A guru compromised by materialism loses his spiritual authority and may be rejected in service to Krishna.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 2.4–5 — August 5, 1973, London 730805BG-LONDON [26:22 Minutes] Bg-02.04–05_730805BG-LONDON Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] arjuna uvāca kathaṁ bhīṣmam aham saṅkhye droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāv ari-sūdana [Bg. 2.4] [break] gurūn ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣyam apīha loke hatvārtha-kāmāṁs tu gurūn ihaiva bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān [Bg. 2.5] [break] [01:01] "It is better to live in this world by begging than to live at the cost of the lives of great souls who are my teachers. Even though they are avaricious, they are nonetheless superiors. If they are killed, our spoils will be tainted with blood." Prabhupāda: Hm. So the first problem was, for Arjuna, how to kill the kinsmen, family men.
Now, when he was chastised by Kṛṣṇa as a friend, that "Why you are so weak? Don't be weak. This is sentiment. This kind of compassion is sentiment.
Uttiṣṭha. You better get up and fight..." But we can... If I do not want to do something, I can offer so many pleas. You see?
So next he is presenting, gurūn: "All right, Kṛṣṇa, You are talking about my kinsmen. I accept that it is my weakness. But how do You advise me to kill my guru? Droṇācārya is my guru.
And Bhīṣmadeva is also my guru. So do You want me to kill my guru?" Gurūn hi hatvā. "And not only ordinary guru. This is not that they are ordinary men." Mahānubhāvān. "Bhīṣma is a great devotee, and similarly, Droṇācārya also, a great personality." Mahānubhāvān.
So kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana [Bg. 2.4]: "They are two great personalities. They are not only my gurus, but they are great personality." And Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is addressed "Madhusūdana." Madhusūdana means... Madhu was Kṛṣṇa's enemy, a demon. So He killed.
So "You are Madhusūdana, You are killer of Your enemies. Can You give me any evidence that You have killed Your guru? So why You are asking me?" This is the purport. Iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāv ari-sūdana.