Servant of the acaryas

Expressions researched:
"servant of the acaryas" |"faithful servant of your acarya"

CC Madhya-lila

One should always think of oneself as a servant of the servant of the ācāryas, and thinking this, one should live in the society of Vaiṣṇavas

CC Madhya 19.156, Tanslation and Purport: "If the devotee commits an offense at the feet of a Vaisnava while cultivating the creeper of devotional service in the material world, his offense is compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and breaks it. In this way the leaves of the creeper are dried up.

One's devotional attitude increases in the association of a Vaisnava:

tandera carana sevi bhakta-sane vasa

janame janame haya, ei abhilasa

By his personal example, Narottama dasa Thakura stresses that a devotee must always remember to please his predecessor acarya. The Gosvamis are represented by one's spiritual master. One cannot be an acarya (spiritual master) without following strictly in the disciplic succession of the acaryas. One who is actually serious about advancing in devotional service should desire only to satisfy the previous acaryas. Ei chaya gosani yara, mui tara dasa. One should always think of oneself as a servant of the servant of the acaryas, and thinking this, one should live in the society of Vaisnavas [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. However, if one thinks that he has become very mature and can live separate from the association of Vaisnavas and thus gives up all the regulative principles due to offending a Vaisnava, one's position becomes very dangerous. Offenses against the holy name are explained in Adi-lila, Chapter Eight, verse 24. Giving up the regulative principles and living according to one's whims is compared to a mad elephant, which by force uproots the bhakti-lata and breaks it to pieces. In this way the bhakti-lata shrivels up. Such an offense is especially created when one disobeys the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called guru-avajna. The devotee must therefore be very careful not to commit offenses against the spiritual master by disobeying his instructions. As soon as one is deviated from the instructions of the spiritual master, the uprooting of the bhakti-lata begins, and gradually all the leaves dry up.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

And to become ācārya is not very difficult. First of all, to become very faithful servant of your ācārya, follow strictly what he says. Try to please him and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. It is not at all difficult.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur, April 6, 1975: So Advaita Ācārya is the typical example how to become ācārya. All are our ācāryas, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. All of them are ācāryas because they are following the ācārya, supreme ācārya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore they are ācārya. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So we have to follow the ācārya. Then, when we are completely, cent per cent follower of ācārya, then you can also act as ācārya. This is the process. Don't become premature ācārya. First of all follow the orders of ācārya, and you become mature. Then it is better to become ācārya. Because we are interested in preparing ācārya, but the etiquette is, at least for the period the guru is present, one should not become ācārya. Even if he is complete he should not, because the etiquette is, if somebody comes for becoming initiated, it is the duty of such person to bring that prospective candidate to his ācārya. Not that "Now people are coming to me, so I can become ācārya." That is avamanya. Nāvamanyeta karhicit. Don't transgress this etiquette. Nāvamanyeta. That will be falldown. Just like during the lifetime of our Guru Mahārāja, all our Godbrothers now who are acting as ācārya, they did not do so. That is not etiquette. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt na avaman... That is insult. So if you insult your ācārya, then you are finished. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya aprasādāt na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **—finished. If you displease your ācārya, then you are finished. Therefore it is said, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says to all the ācāryas... Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, they are all carriers of orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So try to follow the path of ācārya process. Then life will be successful. And to become ācārya is not very difficult. First of all, to become very faithful servant of your ācārya, follow strictly what he says. Try to please him and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. It is not at all difficult. Try to follow the instruction of your Guru Mahārāja and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the order of Lord Caitanya.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Apart from the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, they have done nothing even like me, what to speak of the ācāryas. I am only a servant and a servant of the ācāryas

Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupada: Not only that. They write Satya-artha-prakasa. That means they have understood the real meaning, and all the acaryas, they are fools. That is their intelligence, satya-artha-prakasa, that so long there was no satyartha; now they have invented satyartha. This is their intelligence.

Dr. Patel: So Vaisnava acaryas have actually... I mean, through bhakti people realize the presence of God everywhere.

Prabhupada: No, no. In comparison to Vaisnava acaryas... Apart from the Vaisnava acaryas, they have done nothing even like me, what to speak of the acaryas. I am only a servant and a servant of the acaryas. They could not do anything. They admit. Real Arya-samajis, they admit that, that "What was our program, you have executed."