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Sreya means ultimate benefit of life. That one who is inquisitive to understand about the ultimate goal of life, for him there is need of guru, not a fashion

Expressions researched:
"śreya means ultimate benefit of life. That one who is inquisitive to understand about the ultimate goal of life, for him there is need of guru, not a fashion"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

The human life is meant for sreya, and animal life is meant for preya, immediate benefit. That is called preya. And śreya means ultimate benefit of life. That one who is inquisitive to understand about the ultimate goal of life, for him there is need of guru, not a fashion.

Everywhere, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also the same thing is explained, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsur śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). If you are inquisitive to understand transcendental truth, the Absolute Truth, the guru is . . . To have a guru is not a fashion. Now it has become a fashion. If somebody shows some jugglery, people become very much anxious to accept such guru. No. Guru means tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Who requires a guru? Jijñāsu śreya uttamam. One who is very much anxious to know about the ultimate benefit of life, for him guru is required. Not a fashion. Just like we keep a dog as a fashion. Nowadays it is a fashion to keep a dog. So don't keep a guru like a dog. And who will hear you, "Come on. Come on." "Yes." Not like that. Guru require, then, where you can surrender. Not like a dog, but master, where you can surrender. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Prapadyeta means you must surrender.

And why you should surrender? Jijñāsu: if you are actually inquisitive, inquirer. What about? Śreya uttamam. Śreya means the ultimate benefit of life, and preya means immediate benefit of life. There are two things: śreya and preya. The human life is meant for sreya, and animal life is meant for preya, immediate benefit. That is called preya. And śreya means ultimate benefit of life. That one who is inquisitive to understand about the ultimate goal of life, for him there is need of guru, not a fashion. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsur śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Then what is that guru? That is also explained: śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. Śābde means Vedic literature. Vedic . . . He has drowned himself, he has bathed himself in the ocean of Vedas. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. Just like if you take bathing in a river, deep down you'll become refreshed. Similarly, one has to take śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. And what is the symptom? How I shall know that he has taken bathing fully in the ocean of Veda? Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam: he has finished all desires for material happiness or distress. He is brāhmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. He has taken shelter of Brahman—the same thing, Para-brahman, Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). One who has taken fully shelter under the lotus feet of Para-brahman, Kṛṣṇa, you have to take shelter of such a guru. Otherwise you'll not be able to get out of these clutches of māyā. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21), every śāstra you go.

So therefore here it is said that if you are actually anxious to become free from this material condition of life, then you must accept the service of mahat-sevā. Mahat means one who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He's mahat. Vāsudeva sarvam iti. One who has taken this conclusion, vāsudeva sarvam iti, sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). These are the formulas. So mahātmā means the fully surrendered soul unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. He is the first-class mahātmā. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. Not ordinary mahātmā, but su-durlabhaḥ. And what are the signs? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim, bhajanty ananya-manaso. He has no other business except worshiping Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Mām ekam. In this way, if we find the opportunity, then there is possibility of mukti. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ. And if we associate with the yoṣit saṅgi, those who are desirous of enjoying this material world under different pleas, you. . . if you associate with them, then you glide down to the darkest region of hellish condition of life.

Page Title:Sreya means ultimate benefit of life. That one who is inquisitive to understand about the ultimate goal of life, for him there is need of guru, not a fashion
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-10-17, 08:23:29
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1