The Dark Age of Gaudiya Vaishnavism

[Guest guest]

Mukunda Datta Das presented a series of quotes from "The Chaitanya Movement

(Delhi: Munshiram, 1993)" of Kennedy to prove the theory of "dark age" often

presented in the Gaudiya Matha. What are his sources for the presentation

Kennedy offers? How deeply has he studied the subject matter? We are not bound

to accept his opinion on account of the sheer fact that he hails from among the

academica. Has our respected scholar ever glanced at titles such as Gaudiya

Vaishnava Jivana, Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana and so forth?

 

For the record, http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/library/ has two files (Gva-ac.zip,

Gvaa-y.zip) available which present roughly a thousand short biographies of

Vaishnavas. Much of it is drawn from the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana. Browse

through that.

 

 

>>> Noting that nothing of significance was written after Bhatiratnakara,

Kennedy continues, "The sect seems to have burnt itself out, with neither

leaders nor spirit worthy of its tradition" (ibid., 77). <<<

 

Let us try to fill in the gaps.

 

Narahari Cakravarti appeared in the late 17th century, his influence lasting at

least to around 1750, which was, interestingly, approximately the time of

Jagannatha Das Baba's birth. Now, the dark age is supposed to start around

these years.

 

It is amusing to note that although the tradition was supposedly practically

buried six feet underground, nevertheless the people in the Gaudiya Math

parampara, such as Jagannatha Das Baba and Gaura Kishora Das Baba, had plenty

of sadhus to associate with, and the respect shown to Jagannatha Das Baba as

the leader among Vaishnavas ("Vaishnava Sarvabhauma") is consistently

presented. Who respected him as such, a bunch of sahajiya babas and their

tantric partners or what?

 

If we look at the people with whom the two aforementioned sadhu-babas spent

their time, it is not hard to understand that there was plenty going on at that

time.

 

Jagannatha Das Baba was an initiated disciple of Jagadananda Gosvami of Sringar

Vat, Vrindavan, coming in the Nityananda Parivara. Jagannatha Das Baba was born

around 1760. He received the vesa of a renunciate from Siddha Krishna Das Baba

of Govardhan. Siddha Krishna Das Baba is the famous author of

Bhavana-sara-sangraha, the most comprehensive among all works on

Asta-kaliya-lila, Gaura-Govinda-Lilamrita-Gutika, which is among the most

widely used manuals for worship and meditation, and so forth.

 

After Siddha Krishna Das, there was Kartta Krishna Das, another splendid leader

among the Vaishnavas of Govardhan, who presented the Gutika in its present

form. This community of Vaishnavas was widely respected. Kartta Krishna Das

later on settled at Nuton Ghera, Radha Kund.

 

Others say that Jagannatha Das Baba received vesa from Madhusudana Das Baba of

Surya Kund, while some in the Gaudiya Math even claim that Jagannatha Das

received diksa from him. However, it is well known that Madhusudana Das Baba

did not initiate anyone. Madhusudana Das Baba himself sought refuge of Siddha

Krishna Das Baba at times.

 

The prominent disciples of Jagannatha Das Baba were Biharidasa Babaji, Bhagavata

Das Babaji, Gaurahari Das Babaji, Ramahari Das Babaji, Rama Das Babaji,

Nityananda Das Babaji (of Varsana), and Harekrsna Das Babaji (of Kadamakhandi).

Bhagavata Das Babaji was the vesa-guru of Gaura Kishora Das Baba. Gaurahari Das

Babaji was the siksa-guru of Radha Ramana Carana Das Baba, the founder of

"Nitai Gaura Radhe Shyam". Interestinly, although Carana Das Baba is commonly

dismissed among the followers of Bhaktisiddhanta, the affectionate relationship

between him and his siksa-guru continued until the end, and there was no

disapproval of Carana Das Baba's preaching.

 

The others among Jagannatha Das Baba's disciples also had their following. The

disciples of Siddha Krishna Das Baba were also numerous. One among them was

another Nityananda Das Baba who sought his instruction in the matter of bhajan.

The disciple of this Nityananda Das Baba was the renown Pandit Rama Krishna Das

Baba of Govinda Kund, the very embodiment of learning at his time, whom even

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was in the habit of visiting, and also advised people

engaged in Vraja Mandala parikrama to seek his darshan.

 

Jagannatha Das Baba also had a very affectionate relationship with Bhagavan Das

Baba of Kalna, another disciple of Siddha Krishna Das Baba of Govardhan. So

much so they loved each other that having once met, they remained in embrace

from 10 AM to 11 PM, their servants, Vishnu Das Baba and Vihari Das Baba

standing helplessly aside, not knowing what to do. Siddha Bhagavan Das Baba

also had his following.

 

In his youth, Sri Gaura Kishora Das Baba received mantra-diksa from Nanda

Kishora Gosvami of Santipura, belonging to the Advaita-parivara. After the

death of his wife, Gaura Kishora, then known as Vamsidas, renounced the world

and traveled to Vrindavan, taking shelter of Bhagavata Das Baba, one among the

foremost disciples of Jagannatha Das Baba, and receiving the vesa of a

renunciate from him. He spent some thirty years in Vrindavan, wandering around

and associating with the mahatmas there. During his travels aside the time he

spent in Vraja, he also associated with Svarupa Das Baba of Jagannatha Puri and

Siddha Caitanya Das Baba of Kuliya. Siddha Caitanya Das Baba had a rather large

following. Svarupa Das Baba of Satasana Matha in Puri was also widely

respected.

 

Though there was certainly corruption among the Gaudiya samaja, at the same time

there was a very lively and vibrant community of genuine Vaishnavas there. It is

not that Gaura Kishora Das Baba and Jagannatha Das Baba were the only real

followers or associates of all the aforementioned mahatmas. They all have their

followers which carry on the Gaudiya tradition today.

 

Though much of the corruption in the Gaudiya samaja may have taken place during

the period spanning from 1750 to 1900, it is obvious that the trend has been

there since the very days the tradition began. Visvanatha was faced with Rupa

Kaviraja, the tradition of neda-nedis evolved in the wake of Virabhadra,

sahajiya groups evolved back in the very early days of the Gaudiya tradition,

and none other than three sons of Advaita Acarya deviated from the path of

bhakti, founding their own traditions, which likewise exist even in the modern

day. Yes, and there was Ativadi Jagannatha Das of Puri who also spent time with

Mahaprabhu, and who else? And have a look at the modern day, brother: How much

deviation has taken place in the wake of the movement founded by

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati? Look at all of those splinter-groups out there,

engaging in petty quarrels with each other!

 

Main sources for the information presented above are Haridas Dasji's Gaudiya

Vaishnava Abhidhana and Gaudiya Vaishnava Jivana, some writings of

Bhaktisiddhanta in "The Harmonist" about Gaura Kishora Das Baba and O.B.L.

Kapoor's "Saints of Vraja" and "Saints of Bengal".

 

I trust this will offer some food for thought in regards to the supposed dark

age of the Gaudiya tradition.

 

 

Regards,

 

Madhava