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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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].”
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.”
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram |
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 8.6)
“O Kaunteya, whatever object one remembers as one leaves the body at death—exactly that one attains, [on account of] being constantly absorbed in thought of that.”
tadaivam ātmany avaruddha-citto
na veda kiñcid bahir antaraṁ vā |
yatheṣu-kāro nṛpatiṁ vrajantam
iṣau gatātmā na viveda pārśve ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.9.13)
“Then, in this way, the mind shut in upon the ātmā does not perceive anything external [e.g., sights] or internal [e.g., memories], just as an arrow-maker, his mind absorbed in [crafting] arrows, did not notice in the least a king passing beside him [with a large entourage playing kettle-drums].”
