Shloka 18
Ṛṣabhadeva Instructs His Sons: Tapasya, Mahātmā-Sevā, and Cutting the Heart-Knot
गुरुर्न स स्यात्स्वजनो न स स्यात् पिता न स स्याज्जननी न सा स्यात् । दैवं न तत्स्यान्न पतिश्च स स्या- न्न मोचयेद्य: समुपेतमृत्युम् ॥ १८ ॥
gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt daivaṁ na tat syān na patiś ca sa syān na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum
गुरुर्न स स्यात् स्वजनो न स स्यात् पिता न स स्यात् जननी न सा स्यात्। दैवं न तत् स्यात् न पतिश्च स स्यात् यो न मोचयेत् समुपेतमृत्युम्॥
There are many spiritual masters, but Ṛṣabhadeva advises that one should not become a spiritual master if he is unable to save his disciple from the path of birth and death. Unless one is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot save himself from the path of repeated birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna. One can stop birth and death only by returning home, back to Godhead. However, who can go back to Godhead unless he understands the Supreme Lord in truth? Janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ.
FAQs
A true guru is one who can lead the surrendered disciple beyond the bondage of death—toward liberation through God-realization—not merely provide worldly guidance.
Because the highest duty of caretakers and leaders is spiritual upliftment—guiding dependents out of saṁsāra—otherwise their role remains incomplete in the Bhagavatam’s standard of dharma.
Leaders, parents, and mentors should prioritize character, devotion, and spiritual education—helping others reduce material attachment and cultivate bhakti that frees one from fear and mortality.