The purpose of guru is described in the Bhāgavatam, that tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Guru to go, to surrender. Just like Arjuna, he surrendered, śiṣyas te 'ham śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Prapadye, tasmād guruṁ prapadye. You must find out guru where you can surrender. Not that keep your guru your order supply, "Give me some ashirvad and I may be benefited." He is not guru; he is your order supplier, your servant. Guru means he must order it, "You must do this." If we agree, then he is a guru. Not that "I shall order my guru, and he will execute my order." No that. That will do the dog, not the guru. Then the... You have got a dog, and if you ask him, "Sit down here," a dog will sit. That kind of guru keeping has no value. But here is the responsibility of guru, first that he must save the disciple from the cycle of birth and death. Kṛṣṇa also said, "What is the problem of life?" Not that "I have got some pain here, I have some trouble or some..." These are not problems. This problem one should tolerate. Because destiny is there, one should āgamāpāyino nityā tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. We should not be disturbed for all these things. It is material world. You will have sometimes mātrā sparśās tu śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. The whole world is like that. There is sometimes distress, there is sometimes happiness. So to mitigate the worldly distress or getting some happiness, one should not go to guru. That is not the proper way.
The proper way is that you should know the problem of life, and Kṛṣṇa personally says, "This is the real problem of your life." What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is problems. But they do not know. All rascals. Kṛṣṇa says, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. And don't they read? "I am reading Bhagavad-gītā, I am great politician and great leader. I am reading Bhagavad-gītā." What do you understand? Do you understand that the soul is immortal and it is transmigrating, tathā dehāntara-prāptir? Do you know all this problem? Then why you have become national leader? Today I am a Indian; tomorrow I may become a Chinaman. Then where is my nationality? Today I am human being; tomorrow I may be a dog. Then where is my society? Where is my friendship? Where is my love? They do not disclose all these things. Cheat guru. If my soul is transmigrating, tathā dehāntara prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), is it guarantee? Is there any guarantee that today I am Indian, and after my death I shall become Indian? No. There is no guarantee. Today I am American, and after death I shall become a...? No. That is not in your hand. After death your so-called boastfulness, pride—everything finished. Then at the clutches of in the māyā's hand, in the nature's hand,
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
You are in the hands of the laws of prakṛti, even in this life. Even in this life. If you can eat one chatta, and if you will eat little more, immediately you will become diseased. Immediately. Nature will punish you, three days' starvation. You have taken more. So this is the law of nature. You cannot violate the... There is salt is required, little in the food. If it is a little more, you cannot take. If it is a little, you cannot take. So stricture, you cannot violate even a slightest degree the laws of nature. But these rascals are thinking that "I am independent." Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). We should take guidance of the spiritual master or the guru or Kṛṣṇa. Guidance of guru means guidance of Kṛṣṇa, because ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). Ācāryaṁ mām, ācārya is as good as guru, as good as Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Not only Kṛṣṇa's mercy, but guru's mercy, both mercy required. Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja.