106
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 7, Ch. 7]
tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Bg. 4.34) One must approach a bona fide spiritual master by surrendering himself ( praṇipātena ) and rendering service. 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. Even in ordinary activities, we first consider gain and loss, and then we act. Similarly, an intelligent person must consider the entire process of material existence and then act intelligently, following the directions of the bona fide spiritual master.
TEXT 48
तस्मादर्थाश्च कामाश्च धर्माश्च यदपाश्रयाः । भजतानीहयात्मानमनीहं हरिमीश्वरम् ॥४८॥
tasmād arthāś ca kāmāś ca dharmāś ca yad-apāśrayāḥ bhajatānīhayātmānam anīhaṁ harim īśvaram
tasmāt—therefore; arthāḥ—ambitions for economic development; ca—and; kāmāḥ—ambitions for satisfaction of the senses; ca—also; dharmāḥ—duties of religion; ca—and; yat—upon whom; apāśrayāḥ—dependent; bhajata—worship; anīhayā—without desire for them; ātmānam—the Supersoul; anīham—indifferent; harim—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; īśvaram—the Lord.
TRANSLATION
The four principles of advancement in spiritual life—dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa—all depend on the disposition of the