SRILA HARINAMA ACARYA SRILA HARIDASA THAKURA KI JAI JAI !!

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

PAMHO, AGTSP

 

Kindly glorify the pastimes of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura on his appearance day

on 26th Setp. and Srila Haridasa Thakura on his disappearance day on 27th Sept.

 

Kindly use font type 'Balarama' or 'Sca Goudy' to read the text below.

 

your servant in mission of Srila Prabhupada

 

Nanda Gopal Dasa

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

(Appearance on 26th Sept.)

 

 

Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in 1838 in a wealthy family in

the Nadai district, West Bengal. He revealed that he is an eternal associate of

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by his extraordinary preaching activities and prolific

writing. Living as mahabhagavata Vaisnava, he stayed in the grhasta ashram

until the last few years of his life. Then he renounced everything, accepted

babaji, and entered samadhi, totally absorbed in the loving service of

Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha-Madhava.

 

'He had a responsible government position as the District Magistrate (high

court Judge), maintained a Krishna conscious family, and wrote almost one

hundred books on Krishna consciousness. At the same time, he served the Supreme

Lord in so many ways. That is the beauty of his life. After a full day of

government service he would sleep four hours, get up at midnight and write

until morning. That was his daily program.'

 

 

 

Thakura Bhaktivinoda took Vaisnava diksa from Srila Vipinvihari Goswami in the

line of Sri Jahnava Mata. Afterwards, he received spiritual inspiration and

direction from Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji. Holding an exalted government

post, vast erudition, and spiritual accomplishment never disturbed Bhaktivinoda

Thakura. He remained prideless, Always humble, friendly to all. Charity seekers

at his home always left happy and satisfied. A well-wisher to everyone, he

never kept grudges, even with opponents to his preaching. In fact, he never

spoke a word that would hurt another's feelings. 'The Thakura was always

courageous and acted for everyone's welfare. Keeping personal needs to a

minimum, he led the simplest of lives,' said one pandit. In the following entry

from Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinoda, who had all pure divine qualities, takes

the role of a conditioned soul to teach us how to advance in Krishna

consciousness. 'you should always absorb your mind in attentively chanting

Krishna's glories. By performing Krishna kirtana you'll gain mastery over the

mind. Give up all false pride. Always think yourself to be worthless,

destitute, lower than straw in the street. Practice forgiveness like the tree.

Giving up all violence toward other living beings, you should never give

anxiety to others. But do good to them, make them happy, and forget about your

own happiness.'

 

 

 

Thus when you become a pious good soul by possessing all good qualities, you

should give up desires for fame and honor. And just make your heart humble.

Knowing that Lord Krishna lives within all living beings, you should respect

and honor everyone at all times. You will attain virtue by being humble,

merciful, respecting others, and renouncing desires fro fame and honor. In such

a state, you should sing the glories of the Supreme Lord. 'O Lord, when will

You give such qualities as these!'

 

 

 

Always anxious to use every moment in loving service of Krishna he followed a

strict austere daily schedule:

 

8.10 p.m. Rest (two hours)

 

10-4 a.m write

 

4-4.30 a.m. chant japa

 

7-7.30 Correspondence

 

7.30-9.30 Study sastra

 

9.30-10 Bath prasadam (half-liter milk, fruit, 2

chapattis)

 

10-1 p.m. court duties

 

1-2 p.m. refresh at home

 

2-5 p.m. court duties

 

5-7 p.m. translates Sanskrit sastras to Bengali

 

7-8 p.m. Bath, prasadam (half liter milk, rice, 2chapatis)

 

 

 

Summary daily schedule:

 

Sleep: 3 hours

 

Write: 8.5 hours

 

Japa, study: 4.5 hours

 

Work: 6 hours

 

 

 

Srinivasa Acarya praises the six Goswamis of Vrndavana, nana

sasrta-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma samsthakapau, lokanam hita karinau. 'the

six Goswamis deeply studied all the sastras in order to establish eternal

religious principles for the benefit of everyone.' Similarly, Thakura

Bhaktivinoda made unlimited preaching contributions to help humanity. And for

this he's known as the 'Seventh Goswami.'

 

 

 

Biographers list three major preaching achievements of Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura:

 

1.. Wrote100 authorized spiritual books

2.. Discovered appearance place of Lord Caitanya.

3.. Introduced preaching innovations.

Besides books (in Bengali, Oriya, English) reviving and explaining Mahaprabhu's

message, he wrote hundreds of poems and songs full of spiritual sentiments and

sastric siddhanta (philosophical conclusions).

 

'His writings have made the sacred teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu fully

available to everyone modern reader. And they are presented in a form which

carries irresistible conviction and devotion,' said a late disciple of Thakura

Bhaktivinoda.

 

Sri Krishna-smite, Kalian Kalpa-taru, Sri Caitanya-siksamrta, Sri

Navadvipa-dhama mahatmyam, Jaiva Dharma, Sri Harinama-cintamani,

Bhajana-rahasya, Gita-mala, Gitavali, Sarnagati, and commentaries of

Bhagavad-Gita and Caitanya-caritamrta are some of his works. The following

quote comes from Thakura Bhaktivinoda's Gitavali: 'He who has failed to

carefully worship the lotus feet of Sri Radhika, which are the abodes of all

auspiciousness. He who has not taken shelter in the transcendental abode of

Vrndavana, which is decorated with the lotus flower named Radha. He who in this

life has not associated with the devotees of Radhika, who are full of wisdom

and love for Radhika. How will such a person ever feel the bliss of bathing in

the ocean of Lord Syamasundara's sublime mellows!'

 

 

 

Please understand this most attentively. Sri Radhika is the teacher of madhurya

rasa

 

(Mellows of conjugal love). Radha-Madhava madhurya prema is meant to be

discussed and meditated upon. He who cherishes the lotus feet of Srimati

Radharani obtains the lotus feet of Madhava, which are priceless jewels.

Without taking shelter of Radha's lotus feet one can never meet Krishna. The

Vedic scriptures declare that Krishna is the property of the maidservants of

Sri Radha. Give up wife, sons, friends, wealth, followers, and speculative

knowledge, all materialistic actions. Just become absorbed in the sweetness of

serving the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani. This is Bhaktivinoda's solemn

declaration.'

 

 

 

During the last 500 years, the original appearance place of lord Caitanya had

vanished under the indomitable Ganges River. In 1888, Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura revealed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's janmasthana at the yogapitha in

sridhama Mayapur. Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja, a famous saint, and

paramahamsa rasika Vaisnava, confirmed the Thakura's discovery. This most

auspicious event delighted the Gaudiya Vaisnavas from Gaura-mandala to Vraja-

bhumi. He established the worship of lord Gauranga and Srimati Vishnupriya at

yogapitha. In the mood of innovation, in 1896 he sent to universities around

the world a book of slokas, Sri Gauranga-lila smarana which had a forty-seven

page English introduction:"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His life and Precepts."

This act rose from a keen desire to spread lord Caitanya's teachings in Western

countries. Bhaktivinoda Thakura made three predictions concerning a person and

phenomena: "A personality will soon appear," wrote Bhaktivinoda Thakura," and

he will travel all over the world to spread the teachings of lord Caitanya."

 

 

 

His second prediction: 'Very soon the chanting of harinama sankirtana will

travel all over the world. Oh when will that day come when people from America,

England, France, Germany, Russia will take up Karatals and mrdangas and chant

Hare Krishna in their towns!' The third prediction: 'when will that day come

when the faired-skinned foreigners will come Sri Mayapur-dhama and join the

Bengali Vaisnava to chant, Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana. When will that

day be!' Srila Prabhupada said it's spiritually significant that he himself

appeared in 1896, the same year Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent his book overseas.

The will of Lord Caitanya, desire of Thakura Bhaktivinoda, and the mercy of

Srimati Sarasvati Thakura empowered Srila Prabhupada to spread Sri Caitanya's

teachings and chanting of Hare Krishna all over the world. Prabhupada fulfilled

the Thakura's three predictions! Devoid of pride, full of humility, radiant

with pure love for Radha-Govinda, Srila Prabhupada gave all credit to the

previous Acarya. 'We should take it,' said Srila Prabhupada, 'that Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura was the origin of the Krishna consciousness movement -

ISKCON in its pure form.'

 

 

 

In 1986, just one-hundred years after Bhaktivinoda Thakura's third prediction,

three-thousand 'fair-skinned devotees' from America, England, France, Germany,

Russia, and fifty other countries gathered at the ISKCON Mayapur Chandrodaya

Mandir in Sridhama Mayapura. They joined one thousand 'Bengali Vaisanava' to

rock the universe by chanting Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana, Gaura Hari.

Srila Sacinandana Bhaktivinoda Thakura ki jai!

 

 

 

In his book Çaraëägati, Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura states, ye-dina gåhe, bhajana

dekhi', gåhete goloka bhäya (Çaraëägati 31.6). Whenever a householder glorifies

the Supreme Lord in his home, his activities are immediately transformed into

the activities of Goloka Våndävana, spiritual activities taking place in the

Goloka Våndävana planet of Kåñëa. Activities exhibited by Kåñëa Himself at

Bhauma Våndävana, the Våndävana-dhäma existing on this planet, are not

different from His activities on the planet Goloka Våndävana. This is proper

realization of Våndävana anywhere. In our Kåñëa consciousness movement we

inaugurated the New Våndävana activities, wherein devotees are always engaged

in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and this is not different

from Goloka Våndävana. The conclusion is that one who acts strictly in the line

of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is competent to offer blessings to sannyäsés, even

though he be a gåhastha householder.

 

 

 

In 1914, on the tirobhava tithi (disappearance) of Sri Gadadhara Pandit (the

incarnation of Sri Radha), Thakura Bhaktivinoda entered the eternal pastimes of

Gaura- Gadadhara and Radha-Madhava. In Godrumadvipa (Navadvipa) Sri Sri

Gaura-Gadadhara, the worshipable Deities of Thakura Bhaktivinoda await to

bless any visitors to Svanand-sukhada-kunja. In Radha-Madhava's nitya-lila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura takes the form of Kamala-manjari to serve Srimati

Radharani. His pushpa samadhi is in his bhajana kutir at Radha-kunda.

 

 

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura ki jay jay !!

 

 

 

SRILA HARIDASA THAKURA (Disappearance day on 9th Sept.)

 

 

As Prahlada Maharaja appeared in a family of demons and Hanuman appeared as a

monkey; Srila Haridasa Thakura appeared amongst the lower caste. Haridasa had a

handsome form with all aristocratic features. Highly intellectual, he won all

debates in Sanskrit and philosophy. Yet, he never lost his temper. In his

youth, he became famous for his extreme devotion and ascetism. Though born in a

Muslim family, when he became a Vaisanava, even brahmanas would eagerly smear

their bodies with the dust of his lotus feet.

 

 

 

The Supreme Lord Anantadeva Himself praises Haridasa Thakura, 'even Lord Brahma

and Lord Siva always desire to associate with such devotees as Haridasa. And

the demigods desire to touch the transcendental body of Haridasa. Simply by

saying his name, Haridasa one will be promoted to Krishna's abode.' Navadvipa

was full of gross materialists and Kali worshipers guided by smarta brahmanas

before Mahaprabhu began His sankirtana movement. The smartas forbid loud

chanting by the Vaisnavas on the plea that ''t might awaken Lord Vishnu, who

would become angry and curse Navadvipa with a famine.' But it was Haridasa's

habit to chant Hare Krishna while wandering along the Ganges bank. Every day

before taking his one and only meal he would finish 192 rounds (300,000 holy

names of Krishna).

 

 

 

One time a rascal brahmana challenged Haridasa Thakura. The brahmana said that

the proper method is to chant Hare Krishna silently within one's mind. Quoting

the Vedas, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Naradiya Purana, Haridasa conclusively proved

that loud chanting of Krishna's names gives one hundred times more result than

silent chanting. Yan-nama grhann akhilan, srotrn atmanam eva ca, sadayah

punati... 'Anyone who chants Your name purifies all who hear his chanting, as

well as himself.' SB 10.34.17 Haridasa concluded with. 'Which is better to

feed yourself, or to feed yourself, or to feed yourself and simultaneously feed

a thousand others!' Some people mistakenly think, Since Haridasa Thakura always

chanted Hare Krishna he wasn't relishing the mellows of Radha-Madhava's

pastimes.' Krishna's name is a wish-fulfilling gem (nama cintamani) and the

very embodiment of rasa vigraha. So, by purely chanting the holy names Haridasa

Thakura definitely tasted the transcendental mellows of loving devotion to

Radha-Madhava. Haridasa Thakura, the connoisseur of the holy name, taught

everyone how to enter the rasa sastras through the door of Mahaprabhu's mercy,

received by purely and constantly chanting the holy names of Krishna.

 

 

 

Felling threatened by Haridasa Thakura's conversion to Vaisnavism, the Muslim

ruler arrested him. To enlighten the Kazi Haridasa said, 'All living entities

in creation are inspired by the Lord in the heart to act in different ways.

People of different religions praise the Lord's holy names and qualities

according to the view of their scriptures. The Supreme Lord accepts everyone's

mood. If anyone shows malice towards another's religion he actually shows

malice to the Lord Himself, who is worshipped by that religion. Since God is

one, that person becomes envious of the same Supreme Lord that he himself is

worshipping. Haridasa replied firmly, 'If my body is hacked to pieces and even

if I am still killed - still I will keep chanting Hare Krishna.' The infuriated

Kazi ordered Haridasa Thakura publicly whipped to death. He was brutally

beaten, dragged through twenty-two markets, and thrown in the Ganges. Absorbed

in remembering Lord Hari, he miraculously survived by God's grace. The Kazi,

the brahmanas, and his rivals ran to Haridasa. They gave Haridasa Thakura an

enthusiastic welcome and begged forgiveness for their offences. He forgave them

and blessed them with devotion. Haridasa thought the ordeal was fit punishment

for his having heard Vaisnava blasphemy from the mouth of the Kazi.

 

 

 

Prema-vilasa says Haridasa took diksa from Sri Advaita Acarya. Haridasa Thakura

exerted immense influence from the start of Sri Caitanya's sankirtana movement.

Teaming up with Lord Nityananda, he spread Krishna consciousness in Bengal.

When Haridasa Thakura came to Jagannatha Puri Lord Caitanya gave him a room in

the garden next to His. Every day the Lord sent prasadam to Haridasa. They also

met regularly to discuss Krishna-katha. While, seeing Lord Caitanya's lotus

face, holding His feet upon his chest, and chanting Sri Krishna Caitanya,

Haridasa left the world. Lord Caitanya personally carried the body of Haridasa

to the sea. And with His own hands buried him in the sand. Then Mahaprabhu

begged alms for a festival to honour Haridasa Thakura's departure. Lord

Caitanya paid tribute to His pure devotee: 'Let us all sing the glories of

Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa was the crest-jewel of the world. By his death the

earth has lost its treasure. Out of His great mercy Krishna had given me his

association. And now He has taken him away. When Haridasa himself wished to

leave the world I could not hold him back. Just like Bhismadeva, Haridasa gave

up his life at his own will.' CC Antya lila 11.93-98

 

 

 

The samadhi of Haridasa Thakura is located by the sea in Jagannatha Puri.

 

 

 

SRILA HARINAMA ACARYA SRILA HARIDASA THAKURA KI JAI JAI !!

 

 

 

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

 

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE