So what is the guru? Guru has received the karunya. Karunya means just like the cloud has received water from the sea, similarly, a guru, spiritual master, receives the cloud of mercy from the ocean of kindness of Krsna. Ghanaghanatvam. And it is only the cloud that can extinguish the forest fire, samsara. No other watering system will be helpful. If there is fire in the forest, your fire brigade or buckets of water will not help. It is impossible. Neither you can go there; neither you can render any service by your fire brigade and bucket.

Then how the fire can be extinguished? Now, ghanaghanatvam. If there is cloud in the sky and if there is rainfall, then the expansive forest fire can immediately be extinguished. So that cloud is supposed to be the spiritual master. He pours water. He pours water. Sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana. What is that water? The water is this sravana-kirtana. Bhava-maha-davagni, the fire, the forest fire of material existence, is blazing continually. So you have to extinguish it by the rainfall from cloud, and that rainfall means sravana-kirtana. Sravana means hearing, and kirtana means chanting. This is the only way. Sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana.

In this way Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised that harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. In this age, Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to perform the yoga system. This is also yoga, bhakti- yoga. Other yoga system is very difficult to execute. It is not possible. Even if it is possible—it may be possible for one or two persons—but bhakti-yoga is so nice that even a small child can practice it. We see practically, the small children. They also taking part in it without any education, without any culture, without any knowledge, automatically chanting, dancing, taking caranamrta, offering respect to the Vaisnava. Automatically it is becoming. And that makes his life successful. Bhakti-yoga is so nice. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Even little bit practiced, it will never go in vain. It will be an asset. Krta-punya-punjah. In this way… Just like if you put a one single paisa in the bank deposit, that is your money. It will be never lost. And when it becomes a lump sum, the bank asks you to… Credit you get, one hundred rupees or similar… Similarly, bhakti-yoga is so nice that whatever you acquire, intentionally or unintentionally, even if you neglectfully chant Hare Krsna by imitating others, by joking others, it will have effect.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.39
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, January 14, 1975