Vedavyasa Priya Swami

Vedavyasa Priya Swami, (IAST ) originally from Gujarat, is a notable International Society for Krishna Consciousness Sanyassi and guru. He is a disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.

History

The website of the Radha Krishna temple of Hamilton, New Zealand states that, "Since before his first initiation by Srila Prabhupada in 1977 in New York, Vedavyasa Priya Swami has served the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in various capacities including personal secretary to the GBC, President of ISKCON of Queens, NY, Director of Bharatiya Community Services in New Vrindavan, West Virginia."1

According to ISKCON News, July 4th, 1983, Vedavyasa Priya Swami installed the Shrinathji deity at the ISKCON temple of New Vrindaban. And, in CONTRAST, according to Gargarishi Das, “Radha-Vrindaban Chandra Festival,” Brijabasi Spirit, vol. X, no. IV (c. August 1983), 17, the deity was not installed by Vedavyasa Priya (who incidentally was not yet a Swami at the time), but was installed by Kirtanananda Swami.

Vedavyasa Priya was initiated into the sannyasa order by Kirtanananda Swami in 1986. He has held the position of ISKCON GBC Regional secretary for the North India and took part in associated conferences and meetings of ISKCON leadership. He is knows also for his “Meditation in Vedic Tradition” lectures in Universities, and is one of the ISKCON leaders who endorsed Mayapur Institute of Higher Vaishnava education. He is one of the teachers of Bhakti sastri and Bhakti vaibhava courses in ISKCON ministry of educational development. He is also on the list of qualified ISKCON Resolve mediators. His other lecture course is titled: Harinama Cintamani: Begging for the Mercy of the Holy Name.

He is currently traveling and taking part in general ISKCON activities such as Ratha Yatras both in India and in the West.