yāny anavadyāni karmāṇi tāni sevitavyāni no itarāṇi |
yāny asmākaṁ sucaritāni tāni tvayopāsyāni no itarāṇi |
(Taittirīya Upaniṣad: 1.11.2–3)
“Those acts which are unobjectionable are to be practiced, and not others. Those which are fine deeds of ours are to be honored by you, and not others.”
yāny anavadyāni karmāṇi tāni sevitavyāni no itarāṇi Read on →
na cedānīm ācāryāḥ sūtrāṇi kṛtvā nivartayanti |
(Mahābhāṣya)
“And it is not that in this case the ācāryas make sūtras and then take them back.”
na cedānīm ācāryāḥ sūtrāṇi kṛtvā nivartayanti Read on →
paṭhakāḥ pāṭhakāś caiva ye cānye śāstra-cintakāḥ |
sarve vyasanino mūrkhā yaḥ kriyāvān sa paṇḍitaḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 3.313.110)
“All the students, teachers, and others who consider śāstra but are addicted to vices are fools. One who engages in practice [of all that is taught in śāstra] is wise.”
paṭhakāḥ pāṭhakāś caiva ye cānye śāstra-cintakāḥ Read on →
upādhyāyān daśācārya ācāryāṇāṁ śataṁ pitā |
sahasraṁ tu pitṝn mātā gauraveṇātiricyate ||
(Manu Smṛti: 2.145)
“A teacher of conduct surpasses ten teachers of recitation. A father surpasses one hundred teachers of conduct, and a mother surpasses even one thousand fathers in respectability.”
upādhyāyān daśācārya ācāryāṇāṁ śataṁ pitā Read on →
ācāryopāsanaṁ … |
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 13.7)
“Serving to an ācārya [is an aspect of true knowledge].”
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].”
naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa Read on →
mātṛdevo bhava |
pitṛdevo bhava |
ācāryadevo bhava |
atithidevo bhava |
(Taittirīya Upaniṣad: 11.2)
“Be one for whom one’s mother is Deva. “Be one for whom one’s father is Deva. “Be one for whom one’s ācārya is Deva. “Be one for whom one’s guest is Deva.”
vaiṣṇavānāṁ parā-bhaktir ācāryāṇāṁ viśeṣataḥ |
pūjanaṁ ca yathā-śakti tān āpannāṁś ca pālayet ||
(Nārada Pañcarātra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.137)
“One should have great bhakti for the Vaiṣṇavas, and for the ācāryas in particular. One should worship them as one is able and protect them [when they are] in difficulty.”
vaiṣṇavānāṁ parā-bhaktir Read on →
ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit |
na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-devamayo guruḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.27)
“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.”
ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān Read on →
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.”
ācinoti yaḥ śāstrārtham Read on →
