RĀYA RĀMĀNANDA SAṂVĀDA · 49
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The guru is one who knows Kṛṣṇa-tattva, whatever his varṇa or āśrama
kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya"whether a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra — one who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa is a guru" — CC Madhya 8.128
The guru is one who knows Kṛṣṇa-tattva, whatever his varṇa or āśrama
kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya
"whether a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra — one who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa is a guru" — CC Madhya 8.128
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"If someone has realized Kṛṣṇa, has love for Kṛṣṇa, it does not matter which varṇa or which āśrama or what is their position in this world — that person is guru."
Rāmānanda Rāya is a kāyastha by birth — by the measure of society, a branch of the śūdras. Mahāprabhu, a sannyāsī from a brāhmaṇa family, tells him: you do not want to instruct Me, since My position is high and yours is low. So it was with Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura too: he was born in a kāyastha family, and many of his disciples were brāhmaṇas. In old age he showed the pastime of paralysis, and envious brāhmaṇas said: this is the punishment for a low-born man initiating brāhmaṇas. He asked for a great saṅkīrtana festival. They carried him there on a palanquin; he jumped down and danced in the kīrtana like a lion, then sat back in the palanquin and was "paralyzed" again.
Begin your rounds by bowing to the one who let you hear the Name.
Source: Rāya Rāmānanda Saṃvāda · part 10
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