Room Conversation with Indian Guest

Prabhupāda: ...accepted in that group.

Indian man (1): Suppose if somebody is absolutely ignorant about...

Prabhupāda: So therefore there should be education. Why the śāstras are there? Why guru is there? Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

You must accept guru and learn. Why should you remain ignorant?

Indian man (1): How one should start when he's completely ignorant of all these things?

Prabhupāda: He should go... Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet.

Indian man (1): Tad viddhi praṅipātena... [Bg 4.34].

[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]

Prabhupāda: Paripraśnena sevayā. He should become a disciple of a bona fide guru. Otherwise, how he can learn? If you are uneducated, you should go to school.

Indian man (1): [aside:] You want to ask anything?

[pause]

Prabhupāda: [Hindi] [laughter] It is very difficult to, to guru, but when guru comes, they also do not accept him. What can be done? They are so fallen. Only fortunate. Ei rūpe brahmāṅḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva [Cc Madhya 19.151].

[According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. 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 Kṛṣṅa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṅa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.]

So to go to guru, to Kṛṣṅa, that requires fortune. Kona bhāgyavān jīva. Some fortunate person. Guru-kṛṣṅa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc Madhya 19.151]. By the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṅa, he gets the seed of this bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg 18.55].

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

And when he's a bhakta, then he can understand what is God.

[aside:] Get the light on.

Bhaktyā mām abhijānā... No, there. That's all right.

Indian man (2): [Hindi]

Prabhupāda: [Hindi for some time, a few English words]

[break] [Hindi for some time] [end]