You must approach a Guru who is brahma-nistham

Srila Prabhupada, Los Angeles, February 10, 1975: […] If you want to receive knowledge, then you must approach a guru who is brahma-nistham. That is the qualification of guru. Brahman, brahmany upasamasrayam. These words are there. He is living in Brahman, Absolute Truth. He has no other business. That is guru.
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
[Bg. 4.34]
Tattva-darsinah, who has seen the truth, not imagination. He cannot be guru. Who has actually seen, tattva-darsinah… These are the injunction in the sastras, and Pariksit Maharaja is strictly following the same principles and asking Sukadeva Gosvami, bhavanto janate yatha: “As you have learned from your predecessor.” So that is perfect knowledge. The knowledge is coming from Krishna. Krishna is all-perfect, and Arjuna is hearing directly from Him, and the statement of Arjuna is there in the Bhagavad-gita. He understands that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; that is, he acquired knowledge from Krishna.
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