266 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah
prechami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah
yac chreyah syan niscitam brihi tan me
Sisyas te "ham Sadhi mam tvam prapannam

‘“Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because
of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is
best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You.
Please instruct me.”’ [Bg. 2.7] So here we can see that Arjuna is confused
about his duty.

Mr. O’Grady: Is this duty to the self, to others, or to the state?

Srila Prabhupada: A soldier’s duty is to fight with the enemy. Arjuna
was a soldier, and Krsna advised him, ‘‘The opposite party is your
enemy, and you are a soldier. Why are you trying to be nonviolent? This
is not good.”’ Then Arjuna said, ‘‘ Actually, I am confused. In this confu-
sion I cannot make the right decision. I therefore accept You as my spiri-
tual master. Please give me the proper lesson.”’ In a chaotic condition, in
a confused state of life, one should approach another, who is in full
knowledge of the matter. You go to a lawyer to solve legal problems, and
you go to a physician to solve medical problems. Everyone in the ma-
terial world is confused about spiritual identity. It is therefore our duty to
approach a bona fide spiritual master, who can give us real knowledge.

Mr. O’Grady: I am very confused.

Srila Prabhupada: So you must approach a spiritual master.

Mr. O’Grady: And he makes a decision on how to help me stop this
confusion?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, the spiritual master is one who solves all confu-
sion. If the spiritual master cannot save his disciple from confusion, he is
not a spiritual master. That is the test.

samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-
tranaya karunya-ghanadghanatvam

praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya
vande guroh Sri-caranadravindam

This whole confused world is just like a blazing forest fire. In a forest fire
all the animals are confused. They do not know where to go to save their
lives. In the blazing fire of the material world, everyone is confused. How
can that blazing forest fire be extinguished? It is not possible to utilize
your man-made fire brigade, nor is it possible to simply pour buckets of
