(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2014, Mayapur, India, Siksastakam Seminar: Verses 1&2, Part 1)
Question: Maharaj, you were explaining how each acharya practices the jewel of transcendental knowledge he receives from the predecessors and adds his personal touch. Sometimes we listen to different devotees and each adds their touch, so it is difficult to consolidate.
That is why you have a spiritual master. The spiritual master is your anchor and you follow your spiritual master. There may be different vaisnavas and they may have a different emphasis at different points in time which may sometimes confuse us. One may say that you must chant and another may say that you must distribute books! And yet, another may say that you must worship the deity. At the end of the day, you do not know what to do anymore but you have to choose one of these things, so who do you listen to!? Ultimately, the spiritual master will determine! This is where we say that all these things are there in spiritual life but for me, the order of my spiritual master is the jewel that I carry on my head, guru siromani, what he wants us to do shall be done!