The Necessity of Approaching a Qualified Guru: A Study of the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12 and the Bhāgavata Purāṇa: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

There is a well-known proverb stating, “One who is his own guru has a fool for a disciple.” Adherents of the Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Madhva, and Caitanya Vedānta schools would certainly agree. For them, the sound of the Vedas (śabda-brahma) is the principal source of knowledge of Brahman (brahma-vidyā), and to obtain this knowledge, it is necessary to approach a qualified guru.