The Real Goal of Life
29
tvāṁ prapannam.  Arjuna told the Lord, “I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” So unless He is a spiritual master, how does Arjuna become His disciple? He is the original  guru.   Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye:  “It is He only who first imparted Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmā, the first created being.” Therefore He is the original  guru.
BOB:  Kṛṣṇa.
ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA:  Yes. He is the original  guru.  Then His disciple Brahmā is a  guru , then his disciple Nārada is a  guru , then his disciple Vyāsa is a  guru —in this way there is a  guru-paramparā  [disciplic succession of  gurus ].  Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam:  the transcendental knowledge is received through the disciplic succession.
BOB:  So a  guru  receives his knowledge through the disciplic succession, not directly from Kṛṣṇa? Do you receive some knowledge directly from Kṛṣṇa?
ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA:  Yes. Kṛṣṇa’s direct instruction is there:  Bhagavad-gītā.
BOB:  I see, but . . .
ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA:  But you have to learn it through the disciplic succession, otherwise you will misunderstand it.
BOB:  But presently you do not receive information directly from Kṛṣṇa? It comes through the disciplic succession from the books?
ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA:  There is no difference. Suppose I say that this is a pencil. If you say to him, “There is a pencil,” and if he says to another man, “This is a pencil,” then what is the difference between his instruction and my instructions?
BOB:  Kṛṣṇa’s mercy allows you to know this now?
ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA:  You can take Kṛṣṇa’s mercy also,