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Vyasa-Puja 2009

Malaysian devotees had a most memorable Vyasa-puja at Desaru, Southern Malaysia with Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. The six day festival was a success with many devotees from all around the world coming to attend this event.
Srila Maharaja sitting outside his villa at Desaru Golden Beach Hotel and speaking to devotees and well-wishers.
During this time a devotee asked about the gopis and the rasa dance.
(Devotee): When Krsna left the rasa dance, did the other gopis......
(Srila Maharaja): Firstly, do you know the meaning of the first sloka in the Upadesamrta.(Devotee): Yes.
vaco vegam manasah krodha vegam
jihva-vegam udarapastha-vegam
etan vegan visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat
(A wise and self-composed person who can subdue the impetus to speak, the agitation of the mind, the onset of anger, the vehemence of the tongue, the urge of the belly and the agitation of the genitals can instruct the entire world. In other words, all person may become disciples of such a self-controlled person.)
(Srila Maharaja): First try to follow and realise this sloka. We must not jump into very high topics before doing so.
We also had a very grand Shoba-Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subadhra. These boys and some girls of the Chinese community perfomed a fascinating dragon dance in front of the temple in Skudai.
All glories to Sriman Ram Vijay prabhu and all those who helped him to make this event a remarkable one.
(For the uninitiated, such dances usually takes place during the Chinese New Year. And Srila Maharaja's Vyasa-puja almost always falls during this period. Malaysia being a multi-national country has many types of races and cultures interwined.)
The best part was, when this boys and girls came, they were like "Uh, what are we doing here. In an Indian temple????. "
They were not really smiling. Keep reading folks!
The dragon chasing the ball. Since the temple here is a house converted to one, let's look at the scenenario like this--- "The dragon representing HariNama Sankirtana, and the ball all our anarthas."
Param vijayate sri krsna sankirtanam-----"supreme victory to the congregational chanting of Krsna's names." This is the Sri Gaudiya Matha's sole object of worship. --- (the 1st Upadesavali of Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada)
The lion dance and the beating of drums. All glories to the chanting of the holy names!!!!
Srila Prabhupada's chariot being pulled by devotees.

Now look at this dragon and lion dancers! Happily holding onto the the chariot's rope. They were also following the chanting of the devotees calling out "Nitai Gauranga! Nitai Gauranga!"

When we came back to the temple, there was a traditional Indian dance. --"Gopis dancing with Sri Radha and Krsna."
Srila Maharaja perfoming the Vyasa-puja to the entire guru-parampara.

"It is not the duty of the guru to take pranamas (offering of obeisances) and daksina (donations) from his disciples on his birthday. Rather, it is his duty to worship his gurudeva, guru-parampara, Vyasadeva, Radha-Krsna and all others in disciplic succession." -- Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja.

“On Vyasa-puja day an acarya will worship guru, guru-parampara and upasya (worshipable personalities). According to this puja-paddhati, on that day one should worship the following groups of five: 1) guru-pancaka (Sri Guru, Parama-guru, Paramesthiguru, Paratpar-guru, Paramparat-parguru); 2) acarya-pancaka (Sri Sukadeva, Ramanuja, Madhva, Visnusvami, Nimbaditya); 3) vyasa-pancaka (Sri Vedavyasa, Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini, and Sumanta); 4) sanakadi-pancaka (Sri Sanaka, Sanatkumara‚ Sanatana, Sanandana, and Visvaksena); 5) Krsna-pancaka, (Sri Krsna, Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha); 6) upasya-pancaka (Sri Radha, Krsna, Gaura, Gadadhara, Sri Gurudeva); and 7) panca-tattva (Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acarya, Gadadhara Pandita, Srivasa Thakura).It is the supreme duty of Sri Gaudiya Sarasvata Vaisnavas to follow the Vyasa-puja paddhati used by Srila Prabhupada.” (Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, His Life and Precepts).
In the morning of the Vyasa-puja itself, many preachers glorified Sri Guru. The one that really penetrated my heart was Sripad BV Muni Maharaja's glorification. Below is the excerpt of his speech.
"Srila Gurudeva's angle of vision is very different from ours. When his disciple's heart is black with anarthas (unwanted things), Sri Guru looks at it as the River Kalindi flowing.
When the disciple's ego is so high as a mountain, Sri Guru looks at it as Giri Govardhan."
Sripad BV Muni Maharaja's glorification may seem to be simple but it had all the ingredients for us to get a glimpse of that deep ocean that Sri Guru dwells.
(Perhaps one day in the near future, by the mercy of my most worshipable Srila Gurudeva, I may also realise this.)
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