Duty of the acarya

Expressions researched:
"duty of the acarya" |"duties of an acarya" |"duty of acarya" |"acarya’s duty" |"duty of a Vaisnava acarya"

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

Thus it is the duty of the ācārya to publish books that will help future candidates take up the method of service and become eligible to return home, back to Godhead, by the mercy of the Lord

SB 10.2.31, Purport: After wandering throughout the universe, a fortunate person within this material world seeks shelter of such a guru, or acarya, who trains the devotee in the suitable ways to render service according to the circumstances so that the Supreme Personality of Godhead will accept the service. This makes it easier for the candidate to reach the ultimate destination. The acarya's duty, therefore, is to find the means by which devotees may render service according to references from sastra. Rupa Gosvami, for example, in order to help subsequent devotees, published such devotional books as Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. Thus it is the duty of the acarya to publish books that will help future candidates take up the method of service and become eligible to return home, back to Godhead, by the mercy of the Lord.

CC Adi-lila

The Manu-saṁhitā (2.140) explains the duties of an ācārya, describing that a bona fide spiritual master accepts charge of disciples, teaches them the Vedic knowledge with all its intricacies, and gives them their second birth

CC Adi 1.46, Purport: The spiritual master is also called acarya, or a transcendental professor of spiritual science. The Manu-samhita (2.140) explains the duties of an acarya, describing that a bona fide spiritual master accepts charge of disciples, teaches them the Vedic knowledge with all its intricacies, and gives them their second birth. The ceremony performed to initiate a disciple into the study of spiritual science is called upaniti, or the function that brings one nearer to the spiritual master. One who cannot be brought nearer to a spiritual master cannot have a sacred thread, and thus he is indicated to be a sudra. The sacred thread on the body of a brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya is a symbol of initiation by the spiritual master; it is worth nothing if worn merely to boast of high parentage. The duty of the spiritual master is to initiate a disciple with the sacred thread ceremony, and after this samskara, or purificatory process, the spiritual master actually begins to teach the disciple about the Vedas. A person born a sudra is not barred from such spiritual initiation, provided he is approved by the spiritual master, who is duly authorized to award a disciple the right to be a brahmana if he finds him perfectly qualified. In the Vayu Purana an acarya is defined as one who knows the import of all Vedic literatures, abides by their rules and regulations, and teaches his disciples to act in the same way.

CC Madhya-lila

What is possible in one country may not be possible in another. The ācārya’s duty is to accept the essence of devotional service

CC Madhya 23.105, Purport: To broadcast the cult of Krsna consciousness, one has to learn the possibility of renunciation in terms of country, time and candidate. A candidate for Krsna consciousness in the Western countries should be taught about the renunciation of material existence, but one would teach candidates from a country like India in a different way. The teacher (acarya) has to consider time, candidate and country. He must avoid the principle of niyamagraha -- that is, he should not try to perform the impossible. What is possible in one country may not be possible in another. The acarya's duty is to accept the essence of devotional service. There may be a little change here and there as far as yukta-vairagya (proper renunciation) is concerned. Dry renunciation is forbidden by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and we have also learned this from our spiritual master, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Gosvami Maharaja. The essence of devotional service must be taken into consideration, and not the outward paraphernalia.

CC Antya-lila

It is the duty of a Vaiṣṇava ācārya to prevent his disciples and followers from violating the principles of Vaiṣṇava behavior

CC Antya 13.133, Purport: Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa never did anything harmful to a Vaiṣṇava. In other words, he was never inattentive in the service of the Lord, nor did he ever violate the rules and regulations of a pure Vaiṣṇava. It is the duty of a Vaiṣṇava ācārya to prevent his disciples and followers from violating the principles of Vaiṣṇava behavior. He should always advise them to strictly follow the regulative principles, which will protect them from falling down. Although a Vaiṣṇava preacher may sometimes criticize others, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa avoided this. Even if another Vaiṣṇava was actually at fault, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa would not criticize him; he saw only that everyone was engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service. That is the position of a mahā-bhāgavata. Actually, even if one is serving māyā, in a higher sense he is also a servant of Kṛṣṇa. Because māyā is the servant of Kṛṣṇa, anyone serving māyā serves Kṛṣṇa indirectly. Therefore it is said:

keha māne, keha nā māne, saba tāṅra dāsa

ye nā māne, tāra haya sei pāpe nāśa

“Some accept Him, whereas others do not, yet everyone is His servant. One who does not accept Him, however, will be ruined by his sinful activities.” (Cc. Ādi 6.85)

Nectar of Devotion

It is the duty of the ācārya, the spiritual master, to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti

Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 2: Narada Muni mentions this sadhana-bhakti in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Seventh Canto, First Chapter, verse 32. He says there to King Yudhisthira, "My dear King, one has to fix his mind on Krsna by any means." That is called Krsna consciousness. It is the duty of the acarya, the spiritual master, to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Krsna. That is the beginning of sadhana-bhakti.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

That is the duty of the ācārya. The essence of the śāstra should be presented to the fools and rascals

Lecture on SB 5.5.27 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1976: So that is fact. This controlling the mind by the yogic process, by meditation, is impossible. [break] ...read so many sastras, the essence of the sastra. That is the duty of the acarya. The essence of the sastra should be presented to the fools and rascals so that, just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he presented himself before His guru that guru more murkha dekhi' karila sasana: [Cc. Adi 7.71] "My guru found Me a great rascal." Caitanya Mahaprabhu was not a rascal, but He presented Himself as a rascal because we are rascals. These people of this age, they are all rascals. Therefore he presented Himself, guru more murkha dekhi' karila sasana: "My guru saw Me a great rascal; therefore he has asked Me, chastised Me, that 'You rascal, You cannot understand Vedanta. You cannot read even.' " Murkha tumi nahi tomara vedanta adhikara: "You cannot read Vedanta." That means the rascals of this age, what they will understand Vedanta?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Rāmānuja preached. All the ācāryas preached. That is the duty of acarya

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Tamala Krsna: What about those who are coming in these other sampradayas, like Ramanuja sampradaya...

Prabhupada: They are bona fide if they are actually following.

Tamala Krsna: I was referring to them, that they are not preaching very widely.

Prabhupada: Then they are useless.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah. Because if they wanted to, Krsna would have facilitated it.

Prabhupada: Ramanuja preached. All the acaryas preached.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, either in writing or by traveling and speaking. You have done both, though.

Prabhupada: That is the duty of acarya. Otherwise he is not... Not that three dozen acaryas in Mayapura. Each one has a temple and a few dozen... Not few dozen -- one dozen disciples. Bring some rice and eat. They are acarya. That day I said that, khai laya khasi bhaja,(?) then everybody became angry. Collecting some money, taking to the holy place, collecting fifty rupees and keeping twenty rupees and spending thirty rupees. This is... In this way they are making livelihood, acaryas. They say, "Whatever is in our capacity, we are doing." The capacity means when they are speaking that the cockroach is as good a bird as the Garuda. Cockroach is also a bird and Garuda is also a bird.