Text 13] The Forest of Enjoyment 23
He then loses all intelligence in their association. This is exactly
like jumping in a shallow river. As a result one simply breaks his
head. He is not able to mitigate his sufferings from the heat, and in
both ways he suffers. The misguided conditioned soul also ap-
proaches so-called sadhus and svamis who preach against the prin-
ciples of the Vedas. He does not receive benefit from them, either
in the present or in the future.
PURPORT

Cheaters are always there to manufacture their own way of spiritual
realization. To get some material benefit. the conditioned soul approaches
these pseudo sannyasis and yogis for cheap blessings, but he does not
receive any benefit from them, either spiritual or material. In this age
there are many cheaters who show some jugglery and magic. They even
create gold to amaze their followers, and their followers accept them as
God. This type of cheating is very prominent in Kali-yuga. Visvanatha
Cakravati Thakura describes the real guru in this way.

sammsara-davanala-lidha-loka-
trandya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya
vande guroh Ssri-caranadravindam

One should approach a guru who can extinguish the blazing fire of this
material world, the struggle for existence. People want to be cheated. and
therefore they go to yogis and svdmis who play tricks. but tricks do not
mitigate the miseries of material life. If being able to manufacture gold is
a criterion for becoming God. then why not accept Krsna. the proprietor
of the entire universe, wherein there are countless tons of gold? As men-
tioned before, the color of gold is compared to the will-o’-the-wisp or
yellow stool; therefore one should not be allured by gold-manufacturing
gurus but should sincerely approach a devotee like Jada Bharata. Jada
Bharata instructed Rahigana Maharaja so well that the King was relieved
from the bodily conception. One cannot become happy by accepting a
false guru. A guru should be accepted as advised in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(11.3.21). Tasmad gururh prapadyeta jijndsuh sreya uttamam: One
should approach a bona fide guru to inquire about the highest benefit of
life. Such a guru is described as follows: sabde pare ca nisnadtam. Such a
