tatra bhāgavatān dharmān śikṣed gurv-ātma-daivataḥ |
amāyayānuvṛttyā yais tuṣyed ātmātmado hariḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.3.22; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.98; Bhakti Sandarbha: 206)
“One for whom the guru is the Self (ātmā) and the Devatā should, through unaffected adherence, learn from him [viz., the guru] Bhāgavata-dharmas by which Hari, he who is the Self and the Bestower of himself, can be pleased.”
vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana |
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo’vyavasāyinām ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.41)
“O son of the Kurus, the resolute intellect (buddhi) is one [i.e., one-pointed] in this regard [i.e., in regard to practicing bhakti-yoga]. The intellects of the irresolute, however, are many-branched and endless [i.e., divided between numerous different pursuits and driven by an endless number of worldly desires].”
yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā guruḥ |
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ ||
(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad: 6.23; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 4.346; Bhagavat Sandarbha: 98; Bhakti Sandarbha: 5, 21, 209; Govinda-bhāṣya: 3.3.44, 45, 3.4.50)
“These discussed subjects [i.e., the teachings a guru gives to a disciple regarding Brahma-vidyā] are revealed to the great soul who has pure bhakti to Deva, and as to Deva, so also to guru.”
acakṣur andhasya yathāgraṇīḥ kṛtas
tathā janasyāviduṣo’budho guruḥ |
tvam arka-dṛk sarva-dṛśāṁ samīkṣaṇo
vṛto gurur naḥ sva-gatiṁ bubhutsatām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.24.50)
[Satyavrata Rāja to Matsya Avatāra:] “As an eyeless person [i.e., a blind person] is made a leader of a blind person [by a blind person who doesn’t realize that they are accepting another blind person as a leader], so an ignorant person is [made a leader] of an unknowing person [by the unknowing person who fails to recognize that the person whom they have accepted as a guru is actually ignorant]. [Thus,] You, whose knowledge is [illuminating] like the sun and who are the illuminator of all knowledges, are accepted [by us] as the guru of we who are desirous of understanding our own path [i.e., the best path for our true selves, viz., bhakti].”
itthaṁ-vidhāny anekāni vasatāṁ guru-veśmani |
guror anugraheṇaiva pumān pūrṇaḥ praśāntaye ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.80.43)
“[Kṛṣṇa to Sudāmā:] While living in the home of our guru, we had many [experiences] of such type. Only by the grace of guru does a person become fulfilled and completely peaceful.”
idaṁ te nātapaskāya nābhaktāya kadācana |
na cāśuśrūṣave vācyaṁ na ca māṁ yo’bhyasūyati ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 18.67)
“[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] Neither to someone who is neglectful of austerity, nor to a non-bhakta, nor to someone who does not wish to listen, nor to someone who casts aspersions on me is this [i.e., this śāstra, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā] ever to be spoken.”
śrī-caitanya-mano’bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale |
so’yaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam ||
(Prema-bhakti-candrikā: 2)
“When will he, this Śrī Rūpa by whom the cherished object of Śrī Caitanya’s heart has been established on the surface of the earth, bestow upon me nearness to his feet?”
adhikārī ca sambandho viṣayaś ca prayojanam |
avaśyam eva vaktavyaṁ śāstrādau tu catuṣṭayam ||
(Unknown Source; cited in the Amṛta-ṭīkā to Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇam: Maṅgalācaraṇa, 1)
“The eligible person (adhikārī) [to read the text], the relationship (sambandha) [between the text and the subject], the subject (viṣaya) [of the text], and the purpose (prayojana) [of the text]—these four [which are known as the anubandha-catuṣṭaya] must be stated at the beginning of a śāstra.”
sei se parama bandhu, sei pitā-mātā |
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇe yei prema-bhakti-dātā ||
sakala janme pitā-mātā sabe pāya |
kṛṣṇa guru nāhi mile, bhajaha hiyāya ||
(Caitanya-maṅgala: Madhya-khaṇḍa)
“He who is the giver of prema-bhakti to the feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the greatest friend; he is the father and the mother. In every birth, everyone gets a father and mother, but everyone does not attain Kṛṣṇa or guru. [Therefore,] Serve them with your heart.”
na dharmaṁ nādharmaṁ śruti-gaṇa-niruktaṁ kila kuru
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pracura-paricaryām iha tanuḥ |
śacī-sūnuṁ nandīśvara-pati-sutatve guru-varaṁ
mukunda-preṣṭhatve smara padam ajasraṁ nanu manaḥ ||
(Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī’s Manaḥ-śikṣā: 2)
“Never engage in the dharma or adharma described in the Śrutis. [Rather,] Render abundant service to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa here in Vraja. Always deeply remember the Son of Śacī to be the Son of Nanda and your beloved guru to be Mukunda’s favorite, O mind!”
