What is Vyas Puja? Why to we have to celebrate it? What is the importance of it? What effects it has on our life? Lets take these questions one by one.

What is Vyas Puja? Why to we have to celebrate it? What is the importance of it? What effects it has on our life? Lets take these questions one by one.

Vyas Puja means the day we celebrate the appearance of the spiritual master into this world. Now the question arises, "Why it is called Vyas Puja?" It is called the Vyas Puja because it is named after the Rishi known as the Vedavyas. He was the literary incarnation of the Lord. It was he who has written the Vedas. He is the source of all the knowledge that comprises the Vedas. He is the Paramguru the source of all Vedic knowledge.

Now the second question arises, "Why do we have celebrate the celebrate the Vyas Puja?" In any part of our life for whatever we have to learn we hear from someone who has knowledge about it. For example when as a child learn we begin to walk we learn from our parents. Similarly in spiritual life we learn by approaching a bona fide person from a recognized Sampradaya, disciplic succession. Who is that person? That person is the Guru, the Spiritual Master. How will we recognize a guru? Srila Rupa Goswami, one of the greatest authorities on the science of self-realization says in his book, the Nectar of Instruction:

"A sober person who can tolerate the action of anger, urge to speech, urges of mind, urges of tongue, belly and genitals is fit to make disciples all over the world."

If it were not for His Grace Srila Sankarshan Das Adhikari Gurudeva I would never be able to realize the importance of devotional service unto to Supreme Personality of Godhead. I was an atheist before, but gradually by participating in the activities of ISKCON, reading Srila Prabhupada books and associating with Srila Gurudeva I got to know the supreme truth the real meaning of my birth, to get out of cycle of birth and death and never return to this material world again. If were not for Srila Gurudeva I would have wasted my life. So Vyas Puja is a very important day to show our dedication, love and affection towards our spiritual master. If Srila Gurudeva would never been born I would not be writing this article or trying to go towards spiritual life. I would simply be committing sins, and becoming more and more miserable, frustrated and depressed.

Now the third question: What is importance of Vyas Puja?

The Vyas Puja celebration on the spiritual master's appearance day (birthday) is a day to worship him as the representative of Krishna. We make homages and present gifts unto him. We fast until noon and then offer him a sumptuous feast at noon. After he accepts the feast then we partake of it as his sacred remnants. On this most auspicious of all days we remind our selves of our duty to lovingly serve and faithfully surrender ourselves unto Srila Gurudeva. We especially remember on this day that if were it not for Srila Gurudeva we would not be able to realize what is Krishna Consciousness. To reciprocate his loving kindness we must surrender our mind, body and soul unto him. Krishna says that if we want to be His devotee that we have to become the devotees of His devotee. So we surrender ourselves fully at the lotus feet of Srila Gurudeva so that Lord Krishna may accept us as His devotees.

Lord Krishna always wants to serve the pure devotees, but they do not accept anything in return from the lord they just give and give to the Supreme lord. So when we celebrate Vyas Puja it has a duel effect. The Supreme lord is satisfied and also we get the mercy of the Spiritual master. This makes ourselves progress on the way to Krishna faster. That is the ultimate aim of life, pure devotional service unto the Supreme Lord life after life. Everything else we do is of no value if we do not surrender to Krishna.