Who is guru

Expressions researched:
"what is guru" |"who is guru" |"what is a guru" |"what is the guru" |"who is the guru" |"who is a guru"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 6

SB 6.5.22, Purport: Lord Brahmā is the guru of Nārada Muni, who is the guru of Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva is the guru of Madhvācārya. Thus the Gauḍīya-Mādhva-sampradāya is in the disciplic succession from Nārada Muni. The members of this disciplic succession—in other words, the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—should follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni by chanting the transcendental vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.10.10, Purport: The human form of body is actually meant for jīvasya tattva jijñāsā, enlightenment in knowledge of spiritual values. Therefore, one must seek shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta: one must approach a guru. Who is a guru? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam (SB 11.3.21): a guru is one who has full transcendental knowledge. Unless one approaches a spiritual master, one remains in ignorance.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 57: When Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were informed of the flight of Śatadhanvā, They mounted Their chariot, its flag marked by a picture of Garuḍa, and followed immediately. Kṛṣṇa was particularly angry with Śatadhanvā and wanted to kill him because he had killed Satrājit, a superior personality. Satrājit happened to be the father-in-law of Kṛṣṇa, and it is the injunction of the śāstras that one who is guru-druha, who has rebelled against a superior person, must be punished in proportion to the severity of the offense. Because Śatadhanvā had killed His father-in-law, Kṛṣṇa was determined to kill him by any means.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973: So you have to approach the Supreme Person, means Kṛṣṇa or His representative. All others are rascals and fools. If you approach a person, guru, who is not representative of Kṛṣṇa, you are approaching a rascal. How you'll be enlightened? You must approach Kṛṣṇa, or His representative. That is wanted. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. So who is guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. A guru is full Kṛṣṇa conscious. Brahma-niṣṭham. And śrotriyam. Śrotriyam means who has heard, who has received knowledge by the śrotriyaṁ paṭha. By hearing from superior authority. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ [Bg. 4.2].

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Rotary Club Address -- Hotel Imperial, Delhi, March 25, 1976: So Kṛṣṇa, when He saw that Arjuna is very much afflicted with the material ideas, so He wanted to teach him this Bhagavad-gītā. So first punishment... Not punishment, chastisement. Because Arjuna accepted that "The perplexities which I am facing is not possible to be solved except Yourself." He knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So he surrendered himself to Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam, kārpaṇya-doṣopahata svabhāvaḥ: [Bg. 2.7] "I am a kṣatriya. It is my duty to fight in right cases, and I am declining. This is my weakness. So kindly instruct me how I can give up this weakness. I am accepting You as my guru." Śiṣyas te 'ham. Śiṣya means who voluntarily accepts to be ruled by a person who is guru. He is called śiṣya.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974: What is our problem, we have to consult śāstra. And śāstra, how we can consult śāstra. Śāstra, we have to go somebody who knows śāstra. Therefore the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, śrotriyam [MU 1.2.12]. If you want to know what is your actual interest, then you have to approach a guru. And who is guru? Śrotriyam, who knows śāstra. Śrotriyam. And not only knows, but the result must be there, brahma-niṣṭham, means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Brahma-niṣṭham means fully dependent on Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974: And that is also in the case of spiritual. You hear from.... Hear from whom? Hear from whom? That tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "Hear from guru." Who is guru? Guru. Brahma-niṣṭham. Brahma-niṣṭham. Guru means who knows God and fully engaged in His service. That is guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And he has also heard from his guru. This is both, hearing. Therefore Vedas are known as śruti. Formerly it was learned simply by hearing. There was no books. And there was no need of noting down. The merit was so perfect that simply by hearing from guru, he would understand everything.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975: So how we can understand Bhagavān's energy, how we can understand His creative energy, and what is the potency of Bhagavān, how He is doing that, everything—that is also a great science. That is called Kṛṣṇa science. Kṛṣṇa-tattva-jñāna. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that who is guru. Guru means yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya: "Anyone who knows Kṛṣṇa, he is guru." Guru cannot be manufactured. Anyone who knows about Kṛṣṇa as far as possible... We cannot know. We cannot know Kṛṣṇa cent percent. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa's energies are so multi.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975: A devotee is also mad-āśrayaḥ. A devotee means who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa completely. So either you... Of course, it is not possible to take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not possible. May be possible by Kṛṣṇa's special mercy, but general process is you have to go through the mercy or process of accepting a guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Guru. And who is guru? Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. There is no difficulty to find out. Sometimes they plead that "Whom I can accept as guru?" That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has cleared: ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya. You haven't got any trouble to find out guru. Anyone who knows about Kṛṣṇa, he is guru.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977: So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving chance to everyone to hear from the authoritative sources, from the śāstra. Sādhu śāstra guru. These are authorities. So instead of hearing from the unauthorized persons, means... sādhu means who speaks on the basis of śāstra. Guru means who speaks on the basis of śāstra. They're sādhu guru śāstra. And śāstra means the statement of authorities. That is śāstra. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. It is śāstra because it is spoken by the supreme guru, Kṛṣṇa. So who is guru? At the present moment so many unauthorized persons are presenting themselves as guru. But you should be very careful. Guru, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He says that "I order you that you become guru. And your business is to deliver this country."

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975: That is guru, one who has full knowledge in Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So here also in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find who is guru. Tattva-darśinaḥ. Tad-vijñāna... Tattva-darśinaḥ, one who has seen the truth.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975: So Kṛṣṇa is showing practically by accepting His friend, very dear friend, as His disciple. That means he is showing who is guru. Guru is Kṛṣṇa and one who understands Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. Don't accept these rascals and fools as guru, who denies Kṛṣṇa. He is not guru. He is cheater.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975: So guru means... Vedic injunction is you must go to a guru. Now, it may be difficult, who is guru. That is also Kṛṣṇa showing a..., "I am guru." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more any better person than Me." And He has proved it. He has proved it. Kṛṣṇa, so long He was on this platform, on this earthly planet, He proved that He was the greatest personality, greatest persons... Read history and you will see.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974: So if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, tad-vijñānārtham, vijñāna... Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam [Bg. 7.2]. It is vijñāna, it is science. Sa-vijñāna. So if you want to know that vijñāna, then you should approach: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. You must accept guru. Who is guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. Guru's qualification is that he's śrotriyam: he has heard from his guru perfectly. That is guru. Śrotriyam. And brahma-niṣṭham: and firmly fixed up at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. These are two qualifications. You cannot move from that firmness. You cannot move. And he has heard about Kṛṣṇa from the authorities of guru. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. That is guru. So that is recommended. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then tad-vijñānārtham. In order to understand that science, then you must approach guru.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974: One must go to the guru. And who is guru? Guru, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham—"One who has heard from the paramparā system and he has become completely convinced in the understanding of Brahman."

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976: Prabhupāda: First of all, you have to know who is guru. If you accept one rascal as guru, how you can be helped? First thing is who is guru. That I have already explained. Guru is he who repeats the words of Kṛṣṇa. He is guru. Otherwise he's a rascal. This is the test.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974: So the principle... What is that principle? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is principle. "You give up all these nonsense activities. Simply surrender." So one who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa fully, no other business, he is guru. This is the definition of guru. There is no difficult to understand who is guru.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974: Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This will clarify your heart. Then you can understand who is guru, where to surrender, where to take lesson. In this way we can make... Haphazardly, if we accept, then there will be failure.

Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974: That heaviness is brahma-niṣṭham, how much one is attached to Brahman, Parabrahman, Bhagavān. That is guru's qualification. Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. This is the mantra of Kaṭhopaniṣad, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. Similarly, in the Bhāgavata also it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Tasmāt, "Therefore one must approach guru." The here, in the Upaniṣad also gives definition who is guru. Guru means śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12], "one who has received knowledge by hearing Vedas," śrotriyam. Because Vedas are called śruti.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974: Guru's business is to give you light by knowledge. Then you understand. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. How the jñāna, knowledge, light is given? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. This is the guru's system, guru's symptom, what is guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. He has completely assimilated the Vedic essence of life. That is called guru.

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974: Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said who is guru. He asked everyone to become guru. His mission is that people are suffering all over the world for want of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. That's a fact.

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974: If you do not be so fool to accept another fool as Bhagavān, then you have to hear about Bhagavān about Bhagavān. That is the process. Therefore the Vedic instruction is, to get perfect knowledge, you have to approach a person who is guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. And who's guru? Guru means representative of Bhagavān. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Guru... Because the real guru, he's representative of Kṛṣṇa, sākṣāt-hari. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. In all scriptures it is described that guru is as good as Bhagavān. Means he knows from the right source. Therefore he may be, not maybe exactly, but as good, sākṣād-dharitvena. Why? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Guru is servant, servant God. The master God and the servant God. Kṛṣṇa is the master God and guru is the servant God.

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975: God is guru, original guru. God gave lessons to Brahmā. Brahmā gave lessons to Nārada. Nārada gave lessons to Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva gave lessons to us. This is Vyāsadeva's contribution. And if you follow this disciplic succession, then you get perfect knowledge. Otherwise, if you speculate, then you are in darkness, tamasi. What power you have got? All your senses are imperfect. How you can get perfect knowledge? That is not possible. Therefore the injunction is, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "You must go to guru." And who is guru? This paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2].

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975: So this is the process. If you want perfect knowledge, you must approach guru. And who is guru? Guru means the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. "Ācārya," Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ vijānīyāt: "he is Myself. I am. Because he is My perfect representative—he won't speak anything nonsense; he will speak something or everything which he has heard from Me—therefore he is ācārya."

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975: So what is the guru? Guru has received the kāruṇya. Kāruṇya means just like the cloud has received water from the sea, similarly, a guru, spiritual master, receives the cloud of mercy from the ocean of kindness of Kṛṣṇa. Ghanāghanatvam. And it is only the cloud that can extinguish the forest fire, saṁsāra.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975: So find out guru. Who is guru? Guru means who's coming from the paramparā system. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. Rajarṣaya, big, big, learned saintly kings. That means government. Now we are taking, accepting king by democracy, anyone by votes. No.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975: That Vedas says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "If you want right information, then go to the guru." And who is guru? That Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He says, "You just become on My order." Guru means who carries the order of Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. Or who is Kṛṣṇa's servant, that is guru.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975: You don't require large definition, what is guru. So Vedic knowledge gives you indication that tad-vijñānārtham. If you want to know the science of spiritual life, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12], you must approach guru. And who is guru? Guru means who is the faithful servant of God. Very simple.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975: And who is guru? That is explained, very simple thing. Guru never manufactures idea that "You do this and give me money and you become happy." That is not guru. That is another process of earning money. So here it is said, mūḍha, everyone who is simply living in the fool's paradise, manufacturing his own ideas like Ajāmila... Somebody has taken, "This is my duty," somebody has... He is a fool. You must know what is your duty from guru.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, June 8, 1976: Go to guru. Tad-vijñānārtham. Just like you go to some superior person to learn something. That is the process. Similarly, the same process... You have to go to a person who has also heard. Śuśruma. You go to that, not that person who says that "I suppose," "I believe," "Maybe." No. You go to the person who says, iti śuśruma: "We have heard it from authorities." You have to go to that person. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. Who is guru? Śrotriyam: "Who has properly heard." Śrotriyam. And what is the result? Brahma-niṣṭham: by hearing, he is firmly convinced there is God. You have to go to such guru. lf you go to a fakir, what he will teach you? No. Fakir means one who talks much without any knowledge. He is called fakir.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967: If you want to understand about transcendental science, then tad-vijñānārtham, in order to understand that transcendental love, so gurum eva. Eva. Gurum means a spiritual master. Eva. Eva means must. And gacchet. Gacchet also, it is used in the obli..., or the imperative, "must." And who is a guru? Who is a spiritual master? That is also defined there. Otherwise he will be puzzled where to go. "All right, I am ready to go to a spiritual master to understand the transcendental science, but who is a guru?" Everyone will be ready: "Oh, I am your guru. I am a spiritual master." No. There are signs. What is that? Śrotriyam.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976: We have to follow these three principles. Sādhu-guru-śāstra-vākya tīnete koriyā aikya. Who is sādhu? Who is abiding by the injunction of the śāstra. Or guru? Guru means he's also abiding by the injunction of the śāstra. Then he's guru, he's sādhu. He's sādhu. And if one, śāstra vidhim, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya... If śāstra-vidhi you give up, then where is the question of guru and sādhu? Na siddhim. He's not siddha. He has not attained the perfection, because he has rejected the principles of śāstra. So he's bogus. We have to test like that who is guru.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976: The śāstra says who is guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. One has to surrender to guru. That is, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. One must approach guru. This is vidhiliṅ. Not that it is optional, may accept the guru or not accept guru. No. Must. Gacchet. Gacchet means he must. It is vidhiliṅ. This verb is used where the purport is "one must." Otherwise, it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976: This is the process. This is the process. And if I think that I am more intelligent than my guru... First of all guru must be bona fide, not a bogus guru. The guru, as specified by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that is not very difficult, who is guru? Caitanya Mahāprabhu said

Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976: We have Daily we understand what is guru. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, citette kariyā aikya, āra nā kariya mane āśā **. This is that. This is wanted. If you have got real guru and if you follow him, then your life is successful. There is no doubt. But if you have a so-called bogus guru, and without any knowledge of the śāstra, then your life will be spoiled.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972: 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 Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa [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. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. The direction is that one must go to a guru. But who is guru? Śābde ca pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. These are the descriptions.