Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.4

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

sūta uvāca dvaipāyana-sakhas tv evaṁ maitreyo bhagavāṁs tathā prāhedaṁ viduraṁ prīta ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ [SB 3.25.4]

[break] [01:10]

"Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: The most powerful sage Maitreya was a friend of Vyāsadeva's. Thus being encouraged, Maitreya, pleased by Vidura's inquiry about transcendental knowledge, spoke as follows."

Prabhupāda:

dvaipāyana-sakhas tv evaṁ maitreyo bhagavāṁs tathā prāhedaṁ viduraṁ prīta ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ [SB 3.25.4]

So this is the process of getting knowledge: to approach the proper person, guru, and submissively hear from him about transcendental knowledge. Tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā [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.]

Don't try to receive spiritual knowledge, or transcendental knowledge, very cheaply. Although it is very easy, there is no difficulty, but the process must be known. Just like any machine—we have got experience—just like sometimes our typewriter machine or this Dictaphone does not work. So if we go to the proper person who knows the work, he immediately tightens one screw or changes something; it works. The process we must know. So if I go to a pān-wala for repairing my machine, that will be not good. He does not know the process. He may know to..., how to make pān, bīḍī; but doesn't matter, he does not know how to repair a machine.

Therefore the śāstric injunction is, Vedic injunction, that tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [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.]

If you want to know transcendental knowledge, tad-vijñāna... Tad-vijñā... It is also vijñāna. Actually, human life is meant for understanding tad-vijñāna. Tad-vijñāna means transcendental knowledge, not material knowledge, bodily. Bodily... Even a medical practitioner, he does not know, he has no knowledge of the spirit soul. He simply studies the mechanical arrangement of the body. The body's a big machine made by nature. It is called yantra. Actually it is a machine. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg 18.61]

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. This body is machine. The..., those who are very much attached to this machine, for them, the yoga system is recommended because... One who is very much in the conception of the body, so they have been taught just to concentrate the mind, some practice, some gymnastic, so that mind may be concentrated and he can focus the mind towards Viṣṅu, Lord Viṣṅu. Real purpose is to understand Viṣṅu, the Supreme. So the yoga system is therefore a mechanical arrangement. But the bhakti system is above the machine, above this mechanical arrangement. That is... Therefore it is called tad-vijñāna. The mechanical understanding is material, and above that, tad-vijñāna.

So tad-vijñānārtham, if you want to understand spiritual knowledge, then you have to approach a guru. Guru. Guru means weighty, I mean to say, one who has got better knowledge. Heavy. Guru means heavy, heavy with knowledge. And what is that knowledge? "I have got so much knowledge." No. Transcendental. Tad-vijñāna. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-pāṅiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [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.]

That heaviness is brahma-niṣṭham, how much one is attached to Brahman, Para-brahman, Bhagavān. That is guru's qualification. Brahmaṅy upaśamāśrayam. This is the mantra of Kaṭhopaniṣad: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. Similarly, in the Bhāgavata also it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21].

[Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.]

Tasmāt, "Therefore one must approach guru." The here, in the Upaniṣad also gives definition who is guru. Guru means śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12], "one who has received knowledge by hearing Vedas," śrotriyam. Because Vedas are called śruti.

So those who are in the line of hearing from the preceptorial succession, disciplic succession... As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg 4.2].

[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]

Not, I mean to say, upstart knowledge. Standard knowledge. Standard knowledge is received from the paramparā system, disciplic succession. Therefore it is said, śrotriyam. Śrotriyam means "who has heard from the paramparā system." Śrotriyam. And the result is brahma-niṣṭham: "He is firmly fixed up in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Brahma-niṣṭham. He has no other business. This is two qualification. He must have heard the Vedic knowledge through the disciplic succession. It does not require that he is very learned scholar. No. Simply he must hear from the authority. Śrotriyam. You have... Kṛṣṅa has given you, God has given you the ear. This is our system. Simply they hear and they become big, big preacher. It doesn't require that he has to pass M.A., C.B.A.C., or Ph.D. examinations. Hearing is sufficient. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ [SB 10.14.3].

[Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.]

You remain in your position, in your place. You do not require to change it. Sthāne sthitāḥ.

Sthāne sthitāḥ means the varṅāśrama, four varṅas and four āśramas. Brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. So this is civilization. Unless the society is divided into these eight divisions, that is animal civilization; that is not human civilization. You must be systematized, regulated system. Just like in this body there are different divisions: the head division, the arm division, the belly division, the leg division. Similarly, without these four divisions, no society can be conducted very nicely. Then it will be chaos. So sthāne sthitāḥ means to remain in these regulative principles of varṅāśrama. That is called sthāne sthitāḥ. You remain in your position. It doesn't require you have to change. It is not that a śūdra, without becoming a brāhmaṅa... Of course, he will become brāhmaṅa—by hearing. Brāhmaṅa means brahma jānātīti brāhmaṅaḥ. If he hears, even a śūdra, he can understand what is Brahman. Then he becomes brāhmaṅa. So this is required. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. With great attention, body, mind and words, intelligence—with everything—one must hear.

So here we see, viduram prītaḥ. Vidura was hearing from Maitreya Ṛṣi, and Maitreya Ṛṣi was very much pleased. Prīta. Unless you satisfy your teacher, or guru, very nicely, you cannot get the right knowledge. That is natural. If you receive your guru, give him very nice place he can sit comfortably, and he's pleased with your behavior, then he can speak very frankly and very freely, which will be very much beneficial for you. Therefore this word is... He was talking. He was preaching. He was giving instruction to Vidura, being pleased, prīta. Maitreya Ṛṣi was very much pleased. That is also recommended in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: tad viddhi praṅipātena. Tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg 4.34].

Simply going and asking the spiritual master or guru, and not to accept his instruction, then don't waste your time. Don't waste your time. In a challenging spirit, if you go to a spiritual master without any service, sevayā, and praṅipātena... Praṅipātena... Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṅa nipāta. Nipāta means fall down, and pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpa, sufficiently; no reservation. This knowledge, the transcendental knowledge, is based on this praṅipāta. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]:

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

"You just surrender unto Me." And similarly, we have to surrender to Kṛṣṅa or His representative.

So guru is representative, external representative. Internal guru is Kṛṣṅa Himself. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

Not that Īśvara, Kṛṣṅa, is in Vaikuṅṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana. He is everywhere, even within the atom. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs 5.37].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]

That is Paramātmā. Ātmā is... I am ātmā, you are ātmā. We are all situated locally. You are situated within your body, I am situated within my body. But Paramātmā is situated everywhere. That is the difference between ātmā and Paramātmā. Ātmā and Paramātmā... Those who are mistaking that "There is no difference between ātmā and Paramātmā," no, there is difference. They are one in one sense, that both of them cognizant. They are living entities. Cetanaś cetanānām. Cetanaś cetanānām, nityo nityānām. But they are different. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṅa says, kṣetraḥ kṣetra-jñaḥ. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata [Bg 13.3]. Kṣetra-jña means the proprietor of the kṣetra, this body. Body is called kṣetra. So I am proprietor. Not proprietor; I am occupier. Just like in a house, the tenant and the landlord. The landlord is the occupier..., tenant, and the landlord is the proprietor. Similarly, we ātmās, we are simply occupier of this body. We are not proprietor. The proprietor is Paramātmā. Sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. So if the proprietor says that "Get out of this house," or some, by law... Similarly, when the Paramātmā says, "Now you have to leave this body," you have to leave this body. So this is Vedic knowledge.

So one must approach a proper guru. The guru's qualification is, in every śāstra, that... Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tad viddhi..., er, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21].

One does not require to accept a guru unless he is inquisitive to understand the ultimate goal or benefit of life. Ordinary man who is interested with the bodily comforts of life, he doesn't require a guru. But generally, the, at the present moment, guru means who can give you some bodily medicine. Approaches some saintly person, "Mahātmājī, I am suffering from this disease." "Yes, I have mantra. Take this..." That sort of guru is accepted. So same bodily. Or some bodily wealth, bodily... No.

tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ ...tattva-darśinaḥ [Bg 4.34]

One should approach guru for seeing the tattva, the Absolute Truth. That is necessary. Not for any material benefit. One should not search out a guru for, I mean to say, curing some material disease. For that, there is medical practitioner. Why should you search out after a guru? But people search out, that "I have got some material disease, and if somebody can cure, some saintly person, then he's guru or he's Bhagavān. I am poor. If he can give me some money, then he's guru." No. The śāstra does not say like that. Guru means śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [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.]

Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, śābde pare ca niṣṅātam [SB 11.3.21]. Guru means who knows the Vedic śāstra, the Vedas. He knows the Vedic conclusion. And the Vedic conclusion is to understand Kṛṣṅa. That is Vedic conclusion. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

Therefore those who are trying to understand Kṛṣṅa, or partially... We cannot understand fully Kṛṣṅa. That is not possible. We have not so capacity. Because Kṛṣṅa is so big. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta [Bs 5.33].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]

So with our limited knowledge we cannot understand... Even Kṛṣṅa does not understand Himself, Kṛṣṅa is so great. Kṛṣṅa Himself, He does not know why He's so much attractive. Therefore, to understand this knowledge, why Kṛṣṅa is so attractive, He became Lord Caitanya, taking the ecstatic emotion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī. Rādhā-bhāva-dyuti [Cc Ādi 1.5]. That's a very great science. Kṛṣṅa is such that Kṛṣṅa... Of course, it is our calculation that Kṛṣṅa does not understand Himself. So to understand fully Kṛṣṅa, it is not possible. But as far as our limited knowledge is concerned, if we understand Kṛṣṅa so much, that is our perfection. That is our perfection. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

So if we understand Kṛṣṅa as a human being like us, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ [Bg 9.11],

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

then we are mūḍhas. "Kṛṣṅa is also... Kṛṣṅa's body is made of these māyā elements, or external elements, like us," just like our body is made of these material elements. If we think Kṛṣṅa also made of that elements, of these material elements, kṣitir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, then we are mistaken. Kṛṣṅa is... Here, in the previous verse, we have learned: ātma-māyayā. There are... Of course, this material energy is also ātma-māyā, Kṛṣṅa's. Not ours. Mama māyā. Kṛṣṅa says, mama māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā [Bg 7.14].

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

This material world is Kṛṣṅa's. We cannot say mama māyā. No. We are under the control of this material nature. But Kṛṣṅa is the controller of the material nature. That is the difference. We are controlled by the material nature, but Kṛṣṅa is not controlled, but He's controller. Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10].

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

One who understands this, that this prakṛti, this material nature, is working under the direction of Kṛṣṅa, that is our real knowledge. How the things are going on? That is not possible to understand. But the summary, sum total, if we simply understand... Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Everything is emanated from the Supreme Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṅa. That much knowledge is sufficient. Then you can increase—how they are working. How, by Kṛṣṅa's energies, the material energy is working by the direction of Kṛṣṅa, that is advanced knowledge. But on the whole, if we... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. That is perfect knowledge. If we think that this matter is working independently, as modern scientists, they think that chemical evolution... No. No chemical evolution. Life does not produce by chemical evolution. Life is from life. That... Just like Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, that ahaṁ sarvatra..., ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg 10.8].

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

The answer is given there. The Vedānta-sūtra, the question is, "What is Brahman?" And the answer is there: athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ. Indirectly given. The Brahman, Para-brahman, is that from whom everything emanates.

"Everything" means... There are two things: jaḍa and cetana, living entities and nonliving, jaḍa. Dull entities. Matter is dull. So "everything" means including both. Matter is also coming from Kṛṣṅa, and these cetana, or living entities, they are also coming. And the whole world is combination of this matter and cetana—your body, my body. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg 7.5].

[Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.]

This material energy is inferior, and the spiritual energy is superior. And superior why? Because the superior energy, the living entity, jīva-bhūta, they are controlling. Not controlling; they are trying to utilize. Just like we advanced living entities, human being, we have created the modern civilization by utilizing the matter. Utilizing the matter. That is our superiority. But we are also prakṛti. Apareyaṁ viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. We are parā-prakṛti, spiritual energy. This is the understanding. In this way we have to understand tattva-jñāna. The human life is meant for understanding tattva. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Jijñāsā, tattva-jijñāsā, the same thing.

So explanation of Vedānta-sūtra is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins that what is that tattva. Janmādy asya. Janmādy asya, from whom everything has emanated, or the Supreme, which is the source of everything. So what is the nature of that source? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ [SB 1.1.1]. That source is abhijñaḥ, cognizant, not matter. Matter is not cognizant. Life. Janmādy asya yataḥ, cognizant. So these scientists' theory, modern theory, that life comes from matter, this is wrong. The life comes from life. Because in the Bhagava..., Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is explained that janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ. The identity from whom everything emanates, He's abhijñaḥ, cognizant. He can understand. So cognizant means life. Not only that. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye: He instructed knowledge to Lord Brahma, about Vedic knowledge. So unless one is living entity, how he can impart knowledge?

So actually, the Absolute Truth is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the Vedānta-sūtra's explanation, natural explanation... Actually, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written by Vyāsadeva. Here it is said, dvaipāyana-sakha. Dvaipāyana means Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva compiled this Brahma-sūtra, and he explained it, bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṅām, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If we read some artificial comments on Brahma-sūtra, we'll misunderstand. Generally, these Māyāvādīs give prominence of the comment given by Śaṅkarācārya about Brahma-sūtra, Śārīraka-bhāṣya. But that is unnatural. The natural commentation is given by the author himself, Vyāsadeva. So we have to understand... Vyāsadeva has written Brahma-sūtra, and we have to understand the meaning of Brahma... Brahma-sūtra means codes only. So codes can be explained by the author himself. So our process is to accept the Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ [Bg 13.5]. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. So Brahma-sūtra is nyāya-prasthāna. Nyāya-prasthāna: very logically, transcendental knowledge. So brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ. So we must... Therefore, according to our Vedic system, the ācārya must understand Brahma-sūtra and explain. Then he'll be accepted as ācārya.

Therefore two sampradāyas, the Māyāvādī sampradāya and the Vaiṣṅava sampradāya, both of them have explained the Brahma-sūtra. Otherwise, they are not authority. Without understanding Brahma-sūtra, nobody can understand what is Brahman. Therefore here it is said that Vidura understood the ānvīkṣikyām, transcendental knowledge, from Maitreya. Who is Maitreya? Dvaipāyana-sakha. He's the friend. That means he has association with Vyāsadeva. Just like friend and friend, the one friend knows the other friend, what is his position, what is his knowledge. So Maitreya was friend of Vyāsadeva. That means he knows what Vyāsadeva knows. So we have to approach such spiritual master or instructor who is in disciplic succession of Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva. Everyone claims that "We are also following Vyāsadeva." But not superficially. Actually following Vyāsadeva. Just like Vyāsadeva accepted Kṛṣṅa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg 10.12],

[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]

he accepted Kṛṣṅa as the Para-brahman, the Supreme Person. So one may say that "Arjuna was friend of Kṛṣṅa; he might have accepted like that." No. He gave evidence that "Vyāsadeva also accepts You. Vyāsadeva also accepts You, 'You are the Para-brahman.' " Vyāsadeva begins the comments on Vedānta-sūtra: oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. He begins, janmādy asya yataḥ, paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi [SB 1.1.1].

So if we actually are interested to understand spiritual knowledge, we must approach the representative of ācārya. Acarya-upasanam. And ācārya means who follows Vyāsadeva. Just like Maitreya, dvaipāyana-sakha. Maitreya bhagavān. He has been addressed as Bhagavān. Of course, the Supreme Bhagavān is Bhaga... Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

But other powerful person, just like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, or Vyāsadeva, Maitreya, very, very big personalities, they are also sometimes addressed as Bhagavān. Nārada-deva. They are bhagavān. Actual Bhagavān is Kṛṣṅa. But they have attained, as far as possible... It is not possible to have the cent per cent knowledge of Kṛṣṅa. Nobody can do that. Even Nārāyaṅa cannot do that. Even Viṣṅu cannot do that. But those who are, I mean to say, devotees or followers of Kṛṣṅa's instruction fully, they are also sometimes called bhagavān. But that bhagavān does not mean artificial bhagavān. Bhagavān means he knows what Kṛṣṅa has taught, he's also bhagavān. Bhagavāṁs tathā, prāha, he said, idam, viduram, unto Vidura, and prītaḥ, being pleased. Not that simply talking between friends and friends. No. Being prītaḥ. Just to... He's also eager. He's also eager, and he's also very much pleased. Vidura was eager to receive the transcendental knowledge, and Maitreya was pleased upon him.

How one can be pleased? That is the process: praṅipātena sevayā. You can please one simply by surrendering to himself and by rendering service, "Sir, I am your most obedient servant. Please accept me and give me instruction." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg 2.7].

[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]

Even Arjuna was a very intimate friend of Kṛṣṅa, still, while learning Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā from Him, he surrendered himself to Kṛṣṅa and said that "I am no more Your friend." Of course, friend is also..., a friend of Kṛṣṅa is also surrendered. That is... But specifically he said, śiṣyas te 'ham. Śiṣya means "You can rule over me now." Śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu. From śās-dhātu, śāstra, śiṣya, śastra, these things have come. So śiṣyas te 'ham. Śiṣya means "Now I am under Your full control. You can use me in whatever way You like." So in this way, ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ.

So this is the process of asking. Paripraśna is asking question. Of course, one, the śiṣya, must ask. He must... But not challenge. Just to understand. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Not to defeat the spiritual master. But one should be inquisitive, inquire from the spiritual master, being jijñāsu, very inquisitive to understand the spiritual science. Not that "I know better than you. Let us talk." No. That is not with guru. You must find out a guru where you can surrender, praṅipātena. If you don't find a person where you cannot surrender, don't waste your time and his time. First of all surrender. So this is the process of understanding transcendental... Ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]