जनोऽबुधोऽयं निजकर्मबन्धनः
सुखेच्छया कर्म समीहतेऽसुखम् ।
यत्सेवया तां विधुनोत्यसन्मतिं
ग्रन्थिं स भिन्द्याद्धृदयं स नो गुरुः ॥
jano’budho’yaṁ nija-karma-bandhanaḥ
sukhecchayā karma samīhate’sukham |
yat-sevayā tāṁ vidhunoty asan-matiṁ
granthiṁ sa bhindyād dhṛdayaṁ sa no guruḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.24.47)
[Satyavrata Rāja to Matsya Avatāra:] “These unknowing persons bound by their own karma, out of desire for satisfaction, perform karma which is [ultimately] dissatisfying; you are he who dispels this depraved mentality [i.e., those persons’ desires for satisfaction within saṁsāra] with his service [i.e., through service to yourself], he who can cut the knot in the heart [i.e., ignorance], and [thus] our guru.”