Question: “While going through Srimad Bhagavatam, in Canto 11 Chapter 7.19-21, it is revealed that one can become his own guru and experience Krishna’s full potencies. This is contradicting to what Krishna says in BG 4.2, which states that one must learn this knowledge from bonafide spiritual master coming in the line of disciplic succession.”
“My question is Does Krishna approve both or only the process mentioned in BG 4.2? If He approves the former, where is the question of bogus gurus since every one can become his own guru, as per scriptural injunctions?”
Answer by Romapada Swami:
To address your question, let us first refer to two short statements made in the purports to these verses. In the purport to #20, we find-
“Srila Jiva Gosvami states in this connection, gurv-anusarane pravartaka ity arthah: the knowledge acquired by one’s own perception and intelligence leads one to appreciate the value of the representative of Lord Krsna. The word sreyas in this verse indicates that one can advance in life through one’s own intelligence. By good association one should gradually come to understand one’s eternal position as servant of Krsna, and then one becomes very eager to live in the company of other enlightened persons.”
In the purport to #21, we find-
“A spiritual master becomes bona fide by his full surrender to his spiritual master; but as explained in this chapter, one may also act as his own guru. This means that an intelligent and perceptive person can understand the nature of this world and his own limitations. Such a person then becomes very much inclined to associate with the pure devotees of the Lord and to receive the mercy of those who are advanced in Krsna consciousness.”
The emphasis here is that one stage or one level of intelligence, or guru-like direction, can come from one’s own efforts in the matter of perception and discrimination (which is a function of intelligence). What is that guru-like attainment? “This world is limited, and therefore not providing actual shelter. However, as revealed in scriptures and confirmed by my experience, there is a power and an intelligence beyond this machine of the material energy. Let me seek the shelter of one of his representatives, or a tattva-darshi, who can bring me to His lotus feet!”
This is a vartmapradarsaka-guru function, one of the categories of guru, viz one who shows one the path of devotion. See Cc Madhya 8.128. Receiving direction to approach Krishna and to know Him in fullness, as described in BG 4.2 or in 4.34, is the outcome of the process described in SB 11.7.19-21. One type of guru (as Krishna is describing to Uddhava in this Canto 11 reference) leads one to a 2nd type or category of guru (the category which Krishna describes to Arjuna in Ch 4 of BG). The vartmapradarsaka guru instructs us that we must take shelter of the type of guru mentioned in BG 4.2.
