ācāryāt pādam ādatte pādaṁ śiṣyaḥ svamedhayā |
kālena pādam ādatte pādaṁ sabrahmacāribhiḥ ||
(Cited in a commentary to Mahābhārata: Udyoga-parva, 44.16)
“A student acquires one-fourth from the ācārya, one-fourth by by his own intellect, one-fourth in time, and one-fourth from fellow students.”
kālena pādaṁ labhate tathārthaṁ
tataś ca pādaṁ guru-yogataś ca |
utsāha-yogena ca pādam ṛcchec
chāstreṇa ca pādaṁ ca tato’bhiyāti ||
(Mahābhārata: Udyoga-parva, 44.16)
“A student acquires one-fourth in time, one-fourth by association with the guru, one-fourth by his own enthusiasm and endeavor, and one-fourth by discussion.”
adhīti-bodhācaraṇa-pracāraṇair daśāś catasraḥ … |
(Naiṣadha-carita: 1.4)
“The four stages [of learning śāstra are those] of study, understanding, practice, and teaching ….”
caturbhiś ca prakāraiḥ vidyopayuktā bhavati, āgama-kālena svādhyāya-kālena pravacana-kālena vyavahāra-kāleneti |
(Mahābhāṣya: 1.1.1)
“Knowledge is acquired in four ways: at the time of receiving [it from an ācārya], at the time of personally studying [it, i.e., reviewing it, reflecting on it, reciting it, etc.], at the time of speaking [i.e., teaching it to others], and at the time of applying [it, i.e., performing sacrifices, navigating challenges, etc.].”
śravaṇāyāpi bahubhir yo na labhyaḥ
śṛṇvanto’pi bahavo yaṁ na vidyuḥ |
āścaryo’sya vaktā kuśalo’sya labdhā
āścaryo jñātā kuśalānuśiṣṭaḥ ||
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 1.2.7)
“He whom many are not even able to hear about and whom even many who hear about do not understand—rare is the qualified teacher of him, and rare is the qualified disciple who comes to know and realize him.”
ṛṣer bhagavato bhūtvā śiṣyo’dhītya bahūni ca |
setihāsa-purāṇāni dharma-śāstrāṇi sarvaśaḥ ||
adāntasyāvinītasya vṛthā paṇḍita-māninaḥ |
na guṇāya bhavanti sma naṭasyevājitātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.78.25–26)
“He [i.e., Romaharṣaṇa] became a disciple of the illustrious ṛṣi [i.e., the ṛṣi who is an avatāra of Bhagavān himself, Vyāsadeva] and studied numerous dharma-śāstras along with the Itihāsas and Purāṇas in full, but these [studies], like those of an actor, do not lead to [the development of] virtue for one who is unregulated, immodest, of vain conceit that one is a paṇḍita, and of uncontrolled mind [and rather function only as a means of livelihood].”
itthaṁ guror labdha-mantro guru-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ |
sevamāno guruṁ nityaṁ tat-kṛpāṁ bhāvayet sudhīḥ ||
satāṁ dharmāṁs tataḥ śikṣet prapannānāṁ viśeṣataḥ |
sveṣṭa-deva-dhiyā nityaṁ vaiṣṇavān paritoṣayet ||
(Sanat-kumāra-saṁhitā: 110–111)
“A wise person who has thus received a mantra from a guru, is engaged in bhakti to the guru, and is regularly serving the guru should meditate on his grace. He should learn the dharmas of the sādhus, in particular, those of the surrendered, and with awareness of his own Iṣṭa-deva [i.e., with awareness of the presence of, and with the intent to please, his Iṣṭa-devata], he should always satisfy the Vaiṣṇavas.”
tasmai sa vidvān upasannāya samyak
praśānta-cittāya śamānvitāya |
yenākṣaraṁ puruṣaṁ veda satyaṁ
provāca tāṁ tattvato brahma-vidyām ||
(Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: 1.2.13)
“To him of tranquil mind endowed with repose who has approached properly, that knower [of Brahman, i.e., the guru] should teach exactly that knowledge of Brahman by which the true imperishable Puruṣa is known.”
parīkṣya lokān karma-citān brāhmaṇo
nirvedam āyān nāsty akṛtaḥ kṛtena |
tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham ||
(Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: 1.2.12)
“Having examined the planes attained by karma, a brāhmaṇa reaches disinterest [based on the conclusion], ‘That which is unmade [Brahman] is not attained by that which is made [karma].’ To know in depth that [which is unmade, Brahman], he, with firewood in hand, should only [rather than seeking knowledge of it independently] approach a guru who is learned [in the śāstra] and fixed [exclusively] in Brahman.”
tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā |
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 4.34)
“Learn that [knowledge] through obeisance, inquiry, and service. Knowers and seers of the reality will teach [that] knowledge to you.”
