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gurv-īśvarayor maheśvarayoś cābhedāpadeśe’pīttham eva taiḥ śuddha-bhaktair matam |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.30.38)
“The non-difference between guru and Īśvara, and between the two maheśvaras [i.e., Śiva and Bhagavān], even when pointed out in this way [i.e., even when non-difference between Śiva and Bhagavān is pointed out by a description (in SB 4.30.28) of Śiva’s being Bhagavān’s dear friend], is accepted by pure bhaktas.”
Read on →: gurv-īśvarayor maheśvarayoś cābhedāpadeśe’pīttham eva taiḥ śuddha-bhaktair matam
śuddha-bhaktās tv eke śrī-guroḥ śrī-śivasya ca śrī-bhagavatā sahābheda-dṛṣṭiṁ tat-priyatamatvenaiva manyante |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 213)
“Many pure bhaktas, however, foster a vision of śrī guru’s and Śrī Śiva’s non-difference from Śrī Bhagavān specifically because of their being most dear to him.”
Read on →: śuddha-bhaktās tv eke śrī-guroḥ śrī-śivasya ca śrī-bhagavatā
sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair
uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ |
kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya
vande guroḥ śrī-charaṇāravindam ||
(Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda’s Gurudevāṣṭakam: 7)
“I offer obeisance unto the beautiful lotus feet of guru, who is described by all the śāstras as being Hari himself and is indeed considered so by the sādhus [on account of his being most dear to Hari], yet [by nature] is really a dear one of Prabhu [i.e., a bhakta dear to Hari and not a manifestation of Hari who is equal to Hari in all respects].”
Read on →: sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair
naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa
brahmāyuṣāpi kṛtam ṛddha-mudaḥ smarantaḥ |
yo’ntar bahis tanu-bhṛtām aśubhaṁ vidhunvann
ācārya-caittya-vapuṣā sva-gatiṁ vyanakti ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.6)
“[Uddhava to Kṛṣṇa:] O Lord, abounding with joy in remembering the feats [i.e., the unconditional favor] of you who with your external form as the ācārya and internal [form] situated in the citta dispel inauspiciousness and manifest your own shelter for embodied beings, the wise cannot proffer remuneration [i.e., clear their debt to you] even within the life-span of Brahmā [i.e., they can never sufficiently reciprocate with you even by serving you til the end of time].”
Read on →: naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa
svayam asiddhaḥ kathaṁ parān sādhayet
(Cited in Śabda-kalpa-druma)
“How can one who is himself not realized make others realized?”
Read on →: svayam asiddhaḥ kathaṁ parān sādhayet
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.3.21; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.32; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.97; Bhakti Sandarbha: 202, 238)
“Therefore [i.e., because there is no lasting fulfillment in saṁsāra and bhakti is the only means of crossing over saṁsāra], one who wishes to know the highest good should take shelter in a guru who is adept in śabda-brahman and Parabrahman, and is an abode of tranquility.”
Read on →: tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam