What are the initiating and instructing gurus? What is the function of the guru who dwells in the heart?

​ The initiating spiritual master awards the transcendental knowledge, knowledge of the Absolute Truth, “Krsna alone is my eternal master and I am His eternal servant”: this transcendental knowledge or sambhadh-jyana is imparted by the initiating spiritual master.

​ An instructing spiritual master first tells us how to remove the anarthas, then teaches us the process of pure devotion. In most cases the initiating spiritual master acts as an instructing spiritual master. A conditioned soul cannot act as an initiating or instrcuting spiritual master. An initiating spiritual master teaches the process of bhajana after our anarthas are destroyed.

​ Sri Hari, who dwells in our hearts as the Supersoul, is the internal spiritual master, caitya-guru. Chaitanya-caritamrita states, “Krsna is situated in everyone’s heart as the caitya-guru, the spiritual master within. When He is kind to some fortunate conditioned soul, He personally gives him lessons so he can progress in devotional service, instructing the person as the Supersoul within and the spiritual master without.” CC Madhya 22.47

​ The caitya-guru awards us the qualification to realize the instructions we have heard from the initiating and instructing gurus. He also imparts the strength to follow those orders. Without His mercy, no one understand the intention of either the initiating or instructing spiritual master. Lord Sri Gaurangadeva alone awards transcendental knowledge and pure devotional service throught the initiating spiritual master, protects that pure devotion by sending the instructing spiritual masters (who are nondifferent from Him), and as the internal spiritual master personally awards the strength to follow the guru’s orders and teachings.