tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā |
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 4.34)
“Learn that [knowledge] through obeisance, inquiry, and service. Knowers and seers of the reality will teach [that] knowledge to you.”
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.”
guru-bhaktyā sa milati smaraṇāt sevyate budhaiḥ |
milito’pi na labhyeta jīvair ahamikā-paraiḥ ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 209)
“One meets [i.e., attains] he who is served by the wise [i.e., Bhagavān] through remembrance (smaraṇa) as a result of bhakti to [one’s] guru [i.e., remembrance of Bhagavān whereby he is served and satisfied develops as a result of bhakti to one’s guru], but even if he [i.e., Bhagavān] is met, he cannot be attained [i.e., he is not truly attained or appreciated] by jīvas who are engrossed in egotism.”
