Srila Prabhupada Vyas Puja Part II Why Do We Worship the Guru?

By:Mahanidhi Swami

Vyasa-puja is that one day in a year wherein a sadhaka compresses a lifetime of thoughts, feelings and acts of dedication into a few words of praise of his eternal spiritual guide, friend, master and mentor; a few drops of water humbly offered back to the ocean.

To serve and not to be served is the constitutional position ofthe jiva, the living entity. Forgetting his real eternal nature, theconditioned soul becomes the false master of the material world.He plays the role of God and tries to enjoy his senses in everyway imaginable and unimaginable. Though he tries very hardto be the supreme enjoyer, in reality the conditioned soulbecomes a completely bound slave of Maya. Ironically, the moreone strives for lordship, freedom and pleasure, the more heincreases his bondage of servitude.For a fortunate soul, the spiritual master, Sri Guru, appearsin his life to remove the darkness of misconception and establishhim in the light of eternal truth. Sri Guru proclaims, “O lostsoul! Verily, my dear friend, you are actually the eternal servantof the Supreme Lord Krishna (jivera svarupa haya nitya Krishna dasa).” A new life begins. Joy awakens and the highest divineprospect descends to lighten the burden of a million previousbirths.But who is the spiritual master? What is his relationship withSri Krishna and Srila Vyasa-deva, the compiler of all Vedicthought? And lastly why and how is Sri Guru worshiped in aceremony commonly known as Vyasa-puja?

Sri Guru ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!