सर्वत्र व्यतिरिक्तन्तु आत्मानं वेत्ति यो द्विजः ।
सर्वलक्षणहीनोऽपि स गुरुर्नात्र संशयः ॥
अपि पापसमाचारः सर्वलक्षणवर्जितः ।
देशिकः स तु विज्ञेयः संसारार्णवतारकः ॥
sarvatra vyatiriktan tu ātmānaṁ vetti yo dvijaḥ |
sarva-lakṣaṇa-hīno’pi sa gurur nātra saṁśayaḥ ||
api pāpa-samācāraḥ sarva-lakṣaṇa-varjitaḥ |
deśikaḥ sa tu vijñeyaḥ saṁsārārṇava-tārakaḥ ||
(Hayaśīrṣa Pañcarātra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 19.100–101)
“A twice-born who knows the ātmā [i.e., the self] to be distinct [i.e., from the body, etc.] in all cases is a guru even though [i.e., if] devoid of all [other] characteristics [of a guru]. Of this there is no doubt. Even if he of sinful conduct and devoid of all [other] characteristics [of a guru], he should be known as a deśika [i.e., guru] and deliverer from the ocean of saṁsāra.”