So Kṛṣṇa says, the ācārya. . . Here it is said that advaitaṁ hariṇa advaitād. So of course, Advaita Ācārya is expansion of viṣṇu-tattva, but any ācārya, he is to be considered identical with the Lord. The Lord says that, that ācāryam māṁ vijānīyāt (SB 11.17.27): "One should understand the ācārya. . ." Ācārya bhakti-śaṁsanāt. Ācārya means who is spreading pure bhakti cult. "That ācārya," Kṛṣṇa says, "you should consider such ācārya as Myself." Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit, that. . . You cannot consider, "Yes, he is ācārya, but not as good as Kṛṣṇa." No. Na avamanyeta. Don't deride in that way. Then there will be falldown. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit. And in the Vedas also it is said, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23): "Anyone who has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality and the similar faith in guru. . ." Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau, tasya ete kathitā hy arthāḥ: "All the Vedic literature," prakāśante, "becomes revealed simply by these two principle." Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151).
We should not jump over Kṛṣṇa without the help of guru. That is not possible. You must go through. Because Kṛṣṇa says, ācāryam māṁ vijānī. . . Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21): "Actually one who is serious to understand higher transcendental subject matter, he must approach guru." Tasmād gurum prapadyeta. These are Vedic injunction. Cakṣudāna dilo yei, janme janme pitā sei. So anyone who opens. . . Guru means who opens the eyes of the ignorant person. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Opening the eyes by giving real knowledge. . . Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. So bhakti-latā, the devotional service, the seed of devotional service, can be received by the paramparā system through bona fide spiritual master. And if we abide by the orders of spiritual master faithfully, then Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased. That is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. Āra nā koriya mane āśā. Narottama dāsa. . . All the ācāryas, they say like that. Ācāryam māṁ vijānīyāt. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2): "One who has accepted ācārya, he knows things as they are." Others, they do not know. It is not possible.