Acaryopasanam

Expressions researched:
"acaryopasanam" |"acaryopasana"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

Acaryopasanam: one should worship an acarya, a spiritual master who knows things as they are.

SB 3.29.17, Purport: In Bhagavad-gita, Thirteenth Chapter, it is clearly stated that one should execute devotional service and advance on the path of spiritual knowledge by accepting the acarya. Acaryopasanam: one should worship an acarya, a spiritual master who knows things as they are. The spiritual master must be in the disciplic succession from Krsna. The predecessors of the spiritual master are his spiritual master, his grand spiritual master, his great-grand spiritual master and so on, who form the disciplic succession of acaryas.

SB Canto 7

Acaryopasanam: one must approach the acarya for real knowledge.

SB 7.15.56, Purport: Acaryavan puruso veda: one who is guided by the bona fide spiritual master knows everything as stated in the Vedas, which set forth the standard of infallible knowledge. As recommended in Bhagavad-gita, acaryopasanam: one must approach the acarya for real knowledge. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] one must approach the acarya, for then one will receive perfect knowledge. When guided by the spiritual master, one attains the ultimate goal of life.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Sri Isopanisad

They ignore the Vedic injunction ācāryopāsana—"One must worship the ācārya."

Sri Isopanisad, text 12, Purport: The pseudo religionists have neither knowledge nor detachment from material affairs, for most of them want to live in the golden shackles of material bondage under the shadow of philanthropic activities disguised as religious principles. By a false display of religious sentiments, they present a show of devotional service while indulging in all sorts of immoral activities. In this way they pass as spiritual masters and devotees of God. Such violators of religious principles have no respect for the authoritative acaryas, the holy teachers in the strict disciplic succession. They ignore the Vedic injunction acaryopasana -- "One must worship the acarya" -- and Krsna's statement in the Bhagavad-gita (4.2) evam parampara-praptam, "This supreme science of God is received through the disciplic succession." Instead, to mislead the people in general they themselves become so-called acaryas, but they do not even follow the principles of the acaryas.