Approach a Bona Fide Spiritual Master

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Approach a Bona Fide Spiritual Master
From Jayadvaita Swami
Posted April 12, 2004

Bhagavad-gita 4.34:

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."

Concerned about the integrity and fidelity of this translation? Is "self-realized souls"— in the plural— a deviation?

You might be interested to see how Srila Prabhupada paraphrased this verse in an essay entitled "Interpretations of Bhagavad-gita." The essay appears in the VedaBase, where it is dated "circa 1948." Unlike every published edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the essay is unedited.

Here's that paraphrase:

"It is therefore stated in the Bhagavad-gita that one who actually wants to have an access to the essence of Bhagavad-gita must himself engage in the service of a bona fide spiritual master by full surrender. In that position only, one can make bona fide enquiries regarding the Bhagavad-gita, and in that posture only, the self-realized spiritual masters impregnate the submissive disciple with the knowledge of Gita, because they have already seen the Truth of it."

"Self-realized spiritual masters." Plural.

Hare Krsna.

Website

This message also appears on the following web page:

http://www.krishna.com/newsite/main.php?id=242

Interested in the differences between the first and second editions of Bhagavad-gita As It Is? You'll find more than 150 examples at this address:

www.krishna.com/newsite/GitaRevsExplained.html

There you'll see the published versions side by side with the text of the original manuscripts. And the graphic format of the web helps you see at a glance what the revisions are and where they're coming from.

For anyone who has concerns about the editing of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, this is a must-see.

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Hare Krsna.

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