as good as Krishna

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-pūja. On the birthday of guru we offer vyasa-pūja. Actually, it is not directly Vyasa, but because the bona fide guru represents Vyasadeva, his pūja is also vyasa-pūja. Mad-bhakta-pūja 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 acarya. Therefore Vyasadeva is the original acarya. Lokasyajanato vidvams cakre satvata... [SB 1.7.6]. 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.    (More...)

We have got in practical experience. Formerly, in British government, there was viceroy. Vice means in place of and roy means royal king. Viceroy. So this viceroy was respected as the king, as the emperor. That is the process. When he's no longer a viceroy, then he's not respected. But so long he is acting as viceroy... And the rule was that whatever presentation was given to the viceroy, he did not accept it personally. It was kept in the state. So these are the process. So guru, acarya, being representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he should be worshiped. Navamanyeta... Na martya-buddhyasūyeta [SB 11.17.27]. Never think of envying. As soon as we become envious of the acarya, there is falldown, immediately. Yasyaprasadan na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadaḥ. This is the teaching of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. He's also acarya. Acarya-parampara. So, navamanyeta karhicit martya-buddhya. Acarya should not be considered as ordinary human being. Vaisnave jati-buddhir gurusu nara-matiḥ, arcye visnau sila-dhir, gurusu nara-matiḥ [Padma Purana].    (More...)

There is another version, that Krsna says... These are stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam while He was talking with Uddhava, Eleventh Canto. Just like Krsna had talks with Arjuna, which is known as Arjuna-gita, similarly, He had talks with Uddhava, another devotee. That is known as Uddhava-gita. So in that Uddhava-gita these statements are there, that acaryam mam vijaniyat navamanyeta karhicit [Sri Sri Gurv-astaka 7]:    (More...)

Prabhupada: Why? Gurusu nara-matiḥ. [Padma Purana, Brahma Khanḍa 25.15-18] Arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matiḥ. Naraki, if anyone thinks arca-vigraha, the Deities, as made of stone, made of earth, or made of something material, and guru, the spiritual master, "He is an ordinary man"-these are forbidden. So why guru is to be considered saksad dharitvena samasta-sastrair, exactly the Supreme Personality of Godhead? That reason is given there. That reason is that he is giving the Krsna knowledge; therefore he is as good as Krsna. Even though his family members or his friend thinking, "Oh, he has now become guru," still he should be considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That reason also given there, that even Krsna was taken as ordinary man, but does it mean that He has become ordinary? Similarly, any... Our movement, it may appear just like other movement, but because the movement is giving Krsna, therefore it is as good as Krsna. This is the example. Ajnaya hana. [Cc Madhya 20.152] It may appear to others... And there are so many movements, and the hippies have taken another shape, but it is not that. It is actually Krsna so long it adheres to the principles as enjoined, as we have accepted. Otherwise it is ordinary movement. This same man, he's guru so long he gives the real knowledge of Krsna. And the same man, he's ordinary man as soon as he cannot give. Same thing: just like a stone doll, when it is worshiped according to the regulative principles-Krsna. And the same doll, kept in the sculptor's showroom, it is stone.    (More...)

Prabhupada: Vasan danto guror hitam. [SB 7.12.1] The beginning of life is how to become cent per cent obedient to guru. That is gurukula. That training should be given. The whole process is that our life will be successful when we strictly follow guru and Krsna. Guru means Krsna; Krsna means guru. Not Mayavada, but guru means one who follows Krsna, he is guru. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhiḥ. So guru is directly God, saksad-hari. Saksad means "directly." So saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas, in every sastra it is said the guru is God, Krsna. So it is stated in the sastra and it is accepted by authorities. Not that it is simply stated. Samasta-sastrair, ukta. You understand little Sanskrit?    (More...)