Ecstatic Govardhana Parikrama

Today (4 April 2011) we took a party of devotees on Govardhana Parikrama, a circumambulation of Govardhana Hill. Govardhana is the famous hill that was lifted by Krishna 5,000 years ago to protect the inhabitants of Vrindavana from the devastating storm sent by Indra, the king of heaven. At the beginning of our parikrama we sat at the foot of Govardhana, and I told the amazing story of how Govardhana appeared in this universe in a place known as Salmalidvipa, one of the seven islands on Bhumandala, was later transferred to Vraja Dhama. It was a truly sublime experience to spend so many hours fixing our minds on the wonderful Govardhana Hill, which is an incarnation of Krishna.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Krishna Lifts Govardhana 5,000 Years Ago

Krishna Lifts Govardhana 5,000 Years Ago

Govardhana As It Appears Today

Govardhana As It Appears Today

Describing How Govardhana Appeared

Sankarshan Das Describing How Govardhana Appeared

A Most Auspicious Atmosphere

A Most Auspicious Atmosphere

Praying for Radharani's Mercy at Radha Kunda

Praying for Radharani's Mercy at Radha Kunda

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Why Do We Need a Guru?

I have a questions about guru. In your article you mentioned that if it's important to have a living guru instead of just accepting Krishna as guru. I would like you to explain the reason why we need a physical (living) guru.

Who is a guru?
Where can we find a true guru?
What is the qualification of a guru?
Who can become a guru?
And why do we need a guru for spiritualism?

If we go to school we need a teacher to guide us. In all walks of life we need someone physical to teach us. Yes, Lord Krishna is the guru of the entire universe. But do you or anyone have a personal relationship with Krishna? You can only use words to talk about Krishna. But do have experience of closeness with Krishna?

I would like for you to explain the parampara (disciplic succession) of the guru as well.

Lord Krishna is not confined in one form or name. So too the guru must have qualification in all dimension in life? Can you explain?

Thank you,

S.S.M.

Answer: Krishna Orders Us to Accept a Guru

Thank you very much for your sincere inquiry.

There is only one guru, Lord Sri Krishna. All we need to do to attain spiritual perfection is to fully surrender ourselves unto Lord Sri Krishna. Surrender means that whatever instruction Krishna gives us we are obliged to follow.

Krishna directly orders us in the Bhagavad-gita that we are to approach a spiritual master, inquire submissively and render service to him. So if we are truly devoted to Krishna we cannot ignore his order to accept a guru. Who will we accept as our guru? This question is answered in the Mundaka Upanisad. We must accept as our spiritual master that person who is purely following and presenting the teachings of Krishna without any adulteration.

The spiritual master has a very special relationship with the Lord because he understands the innermost desire of the Lord to deliver all of the fallen, conditioned souls of this material world back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore he personally experiences closeness with the Lord at every moment, and his words are surcharged with deep spiritual meaning.

The spiritual master is not an upstart. He is the humble servant of his spiritual master who is coming in an unbroken line of disciplic succession which begins with Krishna Himself. Our specific preceptorial line is the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya listed as follows:

1. Kṛṣṇa
2. Brahmā
3. Nārada
4. Vyāsa
5. Madhva
6. Padmanābha
7. Nṛhari
8. Mādhava
9. Akṣobhya
10. Jaya Tīrtha
11. Jñānasindhu
12. Dayānidhi
13. Vidyānidhi
14. Rājendra
15. Jayadharma
16. Puruṣottama
17. Brahmaṇya Tīrtha
18. Vyāsa Tīrtha
19. Lakṣmīpati
20. Mādhavendra Purī
21. Īśvara Purī, (Nityānanda, Advaita)
22. Lord Caitanya
23. Rūpa, (Svarūpa, Sanātana)
24. Raghunātha, Jīva
25. Kṛṣṇadāsa
26. Narottama
27. Viśvanātha
28. (Baladeva) Jagannātha
29. Bhaktivinoda
30. Gaurakiśora
31. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
32. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
33. Disciples of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

The spiritual master's only duty is to deliver his disciples back to the spiritual world. It is not that he has to fulfill other roles such as curing diseases, supplying money, or reading horoscopes.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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