The spiritual master

[Guest guest]

SB 1.1.6 TRANSLATION

The sages said: Respected S™ta Gosv€m…, you are completely free from all

vice. You are well versed in all the scriptures famous for religious life,

and in the Pur€Šas and the histories as well, for you have gone through them

under proper guidance and have also explained them.

 

PURPORT

A gosv€m…, or the bona fide representative of ®r… Vy€sadeva, must be free

from all kinds of vices. The four major vices of Kali-yuga are (1) illicit

connection with women, (2) animal slaughter, (3) intoxication, (4)

speculative gambling of all sorts. A gosv€m… must be free from all these

vices before he can dare sit on the vy€s€sana. No one should be allowed to

sit on the vy€s€sana who is not spotless in character and who is not freed

from the above-mentioned vices. He not only should be freed from all such

vices, but must also be well versed in all revealed scriptures or in the

Vedas. The Pur€Šas are also parts of the Vedas. And histories like the

Mah€bh€rata or R€m€yaŠa are also parts of the Vedas. The €c€rya or the

gosv€m… must be well acquainted with all these literatures. To hear and

explain them is more important than reading them. One can assimilate the

knowledge of the revealed scriptures only by hearing and explaining. Hearing

is called ravaŠa, and explaining is called k…rtana. The two processes of

ravaŠa and k…rtana are of primary importance to progressive spiritual life.

Only one who has properly grasped the transcendental knowledge from the

right source by submissive hearing can properly explain the subject.

-----