Vyāsa-pūjā 2019
Srilā Guru Mahārāja Jayapatāka Swāmi 70th Vyāsa Puja Celebrations April 16, 2019 - Vyāsa Puja Offering from Phoenix Arizona USA
by Rādhā-prānarāja dāsa / Anupama-gopi devi dāsi
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
nama om visnu-pādāya krsna-presthāya bhu-tale srimate jayapatāka-svāmin iti nāmine
nāmāchārya pādāya nitāi-kripā pradhāyine gaura kathā dhāma dāya nagara grāma tārine
nama om visnu-pādāya krsna-presthāya bhu-tale srimate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namaste saraswati deve gaura-vāni prachārine nirvishesa sunyavādi paschātya desa tārine
Dearest Spiritual father,
On this most auspicious occasion of your 70th Vyāsa Puja day (Bhima-Ratha Sānti) we offer our most humble infinite obesciences onto the dust of your lotus feet.
This day is very very special, for not only us here in Arizona - but for thousands upon thousands of your disciples and well-wishers, and indeed for the whole vaishnava society, nay, the entire world.
Guru Maharaja, when you got into an impossible health situation {brought about by your non-stop sankirtana preaching in every continent, country, town and village} - that slowly deteriorated over many years; it finally came to an inevitable point that a recovery from this near hopeless liver & kidney condition was only possible with the riskiest of double-organ-transplant surgeries and per doctors - O, Krsna! no more chances left, and no back-out options.
This news - of a proposed 15-hour riskiest of medical operations - was nothing short of a “collective heart attack” for all of us who love you with our lives, your siksha & diksha disciples, well-wishers and congregation, your children, sons and daughters, living all across the globe.
But, truth be told, we knew 100% with certainity that whetever was the so-called medical “operation”, it was nothing for you. First and foremost you the “Chief Director General of “Spiritual Operations” of the “Lord Chaitanya’s Srila Prabhupada World Regiment”. What then, is another small material “operation” to you?!
There is yet another personal reason*, especially for Arizona yatra, to have no doubts whatsoever that your hospital surgeries would be successful. *on the night of Feb 01, 2010, when Anupama devi dāsi was fighting for her last moments of her life in the ICU of a Phoenix hospital - You, our dear Guru Maharaja - with just one simple prayer to Sri Rukmini Dwarakadesh made her suddenly and miraculously recover from a hopeless situation and saved her and her spiritual life! Mahavaraha prabhu, Sacijanani dd and Radhaprana dasa are direct witness to this medical miracle. So, if Krsna took “your hotline call” to save your fallen disciple that day in 2010 in front of many witnesses, it is no surprise that Krsna was to be present at your surgery table to personally overseeing everything! Not only that, Krsna was running your hospital show, moving you to the unlikeliest of Government hospitals for such a complicated surgery - but still get you the world-class surgery and recovery! For those of us who flew in to Chennai to be personally present with you, we could not miss the fact that Krsna was present personally and clearly running the entire show. That you emerged victorious (Jaya Pataka!!!) out of a surgery successfully to become the true Spiritual Superman of Kali Yuga was due to Krsna returning you back to this world for the sake of your wish for coming back an taking care of all your desperate disciples, and for the fallen souls of the Age of the Sankirtana Yajna Movement waiting for Srila Prabhupada’s mercy through you!
Meanwhile, your hospital lilas continued….all this commotion and anxiety taking place around you, but you continued to be your “usual self” - preaching to everyone around you - nurses, doctors, staff, visitors, fellow patients --- as if nothing was happening to you. Yet another opportunity to show us through your “hospital lilas” how we are not these bodies - and showing us by example how to continue service to Sri Guru through the most difficult of situations, pleasure or pain -- a living Bhagavad Gita. In the short video message just before entering the surgery room, You simply said “So, anyway now i am go in for my surgery”!!!! as if “I’m going for a japa walk, see you back in a few minutes”?!!... Another one of those life-lessons, teaching us by example (Acārya!!) how one behaves when one is truly realized they are not the body but spirit soul part and parcel of Krsna.
[We recall a similar personal incident: Once in Los Angeles, this was after your stroke, a few years ago. You had just arrived in Los Angeles after a gruelling 20 hour flight in your then deteriorating health condition and on Mahavaraha prabhu’s request, I pleaded “please Guru Maharaja, take some rest, we will all wait”, you immediately chastized me “My body may require rest, but I don’t!!!” and continued on for the next 4 hours. Oh! the deep love for the conditioned souls that you must be eternally feeling within your heart, dear Guru Maharaja!!]
These hospital lilas of yours - are notat all ordinary. They are clearly explained by Supreme personality of Godhead Himself in the following verse:
sudhiyaḥ sādhavo loke
naradeva narottamāḥ
nābhidruhyanti bhūtebhyo
yarhi nātmā kalevaram
[SB 4.20.3]
“O King [Prthu], one who is advanced in intelligence and eager to perform welfare activities for others is considered best amongst human beings. An advanced human being is never malicious to others. Those with advanced intelligence are always conscious that this material body is different from the soul.”
In the Purport to Srimad Bhāgavatam [5.12.12], Srilā Prabhupāda says “One has to approach a pure devotee: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. By the grace of such a devotee, one can understand the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, and one’s relationship with Him”.
Dear Guru Maharaja you are such a devotee, who can bestow that grace to understand the Absolute Truth. We are so totally unqualified to understand what that even means - but under your safe shelter and love, we are led (nay dragged) towards the ultimate goal, Krsna.
“Gaurangera bhakta-gane
Brahmanada tarite sakti dhare jane jane”
“Each one of Lord Gauranga’s devotees, being empowered by the lord, can deliver the whole universe.”
You are certainly the one fully empowered by Lord Gauranga. Srilā Prabhupāda has categorically stated that you are one of “Lord Chaitanya’s eternal associates” , and we take his word for it -- that you are indeed one of the parishads incarnated. Everywhere you go - Russia, South America, North America, Europe, Far East, South Asia, Bangaldesh, Nepal, Africa and every place in-between- practically the entire world is taking up Krsna Consciousness as soon as they come to know of you and meet you. You have not even left people who are living in islamic countries where these activities have to be done underground. You will go to any extent not caring for your discomfort to save some remote soul in some remote corner of the world. You are always planning the next big thing to glorify Sri Krsna.
We are really sorry due to our own incompetence and carelessness we are putting you through so much suffering, and Pray to the Lordships Sri Sri Rādha Mādhava and Ashtasakhis, Sri Sri Pancha tatva, Sri Narsimhadev of Sridhām Māyāpur, and to Sri Krsna Balarāma and Sri Rādhā Syāmasundara in Sri Vrindāvana dhām, and Sri Jagannātha-Baladeva-Subhadra in Purushottama kshetra Puri, to continue to take care of you for many many more decades, and to ask all of their Lordships to give us the intelligence to understand and follow your instructions, not commit anymore offences that you will have to suffer for.
Yearly Preaching Report from Arizona: Guru Maharaja, this last year has been a very eventful on many fronts for us. We completed the move to the new preaching center personally blessed by you - across from the Arizona State University campus of more than 50,000 students. We are trying to cultivate a group of young students/adults to join this beautiful sankirtana movement and take up Krsna Consciousness. It has already yielded good results -- a steady group of western youth are coming to the programs (see pictures attached), chanting full japa rounds and doing kirtan, excited about prasādam, and eagerly lapping up the prescribed medicine for the material disease called janma mrityu jara vyadhi. With your Mercy we hope to gradually grow this congregation of western boys and girls into a full-fledged devotee community in the coming years. Although it has been tough, since māyā is holding onto today’s modern youth in America and everywhere, plus we feel very unqualified -- we continue our hard work with this green-field, back-to-the-basics effort simply in order to please your divine grace. By Krsna’s mercy we are getting a steady stream of interested youth and pray that many of these souls will get a chance to meet you soon, after which they will be further energised spiritually to continue on this path. We are just waiting for you to hit Los Angeles again!!
Middle of the year we were also very anxious about your surgery and that kept us focussed on our personal sadhana and also on serving you through our preaching activities. To this day we chant Sri Narasimha Kavacha daily for your continued recovery and sustained health. Both of us got the beautiful opportunity to come and see you and serve you in person as you recovered in Chennai, few days in August just for the surgery, and again in December & January.
Guru Maharaja we are so happy Sri Krsna answered the prayers of so many sincere souls to keep you with us, so we still have a chance. Please continue to bless us as that is the only way we can make any progress.
On this most auspicious occasion of your 70th Vyāsa Puja, we re-dedicate ourselves to serving your lotus feet by preaching even more vigorously in Arizona on your behalf, and pray to Thier Lordships that you continue to be healthy and comfortable and be there for us for many many more decades to come. We just cannot wait to see you in person again soon! Have a great Vyāsa Puja celebrations organized by your loving disciples fortunate to be personally in Mayapur for it. We will watch live on Mayapur TV while celebrating your Vyāsa Puja grandly here in Arizona!
Yours most insignificant servants,
Rādhā-prānarāja dāsa
Anupama-gopi devi dāsi
Ankitha-krishna dāsa
Aneka-rādhā dāsi
Srilā Jayapatāka Swāmi Nivās
ASU Bhakti Yoga Tempe / MindBodySoul Institute
1100 S Mill Ave, Tempe AZ USA 85281
(480) 231 9915
bhaktivine108@gmail.com / ankithdas@gmail.com
[see pictures attached]
