Grace of the guru
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Instruction
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
- savisargopasaṁyamaḥ
- astra-grāmaś ca bhavatā
- śikṣito yad-anugrahāt
- [SB 1.7.44]
This is also another Vedic civilization, that if you are benefited by somebody, you should always remain obliged to him. Śikṣito yad-anugrahāt. There is one Bengali proverb, guru-māra-vidyā. "Guru, you learn from him first of all, then kill him. Don't care for guru." This is demonic. By the grace of guru you learn something. Then when you learn something, then you become greater than him, don't care for guru. This is demonic. Even if you have learned something, you must feel always obliged, ataḥ padarśayat(?).
So this is Vedic civilization. Draupadī advising Arjuna that "You have learned. Feel always obliged," ataḥ padarśayat. So this is Vedic... "This military art, by his grace, by guru's grace, now you are expert in the science of military art. And suppose his son has committed some sinful activity. You cannot punish him, retaliate, so that guru's family will be aggrieved." This is Vedic culture. Not only he is personally, but in his absence, his wife, his family, you should consider them.- yasya deve parā bhaktir
- yathā deve tathā gurau
- tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
- prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
- [ŚU 6.23]
Things become revealed by devotion, not by so-called education. No. Ciraṁ vicinvan. Na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan, prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi [SB 10.14.29]. By little prasāda, satisfaction... In many places these things are stated. Yat kāruṇya-katākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ gauram eva stumaḥ. Kāruṇya-katākṣa. Not complete kāruṇya, but katākṣa, simply little glancing, he becomes so great, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa...
Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Not that bhagavat-prasāda is achieved by education and grammar. No. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. By the mercy of guru one can achieve. That is just like a common word, "If you love me, love my dog." So you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa without loving His dog, His servant. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. A person who is trying to distribute the message of Kṛṣṇa, he is very, very dear dog of Kṛṣṇa.Initiation Lectures
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Aiye. Jaya. (pause) You are from India? (Hindi—few sentences with guest) So we are therefore presenting Kṛṣṇa, the most delightful feature. So chanting and dancing before Kṛṣṇa, taking His prasādam, and practicing delightful nature, awakening the delightful consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So as this is taking practical shape, all these European, American boys, Canadian, African, they are becoming delightful, and with great delight, they are chanting, dancing and taking prasādam.
- ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi
- na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
- sevonmukhe hi jihvādau
- svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ
- [Brs. 1.2.234]
We cannot understand God by our present senses. So the senses are to be purified. And that purification begins: sevonmukha, by engaging the tongue, jihvādau, in the delightful activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So practically we are getting result. These boys, they were very morose, but now they are very delightful simply by following this method, engaging the tongue in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Tongue has got two business: tasting and chanting, vibrating. So they are vibrating harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21], and tasting Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And we are practically seeing that they are becoming delightful, living very happily, preaching all over the world. I started this movement alone in 1966, but these boys, inexperienced boys, having no spiritual training... They were trained up in their own ways, meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, but they gave up all these habits and delightfully they are going any part of the world and preaching this cult, and we are meeting with success. It is not that I have gone every place. It is not possible. I am old man. So I give them direction. Just like this boy. He's a gṛhastha. So husband and wife, they are organizing in Germany. We have got four, five branches in Germany. We have published this record and so many books and literatures. So this Saṅkīrtana Movement, even though conducted by inexperienced young men, but they are creating delight to the masses.
Guest (1) (Indian man): But they are very... I am very envious of them.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Guest (1): I am very envious of them because they have got this guru's grace on them.
Prabhupāda: (Chuckling) Yes.
Guest (1): This guru's grace is working. It is invisible, you see. This is all-powerful.
Prabhupāda: No, you can get also, provided you take it. (laughter) Guru is not miser. (laughter)
Guest (1): (indistinct) is, Gurudeva you see, I want that...1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is everything.
Guru dāsa: Yes. Is it all right to think sometimes when there is some success that it's more due to you than to Kṛṣṇa? Because you've taught us about Kṛṣṇa, you've taught us how to speak, etc. In other words, when there's some success, can we think that it's due to you more than to Kṛṣṇa, or both, or...
Prabhupāda: According to śāstra, both. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa one gets guru, and by the grace of guru one gets Kṛṣṇa. If one is sincerely seeking after Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa gives him a guru, and the guru teaches him how to get Kṛṣṇa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, devotees want to know what your greatest pleasure would be.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What your greatest pleasure would be, how you would want your disciples to...
Prabhupāda: You all become full Kṛṣṇa conscious, cent percent Kṛṣṇa conscious. [break] ...that people are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let them have this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become happy. That's all.1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupäda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu has declared, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva. They are rotting or rotating within this universe in different species of life. But if by chance he becomes fortunate, then take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva
- guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
- [Cc. Madhya 19.151]
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
Page Title: | Grace of the guru |
Compiler: | Rati, Madhavananda |
Created: | 11 of Dec, 2008 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=7, Con=3, Let=1 |
No. of Quotes: | 13 |