Spiritual master is not decoration for householder

Unless one is perfectly anxious to inquire about the way of perfection, there is no necessity of approaching a spiritual master. A spiritual master is not a kind of decoration for a householder. Generally a fashionable materialist engages a so-called spiritual master without any profit. The pseudo spiritual master flatters the so-called disciple, and thereby both the master and his ward go to hell without a doubt.

(SB 1.19.37 - Purport)

Lord sends bonafide guru for sincere souls

The Lord is seated in the heart of all living beings, and thus he knows very well the movements of all individual persons. As soon as the Lord finds that a particular soul is very eager to go back to Godhead, the Lord at once sends His bona fide representative. The sincere devotee is thus assured by the Lord of going back to Godhead. The conclusion is that to get the assistance and help of a bona fide spiritual master means to receive the direct help of the Lord Himself.

(SB 1.19.36 - Purport)

Lord gives special protection to devotee's family

A pure and exclusive devotee of the Lord serves his family interest more dexterously than others, who are attached to illusory family affairs. Generally people are attached to family matters, and the whole economic impetus of human society is moving under the influence of family affection. Such deluded persons have no information that one can render better service to the family by becoming a devotee of the Lord. The Lord gives special protection to the family members and descendants of a devotee, even though such members are themselves nondevotees!

(SB 1.19.35 - Purport)

Holyname against Ghosts & Demons

It is said that a ghost cannot remain as soon as the holy name of the Lord is chanted. The great saints and devotees of the Lord are in the list of His paraphernalia, and thus as soon as a saintly devotee is present, the ghostly sins are at once vanquished. That is the verdict of all Vedic literatures. One is recommended, therefore, to associate only with saintly devotees so that worldly demons and ghosts cannot exert their sinister influence.

(SB 1.19.34 - Purport)

Sinful persons infect the holy dhams - great saints purify it

The importance of holy places of pilgrimage is due to the presence of great sages and saints. It is said that sinful persons go to the holy places and leave their sins there to accumulate. But the presence of the great saints disinfects the accumulated sins, and thus the holy places continue to remain sanctified by the grace of the devotees and saints present there.

(SB 1.19.33 - Purport)

Only see guru if you need answers on problems of life

There is no necessity of approaching a spiritual master unless one is in need of solving the problems of life. One who does not know how to put questions before the spiritual master has no business seeing him.

(SB 1.19.31 - Purport)

Pride in reality, not vanity

Maharaja Pariksit also could understand that the great sages who assembled there were all kind to his forefathers, the Pandavas, because of their devotional service to the Lord. He therefore felt grateful to the sages for being present there at the last stage of his life, and he felt that it was all due to the greatness of his late forefathers or grandfathers. He felt proud, therefore, that he happened to be the descendant of such great devotees. Such pride for the devotees of the Lord is certainly not equal to the puffed-up sense of vanity for material prosperity. The first is reality, whereas the other is false and vain.

(SB 1.19.13 - Purport)

Confirm decisions with authorities

Any decision, however important, should be confirmed by some authority. That makes the matter perfect.

(SB 1.19.12 - Purport)

Offering obeisances to be excused of offences

The system of bowing the head to the ground to show respect to superiors is an excellent etiquette which obliges the honored guest deep into the heart. Even the first-grade offender is excused simply by this process.

Generally at the last stage of one's life this humble method is adopted by every sensible man in order to be excused before departure. In this way Maharaja Pariksit implored everyone's good will for going back home, back to Godhead.

(SB 1.19.11 - Purport)

Yamuna and Ganga / Krsna and Rama

According to the Varaha Purana, as quoted by Srila Jiva Gosvami, there is no difference between the water of the Ganges and the Yamuna, but when the water of the Ganges is sanctified one hundred times, it is called the Yamuna. Similarly, it is said in the scriptures that one thousand names of Visnu are equal to one name of Rama, and three names of Lord Rama are equal to one name of Krsna.

(SB 1.19.6 - Purport)

We elect the government, so we cannot complain

A degraded civilization of sense gratification and economic development is the by-product of a godless or kingless government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The people should not, therefore, begrudge the poor administrations they themselves elect.

(SB 1.18.45 - Purport)

Do not blame the system - it works

The whole scientific system of the orders of society [Varnasrama] in this age has assumed the form of a vitiated caste system, which is now being uprooted by another class of men similarly influenced by the age of Kali. One should see to the root cause of vitiation and not try to condemn the system as it is, without knowledge of its scientific value.

(SB 1.18.37 - Purport)

How to receive guests

The reception law enjoins that a poor man, who has nothing to offer his guest, should be good enough to offer a straw mat for sitting, a glass of water for drinking and some sweet words. Therefore, to receive a guest, either friend or foe, there is no expense. It is only a question of good manners.

(SB 1.18.28 - Purport)

Yoga Processes Explanation

The transcendental position is attained by three processes, namely the process of jnana, or theoretical knowledge of transcendence, the process of yoga, or factual realization of trance by manipulation of the physiological and psychological functions of the body, and the most approved process of bhakti-yoga, or the engagement of senses in the devotional service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita also we have the information of the gradual development of perception from matter to a living entity. Our material mind and body develop from the living entity, the soul, and being influenced by the three qualities of matter, we forget our real identity. The jnana process theoretically speculates about the reality of the soul. But bhakti-yoga factually engages the spirit soul in activities. The perception of matter is transcended to still subtler states of the senses. The senses are transcended to the subtler mind, and then to breathing activities and gradually to intelligence. Beyond the intelligence, the living soul is realized by the mechanical activities of the yoga system, or practice of meditation restraining the senses, regulating the breathing system and applying intelligence to rise to the transcendental position. This trance stops all material activities of the body.

(SB 1.18.26 - Purport)

Describe Lord according to your realisation

As the birds fly in the sky as far as their capacity allows, so do the learned devotees describe the Lord as far as their realization allows.

(SB 1.18.23 - Verse)

Nothing is successful without devotional service

In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, Visnu tells Siva that in the age of Kali, men full of anxieties of various kinds can vainly labor in fruitive activity and philosophical speculations, but when they are engaged in devotional service, the result is sure and certain, and there is no loss of energy. In other words, nothing performed for spiritual realization or for material benefit can be successful without the devotional service to the Lord.

(SB 1.18.12 - Purport)

What is Srimad-Bhagavatam?

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the history of the activities of the Lord. And the activities of the Lord are performed in relation with the devotees of the Lord. Therefore, the history of the devotees is not different from the history of Lord Krsna's activities. A devotee of the Lord regards both the activities of the Lord and those of His pure devotees on an equal level, for they are all transcendental.

(SB 1.18.9 - Purport)

Advantages of Kali yuga

• A living being does not become a victim of a sinful act until the act is actually performed. In other ages, simply by thinking of performing a sinful act, one used to become a victim of the act.
• On the contrary, a living being in this age is awarded with the results of pious acts simply by thinking of them.
• One can attain salvation simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord.
• In the Vedas also it is said that by discourse on Lord Krsna's activities, one can get rid of all the disadvantages of the age of Kali.
• In the beginning of the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is also said that by the recitation of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Supreme Lord becomes at once arrested within one's heart.

(SB 1.18.7 - Purport)

Broadcast spiritual sounds to keep corruption out

In modernized human society there are great advancements of material science, and they have invented the radio to distribute sound in the air. So instead of vibrating some nuisance sound for sense enjoyment, if the state arranges to distribute transcendental sound by resounding the holy name, fame and activities of the Lord, as they are authorized in the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, then a favorable condition will be created, the principles of religion in the world will be reestablished, and thus the executive heads, who are so anxious to drive away corruption from the world, will be successful. Nothing is bad if properly used for the service of the Lord.

(SB 1.18.6 - Purport)

Remembrance of Lord at death

By scientific adaptation, one is able to remember the Lord even at the end of life, when the power of remembrance is slackened due to derangement of bodily membranes. For a common man, it is very difficult to remember things as they are at the time of death, but by the grace of the Lord and His bona fide devotees, the spiritual masters, one can get this opportunity without difficulty.

(SB 1.18.4 - Purport)