Opening Prayers

Avirbhuto Sakarunyo Sri Vamana Narayanau Rupanug Pravarau dvau Sri Keshav Priyau Bhaje

(Prayers to Srila Vamana Goswami Maharaj and Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaj)

gurave gauracandrāya rādhikāyai tadālaye kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-bhaktāya tad-bhaktāya namo namaḥ

Kanaka-jalada-gātrau nila-sonābha-netrau

Mriga-madabara-bhālau mālati-kunda-mālau

Tarala-taruna-vesau nila-pītāmbareśau

smara nibhṛta-nikuñje rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-candrau

(Nikunja Rahasya Stava 16)

ha devi kaku-bhara-gadgadayadya vaca yace nipatya bhuvi dandavad udbhatartih | asya prasadam abudhasya janasya kritva gandharvike nija-gane gananam vidhehi ||2||

Sloka 2 | Sri Gandharva Samprarthanastakam

O Goddess! In great distress I prostrate myself before You, falling on the ground, praying piteously unto You with faltering voice. O Gandharvike! After You bestowed Your mercy on this fool, count him (her) amongst Your own people!

vrindayai tulasi-devyaipriyayai keshavasya cha

krishna-bhakti-prade devi satyavatyai namo namaha

(Sri Tulasi Pranama)

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Obeisances and Welcome

First of all, I pay my humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of my Paramārādh Gurpāda Padma Om Viṣṇupada Paramhamsa Svāmi Aṣṭotarasatta, Śrī Śrīmad-Bhaktivedanta Śrīla Vāmaṅa Gośwami Mahāraja, and Om Viṣṇupāda Paramhamsa Svāmi Aṣṭotarasatta, Śrī Śrīmad-Bhaktivedanta Śrīla Nārāyaṅa Gośwami Mahāraja, with all associates of Srila Prabhupāda Sarasvati Thakur and entire Guru Vargas.

I convey my Dandavat Pranāma to all Vaishnavas and Vaishnavis who have assembled from different parts of the world to encourage you to speak some Hari-kathā. I welcome all guests who are present today to listen to the Hari-kathā of Śrī Guru Puja.

Understanding Guru Puja and Vyaṣ Puja

Our beloved Paramgurudeva, Śrīla Bhakti Pragyana Keshav Goswami Mahārāja, in one of his lectures told us about a Western philosopher who became very influenced by Vyaṣ literature. He commented that reverend bishop told that “India guided by God can lead the world back to sanity.” Mr. Bishop was so influenced by Vyaṣ literature that he commented like this.

First we have to know that Guru Puja and Vyaṣ Puja are the same thing but two synonyms. Just like Navadvīpa, Svetadvīpa, Gauru mandala, Vṛndāvana, Braja mandala, Mathura mandala, Jagannātha Puri, Nilācala Chaitra, Sankhya Chaitra, Puri Dhāma – these are all synonyms for the same places.

First I am telling about Vyas, what Gurudeva told. Vyas means – Gurudeva gave an example from the viewpoint of geometry. According to geometry, if we draw a circle and then we draw one straight line from one end to the other end of the circle touching the middle point or center, this straight line is called diameter, and in Sanskrit or Indian language it is called Vyas.

What is the significance here? The upper end of the circle is the spiritual world and the lower part of the circle is called the material world. The straight line touching the center point is called diameter or Vyas. Gurudeva told that this Vyas or diameter is connecting both ends of the circle – meaning the spiritual world and material world. So he (the guru) is connecting the living soul from this material world and showing how they can travel to the spiritual world.

Who is connecting this Vyas or diameter? The bona fide Guru. What is he doing? Although he is an eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the divine couple, by the order or pleasure of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the divine couple, especially Srimati Radhika, he came to this world and is telling us: “Oh dear friends, oh dear brothers, you are not from this world. Potentially you are from the spiritual sky, but forgetting Krishna you are suffering here. So we have to know you are part and parcel of God. You have to be attracted towards God and have to do bhajan or worship of Bhagavan. Then you will be happy. Otherwise you cannot get eternal peace and tranquility of mind. You must serve Krishna.”

So Krishna is God. Gurudev (Srila Narayan Goswami Maharak) has told that God – the spelling G-O-D stands for: G for generator, O for operator or nourishing the world, D for destroyer; destroying the world. Who can generate or create this world, Who operates or nourishes this world, D for destroyer – the one destroying this world is God. He is our Krishna, God of gods, Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So what is the complete Guru doing? Connecting this living soul from this material world with the spiritual world. So this diameter is called Vyas and his puja is called Vyas Puja or Guru Puja. Then Gurudeva (Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaj) told, “There is no matter whether male or female may be Guru, but prominence of male Guru is there.”

So what is the definition of Guru? And why should we approach the Guru? So Gurudeva told, and other revealed scriptures are telling,

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ

brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

(ŚB 11.3.21)

*tasmād = “*for this reason we approach any expert who is called Guru, Acharya or Vyas.”

What is the reason? We are afflicted by three-fold miseries – Adhyātmika, Adhidaivika and Adhibhautika.

Adhidaivik means the calamity due to demigods. Like in Europe and China, there is too much flooding going on. Sometimes for so many years there is no rain at all, called drought, and sometimes there is flood, sometimes earthquake, sometimes this and that. This happens due to demigods – it is called Adhidaivik.

Adhibhautik means chaos due to other living entities. Like when you are going somewhere, you may get a snake bite, or a scorpion may sting you, or maybe any bull may hit you. All this is called Adhibhautik.

Adhyatmik means we are suffering due to our uncontrolled mind. When you are suffering so much, you are hankering for how we can get rid of this and get peace and tranquility of mind. Then you ask so many persons: What to do, how to do, where to go. Then somehow, through other past birth impressions or present birth impressions, we can get in touch with any expert. That expert is called Guru or Acharya.

So what is his qualification?

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ

brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

He must be expert in all revealed scriptures – Vedas, Vedanta, Bhagavatam, Gita, Chaitanya Charitamritam, and all the sandarvas etc. If devotees, disciples and followers have any doubt, quoting from scripture, he can immediately rule it out.

If it’s not immediate, if he himself is not a bona fide guru, then he will say, “Okay, you can email me; I will answer you after one month.” What will he do? He does not have faith in his own Gurudev and will surrender under the lotus feet of Googledev, and whatever information Googledev provides, he will post to you. Gurudev and Googledev are not the same thing, even though both start with ‘G’.

Googledev can give you some information, but not a 100% correct answer. If Googledev could do everything, then there would be no need to go to medical school or business school. One could be a businessman, engineer, doctor, or lawyer, but you have to go to the best school, the best college; not more than that. So, whatever Googledev tells you or posts is not bona fide,

As it says:

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ

Pare means “must be a realized soul.” One must know who Krishna is, or who “he” is. What is the relationship between him and Krishna? He knows and will realize.

And he is serving. Whenever I used to go for morning walks with Gurudev (Srila Narayan Goswami Maharaj), especially in California, I would follow him 100% everywhere. If someone was talking, Gurudev would say, “Why are you chattering? Do you know where I am and what I’m doing?”

Being with us, the guru serves Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 24 hours/day and simultaneously the divine couple. If the guru wouldn’t allow you to understand, then by your own effort, you couldn’t understand or realize whether he is a realized soul or not. I don’t want to share my many personal realizations about Gurudev (Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaj) — how he is a Bhagwat Parikar, or an associate of Bhagwan. He gave me so many evidences, especially; I have realized so many times his Ashtasattvika mood, the Eight Ecstatic Symptoms, which are mentioned in the scriptures. But I don’t want to share all this; I am strictly prohibited by Srila Gurudev from telling all this.

So if the guru allows us to understand, then we will understand. And the third one is upaśamāśrayam, meaning he must be detached from the material world. One aspect is internal (pare ca niṣṇātaṁ = must be a realized soul), and the external aspect is that he must be expert in revealed scriptures. The second one is upaśamāśrayam, he must be detached from this material world.

Then somebody asked Gurudev (Srila Narayan Goswami Maharaj), “Oh Gurudev, only males can be gurus; females cannot be gurus?”

Gurudev said, “Yes, why not?”

The devotee said, “I have seen the prominence of male devotees or male gurus in Gaudiya Matha.” Gurudev said, “No, in the Gaudiya tradition, there were many female gurus as well.”

Then devotees asked, “Gurudev, can you give some examples?”

Gurudev replied, “Yes, why not? How many examples do you need? The first female acharya is the eternal consort of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu, Srimati Jahnava Devi. Under her guidance, Srila Narottam Thakur established Jahnava Devi’s six deities—one is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the other five are pairs of Sri Radha Krishna. Another female guru was Sri Gangamata Goswamini. She was in Jagannath Puri, and she used to serve in the place of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya.”

On this topic, I want to say something about Gangamata Goswamini.

When she was giving a class on Krishna’s childhood notorious pastimes, specifically how Mother Yashoda served her Gopal, and as she was absorbed in Mother Yashoda’s mood while giving the class, she had two Saligrams: one of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and another her own. Her own Saligram would come out from the altar and move around there. One day, Gangamata became disturbed and said, “Oh naughty boy, why have you come from your altar? Should I give class or should I take care of you?” She had a stick, and she hit the Salagram with it; that mark of the stick is still there on the Shalagram. And Sarvabhauma Bhattacharyya was a big Smarta pandit; he would not go on the street to visit Jagannath Deva. There was a tunnel from his house to the Jagannath Mandir. Being with Gurudeva, they showed it to us so many times; it is still present there. I went a few months ago and saw it again. In the temple they were saying, “No! No! there is no secret tunnel.” But I told that I have seen before when I came with my gurudeva (Srila Narayana Goswmai Maharaj).

Another is Hemlata Thakurani, the daughter of Srinivas Acharya, who was Gopal Bhatt Goswami’s disciple. There are so many nice pastimes, but I am not going into them. So, Gurudev (Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaj) said that “The female guru or male guru, whoever they may be, must be detached from three ‘W’s or three ‘M’s. Even a female guru must be detached from three ‘M’s, and a male guru must be detached from three ‘W’s. What does this mean? If a male guru, he must not be hankering for women. This world wants to satisfy its senses through the opposite sex. So, if a male guru, he must be detached from three ‘W’s: first, if he wants to satisfy his own senses, he needs the first ‘W’, which is Woman. When he gets a woman, he must satisfy her, so he needs Wealth, the second ‘W’. When he gets a woman and too much wealth, what does he do? Then he starts drinking Wine and whiskey, the third ‘W’. And a female guru must be detached from three ‘M’s. First ‘M’, she wants to satisfy her senses, she needs the first ‘M’, which is Male. The second, to satisfy him, she needs Money, the second ‘M’. And when she gets money and a male, then she becomes intoxicated and doesn’t care for others, then she starts smoking Marijuana, the third ‘M’.”

So, brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam whoever wants to become a guru must be detached from three ‘M’s or three ‘W’s. So, whoever qualifies like this, his puja is called Guru Puja or Vyasa Puja. In Gaudiya Math, as Gurudeva (Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaj) told, we have “laddus in both hands,” meaning big, big laddus, sweets in both hands. How is this possible? Vyas Deva told that in Kali Yuga there will be four pure sampradayas, Vaishnava sampradayas:

Sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah Atah kalau bhavisyanti catvarah sampradayinah catvarah sampradayinah

Sri-brahma-rudra-sanakah vaisnavah ksiti-pavanah

Catvaras te kalau bhavya hy utkale purusottamat Atah kalau bhavisyanti

Any mantra that does not come in disciplic succession is considered to be fruitless. Therefore, four divine individuals will appear in the age of Kali to found disciplic schools. The founders of these four Vaisnava sampradayas are Laksmi or Sri, Brahma, Rudra and Sanaka Rishi, and the acaryas of the Kali Age who follow their lines will appear in the holy city of Purusottama in Orissa.

“Shri” means the Goddess of Fortune; she will start one sampradaya in Kali Yuga, and her prominent acharya will be Sri Ramanuja Acharya. Brahma, the creator of this universe, four-headed Brahmaji, he will start one sampradaya in Kali Yuga, and the prominent acharya is Madhava Acharya. Rudra, the presiding deity of devastation, is Shivaji; he will start one Vaishnava sampradaya in Kali Yuga, and his prominent acharya is Sri Vishnu Swami. Then Sanak; initially there was no biological creation, only Brahma creating from his mind; first, it was mental creation, coming from his mind: four brothers—Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatan, Sanat Kumar. The four children became one unit, and Sanak is the eldest one, so it is called Sanak Sampradaya or Chatusraya Sampradaya, and their prominent acharya will be Sri Nimbaditya. Vyasa Deva, one yuga before, predicted these four Sampradayas. So, you have to be under these four sampradayas, then you can achieve Krishna prema or Vishnu prema according to the Sampradaya. Otherwise, you cannot.

So, other than the Gaudiya Sampradaya, all Sampradayas are observing Vyāsa-pūjā or Guru Puja the day after tomorrow because of the appearance day of Vyasadeva. Any literature seen and any kind of discovery ongoing, everything’s root cause is Vyasadeva; everything is in his literature. What you have, an aeroplane, this missile, this, that, any medical advancements; everything is in Vyasadeva’s literature. But we think this is dead literature. We are neglecting it, but those who are expert are going deep and discovering all these things. So, we are eternally indebted to Vyasadeva. The day after tomorrow is Vyas Puja. So, all Sampradayas other than the Gaudiya Sampradaya are observing this Vyāsa-pūjā. And why does Gaudiya Vaishnava have the “laddu in both hands”? Because they are doing Vyāsa-pūjā on the appearance day of Vyasadeva, and on the other hand, they are observing Vyāsa-pūjā on the appearance day of their own guru. So, you have a laddu in both hands. This is called Vyāsa-pūjā or Guru Puja.

Before these four sampradayas, the Shankara sampradaya also observed Vyāsa-pūjā, but they are not following all the rules and regulations of Vyasadeva. Their Vyāsa-pūjā is like a laughing stock, nothing else. They will honor Vyasadeva or Guru Puja but not honor his advice, so their puja is not called Vyāsa-pūjā. In the Gaudiya Sampradaya, this Vyāsa-pūjā was first started by Gurudev in Mathura. Other than Gurudev, nowhere else in Gaudiya Vaishnavism was Vyāsa-pūjā performed during the appearance day of Vyasadeva. Then the question may arise, why did Gurudev start it? While Gurudev was preaching here in Mathura, some Brajvasis told him, “Oh Gurudev, if you want to preach in Mathura, you have to do Vyāsa-pūjā on the appearance day of Vyasadeva, the first day of Chaturmasa.”

Gurudev replied, “No! Our Guruvarga never did it, so I will not do it.”

Then the Vrajvasis replied, “Oh Gurudev, your Guru and Srila Prabhupāda Saraswati Thakur never preached in Vraj. This is the first time you have come for preaching, so you have to follow this tradition; otherwise, none can preach.”

They requested Gurudev again and again, then Gurudev agreed and started Vyāsa-pūjā on the appearance day of Vyasadeva or the first day of Chaturmas. From that time, those who are following Gurudev, his followers, are doing Vyāsa-pūjā. Some in the Gaudiya Matha are not following Vyāsa-pūjā these days; they are doing it only on the appearance day of their own Gurudev, but we are doing it both times. Now the question may arise, who started Vyāsa-pūjā or Guru Puja in this world? Gurudev used to tell that in Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavatam, it is mentioned that first Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, through Nityananda Prabhu, started Vyāsa-pūjā. In Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavatam, Mahaprabhu told, “Tomorrow is the appearance day of Vyasadeva; this Vyāsa-pūjā will take place in the house of Srinivasa Pandit.”

He told, “Oh yes, no problem. I have everything, and I need one book; I will borrow it from someone, and we will do puja of Sripada Nityananda Prabhu.”

Sriman Mahaprabhu went to his house in Yogpeeth Mayapur. At that time, Sripad Nityananda Prabhu was a Sanyasi, and on that same night, Nityananda Prabhu broke his own Sanyasa Dand (stick) and sat while being absorbed in the mood of Sri Baladeva. When Srivas Pandit saw this, he immediately sent his brother Ramai or Sri Rama to Sriman Mahaprabhu. Srivas Pandit said to his brother, “Go to Nimai Pandit!” Mahaprabhu came there before Brahma Muhurta and took Sripad Nityananda Prabhu to take a bath in the Ganges and threw that broken Sanyas Dand (stick) into the Ganges. After that, Sriman Mahaprabhu went to his home, and Nityananda Prabhu came to the house of Srivas Pandit.

They were asking Nityananda Prabhu, “Are you going to start Vyas Puja?”

Nityananda Prabhu was waiting for someone and just replied, “Hmm, Hmm, yes, yes.”

When Sriman Mahaprabhu came, Nityananda Prabhu placed everything, like garlands, on Mahaprabhu’s neck and flowers on his head. And after that, he said, “My Vyas Puja is done.”

Because Sripad Nityananda Prabhu is God, and He is the origin of even Vyasa Deva, of Vyasa Deva of Vyasa Deva. If, just like our Gurudev offers flowers at our feet, then we have no place, not even on a hellish planet. In the same way, if Nityananda Prabhu were to give Pushpanjali to Vyas Dev, then it would not be good. But Gurudev (Srila Narayan Goswami Maharaj) said, “If Sriman Mahaprabhu does Vyas Puja, then he can give offerings to the lotus feet of Vyas Dev. Why? Because Sriman Mahaprabhu came in the mood of a devotee, so he can do it, no problem!”

Then Gurudev (Srila Narayan Maharaj) also said, “Guru Puja or Vyas Puja, my Puja, my Guru Puja, what does it mean? My duty is to offer it to the lotus feet of my Gurudev – Srila Bhakti Pragyan Keshav Goswami Maharaj. And then he will purify these offerings and offer them to the lotus feet of his Gurudev – Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada, and then to the whole Guru Parampara, and it will eventually reach the lotus feet of Sripad Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Gaur Nityananda Prabhu, and the Divine Couple. In the same way, my Vyas Puja means Guru Puja; today it is my duty, my responsibility, to perform the Puja of the four Acharyas of the respective Sampradayas and my Gurudev (Srila Bhakti Pragyan Keshav Goswami Maharaj). Seeing this effort of mine, my followers, my disciples (devotees), they will worship me. But I am not the supreme connoisseur; I am not the one who will taste this; I am not the enjoyer of this. I will collect all these offerings and hand them over into the lotus hand of my Gurudev (Srila Bhakti Pragyan Keshav Goswami Maharaj) and through that, the entire Guru Parampara, it will go to Sripad Nityananda Prabhu and Sriman Mahaprabhu, and then to the Divine Couple.”

If it’s not like this, and someone thinks, “Oh, these offerings are for me, I am the enjoyer,” then Srila Gurudev (Narayan Goswami Maharaj) said, “He is not a bona fide Guru; he is like an Australian Kangaroo. Like a Kangaroo keeps her baby inside her pocket, in the same way, such a so-called Guru thinks that these disciples are for me to enjoy, and he is not a bona fide Guru.”

So this is the significance of Guru Puja or Vyas Puja. I again convey my Dandavat Pranam, unlimited Dandavat Pranam, at the lotus feet of both Gurudev and all Guru Parampara. So I am finishing it here; if anybody has any questions, please mention your doubts, please speak out. You can text your questions as well, and then I can answer. –

Gurudev (Srila Narayan Goswami Maharaj) was very happy after seeing my thesis (Principle and Seva of Sri Guru) and said, “Oh, if someone wants to do Guru seva and wants to advance in Krishna Consciousness, they must read this book.” Gurudev said this so many times.

And one more thing, I am in Mathura now. I want to say something about Mathura Math. Srila Gurudev (Narayan Goswami Maharaj) had the desire to demolish it and make it new. Gurudev tried to do it in 2003, 2006, and 2008. But due to some legal problems, it couldn’t be done. Now this plan has been passed (for the reconstruction). Due to Covid, we couldn’t start it, but this year, after Kartik, we will start. To demolish and make it new, we need 1 million USD. So I am requesting all of you to serve this, Gurudev’s Dream Project. Because Gurudev mainly spent his time here, and also Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja took the renounced order here and also lived here for some time. And his deity Sriman Mahaprabhu is also taking service from here, so I request all of you to help in this project. You can donate through the bank or from anywhere; you can contact me, and then I can give bank details. So, you can tell everyone.ArriSri Guru