Pradyumna: Translation: "I was very much attached to those sages. I was gentle in behavior, and all my sins were eradicated in their service. In my heart I had strong faith in them. I had subjugated the senses, and I was strictly following them with body and mind."

Prabhupada:

tasyaivaṁ me 'nuraktasya
prasritasya hatainasaḥ;
sraddadhanasya balasya
dantasyanucarasya ca
[SB 1.5.29]

So the, the one side, the guru. Saṅkirtyamanaṁ munibhir mahatmabhiḥ;. The... This is a relationship between disciple and guru. What are the qualifications of guru? And what are the qualifications of the disciple? If both of them are qualified, then immediately the result is there. Just like husband and wife. Both of them, if they are healthy, by sex there will be pregnancy. Similarly, if the guru and the disciple, both of them are qualified, then immediately Krṣṇa consciousness will be there.

So the qualification of the guru is described in the previous verse.

visrṇvato me 'nusavaṁ yaso 'malaṁ
saṅkirtyamanaṁ munibhir mahatmabhiḥ;

The guru must be mahatma and muni. Muni means thoughtful, philosopher. Not foolish rascal, manufacturing some philosophy. And mahatmabhiḥ;. Not only self-realized, but by his character, by his behavior, by his understanding, he must be a mahatma. What is that mahatma? There are so many mahatmas, simply by changing the dress. No. Not that kind of mahatma. Our Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura has sung a song, eita eka kalir cela: "Here is a disciple of Kali." What is that? Nake tilaka galai mala. "He has got tilaka..." Nata nara nake tilaka galai mala. He sings that, sahaja bhajana kache namu saṅge laiya pare dala. (?) Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura sings that "He's dressed like a babaji. He has shaven his head, and has got tilaka and kaṇṭhi. But he has got at least half a dozen women, and that is his bhajana." So not that... That is not mahatma. That is duratma, a cheating... Of course, in this Kali-yuga... Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura says, eita eka kalir cela. Kalir cela means the disciple of Kali. Dressed like a sadhu, or Vaiṣṇava, but within, all rubbish things. That will not help us. He must be mahatma, real mahatma. We want guru like that. Then it will be a... We must be also qualified, and guru also qualified. Therefore it is said in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa that one year should be taken to study one another, the guru and the disciple. The guru also will see whether the person is fit to become a disciple, and the disciple also will see "Whether this gentleman can become my guru."

So the qualification of guru is, he should be mahatma, and muni. Muni means philosopher, and mahatma means God-realized. Really, mahatma means God-realized. He knows. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

bahunaṁ janmanam ante
jñanavan maṁ prapadyate
vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhaḥ;
[Bg. 7.19]

One who knows Krṣṇa is the cause of all causes. Vasudeva. Vasudeva means Krṣṇa. Sarvam iti. Vasudeva-para makhaḥ;, vasudeva-paraḥ;... There is... Everything to satisfy Vasudeva, Krṣṇa. Either you perform sacrifices or you work piously, the aim should be how to satisfy Vasudeva. Vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. Just like if you want to keep your body fit and healthy, you must satisfy the stomach. If you satis..., if your stomach is all right and if you supply proper food to the stomach, then whole body will be energized without fail. Similarly, the mahatma means whose business is to satisfy Vasudeva. Vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19].

Krṣṇa says, vasudeva... When Krṣṇa is in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He's Vasudeva. Krṣṇa does not go away from Vrndavana. But when He has got other business to do, He does it as Vasudeva. Vasudeva is in Mathura. Vasudeva is in Dvaraka. But original Krṣṇa is in Vrndavana. But that does not mean that this Vasudeva is different from Krṣṇa. The foolish person, who cannot study, who does not know what is Vasudeva, what is Aniruddha, what is Pradyumna, the, the Saṅkarṣaṇa... These are all expansions of Krṣṇa. They are not different from Krṣṇa. But still, They are not original Krṣṇa. There is no... It is not that Vasudeva has got less power than Krṣṇa. They are equally powerful. Advaitam acyutam... Advaita. They are not different. Acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. But the difference is that the... Several times I explained that one candle, you lit up another candle, you lit up another candle, you lit up another, another, millions... So all the candles are of the same power, so far candle power is concerned, but still, you have to say, "This is the first candle, this is the second candle, this is the third candle, this is the fourth candle," like that. Not that because the second candle is lit up from the first candle, therefore second candle is less powerful than the first candle. No, that is not. That is called advaya-jñana.

Advaitam acyutam. Advaitam acyutam ananta-rupam. Krṣṇa's ananta-rupam does not make any difference. There is no difference between Ramacandra and Krṣṇa. Ramadi-murtiṣu kala-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. Krṣṇa is always... When we say "Krṣṇa"—Krṣṇa with all His expansions, Viṣṇu expansions. So either you worship Rama or Krṣṇa, it is the same. Or Viṣṇu. There is no difference. Therefore advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam [Bs. 5.33]. But still, Krṣṇa is the adyam, original. Adyam puraṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Although He is adyam, puraṇa-puruṣam, the oldest personality, still, nava-yauvanaṁ ca, always young. You have never seen Krṣṇa's photograph as old man. No. When He was charioteer of Arjuna, He was great-grandfather at that time. His grandson had sons. He's old man. But you see, just a young man of twenty years old. That is Krṣṇa. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Adyaṁ puraṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. And these rascals, they try to understand Krṣṇa...

Krṣṇa personally says that,

manuṣyaṇaṁ sahasreṣu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanaṁ
kascin maṁ vetti tattvataḥ;
[Bg. 7.3]

Out of many millions of persons, one is perfect, and out of many millions of perfect persons, one can hardly understand what is Krṣṇa. And these rascals understand Krṣṇa. They remark that "Krṣṇa is like this. Krṣṇa is like this." How much rascaldom it is. This is the... Krṣṇa says personally, and Lord Brahma says, vedeṣu durlabham. Vedeṣu durlabham. You cannot understand Krṣṇa simply by studying Vedic literature. It is not possible. Then? How we shall understand Krṣṇa? Adurlabham atma-bhaktau. If you want to understand Krṣṇa, then go to His devotee. He'll make known Krṣṇa. That is mahatma. You cannot understand Krṣṇa personally by your so-called speculation, neither you can understand Krṣṇa simply by studying Vedas as a scholar. There are many Vedantist scholars. They cannot understand. So many Vedantists there are in India, but they cannot understand Krṣṇa. Nahaṁ prakasaḥ; sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtaḥ; [Bg. 7.25]. Krṣṇa says, "I am not exposed to everyone." That is Krṣṇa.

So therefore, how to understand Krṣṇa? That is stated by Krṣṇa Himself:. after many, many births struggling to understand Krṣṇa. Bahunaṁ janmanam ante jñanavan [Bg. 7.19]. Not foolish person. Foolish person cannot understand. But even jñanavan, who is wise, perfectly wise, learned scholar, such person, even after many, many births struggling to understand Krṣṇa... So that is mahatma, one who has understood Krṣṇa. He is mahatma. One who does not understand Krṣṇa or verifies himself as Krṣṇa, he's duratma. He's not mahatma. He's a rascal. Mahatma is that person who has understood Krṣṇa, that vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti: [Bg. 7.19] "Krṣṇa, Vasudeva, is the cause of all causes." Isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; [Bs. 5.1]. One who has understood this perfectly, that the Supreme Controller, Isvara... Isvara means controller. And not only controller, but Supreme Controller. Controller, we are; every one of us are controller. Just like I am also controlling a few of my disciples—or hundred or thousand. But Krṣṇa is controller of millions, millions upon millions and millions upon... All universes. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Simply to become controller does not become... Yes, that is also isvara. You can say. But there is paramesvara.

These words are used in the Vedic language: Isvara, paramesvara, atma, paramatma. So there is one Paramatma. That Paramatma is Krṣṇa. Atma, we are also atma, living being, and Krṣṇa is also living being. But not, we are not equal to Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa is the chief living being. Just like I am also living being; you are also living being. But you accept me as the chief of this institution. There must be one chief. Otherwise there will be no management. It will be chaotic. So we are atma, and Krṣṇa is also atma. But He is Paramatma. We are isvara. Krṣṇa is also isvara. But He's Paramesvara. Therefore we have named "Godhead" purposefully, not "God." We don't say "Back to God." We say, "Back to Godhead.""Head" means the chief. Everyone can claim that "I am God," because everyone has got some power, little power. But not the supreme power. That is Krṣṇa.

So when one understands Krṣṇa perfectly, he becomes mahatma. Just try to understand. Not a politician. Not by changing dress, saffron-color cloth. No, that is not mahatma. One who understands Krṣṇa perfectly well, he is mahatma. Therefore here it is said, munibhir mahatmabhiḥ;. The instruction was received from persons, munibhiḥ;, great philosophers. Not only philosophers, but mahatma. Because one who has understood Krṣṇa perfectly... This is the qualification of guru. So that qualification, to attain, is not very difficult. But because we are rascals, we do not try to take the qualification. That qualification is very simple. One... Who can understand Krṣṇa? Krṣṇa is not so cheap thing. He has said already that yatatam api siddhanaṁ kascin maṁ vetti tattvataḥ; [Bg. 7.3]. So it not very easy. But it is very easy if you take the process, easiest process. What is that easiest process? That easiest process: you don't talk nonsense; you simply talk what Krṣṇa has said. That's all. And many times they give me very great credit that I have done wonderful. Yes, I have done wonderful. But what is the reason? Because I am not a rascal. I speak what Krṣṇa has spoken. That's all. Very easy. Everyone can do that. Not only I. Any of you, you can do this. Simply speak what is..., what Krṣṇa has said. That's all. Don't make addition, alteration. Then you become rascal. Immediately you become rascal.

So you don't want to..., if you don't want to become a rascal, if you want to become a mahatma, then you accept what Krṣṇa says and preach that. Krṣṇa says, mattaḥ; parataraṁ nanyat: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior authority than Me." You say that. You say, vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. "Here is... Krṣṇa is the cause." You understand or don't understand, if you simply pick up the words of Krṣṇa and talk like that, then you become mahatma. There is no difficulty to become mahatma. But these duratmas, the rascals, they talk differently from Krṣṇa. Therefore they are not mahatmas. They are all duratma. Therefore the process is that if you want to make progress in Krṣṇa consciousness, then you have to find out a guru who is mahatma. Adau gurvasrayam. That is the first business. Adau, in the beginning, gurvasrayam, to take shelter of a bona fide mahatma guru. That is the Vedic instruction. Tad-vijñanarthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. "Must," abhigacchet. This verb is used—"must." It is not, "Oh, I can do without guru." No, that is not possible. That is not possible. If you want to understand the transcendental science, spiritual science, you must approach. Gacchet. This, this form of verb used when there is the meaning "must." Tad-vijñanarthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-paṇiḥ; srotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And guru's qualification is brahma-niṣṭham. Brahma... And again this word. Brahma, and Krṣṇa is Parabrahman. Again this param. That Parabrahman has been said by Arjuna to Krṣṇa, bhavan. Bhavan: "My dear Krṣṇa, You are Parabrahman." Pavitraṁ bhavan. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhama pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavan [Bg. 10.12].

So the process is that if you want to make any progress... Just like Narada Muni. He made immediately progress simply by associating with the mahatmas only for four months. Why? That is explained in the next verse. What is that? Tasyaivaṁ me anuraktasya. "I became attached to them. I became a lover of the mahatmas." Anuraktasya prasritasya. "I became obedient." Not disobedient. Guror avajñaḥ;, that is great offense. If you become disobedient to guru, then your business is finished. These are the qualifications. Me anuraktasya prasritasya... And hatainasaḥ;. Hata enasaḥ;. Means "All my sinful activities stopped." Nobody can understand the bona fide guru or Krṣṇa unless he is free from sinful life. Therefore we have to accept this principle: no illicit sex, no gambling, no, I mean to say, intoxication, no meat-eating. If you follow these four principles, then you become hatainasaḥ;. Hata enasaḥ;. Your sinful life stopped. So hatainasaḥ; sraddadhanasya. Sraddadhana means with faith and obedience. Not that blindly. Sraddadhanasya balasya. And although he was a boy, but he got this qualification. Balasya danta, silent, no more playing. Anucarasya. Anucara means following. These are the qualifications. If you become qualified with these qualities... What is that? Anurakta, means attached, obedient, no sinful activities, and faithful, and not disturbing, danta, and follower. And if the guru is mahatma and if you are qualified with these qualifications, then the result will be there. Immediately.

But there is no difficulty. One must be serious to understand, and he must approach a qualified mahatma guru. Then his business will be, transaction will be very nicely done. This is Vedic process. Is there any difficulty? Anyone can say? Is there any difficulty to become mahatma and to become a qualified disciple? Is it very difficult? Say, if there is any difficulty.

Devotees: No.

Prabhupada: See. So where is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. The difficulty is the rascals will not do it, and the so-called duratmas, they are passing on as mahatmas, and so-called disciples are passing as disciples. Therefore the transaction is imperfect. Things are not coming out. But if the transaction is perfect from both the sides, from the disciple's side and guru's side, then Krṣṇa consciousness is very, very easy.

Thank you very much. (end)

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