prabhupada.one

With reference to your letter dated 14th May, I am surprised how you allowed Mr. Parikh to sit on the Vyasasana. You know that Vyasasana is meant for the representative of Vyasadeva, the Spiritual Master, but Mr. Parikh does not come in the Parampara to become the representative of Vyasa, neither he has any sound knowledge of Vaisnava principles. I understand from your letter that sometimes discussions on Aurobindo philosophy are done by Mr. Parikh from the Vyasasana, so I am a little surprised how did you allow like this. I think you should rectify immediately all these mistakes as stated by you in the last two lines of your letter, "I think the best thing to do is stop his class. Nonsense ought not to be tolerated.''

Regarding the means of worship, our Vaisnava process is first offer respects to the Spiritual Master, then Lord Caitanya, and then Lord Krsna. Vyasa is the Spiritual Master, therefore the Spiritual Master is the representative of Vyasa. Therefore the Spiritual Master's seat is called "Vyasasana.''

Reporter (2): And this is called?
Haṁsadūta: This is called a vyāsāsana.
Reporter (2): And for...
Haṁsadūta: The spiritual...
Reporter (2): A person, it's for a person, isn't it?
Haṁsadūta: Yes, the spiritual master sits.
Reporter (2): Nobody ever else sits upon that platform.
Prabhupāda: No.
Reporter (2): What happens to it when he's not here.
Haṁsadūta: Nobody sits on it.
Reporter (2): It's still there, but...?
Haṁsadūta: Oh yeah.

Prabhupāda: Śrīpada Sampatkumar Bhaṭṭācārya, ladies and gentlemen: I must thank you for your kindly coming here during this Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony. Vyāsa-pūjā...This āsana where they have seated me, it is called vyāsāsana. The guru is the representative of Vyāsadeva. Everyone of you have heard the name of Vyāsadeva, Veda Vyāsa. So anyone who represents the great ācārya, Vyāsadeva, he is allowed to sit on the vyāsāsana. So Vyāsa-pūjā... Guru is representative of Vyāsadeva, therefore his birthday is accepted as Vyāsa-pūjā.

Prabhupāda: Vyāsāsana means... Vyāsa means guru, because he's our original guru. When spiritual master's birthday is observed, it is called vyāsa-pūjā. This vyāsa-pūjā means a spiritual master is representative of Vyāsa. Just as we are teaching this Bhāgavata-dharma, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—we are following the footsteps of Vyāsadeva. So actually, the preacher's seat is Vyāsadeva's āsana; it is the seat of Vyāsadeva. Just like in the high-court the seat of judgment, or what is called? That seat nobody else can sit there, in that seat. Only the high-court judge, representative of king for giving law to the citizens, he can sit down. Similarly, the vyāsāsana is occupied by the representative of Vyāsadeva, who can speak on behalf of Vyāsadeva. This is the system.

This throne is called vyāsāsana, sitting place of Vyāsadeva. So one who is representative of Vyāsadeva, he can sit on this throne. So guru, by paramparā system, guru is seated on the vyāsāsana because he is the representative. Just like in the high-court, the bench, it is called bench. Actually, the bench is to be used by the head of the executive power, the king or the president. But the high-court judge is the representative of the head executive; therefore, he sits on that bench.

One can sit on the vyāsāsana only after being conversant in all systems of philosophy so that one can present fully the theistic views of the Bhāgavatam in defiance of all other systems. Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī was the proper teacher, and therefore the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya elevated him to the vyāsāsana. Śrīla Vyāsadeva is designated herein as the Personality of Godhead because he is the authorized empowered incarnation.

A gosvāmī, or the bona fide representative of Śrī Vyāsadeva, must be free from all kinds of vices. The four major vices of Kali-yuga are (1) illicit connection with women, (2) animal slaughter, (3) intoxication, (4) speculative gambling of all sorts. A gosvāmī must be free from all these vices before he can dare sit on the vyāsāsana. No one should be allowed to sit on the vyāsāsana who is not spotless in character and who is not freed from the above-mentioned vices. He not only should be freed from all such vices, but must also be well versed in all revealed scriptures or in the Vedas. The Purāṇas are also parts of the Vedas.

Morning is the best time to hold spiritual services. The great sages offered the speaker of the Bhāgavatam an elevated seat of respect called the vyāsāsana, or the seat of Śrī Vyāsadeva. Śrī Vyāsadeva is the original spiritual preceptor for all men. And all other preceptors are considered to be his representatives. A representative is one who can exactly present the viewpoint of Śrī Vyāsadeva. Śrī Vyāsadeva impregnated the message of Bhāgavatam unto Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī heard it from him (Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī). All bona fide representatives of Śrī Vyāsadeva in the chain of disciplic succession are to be understood to be gosvāmīs. These gosvāmīs restrain all their senses, and they stick to the path made by the previous ācāryas.