(By Sri Srimad Bhakti Vijnana Bharati Gosvami Maharaja)
While a bona fide guru protects the sentiments of his bona fide disciple and even glorifies him at times, he also chastises him according to the dictates of necessity. The disciple who yearns only to receive praise from sri guru, in reality, limits himself to accepting only fifty percent of sri gurus affection. But the disciple who, by his thoughts, words and deeds, submits himself to sri guru’s independence to bestow upon him both praise and chastisement is fully accepted by him. Sri guru then accepts that disciple as an intimate associate and, at times, nurtures him with parental affection. Like a guardian, sri guru forcefully awards him vigorous training and, with the purpose of providing a firm foundation in spiritual life, arranges to instruct him through the medium of other devotees.
Whenever necessary, sri guru stringently rebukes such a disciple with the sole desire to awaken that disciple’s ultimate auspiciousness. Sri guru’s affection is expressed in totality only when it is combined with chastisement. Only an extremely fortunate living entity is accepted by a pure and dear devotee of Bhagavan, by whose inspiration he is acting as guru. According to the sweet will of his beloved Lord, that guru then accepts complete responsibility for such a fortunate soul. A disciple who cheerfully and wholeheartedly accepts both the affection and chastisement of his guru, knowing them to be evidence of his good fortune, attains not only liberation from the clutches of material attachment, but also the qualification to obtain sri krsna-prema, which is most rare.