We must take instruction from the spiritual master. Ādau gurvāśrayam, sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. Who requires a spiritual master? One who is inquisitive of sad-dharma, not asad-dharma. Sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). A man requires a spiritual master when he's inquisitive to know about the transcendental subject matter. A spiritual . . . a spiritual master . . . to accept a spiritual master is not a fashion. Just like we keep a dog, pet, similarly if we keep a spiritual master, pet spiritual master, to get sanction of all my sinful activities, that is not accepting spiritual master.
Spiritual master means tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). You should accept a spiritual master where you think that you can surrender yourself fully, and offer his . . . your service. That is spiritual master. Sādhu-mārga-anugamanam. Sad-dharma-pṛcchāt.
So spiritual master is required for a person who is interested in the transcendental subject matter. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Tad-vijñāna, tad-vijñāna, the science of spiritual life. One who is interested in the science of spiritual life, not that to keep a spiritual master as a fashion. No. One must be serious. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21).
First of all, one must know in which subject matter he's inquisitive—in material things or in spiritual matter. If he's actually interested in spiritual matter, then he should search out a proper, bona fide spiritual master. Gurum eva abhigacchet. Must find out. It is not option. It must. Must. You cannot avoid it. Without bona fide spiritual master, you cannot go a step forward.
Go on.
Pradyumna: ". . . and there can be no question of refusal. That is called vaidhi, or regulated. One has to do it without any argument. Another . . ."
Prabhupāda: Yes. You cannot argue with the spiritual master. First of all, you have to select a spiritual master where you can completely surrender. And as soon . . . just like Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. When he saw that, "The questions which have arisen in my mind, it cannot be solved by ordinary person," therefore he selected. He told Him that, "I can understand, without Your Lordship nobody can mitigate all the doubts in my mind." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi mām (BG 2.7).
Therefore original spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is original spiritual master. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa first instructed Brahmā, Ādi-kavi. From Brahmā we have got these Vedas, Vedic knowledge. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master. Aham evāsam agre. Before creation, Kṛṣṇa was there. Aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2). Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all the devas. Devas means Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, then all other demigods. So in this way, Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master, just like He's the spiritual master of Arjuna.