Acarya means

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"acarya means" |"meaning of acarya"

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

The word ācārya means “teacher.”

CC Adi 6.28, Purport: Therefore the Personality of Godhead and His different incarnations and forms played the parts of devotees to instruct the conditioned souls how to approach the transcendental stage of devotional service. Advaita Acarya especially intended to teach the conditioned souls about devotional service. The word acarya means "teacher." The special function of such a teacher is to make people Krsna conscious. A bona fide teacher following in the footsteps of Advaita Acarya has no other business than to spread the principles of Krsna consciousness all over the world. The real qualification of an acarya is that he presents himself as a servant of the Supreme. Such a bona fide acarya can never support the demoniac activities of atheistic men who present themselves as God. It is the main business of an acarya to defy such imposters posing as God before the innocent public.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Dronācārya was everyone's teacher, ācārya. Ācārya means teacher.

Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973: Dronacarya was everyone's teacher, acarya. Acarya means teacher. Acaryam upasangamya [Bg. 1.2]. The military teacher. So Duryodhana, he was military teacher of the Pandavas also. When all of them were children, they were given under the instruction of Dronacarya. Dronacarya was brahmana, but he knew the military art. Therefore he was appointed teacher for all the boys, the Kauravas. So... but Acarya, Dronacarya joined with Duryodhana. Bhismadeva joined with Duryodhana. None of them joined with Arjuna. Because Arjuna or Maharaja Yudhisthira was not king at that time, the financial control was not in their hands, and these people, sons of Dhrtarastra, they were on the government political power. The financial control was in their hands. So they were giving enough money for maintenance to Dronacarya and Bhismadeva. So they felt obliged. Of course, they knew everything

Ācārya means by disciplic succession. As Kṛṣṇa says, disciplic succession, all the ācāryas will say the same thing.

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973: We have to follow great personalities, acaryas. acaryavan puruso veda. One who has got, one who has taken shelter of acarya, bona fide spiritual master, he knows. Acaryavan puruso veda. Because he is receiving the right knowledge from the right source, acarya... Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. Acarya means by disciplic succession. As Krsna says, disciplic succession, all the acaryas will say the same thing. They will not change, they will not interpret. They can explain. But the original fact is not distorted. That is acarya. Acarya will never say that "Krsna is material. Krsna... There was no such thing as Krsna. There was no such battle, Battle of Kuruksetra. These are all imaginary." So if we don't want to be cheated, then we should take Krsna as He is presenting Himself and as it is confirmed by the acaryas. Then our knowledge is perfect.

Ācārya means... Ācāryavān, vān means possession. One who has possessed an authorized spiritual master, he knows.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972: Therefore, Vedas are called sruti. Sruti means aural reception. You have to hear. Just like when you are sleeping, all your other senses are not active. But ear, if somebody is coming, your enemy, to hurt you, and your friend says, "Mr. such-and-such, wake up, wake up," so you can hear and you wake up and see that somebody is coming. So the ear is very important. Srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. Anyone who has heard perfectly from the disciplic succession of spiritual master, he is perfect. Acaryavan puruso veda. Acarya means... Acaryavan, van means possession. One who has possessed an authorized spiritual master, he knows. He knows. Veda, Veda means knowledge, knows.

Acarya means one who is speaking exactly the same instruction as Krsna has given.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974: Acarya means one who is speaking exactly the same instruction as Krsna has given. That is acarya. Not acarya, everyone becomes acarya. "In my opinion it is like..." Who are you? If you have got any opinion, then you write your own book. Why do you touch Bhagavad-gita? Because Bhagavad-gita is very well-known book all over the world, these rascals take advantage of Bhagavad-gita and interpret it in their own way. That is not acarya. Acarya means, as Krsna says, that "Millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gita..." Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam, vivasvan [Bg. 4.1]. "I spoke to the sun-god millions and millions of years ago." Vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave 'bravit. Manu... If you simply calculate the age of Manu, it becomes millions and trillions of years. So before that. Because Vivasvan spoke to Manu. So Manu's age we cannot calculate.

Acarya means the prime minister, the authority.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966: And you'll be surprised that Lord Caitanya's principal disciples were all so-called fallen in the society. He appointed one Haridasa Thakura, Namacarya Haridasa Thakura. This Haridasa Thakura was a Muhammadan. He happened to take his birth in a Muhammadan family, but he became a follower of Caitanya, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, after training him, He gave him the highest post of His spiritual mission. Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to introduce this system of Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare, chanting of the holy name of God, and He appointed this Haridasa Thakura, who happened to be a Muhammadan. But he became so much enlightened that Caitanya Mahaprabhu appointed him the supreme minister of administering this Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. He was, he was made the authority, namacarya. Acarya means the prime minister, the authority.

Ācārya means great devotees who come to teach the people in general about God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966: So similarly, you have to believe. We must have faith. And we see that many faithful, great acaryas and devotees of the Lord, they achieved success by this faith. Why shall I not follow them? Therefore the Vedic literature says that you have to follow the footprints of great acaryas. Acarya means great devotees who come to teach the people in general about God consciousness or Krsna consciousness. He is called acarya. He behaves in his life how? To think of Krsna and he teaches his students about that. He is called acarya. Acinoti sastrani.(?) He knows the purport of the scriptures, and he behaves in his life and he teaches his student in that way. He is called acarya.

Ācārya means one who knows the purpose of Vedic literature.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973: So to understand this knowledge one has to approach acarya. Acarya means one who knows the purpose of Vedic literature, sastra. Asrnoti yah sastram. And practices and teaches his disciple. He knows. Acarya means knows. One who knows the purpose of Vedic literature, he practices in his life, and he teaches his disciple. He is called acarya. So acarya upasanam. Before worshiping the Lord... Just like here Krsna said in the beginning, acaryopasanam, and in the middle he says, mayi cananya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicarini. So before engaging yourself in devotional service to the Lord, you must first of all worship acarya, acaryopasanam. One cannot become a devotee personally. Just like some rascals say, "What is the use of accepting guru?" Of course, they have got very bad experience.

Acarya means one who has received the Vedic knowledge through the parampara system.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973: But who is acarya? Acarya means one who has received the Vedic knowledge through the parampara system. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. He is acarya. Acarya cannot be manufactured, self-made. No. He must come down from the disciplic succession. He is acarya. You have to approach such acarya who is coming in disciplic succession. acaryavan puruso veda. One who is under the shelter of acarya, he knows things. So Krsna recommends also here that if you actually want to become in knowledge, if you want to have real knowledge, then you must worship acarya. Acaryopasanam. This is Vedic system.

Acarya means he teaches by personal behavior. Ācārya means one who practices the ācāra and then teaches. He is ācārya.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hyderabad, December 15, 1976: Acara means just like to rise early in the morning, to take bath, chant Hare Krsna, have tilaka, observe mangala-arati. This is called acara. Then there is hygienic. And vicara means consideration. So in the asuras, both things are lacking. Neither there is acara nor vicara. Therefore it is said, na saucam napi ca acarah. Acarya, you have heard the name acarya. Acarya means he teaches by personal behavior. Just like I teach you, "no intoxication." So if I am addicted to intoxication and if I say that "You don't take any intoxication," then who will care for me? This is therefore acara. Acarati. Practically you have to behave; then you can preach. Otherwise you cannot become acarya. Acarya means one who practices the acara and then teaches. He is acarya. So acara. Na saucam napi cacaro na satyam. Satyam means truthfulness. He is preaching something and doing something. That is not truthfulness. Truthfulness means what you preach, you must do.

Ācārya means one who knows the regulative principle or direction in the śāstra.

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974: Those who manufacture the method of understanding transcendental science, they are not bona fide. So we have already discussed many times that sastra-vidhi. Guru means one who teaches the regulative principle from sastra, from authorized scripture. That is guru. Guru cannot be anyone. Acarya. Acarya means one who knows the regulative principle or direction in the sastra. He practically behaves in terms of the sastra regulative principle and teaches his student also in the same way. He is called acarya. Acainoti yah sastrani.(?) He knows the purport of sastra, he behaves himself according to the terms of the sastra and he teaches his disciple in the same term. Evam parampara-praptam [Bg. 4.2]. This is the process.