The primordial preceptor

While imparting knowledge of scriptures, all great teachers reiterate that they only restate the teachings of their former teachers. Acharyas are born time and again to clarify the eternal truth, remove the ignorance in people and instil faith in the traditional wisdom of the sastras, pointed out Asuri Sri Madhavachariar in a discourse. This is the uniqueness of the guru sishya parampara by which sacred knowledge is preserved and presented to posterity.

The teaching is a renewal, a rediscovery and a restoration of knowledge long forgotten, says Krishna to Arjuna when He imparts the tradition of jnana yoga to him. He says that He had already proclaimed it to Vivaswan in an earlier era and that Vivaswan had told it to Manu who then had passed it on to Ikshvaku. This sacred knowledge had been current among the royal sages of yore, but was subsequently lost to the world through the lapse of time. Krishna, the primordial acharya, tells Arjuna that He will impart all the dharmas without hiding anything. Arjuna is the sincere and ideal disciple, who is worthy to imbibe the teaching. When teaching Bhakti yoga to Arjuna, Krishna says that this knowledge is not only sacred but is also secret. It is most profound and is capable of granting release from evil influences. It is gained as direct experience and by knowing this, there is nothing further to be known.

It is owing to these reasons that Krishna states at the end of His teaching that it should not be told to one who is not austere in life or who has no devotion and is a non-believer. In Krishna avatar He reveals His Paratva whenever necessary. He takes the role of the Jagadguru to personally instruct the path to salvation to all mankind. Above all, His Saulabhya is such that He is easily accessible to those who are devoted to Him.