Srila Gurudeva: Guru will tell any disciple, “Go and bring a glass of water.” Then that disciple will ask, “Where should I go? Should I bring it in a glass or any other kind of pot? Should the water be cold or warm? If I go and there is no water, then what should I do? If anyone will quarrel with me, then what should I do? Anyone should also be sent with me to help.” He will tell his Guru all of these things. Having heard this order from Gurudeva, he will say to someone else, “Gurudeva wants a glass of water. Go and quickly bring this.” But he who got the order will not go himself. He will send others to fulfill his order. So these kind of disciples are what? Servants, but third class servants. They receive an order and they flatly say, “Gurudeva, I am worried. I cannot do this.” Third class, bogus disciple. But a first class disciple, knowing the will and desire of Gurudeva, he quickly engages himself in fulfilling that desire. I have seen one of my godbrothers, Gurudeva never had to order him to do anything. He used to know the face of Gurudeva. He was watching, looking, “Are his lips dry?” Then at once, quickly he will run and bring water. He will bring what he wants, in what way he wants also.
So, what does Gurudeva want? He wants to engage everyone in Krsna’s service, Radha-Krsna’s service. A first class disciple will know what Gurudeva wants in what way he wants. He will give up all kinds of false ego and his own desire and will quickly fulfill the desires of Gurudeva. Gurudeva will say, “You should go and do this,” and he will jump and at once do it. Half of the service will be done very enthusiastically and the other half, Krsna will manage. You should know that if you are not qualified to do that thing that Gurudeva has ordered but you want to fulfill your Gurudeva’s desire, inspiration will come from Krsna. Although he is not qualified in any way, if he wants to fulfill his desire, if he has offered himself to Gurudeva, then Krsna or Baladeva Prabhu will inspire him to fulfill that desire of his Gurudeva. Guru never wants his own satisfaction. He is satisfied only if anyone is serving Krsna, Radha-Krsna conjugal, in what way he wants. So we should be prepared to give ourselves completely at the lotus feet of Gurudeva. If he has any desire for his own gain or if he has any selfishness, then he is not Guru. This is not the qualification of Guru. When anyone will come to the stage of madhyama-adhikari, when they will know all tattvas, everything, they will offer themselves to Gurudeva by tongue, mind, speech, everything. He will not see his own desire. He will only see what his Gurudeva wants. So we should try to be like this. This is Guru-seva, Guru-puja.
[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on January 28th, 1998, Bali, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 24]