nāham ijyā-prajātibhyāṁ tapasopaśamena vā |
tuṣyeyaṁ sarva-bhūtātmā guru-śuśrūṣayā yathā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.80.34)
“I [Bhagavān], the Self of all beings, shall not be satisfied by sacrifice, higher birth [alt., procreation], austerity, or equilibrium as [I am] by service to the guru.”
etat sarvaṁ gurau bhaktyā puruṣo hy añjasā jayet ||
yasya sākṣād bhagavati jñāna-dīpa-prade gurau |
martyāsad-dhīḥ śrutaṁ tasya sarvaṁ kuñjara-śaucavat ||
eṣa vai bhagavān sākṣāt pradhāna-puruṣeśvaraḥ |
yogeśvarair vimṛgyāṅghrir loko yaṁ manyate naram ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.15.25–27)
“A person certainly can quickly conquer all of these by means of bhakti to the guru. All the hearing of one who has the misconception of a mortal in relation to the guru, who is the giver of the lamp of knowledge and Bhagavān in person, is like the bathing of an elephant. He whom a [worldly] person considers [to be merely] a [ordinary] human being is verily Bhagavān in person, the Īśvara of pradhāna and the puruṣa [i.e., of māyā and the jīvas], he whose feet are sought by masters of yoga.”
yadyapi śaraṇāpattyaiva sarvaṁ sidhyati, ‘śaraṇaṁ taṁ prapannā ye dhyāna-yoga-vivarjitāḥ | te vai mṛtyum atikramya yānti tad vaiṣṇavaṁ padam ||’ iti gāruḍāt, tathāpi vaiśiṣṭya-lipsuḥ śaktaś cet tato bhagavac-chāstropadeṣṭṝṇāṁ bhagavan-mantropadeṣṭṝṇāṁ vā śrī-guru-caraṇānāṁ nityam eva viśeṣataḥ sevāṁ kuryāt | tat-prasādo hi sva-sva-nānā-pratīkāra-dustyajānartha-hānau parama-bhagavat-prasāda-siddhau ca mūlam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 237)
“Although everything is accomplished just by śaraṇāgati, as per [this statement in] Garuḍa Purāṇa, ‘Those who have forsaken meditation and yoga and taken shelter in him [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān] certainly overcome death and reach that abode of Viṣṇu,’ still if one is desirous of specificity [i.e., a specific form of prema and relationship with a specific form of Śrī Bhagavān] and able [to pursue such], then one should perform service fixedly and specifically of the feet of a blessed guru who is a teacher of śāstras related to Bhagavān or a teacher of a mantra related to Bhagavān, since his grace is the root cause of the removal of defilements (anarthas) that are difficult to give up by various counter-measures of one’s own and of the attainment of the supreme grace of Bhagavān.”
atha sva-prayatno balavān śrī-guru-prasādo veti sandehe’kṛte prayatne tat-prasādasyākiñcitkaratvāt sva-prayatno balavān iti prāpte—
liṅga-bhūyastvāt tad dhi balīyas tad api |
ṛṣabhādibhyo brahma-śrutavatā satya-kāmena ‘bhagavāṁs tv eva me kāmaṁ brūyāt’ iti śrī-guruḥ prārthyate | tathāgnibhyaḥ śruta-vidyenopakośalena cety ādi-chāndogyādi-dṛṣṭa-guru-prasādana-liṅga-bāhulyāt tat-prasādanam eva baliṣṭham | tarhi tāvatālam ity api na mantavyam | kiṁ tarhi tad api śravaṇādi ca kartavyam ‘yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ,’ ‘śrotavyo mantavyaḥ’ ity ādi śruteḥ, ‘guru-prasādo balavān na tasmād balavattaram, tathāpi śravaṇādiś ca kartavyo mokṣa-siddhaye ||’ iti smṛteś ca |
(Vedānta-sūtra: 3.3.45)
“Now, in the case of the doubt, ‘Is one’s own effort more powerful, or [is] the grace of the guru [more powerful]?’ [A prima facie view is posited] ‘Because of his [i.e., the guru’s] grace’s being ineffective when [one’s own] effort is not made, one’s own effort is more powerful’ When this [prima facie view] is encountered, [then the following sūtra is stated], ‘Because of a profusion of indications [throughout the śāstra], that [i.e., the grace of the guru] is certainly more powerful [than one’s own effort], [though] that [i.e., one’s own effort] too [is necessary]’ (liṅga-bhūyastvāt tad dhi balīyas tad api). [In Chāndogya Upaniṣad 4.9.2 it is described that] A blessed guru was prayed to by Satyakāma, who had [already] heard about Brahman from the bull and so forth [i.e., from devas who had assumed the forms of a bull and so forth], ‘O venerable one, still certainly please speak of my desired object [i.e., Brahman].’ [Although Satyakāma has already been blessed with knowledge of Brahman directly by the devatās, he still inquired from his guru about Brahman, and this shows that realization of Brahman always requires the grace of the guru]. It was similar with Upakośala, who heard knowledge [of Brahman] from the fires [he tended in accord with the direction of his guru, Satyakāma, but later still inquired from Satyakāma about Brahman]. Thus, because of the profusion of indications of the grace of the guru [being necessary to realize Brahman] seen in Chāndogya Upaniṣad and elsewhere [i.e., and in other śāstras], his [i.e., the guru’s] grace is certainly more powerful [than one’s own effort].
“[A further question is raised:] ‘Then just that is sufficient? [i.e., then one need not make the effort of engaging in the practices of sādhana taught by the guru, such as hearing, contemplating, and meditating, if somehow or other one can simply get his grace?]’ This [notion] too is not to be thought. [A follow-up question is raised:] ‘Then what [should be thought and done]?’ That too, meaning, hearing and so forth, is also to be done, in accord with the [statements in the] Śruti [that describe this], [e.g., Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23,] ‘These discussed subjects are certainly revealed to the great soul who has pure bhakti to Deva, and as to Deva, so also to the guru,’ [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.5,] ‘The Ātmā is to be heard about, to be contemplated, and to be deeply meditated upon,’ and so on, and in accord with the [statements in the] Smṛti [that describe this], [e.g., Varāha Purāṇa], ‘The grace of the guru is powerful. There is nothing more powerful than it. Still, to attain liberation, hearing and so forth [i.e., contemplation and meditation] are to be done.’”
atha guru-gamyatvaṁ guṇam upasaṁhartum ārabhyate | vidyā-pradeśeṣu śrūyate ‘yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve yathā gurau | tasyaite kathitā hy arthāh prakāśante mahātmanaḥ ||’ iti śvetāśvataropaniṣadi | ‘ācāryavān puruṣo veda’ iti ‘tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacched’ iti cānyatra | iha saṁśayaḥ | guru-labdhāc chravaṇāditaḥ phalaṁ guru-prasāda-sahitāt tasmād veti | tatra śravaṇāditaḥ phalābhidhānāt kiṁ tat-prasādeneti prāpte—
pradānavad eva tad uktam |
yathā prasannena guruṇā brahmāpti-hetuḥ śravaṇādi-sādhanaṁ dattaṁ tathaiva tat-prāpti-rūpaṁ phalaṁ bhavati | na tu śravaṇādi-mātreṇety āvaśyakam | tat-gurv-anugrahāvekṣaṇam uktam | pra-śabdaḥ prasādaṁ vyañjayati | āha caivaṁ śrī-bhagavān aravindākṣaḥ ‘ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucam’ iti | tathā ca tad-anugraha-sahitāc chravaṇāditas tat-prāptir iti |
(Vedānta-sūtra: 3.3.44)
“Now we begin to summarize the quality [of Brahman] of being attainable through the guru. In the sections [of the śāstra] regarding knowledge (vidyā) [of Brahman], it is heard in Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23), ‘These discussed subjects are certainly revealed to the great soul who has pure bhakti to Deva, and as to Deva, so also to the guru,’ and elsewhere [in Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2], ‘A person who has an ācārya knows [Brahman],’ and [in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12]. ‘To know in depth that [i.e., Brahman], one should only approach a guru.’ In this regard there is a doubt: does the result [i.e., realization of Brahman] come just from hearing and so forth [i.e., along with contemplation and meditation upon Brahman, as described in BAU 2.4.5] received from the guru, or from that [i.e., from hearing from the guru, contemplating, and meditating] along with the grace of the guru?
“[A prima facie view is presented:] ‘In that regard, because of mention of the result [occurring just] by hearing and so forth [i.e., by contemplation and meditation], what [is the need] of his grace?’ When this [view] is encountered [i.e., in response to the aforementioned viewpoint, the author states the following sūtra]: ‘That [i.e., realization of Brahman] is stated to be exactly like a gracious gift’ (pradānavad eva tad uktam). As the cause of attainment of Brahman, that is, the sādhana of hearing [śāstra] and so forth, is given by the guru by grace, so exactly is the result in the form of attainment thereof [i.e., of Brahman, meaning, as the process is given by the guru, so the result is ultimately given by the guru as well], and it does not occur, rather, just by hearing and so forth [i.e., just by hearing, contemplating, and meditating upon Brahman by one’s own efforts]. Thus, there is necessity [of the guru’s grace in addition to performing the practices of hearing and so forth given by the guru]. Attention towards [receiving] the favor of the guru is described (uktam) [in the śāstra]. The prefix pra [in the word pradāna in the sūtra under discussion] alludes to grace [i.e., the goal, realization of Brahman, is not just a ‘gift’ (dāna) but a ‘gracious gift’ (pradāna), meaning, it is a gift given by the guru’s grace]. Lotus-eyed Śrī Bhagavān also says such [in BG 13.8], ‘Worship of the ācārya and purity [are fundamental elements of knowledge]’ (ācāryopasānaṁ śaucam). Thus, furthermore, attainment of that [i.e., Brahman] occurs as a result of hearing and so forth [i.e., contemplation and meditation] along with his [i.e., the guru’s] favor.”
nārāyaṇaḥ paraṁ brahma taj jñānenātha gamyate |
jñānasya sādhanaṁ śāstraṁ śāstraṁ ca guru-vaktragam ||
brahma-prāptir ato hetor gurv-adhīnā sadaiva hi |
hetunānena vai viprā gurur gurutaraḥ smṛtaḥ ||
yasmād devo jagannāthaḥ kṛtvā martyamayīṁ tanum |
magnān uddharate lokān kāruṇyāc chāstra-pāṇinā ||
tasmād bhaktir gurau kāryā saṁsāra-bhaya-bhīruṇā |
śāstra-jñānena yo’jñānaṁ timiraṁ vinipātayet ||
śāstraṁ pāpa-haraṁ puṇyaṁ pavitraṁ bhoga-mokṣadam |
śāntidaṁ ca mahārthaṁ ca vakti yaḥ sa jagad-guruḥ ||
(Nārada Pañcarātra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.413–417)
“Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Brahman, and he is attained by means of knowledge (jñāna). The means of acquiring knowledge (jñāna) is the śāstra, and the śāstra is learned from the mouth of the guru. For this reason, the attainment of Brahman is indeed verily always dependent on the guru, and for that reason, O brāhmaṇas, the guru is known to be very important [lit., ‘very heavy’]. Because Deva, the Lord of universe, out of compassion adopts a mortal form [i.e., the human form of the guru] and delivers the people immersed [in the ocean of saṁsāra] with the hand of the śāstra, bhakti to the guru is to be performed by those who are frighted by the fear of saṁsāra [i.e., by those who aspire to transcend saṁsāra]. He who can completely dispel the darkness of ignorance with knowledge of the śāstra—[he] who is a speaker of the śāstra, which is a remover of sin, sacred, purifying, a bestower of enjoyment and mokṣa, a bestower of peace, and possessed of deep meaning—is a guru of the world.”
yāny anavadyāni karmāṇi tāni sevitavyāni no itarāṇi |
yāny asmākaṁ sucaritāni tāni tvayopāsyāni no itarāṇi |
(Taittirīya Upaniṣad: 1.11.2–3)
“Those acts which are unobjectionable are to be practiced, and not others. Those which are fine deeds of ours are to be honored by you, and not others.”
viṣṇor nāmaiva puṁsāḥ śamalam apaharat puṇyam utpādayac ca
brahmādi-sthāna-bhogād viratim atha guroḥ śrī-pada-dvandva-bhaktim |
tattva-jñānaṁ ca viṣṇor iha mṛti-janana-bhrānti-bījaṁ ca dagdhvā
saṁpūrṇānanda-bodhe mahati ca puruṣaṁ sthāpayitvā nivṛttam ||
(Vyāsapāda; cited in Padyāvalī: 24)
“Only Viṣṇu’s name removes impurity and produces meritorious action, detachment from enjoyment of the positions of Brahmā and so forth, bhakti to the two beautiful feet of guru, and knowledge of the nature of Viṣṇu; [only Viṣṇu’s name] burns away the seed [i.e., cause] of revolving in birth and death here [in this world], establishes a person in deep awareness of complete bliss [in the service of Śrī Viṣṇu], and [finally, seeing its work complete,] retires [i.e., manifests in the form of its bearer, Viṣṇu].”
prathamaṁ tu guruḥ pūjyaḥ tataś caiva mamārcanam |
kurvan siddhim avāpnoti hy anyathā niṣphalaṁ bhavet ||
(Unknown source; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 4.344; Bhakti Sandarbha: 238)
[Bhagavān:] “By first worshipping guru and then worshipping me, one attains perfection, and otherwise, one’s worship becomes fruitless.”
