¹ Similarly, śiṣyas of a guru filled with evil qualities won’t be benefitted. Therefore, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura refers to a bona fide guru in the very first verse of his Gurvaṣṭaka as an ocean of auspicious qualities: kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. The personal qualities of the guru and the king do matter, even if the guru or the king seems to carry out his duties properly. One properly engaged in viṣṇu-bhakti possesses auspicious qualities and one devoid of viṣṇu-bhakti possesses evil qualities. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.18.12, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ / harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ: “All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord’s external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?”