Sridhar Swami's Vyasa - the report

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HIS HOLINESS SRIDHAR SWAMI'S VYASA PUJA 2004

 

THE CELEBRATION OF THE APPEARANCE DAY OF HIS HOLINESS SRIDHAR SWAMI MAHARAJA

New Yoga Pith, Ljubljana, Slovenia

September 11th, 2004

 

Although the exsact birthday of His Holiness was dated September 16th, it's

official celebration in New Yoga Pith, Ljubljana, Slovenia took place a few

days before that, on Saturday, the 11th.

 

New Yoga Pith, a place the German army used as a prison house during the

Second world war is now a temple of the International Society for Krishna

Consciousness and a home of beautiful Sri Panca Tattva deities and twenty

and some of Their servants.

The capitol of Slovenia, a small country with population of less than 2

million, situated right at the juncture of the cold of the Austrian Alps and

the warm breeze of the Mediterranean Sea, has been hosting preachers from

all over the world for twenty years and has a congregation of 200 devotees.

It has also been a field of the affectionate preaching of His Holiness Srila

Sridhar Swami Maharaja for many years.

 

The disciples of His Holiness Sridhar Swami from Slovenia and the

neighboring Croatia prepared a festival that was both glorious and intimate,

a place of loving devotional exchanges between the god-brothers and among

the disciples and their Spiritual Master. His Holiness left this mortal

world six months ago which made the festival itself even more filled with

devotional emotions and gratitude.

 

The opening morning class given by Sridhar Maharaja's senior disciple,

secretary and long-time personal servant His Grace Mayapur Prabhu, described

Sridhar Swami's mood of determination in following the mission and the

instructions of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Jollyswami wasn't just

jolly, he was also and above all a general in Srila Prabhupada's army.

 

After a short pause the festival continued. His Holiness Sridhar Swami in

the form of his picture and just recently arrived footprints entered the

nicely decorated temple room again, welcomed by a sweet kirtan. Placed on

the Vyasasan, the same one His Holiness was giving strong, straight-forward

and yet jolly and sometimes funny Krishna Conscious talks from, he was

offered flower garlands and abhiseka - the ceremony of bathing his lotus

feet. Everybody took part in it and glorified Maharaja with the beautiful

Guru-vandana prayers and the Holy name, led by Gargamuni Das and Mukunda

Das.

 

The video class on Srimad Bhagavatam given by His Holiness Sridhar Swami,

recorded in Ljubljana, Slovenia a year ago was scheduled next, followed by

the three-hour long readings of the offerings and letters of appreciation.

Every disciple got a chance to stand before the spiritual master, Srila

Prabhupada and the assembled Vaisnavas and read or say his words of

gratitude and prayer. Most of that can be found published on the

www.jollyswami.net/vp2004 and www.jollyswami.vraja.net thanks to Sanatan

Goswami Das and Amala Kirtan Das. The words, revealing great devotion of

many to Sridhar Swami left a significant spiritual imprint in the atmosphere

and the hearts of everybody present.

 

When puspanjali, the offering of flower petals and prayers led by Gaura Hari

Das came up next, everybody crowded before the Vyasasan, eager to shower His

Holiness with colorful flower rain, glorify him with loud Puspanjalis and

offer their humble respects with sincere dandavats. The temple room was

filled with orange, red and yellow maha-prasad, petals offered to His

Holiness Sridhar Swami Maharaja on the auspicious day of his Vyasa Puja.

 

An ecstatic ceremony full of tears and laughter, joy and gratitude was

slowly coming to a close. Sudama Das, one of the senior most disciples of

Sridhar Swami offered Maharaja an arati. Devotees accompanied the worship by

heartfully chanting the Gurvastakam prayers and the Hare Krishna maha-mantra

in the kirtan led by Parasurama Das.

 

What is a Vaisnava festival without a feast? No festival. During the kirtana

and the chanting of the prayers to Lord Narasimha, a feast of 56

preparations was offered to Sridhar Swami. It was his 56th birthday. The

offering among many Vedic dishes naturally also included Maharaja's most

favorite pizza, french fries and vanilla ice cream. Bharat Das, Gaura Hari

Das, Iravan Das, Annapurna Dasi, Sita Dasi, Savitri Dasi, Bhadra Balarama

Das and other devotees who spent the two days of the final preparations for

the festival in the kitchen indeed satisfied the Jollyswami by making so

many tasty preparations.

 

Next, a huge feast of many tasty preparations was offered to all the

Vaisnavas with the disciples serving and distributing maha-prasadam.

 

It was late and already time to prepare the temple hall for the second, the

afternoon part of the festival - reading the offerings of Sridhar Maharaja's

friends and God-brothers. Opened with sweet bhajan by Sandipani Muni Das,

one of Sridhar Swami's favorite singers, the second part continued with

first reading the offerings of Maharaja's friends from all over the globe

and then watching a film of his preaching pastimes at the Polish Woodstock

festival same years ago, made by His Holiness Indradyumna Swami.

 

Acyutananda Das led a wonderful and joyous Gaura arati kirtan and then

showed a short and touching video clip of Sridhar Swami instructing the

devotees to be sincere in spiritual lives. "No duplicity" - one of the last

recorded moments of His Holiness's earthly pastimes that left everybody

completely inspired in being simple and sincere in their devotional service.

 

His Holiness Giriraja Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami, His Holiness

Bhakti Vijnan das Goswami, His Holiness Bhakti Vikas Swami, His Holiness

Gunagrahi das Goswami, His Holiness Hridayananda das Goswami, His Holiness

Lokanath Swami, His Holiness Sivaram Swami, His Grace Ambarish Prabhu, His

Grace Basu Ghos Prabhu, His Grace Narasimhananda Prabhu and others all

offered their respects to Sridhar Swami Maharaj by sending their letters of

appreciation and prayers and all of that was read by various devotees at the

festival next.

 

A video of the glorious arrival of His Holiness to Sridham Mayapur followed,

a clip that made many cry and laugh at the same time. Cry for realizing the

glory of the moment and laugh for seeing Sridhar Maharaja as jolly and

joking as he has always been.

 

Parama Krpala Dasi made two of the greatest "We love you Jollyswami" cakes

that were offered to the Jollyswami next and everybody was offered a feast

of Sridhar Swami's favorite supper: vanilla ice cream, apple pie and cheese.

 

His Holiness Sridhar Swami was then brought to his room accompanied by a

sweet kirtana led by Vasudeva Datta Das and put to rest.

 

A festival of great joy, tears of separation, heartfelt prayer and

devotional service to the spiritual master was thus over and the Vaisnavas

offered their respects to one another remembering all the twenty-six

qualities of a Vaisnava that His Holiness Srila Sridhar Swami Maharaja fully

exhibited, saw and recognize in everybody's hearts.

 

All Glories To His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!

All Glories To His Holiness Sridhar Swami Maharaja, the Jollyswami!

All Glories To Sri Panca-tattva!

 

"Hare Krishna! You are part of Srila Prabhupada's family. You've been

blessed with incredible mercy. There is no reason, you don't deserve any of

it. But, you've received the blessing - now you have to take it. And

Prabhupada said that:"Your love for me will be demonstrated by how you work

together cooperatively ". So, we have to work together cooperatively, we

have to follow our authorities, we have to be submissive! Then we'll get the

results, we'll get everything, we'll get the kingdom of God. You have to be

an instrument, you have to be simple-no duplicity, no duplicity, no

duplicity! You just have to be the simple devotee of Krsna- and you'll get

everything. Just like a man-all he has to do is live-he gets, inherits the

property of his father...So all the devotee has to be - be very simple and

you'll get everything in Krishna Consciousness. So, I wish you good luck.

Hare Krishna."

 

---Sridhar Swami, Sridham Mayapur, March 7th, 2004

 

 

Thank you,

 

on behalf of the disciples of His Holiness Sridhar Swami

your servant

Parasurama Das