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  • ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit |
    na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-devamayo guruḥ ||
    (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.27; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.99; Bhakti Sandarbha: 211)

    “Know the ācārya to be me. One should never disrespect [him], and one should not engage in detraction [of him] out of consideration of [him being] a mortal. The guru is an embodiment of all the devas.”

    Read on →: ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān

  • ācinoti yaḥ śāstrārtham ācāre sthāpayaty api |
    svayam ācarate yasmād ācāryas tena kīrtitaḥ ||
    (Vāyu Purāṇa)

    “One who grasps the meaning of the śāstra, establishes it in practice [i.e., teaches and engages others in practicing it], and personally practices it [in one’s own life] is renowned as an ācārya.”

    Read on →: ācinoti yaḥ śāstrārtham

  • upanīya tu yaḥ śiṣyaṁ vedam adhyāpayed dvijaḥ |
    sa-kalpaṁ sa-rahasyaṁ ca tam ācāryaṁ pracakṣate ||
    (Manu Smṛti: 2.40)

    “A twice-born, however, who can confer the upanayana saṁskāra and teach a disciple the Veda along with its rites and its mysteries is called an ācārya.”

    Read on →: upanīya tu yaḥ śisyaṁ

  • muṇḍe muṇḍe matir bhinnā kuṇḍe kuṇḍe navaṁ jalam |
    deśe deśe navācāro mukhe mukhe navā vāṇī ||
    (Vāyu Purāṇa)

    “From shaved head to shaved head, the understanding is different; from pond to pond, the water is new; from country to country, the conduct is new; and from mouth to mouth, the speech is new.”

    Read on →: muṇḍe muṇḍe matir bhinnā

  • āvṛttir asakṛd upadeśāt | liṅgāc ca |
    (Vedānta-sūtra: 4.1.1–2)

    “Repetition [of sādhana practices] should be done repeatedly because of instructions [to do so in the śāstra]. And because of indicators [i.e., because it is observed to be done repeatedly by mahājanas].”

    Read on →: āvṛttir asakṛd upadeśāt liṅgāc ca

  • deho’sthi-māṁsa-rudhire’bhimatiṁ tyaja tvaṁ
    jāyā-sutādiṣu sadā mamatāṁ vimuñca |
    paśyāniśaṁ jagad idaṁ kṣaṇa-bhaṅga-niṣṭhaṁ
    vairāgya-rāga-rasiko bhava bhakti-niṣṭhaḥ ||

    (Padma Purāṇa: Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 4.79)

    “You should always give up identification with the body made of bones, flesh, and blood, and lay aside possessiveness over wife, sons, and so forth. Uninterruptedly see this world to be founded on transience. Be a relisher of rāga coupled with vairāgya and fixed in bhakti.”

    Read on →: deho’sthi-māṁsa-rudhire’bhimatiṁ tyaja tvaṁ

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