Yaśomatīnandana: Isn't there some conditioning between the guru and śiśya that, "The guru should be like this and a śiśya should be like this"?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Yaśomatīnandana: Not that anybody can say: "I am śiśya," and not anybody can say: "I am guru."
Prabhupāda: Saṁsara-dāvā. You are singing daily. Saṁsara-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. One who can deliver from this entanglement of material, miserable condition of life, he is guru. That is the first definition of guru. Saṁsara-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa—one who has obtained this qualification—vande guroḥ śrī caraṇāra . . . he is guru.
Yaśomatīnandana: 'Cause nowadays . . .
Prabhupāda: Nowadays . . . nowadays let them talk all nonsense. But this is the definition of guru. "Nowadays the sun is rising on the western side." If somebody says like that, who is going to accept it? "Nowadays." There is no question of "nowadays" and "formerly." The truth is truth always. Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is Absolute Truth. (aside) Jaya.
Yaśomatīnandana: So many yajñas and siddhis and everything going on, everywhere you see. It's so hard . . .
Prabhupāda: Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prayair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Those who are very intelligent, those whose brain clear, they, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prayair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ.