If anyone is desirous of inquiring about the spiritual world, then he requires to find out a spiritual master. Otherwise there is no necessity. For a man who wants to remain in this darkness, for material benefit . . . suppose I want some spiritual master or I want to study Bhagavad-gītā or Vedānta-sūtra so that I may make some material improvement. Oh, that is not required. For material improvement you can work, just so many people are working; they are making, trying industry or something like . . . that is prescribed. But if you are at all interested about the Brahman subject, the spiritual subject, then you require a spiritual master.
That is clearly stated. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Tasmāt means "Therefore one has to surrender unto the spiritual master." Who? Who is jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: "Who is very much eager to understand about the transcendental subject." So any Vedic literature the same instruction you'll find, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
Jñāninaḥ means jñānī, or a man who is in perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge means one who has perfect vision of the perfect—not theoretical, but actual vision of the spiritual subject matter. He is called jñānī. Jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. Tattva, tattva means the Absolute Truth. Now, so far tattva is concerned, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme tattva, Absolute Truth.
Now, He explains that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3): "Out of many, many thousands of people, a few people may try how to get spiritual salvation." Not all. Everyone is not expected to hanker after spiritual salvation. That requires also many, many years' qualification. So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. After many . . . out of many, many thousands of people, one is very much anxious for spiritual realization. And then Lord Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3):
And out of many perfected spiritualist, some may know what is Kṛṣṇa. Just try to understand. First of all, out of many, many, many thousands of people who wants to have perfection in spiritual life, then those persons who have attained such perfection, out of them, one or two may understand what is Kṛṣṇa.