Swami returned from Madhuvan to a very warm welcome, as many devotees also arrived at Audarya for the annual Vyasa-puja and Gaura Purnima festival. Audarya hosted visiting devotees for an entire week and the festival itself consisted of two full days of classes, kirtana, ritual, and prasada—very heavy on the prasada/mercy.
This year Swami spoke on guru-tattva from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, elaborating on the text’s opening words “vande gurun” over both his morning and evening lectures on the day that honored the appearance of both Vyasa and Swami in the world. He explained how the plurality of gurus are at the same time one, echoing Srila Prabhupada’s famous homage to Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura:
Gentlemen, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this evening to the Acaryadeva is not a sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva, or acaryadeva, we speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any question of discriminating my guru from yours or anyone else’s. There is only one guru, who appears in an infinity of forms to teach you, me, and all others.
Along with explaining this principle in detail, Swami also illumined the deep significance of the ten pramana verses that Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja cites to support his guru-tattva premise. On the following day of the festivities, Sri Gaura Purnima, Swami narrated the lilas of Sri Caitanya’s relationships with his three gurus: his diska guru Isvara Puri, his sanyasa guru Keseva Bharati, and his raga-marga guru Ramananda Roy, to whom he made the well-known statement yei krsna tattva vetti sei guru hay, “Whoever knows the tattva of Krsna is my guru.” This discourse and the evenings discourse concerning the internal and external reasons for Sri Caitanya’s appearance were oceanic in depth. And the assembly of devotees was spellbound as Swami discussed Krsna’s engagement in auto-psychoanalysis that compels one to ponder the most lofty theological questions ever asked.
The devotees also celebrated the publishing of Joy of Self, an introductory book on Gaudiya siddhanta now available for distribution to the general public.
Lectures:
Sri Vyasa-puja 2012: The Scriptural Basis of Sri Guru
Sri Vyasa-puja 2012: The Three Manifestations of Guru
Gaura Purnima 2012: The Gurus of Sri Caitanya
Q&A: News of Mahaprabhu Arrives West
Comments
One Response
03.09.2012
What a blessing that so many devout souls are coming to the feet of Sri Caitanya through our beloved Gurudev, Swami Tripurari Maharaja. Happy birthday, my friend. All glories to the appearance of my Guru. Dandavat pranams.