आचार्योऽरणिराद्यः स्यादन्तेवास्युत्तरारणिः ।
तत्सन्धानं प्रवचनं विद्यासन्धिः सुखावहः ॥
ācāryo’raṇir ādyaḥ syād ante-vāsy uttarāraṇiḥ |
tat-sandhānaṁ pravacanaṁ vidyā-sandhiḥ sukhāvahaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.10.12)
“The ācārya shall be the first touchwood, the pupil the upper touchwood, the fine speech [spoken by the ācārya to the pupil] their joint [i.e., the rotating rod between them], and the combination [of these three]—[the] knowledge [they produce]—delighting.”
Commentary
guror labdhā vidyā avidyā-tat-kārya-nirasana-kṣameti spaṣṭīkartuṁ vidyotpattim agny-utpatti-rūpakeṇa nirūpayati—ācārya iti | ādyo’dharaḥ | tat-sandhānaṁ tayor madhyamaṁ mathana-kāṣṭham | pravacanam upadeśaḥ | vidyā tu sandhiḥ, sandhau bhavann agnir iva | tathā ca śrutiḥ—‘ācāryaḥ pūrva-rūpam | antevāsy uttara-rūpam | vidyā sandhiḥ | pravacanaṁ sandhānam’ iti |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā and Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“To clarify that knowledge attained from a guru is capable of dispelling ignorance and its effects, he delineates the production of knowledge with the metaphor of the production of fire: ācārya … [i.e., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse]. ‘The first’ (ādyaḥ) means the base. ‘Their joint’ (tat-sandhānam) refers to the rotating rod between them [i.e., the stick held vertically between the base touchwood and the upper touchwood that is spun to create friction]. ‘Fine speech’ (pravacanam) refers to instruction. The combination (sandhiḥ) [of these three] is knowledge (vidyā) [which is] comparable to fire arising because of the combination [of the three pieces of wood]. Accordingly also, the Śruti [i.e., Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.3.3, states the following], ‘The ācārya is the first form [i.e., the lower piece of touchwood], the pupil the upper form [i.e., the upper piece of touchwood], knowledge the combination, and fine speech the joint.’”
atra ṭīkā dṛśyā | ata eva ‘tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet’ iti, ‘ācāryavān puruṣo veda’ iti, ‘naiṣā tarkeṇa matir āpaneyā proktānyenaiva sujñānāya preṣṭha’ iti ca |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā)
“Here, the commentary [of Śrī Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda] is to be seen. Therefore, [it is said in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12] ‘To know in depth that [viz., Brahman], one, with firewood in hand, should only approach a guru who is learned and possessed of fixity in Brahman,’ [in Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2], ‘A person who has an ācārya knows [Brahman],’ and [in Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.9], ‘This understanding is not attainable by means of argumentation. Only [when] taught by another does it lead to apt knowledge, O dearest one.’”
tatra śravaṇa-guru-saṁsargeṇaiva śāstrīya-vijñānotpattiḥ syāt, nānyathety āha—‘ācāryo’raṇir ādyaḥ syād ante-vāsy uttarāraṇiḥ | tat-sandhānaṁ pravacanaṁ vidyā-sandhiḥ sukhāvahaḥ ||’ ādyo’dharaḥ | tat-sandhānaṁ tayor madhyamaṁ manthana-kāṣṭhaṁ | pravacanam upadeśaḥ | vidyā śāstrokta-jñānaṁ tu sandhau bhavo’gnir iva | tathā ca śrutiḥ—‘ācāryaḥ pūrva-rūpam’ ity-ādi | ata eva ‘tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet’ iti, ‘ācāryavān puruṣo veda’ iti, ‘naiṣā tarkeṇa matir apaneyā proktānyenaiva sujñānāya preṣṭha’ iti ||
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 208)
“In this regard, the production of apt knowledge related to śāstra [alt., proficiency in śāstra] shall come about only by means of association with a śravaṇa-guru, and not otherwise. Thus, he says [i.e., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in SB 11.10.12], ‘The ācārya shall be the first touchwood, the pupil the upper touchwood, the fine speech [spoken by the ācārya to the pupil] their joint [i.e., the rotating rod between them], and the combination [of these three]—[the] knowledge [they produce]—delighting.’ ‘The first’ (ādyaḥ) means the base. ‘Their joint’ (tat-sandhānam) refers to the rotating rod between them [i.e., the stick held vertically between the base touchwood and the upper touchwood that is spun to create friction]. ‘Fine speech’ (pravacanam) refers to instruction. ‘Knowledge’ (vidyā), that is, knowledge that which is stated in the śāstra, is comparable to fire arising because of the combination [of the three pieces of wood]. Accordingly also, the Śruti [i.e., Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.3.3, states the following], ‘The ācārya is the first form [i.e., the lower piece of touchwood], the pupil the upper form [i.e., the upper piece of touchwood], knowledge the combination, and fine speech the joint.’ Therefore, [it is said in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12] ‘To know in depth that [viz., Brahman], one, with firewood in hand, should only approach a guru who is learned and possessed of fixity in Brahman,’ [in Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2], ‘A person who has an ācārya knows [Brahman],’ and [in Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.9], ‘This understanding is not attainable by means of argumentation. Only [when] taught by another does it lead to apt knowledge, O dearest one.’”