divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt kuryāt pāpasya saṁkṣayam |
tasmād dīkṣeti sā proktā deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ ||
(Viṣṇu-yāmala; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.9; Bhakti Sandarbha: 283)
“Therefore, that which shall grant divine knowledge and shall completely destroy sin is called dīkṣā by preceptors learned in the truth.”
guru-pādāśrayas tasmāt kṛṣṇa-dīkṣādi-śikṣaṇam |
viśrambheṇa guroḥ sevā sādhu-vartmānuvartanam || …
trayāṁ pradhānam evoktaṁ guru-pādāśrayādikam |
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.74, 83)
“(1) [Taking] Shelter at the feet of guru; (2) [receiving] instruction [from guru] beginning with Kṛṣṇa-mantra-dīkṣā; (3) serving guru with confidence; (4) following the path of the sādhus. … The three [practices] beginning with [taking] shelter at the feet of guru [amongst the sixty-four listed] are said to be principal.”
