Sañjaya: Having heard your wondrous dialogue, Śrīla Prabhupāda, my hair is standing on end.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Sañjaya: Having heard your holy dialogue, Śrīla Prabhupāda, my hair is standing on end, like Sañjaya says in the Gītā.
Prabhupāda: What is that special . . .? Which portion?
Sañjaya: This is the last ślokas of Bhagavad-gītā, when the . . .
Devotee (1): He's relating the conversation to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the final conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā, saying: "After hearing this holy dialogue, my hair is standing on end."
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Devotee (1): In Bhagavad-gītā.
Prabhupāda: Hah, hah. You want to know about something, about that verse?
Sañjaya: No, I just stated that . . .
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Sañjaya: . . . after hearing your lecture, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Every instruction is like that. We should follow the instruction, and if you cannot understand, then consult the spiritual master. Not to give up this association of the spiritual master and interpret in your own way. That is rascaldom. Don't do that. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
If there is any doubt in understanding the Vedic literature, then you try to understand from the person who knows it, tattva-darśī, who has seen actually the truth. Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. One who has actually seen the truth. And how to approach him? Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena: by surrendering, by giving service, and questioning. Question must be preceded and followed by . . . preceded by surrender, and followed by service. In the middle, there may be question. Therefore, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ, we have to please the spiritual master by service and surrender, and then it will be very nice position. If the spiritual master sees that the disciple is a surrendered soul, and he's rendering service to his best capacity, then the answer will be very liberal and convincing, and he will be very glad to answer the question, if it is supported by these two things: surrender, and paripraśnena, and sevayā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). The first beginning is praṇipāta. And what is this, that I give up the company of my spiritual master and I invent my own ways of life and own interpretation? That will not help.