Srila Gurudeva: In the Upanisads there is a mantra about Gurudeva:
uttisthata jagrat, prapya varan nibodhata
ksurasya dhara nisita duratyaya
durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti
-Katha Upanisad 1.3.14
[Arise! Awaken and take advantage of this rare human form of life. Approach the great and learn the spiritual truths from him, even if the path of spiritual realization is difficult and sharp like a razor’s edge. This is the opinion of learned transcendentalists, that this path is beset with thorns.]
Spiritual life is sharp like a razor. If you are not careful, then you will be cut. In the Upanisads, those who are liberated have said, “You are in a very dark night. You are sleeping.” If you are so fortunate, then by the mercy of Krsna, any qualified Vaisnava, Acarya or Guru will come to you and will try to wake you up. He will tell you, “Don’t sleep anymore! You have been sleeping for thousands and thousands and thousands of years.” By hearing these words, you may wake up. Guru only wants your ears, not any other senses or organs of the devotee. Because only the ears can hear transcendental words. There are no other means. In the ear, Guru tells the devotee or anyone, “Don’t sleep. You have been sleeping since the world has been created. Lakhs and lakhs times you have taken birth, but still you are sleeping so you must wake up.” That person is waking up and little by little he is opening his eyes, but he is still half asleep. He is not in the mood to get up and sit down carefully. Gurudeva is ordering us, “Uttistha, you should sit very carefully and try to come with me. Where? You should come to serve Krsna, the Supreme Personality. Otherwise, you will miss this chance forever and ever. Another chance may not come if you are not born again in a human body.”
Prapya varan nibodhata, you should go to any realized, liberated person who can help you and you should hear from them. You should know and realize that you are not made of this worldly matter, you are not this physical body. Whatever you see in this world is not eternal. But you are eternal. You are part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who has created this world. You should also know that there is a relation between all the living entities and Krsna, but it has been covered now and that is why you are sleeping in darkness. I want to take you from this darkness to the light. What is that light? It is Goloka Vrndavana. I want to help you to go there. There, you will serve and be happy for eternity. Here the word ‘varan’ has been given for whom? From those who are liberated. Go hear from realized souls like Narada, Vyasa, Sukadeva Gosvami, and the parikaras of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Gurudeva is telling us, “At once you should stand up because the path of bhakti is so crooked and full of razor blades. It is full of so much misery, suffering, and so many things. So you should be careful and come along with me.”
[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on January 25th, 1998, Bali, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 24]