वयोहीनाज्ज्ञानहीनाद्विद्याहीनात्तथैव च ।
जातिहीनाद्गुरोर्मन्त्रं गृह्णीयान्न कदाचन ॥
अशास्त्रार्थं क्षतं मन्त्रं च गृह्णीयात्कदाचन ।
मूर्खादाश्रमहीनाच्च पितुः सन्न्यासिनस्तथा ॥
रोगिणो वंशहीनाच्च भार्याहीनात्तथैव च ।
मन्त्रक्षिप्तात्तथा मन्त्रं न गृह्णीयात्कदाचन ।
विष्णुमन्त्रं न गृह्णीयाद्विष्णुभक्तिविहीनतः ।
न च शैवान्शाक्ताच्च गृह्णीयाद्वैष्णवाद्द्विजात् ॥
vayo-hīnāj jñāna-hīnād vidyā-hīnāt tathaiva ca |
jāti-hīnād guror mantraṁ gṛhṇīyān na kadācana ||
aśāstrārthaṁ kṣataṁ mantraṁ ca gṛhṇīyāt kadācana |
mūrkhād āśrama-hīnāc ca pituḥ sannyāsinas tathā ||
rogiṇo vaṁśa-hīnāc ca bhāryā-hīnāt tathaiva ca |
mantra-kṣiptāt tathā mantraṁ na gṛhṇīyāt kadācana |
viṣṇu-mantraṁ na gṛhṇīyād viṣṇu-bhakti-vihīnataḥ |
na ca śaivān śāktāc ca gṛhṇīyād vaiṣṇavād dvijāt ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa: Kṛṣṇa-janma-khaṇḍa, 83.42–45)
“One should never accept a mantra from someone of lesser age, lesser knowledge, lesser learning, or lesser caste. One should never accept a mantra that has a meaning contrary to śāstra or is diminished [i.e., not given in full form]. One should never accept a mantra from a fool, from one of lesser āśrama, from a father, from a sannyāsī, from a sickly person, from someone without a family [i.e., children], from someone without a wife, or someone who has disregarded the mantra [i.e., forgotten it or neglected to meditate on it each day]. One should not accept a Viṣṇu-mantra from someone devoid of bhakti to Viṣṇu, or from a Śaiva or Śākta. One should accept [a Viṣṇu-mantra] from a twice-born Vaiṣṇava.”