Category:Answers of a Spiritual Master
Theme Analysis
The transmission of transcendental knowledge is a highly specific science. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the relationship between a guru and a disciple is forged through submissive inquiry and absolute surrender (praṇipāta). A disciple must approach the guru not to challenge or test him, but with a genuine desire to understand the goal of life. When this gentle, service-oriented attitude is present, the bona fide spiritual master freely gives his answers. Conversely, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that an outsider or a faithless person has no right to demand answers, nor is the spiritual master obliged to provide them to someone who is not ready to accept the truth.
A prominent theme in this category is the qualification of the spiritual master. To answer the profound questions of suffering, the transmigration of the soul, and the nature of the Supreme Lord, the guru must be deeply learned in the Vedic scriptures and must have practically realized the Absolute Truth. When a qualified student meets a qualified master, the result is liberation for both. Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently highlights the historical dialogue between Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī as the ultimate standard. Śukadeva Gosvāmī expertly tested the King's intelligence, answered his questions unhesitatingly (though not always in the exact order they were asked), and guided him past the lower stages of karma-kāṇḍa straight to the pure devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, Śrīla Prabhupāda cites the bold answers of Prahlāda Mahārāja, who fearlessly explained the science of bhāgavata-dharma to his demoniac father, proving that the answers of a spiritual master always cut through the illusions of the material world.
- The Prerequisite of Surrender: A disciple must be completely ready to accept the instructions given. Questioning without surrender is a waste of time for both the student and the teacher.
- The Qualification to Answer: A genuine spiritual master can answer all inquiries regarding the ultimate goal of life because he is well-versed in the scriptures and has directly experienced the truth.
- The Rejection of Challenges: The Vedic system does not accommodate mundane intellectual debates. A guru is not obligated to answer the challenging questions of uninitiated, faithless outsiders.
- Historical Perfection: The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the supreme compilation of perfect questions and perfect answers, exemplified by the interactions between Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and Sūta Gosvāmī and the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Answers of a Spiritual Master - The Science of Surrender and Inquiry.
Pages in category "Answers of a Spiritual Master"
The following 25 pages are in this category, out of 25 total.
A
- A disciple always inquires from the spiritual master, and the spiritual master answers the question, provided the disciple is very gentle and devoted
- A person generally does not know how one body is linked with another body. How is it possible that one suffers or enjoys the results of activities in this body in yet another body in the next life. This is a question the King wants Narada Muni to answer
- According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 7.5.23-24): This is a statement given by Prahlada Maharaja in answer to a question raised by his father. Prahlada Maharaja said - To hear or chant about Visnu, to remember Him, to serve His lotus feet, to worship Him
- An intelligent person must inquire from the spiritual master about the goal of life. A bona fide spiritual master can answer all such questions because he has seen the real truth
- An outsider has no right to put any question because he is not surrendered. And a spiritual master is not obliged to answer anyone except to his disciple. This is the Vedic way
B
- Because Pariksit Maharaja wanted to clear up the situation, his spiritual master answered him very intelligently, "Why are you again asking about the same subject matter which has already been explained to you? Why are you so forgetful?"
- Before Maharaja Pariksit he (Sukadeva Gosvami) recited Srimad-Bhagavatam and answered the questions of Maharaja Pariksit unhesitatingly, and thus both the master and the disciple got salvation
H
- He (Lord Narayana) was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle, - Narada answered. "I don't believe such nonsense," the brahmana replied. Narada could immediately understand that the man had no faith and that he was simply a reader of books
- His (Prahlada Maharaja's) little friends reply, "Oh, we shall now play. Why take up Krsna consciousness?" In answer to this, Prahlada Maharaja says - If you are intelligent, then you must begin bhagavata-dharma from childhood
- His (Prahlada) father was surprised, so he asked him, "How have you taken to Krsna consciousness?" The answer was, - My dear father, Krsna consciousness cannot be achieved by a person like you, whose job is always simply to enjoy this material world
S
- Since Maharaja Pariksit was a great devotee. the answers of his guru, Sukadeva Gosvami, concerning karma-kanda and jnana-kanda could not satisfy him
- Sukadeva Gosvami answered (the inquiry of Maharaja Pariksit about the end of Krsna and the Yadu dynasty) that Krsna, by His own energy, destroyed the entire family and then thought of making His own body disappear
- Sukadeva Gosvami answered: Pradyumna, the eldest son of Krsna, born of Rukmini, was Cupid himself. He was so beautiful and attractive that the daughter of Rukmi, namely Rukmavati, could not select any husband other than Pradyumna during her svayamvara
- Sukadeva Gosvami tested the intelligence of Maharaja Pariksit, who passed the examination by refusing to accept this process (of atonement) as genuine. Now Pariksit Maharaja is expecting another answer from his spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami
- Sukadeva Gosvami, equally intelligent, as befitting the spiritual master of Maharaja Pariksit, answered the King and confirmed that his statement concerning atonement was correct
T
- The question is enquired by the student, and the answer is given by the spiritual master. So how is that (Caitanya asking)? - He (Ramananda Raya) was feeling little agitation. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately encouraged him, - Don't hesitate
- The spiritual master must also be well versed and learned so that he may be able to answer all these inquiries from the devotees
- This Sanskrit verse (of CC Adi 2.11) appears as the eleventh verse of the First Canto, Second Chapter, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, where Suta Gosvami answers the questions of the sages headed by Saunaka Rsi concerning the essence of all scriptural instructions
- This verse (CC Madhya 20.270) from Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 2.9.10) was spoken by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami. He was answering the questions of Pariksit Maharaja, who asked how the living entity falls down into the material world
Y
- You must be qualified to in..., inquisitive to understand the spiritual science, and the spiritual master should be also qualified to answer your inquisitiveness. Then the relationship is nice, not one-sided
- You must find out a suitable person where you can question and get the proper answer, a spiritual master. That means surrender. Then question. Question is not a challenge. Question is to understand
- You should question, also put your question, to a person who can actually answer. That means you must question only to the spiritual master. Otherwise, you may be misled. He may give you some wrong information