Satsvarūpa dāsa Gosvāmī

One's own spiritual master is his link with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is not a father for just one body, but he is eternally the father. Why is the day on which a disciple honors his spiritual master called Vyasa Pūja? It is called Vyasa Pūja because a bona fide spiritual master carries the message of Vyasadeva throughout the world. Vyasadeva compiled all the Vedic literatures. There are certain "realist" philosophers who do not believe that there was any person by the name of Vyasadeva. Their idea is that anyone who is distributing Vedic knowledge is called Vyasadeva. This class of philosophers are impersonalists, and they cannot appreciate how one person could write so many books; so they disbelieve. Actually, Vyasadeva's accomplishment is very astonishing. In a letter he wrote in 1970, our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada has explained: "Before Vyasadeva all the Vedic scriptures were taught and received verbally in disciplic succession. Both the students and the spiritual master of those ages were so sharp in their memory that once they heard a transcendental message from their spiritual master the message was immediately imprinted into their brain and considered as a written language."

Vyasadeva appeared at the dawn of the Age of Kali, just when all moral deterioration was about to begin due to the cursing of Maharaja Pariksit by an upstart Brahmin boy. Vyasadeva is a real person, a powerful incarnation of Krsna, and he is accepted by all Vedic authorities. He is known as Maha Muni as he is also the spiritual master for all who follow the Vedic literature. No one in history can compare with him as a poet, philosopher, writer, etc. His influence is so great that it cannot even be calculated. He composed millions of Sanskrit verses and we are just trying to understand a fragmental portion of his work. Vyasadeva summarized the whole Vedic literature in his mature work, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is known as the ripened fruit of all the Vedas. This was done under the guidance of his spiritual master Narada Muni. This ripened fruit is received hand to hand through the disciplic succession. Anyone who does the work of Vyasadeva is disciplic succession from Vyasadeva is considered to be the bona fide spiritual master. On his appearance day the spiritual master is honored, and that celebration is called Vyasa Pūja. Furthermore, the seat on which such a bona fide spiritual master sits is known as the Vyasasana.

It is accepted by those who are followers of the Absolute Truth that the Absolute Truth is one. That knowledge of the Absolute Truth, the source of all sources, is coming from the Vedic scriptures compiled by Vyasadeva. Therefore, one who is an actual spiritual master has to speak the message of Vyasadeva without change. The so-called guru of the impersonalist class cannot actually be accepted as a spiritual master or guru because he is not in line with Vyasadeva. The message of Vyasadeva is that Lord Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that Arjuna proclaims Krsna as the Supreme Brahman and this is affirmed by Vyasadeva, Narada, etc. Throughout the whole Vedic literature the conclusion is: Krsna is the source of all incarnations and all manifestations, including the impersonal Brahman. This same message is delivered in this age by Lord Caitanya who stressed that one should simply chant the holy name of Krsna, the maha-mantra. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is therefore a bona fide spiritual master in the line of Vyasadeva. There is no question of one's being a guru, however, if he is teaching the subtle form of atheism known as impersonalism.

In this age of hypocrisy and quarrel, no one is actually following the teaching of Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. But our spiritual master is following and by His Divine Grace we are also following. By the above evidence of Vyasadeva's position we can see that only the appearance day of our spiritual master can be honored as Vyasa Pūja. No one else is glorifying Krsna, and so any guru-disciple relationship outside of Krsna consciousness is a useless waste of time.

It is stated in the Vedas, "Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all truths of the Vedic knowledge automatically revealed." Our spiritual master has described in his translation of the Caitanya-caritamrta that Lord Caitanya supported this verse in the Vedic literature by personally believing in His spiritual master's words. Just as Lord Caitanya introduced the sankirtana movement on His spiritual master's orders, in the same way our Krsna consciousness movement started with the belief of Srila Prabhupada in the words of his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaja. Srila Prabhupada writes of them: "He wanted to preach, we believed in his words and tried somehow or other to fulfill them; now this movement has become successful all over the world. Thererfore faith in the words of the spiritual master is the secret to success. " As disciples, our position is to dedicate our life and soul to the orders of the spiritual master. This is the way to perfection; and in that way, by helping the fallen mankind to realize their original position of love of God and to be happy in this world and the next, one also works on the highest platform for all humanity.

It is natural for the disciple to crave the favor and intimate association of the spiritual master. But the actual essence of how to capture this intimate association is revealed in these words by Srila Prabhupada: "Whoever is following my instruction, teaching the message of Lord Caitanya 24 hours a day, is my personal servant." So that association with the spiritual master in intimacy is ours if we simply serve by distributing his literature on sahkirtana or by whatever is our duty-preaching in class, working in the Spiritual Sky incense company or in the office or temple duties. If we perform our duty with full determination and enthusiasm for spreading Krsna consciousness, if we cooperate and assist him in this mission by cooperating with our God-brothers who are also doing this work, then in that way we will associate with the spiritual master and Krsna. Since we are devotees of Krsna, by associating with the spiritual master we can associate with Krsna. If one follows the orders of his spiritual master in separation from him he can experience the highest ecstasy of spiritual life and attain to love of Krsna. The orders of our spiritual master are simply to chant Hare Krsna and to follow the rules and regulations of sadhana bhakti, that is, to chant sixteen rounds offenselessly, to refrain from the four prohibitions and to preach, preach, preach! So it should be understood that he is giving us Krsna, if we can only understand and accept. If we chant Hare Krsna and are true to his orders then we are always with our spiritual master.

It is also a fact that the spiritual master takes on the offenses of his disciples. It is a very serious affair; those who become initiated disciples of the spiritual master have that responsibility. Srila Prabhupada described that the spiritual master sometimes suffers and gets diseased for his "misdeed" of taking on so many disciples on the order of Lord Caitanya. Of course we are engladdened to honor our spiritual master on this day, Vyasa Pūja, but beyond that day, every hour, every moment, we have to be merciful to our spiritual master who is taking all risks for us. Merciful means we must carry out his orders, and work hard and remain pure by following all of his instructions. There is no question of a devotee breaking any prohibitive rules or of not taking part in the daily preaching work. We must represent him purely with body, mind and words and always be preaching in an uncompromising way. We must preach that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that we are all His parts and parcels, and everyone is intended to go back to Godhead for eternal, blissful life with Krsna.

There is no question that Srila Prabhupada is the perfect guru. The question is whether we can respond to his teachings fully. That is our whole life's mission.

Satsvarūpa dasa Gosvami
G.B.C.- Central United States.