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Out of ten kinds of offenses, the serious offense is guror avajna, disobedience of the order of guru. This is the verdict of the sastra

Expressions researched:
"Out of ten kinds of offenses, the serious offense is guror avajñā, disobedience of the order of guru. This is the verdict of the śāstra"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Out of ten kinds of offenses, the serious offense is guror avajñā, disobedience of the order of guru. This is the verdict of the śāstra. Kṛṣṇa is helping us in so many ways. He comes personally to help us, to deliver us from these clutches of māyā, and He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And when He's not physically present, He keeps Bhagavad-gītā left by Him so that others may read and take advantage of this sublime instruction of Kṛṣṇa.

Just like Kṛṣṇa sometimes became sick. So in Dvārakā—you have seen that play in Bombay—and so many physician came; nobody could cure Him. Then Kṛṣṇa suggested His own medicine that, "If some of My devotees will give the dust of his feet on My head, then I'll be cured." So the first devotee, Nārada and others, everywhere it was approached that, "Give your dust of feet. Kṛṣṇa is suffering." "No, no, no. How can I give my dust of feet? Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead." But when the gopīs were approached, when they heard that, "Kṛṣṇa is sick, and He's in urgently necessity of the dust of His devotees' feet," so immediately they began to give: "Take it. Take it immediately. Immediately." They did not consider that, "Giving the dust of my feet to Kṛṣṇa, I shall go to hell." "Never mind, I shall go to hell; it doesn't matter, but let Kṛṣṇa be cured." That is first consideration.

So this is the topmost devotee: prepared to do anything, without any consideration. That is pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (Brs. 1.1.11). There should be no personal desire. That should be zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anā . . . simply one should try to please Kṛṣṇa. There is no other consideration—only to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is pure bhakti. That is explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura:

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhi avyavasāyinām
(BG 2.41)

This is perfect conclusion that, "I shall execute the desire of Kṛṣṇa." But Kṛṣṇa is not physically present before me. Then how I shall know what Kṛṣṇa desires? That is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa's representative is there, the spiritual master. If you fulfill the desire of the spiritual master, then you fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. That is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. If you please your spiritual master, then you know that, "I have pleased Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: "If you displease your spiritual master, then you are nowhere. Your position is lost."

Therefore, yesterday we were explaining the ten kinds of offenses. Out of ten kinds of offenses, the serious offense is guror avajñā, disobedience of the order of guru. This is the verdict of the śāstra. Kṛṣṇa is helping us in so many ways. He comes personally to help us, to deliver us from these clutches of māyā, and He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And when He's not physically present, He keeps Bhagavad-gītā left by Him so that others may read and take advantage of this sublime instruction of Kṛṣṇa. So He is helping us from within—buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam—from within. Tene brahma hṛdā. These statements are there in the śāstras. "He expounded the Vedic knowledge," hṛdā, "from the heart"—brahma means Vedic knowledge, śabda-brahman—"to Brahmā." Because at that time there was nobody to instruct him. So how he got the instruction of Vedas? Because Kṛṣṇa instructed. Kṛṣṇa hoite catur-mukha, hoy kṛṣṇa-sevonmukha, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung. Catur-mukha means Brahmā. So being instructed by Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā became inclined to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he has written Brahma-saṁhitā. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. He understands, "Here is ādi-puruṣa. I am the only creature now within the universe, so I am getting instruction from Kṛṣṇa, hṛdā, from my heart."

So Kṛṣṇa, when instructs from within the heart, He is called caitya-guru. And that caitya-guru is expanded by the process, personal presentation of spiritual master. So both ways He is helping us. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya. Kṛṣṇa is helping from within, but sometimes we are so dull, naturally, that we cannot understand. Therefore He sends His representative to instruct externally. So He is helping internally and externally. There is no difference between the internal and external instructor. We should take advantage of this instruction. That is called vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ, fixed-up resolution. Fixed-up resolution. If we become fixed up in this resolution that, "Whatever we have heard from my guru, the representative of Kṛṣṇa, I must execute it. I do not care for my personal convenience or inconvenience. This is my life and soul," then your life is perfect. Then your life is . . . if I make some amendment, addition, alteration in the name of Kṛṣṇa, guru, then it is spoiled. No. We should receive the instruction as it is, especially . . .

Kṛṣṇa says . . . just like Kṛṣṇa says to Yudhiṣṭhira, "Go and speak the lie," and He speaks to Arjuna that yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7): "You fight," so not the instruction the same to everyone. Kṛṣṇa knows who is capable to do something particular, and similarly, guru also knows. So it is not that the same instruction is given to all. There may be, because variety. It is not impersonalism, one kind of. No. Variety. Kṛṣṇa is ānandamaya. Ānanda means variety is the mother of enjoyment. Unless there are varieties, how there can be ānanda? Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda. So Kṛṣṇa's business is variety. The Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand. They simply understand that we are one. No. Varieties. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Kṛṣṇa is enjoying varieties. He is living in the cintāmaṇi-dhāma. There are surabhī. He's tendering . . . tending the cows, and He's playing with the cowherd boy. He's making jokes with the gopīs. He is enjoying the company . . . varieties. He's becoming the son, dependent son of Mother Yaśodā. So Kṛṣṇa is variety. Without variety, there cannot be enjoyment. So therefore variety of instruction also.

So that is given by the spiritual master, "You do this," "You do that," "You do this," "You do that," because Kṛṣṇa is not one-sided. So as confidential representative of Kṛṣṇa we have to follow the instruction of the spiritual master. As it is given particular to me, I should execute without any personal consideration. That is the perfection of life. Because after all, this body is meant for Kṛṣṇa. The mind is meant for Kṛṣṇa. I am also Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, so pārakyasyaiva. Everything belongs to somebody else. Finally, that somebody else is Kṛṣṇa. So if we fix up our mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and serve Him, then our life is perfect.

Page Title:Out of ten kinds of offenses, the serious offense is guror avajna, disobedience of the order of guru. This is the verdict of the sastra
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2023-02-23, 07:35:49
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1