Lectures, June 18, 1976, Toronto
B.G. 16.23
yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim
Anyone who transgresses the regulative principles recommended in the sastra, sastra-vidhi, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya, giving up sastra-vidhi, vartate kama-karatah, whimsically does something, na siddhim sa avapnoti: he never gets success. He'll never be successful. Na siddhim na param gati: neither any salvation. Na siddhim, na sukham: neither even any material happiness. So we must accept the sastra vidhi. Sastra-vidhi, as in the shastra it is said, I have already quoted, kalau tad dhari-kirtanat.
krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari-kirtanat
In this age the sastra-vidhi is hari-kirtana. The more you chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra, the more you become perfect. This is sastra-vidhi. And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu confirmed it. Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya. We have to be fixed up; first of all, what is the injunction of the shastra.
Then what the sadhus, those who are devotees, what they are doing. What they are doing, sadhu, shastra, and guru. And what guru is asking. We have to follow these three principles. Sadhu-guru-sastra-vakya tinete koriya aikya. Who is sadhu? Who is abiding by the injunction of the shastra? Or guru? Guru means he's also abiding by the injunction of the shastra. Then he's guru, he's sadhu. And if one, sastra vidhim, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya… If sastra-vidhi you give up, then where is the question of guru and sadhu? Na siddhim. He's not siddha.
He has not attained the perfection, because he has rejected the principles of shastra. So he's bogus. We have to test like that who is guru.
Bg 4.10 Purport Transcendental Knowledge
adau sraddha tatah sadhu-
sango 'tha bhajana-kriya
tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat
tato nistha rucis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas
tatah premabhyudancati
sadhakanam ayam premnah
pradurbhave bhavet kramah
"In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes free from all material attachment, attains steadiness in self-realization, and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. This taste leads one further forward to attachment for Krishna consciousness, which is matured in bhava, or the preliminary stage of transcendental love of God. Real love for God is called prema, the highest perfectional stage of life." In the prema stage there is constant engagement in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. So, by the slow process of devotional service, under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, one can attain the highest stage, being freed from all material attachment, from the fearfulness of one's individual spiritual personality, and from the frustrations resulting from void philosophy. Then one can ultimately attain to the abode of the Supreme Lord.
Compiled by Damaghosa Das