जनो जनस्यादिशतेऽसतीं गतिं
यया प्रपद्येत दुरत्ययं तमः ।
त्वं त्वव्ययं ज्ञानममोघमञ्जसा
प्रपद्यते येन जनो निजं पदम् ॥
jano janasyādiśate’satīṁ gatiṁ
yayā prapadyeta duratyayaṁ tamaḥ |
tvaṁ tv avyayaṁ jñānam amogham añjasā
prapadyate yena jano nijaṁ padam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.24.51)
[Satyavrata Rāja to Matsya Avatāra:] “A person [i.e., a worldly guru] teaches the unrighteous path [i.e., the pursuit of artha, kāma, and so on] whereby a person shall attain to unsurmountable darkness [i.e., saṁsāra], but you [appear in the form of the guru and] teach imperishable and unerring knowledge whereby a person quickly attains your own abode [alt., your own feet].”
Commentary
prākṛto gurur anartha-hetur dūre pariharaṇīya |
(Excerpt from the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“A mundane guru, who is a cause of anarthas, should be completely avoided from afar.”