SB 6.7.30 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

आचार्यो ब्रह्मणो मूर्ति: पिता मूर्ति: प्रजापते: । भ्राता मरुत्पतेर्मूर्तिर्माता साक्षात् क्षितेस्तनु: ॥ २९ ॥ दयाया भगिनी मूर्तिर्धर्मस्यात्मातिथि: स्वयम् । अग्नेरभ्यागतो मूर्ति: सर्वभूतानि चात्मन: ॥ ३० ॥

Verse text

ācāryo brahmaṇo mūrtiḥ pitā mūrtiḥ prajāpateḥ bhrātā marutpater mūrtir mātā sākṣāt kṣites tanuḥ dayāyā bhaginī mūrtir dharmasyātmātithiḥ svayam agner abhyāgato mūrtiḥ sarva-bhūtāni cātmanaḥ

Synonyms

ācāryaḥ — the teacher or spiritual master who instructs Vedic knowledge by his personal behavior ; brahmaṇaḥ — of all the Vedas ; mūrtiḥ — the personification ; pitā — the father ; mūrtiḥ — the personification ; prajāpateḥ — of Lord Brahmā ; bhrātā — the brother ; marut — pateḥ mūrtiḥ — the personification of Indra ; mātā — the mother ; sākṣāt — directly ; kṣiteḥ — of the earth ; tanuḥ — the body ; dayāyāḥ — of mercy ; bhaginī — the sister ; mūrtiḥ — the personification ; dharmasya — of religious principles ; ātma — the self ; atithiḥ — the guest ; svayam — personally ; agneḥ — of the fire-god ; abhyāgataḥ — the invited guest ; mūrtiḥ — the personification ; sarva — bhūtāni — all living entities ; ca — and ; ātmanaḥ — of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu .

Translation

The ācārya, the spiritual master who teaches all the Vedic knowledge and gives initiation by offering the sacred thread, is the personification of all the Vedas. Similarly, a father personifies Lord Brahmā; a brother, King Indra; a mother, the planet earth; and a sister, mercy. A guest personifies religious principles, an invited guest personifies the demigod Agni, and all living entities personify Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The ācārya is the personification of all the Vedas. Similarly, a father personifies Lord Brahmā; a brother personifies Indra; a mother personifies the planet earth; and a sister personifies mercy. An unexpected guest personifies religious principles, an invited guest personifies Agni, and all living entities personify Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. The ācārya, one who teaches the Vedas, personifies the Vedas (brahmaṇaḥ). The brother personified Indra (marut-pateḥ). The uninvited guest personified (ātmā) dharma. Then what to speak of us? All beings personify the Supreme Lord (ātmanaḥ).

Purport

According to the moral instructions of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu: one should observe all living entities to be on the same level as oneself. This means that no one should be neglected as inferior; because Paramātmā is seated in everyone’s body, everyone should be respected as a temple of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This verse describes the different ways in which one should respect a guru, a father, a brother, a sister, a guest and so on.