Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
We offer our daṇḍavats to the topmost empowered ācārya, predicted even by Kṛṣṇa himself,
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda! Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(10.80.32, 41):
sa vai sat-karmaṇāṁ sākṣād
dvijāter iha sambhavaḥ
ādyo ’ṅga yatrāśramiṇāṁ
yathāhaṁ jñāna-do guruḥ
My dear friend, he who gives a person his physical birth is his first spiritual master,
and he who initiates him as a twice-born brāhmaṇa and engages him in religious duties
is indeed more directly his spiritual master. But the person who bestows transcenden-
tal knowledge upon the members of all the spiritual orders of society is one’s ultimate
spiritual master. Indeed, he is as good as My own self.
etad eva hi sac-chiṣyaiḥ
kartavyaṁ guru-niṣkṛtam
yad vai viśuddha-bhāvena
sarvārthātmārpaṇaṁ gurau
This indeed is the duty of all true disciples: to repay the debt to their spiritual master
by offering him, with pure hearts, their wealth, and even their very lives.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.33.31: īśvarāṇāṁ vacaḥ satyam – “The statements of the Lord’s empowered
servants are always true.”
Nārada-bhakti-sūtra 69: sac-chāstrī-kurvanti śāstrāṇi – “[Great pure devotees] make scriptures
authoritative.”
tatra vaiduṣe ca vipratipatti-bhramādi-nṛ-doṣa-rāhityāt, śabdasyāpi tan-mūlatvāc ca
About the perceptions of the wise there is no disagreement, because these percep-
tions are devoid of the human weaknesses, such as faulty judgment. Moreover, the
perceptions of the wise are the basis of even verbal testimony [śabda-pramāṇa]. (Tattva-
sandarbha, Sarva-saṁvādinī commentary, anuccheda 9, by Jīva Gosvāmī)
The statements of Thakura Bhaktivinoda are as good as scriptures because he is a
liberated person. Generally the spiritual master comes from the group of such eternal
associates of the Lord. (Letter to Janārdana Dāsa, New York, April 26, 1968)
bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsā, karaṇāpāṭava
ārṣa-vijña-vākye nāhi doṣa ei saba
Mistakes, illusions, cheating, and defective perception do not occur in the sayings of
the authoritative sages. (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādī-līlā 2.86).
So a disciple is always in deficiency before his spiritual master. Just like Caitanya
Mahāprabhu says, guru more murkha dekhi karila śāśana: “My spiritual master saw Me a
fool number one. Therefore he has chastised Me.” So disciple should be always ready
to be chastised. He should not think that he has become perfect. That is perfection.
So long he thinks that he is not perfect – he’s to be chastised – then he’s perfect. And
as soon as he thinks that he has become perfect, he’s nonsense immediately, nonsense
number one. [break] … always to be chastised by the spiritual master for perfec-
tion. And if he thinks that now he has become perfect, then he’s a foolish. Caitanya
Mahāprabhu said, guru more murkha dekhi: “My spiritual master saw Me a fool number
one.” Was He fool number one? He’s God Himself. But that is the position. He should
remain always a fool number one, ready to be chastised. Then he’s perfect. (Morning
walk, April 8, 1975, in Māyāpur)
And from a lecture in Vrindavan, given on November 6, 1976:
Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya.… This is the injunction of the ācārya, Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura. He has described very nicely vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru
nandana. The order of guru should be the life and soul of the disciple, without caring
for his personal salvation. This is the qualification of śiṣya. Śiṣyas te ’ham śādhi māṁ pra-
pannam, fully surrendered.
So please bless us, Śrīla Prabhupāda, to be your full followers, without any deviation. In that way
we can be successful in the preaching of your sacred mission in Lord Caitanya’s movement.
Your servants at Rādhā-Govinda Mandir, ISKCON Saltillo

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