Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 27
Varṇāśrama-dharma as a Path to Bhakti
Yuga-dharma Origins, Universal Virtues, Brahmacarya and Gṛhastha Duties
आचार्यं मां विजानीयान्नावमन्येत कर्हिचित् । न मर्त्यबुद्ध्यासूयेत सर्वदेवमयो गुरु: ॥ २७ ॥
ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān navamanyeta karhicit na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ
Know the ācārya to be My very self, and never disrespect him in any way. Do not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for the guru is the representative of all the devas.
This verse appears in Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi 1.46) . His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda has commented on this verse as follows.
FAQs
Bhagavatam 11.17.27 teaches that the ācārya should be understood as Kṛṣṇa’s own self and should never be disrespected; one should not see the guru as an ordinary mortal, because the guru represents all the devas.
In the Uddhava-gītā section, Kṛṣṇa instructs Uddhava on dharma and spiritual practice; here He establishes guru-tattva—proper reverence for the ācārya—as essential for receiving and preserving divine knowledge.
Approach spiritual guidance with humility, avoid fault-finding in one’s teacher, follow instructions sincerely, and treat the guru’s role as sacred rather than evaluating it through purely material or social status.