PRIEST & GURUJI (ACHARYA) – THE DIFFERENCE
Priest is the person who helps the devotees to perform the pujas or
any rituals. He guides them to perform
the pujas, chanting of the Mantras, or he does it by himself on behalf of the
devotees. He also sanctifies the
marriage, birth, house warming etc. Generally, the Priests would have received
the training for doing these rituals, either through their ancestors or through
a Vedic School.
Unlike the Priest, an Acharaya or a Guruji, is the person who helps
the devotees for attaining the spiritual enlightenment. He shows them the right path of performing
the right ritual, right puja practice, right way to do different duties
mentioned in the scriptures. Such
Acharayas do not do regular pujas or rituals on behalf of the devotees, like a
Priest. Normally, the Priests under the
guidance of the Acharya, perform the pujas.
The Acharyas generally do special pujas or special rituals like Maha
Rudhra Yagna, Sarva Aishwarya Puja or Yagna, Adi Rudhra Yagna, Chandika Homa
etc.
Priest is the person who is like a general medicine doctor, where
one goes for all types of general pujas, whereas, an Acharya is like a
specialist who is referred to by the general medicine doctor. One a devotee reaches an Acharya, and if the
Acharya find the devotee, capable of going up the next stage of spiritual
development, will advise the devotee the ways to move to the next stage of
spiritual development, through special prayers, pujas, meditations, japas etc.
The Priest should be rewarded by the devotees as ritual Dakshina for
every pujas. The reward should be in the
form of cash and kind such as food items, clothes etc. The Priest can receive any form of Dhaan (offerings)
given by the devotees.
Whenever any form of Dhaan is given to the Priest, it should be
accompanied by good sum of cash as Dhana Dhaan.
Dhana Dhan is considered to the most simplest and superior form of any
Dhaan.
The Dhana Dhaan given, should have more value than the reason for
the other Dhans given. For example, if a
man is sick and is not getting well despite many treatments, if any Dhaan is
given to the Priest with the prayer to for curing the sickness, the Dhana
(Cash) Dhaan should be more than the money that could be spent for the
treatment. It may be given in one stroke or in stages. Otherwise, the Dhan may not have desired
effect. This is done because the Priest
who receive the Dhan, is taking the Karmas of the sick man and is exchange for his
spiritual virtues (his spiritual assets), he had accumulated so far. If this is not adequately compensated, the
desired effect will not take place. The
simple logic goes well here also -
“never try to move a mountain with a pie”.
An Acharaya, generally does not accept any form of Dhaans. For him, the best from of reward is the Dhana
(cash) Dhaan and it is called Guru Dakshina.
The Vedas prescribe that the Acharya has to be given more Guru Dakshina,
which should be adequate for the Acharya to do more Spiritual works, spread the
Spiritual knowledge to all, and establish and run his religious institution
well.
The work and duties of an Acharya is of supreme importance. If, for example, there is one Priest for a
thousand people, there need be only one Acharaya for a hundred thousand
people. It is the duty of these one
hundred thousand people to see to it that they support the Acharya in his
livelihood, they support for the spread of his teachings, they arrange for his
Satsangs etc. Such society will prosper.
While the duties of a Priest are of a daily routine to the society,
the duty of the Acharya is to bring those devotees to more and more into the
execution of the works mentioned in the Vedas.
While the Priest can advise the society on religious matters (if he
knows the real essence of what he advise) in the absence of an Acharya, it is
the duty of the Acharya to advise the society on various aspects of life and
spiritualism, and it is the duty of the society to follow it, for its
betterment.
Hari Om !!
