The Guru Collects Devotional Service from Disciples, then Offers It to Krsna

Just like you offer your devotion, respects, to guru. So that respect is offered to Krishna. Guru does not think that he is Krishna, but he collects the devotional services of the disciples to offer to Krishna. This is the process. We cannot approach Krishna directly. We should approach through guru. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasu sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. That is the injunction of the sastra, that one should approach the guru who can transfer the service from the disciple to the Supreme Person. So… Therefore the first offering is guru, vande gurun. Then guru creates many devotees. Guru’s business is to canvass on behalf of Supreme Lord. That is guru’s business. Krishna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], so, “You give up all material, engage…” Sarva-dharman means in the material world we have created so many so-called duties. (from a lecture delivered in Mayapura on the 15th of March, 1975.)