Attempting to capture the million dimensions and facets of our beloved Pujya Gurudev in mere
words is like holding a candle to the sun. So when Br Ved Chaitanyaji announced that this year’s
Guru Poornima celebrations were to be in the spirit of ’Unto Him Our Best’, the members of the
various study groups were caught in a quandary. What followed was frenzied frenetic activity. The
members started preparing in right earnest - reading and familiarising themselves with the multiple
facets of Pujya Gurudev.
The evening of July 31st saw nervous excitement amongst the speakers and the atmosphere was
electric. After the invocation, in the presence of Br. Girijamma and Br. Ved Chaitanyaji,
representatives of each study group presented their tributes to Gurudev. The presentations were
in an eclectic mix of English, Hindi and Marathi. While some spoke about His interesting childhood
and teenage years and how he began his study of Vedanta as a skeptic. Others spoke about his
irrepressible urge and untiring efforts to revive the Indian culture and make people aware of the
scriptures which had been distorted and lost. Some members marvelled at his interpretation of the
ancient texts in a contemporary context and how he showed people a new way of spirituality and
all this in his inimitable style, rib-tickling humour and melting compassion.
Gurudev was described as the embodiment of the 7 qualities mentioned in the Narada Bhakti
Sutra:
Viveka (discrimination)
Vimukha (freedom from desire)
Abhyasa (hours of practice of meditation)
Kriya (habit of doing good to others)
Kalyana (purity in thoughts)
Anavadaasa (cheerfulness)
Anupadarasa (absence of excessiveness in anything)
Gurudev was gratefully remembered as being responsible for reviving and for kindling interest in
the Bhagavad Gita through his Geeta Gnana Yagnas. He demystified the Bhagavad Gita, and
introduced it as a practical handbook of instruction on how best we can re-organize our inner ways
of thinking, feeling, and acting in our everyday life.
Br. Vedji addressed the gathering after the presentations. He reminded us that the whole purpose
of this undertaking was to go through His teachings so that one day the teachings would go
through us!
The event ended with Guru Paduka Pooja and Mahaprasad.
Although He is no more in the physical plane, everybody felt His loving presence in their midst.