आचार्यात् पादमादते पादं शिष्यः स्वमेधया ।
पादं सब्रह्मचारिभ्यः पादं कालक्रमेण च ॥

Ācāryāt pādamādate
Pādaṁ śiṣyaḥ svamedhayā
Pādaṁ sabrahmacāribhyaḥ
Pādaṁ kālakrameṇa ca

“Śiṣya, a devoted student learns a quarter of his entire knowledge from his teacher, a quarter from his own intelligence, a quarter from other students, and a quarter over the passing of time.”
Ācārya means an expert and perfect teacher, who usually teaches their students by practicing what they teach.

Śiṣya means a devoted student. Śiṣya is not a student like in the school or university. There you go to school or university and you must pay in order for the teacher to teach you. Mostly there there will be some “business”. You must give and then you will get. But Śiṣya means a student who follows their teacher 101%. Śiṣya means a student who is well disciplined by the teacher. A Śiṣya means a fully devoted student who trains and disciplines himself through the teachings and disciplines of his teacher (Ācārya). Here a Śiṣya or devoted student offers their service to their teacher/Ācārya with full sincerity and devotion. And the best service that can be done by a Śiṣya is to follow the word or teachings of their teacher. That is the best Seva or service that the student can offer to his teacher. The teacher/Ācārya will pass on his knowledge to the devoted student with full love. Not in the mood of “business”. Here there are no “business” transactions between student and teacher but a divine transaction of knowledge, to help the student to clear their darkness or ignorance and get them good good knowledge, wisdom, and self realization.

Also the teacher, by teaching the student with love and by practicing what he teaches, will be freed from material attachment which will help him to get liberation or mokṣa. Finally, before leaving the school, ashram, or teacher’s house, the student will offer Guru Dakṣiṇā or an offering to guru. He will ask his guru what the guru wants as an offering/Dakṣiṇā. And then whatever the guru says, the Śiṣya will follow it and will fulfill it with all his effort. That is the tradition of teaching and learning in ancient times in the Vedic tradition. By following the discipline set by his teacher the student will automatically get all these 4 types of knowledge in full; a quarter of the entire knowledge from the teacher...Why a quarter? Because the rest should be through the intelligence of the student, through being with other students, and finally with time all the knowledge will be well cooked, crystallized and spiced, to make the knowledge become more beautifully offered for the good of the world.

Radhe Radhe (Darmayasa)