Faith in Guru and Surrender to Krsna 75
show us how to apply that knowledge which is
found in the books. As far as the science of God is
concerned, Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead Himself, advises us to go to a person to
whom we can surrender. This means that we have to
check to see if a person is capable of giving
instructions in Bhagavad-gita and other literatures of
God realization. It is not that we are to search out a
spiritual master whimsically. We should be very
serious to find a person who is actually in knowledge
of the subject.

In the beginning of Bhagavad-gita Arjuna was
talking to Krsna just like a friend, and Krsna was
questicning how he, as a military man, could give
up fighting. But when Arjuna saw that friendly talks
would not make a solution to his problems, he
surrendered unto Krsna, saying, sisyaste “ham sadhi
mam tvam prapannam: “Now I am Your disciple and
a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.”
(Bg. 2.7) This is the process. It is not that we should
blindly surrender, but we should be able to inquire
with intelligence.

Without inquiry, we cannot make advancement. In
school a student who makes inquiries from the
teacher is usually an intelligent student. It is generally
a sign of intelligence when a small child inquires
from his father, “Oh, what is this? What is that?”
We may have a very good spiritual master, but if we
have no power to inquire, we cannot make progress.
Nor should the inquiry be of the nature of a chal-
lenge. One should not think, “Now I will see what
kind of spiritual master he is. I will challenge him.”
Our inquiries (pariprasnena) should be on _ the
