Verse Text
viśrambheṇa guroḥ sevā, yathā tatraiva—
ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit |
na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ ||99||
Translation
Serving the guru with reverence (verse 74), from the Eleventh Canto: One should know the ācārya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods. SB 11.17.27
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
One should know that the ācārya belongs to Me (ācāryaṁ mām). This agrees with sayings such as “remember the revered guru as dearest of Mukunda.” One should not disrespect the guru by thinking him an ordinary human.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
Serving the Spiritual Master with Faith and Confidence
Regarding serving the spiritual master, in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventeenth Chapter, verse 27, it is stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa, “My dear Uddhava, the spiritual master must be accepted not only as My representative, but as My very self. He must never be considered on the same level with an ordinary human being. One should never be envious of the spiritual master, as one may be envious of an ordinary man. The spiritual master should always be seen as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by serving the spiritual master one is able to serve all the demigods.”