How the spiritual master’s grace is received through the ears

The favor of the spiritual master is not

received through any other part of the body but the ears. This does not

mean, however, that the spiritual master gives a particular type of

mantra through the ears in exchange for some dollars and if the man

meditates on that he achieves perfection and becomes God within six

months. Such reception through the ears is bogus. The real fact is that a

bona fide spiritual master knows the nature of a particular man and what

sort of duties he can perform in Krsna consciousness, and he instructs

him in that way. He instructs him through the ear, not privately, but

publicly. “You are fit for such and such work in Krsna consciousness. You

can act in this way.”

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.22.7 purport