SB 3.29.17

In the Bhagavad-gita, Thirteenth Chapter [Bg 13.8], it is clearly stated that one should execute his devotional service and advancement on the path of spiritual knowledge by accepting acarya. Acaryopasanam. It is stated there that one should worship an acarya. Acarya means the spiritual master who knows the things as they are. The spiritual master, as we have explained in several places, comes in the disciplic succession from Krsna, and there are predecessors also-the spiritual master of the spiritual master, and the grand spiritual master, the great grand spiritual master. In this way there are disciplic succession of acaryas, and it is recommended herein that all the acaryas should be given the highest respect. It is said that gurusu nara-matiḥ [Padma Purana]. Gurusu means "unto the acaryas," and nara-matiḥ means "thinking like common man." So to think the Vaisnavas, the devotees, as belonging to particular caste or community or to think of the acaryas as ordinary men is condemned. That means one is forbidden to think of the Deity in the temple as made of stone or wood or metal, or to think of a devotee as belonging to a particular caste or community, and to think of the acaryas as common men. These things are condemned, and therefore it is stated here niyamena: one should offer the greatest respect to the acaryas according to the standard regulation. And a devotee should be compassionate to the poor also, poorer class. This "poorer class" does not mean the poverty-stricken materially. Here the devotional vision, a man is poor if he is not in Krsna consciousness. A man may be materially very rich; but if he is not in Krsna conscious, he is considered to be poor. Similarly, just like many acaryas like Rūpa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, they used to live in Vrndavana just like wretched, poor mendicant. They had no even a place to stay. They had no any fixed place to eat. They used to live underneath a tree every night. So superficially, it was like that they were very much poverty-stricken; but so far spiritual life is concerned, they were the richest personalities. From their writings, from their books we can understand they were the richest.

So a devotee should be compassionate to the poor means those who are spiritually poor. That means those who have less knowledge of spiritual life or devotional life or in Krsna consciousness. So compassionate means a devotee should try to enlighten such poor souls wanting in spiritual knowledge to elevate them to Krsna consciousness. That is also one of the duty of a devotee. And he should make friendship with persons who are on the equal level; equal level means of the same understanding. There is... For a devotee there is no meaning to make friendship with ordinary persons. One devotee should make friendship with similar devotees so that by discussing between themselves, which is called ista-gosthi, they may elevate one another in the path of spiritual understanding.

In the Bhagavad-gita [Bg 10.9] it is said bodhayantam parasparam (b-o-d-h-a-y-a-n-t-a-m, bodhayantam; parasparam, p-a-r-a-s-p-a-r-a-m). "Discussing between themselves." The devotees, generally pure devotees, they utilize their valuable time of life by chanting and by discussing between themselves about various activities of Lord Krsna or Lord Caitanya. There are innumerable books, just like the Puranas, Mahabharata, Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Upanisads. So there are immense subjects for discussion between two devotees or more. So the friendship should be contacted with persons who are interested in the same line. They are called swa-jati snigdhasayaḥ (s-w-a j-a-t-i), swa-jati. Swa-jati; jati means "caste," of the same caste. That means of the same understanding. A devotee should make friendship with persons of the same understanding. As we have explained in the previous verse that a devotee should avoid a person whose character is not on the standard understanding. And even though he may be a Vaisnava or a devotee of Krsna, if his character is not correctly representative, then he should be avoided. So one should be steadily in the platform of controlling the senses and mind and following strictly the rules and regulation, and he should make friendship with persons of the same standard.