Bipin Bihari Goswami

[Guest guest]

Tadiya-seva Prabhu wrote:

 

> I am interested in this and would like to know if this article ever

> surfaced? Has someone recovered this article since then?

 

What follows are extracts relating to Bipin Bihari Goswami from HH Bhakti

Vikasa Swami's notes on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura which shed

furthur light on this matter. For verifying the authenticity and the source

of these statements kindly ask Bhakti Vikasa Swami. The extracts are part of

the info. he collected when interviewing different disciples of SBSST in

Gaudiya Math or outside.

 

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Once, in Vrndavan, Bhaktivinoda Thakura's so-called "guru," Bipin Bihari

Goswami, said that Raghunatha Das Goswami was a sudra by caste. From that

day on, Sarasvati Thakura never spoke with him, considering that he had

committed a great offense, as Raghunatha Das Goswami is considered great

even amongst the maha-bhagavatas. Sarasvati Thakura started fasting in

protest, so Kunjada (Kunja Babu) tried to pacify him, but never said

anything against Bipin Bihari Goswami. Sarasvati Thakura then exclaimed,

"You may compromise but I cannot! I cannot tolerate that Raghunatha Das

Goswami be called a sudra." He continued, "I am coming here in a big car,

taking the position of an acarya taking all honour and respect. So, taking

the position, with all the paraphernalia for worship of an acarya means I

cannot make any compromise!"

 

Bhaktivinoda thakura also had no brahmana thread and was initiated by Jata

Gosai Bipin Bihari. Of course, we understand that this was for formality

also, because he couldn't find any real sadhu.

 

SBV had taken initiation from Bipin Bihari Goswami, who came in the line of

Gadadhara Pandit. When BBG was visiting SBV, SBV paid obeisances and BBG

placed his foot on SBV's head. SBS saw this and was surprised. He thought

this was a dangerous thing for BBG to do. When SBV left the room, SBS asked

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

was taken aback at this 7-year-old's question. SBS 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?" SBV returned

at this time, so the conversation was interrupted. BBG said, "Your son is

bold to the point of being rude." Later on, SBV found this out and used to

tell this story to his disciples.

 

The disciples of Srila Bhaktivinoda were given harernama and Nrsimha

mantras, just as he had given the Nrsimha mantra to Sarasvati Thakura when

he was a young boy. Bimala Prasada was taken by Bhaktivinoda Thakura on many

of his travels in Bengal and Orissa. The peculiarity is that Bhaktivinoda,

even before formally taking diksa from Bipin Bihari Goswami, was giving

Nrsimha mantra to Bimala Prasad. He didn't get that Nrsimha mantra from

anyone but still he was giving it. So we may say that this is a very

peculiar practice, but actually this is just confirmation that he was a

siddha from the very beginning, and, therefore, above all the rules and

regulations that govern the neophyte.

 

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