousands of miles, immediately. Suppose I am sitting here. So I have got my apartment in Los Angeles, ten thousand miles away. I can immediately go... This is called mind-speed. So with the mind speed, with the velocity of air, if one runs on, to find out the Krṣṇa planet, or Krṣṇa, still, avicintya-tattva, still, it is inconceivable tattva.

panthas tu koṭi-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vayor athapi manaso muni-puṅgavanam
so 'py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami
[Bs. 5.34]

Govinda is very, very difficult to understand by mental speculation, philosophical theses. Philosophical theses, speculation, without religion is simply waste of time. And religion without philosophical basis is sentiment. They must be combined together.

So Bhagavad-gita is that, religion combined with philosophy. If you simply take philosophy, it is dry speculation. No juice. Carvita-carvaṇanam: "Chewing the chewed." There is no benefit. And if you take, simply take religion without basis of philosophy, then it is fanaticism. That's all. So both should be combined. Religion based on philosophy and logic, that is religion. So that combination is Bhagavad-gita. So here in the Seventh Chapter, beginning, opening chapter, it is said, bhagavan uvaca. You are searching after God. Now here is God Himself speaking. So recognized God by all sages: Vyasadeva, Narada, Asita. And later on by Ramanujacarya, by Saṅkaracarya, by Madhvacarya, by Viṣṇu Svami, by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and then our Guru Maharaja. So our method is very simple: evaṁ parampara-praptam imaṁ rajarṣayo viduḥ; [Bg. 4.2]. So we accept this parampara system. I may not know what is God, but because my predecessors, acaryas, confirm it, the "Here is Bhagavan," we accept it. That's all. We save so much trouble by mental speculation. We accept the parampara system. Therefore... And we get the result. So that is the way.

Now, here, not only the parampara system... The parampara system begins from Krṣṇa. As Krṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavan aham avyayam: [Bg. 4.1] "I spoke first to the sun-god." It is not said, "First." Many times He has said to many predominating deities. But in this era... This is called the age of Vaivasvata Manu. There are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahma. So Vaivasvata Manu is the eighth Manu. That means we are passing through the midday of this era, manvantara. There is fourteen Manus in one day of Brahma, and this era is called Vaivasvata Manu, because he is the son of Vivasvan. And that Vivasvan is given reference in the Fourth Chapter: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. So if you simply calculate the age of Manu it becomes forty millions of years. So Bhagavad-gita is not a new theses. It is coming from time immemorial. So Krṣṇa is the original preceptor. So here Krṣṇa again personally speaking. The authority, personally... Out of compassion and friendship, love to Arjuna, He's speaking directly to Arjuna. And Arjuna understood Him: the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhama pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavan, puruṣam [Bg. 10.12]. Puruṣam. Puruṣam means person. He's not imperson. Imperson is the, another feature of the person. Brahmaṇaḥ; ahaṁ pratiṣṭha. Krṣṇa says that "The brahmajyoti, impersonal Brahman, that is situated upon Me." Ahaṁ pratiṣṭha. Just like we are sitting on this platform. This is pratiṣṭha. Similarly, the brahmajyoti is situated on the person of Krṣṇa. The person is the ultimate understanding of the Absolute Truth, not the impersonal feature. That is preliminary understanding or imperfect understanding. There is brahmajyoti. Just like we are experiencing the sunshine. The sunshine is also experience of the sun-god, but it is imperfect understanding. It is not perfect understanding. If you want to understand the sun-god, then you have to penetrate through the sunshine and reach the sun planet. And then, if, if, you are able to see the predominating deity of the sun planet, whose name is Vivasvan... Similarly, the whole material creation is a part of the brahmajyoti. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma.

So you have to penetrate... In the Isopaniṣad, it is said that, requested, it is requesting the, that "You kindly wind up Your brahmajyoti so can, I can see Your face rightly." So ultimately, there is person. Tattva-vastu.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaṁ yaj jñanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]

This is the version of Srimad-Bhagavatam. So Brahman realization is for the persons who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by philosophical speculation. That is the understanding. Similarly, the localized Paramatma feature is realized by the yogis. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ; [SB 12.13.1]. And the devotees, they realized directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, ṣaḍ-aisvarya bhagavan, with full richness, full reputation, full strength, full knowledge, full renunciation. This is the meaning of Bhagavan. I have already explained. So that Bhagavan is speaking.

So mayy asakta-manaḥ; partha: "Those who have developed attachment for Me, mayy asakta, only attached to Krṣṇa..." That is Krṣṇa consciousness, always thinking of Krṣṇa. Mayy asakta-manaḥ; partha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-asrayaḥ;. This is yoga. It is already explained by the end of the Sixth Chapter. Yoginam api sarveṣaṁ mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. One who has developed attachment for Krṣṇa, he has come to perfection, simply by developing. And this development of attachment is possible by this arcana-vidhi. Just like our, rising early in the morning, offering maṅgalaratrika, then changing the dress, garlanding, dressing, so many things. From morning, four, to, up to night at ten o'clock, there is program. That is real temple worship. Not that the temple is closed whole day and night, and the pujari goes for five minutes and bells the bell, again close. No. There is system. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srṅgara-tan-mandira-mar janadau **. So many activities in temple worship. So for the kaniṣṭha-adhikari, neophytes, those who are serious to become, to awaken his attachment for Krṣṇa, they must take to this arcana-marga. This is called arcana-marga, temple worship. Everyone can establish a small temple in his house, and he can begin family-wise: himself, his wife, his children. That is wanted. This Krṣṇa consciousness movement wants to see that every house has become a temple of Krṣṇa. That is our program. Mayy asakta... Just to increase the attachment for Krṣṇa.

That is needed, especially for the grhasthas, for the householders... Still in India, there are many respectable families. They are maintaining a small temple. Therefore Krṣṇa says, sucinaṁ srimataṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41]. Yoga-bhraṣṭa, this yogaṁ yuñjan mad-asrayaḥ;, this bhakti-yoga, one who could not finish the cent percent bhakti-yoga in one life, at least he's guaranteed to have next life as a human being. Because Krṣṇa says, sucinaṁ srimataṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijayate. Sucinam. Sucinam means first-class brahmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. They are called suci. The suci, the, just the opposite word is muci. Muci means most nasty habit, and suci means most cleansed habit. So one poet said that suci haya muci haya yadi krṣṇa tyaje and muci haya suci haya yadi krṣṇa bhaje: "If one becomes Krṣṇa conscious, even though he's born in the family of muci, he becomes suci. And even though one is born in the family of suci, brahmaṇa, if he rejects Krṣṇa, he becomes muci." So muci haya suci haya yadi krṣṇa bhaje and suci haya muci haya yadi krṣṇa tyaje. This is the...

So the highest perfection of life is to awaken our dormant Krṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection of life. Everyone has got Krṣṇa consciousness dormant. It is covered by the influence of maya. By the influence of maya. That is also stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, that

nitya-siddha krṣṇa-prema 'sadhya' kabhu naya
sravaṇadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya
[Cc. Madhya 22.107]

Nitya-siddha. Krṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are all part and parcel of Krṣṇa. So therefore our relationship with Krṣṇa is natural. It is natural. Just like my part and parcel of the finger; so without finger, my body's imperfect. Finger must be... So the existence of finger with this body, it is natural. Similarly, to remain with Krṣṇa, that is our natural position, constitutional position. Remain with Krṣṇa as cowherd boy, as gopi, as Krṣṇa's father, Krṣṇa's mother, Krṣṇa's servant, Krṣṇa's trees, Krṣṇa's Yamuna, Krṣṇa's flower, Krṣṇa's Vrndavana land—remain with Krṣṇa in any form you like. Santa dasya sakhya vatsalya madhurya. In any mellow, humor, you can remain with Krṣṇa. That is our natural position. But when we try to imitate Krṣṇa, to become a imitation Krṣṇa... Just like there are so many persons, they say, "I am Krṣṇa." This is maya. Immediately... Because we trying to forget Krṣṇa, our relationship with Krṣṇa, immediately maya captures.

krṣṇa-bahirmukha haña bhoga vañcha kare
nikaṭa-stha maya tare japaṭiya dhare
(Prema-vivarta)

As soon as we desire to forget Krṣṇa, or to rebel against Krṣṇa, that "Why I shall serve Krṣṇa? I am Krṣṇa," immediately maya is there, side by side. Krṣṇa is there. Apasyat puruṣaṁ purṇaṁ mayaṁ ca tad-apasrayam. When Vyasadeva, after getting instruction from Narada, he wanted to write Srimad-Bhagavatam, so he first of all meditated. Bhakti-yogena manasi, apasyat puruṣaṁ purṇaṁ mayaṁ ca tad-apasrayam [SB 1.7.4]. He saw both Krṣṇa and His illusory energy, apasrayam, on the back side.

So Krṣṇa is never influenced by the illusory energy, maya. We become influenced by the maya. Krṣṇa... Just like cloud. Cloud cannot cover the sun. It is our eyes which are covered by the cloud. We see, we say that "Now the sun is covered by the cloud." No, that is not the fact. Sun is very, very big. Sun cannot be covered by cloud. It is our eyes which are covered by the cloud. Similarly, maya... We are teeny part and parcel of Krṣṇa. Therefore we are covered by maya. Sometimes, not always. Krṣṇa, when we forget Krṣṇa...

krṣṇa-bahirmukha haña bhoga vañcha kare
nikaṭa-stha maya tare japaṭiya dhare
(Prema-vivarta)

As soon as we try to forget Krṣṇa, immediately maya is there. Therefore the reversing process, reversing process, if we want to go back again to Krṣṇa, then daivi hy eṣa guṇamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. You cannot go back to home, back to Godhead, by your own speculation. That is not possible. Ciraṁ vicinvan. You can go on speculating to become one with God. That is another thing. But if you actually want to know God and see God, then as Krṣṇa says, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etaṁ taranti te: [Bg. 7.14] simply surrender to Krṣṇa and maya will give you no more trouble. You can see Krṣṇa. This is the process.

Therefore Krṣṇa says, mayy asakta-manaḥ; partha yogam. To... This is yoga system. It is called bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga system. So a neophyte devotee should be engaged in temple worship, but if he does not make further improvement, if he sticks to the simply temple worship, then he remains a kaniṣṭha-adhikari, lower-standard devotee. Lower-standard devotee. But one has to become first-standard devotee; at least, one must... A first-standard devotee is very high position, spiritual position. But at least, we must come to the second standard. The lower standard is

arcayam eva haraye
pujaṁ yaḥ; sraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteṣu canyeṣu
sa bhaktaḥ; prakrtaḥ; smrtaḥ;

Arca, this arca-vigraha, Deity, Krṣṇa, arcayam eva haraye, the Deity of Krṣṇa, yaḥ; pujaṁ sraddhaya ihate, with great devotion and according to the rules and regulations, if one performs, that is very nice. But if he does not improve, na tad-bhakteṣu canyeṣu, he does not become knowable to the devotees and other persons, then he remains a kaniṣṭha-adhikari. Sa bhaktaḥ; prakrtaḥ;. Prakrta means in the material platform. He does not actually promoted to the spiritual platform if he simply remains. Therefore along with the worship of Krṣṇa in the temple, this hearing should be... Sravaṇaṁ kirtanam [SB 7.5.23]. Just like we are doing. We do not engage only the devotees to the temple worship, but there must be program for hearing Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, the science of God. Otherwise, after sometimes, simply if you ring the bell, after time you'll be disgusted and the whole thing will be lost. As it has become now in India. There was no instruction about Krṣṇa consciousness. They simply attached to the temple and belling. And now it is now zero. Devotion is zero.

So two things must go on, parallel. Then if we, two things must go, then you are promoted to the second platform, madhyama-adhikari. Madhyama-adhikari means at that time he sees four things:

isvare tad-adhineṣu
baliseṣu dviṣatsu ca
prema-maitri-krpopekṣa
yaḥ; karoti sa madhyamaḥ;

Madhyama. Isvara. By arcana-vidhi, he understands Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by this process. By the regulative process, by the instruction of the spiritual master, by the regulative principles set up in the bhakti-sastras, just like Narada-pañcaratra, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. There are many. So at that time, if one comes from the lower platform to the... Of course, we must know that any devotee, either in the lower platform or in the second platform or on the firs platform, they are to be considered as devotees. Not that because one is in the material platform, he's not devotee. He is also devotee. But he has to improve. The improvement means he must know what is Krṣṇa. Simply if he remains attached to the temple worship and does not try to understand who is a Krṣṇa devotee and how he has to deal with others... Na tad-bhakteṣu canyeṣu. We have got some duty to others. This is preaching work. This is preaching work. One should not be satisfied simply by worshiping in the temple. Then he'll remain a neophyte. He must become a preacher, Krṣṇa consciousness. Then he comes to the second platform.

So when he becomes a preacher he sees four things. He sees God, Krṣṇa, Isvara; tad-adhina, and the devotees. Tad-adhina means those who have accepted Krṣṇa as the parama-puruṣa. There is another verse in the Srimad-Bhagavata: itthaṁ sataṁ brahma-sukhanubhutya dasyaṁ gatanaṁ para-daivatena. Dasyaṁ gatanam, for the bhaktas, Krṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, Paradeva.

itthaṁ sataṁ brahma-sukhanubhutya
dasyaṁ gatanaṁ para-daivatena
mayasritanaṁ nara-darakeṇa
sakaṁ vijahruḥ; krta-puṇya-puñjaḥ;
[SB 10.12.11]

When Sukadeva Gosvami described the cowherd boys playing with Krṣṇa... So he is remarking that "These boys who are playing with Krṣṇa... Who is this Krṣṇa?" Itthaṁ sataṁ brahma-sukhanubhutya. Those, those who are impersonalists, those who are attached to the impersonal brahmajyoti, for them, He is the target. He is the target. From Him, the brahmajyoti comes. Itthaṁ sataṁ brahma-sukhanubhutya. And dasyaṁ gatanaṁ para-daivatena: "And those who are devotees, for them, here is the Supreme Lord." Dasyaṁ gatanaṁ para-daivatena. And mayasritanaṁ nara-darakeṇa: "And those who are under the influence of maya, for them, He's ordinary human child." The same person. Different views. One is seeing that the ultimate target of brahmajyoti, and somebody is seeing that He is the Supreme Lord, and somebody's seeing, "He's ordinary boy." So Krṣṇa is visioned under different positions. Under different positions. But He's the Supreme Lord.

So this yoga system, attachment for Krṣṇa, begins from the temple worship and ends into maha-bhagavata. Maha-bhagavata means who simply sees Krṣṇa, nothing... Sarvatra haya nija iṣṭa-deva-sphurti. Sthavara-jaṅgama dekhe na dekhe tara murti [Cc. Madhya 8.274]. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gita also:

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmaṇe gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
paṇḍitaḥ; sama-darsinaḥ;
[Bg. 5.18]

He does not see anything but Krṣṇa. A maha-bhagavata, when a tree, when he sees a tree, he does not see the form of the tree, but he sees Krṣṇa. That is maha-bhagavata. That we should not imitate. That is the highest stage, perfectional stage. But at least, we come to the middle stage. What is that middle stage? To... We must understand what is God, what is Krṣṇa. Perfect understanding. And tad-adhina, and His devotees. Isvare tad-adhineṣu balisa. Balisa means innocent persons. They are un... I mean to... They do not know actually what is God. And dviṣat. Dviṣat means envious. The four classes of men: God, His devotee, innocent person, and envious person, demons. So the person who is promoted to the second stage, he'll deal with these four classes of divisions differently. Isvara-prema. One should try to learn how to love Krṣṇa. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is first class. And tad, isvare tad-adhineṣu baliseṣu dviṣatsu ca, prema, prema, love for Krṣṇa, and maitri, and to make friendship with the devotees. Prema-maitri. And krpa: those who are innocent, one should be merciful. The devotee should be merciful, just to awaken their Krṣṇa consciousness. And dviṣatsu ca upekṣaḥ;: and those who are envious, they should be rejected. These four classes... To try to love Krṣṇa, to make friendship with devotees, and to give some service to the innocent public who does not know what is God, and those who are envious, asuras, they should be rejected. The madhyama-adhikari should not touch the demons. Because maybe, he may turn again, be demon. Therefore one should be very careful to associate with the demons.

But when one becomes uttama-adhikari, maha-bhagavata, he does not see anyone as demon. He sees, "Everyone is worshiping Krṣṇa. I am not worshiping." This is maha-bhagavata. Just like Radharaṇi. Radharaṇi always feels that "I do not know how to love Krṣṇa. Oh, he, here is a gopi. How she loves Krṣṇa." That is Her... This is called maha-bhava. So we should not imitate Radharaṇi. Caitanya Mahaprabhu... Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He's the symbol of Radharaṇi's maha-bhava. He says that "I do not love Krṣṇa. I do not know how to love Krṣṇa." Then if you, somebody, if somebody says, "Then why You are crying?" "Well, that is a show. I am making a show. I am crying." Then what is the symptom? "The symptom is that if I would have loved Krṣṇa, then without Him I have died long, long ago. I should have died. I am living still without Krṣṇa; that means I do not love Krṣṇa." This is maha-bhagavata-bhava, separation.

asliṣya va pada-rataṁ pinaṣṭu mam
adarsanan marma-hataṁ karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampaṭo
mat-praṇa-nathas tu sa eva naparaḥ;
[Cc. Antya 20.47]

[Lord Krṣṇa, who is the lover of many devotees (women), may embrace this fully surrendered maidservant or may trample me with His feet, or He may render me brokenhearted by not being present before me for a long duration of time, but still He is nothing less than the Absolute Lord of my heart].

This is maha-bhagavata. So maha-bhagavata, we should not imitate. But we should not remain also as kaniṣṭha-adhikari. We must come to the madhyama-adhikari, middle stage. So these stages will be manifest gradually if we simply try to develop our attachment for Krṣṇa.

So this is the beginning: arca, arcanam. Sravaṇaṁ kirtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ; smaraṇaṁ pada-sevanam arcanam [SB 7.5.23]. Arcanam. Therefore for every grhastha... Because grhasthas are busy in so many ways, they have no opportunity to preach. But they must take to arcana. Every house, every householder, they must... What is the difficulty? Just like we have got in this platform, Deity of Radha-Krṣṇa, everyone can install Radha-Krṣṇa Deity at home and under the instruction of spiritual master and shastric regulations. Then, if we engage ourselves in arcana-vidhi, then automatically, all the anomalies of life will stop. Adau sraddha tataḥ; sadhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriya [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. This arcana-vidhi is one of the items of bhajana, bhajana-kriya. So anartha-nivrttiḥ; syat. If every house engages in this arcana-vidhi, so many unwanted things will vanish. You'll have no more interest for seeing cinema or going to the restaurant or smoking biḍi and wasting time by unnecessary talks. So many things. And your life will be perfect. So many nonsense things will go automatically. Anartha-nivrttiḥ; syat. So therefore to become Krṣṇa conscious, every house, everywhere, every person, every human being should adopt this arcana-vidhi. Then at least he will save so many unnecessary... Anartha-nivrttiḥ; syat. Adau sraddha tataḥ; sadhu-saṅgaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15].

So Krṣṇa says that mayy asakta-manaḥ; partha: "My dear Arjuna..." Arjuna is addressed here as "Partha," very familial. Because Partha, Krṣṇa, Arjuna's mother's name was Prtha, Kunti's name. And Prtha, Kunti, happened to be the aunt of Krṣṇa. So He's very feelingly, in a familial way, He's addressing, "Partha, My dear Arjuna, Partha, mayy asakta-manaḥ;, simply by increasing attachment for Me," mayy asakta, mayy asakta-manaḥ; partha yogam... This is yoga. This is perfect yoga. Yoginam api sarve... Mad-asrayaḥ;. "This yoga system should be executed directly under My direction, or under the direction of a representative of Mine." The spiritual master is the representative of Krṣṇa. How he becomes representative? What is the test? The test is... Just like anyone can understand, representative. Suppose a business firm's representative is going to canvass for business, what is his business? He will take the interest of the firm, not his personal interest. He will try to secure business for the firm he's working, not for his personal... That is perfect representative. And if he goes, in the name of the firm's representative, and he does his own business, then he's a liar. Similarly, Krṣṇa's representative means one who speaks about Krṣṇa as Krṣṇa speaks. And if he adulterates, he's a liar. He's not representative. He's not representative. Krṣṇa says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji maṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], and if the representative says, "Just become a devotee of Krṣṇa. Just worship Krṣṇa. Just offer your obeisances to Krṣṇa," he is representative. Krṣṇa says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], and the representative will say that "You give up all other process. You simply surrender to Krṣṇa." He will never say that "I am Krṣṇa." He'll never say. He's not representative of Krṣṇa. He's a liar. He's not representative.

So to become representative of Krṣṇa is not very difficult. Simply one has to become very sincere. That's all. That whatever Krṣṇa says, he will say. Just like Arjuna accepted: sarvam etad rtaṁ manye yad vadasi kesava [Bg. 10.14]. That is representative. "My dear Kesava, Krṣṇa, whatever You are speaking, I accept them all, in toto, without any reformation." That is representative of Krṣṇa. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,

yare dekha tare kaha 'krṣṇa'-upadesa
amara ajñaya guru haña tara' ei desa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Amara ajñaya. One has to carry out the order of God. He is representative. Otherwise liar, misnomer. So therefore Krṣṇa says, mad-asrayaḥ;. Mad-asrayaḥ;: "Either under My direction, the direction is there, or My representative's." Mat. Mad-asrayaḥ; means "either under My direction or one who has taken..." [break]

...We have discussed. But gayatri-mantra is the beginning of brahminical culture because without attaining the brahminical qualification, nobody can understand Vedic literature. Therefore a brahmaṇa, initiated, he's given the gayatri-mantra. So that is required. [break]

Indian: Hare Krṣṇa. Your Divine Grace, in order to understand Sri Bhagavan Krṣṇa, we have to take your help, as you said you have explained what are the words of Krṣṇa. And in order to understand yourself we have, or we had to take the help of so many other persons. You speak in English and Sanskrit or Hindi, and at college, and at school, so many teachers taught us Sanskrit, Hindi, and history, geography, because there are so many illustrations in your speech also. Then guru has been defined like this:

ajñana-timirandhasya
jñanañjana-salakaya
cakṣur unmilitaṁ yena
tasmai sri-gurave namaḥ;

Ajñana timirandhasya. About jñana, nothing has been said whether it is spiritual jñana or material jñana. So in order to understanding you and, through yourself, also Krṣṇa, all these so-called gurus, or, I may say, teachers, they have contributed towards understanding or developing Krṣṇa consciousness. Now, leaving aside these material teachers I am taking the, taking one spiritual guru who gave me Krṣṇa consciousness first and who taught me to worship God, Krṣṇa, and to maintain a temple at my own house and to learn the slokas from Gita or the Srimad-Bhagavata. And I have learned by rote the grandness of adhyayas of Bhagavatam and the Gita. But you see I could not understand anything. Now, after going through your literatures, complete literatures, now the whole light has come to me, and I have began to understand even that the guru who gave me such Krṣṇa consciousness. I don't challenge or question the other findings of their(?) gurus. Just like a boy who absent from class, not attending his class, there is no fault of the guru. Guru has been attending his lectures. But I am truant. I am not attending class. So you see I can't blame that guru. But now I have understood everything from Your Grace, and now that ajñana has been removed. I have now become more Krṣṇa conscious than before. So should I give credit to all those gurus who have helped me to understand? Or should I now select, or should I exercise any choice that I should accept this guru or that guru only? So that doubt should be cleared.

Prabhupada: Hmmm. Guru is only one. Guru means, as you explained,

ajñana-timirandhasya
jñanañjana-salakaya
cakṣur unmilitaṁ yena
tasmai sri-gurave namaḥ;

One who eradicates the ajñana, andhakara, darkness. In the darkness, if somebody brings lamp, ajñana-timirandhasya jñanañjana-salakaya... The jñana-rupa, torchlight, he's guru. So maybe of different degrees, but anyone who opens the spiritual eyes, he's guru. So... But in the sastra it is said, gurur api karyakaryakam ajanataḥ;. If I accept some guru, but if later on it appears that he did not know what is to be done, what is to be not to be done, then Srila Jiva Gosvami says that such guru: parityago vidhiyate. Such guru should be rejected. But it doesn't matter that degree. Actually, if the guru teaches Krṣṇa consciousness, then he may be in lesser degree, but he's accepted as guru. There is no question of rejection. Because Krṣṇa is actually jñana. One who teaches Krṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, "One has to know Krṣṇa, one has to surrender to Krṣṇa," this kind of teaching is required. And if the guru says that "I am Krṣṇa. Everyone is Krṣṇa," then, "daridra-krṣṇa, daridra-narayaṇa," he is not a guru. He's not a guru. He's misguiding. Misguiding. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syat. This is the shastric injunction. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-visaradaḥ;. A... Generally, a qualified brahmaṇa becomes guru. That is natural. Brahmaṇa is the head of the society. So he is... And without becoming brahmaṇa, nobody can become guru. That is also fact. Because brahmaṇa means brahma janatiti brahmaṇaḥ;, one who knows Brahman, Brahman. So guru must be a brahmaṇa, mean a qualified brahmaṇa, not born-brahmaṇa, so-called brahmaṇa. Qualified brahmaṇa. So still, brahmaṇa's qualification, ṣaṭ-karma, paṭhana paṭhana yajana yajana dana pratigraha. So sastra says that ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ;. If one vipra is quite expert in executing the six kinds of business, and mantra-tantra-visaradaḥ;, and very well known in the Vedic mantras and hymns and everything complete, but if he is avaiṣṇava, if he is not Vaiṣṇava, he does not know viṣṇu-tattva, or krṣṇa-tattva, then he cannot become spiritual master. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syad vaiṣṇavaḥ; sva-paco guruḥ;. But if a Vaiṣṇava, one who knows viṣṇu-tattva, krṣṇa-tattva, even if he's born in the family of sva-paca, the dog-eaters, caṇḍala, he can be accepted as guru. So the real test is whether the guru is a Vaiṣṇava, whether he know the science of Krṣṇa. That is also confirmed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya
yei krṣṇa-tattva-vetta sei 'guru' haya
[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

A... It doesn't matter what he is, whether he's a sannyasi or a grhastha or a brahmaṇa or a su..., born in brahmaṇa family or... It doesn't matter. Yei krṣṇa-tattva. Anyone who knows Krṣṇa, he can become guru, not others. So that is the statement of the sastras. Avaiṣṇava cannot become guru.

Indian: In your presence I may declare also attending I have found your system of Krṣṇa consciousness the best and very practical. Because I, I am a...

Prabhupada: Hare Krṣṇa. (end)

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