Madhava Amavasya

Still, if he is not like Rupa Manjari and Rati Manjari, and if he is not serving them, he may be a guru in part, but not in full. The highest quality of the guru is service to Radhika, as I have just explained. In this way, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura is writing, vande guroh sri caranaravindam...

So, whatever you gave to me, it is not to me. I am giving it to my Gurudeva’s lotus feet. So abhimana (pride) should not come, false ego, that I am now Guru. I want to save [myself] from all this false ego. I want to be guru sevaka. What I have, I have only by guru seva.

We have heard that by remembering pure devotees on their appearance and disappearance day, they give us special blessings for advancement in Krsna consciousness. We therefore give all our energy to glorify them on that day.

We want everyday to be his actual appearance day...

Today I want to give an explanation of Sri Guru – what are the symptoms of a bona fide guru – and to show you examples that have been given in the epics [Vedic scriptures]. You can apply this to your own guru. Our Sri Guru is akanda-guru-tattva, Sri Baladeva Prabhu or Sri Nityananda Prabhu, so all teachings should be applied to him and to others who are following this...

If we do not commit any offences, we will see that, very quickly, our Krsna consciousness will increase. Krsna consciousness coming from our guru-parampara. Try to follow all these principles. Chant and remember, and very quickly Krsna will be merciful. I pray to my gurudeva, my whole guru-parampara, to Sri Krsna, Srimati Radhika, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Baladeva Prabhu that they be merciful to all of you. As Sri Rupa Gosvami has said...

Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja was illiterate; he could not even write his own name. When he would speak, however, he would do so with all Vedic references. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada was the greatest scholar of his time, and he accepted Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja as his Guru...

I have seen how my Gurudeva and his god-brothers used to observe their Vyasa-puja. They used to worship their guru and entire guru-parampara, because the knowledge of Krsna and bhakti, or pure devotion, to Krsna does not come only from guru. Where did guru receive this from? He received it from his gurudeva, His gurudeva received from his gurudeva, and so on. In the end, we see that Krsna is jagat-guru: "Krsnam vande jagat-gurum."

Yesterday in evening class, we were all glorifying guru-padapadma (the lotus feet of the spiritual master). To serve Gurudeva, to have very strong faith in the lotus feet of Gurudeva, is the backbone of Krsna consciousness. If anyone’s nistha (faith) in Guru is unsteady – not so strong, always moving here and there, flickering – he cannot develop his Krsna consciousness and one day he will fall down...

Whatever I have instructed you, I have received from the instructions of Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. They are very near to us, and by their mercy they can give us strength in tattva-siddhanta and good character...

I have seen and organized the Vyasa-puja celebration of my Gurudeva. I have also seen the Vyasa-puja of Parama-pujyapada Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Gosvami Maharaja and Parama-pujyapada Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja. They would worship their Gurudeva, the entire guru-paramapara, and then Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, Gaura-Nityananda Prabhu, Gaura-Gadhadhara and so on...

It is the custom in our Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya that any acarya who is widely spreading Krsna consciousness in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Rupa Gosvami under the guidance of Sri Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva will worship Srila Vyasadeva and the guru-parampara on his birthday. This worship is called Guru-puja and also Vyasa-puja.

Today we are going to observe guru-puja, or Vyasa-puja. First of all we should know what is guru-puja and what is Vyasa puja. Both are the same. Sri Krsna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa divided the one Veda into four. Then to reconcile, because it was difficult to extract the essence of the four Vedas, he wrote Brahma-Sutra (Vedanta-sutra).

So, this is our paramapara. Then they will sprinkle their mercy [with this blessing-] “Oh! [May you have] Raganuga bhakti, in the guidance of Rupa Gosvami." You should serve Radha-Krsna conjugal but bending towards Radhika. This is very, very secret. I have brought you all for this. Svamiji [AC Bhaktivedānta Swami] wanted to give but there was no time to give. He wanted. So, in their [disciplic] line, I am telling so many things about Raganuga. No one else is speaking. All are silent. But I am not silent. Oh! I should go to hell, no harm, but they should all have Raganuga bhakti. [applause] But you will have to surrender.

I have previously explained about the duties of disciples. I explained that guru-nishta is the backbone of bhakti. Without guru-nishta, no one can have any kind of devotion. One may have taken initiation, but if there is no nishta, he is inferior to a person who has not taken initiation and has not had a fire sacrifice, but is actually following guru. I have seen and realized this...