Acarya 1-3. - One who knows the intricacies of Vedic knowledge

 


"So Prahlāda Mahārāja, a great devotee, he's in the line of disciplic succession. He's considered one of the great ācāryas. An authority, ācārya. And who is ācārya? Ācārya means one who knows the intricacies of Vedic knowledge and he personally behaves in terms of that knowledge and teaches his disciple in terms of that knowledge. Ācārya means the person whose behavior is to be followed. Not that as we follow somebody according to our taste. Not like that. That ācārya comes in the standard disciplic succession. So ācārya. So this Prahlāda Mahārāja, we are discussing the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja because he happens to be one of the stalwart ācāryas. And the names of such ācāryas, authorized ācāryas, are also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."

(Lectures - Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.1 — New York, April 9, 1969)

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