The Real Goal of Life 29
tvath 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 hrda ya adi-
kavaye: “It is He only who first imparted Vedic knowledge
unto the heart of Brahma, the first created being.”
Therefore He is the original gum.

BOB: Krsna.

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Yes. He is the original guru. Then His
disciple Brahm is a guru, then his disciple Narada is a guru,
then his disciple Vy4sa is a guru—in this way there is a guru-
parampara [disciplic succession of gurus]. Evarh parampara-
praptam: the transcendental knowledge is received through
the disciplic succession.

BOB: So a guru receives his knowledge through the disciplic
succession, not directly from Krsna? Do you receive some
knowledge directly from Krsna?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Yes. Krsna’s direct instruction is
there: Bhagavad-gitd.

BOB: I see, but . . .

SRILA PRABHUPADA: 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 Krsna? It comes through the disciplic succession from
the books?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: 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: Krsna’s mercy allows you to know this now?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: You can take Krsna’s mercy also,
