Return to table of contents page

One must accept a genuine guru in the proper disciplic line.

1. 1
tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit panim srotriyam brahma-nistham
One who wants scientific knowledge about the Supreme Truth must approach a bona fide guru and offer him everything required for sacrifice. The guru must be fixed in the truth, having heard it from a genuine source. (Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12)
1. 2
acarayavan puruso veda
Only one who has a guru can know the truth. (Chandogya Upanisad 6.18.2)
1. 3
uttisthata jasrata prapya varan nibodhata
ksurasya dhara nisita duratyaya
durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti
Awake, arise: Having obtained the human form of life, you must not sleep in the darkness of ignorance. Awaken knowledge of your real self by associating with great souls and obtaining their mercy. This material creation is as sharp as a razor's edge, for it is the cause of many miseries. It is impossible to cross over without transcendental knowledge. Therefore one must take shelter of the great learned transcendentalists who forever sing the praises of that Supreme Person who is the destroyer of birth and death. (Katha Upanisad 1.3.14)
1. 4
yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy artham
prakasante mahatmanm
To those great souls who serve both guru and Krsna with exclusive devotion, the import of the Vedas is fully revealed. (Setasvatara Upanisad 6.23)
1. 5
nayam atma pravacanena labhyo
na medhaya na bahuna srutena
yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas
tasyaisa atma vivrute tanum svam
The Supreme Self can never be known by argument, reasoning, intelligence, or scholarship. The finite can never know the infinite. By His own sweet will, however, the Infinite may reveal Himself to the finite in His personal divine form. Those who wish to know the infinite must therefore submit to him through surrender. (Katha Upanisad 1.2.23)
1. 6
janana-maranadi-samsaranala-santapto dipta-sira jala-rasim iva
upahara-panbm sotriyam brahma-nistham gurum upasrtya tam anusarati
Just as a person whose head is on fire runs to water, one who burns from the flames of birth death, old age, and disease in the holocaust of material existence must run to a genuine guru for relief. Such a guru must be fixed in the Absolute Truth and well-versed in the scriptures. One should approach him with all that is needed for for sacrifice and submit to him as a disciple, ready to carry out his every instruction. (Vedanta-Sara 11)
1. 7
jiva nitya krsna-dasa, taha bhuli' gela
ei dose mayat ara galaya bandhila
Because the soul has forgotten that he is the eternal servant of Krsna, the illusory energy (maya ) has chained him by the neck. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.24)
1. 8
krsna bhuli' sei jiva anadi-bahir-mukha
ataeva maya ta're deya samsarai dumha
Because of forgetting Krsna, the soul has become averse to the loving service of the Lord since time immemorial. Thus the illusory energy gives him innumerable miseries in the material world. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.117)
1. 9
krsna-bahir-mukha haiya bhoga va-cha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare
pisaci paile yena mati-chhanna haya
maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya
"ami nitya krsna-dasa" - ei katha bhule
mayara naphara haiya cira -dina bule
kabhu raja, kabhu praja, kabhu vipra, sudra
kabhu sukhi, kabhu dumkhi, kabhu kita, ksudra
kabhu svarge, kabhu martye, narake va kabhu
kabhu deva, kabhu daitya kabhu dasa prabhu
Being averse to the loving service of the Supreme Lord, the living entity tries to satisfy his lusty desries for sense gratification, and the illusory energy clasps him tightly within her embrace. The living entity, thus captured by the illusory energy, becomes just like a madman under a witch's spell. "I am the eternal servant of Krsna" - forgetting this, the soul becomes the slave of Maya and forever wanders through a succession of lives. Sometimes he is a king and sometimes a subject. Now he is a brahmana, now a sudra, now an insignificant ant. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad, now he goes to heaven, now to hell. Sometimes he is a god and sometimes a devil, now a servant, now a lord. (Prema-Vivarta )
1. 10
(ei rupa) brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
tate krsna bhaje kare gurura sevana
mayajala chute paya sri krsna carana
Wandering throughout the universe in this way, the living entity who is fortunate meets a bona fide spiritual master by the mercy of Sri Krsna. And by the mercy of the spiritual master, he receives the seed of the creeper of transcendental loving service to the Lord. By worshipping Krsna and rendering service to the spiritual master, one is liberated from the illusory world of maya, and attains the lotus feet of the Lord. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 19.151, 22.25)
1. 11
mukam karoti vacalam
pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande
paramananda madhavam
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Madhava, who is the personification of transcendental bliss. By His mercy, a blind man can see the stars in the sky, a lame man can cross mountains, and a dumb man can speak eloquent words of poetry. (Bhavartha. Dipika , Mangala Stotram 1)
1. 12
caitanya lilamrta pura, krsna lila sukarpura, duhe mile haya sumadhurya
sadhu-guru-prasade, taha yei asvade, sei jane madhurya pracurya
The pastimes of Sri Caitanya are the abode of nectarine love of Godhead and are just like thick condensed milk. The pastimes of Sri Krsna are just like camphor. When these are combined together, they are very sweet. By the mercy of the Gaudiya Vaisnava guru who is a true saint, one can taste that sweetness unlimitedly. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 25.277)

A qualified guru and disciple are hard to find.

1. 13
sravanayapi bahubhir yo na labhyam
srnvanto 'pi bahavo na vidyum
ascaryo 'sya vakta kusalo 'sya labhda
ascaryo jnata kusalanusistam
Many cannot even hear about the soul, and even after hearing about the soul, many cannot understand it; this is because it is hard to find a guru who is a genuine seer of the truth. Such a qualified guru is a great soul and is very rare. At the same time, realization of the truth can be had only by those disciples who carefully follow the qualified guru's teachings and become expert in the science of God. Such disciples are also very rare. Thus it is that only a few ever come to know the soul in truth. (Katha Upanisad 1.2.7.)

A genuine guru knows krsna-tattva, the truth about Krsna. He is surrendered to Krsna, and is well-versed in all the Vedic literatures.

1. 14
tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijnasum sreyam uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamasrayam
One who is searching for the Ultimate Truth must surrender unto a spiritual master, a guru. A guru knows the inner meaning of the Vedas, is fixed in the Absolute Truth (Krsna) and is expert in the sastra, the revealed scriptures. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.21)
1. 15
krpa-sindhum su-sampurnam
sarva-sattvopakarakam
nisprham sarvatam siddham
sarva-vidya-visaradam
sarva-samsaya-samchetta
'nalaso gurur amrtah
The Hari-bhakti-vilasa gives the following definition of a guru: One who is an ocean of mercy, who is fulfilled in all respects, who is possessed of all good qualities, who always works for the benefit of all souls, who is free from lust, who is perfect in all respects, who is well-versed in the scriptures and who knows the science of Krsna, who can remove all the doubts of his disciples, and who is always alert in the service of Krsna is to be known as a guru. (Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa 1.45,46 quoted from Visnu-smrti vacana )

A guru is a goswami, master of the senses.
1. 16
vaco vegam manasam krodha vegam
jihva vegam udaropastha vegam
etan vega yo visaheta dhiram
sarva apimam prthivim sa sisyat
A guru is one who can control the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger, and the urges of the tongue, belly, and genitals. Such a guru is a goswami, a master of his senses and is qualified to make disciples all over the world. (Upadesamrta, 1)
1. 17
sat-karma nipuno vipro
mantra-tantra-visaradam
avaisnavo guru na syad
vaisnavam svapaco gurum
A brahmana may be expert in mantra, ritual, and the six brahminical kinds of work - performing and teaching sacrificed, studying and teaching scripture, giving and receiving charity - but if he is not a Vaisnava, he cannot be a guru. On the other hand, A Vaisnava may become a guru , even if he is born in a family of untouchable outcastes.
(Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, Padma Vacana )

A pure devotee is the guru of all the castes and social orders (varnas and asramas )

1. 18
vipra ksatriya vaisas ca
guravam sudra janmanam
sudras ca guravas tesam
trayanam bhagavat-priyam
A brahmana, ksatriya, or vaisya are usually the gurus for those born as sudras. A Vaisnava, however, because he is dear to the Supreme Lord, is the guru of these higher castes, even if born a sudra. (Padma Purana )
1. 19
kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya
yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei guru haya
Whether a person is a brahmana, a sannyasi, or a sudra, if he is knows the science of Krsna, he is to be accepted as guru. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 8.127)
1. 20
kiba varni, kiba srami, kiba varnasrama hina
krsna tattva yei, sei acarya pravina
asala katha chadi' bha ivarne ye kare aara
asad-guru kari' ta 're vinasta purvapara
Whatever caste one may belong to - including sudras and outcastes - if he is expert in the science of Krsna, he is to be accepted as an acarya. One who ignores this principle, and recognizes a guru only on the basis of social position, will accept a bogus guru as his master and thus be ruined. (Prema-Vivarta )

A real guru is an acarya of sambandha-jnana,
knowledge of one's relationship with the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna.

1. 21
vairagya-yug bhakti-rasam prayatnair
apayayam mam anabhipsum andham
krpambudhhir yam para-dumkha-dukhi
sanatanam tam prabhum asrayami
I surrender unto Sri Sanatana Goswami, the acarya of sambandha-jnana. He is an ocean of mercy and is always unhappy to see the sufferings of others. Although I was blind, in the darkness of ignorance, he gave me the light of transcendental knowledge. He taught me the real meaning of detachment and made me drink the highest nectarine rasa of divine love. (Vilapa -kusuma-jali, 6 )

Who is an acarya?

1. 22
upaniya tu yam ssyam
vedam adhyapayed dvijam
sankalpam sa-rahasyam ca
tam acaryam pracaksate
An acarya is one who not only confers the sacred thread upon his disciples, but trains them in sacrifice and teaches them the esoteric meanings of the Vedic scriptures, including the Upanisads. According to saintly authorities, such a spiritual master is an acarya. (Manu Samhita 2.140)
1. 23
acinoti yam sastrartham
acare sthapayaty api
svayam acarate yasma
acaryas tena kirtitam
An acarya is one who fully understands the conclusions of the revealed scriptures. His own behavior reflects his deep realization, and thus he is a living example of divine precept. He is therefore known as an acarya, ore one who teaches the meaning of the scriptures both by word and deed. (Vayu Purana )
1. 24
yad yad acarati sresthas
tat tad evetaro janam
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
Whatever acts a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, the whole world pursues. (Bhagavad-gita 3.21)
1. 25
apane acare keha na kare pracara
pracara karena keha, na karena acara
acara pracara namera karaha dui karya
tumi sarva-guru tumi jagatera arya
Some practice, but do not preach; others preach but do not practice. One who is perfect, however, in both preaching and practice is the guru of the entire universe. You [Haridasa hakura] are a real jagad-guru, for you practice what you preach. (Caitanya Caritamrta Antya 4.102,103)
1. 26
apani acari' bhakti sikhamu sabare
I [Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu] will teach bhakti to everyone by practicing it myself. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 3.20)
1. 27
apani na kaile dharma sikhana na yaya
If I do not do this Myself, then the principles of religion will not be taught. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 3.21)

The "Inconceivable Oneness and Difference"
(acintya bhedabheda-tattva ) of guru, Vaisnava, and Krsna:

1. 28
acaryam mam vijaniyam
navamanyeta karhicit
na martya buddhyasuyeta
sarva-deva mayo gurum
[Krsna told Uddhava] "Know the acarya as My Self. I am the acarya . Never envy the acarya; never blaspheme him or consider him to be an ordinary man. Because the acarya channels the infinite, He is greater than the sum total of all the finite. Thus, he is more important than all the gods. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.17.27)
1. 29
vande gurun isa-bhaktan
isam isavatarakan
tat-prakasams ca tac chaktim
krsna caitanya sanjnakam
I worship the Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya, who appears in six features as: instructing and initiating gurus ; the Lord's devotees beginning with Srivasa hakura; His avataras such as Advaita Acarya; His prakasa, or full expansion (Nityananda Prabhu) and his sakti, or divine energy, (Gadadhara Pandita). (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.1)
1. 30
krsna, guru-dvaya, bhakta, avatara, prakasa
sakti - ei chaya rupe karena vilasa
The Supreme Lord appears in six features: 1) Sri Krsna; 2) the two kinds of gurus (diksa and siksa-guru: initiating and instructing gurus ); 3) bhaktas , devotees; 4) avataras, .different incarnations of Godhead; 5) prakasa, complete expansions or manifestations of His own Self; 6) sakti, His divine energy. In these six features the Supreme Lord enjoys his transcendental pastimes. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.32)
1. 31
yadyapi amara guru - caitanyera dasa
tathapi janiye ai tanhaa prakasa
Although I know my guru is a servitor of Sri Caitanya, I know Him also as a full manifestation (prakasa ) of Godhead Himself. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.44)

The two kinds of instructing gurus: caitya guru
(the guru in the heart) and mahanta guru (the personal guru).

1. 32
guru-krsna-rupa hana sastrera pramane
guru-rupe krsna krpa karena bhakta-gane
According to the evidence of sastra the guru is nondifferent from Krsna, because it is through the guru that Krsna bestows mercy upon His devotees. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.45)
1. 33
siksa guruke ta' jani krsnera svarupa
antaryami, bhakta-srestha - ei dui rupa
One should know the instructing guru (siksa guru ) to be Krsna Himself. As guru, Krsna has two forms: the Supersoul and the best of devotees. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.47)
1. 34
jive saksat nahi, tate guru caittya-rupe
siksa-guru haya krsna mahanta-svarupe
Since one cannot directly see the Supersoul, Krsna appears before us as a liberated devotee. Such a siksa-guru is none other than Krsna Himself.
1. 35
naivopayanty apacitim kavayas tavesa
brahmayusapi krtam rddha mudam smarantam
yo'ntar bahis tanu-bhrtam asubham vidhunvann
acarya-caittya vapusa sva-gatim vyanakti
Uddhava said to Sri Krsna: "O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the lifetime of Brahma, for You appear in two features - externally as the acarya and internally as the Supersoul - to deliver the embodied living beings by revealing to them your devotional service and teaching them how to approach you on the path of divine love. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.6)

By the mercy of Krsna, one obtains the mercy of guru.

1. 36
krsna yadi krpa karena kona bhagyavane
guru antaryami-rupe sikhaya apane
When a fortunate soul receives Krsna's mercy, the Lord personally instructs that person as the Supersoul within and as the guru from without. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.47)

Sri Guru gives systematic and scientific knowledge about the highest spiritual reality: Sri Vrndavana dhama. Gaudiya Vaisnavas,therefore, recognize Sri Guru as being nondifferent from Sripad Rupa Goswami.

1. 37
ajnana timirandhasya
jnana-jana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri guruve namam
I was born in the darkness of ignorance, but my gurudeva healed my blindness with the salve of divine knowledge. I offer my humble obeisances unto him.
(Prema-bhakti-candrika - Narottama dasa hakura)
1. 38
sri caitanya mano 'bhistam
sthapitam yena bhutale
svayam rupam kada mahyam
dadati sva-padantikam
Srila Rupa Goswami has carried out the heart's desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by establishing the Krsna consciousness movement all over the world. When will he give me shelter at his lotus feet? (Prema-bhakti-candrika - Narottama dasa hakura)
1. 39
sri guru carana padma, kevala bhakati sadma,
vandon mu-i savadhana mate
yanhara prasade bhai, e bhava tariya yai,
krsna-prapti haya yanha ha'te
guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete kariya aikya,
ara na kariha mane asa
sri-guru carane rati, ei se uttama gati,
ye prasade pure sarva asa
caksu dana dila yei, janme janme prabhu sei,
divya-jnana hrde prakasita
prema-bhakti yanja haite, avidya vinasa yate,
vede gaya yanhara carita
The holy feet of Sri Guru are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service, for they are the abode of pure bhakti. I worship his lotus feet with great care and attention. By his mercy, one can cross over the ocean of material existence and attain the mercy of Krsna.
Brothers: Make the words from his lotus mouth your heart's only treasure. Don't wish for anything more than this. Attachment to his lotus feet is the highest goal of life. By his mercy, all hopes are fulfilled. He has opened my eyes and filled my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my lord, birth after birth. From him divine love emanates; by him, ignorance is destroyed. The Vedas sing his glories. (Prema-bhakti-candrika - Narottama dasa hakura)

Sri Guru is krsna-sakti, the divine energy of Krsna,
and is known as mukunda-prestha: most dear to the Lord.

1. 40
na dharmam nadharamam sruti-gana niruktam kila kuru
vraje radha-krsna-pracura-paricaryam iha tanu
saci-sunum nandisvara-pati-statve guru-varam
mukunda-presthatve smara param ajasram nanu manam
O mind! Shun all connection with Vedic piety and impiety. Always serve Sri Radha and Krsna in Vrndavana with all your heart, and know that Sri Caitanya, the son of Saci, is Sri Krsna, the son of Nanda. And always remember that gurudeva is mukunda-prestha, the dearmost servant of Sri Krsna. [NOTE: Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, in his purport to Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.46, translates the Anubhbhasya commentary of his gurudeva, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati hakura as follows: comments of Srila Bhaktivinoda hakura as follows: " As mentioned previously, a disciple should always respect the spiritual master as a manifestation of Krsna, but at the same time one should always remember that a spiritual master is never authorized to imitate the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. False spiritual masters pose themselves as identical with Sri Krsna in every respect to exploit the sentiments of their followers, but such impersonalists can only mislead their disciples, for their ultimate aim is to become one with the Lord. This is against the principles of the devotional cult.
The real Vedic philosophy is acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which establishes everything as simultaneously one with and different from the Personality of Godhead. Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami confirms that this is the real position of a bona fide spiritual master and says that one should always think of the spiritual master in terms of his intimate relations with Mukunda (Sri Krsna..)"] (Manam-Siksa 2, Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami)

Sri Gurudeva is gaura-sakti, the divine energy of Sri Gauranga,
and gaura-priyattama, the dearmost of Sri Gauranga.

1. 41
saksad haritvena samasta sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhim
kintu prabhor yam priya eva tasya
vande gurom sri--caranaravindam
According to the verdict of all the revealed scriptures and saintly persons, gurudeva is to be honored as much as Sri Krsna Himself. Gurudeva is considered as such because he is the dearmost servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Caitanya. I offer my humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master. [NOTE: Quoting again the same Anubhasya commentary as in the previous verse, "Following in the footsteps of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami and Srila Jiva Goswami, later acaryas like Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti hakura have confirmed the same truths. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti hakura confirms that all the revealed scriptures accept the spiritual master to be identical with the Personality of Godhead because he is a very dear and confidential servant of the Lord. Gaudiya Vaisnavas therefore worship Srila Gurudeva (the spiritual master) in the light of his being the servitor of the Personality of Godhead. In all the ancient literatures of devotional service, and in the more recent songs of Bhaktivinoda hakura and other unalloyed Vaisnavas, the spiritual master is considered either one of the confidential associates of Srimati Radharani or a manifested representative of Srila Nityananda Prabhu." ]
(Gurvastakam, 7, Visvanatha Cakravarti hakura.)
1. 42
suddha-bhaktam sri-guro sri sivasya ca bhagavata saha
abheda-drstim-tat -priyatama tvenaiva manyante
Whenever the scriptures describe sri gurudeva and Lord Siva as being nondifferent from Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, pure devotees (suddha-bhaktas ) consider that this is because of their being the most beloved of Sri Krsna. [NOTE: Again quoting the same commentary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati hakura as translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prahupada in Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.46: "Jiva Goswami has clearly defined that a pure devotee's observation of the spiritual master and Lord Siva as one with the Personality of Godhead exists in their being very dear to the Lord, not identical with Him in all respects." (Bhakti-Sandarbha 216, Sri Jiva Goswami)

One who becomes a guru in name only commits a great offense.

1. 43
gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat
pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat
daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syat
na mocayed yam samupeta mrtyum
One who cannot deliver his dependants from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a guru, a relative, a father, mother, demigod, or husband. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5 .5.18)
1. 44
sei se parama bandhu, sei pita-mata
sri-krsna-carane yei prema-bhakti-data
sakala janme pita-mata sabe paya
krsna guru nahi mile, bhajaha hiyaya
Under ordinary circumstances one's own father and mother are worshipable. And yet in every lifetime one gets a father and mother. It is a far rarer thing to get guru and Krsna. Because gurudeva can bestow prema-bhakti to the lotus feet of Krsna upon those who have attained his mercy, gurudeva is the topmost father and mother and friend of every living soul. (Caitanya Mangala, Madhya-khanda )

Mundane scholarship alone is no qualification for becoming a guru.

1. 45
sabda brahmani-nisnato
na nisnayat pare yadi
sramas tasya srama phalo
hy adhenum iva raksatam
One who is expert in Vedic scholarship but fails to understand the position of the Absolute Truth and doesn't recognize Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead will find all his study to be a waste of time. His hard work will be his only reward, and his efforts will be like the labor of one who struggles to maintain a barren cow who has no calf and can produce no milk. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.11.18)

One who is not a Vaisnava cannot be a guru, even if he is a highly learned
Vedic scholar born in a aristocratic family.

1. 46
maha-kula-prasuto 'pi
sarva-yaj-esu diksitam
sahasra-sakhadhyayi ca
na gurum syad avaisnavam
Even if one has been born in an aristocratic brahmana family, has been duly initiated with all the appropriate Vedic sacrifices, and has studied one thousand branches of Vedic knowledge - if he is not a Vaisnava, he can never be a guru. (Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa 1.45)
Bogus gurus

1. 47
paricarya-yaso-lipsum sisyad gurur na hi
One who accepts disciples for personal service and fame is unfit to be a guru. (Visnu Smrti )
1. 48
guravo bahavam santim
sisya-vittapaharakam
durlabham sad-gurur devi
sisya-santapa harakam
Many "gurus" take advantage of their disciples, plundering them for whatever they may have of value, exploiting them for sex, and using them to amass wealth. A real guru - one who can remove the miseries of his disciples - is very rare. (Purana-vakya )

The injunction to abandon a bogus guru.

1. 49
guror apy avaliptasya
karyakaryam ajanatam
utpatha-pratipannasya
parityago vidhiyate
A guru who is addicted to sensual pleasure and polluted by vice, who is ignorant and has no power to discriminate between right and wrong, or who is not on the path of suddha-bhakti must be abandoned. ( Mahabharata, dyoga-parva, 179.25)
1. 50
snehad va lobhato vapi
yo grhniyad adiksaya
tasmin gurau sa-sisye tu
devata sapa apatet
A guru who gives the mantra to his disciple out of greed or mundane affection, disregarding the standards for diksa, is cursed - along with that disciple - by the gods.
(Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa 2.7)
1. 51
yo vakti nyaya rahitam
anyayena srnoti yam
tav ubhau narakam ghoram
vrajatam kalam aksayam
One who assumes the dress and position of an acarya, who speaks against the conclusions of Srimad-Bhagavatam and other sattvata-sastras , or performs unauthorized kirtana opposed to the proper glorification of Sri Krsna, certainly goes to hell for countless lifetimes along with his disciples and whoever else hears such anti-devotional talks and kirtanas. (Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa 1.101)
One should abandon a guru who is envious of Suddha-Vaisnavas, who blasphemes pure devotees, or behaves maliciously towards a pure devotee.
1. 52
Vaisnava-vidvesi cet parityajya eva. "Guror api avaliptasye" ti smaranat, tasya vaisnava-bhava-rahityena avaisnavataya avaisnavopadisteneti vacana-visaya tva ca. Yathokta-laksanasya sri-guror-avidymanatayantu tasyaiva maha-bhagavatasyaikasya nitya-sevanam paramam sreyam.
A guru who is envious of suddha-vaisnavas, who blasphemes pure devotees, or who behaves maliciously towards a pure devotee should certainly be abandoned, remembering the verse "guror api avaliptasya" (See 1. 49). Such an envious guru lacks the mood and character of a Vaisnava. It is enjoined by the sastras that one should not accept initiation from a nondevotee (avaisnavopadistena... See 1. 54). Knowing these injunctions of the scriptures, a sincere devotee will abandon a false guru who is envious of devotees. After leaving one who lacks the true qualities of a guru, if a devotee finds himself temporarily devoid of a spiritual guide, his only hope is to seek out a genuine guru, a mahabhagavata Vaisnava and serve him. By constantly rendering service to such a pure devotee, one will certainly attain the highest goal of life. (Bhakti-Sandarbha sankhya 238, Srila Jiva Goswami)

A materialistic, professional, family, or vyavaharika-guru must be given up.

1. 53
paramartha-gurvasrayo vyavaharika-gurvadi parityagenapi kartavyam
One should not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. In other words, a vyavaharika-guru, that is, a professional, ancestral, or ecclesiastical guru should be rejected. One should accept a genuinely qualified spiritual master who can help one advance towards the ultimate goal of life, krsna-prema. (Bhakti-Sandarbha 210)

One who rejects a false guru must accept a real guru.

1. 54
avaisnavopadistena
mantrena niryam vrajet
punas ca vidhina samyag
grahayed vaisnavad gurom
One who accepts the mantra from a guru who is a nondevotee or is addicted to sensual pleasures with women is doomed to a life in hell. Such a person must immediately approach a genuine Vaisnava guru and again accept the mantra from him. (Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa 4.366)
Why become a disciple?

1. 55
nr-deham adyam sulabham sudurlabham
plavam sukalpam guru-karnadharam
mayanukulena nabhasvateritam
puman bhavabdhim na taret sa atma-ha
This valuable human form of life is rarely attained and superior to all other forms of life, for having attained it, one may easily cross over the ocean of material existence. The human form of life may be compared to a boat for crossing the material ocean. The guru is the captain and the mercy of Sri Krsna is the gentle wind that carries the boat safely to its goal. One who fails to make use of the human form of life to cross the ocean of birth and death with the help of guru and Krsna is committing spiritual suicide. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.20.17)
One who thinks that the guru is an ordinary man goes to hell.

1. 56
gurus nara-matir yasya va naraki sam
One who thinks that the guru is an ordinary man is said to live in hell. (Padma Purana )

One who thinks the guru to be an ordinary man finds all his attempts to make spiritual progress to be as useless as the bathing of an elephant.
1. 57
yasya saksad bhagavati
jnana-dipa prade gurau
martyasad-dhim srutam tasya
sarvam ku-jara-saucavat
The guru must be considered to be the Supreme Lord Himself, because he bestows the light of transcendental knowledge upon his disciples. Consequently, for one who maintains the material conception that the guru is an ordinary human being, everything is frustrated. His attempts to make progress in spiritual life - his Vedic studies and scriptural knowledge, his penances and austerities, and his worship of the deity - are all as useless as the bathing of an elephant (who rolls in the mud after his bath). (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.20.17)

One must approach a guru for transcendental knowledge.

1. 58
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinam
Seek the truth by approaching those who know the truth. Surrender to a bona fide spiritual master, inquire from him, and serve his lotus feet. The self-realized can impart knowledge unto you, for they have seen the truth. (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)

Gurudeva takes one beyond transcendental knowledge (jnana) to
jnana-sunya-bhakti: pure devotion which is free from knowledge.

1. 59
evam gurupasanayaika-bhaktya
vidya-kutharena sitena dhiram
vivrscya jivasayam apramattam
sampadya catmanam atha tyajastram
With the axe of transcendental knowledge given to you by gurudeva you must cut off all material attachments, subtle and gross. Having freed yourself from material attachments through knowledge and analysis, you may lay down the weapon of knowledge. Although knowledge is a suitable weapon for cutting material attachments, Sri Krsna is infinite and can never be understood through knowledge and analysis. Once the weapon of knowledge has been used to its fullest extent in cutting off material attachments, one must therefore lay it down. Thus freed from the subtle coverings of the modes of nature, one may progress to the level of Paramatma realization. At that time, a devotee should remain faithful in the worship and service of gurudeva with great care and attention. Gurudeva will gradually reveal to a sincere worshiper that unalloyed loving service of Sri Krsna which is transcendental to knowledge and is therefore known as jnana-sunya-bhakti. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.12.24)

Sri Gurudeva is nondifferent from Nityananda

1. 60
samsarera para haiya bhaktira sagare
ye dubibe se bhajuka nitai candere
amara prabhura prabhu sri gaurasundara
e bada bharasa citte dhari nirantara
Beyond the ocean of birth and death lies the bhakti ocean. Let those who would swim there worship Sri Nityananda (the original guru ). I will hold this faith within my heart forever: My master is Nityananda; His Lord is Gaurasundara. [By the mercy of Nityananda one gets the mercy of Gaurasundara. Nityananda is therefore the original guru.. As such gurudeva is considered to be the manifest representative of Nityananda, and is thus nondifferent from Him.] (Caitanya Bhagavata 1.17.152-153)

1. 61
nitai-pada-kamala, koti candra su-sitala,
ye chayaya jagata judaya
hena nitai bine bhai, radha-krsna paite nai,
drdha kari' dhara nitaira paya.
se sambandha nahi yara, vrtha janma gela tara,
sei pasu bada duracara,
nitai na balila mukhe, majila samsara-sukhe,
vidyakule ki karibe tara.
ahankare matta hai-ya, nitai-pada pasariya,
asatyere satya kari' mani
nitaira karuna ha'be vraje-radha-krsna pabe,
dhara nitaiyera carana du'khani.
The lotus feet of Nityananda Prabhu are as cool as the moonshine from a million moons. This material world is ablaze with the fire of birth and death. The cool shade of the lotus feet of Nityananda can relieve the entire universe from the heat of material existence. Without Nityananda no one can approach Radha and Krsna. If one actually wants to enter into the service of Radha and Krsna, he must accept the shelter of the lotus feet of Nityananda. Anyone who has not established a relationship with Sri Nityananda Prabhu has wasted his life. His birth in the human form of life is useless. He is no better than an animal absorbed in eating, sleeping, mating and fighting. Such a two-legged beast, whose mouth has never uttered the name "Nitai," wallows in the pleasures of family life, and enjoys the happiness offered by birth, death, old age, and disease in the forest fire of material existence. If one has no connection with Nityananda, his so-called academic education and his birth in a high family or great nation will not protect him. At the time of death, nature's law will act, his work will be finished, and he will get another body according to his karma. Why are these human animals acting in this way? They have become maddened by a false conception of life, they have identified the self with the body, and thus they have forgotten their eternal relationship with Nityananda. Such forgetful persons accept the illusory energy to be factual. They consider truth to be unreal and mistake illusion for reality. But by the mercy of Sri Nityananda Prabhu one can attain the service of Sri Radha and Krsna in Vrndavana. Therefore, take shelter of the holy feet of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. (Prarthana , Narottama Dasa hakura)

What is the authorized sacred tradition?

1. 62
amnayam srutayam saksad
brahma-vidyeti visrutam
guru-parampara-prapta
visva-kartur hi brahmanam
Transcendental knowledge which is received through the guru-parampara, the disciplic succession of gurus beginning with Brahma the creator, and which is embodied in the Sruti or Vedic literature is known as amnayam, or the authorized sacred tradition.
(Mahajana-karika )
Lord Brahma: the original teacher.

1. 63
brahma devanam prathamam sa-svabhuva
visvasya karta bhuvanasya gopta
sa brahma-vidyam sarva-vidya-pratistham
atharvaya jyesta-putraya praha
Lord Brahma is the foremost of the demigods. He is the creator of the universe, and the guardian of this world. Lord Brahma instructed his eldest son Atharva in the esoteric science of transcendental knowledge (brahma-vidya ), and thus became the first teacher within the universe. All other knowledge is based on this scientific transcendental knowledge (brahma-vidya ). (Mundaka Upanisad 1.1.1)

Sriman Madhvacarya - the sampradaya acarya.

1. 64
ananda-tirtha-nama sukha-maya-dhama yatir jiyat
samsararnava-taranim yam iha janam kirtyanti budham
All glories to Sriman Madhvacaya Prabhu, who is known as Ananda-tirtha, the holy abode of transcendental bliss. The wise know him as the boat for crossing over the ocean of material existence, and so they always chant his glories. (Prameya-ratnavali )

The Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya disciplic succession (guru-parampara )

1. 65
sri-krsna-brahma-devarsi-badarayana-sanjnakan
sri-madhva-sri-padmanabha-sriman-nrhari-madhavan
aksobhya-jayatirtha-sri-jnanasindhu-dayanidhin
sri-vidyanidhi-rajendra-jayadharman kramadvayam
purusottama-brahmanya-vyasatirthams ca samstumam
tato laksmipatim sriman-madhavendra- ca bhaktitam
tac chisyan srisvaradvaita-nityanandan-jagad-gurun
devam-isvara-sisyam-sri-caitanyan ca bhajamahe
sri-krsna-prema-danena yena nistaritam jagat
kali-kalusa-santaptam karuna-sindhuna svayam
mahaprabhu-svarupa-sri-damodaram-priyankaram
rupa-sanatanau dvau ca goswami-pravarau prabhu
sri-jivo-raghunathas ca rupa priyo maha-matim
tat-priyam kaviraja-sri-krsna-dasa-prabhur matam
tasya priyottamam srilam sevaparo narottamam
tad-anugata-bhaktam sri-visvanatham sad-uttamam
tad asaktas ca gaudiya-vedantacarya-bhusanam
vidyabhusana-pada sri-baladeva-sadnasrayam
vaisnava-sarvabhauma-sri-jagannatha-prabhus tatha
sri-mayapura-dhamnas tu nirdesta-sajjana-priyam
sddha-bhakti-pracarasya muli-bhuta ihottamam
sri-bhaktivinodo devas tat-priyatvena visrutam
tad-abhinna-suhrd-varyo maha-bhaavatottamam
sri-gaura-kisram saksad-vairagyam vigrahasritam
(mayavadi-ku-siddhanta-dvata-rasi-nirasakam
visuddha-bhakti-siddhantaim svanta-padma-vikasakam
devo 'sau paramo hamso mattam-sri-gaura-kirtane
pracaracara-karyesu nirantaram-mahotsukam
hari-priya-janair-gamya om visnu-pada-purvakam
sri-pao bhakti-siddhanta-sarasvati-mahodayam
sarve te gaura-vamsyas ca parama-hamsa-vigraham
vayam ca ta dasas tad ucchinta-grahagraham)
The above Sanskrit verse describing the Gaudiya Vaisnava guru-parampara was composed by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati hakura (with the exception of what is in parenthesis, which was later added by his disciples). It was translated by him in the form of a Bengali poem, which follows.
1. 66
krsna haite catur-mukha, haya krsna sevonmukha,
brahma haite naradera mati
narada haite vyasa, madhva kahe vyasa-dasa,
purna-prajna padmanabha-gati
nrhari madhava vamse, aksobhya-paramahamse,
sisya bali' angikara kare
aksbhyera sisya jaya-tirtha name paricaya,
tanra dasye jnanasindhu tare
taha haite dayanidhi, tanra dasa vidyanidhi,
rajendra haila tanha ha'te
tanhara kinkara jaya-dharma name paricaya,
parampara jana bhala mate
jayadharma-dasye khyati, sri purusottama yati,
ta'ha ha'te brahmanya-tirtha suri
vyaa-tirtha tanra dasa, laksmi-pati vyasa-dasa,
taha ha'te mahavendra puri
mahavendra puri-vara, sisya-vara sri isvara,
nityananda sri-advaita-vibhu
isara-purike dhanya, karilena sri caitanya,
jagad-guru-gaura-maharabhu
mahaprabhu sri-caitanya, radha-krsna nahe anya,
rupanuga-janera-jivana
visvambhara priyankara, sri svarupa damodara,
sri goswami rupa-sanatana
rupa-priya mahajana, jiva raghunatha hana,
tanra priya kavi krsna dasa
krsna dasa priya-bara, narottama sevapara,
yanra pada visvanatha asa
visvanatha bhakta-satha, baladeva jagannatha,
tanra priya sri bhaktivinoda
mahabhagavata-bara, sri-gaura-kisora-bara,
hari-bhajanete yanra moda
ei saba hari-jana, gaurangera nija-jana,
tandera ucchiste mora kama
sri varsabhanavi-bara, sada sevya-sevapara,
tanhara dayitadasa nama
The teachings of pure devotional service to Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead begins with Sri Krsna Himself. Sri Krsna revealed this divine knowledge to the four-headed Brahma, who taught it to Narada. Narada taught it to Vyasa, who taught it to his servant, Sri Madhvacarya. From Madhvacarya it passed to Padmanabha, Narahari, and Madhava. Madhava's disciple was Aksobhya. Aksobhya's disciple was Jayatirtha, whose foremost disciple was Jnanasindhu. After Jnanasindhu was Dayaidhi, whose disciple was Vidyanidhi, also known as Vidyadhiraja Tirtha. His disciple was Rajendra Tirtha, whose principle disciple was Jayadharma, also known as Vijayadhvaja Tirtha, the famous Srimad-Bhagavatam commentator. His disciple was Purusottama Tirtha, whose foremost disciple was Brahmanya Tirtha. His disciple was Vyasatirtha, whose disciple was Laksmipati Tirtha. In this way one should understand the guru-parampara.
Laksmipati Tirtha initiated Sri Mahavendra Puri, the best of sannyasis. His favorite disciple was ^svara Puri. Two of his foremost disciples were Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Advaita Prabhu, the two great Personalities of Godhead. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu made ^svara Puri greatly fortunate by accepting him as His guru. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is none other than Sri Radha and Krsna combined, and is the life and soul of the rupanuga Vaisnavas. The most dear follower of Sri Caitanya, who was also known as Visvambhara, was Svarupa Damodara, whose principle followers were Rupa and Sanatana Goswami. The beloved followers of Rupa and Sanatana were Sri Jiva and Raghunatha dasa, whose dearmost servant was Krsna dasa Kaviraja Goswami. The dearmost follower of Krsna dasa was Narottama dasa hakura. Narottama's follower, Visvanatha Cakravarti hakura had no desire other than the service of Narottama's lotus feet. The foremost devotee of Visvanatha was Baladeva Vidyabhusana, and then Jagannatha dasa Babaji. The dear servant of Jagannatha dasa Babaji was Bhaktivinoda hakura. Bhaktivinoda hakura was followed by Sri Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji, a great devotee whose only pleasure was the service of Sri Hari. All these pure devotees of the Lord represent the dynasty of Sri Gauranga, the Gaura-vamsa. Their holy feet are my only refuge. I am devoid of any real service to them, but hope that one day their service may be mine. I am only a fallen tridandi-sannyai by the name of Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati."
[NOTE: Since this list of the disciplic succession has been compiled by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati hakura himself, he mentions himself only as a humble servant of the previous acaryas. He has since been recognized as the next link in the chain of disiciplic succession. He carried out the mission of Bhaktivinod hakura to fulfill the inner desires of the previous acaryas of the rupanuga-sampradaya, and is responsible for bringing the Krsna consciousness movement into the 20th century by using modern technology to spread the ancient tradition of Gaudiya Vaisnavism throughout India. His dream to preach Gaudiya Vaisnavism throughout the world, and especially in the English language was realized by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. He began the International Society for Krsna Consciousness and popularized the preaching of the holy names of Krsna throughout the world. His senior Godbrother, Sri Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja, the foremost follower of the ontology and philosophical precepts (siddhanta ) of Srila Bhaktisiddhata Saraswati is currently carrying on the tradition, and is recognized by scholars as the principle living representative of the Gaura-vamsa, the line of Sri Caitanya.]
Thus ends the first jewel of the Gaudiya-Kanthahara, entitled Guru-Tattva.
 

Gaudiya Kanthahara