Today is Appearancae day of Great Acarya- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta S.

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Stories about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaja Prabhupada

 

 

As a boy, Bimala Prasada delivered his oldest brother Acyutananda

from an offense he'd made in his last life. Acyutananda had a nervous

disease, and once became very sick. Bimala Prasada took karatals and

chanted the Hare Krishna mantra constantly for 6 days without eating. Then

Ramanuja?sampradaya tilaka appeared on Acyutananda's forehead. He said, "I

am a Ramanuja Vaishnava. I committed an offense to a Gaudiya Vaishnava in

my last life and therefore had to take this birth. Now I am relieved." Then

he left his body.

 

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati used to "install" the printing presses

that were acquired by the Gaudiya Matha for literature publication.

 

He gave a heavy class on detachment from material life. Later,

while writing, he observed a monkey stealing bananas from the godown, which

was just next to his study. He ran out with a stick to chase the monkey

away, overturning his writing table and spilling ink on the pages of his

manuscript. When the cook saw this, he inquired, "Today you told that one

must be detached. How to understand your behavior just now ? for two

bananas you jumped from your writing to chase a monkey, and even ruined your

work in the process?" Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati answered, "These bananas

belong to Srimati Radharani, because they are to be used in Krishna's

service."

 

He went to take a bath in a pukkur, and when he was seven steps

above the surface of the water, the water rose seven steps and touched his

lotus feet. Then all the brahmacaries jumped in, to bath in the carinamrta.

 

At the Yoga Pith temple was a cook who was very passionate. He

fought with every devotee there except for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta himself.

Then he died. After the funeral ceremony was completed, the Gaudiya Matha

brahmacharies were sitting together and talking about how much trouble

they'd had with the cook ? each was telling stories about the fights he'd

had with him. Suddenly Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati appeared at the

doorway and said, "He always washed his dhoti nicely and was very clean."

>From then on nobody dared say anything negative about that cook.

 

When one mayavadi sadhu was preaching his oneness philosophy in the

presence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati and his disciples while they

were riding on a train from Calcutta to Puri, Bhaktisiddhanta ordered his

brahmacaries to feed the sadhu some rotten mangos which had been donated to

his party earlier (they were ripe when donated, but got rotten because

Bhaktisiddhanta would not take them due to his vow, and therefore no

disciple would take either). After being obliged to eat four mangos, that

sadhu fell at Bhaktisiddhanta's feet and swore he'd never preach oneness

again.

 

His kirtana procession (with him personally at the head) would stop

all traffic wherever it went in Calcutta; in Puri even the brahmins

acceptedhis nam?sankirtana as fully authorized.

 

He would raise his danda to strike his opponent if he didn't accept

his preaching.

 

He stayed in Puri in his last days. He lectured for some days at

the place known as "Goverdhana" in Puri, and before and after his talk he

would recite prayers praising Goverdhana Hill and requesting shelter in some

corner there. He would sometimes comment to his disciples, there's not much

time left. They could see something was going to happen soon, but weren't

sure what.

 

He got very sick ten days before he left his body. Two days later

he wrote his last instruction: "Somehow we must become qualified to attain

the shelter of Rupa and Raghunatha. Always chant Hare Krishna, always

preach Krishna consciousness, and stay away from Vaishnava?aparadha. In

this way become qualified to get the shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Rupa

and Raghunatha." Two days after that he wrote his letter to Srila

Prabhupada (Abhaya Charanaravinda).

 

All the big intellectuals of Calcutta had a memorial gathering upon

hearning word of his death. One (an atheist), in eulogy, said: "Who will we

argue with now?"

 

Appeared Feb. 6 1874. Father was deputy magistrate of Puri, had

been for three years. Bhaktivinode Thakur had been concerned that the pure

teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would be usurped by unauthorized

persons, who were members of 13 apasampradayas. Bhaktivinode Thakura had

started his mission for Lord Caitanya late in life. He was also very busy

with his profession. But he wrote profusely, and wanted someone to preach

boldly to establish these pure teachings.

 

Padma Purana predicted Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati: a very

elevated, pure and learned personality would appear in Purushottama?ksetra

to spread the glories of Lord Jagannatha all over the world. His activities

would be very unique.

 

When he was 6 months old, the Rathayatra was held. The cart stopped

in front of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur 's house (which was on the main road

between the temple andthe Gundica mandira. The cart stayed there for 3

days. On the 3rd day,Bhagavati devi (ma of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

brought out the child and the pujaris picked him upand put him on the cart.

He crawled to the base of Lord Jagannatha, and touched His lotus feet.

Simultaneously a garland fell from the neck of the Lord and landed around

the child. The pujaris exclaimed that this boy isparticularly blessed by

Lord Jagannatha.

 

Annaprasha festival (rice ceremony), first grain taken by kids, so

for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati the first grain was Jagannatha Prasada.

Vimala devi is offered the prasada after Jagannatha takes; hence his name

Bimala Prasada. Bhagavatam and gold coins ? took SB.

 

When he was five family had become senior deputy magistrate: only

three of these in all of India under British Raja. Mango incident happened

at this time. Never again took ripe mangos. But he took green mango

chutney offered by his disciples; this was a favorite of his.

 

When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati was 7, Bhaktivinode Thakura

moved to Calcutta, to the "Bhakti Bhavan" house was building. While digging

foundation they found Deity of LordKurma. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur

initiated his son into the worship of Lord Kurma. He was doing this every

single day without missing. Admitted into school. Was very expert student.

Studied books of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, but never fell behind in school

? he rememberedeverything after hearing it once. Teachers were astonished,

father pleased.

 

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur had taken initiation from Bipin Bihari

Goswami, who came in theline of Gadadhara Pandit. When Bipin Bihari Goswami

was visiting Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur , Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur paid

obeisances and Bipin Behari Goswami placed his foot on Srila Bhaktivinode

Thakur 's head. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati saw this and was surprised.

He thought this was a dangerous thing for Bipin Behari Goswami to do. When

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur left the room, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

askedhim a question: "You are my father's guru. But do you know who he is?"

Bipin Behari Goswami was taken aback at this 7?year?old's question. Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati continued, "My father is a nityasiddha, an eternal

associate of the Supreme Lord. Do you have sufficient spiritual potency to

place your foot on his head?" Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur returned at this

time, so the conversation was interrupted. Bipin Behari Goswami said, "Your

son is bold to the point of being rude." Later on, Srila Bhaktivinode

Thakur found this out and used to tell this story to his disciples.

 

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur is Kamala?manjari, and Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati is his eternal assistant. At age13 he started

higher education. Once Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur returned from Puri with

Tulasi and initiated his son into chanting Hare Krishna and he also took

Nrsingha mantra initiation.

 

During this time he invented a shorthand script called Vikanta.

 

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur , after seeing the wonderful vision of a

golden mandira, began begging door to door for funds to establish the Yoga

Pitha. At 18, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati entered Capital Sanskrit

College affiliated with Calcutta University. Within a short time mastered

the 6 limbs of Sanskrit studies: shiksha, jyotish, chanda, alankara, etc.

 

When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati was 22 he left college

to avoid taking householder life. He took up work under the king of Tripura.

Tripura had been turned to a Vaishnava state by the king of Manipur, who was

a disciple of Narottama dasa Thakur. So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

became Raja Pandit there for 3 years. He retired with full pension, which

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati accepted for a few years and stopped.

 

Around this time he took initiation from Gour Kishore dasa Babaji.

Gour Kishore dasa Babaji had been a grain merchant before taking babaji.

He'd gone to Vrindavana and did bhajana for a long time. Then he came to

Navadwipa. By this time Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur had retired and had

built a bhajana kutir in Navadwipa (Godruma). He gave SB class there every

day. Gour Kishore dasa Babaji used to come to these classes. Srila

Bhaktivinode Thakur told Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati to accept Gour

Kishore dasa Babaji as initiating guru. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

approached Gour Kishore dasa Babaji, asking "Please give me your mercy."

Gour Kishore dasa Babaji answered, "Mercy is not mine to give. It is the

property of Lord Chaitanya Himself. I'll ask Him, and if He agrees, I can

give you."

 

Second time they met, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati inquired, "Did

you ask Him?" "No, I forgot." Third time same thing happened. Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati said, "You worship that great cheat, Krishna, Who

is cheating everyone. And so you are also cheating me. But if you continue

in this way, I will simply give up my life, because my life is useless

without receiving you mercy." Then Gour Kishore dasa Babaji gave initiation

to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati as Varshabhanavi?devi dasa.

 

Then Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati gave up all other activities to

chant 194 rounds daily for 7 years. He had a kutir but did not spend the

time to repair the roof; he just used an umbrella if it rained.

 

One disciple of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur who wanted to continue

the mission came looking for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati in Nabadwipa at

this time, knowing him to be as powerful a personality as his father. He

went around asking the locals if they knew of a sadhu matching Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's desciption, but they all answered, "We don't

know of a sadhu, we only know of one madman. We see him moving here and

there, crying aloud and sometimes rolling on the ground." So he went

searching for him in the jungle next to the Ganga, where they said he

sometimes could be seen. Suddenly he heard Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

crying "Krishna Krishna Haribol! Nitai Gour Hari Bol!" He saw him burst

out from the forest and plunge, fully dressed, into the Ganga. He kept on

shouting in the water, splashing about. Then he came out. The disciple of

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur then approached him, requesting him to come to

Calcutta to head up the sankirtana mission there.

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati answered, "Sankirtana? Can you not see the

wonderful sankirtana mission of Sri Caitanya right here in the holy dham of

..Navadwipa? Is it not wonderful? Sri Pancha?tattva are chanting and

dancingin ecstacy, surrounded by all their associates. Can you not see

this?" Then Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati ran off, again shouting

"Haribol" in great ecstacy. As it was sunset bythis time, that man took his

bath in the Ganga, and mentally renounced the idea of organizing the

sankirtana mission.

 

But later on, in 1918, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati appeared at

his door in Calcutta, in sannyasi robes with danda, freshly shaven, and

ordered, "Now we are founding a Society, the Sri Gaudiya Matha. Draw up the

papers immediately and have it registered. Though he'd arrived at 4 p.m.,

the work was done before that same afternoon was ended.

 

Even before 1918 he decried the Jatigosai/brahmana monopoly of

giving initiation only to born brahmins. He preached very boldly against

them. The brahmins challenged him, "where does the Gaura mantra appear in

any authorized scripture as a Gayatri?" (Because the Gaudiya Vaishnavas

would take this mantra as a pancharatriki mantra for brahminical

initiation.) They said, "Sri Chaitanya claimed only to be a devotee. Why

do you say he is the SPOG and use His name in place of authorized scriptural

names and mantras?"

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati cited Chaitanyopanishad from the

Atharva?veda, discoverd by Srila Bhaktivinode, 19 verses glorifying Lord

Chaitanya. In another assembly he directly attacked the brahmins and Jati

Gosai. He initiated the movement to take back the teachings of Lord

Caitanya from the hands of such unauthorized persons. Srila Visvanatha,

Baladeva, his disciple Uddhava dasa Babaji, his disciple Madhusudana dasa

Babaji, were all saintly renounced souls: after Bala? deva there was no?one

to strongly represent the pure teaching of Lord Caitanya and preach them

boldly. During Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur 's time, Gaudiya Vaishnava meant

Baul, Aula, Sakhi Beki, Jati Gosai, etc. who were all degraded. The

Vaishnavas got no respect. At this time the shaktas became strong from

RamaKrishna?Vivekananda, and this put further obstructions for the

establishment of pure Vaishnava dharma. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

preached against all of this nonsense.

 

When Gour Kishore dasa Babaji left the planet, the babajis wanted to

do the samadhi rites. He'd said he wanted to have his body dragged

through the streets by his "disciples." Babajis had gathered to do that,

they'd tied a rope around the neck. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati crossed

over to Navadwipa from Mayapura and stopped them, saying "None of you are

his disciples."

 

Gour Kishore dasa Babaji had only 2 disciples, one Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, the other wasVamsivata dasa Babaji Maharaja, who

was an avadhuta. "I am the right claimant to perform these last rites."

They said, "But he was a babaji, and you are not." Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Saraswati answered, "Gour Kishore dasa Babaji does not come in babaji line.

He was initiated by Nimai Chand Goswami, who was a Nityananda Parivat,

coming in the line of Lord Nityananda. He received his Vesha (babaji dress)

from Bhagavata dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is an initiated disciple of

Jagannatha dasa Babaji."

 

Before Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, from time of Lord Caitanya,

param?bhakta Vaishnavas would get Vesha (white knee length cloth, koupin,

waterpot and bead?bag) initiation, not tridandi sannyasa. "Bhaktivinode

Thakur also took Vesha from Jagannatha dasa Babaji. Srila Bhaktivinode

Thakur , though diksha initiated of Bipin Behari Goswami, received siksha

and vesha from JDB. And Gour Kishore dasa Babaji got siksha from Srila

Bhaktivinode Thakur. Mahaprabhu's line is Bhagavata Parampara, not seminal

line." So he challenged them to show that any such line came from Rupa or

Sanatana Goswami. Rupanuga means coming in Bhagavata Sampradaya. Rupa told

of Advaita's rejecting His own son Madhusudana because he accepted Lord

Caitanya only, but not Lord Nityanananda.

 

"If you are Babajis, then you are fully sense controlled. So the

one of you who has not engaged in any illicit activities in the past 1 year,

come and do the last rites." No one stood up. "One month? One week? 24

hours?" No one stood up. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati then placed Gour

Kishore dasa Babaji's body in samadhi.

 

So after finishing with the smartas, jati gosais, he took on Babas.

Then in 1918 he opened his first center in Ultadanga Road in Calcutta. He

was then 44. Kunjabihari Vidyabhusana (Bhakti Vilasa Tirtha Maharaja) was

his main manager and a prominent devotee in the Matha. Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati had made a vow after taking sannyasa that he would

never touch money. Everything was arranged by his disciples. Many of them

took up jobs, e.g. Kunja Babu became a postmaster. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Saraswati did nagara kirtana with disciples and was invited to programs by

the King of Burdwan or the King of Kooch Bihar; everywhere he established

Lord Caitanya's teachings as the most excellent spiritual philosophy.

 

He knew all Vaishnava philosophies most expertly. He brought out

books on their darshans, e.g. Madhvacharya's arguments against Mayavadis.

And Ramanuja. In the temple he established in Mayapur he built 4 small

temples in honor of the 4 sampradayas. He put the deities of the 4

founders.

 

He started the Gaudiya Mission in the midst of war and national

liberation agitation. He was uncompromising in his disregard of such

mundane concerns. "The most important thing is to invoke the spirit of

devotion to the Supreme Lord; this concern lies far above any material

consideration." Many leaders objected, but he continued. In this period SP

visited Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati on the rooftop at Ultadanga Road; SP

was adherent of the national liberation movement, but Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Saraswati convinced him in one sitting of the vital necessity of Lord

Caitanya's mission over everything else.

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's sannyasa: happened in 1918. He

could have taken babaji. Many babajis wanted to initiate him, as he'd shown

himself to be such a powerful exponent of Vaishnavism (e.g. his 3?day debate

with caste brahmins attended by Vaishnava scholars, in which he resoundingly

defeated caste pretensions and established the Vaishnava view of brahminical

status by quality of work, not birth). When he gave himself tridandi

sannyasa (or had taken sannyasa from a picture of Gour Kishore dasa Babaji),

this was a shock to even his supporters, including disciples of Srila

Bhaktivinode Thakur. The controversy was over varnashrama; they thought he

was returning to the VAD that Lord Caitanya had rejected in his talks with

Srila Ramananda raya . But he was establishing Daivi?varnashrama.

Prabhodananda, Lokanatha Goswamis were great Gaudiya sannyassis of the past.

Prabhodananda Saraswati converteda great smriti acharya, Gopal Bhatta Ghosh,

and gave him tridandi sannyasa. Gadadhara Pandita was also tridandi

sannyasi. Without establishment of DVAD, babaji (supposedly paramhamsa)

will become a farce. Order of Lord Caitanya: Nityananda to take up

grhastha.

 

Then he went to Vrndavana and challenged the authority of the

babajis. He sent 3 disciples to west, and he gave 10 westerner initiation.

They protested that this was unauthorized. He said, "Everything I am doing

can be supported by scriptural reference, but nothing you do can be. You

take young boys who don't even know how to clean themselves after passing

stool and giving them 'sakhi rupa.' I am giving samskara to reform the

fallen souls, and this samskar is the Hari Nama, which Lord Chaitanya gave

as the siddha pranali. No rules of caste or creed bind this Harer Nama

diksha."

 

They said Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati was not properly initiated

in an established line.He disproved this. Gour Kishore dasa Babaji was

initiated in line of Nityananda, but he did not accept that line. But Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati rejected that line from Nimai Jatgoswami (line of

Nityananda, Jahnavi, Bir Chandra Prabhu. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

stressed Bhagavata Sampradaya, and didn't care for seminal line.

 

"Rupanuga virrudhapa siddhanta": any conclusion against the

preceptsof Rupa Goswami is to be rejected immediately.