Glorious Spiritual Master

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth. {BG 4.34}

The spiritual master and Krishna are two parallel lines. We have to make our progress in devotional life on these two parallel lines, the Spiritual Master and Krishna are like these two tracks, they should be served simultaneously. Krishna helps one to find a bona fide Spiritual Master and the bona fide Spiritual Master helps one to understand Krishna. Srila Prabhupada explains that Krishna’s another name is Caitya-Guru. Caitya-Guru means the guru who is situated within our heart. Krishna comes out as an instructor guru or initiater guru outside, and He is sitting within the heart as Caitya-Guru. Krishna is ready to help us on this path of devotional service in two ways, by the external guru and internal guru. Internal Guru is Krishna himself and external Guru is his manifestation, the Spiritual Master.

If we take shelter of the lotus feet of the Spiritual Master, we can become free from illusion, fear and distress. If we whole heartedly beg for his mercy without any deceit then the Spiritual Master bestows all auspiciousness upon us.

Even if he is distressed or degraded, any person who chants the Holy Name of the Lord, having heard it from a bona fide Spiritual Master, is immediately purified. Even if he chants the Lord’s name jokingly or by chance, he and anyone who hears him are freed from all sins. Whatever actions we perform in our devotional life are a result of what we learn from our teachers/ guru (Spiritual Master) and under their guidance we continue our spiritual deeds…

Once Srila Prabhupada was asked by his disciples that what is the process for the disciple for going back home Back to Godhead, and Srila Prabhupada said that the Spiritual Master has purchased our “ticket”. He said that “I have purchased your ticket. You simply have to get on board and you have to stay on the train till we get to the destination.” Therefore it is said that one should have firm conviction on the orders of the Spiritual Master and try to follow the instructions as his life and soul, for if one really wants to cross the nescience of birth and death, old age, disease and endless sufferings of this material world one should seek shelter of a bona fide Spiritual Master. Lifetimes after lifetimes one gets the rare opportunity to take birth as a Human, more rare is if one by the grace of the Lord stands a chance to associate with the devotees of the Lord and practice devotional service to Lord Hari even more rarer if one finds a bona-fide Spiritual Master.

Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bonafide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual masters, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.

~Srila Prabhupada

sakshad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair

uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih

kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya

vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

The spiritual master is to be honored as much as the Supreme Lord, because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and followed by all authorities. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is a bona fide representative of Sri Hari [Krishna].