Guru Seva Booklet Web

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is
v
E7 e r y t h i n g !
sri srimad
gour govinda swami maharaja
Tattva vicara publications

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guru-seva
is
r
Eve7 y t h i n g !
Guru-sevĀ is everything
The information in this booklet is a lecture on Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.2.10, delivered by Çré Çrémad
Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja on 24 June 1994, Towaco, New Jersey, USA. This lecture is from
the book Çré Guru Makes Kåñëa Appear in Your Heart.
Quotes from the books of Çréla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda are copyrighted © The
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
First Edition 200 copies.

ISBN: 978-0-9943759-3-3
© 2017 Tattva Vicara Publications

some rights reserved. except where otherwise noted,
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To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
Permissions beyond the scope of this license write to info@tvpbooks.com.
Front cover images © Ananta-våndävana däsa. Used with permission.

Back cover image © Anupama däsa and Madanälasä devé däsé. Used with permission.
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guru-seva
is
r
Eve7 y t h i n g !
sri srimad
gour govinda swami maharaja
TAT T VA V I C A R A P U B L I C AT I O N S
Table of Contents
Glorification of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam i
Only Non-Envious Devotees Can Understand Dharma-Tattva i
Hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the Right Source ii
The Essence of All Vedic Literature ii
Kṛṣṇa Appears in Four Forms iii
No Scripture Is As Good As Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam iii
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Is Filled with Ecstatic Love iv
Grantha-Bhāgavata & Bhakta-Bhāgavata iv
Nityaṁ Bhāgavata-Sevayā v
Guru-sevā is Everything 1
What Is Proper Enquiry? 1
Who Knows the Perfect Answers? 2
Depend Completely on Kṛṣṇa 3
Be Restless and Cry in Your Heart 4
Saubhāgya or Durbhāgya — Good Fortune or Bad Fortune 5
Serve Kṛṣṇa Without Duplicity 6
Kṛṣṇa Assumes a Body and Appears as Guru 7
Bhagavat-Māyā Sends a Guru 8
How Can You Get Spiritual Strength? 8
Surrender – Serve & Enquire 10
Complete Surrender & Unflinching Faith 11
To Disobey the Order of the Spiritual Master 12
Who Can Save Us from this Precarious Situation? 14
What Does Sannyāsa Mean? 14
The Proper Use of Our Minute Independence 15
Follow the Order As It Is 16
Run Behind Him with Leech-Like Tenacity 18
You Must Approach Guru 18
Distress & Hardship Are My Supreme Asset 20
Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā Set an Example 20
Serve Guru with a Loving Heart 22
G l ori f i c a
of
t i o
the n
´ –
Srimad-bhagavatam–
'kåñëa-bhakti-rasa-svarüpa’ çré-bhägavata
täte veda-çästra haite parama mahattva
(Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä 25.150)
The Çrémad-Bhägavatam is kåñëa-bhakti-rasa, the mellow of

kåñëa-bhakti, the essence of all Vedas, Upaniñads. It is the natural
commentary on Brahmä-sütra, Vedänta-sütra. The Vedänta-sütra
is compiled by Çréla Vyäsadeva and Vyäsadeva Himself gave the
commentary.
yasyäà vai çrüyamäëäyäà

kåñëe parama-püruñe
bhaktir utpadyate puàsaù
çoka-moha-bhayäpahä
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.7.7)
Only by hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam from the right source, one

can very easily develop kåñëa-bhakti. As a result: fear, lamentation,
and delusion will be completely destroyed.
Only Non-Envious Devotees

Can Understand Dharma-Tattva
dharmaù projjhita-kaitavo’ tra paramo nirmatsaräëäà satäà

vedyaà västavam atra vastu çivadaà täpa-trayonmülanam
çrémad-bhägavate mahä-muni-kåte kim vä parair éçvaraù
sadyo hådy avarudhyate’ tra kåtibhiù çuçrüñubhis tat-kåsaëät
i
Glorification of the Srimad-Bhagavatam
The Çrémad-Bhägavatam speaks about bhägavate-dharma, not
kaitava-dharma, cheating dharma. Kaitava means ‘cheating’. Kaitava
catuñöaya, there are four types of cheating dharma: dharma, artha,
käma and mokña. But the Çrémad-Bhägavatam speaks of pure kåñëa-
prema-dharma, prema-pumarthaù. Who can understand this? Paramo
nirmatsaräëäà satäà vedyaà, only those devotees who are not
envious at all can understand this dharma-tattva.
Hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the Right Source
Hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam from the right source is so effective that

you will very easily develop kåñëa-bhakti. Not only that, but sadyo hådy
avarudhyate’ tra kåtibhiù çuçrüñubhis tat-kåsaëät – if someone develops the
desire to go and hear Çrémad-Bhägavatam, just by the development of
that desire, the Supreme Lord who resides in their heart becomes im-
mediately awakened. When you hear from the right source and develop
prema-bhakti, the Supreme Lord becomes bound by that love. This is the
effect of hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
The Essence of All Vedic Literature
artho ‘yam brahma-süträëäm

bhäratärtha-vinirëayaù
gäyatré-bhäñya-rüpo ‘sau
vedärtha-paribåàhitaù
(Garuòa Puräëa)
The following four topics are present in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam:

1. artho ‘yam brahma-süträëäm – the natural commentary on Brahmä-
sütra.
2. Bhäratärtha-vinirëayaù – the purports of the Mahäbhärata.
3. Gäyatré-bhäñya – a commentary on the gäyatré-mantra.
4. Vedärtha-vistära – the elaborate explanation of all Vedic teaching.
ii
You will find that Çrémad-Bhägavatam begins with gäyatré artha.
gäyatréra arthe ei grantha-ärambhana

“satyaà paraà” sambandha, “dhémahi” sädhana prayojana
(Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä 25.147)
The Caitanya-caritämåta states gäyatréra arthe ei grantha-

ärambhana. The grantha bhägavata äpanä begins with the gäyatré
artha, which is an explanation of the gäyatré-mantra: satyaà
paraà dhémahi. So it contains gäyatré-bhäñya and everything
else: it is the essence of all Vedic literature.
Kṛṣṇa Appears in Four Forms
bhägavata, tulasé, gaìgäya, bhakta-jane

caturdhä vigraha kåñëa ei cäri sane
“Kåñëa appears in this material world in four forms: Çrémad-

Bhägavatam, tulasé, Gaìgä, and the bhakta-bhägavata.”
(Caitanya-bhägavata, Madhya-khaëòa 21.081)
No Scripture Is As Good As Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
bhägavata-çästre se bhaktira tattva kahe

teïi bhägavata-sama kona çästra nahe
(Caitanya-bhägavata, Antya-khaëòa 3.509)
Prema-bhakti-tattva is described in Bhägavata, therefore no

scripture is as good as Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Prabhupäda said that if all the

books from the library of the world would be destroyed there will be no
harm if only Çrémad-Bhägavatam remains because it contains everything.
iii
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Is Filled with Ecstatic Love
prema-maya bhägavata—çré-kåñëera aìga

tähäte kahena yata gopya kåñëa-raìga
“The Çrémad-Bhägavatam is filled with ecstatic love. It is the body

of Lord Kåñëa. All confidential pastimes of Kåñëa are described in it.”
(Caitanya-bhägavata, Antya-khaëòa 3.516)
Çrémad-Bhägavatam is non-different from Kåñëa, it is the body of

Kåñëa, kåñëera çré-aìga. Kåñëa is prema-maya, sat-cid-änanda, änanda-
maya, so Bhägavata is also prema-maya. Tähäte kahena yata gopya kåñëa-
raìga, all confidential nectarean pastimes are described in the Çrémad-
Bhägavatam.
Grantha-Bhāgavata & Bhakta-Bhāgavata
Dui sthäne bhägavata-näma çuni-mätra, eko grantha-bhägavata, ära eko

bhakta-bhägavata – in two places we hear the name bhägavata. One is
grantha-bhägavata, the book bhägavata and another is bhakta-bhägavata,
the devotee bhägavata.
dui bhägavata dvärä diyä bhakti-rasa

täìhära hådaye täìra preme haya vaça
(Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä 1.100)
Through these two bhägavatas, grantha-bhägavata and bhakta-

bhägavata, Kåñëa gives bhakti-rasa, the mellow of bhakti, which is
prema-bhakti. He becomes bound by that prema-bhakti. These are all
glorifications of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
iv
Nityaṁ Bhāgavata-Sevayā
bhägavata ye nä mäne, se—yavana-sama

tära çästä äche janme-janme prabhu yama
“One who does not accept Çrémad-Bhägavatam is no better than

a mleccha or yavana, and he will be punished by Yamaräja life after
life.” (Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa 1.39)
Therefore, nityaà bhägavata-sevayä, as a daily activity one should go

and approach a bhakta-bhägavata to hear and study Bhägavata from him.
This should be done: sthäne sthitäù çruti-gatäà tanu-väì-manobhir, ye
präyaço ‘jita jito ‘py asi tais tri-lokyäm*, in whatever position one may be,
there is no need of changing that position. The only thing you should
do every day is to approach a bhakta-bhägavata to hear and study Bhäga-
vata from him. Thereby you will develop prema-bhakti, çuddha-bhakti,
pure bhakti, and you will be able to conquer the unconquerable, ajita jita.
Although Ajita, Kåñëa is unconquerable in the three worlds; in so doing
you can conquer Him. By hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam from the right
source you will develop such kåñëa-bhakti. That is the effect of hearing
Çrémad-Bhägavatam. This is all glorification of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
Before studying or speaking the Bhägavatam we glorify Bhägavata as we
glorify the Supreme Lord, because the Bhägavatam is non-different from
the Supreme Lord Kåñëa.
1. Çrémad-Bhägavatam 10.14.3, Brahmä’s prayers to Lord Kåñëa.
v
Oà Viñëupäda Paramahaàsa Parivräjakäcärya Añöottara-çata
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja

Guru-sevá8
is Everything
What Is Proper Enquiry?
In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam it is said:
kämasya nendriya-prétir
läbho jéveta yävatä
jévasya tattva-jijïäsä
närtho yaç ceha karmabhiù
“Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense

gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-
preservation, since a human being is meant for enquiry about
the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s
works.” (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.2.10)
W hat is proper enquiry and what subject should one en-

quire about? Jévasya tattva-jijïäsä närtho yaç ceha karm-
abhiù – one should not enquire about the comforts and
pleasures of the body. “How can I fulfill my material desires?”
“How can I enjoy?” These are not tattva-jijïäsä, enquiries about
tattva. Do not enquire about these things: kämasya nendriya-prétir
läbho jéveta yävatä.
1
Guru-sevá is Everything
What is the purpose of my survival? What is the goal of my
life? What is the purpose of this rarely achieved human birth?
What is the supreme attainment? That is proper enquiry. All of
your activities should centre on tattva-jijïäsä: enquiry about tattva.
Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé is a mahäjana. Mahäjano yena gataù
sa panthäù – the mahäjanas have shown us the path, so we follow
in their footprints. When Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé met Çrémän
Mahäprabhu, what did he enquire about?
He asked, “Who am I? What is my real identification? Why
have I been afflicted with the three täpas, ädhyätmika, ädhibhautika,
and ädhidaivika? What shall I do so that I will achieve all auspi-
ciousness? What is the goal of my life, and what shall I do to
achieve that goal? What is my duty? What is my necessity?” These
are all enquiries about tattva: tattva-jijïäsä.
Who Knows the Perfect Answers?
tad viddhi praëipätena

paripraçnena sevayä
upadekñyanti te jïänaà
jïäninas tattva-darçinaù
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master.

Enquire from him submissively and render service unto him.
The self-realised soul can impart knowledge unto you because
he has seen the truth.” (Bhagavad-gétä 4.34)
This verse from the Bhagavad-gétä describes who it is that

knows the perfect, correct answers to your questions: a tattva-darçi
– he who is a seer of the truth. What is the truth? Advaya-jïä-
na-tattva vraje vrajendra-nandana – the Absolute Truth is Vrajen-
dra-kumära, the son of Nanda Mahäräja in Vrajabhümi. He is
2
the Absolute Truth. Who is the seer of the truth? One who is the
knower of the truth. Only that person who is a seer of the truth,
a knower of the truth, can answer these questions perfectly. Oth-
erwise, no one can answer these questions. One should meet such
a guru who is the seer of the Absolute Truth – Nanda-nandana
Kåñëa.
Depend Completely on Kṛṣṇa
Where is such a person available? Do you know him? If you do

not know him, then how can you get him? Do you have knowl-
edge about him? The conditioned soul has no knowledge about
such a person. The conditioned soul has four defects: bhrama –
the tendency to make mistakes; pramäda – the tendency to be
illusioned; vipralipsä – the tendency to cheat; and karaëäpäöava
– imperfect or defective senses. If you think that you will accept
something as true if you can see it with your eyes, then you will be
cheated. What you see is not correct. You have defective senses.
When you are sitting in a fast-moving train and look at the trees
outside, what do you see? The trees seem to be swiftly running
backwards, don’t they? But is that correct? You are moving and
the trees are standing still, but you see something different. So
how can you think – I will see? You have defective senses, so how
can you see? How can you understand and recognise who is guru?
Devotee: Kåñëa will send him to us.

Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, that is a fact. Pray to
Kåñëa, Kåñëa knows. “O Kåñëa, I am Your servant. You are my
eternal master. I want to serve You. How can I serve You? Where
are You and where am I? I am rotting in this whirlpool of mäyä,
here in the material world. It is impossible on my part to serve
3
You. Who is there to help me and take me to You? That is guru,
Your dear devotee, Your pure devotee. You know him. I do not
know him. You know who is dear to You. You know Your own
men. I do not know them. Please help me. I need such a person
as Your dear devotee. If I meet him, surrender unto him, render
service to him, and if he is pleased, then he will introduce me to
You. Otherwise, how can I be introduced to You?”
This is the only process: depend completely on Kåñëa. Kåñëa-
karuëä-maya, Kåñëa is very merciful. Kåñëa is the supreme father.
We are His children. We have forgotten Him. We have been
placed here in this dreadful ocean of material existence, but He
always thinks of His children, and how we can come to Him. He
is always very merciful.
Be Restless and Cry in Your Heart
You have to cry and cry before Him: Kåñëa please help me!
Please send one of Your own very dear men who will help me and
take me to You! Then Kåñëa will make that arrangement. Kåñëa’s
arrangement is the perfect arrangement. If you make your own
arrangement, it will be defective. You should depend completely
on the mercy of Kåñëa and you should cry for it in your heart. Not
that you will sleep soundly, thinking; Oh, Kåñëa will send him to
me. No, you should feel restless; How can I get it? When will I get
the mercy of Kåñëa and meet His dear devotee, a sädhu-guru? You
should always be feeling restless and cry in your heart. If your head
has caught on fire, can you sit still? No. You will run! Looking for
water you will not be able to sit still. You are actually in a similar
condition, so you should cry: O Kåñëa, O Kåñëa! Please, please
shower Your mercy on me. Send Your dear devotee to me. I am
burning. I am burning here in a frying pan.
4
The material world is saàsära-dävänala, a blazing forest fire.
There is a verse in the Fifth Canto of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam
wherein Jaòa Bharata says to Räja Rahügaëa that this material
world is a forest, bhaväöavé. You are inside that forest and do not
know your way. Is it this way or is it that way? Which way is it?
In the jungle there are so many trees, thorns, pebbles, fero-
cious animals, mountains – so many obstacles. I am bewildered –
Where to go? Where to go? Sometimes the friction of two pieces
of wood generates a fire there. Oh, I am burning now in the forest
fire. Your head is on fire. How can you sit still? Where is water?
Where is water? Where is water? You quickly run! Similarly you
have to cry, then Kåñëa can understand – Yes, now he is crying for
Me. And then Kåñëa will make an arrangement.
Saubhāgya or Durbhāgya
Good Fortune or Bad Fortune
brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva

guru-kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä béja
“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering

throughout the entire universe. Out of many millions of
wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an
opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by
the grace of Kåñëa. By the mercy of both Kåñëa and the spiritual
master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of
devotional service.” (Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä 19.151)
The word ‘bhägyavän’ is very significant. After wandering

through many, many universes, a jéva who is bhägyavän – fortu-
nate, by the mercy of Kåñëa, gets guru. Then by the mercy of guru,
5
he gets Kåñëa. Guru-kåñëa-kåpä – by the mercy of Kåñëa and the
mercy of guru, the seed of the bhakti creeper will be available. So
according to one’s bhägya, good fortune, guru is available. One
may have good fortune or bad fortune, saubhägya or durbhägya.
One who has good fortune gets Kåñëa’s mercy and gets a guru sent
by Kåñëa. But, if one has bad fortune, how can he obtain çré-guru?
Kåñëa is the all-knowing person, sarvajïa. He knows that dif-
ferent persons have different tastes and temperaments. They are
not all equal. Your taste is not the same as his or hers. All individ-
uals differ. Kåñëa knows all this. So accordingly, an arrangement
is made. This devotee needs a different type of guru. That type of
guru will be made available. “Yes, you want to marry a nice lady?
That is what you desire? All right, marry her.” But that is not
the business of guru. That is Mäyä’s business. So Kåñëa says, “All
right, Mäyä, you send a guru to him. He needs that kind of guru.”
Serve Kṛṣṇa Without Duplicity
Simplicity is Vaiñëavism – saralatä hi vaiñëavatä. Those who

are simple have no other desire in their heart. Oh no, Kåñëa, I
only want to serve You. I do not want anything from You. This is
niñkapaöa-seväta, to serve Kåñëa without duplicity.
na dhanaà na janaà na sundaréà

kavitäà vä jagad, éça kämaye
mama janmani janmanéçvare
bhavatäd bhaktir ahaituké tvayi
(Çré Çikñäñöaka 4)
“O Kåñëa, I do not want material wealth from You. I do not

want material followers – janam from You. Na sundaréà kavitäà
– I do not want a beautiful woman from You. I do not want lib-
6
eration from You. Janmani janmanéçvare bhavatäd bhaktir ahaituké
tvayi – life after life, I only want to render loving service unto You,
giving You all pleasure and happiness. I do not want anything else
from You.”
This is niñkapaöa-seväta – service without duplicity. He, who is

completely dependent on the Supreme Lord Kåñëa, is bhägyavän –
a fortunate soul. He is simple-hearted, without duplicity. He does
not want anything for himself from Lord Kåñëa. He only wants to
give all pleasure and happiness to Kåñëa. Kåñëa becomes pleased
with him. He is a really fortunate soul, bhägyavän jéva. Kåñëa Him-
self appears before him as guru. And when he speaks it is very
sweet, pleasing to hear: karëa-rasäyana.
Kṛṣṇa Assumes a Body and Appears as Guru
The Kaöha Upaniñad (1.2.23) states:
näyam ätmä pravacanena labhyo

na medhayä na bahunä çrutena
yam evaiña våëute tena labhyas
tasyaiña ätmä vivåëute tanuà sväm
You cannot understand ätma-tattva, paramätmä-tattva by dint

of material scholarship, learning, merit, or intelligence. Na ba-
hunä çrutena – you cannot understand it by hearing from many
orators, karmés, jïänés, yogés and panditäs.
One may then wonder, how can I understand You, Kåñëa? How
can I get Kåñëa? How can I serve Kåñëa? For one who only has this
desire and nothing else, Kåñëa manifests before him as guru – yam
evaiña våëute tena labhyas, tasyaiña ätmä vivåëute tanuà sväm. Kåñëa
7
is there in the heart as Paramätmä. He understands – he is crying
for Me. So He assumes a body, tanu, and appears as guru.
Bhagavat-Māyā Sends a Guru
Kåñëa knows those who are not simple-hearted, who are crook-
ed, and who have some other desires. Kåñëa knows all this very
well. So Kåñëa directs Mäyä to send a guru to them – send a guru
to her, send a guru to him. Mäyä then makes an arrangement,
and instead of obtaining a real teacher they get a cheater. Bhaga-
vat-mäyä sends a guru to them, but for those who are without du-
plicity, simple-hearted, who have no other desire, who are crying
in their heart how to get Kåñëa, how to understand Him and serve
Him, Kåñëa Himself appears before them as guru. This is how you
can get guru.
How Can You Get Spiritual Strength?
How can you get strength? I am not talking about physical

strength, but spiritual strength.
Devotee: Is it by the combined mercy of guru and Kåñëa?
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: If you serve guru with love
and affection, you will get immense strength. Guru-sevä and nä-
ma-sevä – service to guru and service to the holy name. If you can
do that then you will get immense strength.
To whom does Kåñëa listen? One who prays – O Kåñëa, I do

not want anything from You, na dhanaà na janaà na sundaréà
kavitäà. I do not want anything for my pleasure and happiness
8
from You. I am completely dependent on Your will. Whatever
You want from me, even if it is very, very difficult on my part to
fulfill Your will, still I want that. It is my happiness to fulfill Your
will.” Kåñëa listens only to his prayers.
Kåñëa is all-auspicious. There is nothing inauspicious in His

arrangements, but we cannot understand them. We are on the
bodily platform. We always want bodily comforts and enjoyment.
If there is anything uncomfortable for the body we do not want it.
Kåñëa will never listen to such a person. Kåñëa listens to one who
with a pure, open heart says, “O Kåñëa! I don't want anything from
You.” Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura sings about this in Gétävalé (4.1):
prabhu tava pada-yuge mora nivedan

nähi mägi deha-sukha, vidyä, dhana, jana
“O Lord, this is my prayer at Your lotus feet. I do not want

deha-sukha. I do not ask You for my bodily comfort, happiness
or enjoyment. Vidyä, dhana, jana – I do not ask You for material
education, material wealth or material followers.”
This is the same prayer Mahäprabhu gave us, na dhana na jana.

Bhaktivinoda sings: nähi mägi svarga, ära mokña nähi magi*, I do
not ask you for heavenly enjoyment, svarga-sukha. The demigods
are having an abundance of enjoyment in the heavenly planets. I
do not want it. I am not asking for that. I also do not want mokña,
liberation. I am not asking for that.
nija-karma-guna-doñe je je janma päi

janme janme jeno tava näma-guna gäi
(Gétävalé, Jhäìphi-Lophä 4.2)
*Gétävalé, Jhäìphi-Lophä 4.2
9
Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura says, “I am not asking You to destroy
my karma-phala, the reactions to my karma. If according to my
guëa and karma I deserve to take birth as a worm, let me have it,
but, in that birth I also want to serve You. Janme janme jeno tava
näma-guna gäi, whatever birth I deserve according to my karma,
in that birth I want to sing Your holy name. I want to serve You.”
Kåñëa listens only to his prayer. Otherwise, Kåñëa will not listen.
Kåñëa, give me a good wife. Kåñëa give me this, give me that.
Jumping from one branch to another branch. He will not listen to
you. How can one understand the Supreme Lord?
Devotee 2: By bhakti, devotional service.

Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: Do you know what devotional
service is? You have to hear, çravaëaà. You have to hear bhaga-
vat-kathä with strong, unflinching faith from the lips of sad-guru,
çré-guru. You have to surrender yourself completely at the lotus
feet of guru and listen. There is no other way to understand Kåñëa.
Surrender - Serve & Enquire
Devotee 2: Does such a guru have to be physically present?

Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: Oh yes. He is a person. He is
not impersonal.
Devotee 2: One may say, I will read books and ...

Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: The books say, çästra says:
accept guru. You have to accept. You have to go there and do
praëipäta, paripraçna and sevä – surrender, serve, and enquire.
From whom will you enquire, the book?
10
Devotee 2: If the guru leaves the planet before you have attained
prema …
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: Are bäbä! Guru makes all
these arrangements. Do not worry about it. His arrangements are
perfect arrangements. He has taken that responsibility; he has ac-
cepted you as a disciple. He has not rejected you. Guru means
heavy, not laghu, light. The opposite of guru is laghu. Guru’s re-
sponsibility is very heavy. He has accepted the heavy responsibil-
ity to take you out of the fort of Mäyä. You are imprisoned in the
fort of Durgä-devé or Mäyä. Guru has accepted that responsibil-
ity to take you out. He knows his responsibility. It is up to him.
Do not worry about it. You just serve guru. You just completely
surrender. You should have firm, unflinching faith in guru and
completely surrender. Listen to what he says and follow it as it is.
Do not twist it. Do not add any of your deliberation to it. Do not
concoct anything. Then everything is assured.
Complete Surrender & Unflinching Faith
Devotee 1: Prabhupäda initiated about 10,000 disciples, and per-

haps 95% have gone. What is their destination?
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: Why did they go?
Devotee 2: No faith?
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, they had no faith.
Devotee 1: So is Prabhupäda still responsible for them?

Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: Why? If you have no faith in
guru, why will he be responsible for you? They have no faith in
guru and are not surrendered. They were great pretenders. They
11
pretended that they were surrendered, but they were not surren-
dered. Otherwise why did they go away?
Devotee 1: So even though we get initiation, unless we actually
surrender, the guru will not take responsibility for us?
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: No. Why will he not surren-
der? He has no faith in guru. It was only a formality. You have
no faith. You are not really surrendered. You have only pretend-
ed that you were surrendered. As Kåñëa knows everything, guru
knows everything. As you sow so you reap.
Devotee 1: If Prabhupäda knew that this would happen, why did

he initiate them?
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: Are bäbä, the devotee wanted
that. All right, take it.
“I want it, father! I want it!”
“That’s fire.”
“No, I want it!”
The father says, “Hey! That is fire! Don’t touch it!”
But the child cries and says, “No, nooooo! I want it!”
“All right, take it.” What to do? Let him be burnt. Then he’ll
learn. Then he’ll cry for help.
Complete surrender is needed – not partial, not conditional,
and not artificial – at the lotus feet of guru, to hear bhägavata-kathä
from him with firm, unflinching faith. Then you will understand
Bhagavän, otherwise not.
To Disobey the Order of the Spiritual Master
What is the most severe näma-aparädha? Disobeying the order

of the spiritual master. Who commits that aparädha? Kåñëa has
said:
12
äcäryaà mäà vijänéyän
nävamanyeta karhicit
na martya-buddhyäsüyeta
sarva-deva-mayo guruù
“One should know the äcärya as Myself and never disrespect

him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an
ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.”
Kåñëa says, “Guru, äcärya, is as good as Myself, mäà vijänéyän.

Do not think of him as an ordinary mortal being, na martya-bud-
dhyäsüyeta. He is as good as Me.” All the demigods are manifest
in him. Kåñëa says that this is guru. But if one thinks – how is it
that he is not a mortal being, that he is as good as Kåñëa? I cannot
see this. He feels hungry. He eats, as I eat. He feels tired, as I feel.
He passes stool and urine, as I do. Sometimes he falls sick, as I do.
How is it that he is not a mortal being, na martya-buddhyäsüyeta?
I cannot see it. I cannot accept it. This is the most severe nä-
ma-aparädha. This type of person disobeys the guru’s order.
That devotee was remarking that Prabhupäda initiated thou-

sands of people, but now they have gone. Why did they go? They
committed this aparädha. They did not follow Prabhupäda’s order.
They did not understand Prabhupäda. They did not understand
him at all. Prabhupäda instructed them to chant sixteen rounds of
the pure name, and to follow the regulative principles very strict-
ly. Are they doing this? They are all breaking the regulative prin-
ciples, and they are not chanting sixteen rounds. Because they are
not surrendered, they have not accepted guru like that. They are
thinking that he is like us. So we may break his order.
13
Who Can Save Us from this Precarious Situation?
Here in the material world, padaà padaà yad vipadäm*, at every

step there is danger, vipada. We have unlimited material desires
that are pulling us down, and keeping us in this dreadful ocean of
material existence. We have been drowning, drowning, drown-
ing! Who is there to save us and to protect us in this dangerous
situation? No one except guru-päda-padma – the lotus feet of guru
can save us from this precarious situation. If you think of guru
as an ordinary human being then you commit the most severe
näma-aparädha. Then you cannot have faith in his words. You
cannot surrender unto him. You will only be a pretender. That is
the reason why these devotees left – nothing else.
What Does Sannyāsa Mean?
What is sannyäsa? To be constantly engaged day and night,

twenty-four-hours, in hari-bhajana. For those who are pretender
devotees, their sannyäsa is for bhukti and mukti, material enjoy-
ment and material liberation. But sannyäsa means no material
desires, no material enjoyment and no material liberation. Bha-
vatäd bhaktir ahaituké tvayi – life after life I only want unalloyed
*samäçritä ye pada-pallava-plavaà
mahat-padaà puëya-yaço muräreù
bhavämbudhir vatsa-padaà paraà padaà
padaà padaà yad vipadäà na teñäm
“For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shel-
ter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Muräri, the enemy of the Mura demon,
the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoof-print. Their
goal is paraà padam, Vaikuëöha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the
place where there is danger at every step.” (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 10.14.58)
14
devotion. Nothing else. That is sannyäsa. These persons receive
the mercy of Bhakti-devé.
The Proper Use of Our Minute Independence
What sort of consideration, vicära, should we have so that eve-

rything will be auspicious for us? Guru gives the understanding
that whatever you find here is all paraphernalia for Kåñëa’s en-
joyment, not for your enjoyment. One who has this understand-
ing gets all-auspiciousness. He uses everything in Kåñëa’s service.
There is no suffering for him. He has no more independence at
all. Once you surrender completely, your independence is gone. If
you retain your independence then you are not surrendered. You
are a pretender. Minute independence has been granted to you
for this purpose: to surrender to Guru and Gauräìga. That is the
proper use of independence. Once you surrender completely, your
independence is gone. Then you are in the hands of guru.
One who completely surrenders gives up all his crookedness
and duplicity. With a simple heart and mind, he serves guru and
Gauräìga and engages himself in hari-bhajana. It is guaranteed
that in this life he will get Kåñëa. But how many are doing that?
All are pretenders. Guru knows that they are pretenders. They are
retaining their independence. They do as they like. They do not
listen to guru. They only say, “Yes, yes, yes, Guru Mahäräja. Yes,
I understand. Oh, all right, all right. I’ll do it. I’ll do it, but right
now I am in a dangerous situation. There is a problem. There are
monetary difficulties. There are family difficulties. I am trying to
solve them and then I’ll do it.” If you behave like that, then how
can you get mercy? Guru ädeça nirvicärare grahaëéya – whatever
the guru orders, immediately do it. Do not add any of your delib-
eration to it.*
*Rämäyaëa, ayodhyä-käëòa 22.9
15
Follow the Order As It Is
We cite the example of Lord Räma. He is the Supreme Lord

Bhagavän, not an ordinary human being. It was declared in Ayo-
dhyä that Lord Räma would become king the next morning, but
in the night, everything changed completely. When the day
dawned, instead of the order that He would sit on the throne,
the order came: Bharata will be king and Räma will go to the
forest for fourteen years.” Without any deliberation, Lord Räma
accepted it. He did not ask why shall I go to the forest? It is My
birthright to sit on the throne. Immediately He accepted it and
started out without delay. He did not add any deliberation to the
order, but executed it straight away.
When Bharata returned to Ayodhyä, he asked how this had
happened? He understood that it was the conspiracy, politics, of
his mother Kaikeyé, and he became angry with her. Bharata is the
ideal brother.
He said, “No! Ayodhyä belongs to Räma. Räma is the king.
Only He can sit on the throne. I am Räma’s servant. How can I
sit on the seat of my master?”
He went to Räma, who was staying in a nearby forest, to
bring Him back, but Räma would not return. He said to Bharata,
“Whatever the order is of your gurujanas, just follow that as it is.
Do not add any of your deliberation to it. That is good for you
and good for Me. For fourteen years I must live in the forest. I am
banished. This is guru’s order. However difficult it may be, I must
carry it out, and for fourteen years you have to rule. Just follow as
it is.” Then there was nothing to say.
Bharata replied, “I am Your servant. Ayodhyä belongs to You.
Only You can sit on the throne. I will rule. I will carry out that
order, but I will not sit on the throne. I will rule as Your servant.
16
You are my Lord and master and You order me. For fourteen years
I will rule on Your behalf, as Your servant.”
He took Räma’s wooden sandals, put them on his head, and
then put them on the throne and declared, “Räma is the king. I
am ruling in His absence for fourteen years as His representative
or servant. I am carrying out His order.” This is the process. He
did not deliberate. This is how to execute the order of the guru.
[Speaking to a devotee in the class:] You are thinking, Oh, I

have this difficulty. I have this problem now. I am in this condi-
tion. I cannot follow guru’s order. But at every moment there are
problems in the material world. It is beset with problems. How
can you say, ‘no problem’? This material platform is such a nas-
ty platform. In the words of Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé
Prabhupäda Mahäräja; it is not a fit place for any gentleman to
live. There are always problems. The body gives problems. The
situation gives problems. The environment gives problems. The
so-called bodily relations give problems. There are so many prob-
lems.
Execute the order of guru as it is. Do not add any of your delib-
eration. That is what you should understand. Then you will get
the mercy of Guru and Gauräìga. Give up your independence.
Completely surrender unto the tattva-darçé-guru, who has seen
the Absolute Truth, and render service to him without duplicity,
niñkapaöa-sevä. I say that if you do so, in one life it is guaranteed
that you will go back home, back to Godhead, and get Kåñëa. It
is guaranteed. If you can engage yourself in the service of such a
personality day and night, twenty-four-hours, without duplicity,
and hear bhagavän-kathä from him, then you will definitely get
Kåñëa. This is the only consideration. There is no other consid-
eration, vicära.
17
Run Behind Him with Leech-Like Tenacity
Such a premé-bhakti has bound up Kåñëa in his heart with the

rope of love. Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, in Çaraëägati (7.7.4) sings,
kåñëa se tomära, kåñëa dite pära

tomära çakati äche
ämi ta’ käìgäla, ‘kåñëa’ ‘kåñëa’ bali’
dhäi tava päche päche
“O Vaiñëava Öhäkura! Kåñëa belongs to you. You have

bound Kåñëa. Only you can give me Kåñëa. I am käìgäla, a
pauper, since I am bereft of Kåñëa. Give me Kåñëa, give me
Kåñëa.”
A poor man runs behind a wealthy man, “Oh Sir, please give
me one penny. Please give me one penny.” Similarly, you should
approach a Vaiñëava sädhu and beg from him, running behind him
with leech-like tenacity; not leaving him – that is needed. Then
sädhu-guru will shower his mercy on you, because Çyämasundara is
there in his heart. If you can serve such a guru and get his mercy,
then he can transfer Kåñëa from his heart to your heart. He has
the çakti to do so. He can make Kåñëa appear in your heart. Kåñëa
listens to him. Otherwise, how can you get Kåñëa?
You Must Approach Guru
Devotee 3: What if someone says that they did not receive any
specific instruction from Prabhupäda?
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: The guru gives general in-
structions to everyone, but there are specific instructions to in-
18
dividuals. You must ask for it. How can I serve you? My Guru
Mahäräja asked Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Prabhupäda,
“How can I serve you?” Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté told him,
“You must go to the Western world and preach the science of
Kåñëa consciousness in English.” That is a specific order.
Devotee 3: What if you have never received a specific order from

Prabhupäda?
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: That means you have been
cheated. You wanted to be cheated, and you are cheated. You
should have asked – Please instruct me. How can I serve you?
What do you want from me? If you enquire in this way then the
guru will give specific instructions. General instructions are for
one and all, for the whole world, even those who are not disciples.
Devotee 3: The movement was so big at that time. Unless you

were a big leader, you could not get a personal instruction.
Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Swami: When you are a disciple, you
have a right. You must approach guru. Offer millions of daëòa-
vat-praëämas to him, and say, “Please, what do you want from me?
How can I serve you? What will please you? Please tell me.” You
must do that. If you don’t, it means that you want to be cheated.
You are an easy-going person. You are thinking; why shall I go
and bring such danger for myself? If I go near him then some hard-
ship will come on my head. You keep yourself away from guru.
You think, Oh, his instruction is in the books. It is all right. I will
get whatever instruction I need from whoever gives the lecture.
This is the mentality of an easy-going person who is not prepared
to undergo hardship for the service of Guru and Gauräìga. How
will such a person advance?
19
Distress & Hardship Are My Supreme Asset
tomära seväya duùkha hoya jato

seo to’ parama sukha
sevä-sukha-duùkha parama sampada
näçaye avidyä-duùkha
(Çaraëägati 8.4)
“All the troubles encountered in Your service shall be the

cause of great happiness, for in Your devotional service joy
and sorrow are equally great riches. Both destroy the misery
of ignorance.”
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura gives us instructions, “O Lord, O

Guru and Gauräìga! Whatever distress comes, whatever hardship
comes in Your service, those hardships are my greatest pleasure.
That distress and hardship are parama sampada, my supreme as-
set.” Näçaye avidyä-duùkha – all of your ignorance will be dispelled
and your eyes will be opened. There will be enlightenment, no
darkness. You will be able to see clearly. Whereas, one who keeps
himself away from guru thinking – If I go near him then some
hardship will come on my head, better to stay away. Oh yes, books
are there, all the instructions are there in the books that describe
this deep nectar. I will get it from there – he does not take his
service to guru seriously.
Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā Set an Example
When Kåñëa and Sudämä were students in Sändépani Muni’s

äçrama, they set an example. Once there was no firewood for
cooking. So Sändépani Muni’s wife, guru-mätä, said to the boys,
20
“There is no firewood. How can I cook? Go and fetch wood in
the forest.” Both Kåñëa and Sudämä took an axe in their hand
and went out. Why? This is service, guru-seva. He is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. His will is supreme. By the will of the
Supreme Lord the creation and the annihilation takes place; by
His mere willing. If He had wanted, immediately truckloads of
firewood would have come there. What is the necessity of going
to the forest with an axe in His hand on the part of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead? This is guru-seva. We have to do it. This
fire is needed. The order came. There was no fuel, no dry wood.
Therefore, they went to the forest.
Then this wonderful incident took place; black clouds ap-

peared in the sky, a very heavy storm came blowing torrential
rain. The whole land became inundated. It was a very dark night
with roaring thunder and lightning. The two boys were in the for-
est and could not go back to the äçrama. The Supreme Personality
of Godhead could not come back to the äçrama. Sändépani Muni
could not sleep that night – Oh, these two boys went out, and it is
such a bad night with torrential rain, such a heavy storm. No one
can go out of the house or even open the door. The whole land
is inundated. What has happened to them? He was just thinking,
and thinking in this way, and had a sleepless night.
As soon as day dawned and the rain stopped, Sändépani Muni

went out to see where they were. After some time he saw Kåñëa
and Sudämä standing beneath a tree. They were soaked from the
rain and were shivering. Kåñëa was acting as if He had a material
body. His body is not material, but He was teaching us. They were
shivering and shivering. They contracted such bodily pain and
distress in the service of guru. Sändépani Muni embraced them,
“You are sat-çiñya. This body is very dear to everyone. No one
21
wants to give distress to the body, but you both took such bodily
distress and unhappiness for me.”
Serve Guru with a Loving Heart
Kåñëa has said,
näham ijyä-prajätibhyäà
tapasopaçamena vä
tuñyeyaà sarva-bhütätmä
guru-çuçrüñayä yathä
“I am not very pleased with a brahmacäré, who is tapasopaçama

– very strict in following brahmacäré life, or a sannyäsé, who may
be very strict in following the sannyäsa order, or a very strict
gåhastha, but I am pleased with persons who, not caring for
their own discomfort, serve guru with a loving heart.”
Here Kåñëa has said that He becomes very pleased with that
person who serves the guru with a loving and pure heart, offering
niñkapaöa-sevä with love and affection, not caring for his own dis-
comfort, bodily pain, unhappiness or distress.
22
guru-seva
is
r
Eve7 y t h i n g !
0
"P ray to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa knows. 'O Kṛṣṇa, I am Your servant.
You are my eternal master. I want to serve You. How can
I serve You? Where are You and where am I? I am rotting
in this whirlpool of māyā, here in the material world. It is impossible
on my part to serve You. Who is there to help me and take me to You?
That is guru, Your dear devotee, Your pure devotee. You know him. I
do not know him. You know who is dear to You. You know Your own
men. I do not know them. Please help me. I need such a person as Your
dear devotee. If I meet him, surrender unto him, render service to him,
and if he is pleased, then he will introduce me to You. Otherwise, how
can I be introduced to You?'"
TAT T VA V I C A R A P U B L I C AT I O N S
www.tvpbooks.com
www.gourgovindaswami.com

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The Çrémad-Bhägavatam is kåñëa-bhakti-rasa, the mellow of

yasyäà vai çrüyamäëäyäà

Only by hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam from the right source, one

Only Non-Envious Devotees

dharmaù projjhita-kaitavo’ tra paramo nirmatsaräëäà satäà

Hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the Right Source

Hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam from the right source is so effective that

The Essence of All Vedic Literature

artho ‘yam brahma-süträëäm

The following four topics are present in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam:

gäyatréra arthe ei grantha-ärambhana

The Caitanya-caritämåta states gäyatréra arthe ei grantha-

Kṛṣṇa Appears in Four Forms

bhägavata, tulasé, gaìgäya, bhakta-jane

“Kåñëa appears in this material world in four forms: Çrémad-

No Scripture Is As Good As Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

bhägavata-çästre se bhaktira tattva kahe

Prema-bhakti-tattva is described in Bhägavata, therefore no

Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Prabhupäda said that if all the

prema-maya bhägavata—çré-kåñëera aìga

“The Çrémad-Bhägavatam is filled with ecstatic love. It is the body

Çrémad-Bhägavatam is non-different from Kåñëa, it is the body of

Grantha-Bhāgavata & Bhakta-Bhāgavata

Dui sthäne bhägavata-näma çuni-mätra, eko grantha-bhägavata, ära eko

dui bhägavata dvärä diyä bhakti-rasa

Through these two bhägavatas, grantha-bhägavata and bhakta-

bhägavata ye nä mäne, se—yavana-sama

“One who does not accept Çrémad-Bhägavatam is no better than

Therefore, nityaà bhägavata-sevayä, as a daily activity one should go

1. Çrémad-Bhägavatam 10.14.3, Brahmä’s prayers to Lord Kåñëa.

In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam it is said:

“Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense

W hat is proper enquiry and what subject should one en-

Who Knows the Perfect Answers?

tad viddhi praëipätena

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master.

This verse from the Bhagavad-gétä describes who it is that

Depend Completely on Kṛṣṇa

Where is such a person available? Do you know him? If you do

Devotee: Kåñëa will send him to us.

Be Restless and Cry in Your Heart

brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva

“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering

The word ‘bhägyavän’ is very significant. After wandering

Serve Kṛṣṇa Without Duplicity

Simplicity is Vaiñëavism – saralatä hi vaiñëavatä. Those who

na dhanaà na janaà na sundaréà

“O Kåñëa, I do not want material wealth from You. I do not

This is niñkapaöa-seväta – service without duplicity. He, who is

Kṛṣṇa Assumes a Body and Appears as Guru

The Kaöha Upaniñad (1.2.23) states:

näyam ätmä pravacanena labhyo

You cannot understand ätma-tattva, paramätmä-tattva by dint

Bhagavat-Māyā Sends a Guru

How Can You Get Spiritual Strength?

How can you get strength? I am not talking about physical

To whom does Kåñëa listen? One who prays – O Kåñëa, I do

Kåñëa is all-auspicious. There is nothing inauspicious in His

prabhu tava pada-yuge mora nivedan