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Kill guru

Expressions researched:
"Guru Maharaja was attempted to be killed" |"guru is not killed" |"guru. You must kill" |"kill guru" |"kill him. Don't care for guru" |"kill him. Guru" |"kill his guru" |"kill my grandfather or my guru" |"kill my guru" |"kill the guru" |"killed Your guru" |"killing my guru"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Arjuna said: "I have to kill Bhīṣmadeva, who is my so kind grandfather, and I have to kill Droṇācārya, who is my teacher, from whom I have learned this military art. So You have killed the demons and Your enemy, and why You are inducing me to kill my guru and my grandfather?"
Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

Now Kṛṣṇa was encouraging to fight; Arjuna was also very intelligently replying. He addressed Kṛṣṇa as Madhusūdana, Arisūdana. Madhusūdana means "the killer of Madhu demon" or "the killer or enemy." So his purpose is that "I have to kill Bhīṣmadeva, who is my so kind grandfather, and I have to kill Droṇācārya, who is my teacher, from whom I have learned this military art. So You have killed the demons and Your enemy, and why You are inducing me to kill my guru and my grandfather?" This is his argument. Kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana, iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi: (BG 2.4) "They, my grandfather, my teacher, may chastise me, but how I can pierce with arrows their body?"

I do not like to kill my guru, who is so great, and my grandfather. Better I shall become a beggar.
Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

There are four, twelve authorities. One of them is Bhīṣma. Prahlādo janako bhīṣmo balir vaiyāsakir vayam. So Bhīṣma is not ordinary person. Therefore he said, katham, gurūn ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣyam apīha loke (BG 2.5). "I do not like to kill my guru, who is so great, and my grandfather. Better I shall become a beggar."

Arjuna says "I do not like to kill my grandfather or my guru."
Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

So Arjuna says that "I do not like to kill my grandfather or my guru." Not only ordinary guru. Guru is never ordinary. Guru... That I have explained. Never we should consider guru as ordinary human being. Guru means as king is the representative for giving protection to the people, similarly, a guru or brāhmaṇa is also meant for giving protection to the people from spiritual side. The king, kṣatriya, is meant for giving protection to the people from material side. The vaiśya is to produce from the material side. Everything is systematically arranged. So brāhmaṇa means the intelligent class of men, kṣatriya means the administrative class of men, and vaiśya means the productive class of men, and the śūdra means ordinary worker. These divisions are everywhere. You cannot say that only the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas and vaiśyas are in India. No. When it is a creation of Kṛṣṇa, or God, it must be everywhere—in every planet, in every country, every city.

Arjuna is asking Kṛṣṇa,"How do You advise me to kill my guru? Droṇācārya is my guru. And Bhīṣmadeva is also my guru. So do you want me to kill my guru?"
Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

The first problem was for Arjuna how to kill the kinsmen, family men. Now, when he was chastised by Kṛṣṇa as a friend that "Why you are so weak? Don't be weak. This is sentiment. This kind of compassion is sentiment. Uttiṣṭha. You better get up and fight." If I do not want to do something, I can offer so many pleas. You see. So next he is presenting gurūn: "All right, Kṛṣṇa, you are talking about my kinsmen. I accept that it is my weakness. But how do You advise me to kill my guru? Droṇācārya is my guru. And Bhīṣmadeva is also my guru. So do you want me to kill my guru? Gurūn hi hatvā. And not only ordinary guru. This is not that they are ordinary men. Mahānubhāvān. Bhīṣma is a great devotee, and similarly, Droṇācārya also, a great personality. Mahānubhāvān. So kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana (BG 2.4). "They are two great personalities. They are not only my gurus, but they are great personalities." And Kṛṣṇa is addressed "Madhusūdana." Madhusūdana means... Madhu was Kṛṣṇa's enemy, a demon. So He killed. So "You are Madhusūdana, You are killer of Your enemies. Can You give me any evidence that You have killed Your guru? So why You are asking me?" This is the purport. Iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāv ari-sūdana. Again Ari-sūdana. Ari means enemy. Madhusūdana, particularly "the killer of the Madhu demon." And next is Arisudana. Ari means enemy. So Kṛṣṇa has killed so many demons, ari, who came to fight with Him as enemy. Therefore His name is Arisudana.

Kṛṣṇa will not ask you to kill guru. Because guru and Kṛṣṇa are the same.
Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

Then the next question is, "All right, enemies, you can kill, admitted. But how you advise me to kill my gurus? Gurūn ahatvā. But if for Kṛṣṇa's sake, if there is need, you have to kill your guru also. That is the philosophy. For Kṛṣṇa's sake. If Kṛṣṇa wants, then you cannot... If Kṛṣṇa wants that you should kill your guru, then you have to do it. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, Kṛṣṇa will not ask you to kill guru, but... Because guru and Kṛṣṇa are the same. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya (CC Madhya 19.151). We get Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. So real guru is never to be killed, but the so-called guru has to be killed. The so-called, pseudo guru, false guru, he should be killed. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. While Prahlāda Mahārāja... He was standing. Here is, Nṛsiṁhadeva is killing his father. Father is guru. Sarva-devamayo guruḥ (SB 11.17.27). Similarly, father is also guru, at least, official guru. Materially he is guru. So how Prahlāda Mahārāja allowed Nṛsiṁhadeva to kill his guru? He's father. Everyone knows that Hiraṇyakaśipu is father. Would you like to see that your father is being killed by some person and you'll stand? You will not protest? Is that your duty? No, that is not your duty. When your father is attacked, you must protest. At least, if you are unable, you must fight. You first of all lay down your life: "How is that, my father is being killed in my front?" That is our duty. But Prahlāda Mahārāja did not protest. He could have requested—he is devotee—"My dear sir, Prabhu, my Lord, You can excuse my father." He didn't. But he knew that "My father is not being killed. It is the body of the father." Later on he begged for his father in a different way. First of all, when Nṛsiṁhadeva was angry, He was killing the body, he knew that "The body is not my father. The soul is my father. So let the Lord satisfy Himself by killing the body of my father; then I shall save him."

Guru is not killed, but he can be rejected. That is the injunction of the śāstra.
Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

A devotee of Kṛṣṇa, if need be, if he's unqualified guru... Unqualified guru means who does not know how to guide the disciple. Guru's duty is to guide. So such kind of guru can be at least rejected. That is Jīva Gosvāmī's... Kārya-kāryam ajānataḥ. A guru who does not know what to do and what not to do, but by mistake, by mistakenly I have accepted somebody as guru, he can be rejected. By rejecting him, you can accept an actual bona fide guru. So guru is not killed, but he can be rejected. That is the injunction of the śāstra. So Bhīṣmadeva or Droṇācārya, certainly they were gurus, but Kṛṣṇa indirectly giving indication to Arjuna, that "Although they are in the position of guru, you can reject them." Kārya-kāryam ajānataḥ. "They do not know factually." This Bhīṣmadeva, he materially considered his position. He knew everything from the beginning, that the Pāṇḍavas, they were parentless, fatherless children, and he raised them from the very beginning. Not only that, he was so much affectionate to the Pāṇḍavas that he was thinking, when they were sent to forest, banished, at that time Bhīṣmadeva was crying, that "These five boys, they are so pure, so honest, and not only pure and honest, so powerful warriors, Arjuna and Bhīma. And this Draupadī is practically directly the goddess of fortune. And they have got their friend, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. And they are suffering?" He cried. He was such affectionate. Therefore Arjuna is considering, "How can I kill Bhīṣma?" But duty is so strong. Kṛṣṇa is advising, "Yes, he must be killed because he has gone to the other side. He has forgotten his duty. He should have joined you. Therefore he is no more in the position of guru. You must kill him. He has wrongly joined the other party. Therefore there is no harm, killing him. Similarly Droṇācārya. Similarly Droṇācārya. I know they are great personalities, they have got great affection. But only on material consideration they have gone there." What is that material consideration? Bhīṣma thought that "I am maintained by the money of Duryodhana. Duryodhana is maintaining me. Now he is in danger. If I go to the other side, then I should be ungrateful. He has maintained me so long. And if I, in the time of danger, when there is fighting, if I go to the other side, that will be..." He thought like this. He did not think that "Duryodhana may be maintaining, but he has usurped the property of the Pāṇḍavas." But it is his greatness. He knew that Arjuna will never be killed because Kṛṣṇa is there. "So from material point of view, I must be grateful to Duryodhana." The same position was for Droṇācārya. They were maintained.

Arjuna says, "Better I shall take the profession of a brāhmaṇa and beg from door to door instead of enjoy the kingdom by killing my guru." That was his proposal.
Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that viṣayīra anna khāile malīna haya mana (CC Antya 6.278). Such great personalities became darkened because they took money from them, anna. If I am provided by somebody who is too much materialist, then that will affect me. I will become also materialist. I will also become materialist. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned that "Those who are viṣayī, those who are not devotees, do not accept anything from them because it will make your mind unclean." So therefore a brāhmaṇa and a Vaiṣṇava, they do not accept directly money. They accept bhikṣā. Bhikṣā. Just like here it is said bhaikṣyam. Śreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣyam apīha loke (BG 2.5). When you ask somebody... Still, bhikṣā is also sometimes prohibited from a person who is too much materialist. But bhikṣā is allowed for sannyāsīs, for brāhmaṇa. So therefore Arjuna is speaking that "Instead of killing such great gurus who are so great personalities, mahānubhāvān..." So bhaikṣyam. For a kṣatriya... A brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī can beg, can beg alms, but not a kṣatriya, not a vaiśya. That is not allowed. So he was a kṣatriya, Arjuna. So he says, "Better I shall take the profession of a brāhmaṇa and beg from door to door instead of enjoy the kingdom by killing my guru." That was his proposal. So on the whole, Arjuna is illusioned—illusioned in the sense that he is forgetting his duty. He is a kṣatriya, his duty is to fight; never mind the opposite party, even he is son, a kṣatriya will not hesitate to kill his son even if he is inimical. Similarly, the son, if the father is inimical, he would not hesitate to kill his father. This is the stringent duty of the kṣatriyas, no consideration. A kṣatriya cannot consider like that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, klaibyam: "You don't be coward. Why you are becoming coward?" These topics are going on. Later on, Kṛṣṇa will give him real spiritual instruction. This is... Ordinary talks are going on between the friend and the friend.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

My Guru Mahārāja was attempted to be killed. Twenty-five thousand rupees were raised fund for bribing the police officer.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Nityānanda-vaṁśa means one who takes the risk of preaching work, he can claim Nityānanda-vaṁśa. Not that easy-going. The preaching work is not easy-going. There are so many difficulties. All the big, big preachers... Śrī Rāmānujācārya. His life was attempted to be killed. Why Rāmānujācārya? My Guru Mahārāja was attempted to be killed. Twenty-five thousand rupees were raised fund for bribing the police officer. He told me personally. The Navadvīpa, Navadvīpa Gosāis, they wanted to kill him. So preaching work is always risky. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. So kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ. If you want to make the whole world peaceful, yenātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati. Prasīdati means to become satisfied, and su means super, extra satisfied. Then people should be educated to inquire about Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Simply. This very word. Yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ. Make such propaganda in a way that everyone becomes inquisitive, "What is this nonsense, Kṛṣṇa, they are speaking?" At least...

Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi, when they... In the beginning, they were very much adverse to saṅkīrtana, hari-saṅkīrtana, but one day, the Mādhāi was telling to Jagāi, "My dear brother, Jagāi, after all, these rascals sing very nicely, (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. They sing ver..." "Oh, you are going to be Vaiṣṇava?" "No, no. I am not going to be Vaiṣṇava. (laughter) I'm just appreciating. They sing very nicely." So you go like that. They will arrest you. You have got good experience. In London, they were arrested. You were in London. How many times you were arrested?

Gurudāsa: Three.

Prabhupāda: Three times. Our record is that our people were arrested thirty-six times. They... Now the police has become disgusted. They don't arrest. Yes. But this thing is going on in Australia, especially in Melbourne. I have got, received... So they asked me what to do? To do? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and you'll get good opportunity. When you are put into jail, you'll be free to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So they are doing that. They are not eating. The minister in charge of the jail department, he was perturbed that "These people are not eating," and they were allowed to that "You can cook." But they refused, because the same kitchen, they're cooking, I mean to say, flesh. So refused. So then after few days, they were let loose. "All right. You go home." Yes. So this is going on.

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.
Lecture on SB 1.7.44 -- Vrndavana, October 4, 1976:

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,

Festival Lectures

The brāhmaṇa class gosvāmīns conspired to kill him. Guru Mahārāja told me personally.
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

"There is no consideration whether a man is a sannyāsī, a brāhmaṇa, or a śūdra, or a this or a gṛhastha, householder, or... No. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is all right. He is gosvāmī. He is brāhmaṇa." That is the contribution, say, within hundred years. That is the contribution. And for this reason he had to face so many vehement protests from this brāhmaṇa class gosvāmīns. He... They conspired to kill him. Guru Mahārāja told me personally. Others... Because, by his grace, when I used to meet alone, he used to talk so many things. He was so kind that he used to talk so many things with me. So he personally told me that "These people, they wanted to kill me. They collected 25,000 rupees and went to the police officer in charge of that area, that 'You take this 25,000 rupees. We shall do something against Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. You don't take any step.' " He could understand that they want to kill him. Just like in your country also, the polit..., Kennedy, was killed. You know. He wanted to kill. So the police officer frankly said, "Of course, we accept bribe, and we indulge in such things, but not for a sādhu, not for a saintly person. I cannot dare this." And the police officer refused and came to my Guru Mahārāja that "You take care. This is the position." You see? So vehemently protested.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Guru-mara-vidyā, the knowledge of how to kill guru.
Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles:

Yaśomatīnandana: Spiritual master gives knowledge, and then a disciple is eternally indebted to spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yaśomatīnandana: It is not that, like Māyāvādīs, they serve the spiritual master in the beginning and then they...

Prabhupāda: Then they...

Yaśomatīnandana: ...themselves become...

Prabhupāda: ...throw him away, "Go away. I have now learned." Guru-mara-vidyā, to, the knowledge of how to kill guru. Guru-mara-vidyā. Their, the philosophy is that you cannot rise up. You take a ladder. But as soon as you rise, throw away the ladder. No more. No more needed. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. Our philosophy is dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyam.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

First of all kill the guru. That is called guru-māra-vidyā.
Morning Walk -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No man has seen it, then how Jesus says that there is kingdom of God?

Madhudviṣa: He said there is the kingdom of God, but he never described it.

Prabhupāda: Because you cannot understand it, you rascals. He said that "Thou shall not kill" and you killed him. You are so intelligent. "And first of all let us kill this man who is advising 'Thou shall not kill.' " Your intelligence is so sharp. Guru-māra-vidyā. First of all kill the guru. That is called guru-māra-vidyā. Guru advised that you take food in goodness, sāttvika. So he first of all advised that don't take fish, just like we are advising, meat, eggs, don't take. Then they thought that "The cow is very pure. Cow is very pure, so let us eat cow, sāttvika."

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

As soon as he learns the Guru Mahārāja is dead, "Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru." Then he's finished.
Room Conversation -- August 16, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Liberated soul never says that "I am liberated." As soon as he says "liberated," he's a rascal. A liberated soul will never say that "I am liberated." That is liberated. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is God—guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsan (CC Adi 7.71). "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a fool number one, and he has chastised Me." He's God. This is the example. If one remains always a servant ever-lastingly of guru, then he is liberated. And as soon as he thinks that he is liberated, he's a rascal. That is the teaching of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Guru more mūrkha dekhi'. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is mūrkha? Why He's posing Himself that mūrkha? "I am fool number one." That means that is liberation. You must be ready always to be chastised by guru. Then he's liberated. And as soon as he thinks that "I am beyond this chastisement, I am liberated," he's a rascal. Why Caitanya Mahāprabhu says guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsan? This is sahajiyā-vāda. He is thinking, "Oh I have become liberated. I don't require any direction of my guru. I'm liberated." Then he's rascal. Why this Gauḍīya Maṭha failed? Because they tried to become more than guru. He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that "This man should be the next ācārya." But these people, just after his passing away they began to fight, who shall be ācārya. That is the failure. They never thought, "Why Guru Mahārāja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man should be ācārya?" They wanted to create artificially somebody ācārya and everything failed. They did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Mahārāja wanted to appoint somebody as ācārya, why did he not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insist upon it. They declared some unfit person to become ācārya. Then another man came, then another, ācārya, another ācārya. So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Mahārāja. That is perfection. And as soon as he learns the Guru Mahārāja is dead, "Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru." Then he's finished.

Correspondence

1976 Correspondence

I am practically seeing that as soon as they begin to learn a little sanskrit immediately they feel that they have become more than their guru and then the policy is kill guru and be killed himself.
Letter to Dixit -- Vrindaban 18 September, 1976:

So we want to introduce this system of education for the boys who are at the kaumara age. That is recommended by Prahlada Maharaja, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha (SB 7.6.1). So this is the practical application in life of the education mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. I am also practically finding that if any of our students artificially try to become scholars by associating with unwanted persons they become victimized, for a little learning is dangerous, especially for the Westerners. I am practically seeing that as soon as they begin to learn a little sanskrit immediately they feel that they have become more than their guru and then the policy is kill guru and be killed himself.

Page Title:Kill guru
Compiler:Regan, Archana
Created:25 of Feb, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=10, Con=3, Let=1
No. of Quotes:14