Sri Sri Guru-astaka
(Verse 1)
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Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness
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samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
praptasya kalyanya-gunarnavasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
This song is offering obeisances particularly to the spiritual master, and the symptoms of the spiritual master are described in this prayer. The spiritual master has two kinds of symptoms in his activities. One kind is called constant, and other kind is called temporary. So the first verse states that the constant symptom of the spiritual master is that he can deliver his disciples from the blazing fire of this material existence. That is the eternal qualification of spiritual master. Tranaya karunya ghanaghanatvam. Tranaya means for deliverance, and karunya means compassionate, very merciful. The spiritual master comes to the deliverance of the fallen souls out of his causeless mercy. Nobody has any business for the sufferings of others. The best example is Lord Jesus Christ, that he suffered for others and it is the principle in the Bible that he accepted all the sins of others. This is the sign of spiritual master, that he voluntarily accepts the sinful activities of others and delivers them. That is the qualification of spiritual master. How it is? Just like, ghanaghanatvam. Ghanaghanatvam means dense cloud in the sky. The first example has been set, that this material existence is just like forest blazing fire. Now to extinguish the forest blazing fire, there is no use of sending fire brigade. The fire brigade cannot approach the forest fire; neither any man can go there to extinguish the fire. One has to depend completely on the mercy of nature. That means one has to completely depend on the cloud in the sky. Otherwise there is no question of pouring water on that blazing fire. So the example is very appropriate. As a man-made engine or fire brigade is unable to extinguish the forest blazing fire, similarly the material existence of blazing fire cannot be extinguished by any man-made method. They are planning to be very comfortable in this material existence, but they are still more being confused and failure. That peaceful movement, that United Nation movement, everything is failure. Why? These miseries of this material existence cannot be stopped by any material means. One has to take the shelter of spiritual nature. Just like a blazing fire in the forest has to wait for the cloud in the sky, similarly one has to wait for the merciful cloud as the spiritual master. That is described. Tranaya karunya ghanaghanatvam praptasya kalyana gunarnavasya.
So the spiritual master is not self-made. It is not that if anyone comes before you and bless you that I have attained spiritual perfection, and I have realized something by some method. No, the spiritual master, bona-fide spiritual means he has to receive the power from authority. Otherwise it is useless. It is not that one can become spiritual master overnight. He has to take the power from his spiritual master. Therefore it is called praptasya. Praptasya means one who has obtained, one who has got the merciful blessings of his spiritual master. We should always remember that the spiritual master is in the disciplic succession. The original spiritual master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He blesses His next disciple, just like Brahma. Brahma blesses his next disciple, just like Vyasa. Vyasa blesses his next disciple, Madhavacarya. Similarly, the blessing is coming, just like royal succession. The throne is inherited by disciplic or hereditary succession. Similarly, this power from the Supreme Personality of Godhead has to be received. Nobody can preach, nobody can become spiritual master without obtaining power from the right source. Therefore the very word is stated here, praptasya. Praptasya means one who has obtained. Praptasya kalyana. What he has obtained? Kalyana means auspicious. He has received something which is auspicious for all the human kind. Praptasya kalyana gunarnavasya. Here is another example, gunarnava. Gunarvnava means ocean, and guna means spiritual quality. Just like the same example is going on. It is very nice poetry. There is very nice rhetoric and metaphor. The example is set, blazing fire, and it is to be extinguished with the cloud. And wherefrom the cloud comes? Similarly, wherefrom the spiritual master receives the mercy? The cloud receives its potency from the ocean. Therefore the spiritual master also receives his power from the ocean of spiritual qualities. That is, from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, praptasya kalyana gunarnavasya. Such kind of spiritual master one has to accept, and vande guroh sri caranavindam. And one has to offer his respectful obeisances to such authorized spiritual master.
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