Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 1 - Chapter 1 - Verse 33

Sanskrit:

तमभिज्ञाय सहसा प्रत्युत्थायागतं मुनि: ।पूजयामास विधिवन्नारदं सुरपूजितम् ॥ ३३ ॥

ITRANS:

tam abhijñāya sahasāpratyutthāyāgataṁ muniḥpūjayām āsa vidhivannāradaṁ sura-pūjitam

Translation:

At the auspicious arrival of Śrī Nārada, Śrī Vyāsadeva got up respectfully and worshiped him, giving him veneration equal to that given to Brahmājī, the creator.

Purport:

Vidhi means Brahmā, the first created living being. He is the original student as well as professor of the Vedas. He learned it from Śrī Kṛṣṇa and taught Nārada first. So Nārada is the second ācārya in the line of spiritual disciplic succession. He is the representative of Brahmā, and therefore he is respected exactly like Brahmā, the father of all vidhis (regulations); similarly all other successive disciples in the chain are also equally respected as representatives of the original spiritual master.