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PADA: Guru is not self-made
“The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga”


Prabhupada, The Nectar of Devotion, Vrndavana, October 31, 1972: […] This knowledge, Vedic knowledge, is received by parampara system. Just like Krishna said to sun-god:
[Bg. 4.2]
Krishna said that “This yoga system, first of all I explained to the sun-god, and he explained to his son, Manu, and Manu explained to his son, Iskvaku. In this way, by the parampara system, by the disciplic succession, the knowledge is coming.” Sa kaleneha yogo nastah parantapa. But as soon as it began to be explained to others, without being in the disciplic succession, in the chain of disciplic succession, speaking the same truth, it becomes broken.
Sa kaleneha yogo nastah. Yoga nastah. It is spoiled. If one does not come in the disciplic succession, he’ll spoil the teaching. That is being done. So-called commentator, teacher of Bhagavad-gita, he does not come in the disciplic succession. He is self-made guru. Therefore he’s not guru. Self-made guru cannot be guru. He must be authorized by the bona fide guru. Then he’s guru. This is the fact. Here… Nobody can be self-made anything. A medical practitioner, he cannot become self-made, that “I have studied all the medical books in my home.” No. “Have you ever gone to the medical college and taken instruction from the bona fide teachers?” Then, if you have got the certificate, then you are medical practitioner. Similarly, bona fide guru means he must be authorized by the superior guru. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He must receive the order from the superior. And the superior must be bona fide. Then he’s bona fide, not self-made. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. The direction is that one must go to a guru. But who is guru? Sabde ca pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam. These are the descriptions.
evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
So to find out a bona fide guru is not difficult, provided one is bona fide to search out a guru. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. By the mercy of guru and Krishna… Because by the mercy of Krishna one gets a bona fide guru, and by the mercy of bona fide guru, one gets Krishna. This is the process. When I am actually serious to have connection with Krishna, Krishna is sitting in everyone’s heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ‘rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. So Krishna can understand. We cannot hide anything from Krishna. That is not possible. Because Krishna is sitting side by side, just like two birds, sitting side by side. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree. Another bird is the witness. That is the Vedic version. So as soon as I become serious to know about Krishna, Krishna can understand, “Now My friend is very serious.” So He will find out a bona fide guru for him. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. By the, by the double mercy… Krishna’s mercy, and guru’s mercy. If one is serious, Krsna is satisfied: “Now he’s serious about finding out, about knowing Me.” Then Krishna gives him direction that “Here is guru, My representative. You take shelter of him and you will get Me.” This is the way. Full Lecture
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