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  • sa vai sat-karmaṇāṁ sākṣād dvijāter iha sambhavaḥ |
    ādyo’ṅga yatrāśramiṇāṁ yathāhaṁ jñānado guruḥ ||
    (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.80.32)

    “[Kṛṣṇa to Sudāma:] Here he because of whom existence arises [i.e., one’s father] is the first guru, he because of whom [the existence] of a twice-born’s meritorious activities arises is [the second guru] like I [myself], and he who is a giver of knowledge to the members of the āśramas is [the third guru] directly [I myself].”

    Read on →: sa vai sat-karmaṇāṁ sākṣād dvijāter iha sambhavaḥ

  • vaiṣṇavaṁ jñāna-vaktāraṁ yo vidyād viṣṇuvad gurum |
    pūjayed vāṅ-manaḥ-kāyaiḥ sa śāstra-jñaḥ sa vaiṣṇavaḥ ||
    śloka-pādasya vaktāpi yaḥ pūjyaḥ sa sadaiva hi |
    kiṁ punar bhagavad-viṣṇoḥ svarūpaṁ vitanoti yaḥ ||
    (Nārada Pañcarātra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.411–412; Bhakti Sandarbha: 237)

    “One who can recognize a Vaiṣṇava guru and teacher of knowledge to be like Viṣṇu and worship him with one’s speech, mind, and body is a knower of śāstra and a Vaiṣṇava. Even one who is a teacher of quarter of a verse is certainly always worshippable, so how much more so is one who reveals the nature of Bhagavān Viṣṇu!”

    Read on →: vaiṣṇavaṁ jñāna-vaktāraṁ yo vidyād viṣṇuvad gurum

  • gurv-īśvarayor maheśvarayoś cābhedāpadeśe’pīttham eva taiḥ śuddha-bhaktair matam |
    (Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.30.38)

    “The non-difference between guru and Īśvara, and between the two maheśvaras [i.e., Śiva and Bhagavān], even when pointed out in this way [i.e., even when non-difference between Śiva and Bhagavān is pointed out by a description (in SB 4.30.28) of Śiva’s being Bhagavān’s dear friend], is accepted by pure bhaktas.”

    Read on →: gurv-īśvarayor maheśvarayoś cābhedāpadeśe’pīttham eva taiḥ śuddha-bhaktair matam

  • śuddha-bhaktās tv eke śrī-guroḥ śrī-śivasya ca śrī-bhagavatā sahābheda-dṛṣṭiṁ tat-priyatamatvenaiva manyante |
    (Bhakti Sandarbha: 213)

    “Many pure bhaktas, however, foster a vision of śrī guru’s and Śrī Śiva’s non-difference from Śrī Bhagavān specifically because of their being most dear to him.”

    Read on →: śuddha-bhaktās tv eke śrī-guroḥ śrī-śivasya ca śrī-bhagavatā

  • sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair
    uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ |
    kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya
    vande guroḥ śrī-charaṇāravindam ||
    (Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda’s Gurudevāṣṭakam: 7)

    “I offer obeisance unto the beautiful lotus feet of guru, who is described by all the śāstras as being Hari himself and is indeed considered so by the sādhus [on account of his being most dear to Hari], yet [by nature] is really a dear one of Prabhu [i.e., a bhakta dear to Hari and not a manifestation of Hari who is equal to Hari in all respects].”

    Read on →: sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair

  • naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa
    brahmāyuṣāpi kṛtam ṛddha-mudaḥ smarantaḥ |
    yo’ntar bahis tanu-bhṛtām aśubhaṁ vidhunvann
    ācārya-caittya-vapuṣā sva-gatiṁ vyanakti ||
    (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.6)

    “[Uddhava to Kṛṣṇa:] O Lord, abounding with joy in remembering the feats [i.e., the unconditional favor] of you who with your external form as the ācārya and internal [form] situated in the citta dispel inauspiciousness and manifest your own shelter for embodied beings, the wise cannot proffer remuneration [i.e., clear their debt to you] even within the life-span of Brahmā [i.e., they can never sufficiently reciprocate with you even by serving you til the end of time].”

    Read on →: naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa

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