By Narasimha das
Submitted by Yasoda nandana Dasa
In his Purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.9.43, Srila Prabhupada describes who is a genuine disciple and who is a genuine spiritual master. The original guru is Lord Sri Krishna and the original disciple is Lord Brahma. Devotees in the Brahma Sampradaya receive transcendental knowledge through the paramapara coming through Narada Muni, Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Goswami—and other great paramahamsas in this line of succession. All this is described.
Qualifications of Genuine Disciples and Gurus:
Those who attempt to understand Vedic knowledge through grammar alone are not allowed access into the pure transcendental knowledge of bhakti-yoga. Such jnanis, yogis, karmis, and even prakrita-bhaktas, generally try to capture Vedic knowledge through scholarship, or under the tutorship of institutional leaders or professional clerics or pundits. Because they have not surrendered to a “realized person”, a pure devotee, they remain on the mundane plane.
“One who is now the disciple is the next spiritual master. And one cannot be a bona fide and authorized spiritual master unless one has been strictly obedient to his spiritual master.” (SB.2.9.43, Purport)
Are Ecclesiastical Gurus Genuine?
Those who are disobedient, or those who never surrender to the real acharya, cannot be counted as disciples in the eternal paramapara. They can never be real gurus or disciples but are, at best, veda-vada-ratas—according to Srila Prabhupada’s purports.
