LETTER: Categories of Spiritual Masters

Jai Sri Radhe Swamiji,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to your divine grace. I am reading Bhagavad Gita as per your order. In that today i came across with Bg 8.15 in that it was stated about two kinds of liberated devotees, 1. Eternal associates and 2. Purified pure devotees. In which category the spiritual masters fall into?Please clarify this doubt. Please bless me.

Trying to be your servant,
Tirupathi Reddy.

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Dear Mr. Tirupati Reddy,

Please accept my blessings. I hope you and everyone close to you are all well.

I am happy to know that you are reading our books carefully and are clarifying the points that require more understanding. Intelligent people like to carefully read spiritual books because they want to know why spiritual life is essential for a human being. Please carry on with your reading and following the spiritual program continuously.
In regard to Eternal associates of Lord Krsna, they are always with Lord Krsna. When Lord Krsna descends on this earth His associates come with Him and when He leaves from this world His associates go with Him. Wherever Lord Krsna (or Lord Chaitanya) goes His associates follow Him there to assist in His transcendental pastimes. You must note that there are two kinds of eternal associates of Lord Krsna. One category of associates of Lord Krsna are from Goloka Vrindaban (the capital city of the spiritual world) the other category of associates are from Vaikuntha who assist Lord Krsna’s incarnations when they descend to this world. Both of these categories are His eternal associates..

In regard to the Spiritual Master, he is Lord Krsna’s representative. He is not Lord Krsna’s eternal associate because he has to stay in this world to preach without the personal association of Lord Krsna. The disciples praise their Guru in many ways and sometimes call their Spiritual Master as Lord Krsna’s eternal associate but it is due to inaccurate knowledge of the disciples because it is not a fact. A Spiritual Master must be authorized by the ancient scriptures of India written by Srila Vyasadeva. Spiritual Master is not an elected or selected person for a post like for the politicians. Guru’s position is not a speculation of anyone and cannot be occupied by a whimsical person or a hoax. The Spiritual Master must be a pure devotee and not less, and he should be qualified by all the Vedic scriptures, all the Acharyas, all the sages and saints up till Lord Krsna Himself. Every spiritual authority of Vedic civilization must authorize a devotee to function as the Spiritual Master of those who desire to see God face to face in the spiritual world after they depart from this world.

There are three categories of Spiritual Masters in this world sent by Lord Krsna who preach to moksakaamees (spiritual seekers who desire liberation).

1) NITYASIDDHA== Such Spiritual Masters are eternally liberated personalities and although they are seen in this material world, living, eating, sleeping, talking like a normal person but they are not from this world because they bring people to spiritual life.They are not of this world because they are always in the spiritual world. Such Gurus are like a person who is standing on the river shore and extending his hand to other side of the river and pulling people from that shore to his side of the river.

2) SADHANA SIDDHA== This kind of Spiritual Master is a pure devotee who becomes pure, perfect and living-liberated by practicing rigorous spiritual life and austerities. Such Spiritual Masters are like a person who has his feet on both sides of the river banks( one foot on each side) and taking the qualified devotees from this side of the material world to the other side of the river bank, the spiritual world..

3) KRIPASIDDHA== This kind of Spiritual Master becomes perfect, pure, and able to take people to the spiritual world by the mercy of the Spiritual Teachers of the chain of spiritual succession. This Guru although stands with his both feet in the material world, he always looks towards the spiritual world. This Guru is like that of a person who stands on this side of the river bank and puts people to the other side by holding their hands and places them on the spiritual side of the river-bank-like spiritual world.
All of the above Gurus are pure devotees and have qualities and the fructified spiritual potency of Lord Krsna in them–to be able to extend liberation to the sincere seekers. But none of these categories of Gurus are Lord Krsna’s eternal associates because Guru always comes and goes including at the time when Lord Krsna is not personally present on earth. Guru is a humble servant of Lord Krsna whereas eternal associates are Lord Krsna’s companions.

Sometimes it happens that Lord Krsna’s eternal associate functions as Guru in this world but this is very rare. Lord Krsna’s eternal associates are traditional Vrajavasis (people who are traditionally born and raised in Vrindaban, the Land of Lord Krsna). Sometimes such a Vrajavasi functions as Guru that is why in such case it can be accepted that such a Guru is Lord Krsna’s eternal associate as it is in the case of Uddhava, the narration found in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

I hope this clarifies your question.

Please carry on with your reading and chanting and following the spiritual rules. Lord Krsna will fulfill your desires.

Thank you.
Jai Sri Radhe.

Your ever well-wisher,
Krsna Balaram Swami