vayo-hīnāj jñāna-hīnād vidyā-hīnāt tathaiva ca
vayo-hīnāj jñāna-hīnād vidyā-hīnāt tathaiva ca |
jāti-hīnād guror mantraṁ gṛhṇīyān na kadācana ||
aśāstrārthaṁ kṣataṁ mantraṁ ca gṛhṇīyāt kadācana |
mūrkhād āśrama-hīnāc ca pituḥ sannyāsinas tathā ||
rogiṇo vaṁśa-hīnāc ca bhāryā-hīnāt tathaiva ca |
mantra-kṣiptāt tathā mantraṁ na gṛhṇīyāt kadācana |
viṣṇu-mantraṁ na gṛhṇīyād viṣṇu-bhakti-vihīnataḥ |
na ca śaivān śāktāc ca gṛhṇīyād vaiṣṇavād dvijāt ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa: Kṛṣṇa-janma-khaṇḍa, 83.42–45)
“One should never accept a mantra from someone of lesser age, lesser knowledge, lesser learning, or lesser caste. One should never accept a mantra that has a meaning contrary to śāstra or is diminished [i.e., not given in full form]. One should never accept a mantra from a fool, from one of lesser āśrama, from a father, from a sannyāsī, from a sickly person, from someone without a family [i.e., children], from someone without a wife, or someone who has disregarded the mantra [i.e., forgotten it or neglected to meditate on it each day]. One should not accept a Viṣṇu-mantra from someone devoid of bhakti to Viṣṇu, or from a Śaiva or Śākta. One should accept [a Viṣṇu-mantra] from a twice-born Vaiṣṇava.”