Charlatan Gurus and Disciples

It is the duty of the spiritual master to give his disciples knowledge of relationship, practice, and perfection, and it is the duty of the disciple to embrace and apply these teachings. If gurus and disciples perform their duties properly, they will both advance in the Lord’s service. If, however, they neglect these duties, then both guru and disciples will suffer the consequences: by committing such an offense to the holy name, they will each fall from their position.

Devotees may be surprised to hear that spiritual masters are punishable if they do not adequately perform their duties, but this is the teaching of Sastra. Vaisnavas who collect disciples but fail to ensure their dependents’ spiritual welfare are certainly sinners.
What do the scriptures say in this regard? The ninth offense to the holy name is to teach the glories of the holy name to the faithless. [Padma Purana, Brahma-khanda] The converse of this injunction is that one must teach the glories of the name to the faithful. Gurus who collect disciples but fail in their duty to train them are offenders to both the holy name and the disciplic succession (parampara).

Quotations in support of this conclusion: “If a guru, disregarding the standard for giving diksa, gives the mantra to his disciple out of greed or mundane affection, he, along with that disciple, is cursed by the gods,”snehad va lobhato vapi yo grhniyad diksaya/ tasmin gurau sa-sisye tad devatasapa apatet; [Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.7, quoted in Gaudiya-kanthahara] “One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother, or a worshipable demigod,

“gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat pita na sa
syaj janani na sa syat/ daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syan na mocayed
yah samupeta-mrtyum. [Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.18]

Accepting disciples is no different from any other service in that it must be done properly. Thakura Bhaktivinoda writes, “If without paying heed to [Lord Caitanya’s] instructions, a guru initiates an insincere pretender, he commits a grievous offense for which he goes to hell. The namaparadhas committed by the charlatan disciple slowly but surely diminish the guru’s spiritual potency, and finally, the guru is ruined. This offense has a devastating effect on both the guru and the disciple, who must both enter hell.” [Sri Hari-nama-cintamani, chapter 10]

(from Suddha-bhakti Cintamani, ch. 16, by HH Sivarama Maharaja)