[world-vedic] Appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

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>Appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

>Wed, 23 Feb 2000 12:29:06 -0800 (PST)

>

>Dear Friends,

>

>Hare Krishna.

>

>Please accept my humble obeisances.

>All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

>

>Today is the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

>Sarasvati Thakura (the spiritual master of Srila

>Prabhupada). It was by the order of Srila

>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura that Srila

>Prabhupada came to the west and spread this Krishna

>Conscious movement for the benefit of the whole world.

>

>Following is a brief summary of the life of Srila

>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who was amazing

>in every respect. Let's read this and pray for his

>mercy so that we can become more sincere in our

>devotional service to Krishna.

>

>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was born in

>the holy pilgrimage place of Jagannatha Puri to Srila

>Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great Vaisnava acarya in the

>line of succession coming from Sri Chaitanya

>Mahaprabhu. Although employed as a government

>magistrate, Srila Bhaktivinoda worked tirelessly to

>establish the teachings of Lord Chaitanya in India. He

>envisioned a worldwide spiritual movement and prayed

>for a son to help him achieve his dream.

>

>On February 6, 1874, in the sacred pilgrimage town of

>Jagannath Puri, where Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

>served as superintendent of the famous Jagannatha

>temple, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta appeared in this world.

>He was given the name Bimala Prasada. At the age of

>seven, Bimala Prasada had memorized the more than

>seven hundred Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad-gita and

>could speak illuminating commentaries upon them. Srila

>Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the author of many important

>books and other writings on Gaudiya Vaisnava

>philosophy, trained his son in printing and

>proofreading.

>

>By the time he was twenty-five years old, Bimala

>Prasada had acquired an impressive reputation as a

>scholar of Sanskrit, mathematics, and astronomy. His

>astronomical treatise, Surya-siddhanta, won him the

>title Siddhanta Sarasvati in recognition of his

>immense learning. In 1905, following the advice of his

>father, Siddhanta Sarasvati accepted spiritual

>initiation from Srila Gaurakishora dasa Babaji.

>Although Srila Gaurakishora dasa Babaji was

>illiterate, he was renowned throughout the continent

>as a great saint and Vaisnava acarya. Siddhanta

>Sarasvati, although a great scholar, exhibited

>humility and dedication in the presence of Srila

>Gaurakishora. Satisfied with such humility and

>dedication of his highly educated disciple, Srila

>Gaurakishora gave Siddhanta Sarasvati his full

>blessings and requested him to "preach the Absolute

>Truth and keep aside all other work." Upon the

>disappearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in 1914,

>Siddhanta Sarasvati became editor of his father's

>journal, Sajjana-tosani, and founded the Bhagawat

>Press for the publication of Gaudiya Vaisnava

>literature. In 1918 Siddhanta Sarasvati accepted the

>renounced order of spiritual life, assuming the title

>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. For

>purposes of propagating Gaudiya Vaisnavism throughout

>India, he organized the Gaudiya Math, with sixty-four

>branches throughout the country. The headquarters of

>his mission, the Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, is located in

>Sridhama Mayapura, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya

>Mahaprabhu.

>

>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta adjusted ancient traditions to

>conform with technological and social conditions of

>the twentieth century. He considered the printing

>press a most effective means of spreading this message

>throughout the world and was himself the author of

>many important translations, commentaries, and

>philosophical essays. He was the first spiritual

>teacher in this line to allow his renounced preachers

>(sannyasis) to wear Western clothes and travel in

>modern conveyances rather that on foot. Throughout the

>1930s, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta expanded and increased

>his missionary work and succeeded in reestablishing

>Gaudiya Vaisnavism as the leading force in Indian

>spiritual life.

>

>Srila BhaktiSiddhanta Saraswati Thakur ki Jay!

>

>your servant,

>jayendran.

>

>=====

>Please Chant

> Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

> Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

> ... and be Happy!

>

>

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