Here is another word for your vaisnava vocabulary; Acaryopasanam.
In Bhagavad-gita, Thirteenth Chapter, it is clearly stated that one should execute devotional service and advance on the path of spiritual knowledge by accepting the acarya.Ācāryopāsanam: one should worship an acarya, a spiritual master who knows things as they are. The spiritual master must be in the disciplic succession from Krsna. (from purport SB 3.29.17)
We can understand from Srila Prabhupada, that there are huge gaps in the disciplic succession, but we need to follow the prominent Acarya.
“So these gaps do not hamper from understanding the parampara system. We have to pick up the Prominent Acarya, and follow from him.” (letter to Dayananda April12,1968)
God’s word cannot be changed. Then what will be the difference between God and ourself? He is always perfect. He is always perfect. What He said forty millions of years ago, what He said five thousand years ago, that is also correct up to date. That is sastra. Not that “So many years have passed and it has become old. Now let us reform it and put it into new way.” No.
Prabhupada: So if this confidential knowledge, one who preaches without any compromise, he is the confidential servant of Krsna. There is no compromise. This is real religion. So this is the person who has received the authority to draw mercy water from the ocean of mercy of Krsna. And what Krsna said five thousand years ago, the same thing Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. Same thing. There was no change, as there was no change between the statement of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Narottama dasa Thakura.
Sadhu sastra. As sastra, there is no change. Not that “Modernize. The sastra should be changed.” No. That is nonsense. That is not sastra. Sastra cannot be changed. “Circumstantially, it will be changed, seasonal changes.” No. That is not sastra. Sastra means it is perpetual.
What Krsna said five thousand years ago or Krsna said some forty millions of years ago to the sun-god… He says, “I am talking to you Not that “Because it has passed millions of years and now it is a different time, so I will have to change.” No. He said, “I am talking to you that very old system.” Is it not? Just see. The sastra cannot be changed.