Original acarya

Expressions researched:
"original acarya"

SB Canto 1

No learned man should be willing to hear a person who does not represent the original ācārya

SB 1.4.1, Purport: Personal realization does not mean that one should, out of vanity, attempt to show one's own learning by trying to surpass the previous acarya. He must have full confidence in the previous acarya, and at the same time he must realize the subject matter so nicely that he can present the matter for the particular circumstances in a suitable manner. The original purpose of the text must be maintained. No obscure meaning should be screwed out of it, yet it should be presented in an interesting manner for the understanding of the audience. This is called realization. The leader of the assembly, Saunaka, could estimate the value of the speaker, Sri Suta Gosvami, simply by his uttering yathadhitam and yatha-mati, and therefore he was very glad to congratulate him in ecstasy. No learned man should be willing to hear a person who does not represent the original acarya. So the speaker and the audience were bona fide in this meeting where Bhagavatam was being recited for the second time. That should be the standard of recitation of Bhagavatam, so that the real purpose can be served without difficulty. Unless this situation is created, Bhagavatam recitation for extraneous purposes is useless labor both for the speaker and for the audience.

SB Canto 4

Lord Rudra, or Lord Śiva, is the original ācārya of the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya called the Rudra-sampradāya

SB 4.30.3, Purport: Here the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as puranjana. According to Madhvacarya, the living entity is called puranjana because he has become an inhabitant of this material world, and under the influence of the three modes of material nature, he is forced to live within it. The Supreme Personality of Godhead creates this material world (pura), and He also enters within it. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. The Lord enters within the heart of the living entity and within the atom; therefore both the living entity and the Lord are called puranjana. One puranjana, the living entity, is subordinate to the supreme puranjana; therefore the duty of the subordinate puranjana is to satisfy the supreme puranjana. That is devotional service. Lord Rudra, or Lord Siva, is the original acarya of the Vaisnava sampradaya called the Rudra-sampradaya. Rudra-gitena indicates that under the disciplic succession of Lord Rudra, the Pracetas achieved spiritual success.

SB Canto 6

Śrīla Madhvācārya, the original ācārya for those who belong to the Mādhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya

SB 6.1.40, Purport: Dharma is not actually manufactured by Narayana. As stated in the Vedas, asya mahato bhutasya nisvasitam etad yad rg-vedah iti: the injunctions of dharma emanate from the breathing of Narayana, the supreme living entity. Narayana exists eternally and breathes eternally, and therefore dharma, the injunctions of Narayana, also exist eternally. Srila Madhvacarya, the original acarya for those who belong to the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya, says:

vedanam prathamo vakta

harir eva yato vibhuh

ato visnv-atmaka veda

ity ahur veda-vadinah

The transcendental words of the Vedas emanated from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Now I am not speaking of India of today, but India as it is. Big, big ācāryas, just like Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is the original ācārya. Therefore the birthday of guru is called vyāsa-pūjā

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973: So sat... Our business should be to be engaged in the sat platform, not in the asat platform. Asat platform, nonpermanent, or according to somebody's opinion, false. So false or nonpermanent, whatever it may be, the real human civilization should be based on the purpose of becoming immortal, sat, not asat. That is the distinction between India and other countries. Now I am not speaking of India of today, but India as it is. Big, big acaryas, just like Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva is the original acarya. Therefore the birthday of guru is called vyasa-puja. Vyasa-puja means original guru. Guru is the representative of Vyasadeva. This throne is called vyasasana, sitting place of Vyasadeva. So one who is representative of Vyasadeva, he can sit on this throne. So guru, by parampara system, guru is seated on the vyasasana because he is the representative. Just like in the high-court, the bench, it is called bench. Actually, the bench is to be used by the head of the executive power, the king or the president. But the high-court judge is the representative of the head executive; therefore, he sits on that bench.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

One has to go through the ācāryas. Therefore Vyāsadeva is the original ācārya

Lecture on SB 1.7.5 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1976: So that is the position of guru. Guru is respected as good as God. Why? Only for this qualification, that he does not speak anything nonsense. He speaks only what he has heard from the acarya. Acaryavan puruso veda. Acaryopasanam. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said acaryopasanam. So Vyasadeva is our acarya, therefore we offer vyasa-puja. On the birthday of guru we offer vyasa-puja. Actually, it is not directly Vyasa, but because the bona fide guru represents Vyasadeva, his puja is also vyasa-puja. Mad-bhakta-puja abhyadhika. To worship Vyasadeva, worship the bona fide spiritual master and worship the Lord, they are the same. Rather, Krsna says that if you worship His bona fide representative, that worship is better than directly worshiping. Directly it is not possible to worship the Supreme Lord. One has to go through the acaryas. Therefore Vyasadeva is the original acarya. Lokasyajanato vidvams cakre satvata... He's vidvan. So we have explained many times how to become vidvan. Vidvan does not mean one has to become a big grammarian, logician. No. Vidvan means one who follows the previous acarya who is representative of Krsna. He is vidvan.

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the next ācārya, but one has to learn from the original ācārya

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976: So Sukadeva Gosvami is the next acarya, but one has to learn from the original acarya. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So unless we come to the parampara system, acarya after acarya, there is no right education. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu's private secretary, personal secretary, Svarupa Damodara, he advised, bhagavat para giya bhagavat sthane. If you want to learn Srimad-Bhagavatam, you go to a person whose life is Bhagavatam. Grantha bhagavata and person bhagavata -- both of them bhagavatas. So bhagavat para giya bhagavat sthane. One whose life is Bhagavatam and nothing else, you should learn Bhagavatam from him, not from the professional person who are earning livelihood by reading or reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam. That will not be effective. You have to find out like Sukadeva Gosvami. Then this study of Srimad-Bhagavatam will be effective.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

So Kṛṣṇa also, as spiritual master of Arjuna, He played. He is the original ācārya

Lecture on CC CC Madhya-lila 20.144-146 -- New York, December 1, 1966: So Krsna also, as spiritual master of Arjuna, He played. He is the original acarya. Then acarya's disciple becomes acarya when he assimilates the knowledge received from bona fide acarya. So he becomes bona fide to act as an acarya. Evam parampara-praptam [Bg. 4.2]. Acarya means one who has become a rigid disciple of his acarya. Just like a critical student under a professor, he becomes a first-class professor, similarly, a person who is a very rigid student of bona fide acarya, he becomes next acarya. That is the... Evam parampara-praptam. This is the disciplic succession. So as in the Bhagavad-gita five thousand years before Lord Krsna said, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: [Bg. 15.15] "The purpose of all Vedic literatures, the conclusion, is that, to understand Me, Krsna..." By understanding Krsna, immediate liberation..

General Lectures

All ācāryas-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu, Nimbārka, and latest, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and before that, other ācāryas like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, and before that, the original ācārya, Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva—everyone accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:: Prabhupada: Ladies and Gentlemen, the President, I am very much thankful to you that you are eager to hear about what Krsna wants to speak. Krsna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All acaryas-Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu, Nimbarka, and latest, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and before that, other acaryas like Vyasadeva, Narada, Asita, Devala, and before that, the original acarya, Lord Brahma, Lord Siva -- everyone accepted Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are searching after whether there is God or there is no God. If there is God, what is the nature? What is the form? Whether He is person or imperson? There are so many questions. And to solve all these questions, the God Himself descends and speaks about Himself, and that speaking is this Bhagavad-gita. God is speaking about Himself personally, personally present. So you can know Him, you can see Him, what He is, what is His function. Just to mitigate all our doubts, God is present here.

1974 Correspondence

So far I know Gopalaji is coming from Madhavendra Puri, the original acarya of Gaudiya Vaisnavas. His disciple was Isvara Puri, and his disciple was Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Letter to Srinathji Temple -- Mayapur 11 October, 1974: Please accept my best wishes. I have received a report from my disciple Murti das Adhikari of the nice program that was held in Nathadwara. I am very thankful for your cooperation for spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world. Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Vallabhacarya were good friends, and Vallabhacarya many times visited Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We get this information from authorized books. So far I know Gopalaji is coming from Madhavendra Puri, the original acarya of Gaudiya Vaisnavas. His disciple was Isvara Puri, and his disciple was Caitanya Mahaprabhu.