Srila Narayana Maharaja’s Appearance Day was celebrated with much joy and grandeur in Kona, Hawaii on January 18th. At 8:30 in the morning, Sripad Damodara Maharaja performed a fire sacrifice for the worship of the Seven Pancakas , and Jiva-priya dasa simultaneously performed the actual ceremony. When Srila Narayana Maharaja arrived at 10:30am, he expressed his pleasure that both had been performed well, under his direction and instruction.
He then worshiped and performed arati of his guru-parampara, and then all the devotees performed his guru-puja arati. After arati, the 500 assembled devotees lined up in front of his vyasasana, to offer their flowers and other gifts to him, and to receive his blessings.
Srila Narayana Maharaja then spoke about the meaning and significance of Vyasa-puja. He began his lecture by saying, “Today is my Vyasa-puja. MY Vyasa puja. This means it is MY duty to worship Srila Vyasadeva. It is MY duty to worship my Gurudeva, the entire guru-parampara, Krsna-tattva, Srimati Radha-tattva, Mahaprabhu-tattva, Gaura-Gadhadhara-tattva, Nityananda prabhu, Baladeva prabhu and other transcendental personalities.
I did this. The Sapta-pancakas were duly worshipped. I have seen – and I also used to organize – 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 all used to worship their Gurudeva, then the entire guru-paramapara, and then Radha-Krsna Yugala, Gaura-Nityananda Prabhu, Gaura-Gadhadhara and all the other worshipful personalities. There are Seven pancakas: vyasa-pancaka, Krnsa-pancaka, sanakadi-pancaka, panca-tattva pancaka and upasya-pancaka, acarya-pancaka, and guru-pancaka.
Every sannyasi in our disciplic line should worship like this on his Birthday. I have seen this in my Gurudeva. On his appearance day, after his disciples worshipped the guru-parampara, they worshipped him. At that time he told them with great humility, “I am not independently qualified to take your offerings.”
Whatever qualities are in me, whatever I am doing and preaching – the credit for that belongs only to my Gurudeva and our guru-parampara. If any praise comes to me from the numerous devotees who are hearing my harikatha, that praise really does not belong to me. It belongs to my Gurudeva, parama-gurudeva (the guru of the guru), the guru-parampara, Srila Rupa Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Krsna.”
Krsna instructed Uddhava in the 11th canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam [Uddhava-sandesh]. I am simply repeating their words like a parrot. I am nothing. If I were not preaching their words, no one would have worshipped me. Therefore, all worship goes to my Gurudeva’s lotus feet. The false ego that “I am a great acarya” should not touch me. There should be no trace of this. I also tell the sannyasis who are preaching on my behalf that they should not have any false ego.
Srila Narayana Maharaja then called on several sannyasis and other devotees to speak, and after that he spoke a few concluding words. He said, “Those who want to worship Radha and Krsna without worshipping Guru cannot do so.”
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