This interview with Śivarāma Swami, a disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, was filmed in 2021 at the Budapest temple for the Bhaktivedanta College Guru-tattva course, for students of Theology and Yoga Studies. In it, Mahārāja speaks personally about what it means to him to be a disciple and what it means to serve as both a śikṣā-guru and a dīkṣā-guru. The conversation offers thoughtful insight into discipleship, spiritual guidance, teaching, and the lived reality of the guru-disciple relationship.

00:00- Introductions
01:49- What inspired you to become a disciple and what were your expectations?
11:35- Can someone be a good disciple while maintaining a job or material studies and family?
14:50- What is your main focus in attempting to be an ideal disciple?
18:53- Could you please speak about the challenges in discipleship, in general, and in your personal life?
22:41- Have you ever had any challenges in being a disciple in your personal life?
23:50- Could it be a challenge to be able to follow everything that Śrīla Prabhupāda said? Even just knowing everything he said seems to be a challenge.
27:54- What inspired you to take on the role of guru? What is the difference between being a śikṣā-guru and being a dīkṣā-guru?
35:58- Why did you decide to become a dīkṣā-guru in 1987?
37:53- Is there a difference in your relationship with your dīkṣā disciples and your śikṣā disciples?
44:33- When you did take on the role of becoming a dīkṣā-guru, what were your expectations and what is the reality?
49:11- Many gurus have hundreds or even and thousands of disciples. How to understand that there is a need for having a living guru with personal guidance, but the access is very limited?
52:22- How did you deal initially with all the veneration that comes with being a guru?
55:06- How do you deal with, psychologically, with this idea of being sākṣāt hari?
58:49- So it is not a personality cult
1:00:07- Who are your role model teachers?
1:03:34- Are there contemporary teachers who inspire you to teach?
1:05:30- What suggestions would you give teachers for motivating students?
1:08:55- How to balance strictness and leniency in being a teacher?
1:12:53- Practical advice to yoga teachers or listeners on how to be a good teacher
1:16:15- Closing words

Browse the published works of Śivarāma Swami at