Vyasa-puja Offering to HH Radhanath Swami

Introductory auspicious prayers

0:01Namam Vishnu Padaya Krishna Prestaya Bhutale Srimati Radhanata Swami dnamini, namam Vishnu padya Krishna Pishtaya Bhutale, Shrimati Bhaktividanta Swami Damini, namaste, srasvati dev, guramani pracharini,

0:17ni rise, sishundavali, pachatya de seta rine. Vancha kalpadura besscha, kripa sindu bi wacha patitampavani by sni vi maha, sri. Dear God brothers and God sisters, please accept my humble obeisances.

0:46All glorious to Srila Prabhupada. I'm very happy that I have a chance to speak in front of you on this day of Vyasapuja of Srila Radhanat Maharaj. Not only ordinary Vyasapuja, but very special Vyasapuja.

1:0670 anniversary Vyasapuja. I wrote a short offering to Srila Guru Maraj where I express or describe one of his most amazing and striking qualities, his desire and ability to give himself fully to other people.

1:32I've seen it again and again and again how he uh by meeting other people uh is uh totally completely giving himself uh to this person, whether this person is a newcomer or you know, complete stranger, or his disciple, or his godbrother, or anyone else.

Magnanimity as a divine quality

1:59So I will not do any introduction any further, I will just read what I have written in this little offering. Dear Guru Maharaj, please accept my most respectful obeisances at the dust of your Lord's feet.

2:17All glories to Srila Prabhupada, all glories to you. On this day of your Vyasa Puja, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your causeless and graceful appearance in my life.

2:30I was thinking today about your glories and your amazing qualities, which inspire thousands of people all over the world and help them to become closer to God.

2:42We know from our scriptures that Guru is the representative of God for his disciples.

2:49To represent somebody properly, one has to have certain qualities. Basically, one has to be like the person whom he represents, to be able to act on his behalf.

3:02When I think about you and your qualities, one of them stands out very prominently.

3:09And this particular quality which I always admire and see in you again and again is definitely a quality of Krishna which is so gloriously reflected in your personality.

3:22The quality I'm talking about is your ability to give yourself completely to the other person without any reservations. Because of this, anyone who comes in contact with you feels so special in your presence.

3:39Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu lists this among so many other qualities of Krishna, but he distinctly places this quality at the very end of the long list.

3:53This quality called odaria or magnanimity is described by Śrīla Prabhupāda in the Nectar of Devotion as follows: Persons who can give themselves to anyone are called magnanimous.

4:08No one could be more magnanimous than Krishna because he is always prepared to give himself completely to his devotees.

Scriptural perspective on Krishna's surrender

4:18Even to one who is not a devotee, Krishna in his form of Lord Chaitanya is prepared to give himself and to grant deliverance. This is indeed an amazing quality of God.

4:33Krishna Himself in the ninth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says that he is willing to give himself completely to the devotee by losing his independence. Ahaṁ bhaktaparādhīno hyasvatantra ivadvija.

4:47It is not amazing that the only living entity that is completely and truly independent is willingly giving up his independence.

5:01Is it not amazing that the only living entity that is completely and truly independent is willingly giving up his independence and becomes dependent on his devotees.

5:12But when this quality is reflected in a human being who is by nature selfish and very cautious in his dealings with others, it becomes even more amazing.

5:25This quality creates a lasting impression on the heart of anyone who comes in touch with such a human being.

5:33One can say that God is Purna, always complete and perfect, and even if He gives Himself completely to somebody, He still remains Purna complete. So, what is so great about Him giving Himself?

5:51But human beings are not like this. Usually when we have to deal with someone we keep certain distance from this person because we want to protect ourselves from the intrusion.

Personal encounters and transforming hearts

6:05But I myself witnessed again and again how you come so close to another person that this person can help by opening usually tightly locked door of his heart to let you in.

6:21When I read your narration about your encounter with Dorothy, a simple housewife, in one of the airports in America. I was very moved by this story.

6:35It is clear that Lord Krishna Himself sent you to the life of this lady in the most critical moment. After just a short conversation with her, her whole attitude towards life turned around 180 degrees.

6:52After reading this narration, I was completely convinced that it is not the perfect and absolute philosophy which you gave to Dorothy forced her to change her attitude and her heart.

7:07What really changed her heart is your eagerness to give yourself completely to this poor soul. Just a moment before she felt dejected, betrayed, abandoned, and because of this she was hysterical.

7:24But Lord Krishna used you as his perfect instrument and showed to her that she is loved. Through your readiness to help her, she felt the direct intervention of God in her life.

7:42In this way you became the representative of God even to this lady who will probably never meet you again.

7:51I observe you in different situations dealing with completely different people, devotees and non-devotees, so-called important people and not so important.

8:02But in each and every case, no matter who is in front of you, I saw the same burning desire in you to give everything which you have in your kind and compassionate heart to this person.

8:19Sometimes I simply I'm simply amazed by seeing this quality. Sometimes I always feel like crying. No, you cannot do this. Watch out. You cannot be so generous. You should leave something for yourself.

Finding shelter through selfless love

8:35But then I just remind myself that it is the inexhaustible nature of God which manifests itself in your personality and there is nothing to worry.

8:48While editing the Russian translation of your book Journey Home, I stumbled upon the description which explained to me the source of this quality of yours.

8:58You write there about your first meeting with Śrīla Prabhupāda, and there you describe his lecture on Cross Maidan. In a voice brimming with compassion, he pleaded with the audience to take this message seriously.

9:15And a few sentences later you write about him, I felt a wave of affection pouring out from him. Ultimately this is what we all all are looking for.

9:29Everyone is looking for the selfless love, and because of the absence of this selfless love, we are dying in the desert of this material world.

9:39But even a small drop of selfless love can quench our otherwise insatiable thirst.

9:46I remember myself how you came to me in the most difficult time of my life and how you extended yourself completely to me, almost insisting to give me your shelter and protection.

9:59I felt like this, Dorothy, that you were sent to me by God to experience something which my heart was yearning for. And the terrible crisis in my life was but a small price for this priceless gift of God.

10:18Your desire to help was so strong and powerful that I had to come out of my dejection moved by your eagerness to give yourself to me.

10:29This experience which I had, experience of your shelter and love at that time made me feel like a little child protected by his all-powerful parents.

10:42Of course, a few days later you had to travel somewhere according to your schedule, leaving me almost leaving me alone apparently in the same situation. But even though externally the situation remained the same.

10:58My internal perception of this situation was completely different.

11:02Physically you left Moscow, but in spirit you remained with my, within my heart, still giving me the shelter and encouragement to go on with the spiritual life.

11:16Of course, like little selfish children, sometimes we feel that it's not enough, sometimes we feel little jealous towards other devotees who are experiencing the affection of yours and completely selfless love now.

11:32But even in such moments, deep down in my heart, I know that you gave to me, that what you gave to me, who did not deserve it at all, is more than enough to continue inspiring me.

Expressing gratitude to the guru

11:48I know very well that even a single moment of this present experience is enough to create the lasting feeling of security within my heart and encourage me to give the semblance of the same experience to others.

12:05In this glorious day I want to thank Lord Krishna for bringing you to my life and for giving me this unforgettable experience. I will remain eternally grateful to the Lord and eternally grateful to you, who are

12:21the true representative of the Lord in my otherwise dark and barren life. Thank you very much, your servant Bhakti Vijnana Goswami. Hare Krishna.