Quotes: guru-tattva (Srila Prabhupada)

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada

Press Conference. July 16, 1975, San Francisco

Reporter (2): What will happen to the movement in the United States when you die?

Prabhupada: I will never die.

Prabhupada: I shall live for my books, and you will utilize.

Reporter (2): Are you training a successor?

Prabhupada: Yes, my Guru Maharaja is there. Where is my photo of Guru Maharaja? I think... Here is.

Conversation Pieces. May 27, 1977, Vrndavana. Ah. Yayati. No, why? You are my body. So you live on. There is no difference. Just like I am working, so my Guru Maharaja is there, Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami. Physically he may not be, but in every action he is there... So I am not going to die. Kirtir yasya sa jivati: "One who has done something substantial, he lives forever." He doesn't die. Even in our practical life... Of course, this is material, karma-phala. One has to accept another body according to his karma. But for devotee there is no such thing. He always accepts a body for serving Krsna. So there is no karma-phala.

Room Conversation [Recent Mail]. July 14, 1977, Vrndavana. Gargamoney... I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my Guru Maharaja...

Tamala Krsna: He says, "I may also come to cook and clean for you..."

Prabhupada: Yes, you are welcome.

Tamala Krsna: "...if you so desire. And carry you also."

Prabhupada: [chuckles] No, you are doing more important business. Do that. But if you want to do, whatever you like, you can come. He is a good cook also.

mercy of Krsna and guru

Initiations and Gayatri of Devotees Going to London. August 11, 1968, Montreal. So I was dreaming sometimes that my Guru Maharaja is calling me and I am leaving my home and going behind him. I was dreaming like that, and I was thinking, "Oh, I have to give up my home? My Guru Maharaja wants me to give up my home life and take sannyasa?"... In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said, guru-krsna krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc Madhya 19.151]: There shall be combined mercy of Krsna and guru. Then our mission of Krsna consciousness will be successful. This is the secret. Krsna is always within you. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg 18.61]. Therefore Krsna knows everything of your purpose, and He gives you opportunity to work as you have decided. If you decide to enjoy this material world, Krsna will give you intelligence how to become very nice businessman, very nice politician, very nice cunning man so that you can earn money and enjoy senses. Krsna will give you intelligence... So one who is intelligent, as it is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, krsna ye bhaje se bada catura. Unless one is perfectly intelligent and perfectly cleansed, one cannot take to Krsna consciousness. So therefore guru-krsna krpa paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc Madhya 19.151]. Krsna is seated within everyone's heart. If we want Krsna sincerely... And how we want Krsna sincerely? That is the mercy of the spiritual master... He gives the instruction that "Give up all this nonsense, your material activities. Just surrender unto Me." But people are not very interested... But the spiritual master, he is so kind that he is begging from door to door, from country to country, from town to town, "My dear ladies, my dear gentlemen, my dear boys, my dear girls, please take to Krsna consciousness."

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day. December 9, 1968, Los Angeles. But I took that order of my spiritual master very seriously, but I did not think that I'll have to do such-and-such thing. I was at that time a householder. But this is the arrangement of Krsna. If we strictly try to serve the spiritual master, his order, then Krsna will give us all facilities. That is the secret. Although there was no possibility, I never thought, but I took it little seriously by studying a commentary by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura on the Bhagavad-gita. In the Bhagavad-gita, the verse vyavasayatmika-buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana [Bg 2.41].

In connection with that verse, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives his commentary that we should take up the words from the spiritual master as our life and soul. We should try to carry out the instruction, the specific instruction of the spiritual master, very rigidly, without caring for our personal benefit or loss.

So I tried a little bit in that spirit. So he has given me all facilities to serve him. Things have come to this stage, that in this old age I have come to your country, and you are also taking this movement seriously, trying to understand it. We have got some books now. So there is little foothold of this movement.

Guru: God and servent

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.28. March 6, 1976, Mayapur.

So Prahlada Maharaja is one of the mahajana, authorities. How he has gotten this authority? Here it is said, so 'ham katham nu visrje tava bhrtya-sevam. So everyone must have his position by giving service to the spiritual master. And who is spiritual master? Tava bhrtya: who is a servant of Krsna.

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado

yasyaprasadad na gatih kuto 'pi

[Sri Gurvastakam 8]

kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya

Guru is described, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah: "By the mercy of guru one can achieve the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Yasya prasada. Yasya aprasadat: "If guru is not pleased, then he has no place." Na gatih kuto 'pi.

saksad dharitvena samasta-sastrair

uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih

kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya

[Sri Gurvastakam 7]

Why the spiritual master position is so great? Because he is very, very confidential servant of Krsna; therefore his position is so great. So this is the process: tava bhrtya-seva. We have to... Adau gurvasrayam. [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu In the beginning one should accept the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and inquire submissively about religious principles. He should then desire to follow in the footsteps of the great devotees of the Lord.

So Prahlada Maharaja is one of the mahajana, authorities. How he has gotten this authority? Here it is said, so 'ham katham nu visrje tava bhrtya-sevam. So everyone must have his position by giving service to the spiritual master. And who is spiritual master? Tava bhrtya: who is a servant of Krsna.

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado

yasyaprasadad na gatih kuto 'pi

[Sri Gurvastakam 8]

kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya

Guru is described, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah: "By the mercy of guru one can achieve the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Yasya prasada. Yasya aprasadat: "If guru is not pleased, then he has no place." Na gatih kuto 'pi.

saksad dharitvena samasta-sastrair

uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih

kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya

[Sri Gurvastakam 7]

Why the spiritual master position is so great? Because he is very, very confidential servant of Krsna; therefore his position is so great. So this is the process: tava bhrtya-seva. We have to... Adau gurvasrayam. [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu In the beginning one should accept the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and inquire submissively about religious principles. He should then desire to follow in the footsteps of the great devotees of the Lord.