Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Sept, 19, 2002.

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Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Sept, 19, 2002.

 

Introduction

 

The Life of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

 

About the year 1500 A.D., the incarnation of God Sri Krsna Caitanya

Mahaprabhu began the Hare Krishna Movement in Navadwipa, a city in the

Indian province of Bengal. This movement, based on the philosophy of

ancient Sanskrit texts of devotion to Krsna like the Bhagavad-gita and

Srimad-Bhagavatam, spread all over India within a short time. The movement

popularized sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the maha-mantra Hare

Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare

Hare, as the most effective means of God realization for the present Age of

Kali, a time of rampant faithlessness, sin and materialism. After 1750

A.D., the influence of the Hare Krsna Movement seemed to wane. Many sects

of sahajiyas (cheap pseudodevotees) sprouted up, each claiming to be the

true purveyors of Vaisnava-dharma (the religion of Lord Visnu or Krsna).

Because of their bad character, the sahajiyas brought disrepute upon the

pure movement of love of God begun by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In the 1800's, an

eternally perfect devotee of Krsna descended from the spiritual world to the

material world to revive the Hare Krsna Movement and to initiate its

expansion beyond the borders of India. This was Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was born on Sunday, Sept. 2, 1838 in Biranagara

(Ulagrama) in the Nadia district of Bengal. He was the seventh son of Raja

Krsnananda Datta, a great devotee of Lord Nityananda. He was also known as

the

great grandson of Madana Mohana and the third son of his Godfather

Anandacandra. He would be known as daitya-kulera prahlada (Prahlada in the

family of demons). This was because Vaisnavism was not very much respected

in his family; on his mother's side, there was no respect for Vaisnavism at

all. He was named Kedaranatha Datta by his Godfather.

 

His childhood was spent at the mansion of his maternal grandfather Mustauphi

Mahasaya, in Biranagara. His environment at this time was very opulent. He

got his elementary education at the primary school started by his

grandmother. Later he attended an English school in Krishnanagara, started

by the King of Nadia; he left that school when his older brother died

unexpectedly of cholera.

 

When he was 11 years old, his father passed away. Subsequently, the grant of

land that had been conferred upon his grandmother changed owners; at this

time the family fell into a condition of poverty - their great wealth

proved to be illusory. Still, Kedaranatha Datta passed over these

difficulties with great endurance.

 

His mother arranged a marriage for him when he was 12 (in the year 1850) to

the 5 year old daughter of Madhusudana Mitra Mahasaya, a resident of Rana

Ghata.

 

Around this time Kedaranatha's uncle Kasiprasada Ghosh Mahasaya Thakur, who

had mastered British education, came to Ulagrama after the death of his

maternal grandfather. He schooled young Kedaranatha at his home in Calcutta;

this was at first resisted by the boy's mother, but by the time he was 13 he

was allowed to go to the big city.

 

His uncle's house was situated in the Heduya district of central Calcutta.

Kasiprasada was the central figure of the literary circle of his time, being

the editor of the Hindu Intelligencer newspaper; many writers came to him to

learn the art of writing in correct English. Kedaranatha assisted

Kasiprasada by judging manuscripts submitted to the newspaper. Kedaranatha

studied Kasiprasada's books and also frequented the public library. He

attended Calcutta's Hindu Charitable Institution high school and became an

expert English reader, speaker, and writer.

 

Kedaranatha became ill from the salty water of Calcutta. He returned to

Ulagrama and was treated by a Muslim soothsayer who predicted that the

village of Biranagara would soon become pestilence-ridden and deserted. The

Muslim also predicted Kedaranatha would become recognized as a great devotee

of Lord Krsna.

 

In the year 1856, when he was 18, Kedaranatha entered college in Calcutta.

He started writing extensively in both English and Bengali; these essays

were published in local journals. He also lectured in both languages. He

studied English literature at this time extensively, and taught speechmaking

to a person who later became a well-known orator in the British Parliament.

Between the years 1857-1858 he composed a two part English epic entitled

"The Poriade", which he planned to complete in 12 books. These two books

described

the life of Porus, who met Alexander the Great.

 

Dvijendranatha Thakur, the eldest son of Maharsi Devendranatha Tagore and

brother of the Nobel Prize winning poet Rabindranatha Tagore, was

Kedaranatha's best friend during these years. He assisted Kedaranatha in his

studies of Western religious literatures. Kedaranatha used to call

Dvijendranatha "baro dada", or big brother.

 

He was very taken by Christian theology, and found it more interesting than

Hindu monism. He would spend many hours comparing the writings of Channing,

Theodore Parker, Emerson and Newman. At the British-Indian Society he gave a

lecture on the evolution of matter through the material mode of goodness.

 

At the end of 1858 Kedaranatha returned to Biranagara and found that the

Muslim soothsayer's prediction about that place had come true: it was ruined

and deserted. Kedaranatha brought his mother and paternal grandmother with

him

from there to Calcutta. Soon after he went to Orissa to visit his paternal

grandfather, Rajavallabha Datta, formerly an important Calcutta gentleman

who

was now living as an ascetic in the Orissan countryside. His days were

coming

to a close, and he wanted Kedaranatha to be with him when he departed this

world. After receiving his grandfather's last instructions, he traveled to

all

the monasteries and temples in the state of Orissa.

 

Kedaranatha began to consider the question of the means of his livelihood.

He

was not interested in business, as he'd seen how the "necessary dishonesty"

of

the trade world had morally weakened the merchant class. He decided to

become

a school teacher. He established a school for English education in the

village

of Kendrapara near Chutigrama, in Orissa, thus becoming a pioneer in English

teaching in that state. He also could see the oppressive power wielded by

the

landowners of Chutigrama. After some time he went to Puri and passed a

teacher's examination; he got a teacher's post in a Cuttack school and later

became headmaster of a school in Bhadraka and then in Madinipura. His work

was

noted by the schoolboard authorities.

 

In Bhadraka, his first son Annada Prasada (Acyutananda) was born, in 1860.

He

published a book that year in English that described all the asramas and

temples in the state; this book received favorable mention in the work

called

"Orissa" by British historian Sir William Hunter. Hunter praised

Kedaranatha's

moral and religious character.

 

As the headmaster of the Medinipura high school, Kedaranatha studied many

popular Bengali religious sects, particularly their philosophies and

practices. He concluded they were all cheap. He came to understand that the

only real religion that had ever been established in Bengal was that of Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu; unfortunately, His movement was not well-represented.

Kedaranatha could not even get a copy of the 16th century Bengali biography

of

Lord Caitanya's activities on earth called Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, despite

searching in bookshops, libraries and monasteries all over Bengal.

 

Kedaranatha's first wife died, so in the town of Jakapura he married

Bhagyavati De. In 1861 Kedaranatha accepted the post of Deputy Magistrate in

the Government of Bengal. Then he became Collectorate Officer after seeing

the

corruption of the government workers. He established an organization called

the "Bhratr Samaja". He wrote an English book in 1863 called "Our Wants." At

this time he also constructed a home in Rana Ghata. Later in 1863 he stayed

at

Burdwan, where he composed two novel poems in Bengali: "Vijinagrama"

(deserted

village) and "Sannyasi." Volume 39 of the 1863 Calcutta Review praised these

poems, saying, "We hope the author will continue to give his countrymen the

benefit of his elegant and unassuming pen, which is quite free from those

objectionable licenses of thought and expression which abound in many dramas

recently published. The want of the day is the creation of a literature for

Hindu ladies, and we trust that many more educated natives will have the

good

sense to devote their time and abilities to the attainment of this most

desirable aim." The rhyme and style of these two poems were original; they

gave birth to a new way of writing poetry in the Bengali language.

 

In the year 1866 Kedaranatha took the position of Deputy Register with the

power of a Deputy Collector and Deputy Magistrate in the district of

Chapara.

He also became quite fluent in Persian and Urdu. In a placed called Saran in

Chapara, a clique of tea planters made unjust demands of him; he

successfully

opposed them. And while at Saran he visited the Gautam Asrama at Godana.

Desiring to establish a school for teaching nyaya-sastra, he delivered a

speech there (in 1866) which was well-received. The school was successfully

established, the foundation-stone being laid in 1883 by Sir Rivers Thomson,

after whom the school was named. Though Kedaranatha had no further part in

the

project after his speech, the talk he gave was instrumental in securing

public

aid for the school. Also in 1866 he translated the Balide Registry Manual

into

Urdu, which was circulated by the government throughout the United Provinces

of Agra and Oudh; this manual was used by the registration departments of

those areas.

 

Kedaranatha was transferred to Purniya from Chapara where he took charge of

the government and judicial departments; he was then transferred to

Dinajapur

(West Bengal) in 1868, becoming the Deputy Magistrate. At this time he

received copies of the Srimad Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta from

Calcutta.

 

He read Caitanya-caritamrta repeatedly; his faith in Krishna developed until

he was absorbed in Krsna consciousness day and night. He incessantly

submitted

heartfelt prayers for the Lord's mercy. He came to understand the supreme

majesty and power of the one and only Absolute Personality of Godhead Sri

Krsna. He published a song about Lord Caitanya entitled Saccidananda-

premalankara. In 1869, while serving as deputy magistrate under the

government

of Bengal in Dinajapur, he delivered a speech in the form of a treatise he

had

written on the Srimad-Bhagavatam to a big congregation of many prominent men

of letters from many parts of India and England.

 

He was transferred to Camparana, during which time his second son, Radhika

Prasada, was born. In Camparana people used to worship a ghost in a banyan

tree which had the power to influence the mind of the local judge to decide

in

the favor of the worshiper. Kedaranatha engaged the father of Pandita

Ramabhai, a famous girl scholar, to read Srimad-Bhagavatam under the tree;

after 1 month, the tree crashed to the ground, and many people found faith

in

the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

 

>From Camparana he went to Puri which engladdened his heart no end because

the

holy city of Puri, the site of the famous Krishna temple of Jagannatha, was

where Caitanya Mahaprabhu had resided for 18 years as a sannyasi

(renunciate).

 

Near Puri, in the town of Kamanala, there lived a yogi named Bisakisena, who

would lean into a fire while sitting closeby, then return to an erect

sitting

posture. In this way he'd rock back and forth over the flames and would also

produce fire from his head. He had two companions going by the names Brahma

and Siva; Bisakisena himself claimed to be Maha Vishnu. Some wealthy

landowners of Orissa came under his sway and were providing funds for the

construction of a temple. They also sent him women with whom he engaged in

"rasa-lila" enjoyments. Bisakisena declared he'd drive the British rulers

out

of Orissa and make himself king. Such inflammatory statements were

circulated

all around Orissa. The British thought him a revolutionary, so the District

Governor of the National Government of Bengal drew up arrest orders; but

nobody in Orissa dared to act upon these orders, as they all feared the

yogi's

power.

 

Mr. Ravenshaw, district commissioner for Orissa, requested Kedaranatha to

bring Bisakisena to justice. Kedaranatha went personally to Bisakisena, who

showed some powers and informed Kedaranatha that he knew well who he was and

his mission. He warned Kedaranatha that since he (Bisakisena) was the Lord,

he'd better not interfere with him. Kedaranatha replied by acknowledging

Bisakisena's accomplishments in yoga and invited him to come to Puri where

he

could see the Jagannatha temple. Bisakisena haughtily said, "Why should I

come

to see Jagannatha? He's only a hunk of wood; I am the Supreme in person."

Instantly furious, Kedaranatha arrested the rogue, brought him to Puri and

threw him in jail, where he was guarded by 3 dozen Muslim constables and 72

policemen from Cuttack day and night. "Brahma" and "Siva" avoided arrest by

claiming they'd been forced by Bisakisena to do as they'd done; but Mr.

Taylor, subdivision officer at Kodar, later prosecuted them.

 

Kedaranatha tried Bisakisena in Puri. The trial lasted 18 days, during which

time thousands of people gathered outside the courtroom demanding

Bisakisena's

release. On 6th day of the trial Kedaranatha's second daughter Kadambini

(age

7) became seriously ill and nearly died; but within a day she had recovered.

Kedaranatha knew it was the power of the yogi at work. He remarked, "Yes,

let

us all die, but this rascal must be punished." The very next day in court

the

yogi announced he'd shown his power and would show much more; he suggested

that Kedaranatha should release him at once or face worse miseries. On the

last day of the trial Kedaranatha himself became ill from high fever and

suffered exactly as his daughter had done for one whole day. But Kedaranatha

pronounced the man guilty and sentenced him to 18 months for political

conspiracy. When Bisakisena was being readied for jailing, one Dr. Walter,

the

District Medical Officer, cut off all the yogi's long hair. The yogi kept

his

mystic power in his hair and hadn't eaten or drunk during the whole trial,

so

when his hair was shorn he fell to the floor like a dead man and had to be

taken by stretcher to jail. After 3 months he was moved to the central jail

at

Midnapura where he took poison and died in the year 1873.

 

In Puri, Kedaranatha studied the Srimad-Bhagavatam with the commentary of

Sridhara Swami, copied out in longhand the Sat-sandarbhas of Jiva Goswami

and

made a special study of Rupa Goswami's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu.

 

Between the years 1874 and 1893, Kedaranatha spent much time in seclusion

chanting the holy name (though he still executed his worldly duties

perseveringly). He wrote several books in Sanskrit such as Tattva-sutra,

Datta-kaustubha and Tattva-viveka. He wrote many other books in Bengali such

as the Kalyana-kalpataru; in 1874 he composed Datta-kaustubha in Sanskrit.

 

While in Puri he established a Vaisnava discussion society known as the

Bhagavat-samsad in the Jagannatha-vallabha gardens, where the famous saint

Sri

Ramananda Raya stayed in meditation hundreds of years before. All the

prominent Vaisnavas joined this group except for Raghunatha dasa Babaji,

known

as Siddha Purusha. He thought that Kedaranatha was unauthorized, as he did

not

wear kanthi-mala (neckbeads) or tilaka (clay markings on 12 places of the

body). Moreover, he advised other Vaisnavas to avoid Kedaranatha's

association.

 

But soon thereafter Raghunatha dasa Babaji contracted a deathly illness.

Lord

Jagannatha appeared to him in a dream and told him to pray for the mercy of

Kedaranatha if he at all wanted release from the illness and death. He did

so;

Kedaranatha gave him special medicines and cured him. Raghunatha dasa Babaji

was blessed with a true awareness of Kedaranatha's spiritual position.

 

A well-known saint named Svarupa dasa Babaji did his worship at Satasana

near

the ocean in Puri. Svarupa showed much affection for Kedaranatha and gave

him

many profound instructions on the chanting of the holy name of Krishna.

 

A popular upstart holy man named Caran dasa Babaji preached and printed

books

advising a perverted style of kirtana (congregational chanting of the holy

names of God), advising that one should chant the Hare Krishna Mantra in

japa

and Nitai Gaura Radhe Syama Hare Krsna Hare Rama in kirtana. Kedaranatha

preached long and hard to him; after a long time Caran dasa Babaji came to

his

senses and begged forgiveness from Kedaranatha, admitting his fault in

spreading this nonsense fashion of chanting all over Bengal. Six months

later

Caran dasa went mad and died in great distress.

 

Kedaranatha became manager of the Jagannatha temple. He used his government

powers to establish strict regularity in the worship of the Deity. In the

Jagannatha temple courtyard he set up a Bhakti Mandapa, where daily

discourses

of Srimad Bhagavatam were held. Kedaranatha would spend long hours

discussing

Krsna and chanting the holy name, especially at the important sites of Sri

Caitanya's pastimes like the Tota Gopinatha temple, the tomb of Haridasa

Thakura, the Siddha Bakula tree and the Gambhira room. He made notes on the

Vedanta-sutra which were used by Sri Syamalala Goswami in the edition of the

Govinda Bhasya by Baladeva Vidyabhusana that he published.

 

Near the Jagannatha-vallabha gardens, in a large house adjacent to the

Narayana Chata Matha, on the 5th day of the dark fortnight of Magha in the

year 1874, the fourth son of Kedaranatha took birth. He was named Bimala

Prasada (and would later be known as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

Prabhupada, the spiritual master of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada,

founder of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness). Two years

earlier, Kamala Prasada, his third son, had taken birth.

 

In 1874 Kedaranatha discovered the Raja (king) of Puri had misappropriated

80

thousand rupees for his own sense pleasures. This money belonged to the

temple, so Kedaranatha forced the Raja to pay for the offerings of food to

Lord Jagannatha that are made 52 times daily. This diminished the money

quickly. The raja was angry at Kedaranatha and therefore, with the help of

50

brahmin priests, began a yajna (fire sacrifice) meant for killing

Kedaranatha

which went on for 30 days; when the last oblations were offered into the

fire,

the king's own son and not Kedaranatha died.

 

Kedaranatha left Puri on special business, returning to Bengal where he

visited the holy towns of Navadwip, Santipura and Kalana. He was put in

charge

of the subdivision Mahisarekha in Haora. After that he was transferred to

Bhadraka. In August 1878 he was made head of the subdivision Naraila in the

Yashohan district.

 

While in Naraila he published two books on Krsna that became famous around

the

world: Sri Krsna-samhita and Kalyana-kalpataru. In a letter dated April 16,

1880, Dr. Reinhold Rost wrote to Kedaranatha: "By representing Krishna's

character and his worship in a more sublime and transcendental light than

has

hitherto been the custom to regard him, you have rendered an essential

service

to your co-religionists, and no one would have taken more delight in your

work

than my departed friend Goldstuecker, the sincerest and most zealous

advocate

the Hindus ever had in Europe."

 

In 1877 Varada Prasada was born, his fifth son; in 1878, Viraja Prasada, the

sixth son, was born: both appeared at Rana Ghata.

 

Kedaranatha took formal Vaisnava initiation from Bipin Bihari Goswami, who

was

descended from the Jahnava family of Baghnapara. At the same time, his

seventh

son, Lalita Prasada, appeared at Rana Ghata.

 

Within a few years after his initiation, Kedaranatha was awarded by the

Vaisnavas the title "Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura" in appreciation for his

tireless propagation of the philosophy of devotion (bhakti) to Sri Krsna.

 

In Naraila, many people had formally adopted Vaisnavism, but they were not

trained in scriptural conclusions and thus were easily misled by upstarts

who

exploited their devotional sentiments. Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave these

simple

devotees of Krsna shelter and instructed them in Vaisnava-siddhanta (the

essential truths of Vaisnavism) most exactingly. In 1881 Bhaktivinoda began

publishing the Sajjanatosani, his Vaisnava journal.

 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura had previously pilgrimaged to the holy cities of

Benares,

Prayaga, Mathura and Vrndavana in 1866. At the close of his stay in Naraila

he

desired to again see Vrndavana, the land of Krsna. He took three months for

this purpose. He met Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji there, who moved every 6

months between Navadwipa (in Bengal) and Vrndavana. Bhaktivinoda Thakura

accepted Jagannatha dasa Babaji as his eternally worshipable siksa guru

(instructing spiritual master). During his pilgrimage at this time he dealt

with a gang of dacoits (highway robbers) known as the Kanjharas who robbed

and

killed many pilgrims; he gave evidence to the government and a commission

was

formed to wipe out this scourge.

 

>From Vrndavana he came to Calcutta and bought a house at 181 Maniktala

Street,

now called Ramasha Datta Street, near Bidana Park. He called the house

Bhakti-bhavan (place of devotion) and started daily worship of Sri

Giridhara.

He was appointed head of the subdivision of Barasat.

 

The well-known novelist Bankim Candra met Bhaktivinoda Thakura at Barasat.

Bankim Candra showed him a book he'd written about Krsna to Bhaktivinoda,

who

preached to Bankim Candra for four days, taking little food and hardly any

sleep; the result was Bankim Candra changed his ideas (which were mundane

speculations about Krsna) and his book to conform with the teachings of Sri

Caitanya. Bhaktivinoda Thakura used to say that knowledge is power.

 

During the last year of his stay at Barasat (1886), Bhaktivinoda Thakura

published an edition of the Bhagavad-gita with the Sanskrit commentary of

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, which he translated into Bengali (the

"Rasika-ranjana" translation). He had undertaken this task at the request of

Babu Sarada Carana Mitra, ex-judge of the Calcutta High Commission. Bankima

Candra wrote the preface, acknowledging his own indebtedness to Bhaktivinoda

Thakura; he noted that all Bengali readers would be indebted to Bhaktivinoda

for his saintly work.

 

>From Barasat, Bhaktivinoda Thakura was transferred to Sriramapur. At nearby

Saptagram he visited the residence of the great Vaisnava saint Uddharana

Datta

Thakura, a great associate of Lord Nityananda, who lived at the time of Sri

Caitanya in the 16th century AD. He visited the places of another great

Vaisnavas of that time, Abhirama Thakura, at Khanakula, and Vasu Ramananda,

at

Kulinagrama.

 

At Sriramapura he composed and published his masterly writing, Sri Caitanya

Siksamrta, Vaisnava-siddhanta-mala, Prema-pradipa and Manah-siksa. He was

also

publishing Sajjanatosani on a regular basis. In Calcutta he set up the Sri

Caitanya Yantra, a printing press at the Bhakti Bhavana, upon which he

printed

Maladhara's Sri Krsna-vijaya, his own Amnaya-sutra and the Caitanyopanisad

of

the Atharva Veda.

 

Finding the Caitanyopanisad was a difficult task. Hardly anyone in Bengal

had

heard of it. Bhaktivinoda Thakura traveled to many places in Bengal looking

for it; finally, one devoted Vaisnava pandita named Madhusudana dasa sent an

old copy he'd been keeping with him at Sambalapura to him. Bhaktivinoda

Thakura wrote a Sanskrit commentary on the book and called it Sri

Caitanya-caranamrta. Madhusudana dasa Mahasaya translated the verses into

Bengali; this translation was called Amrta-bindu. It was a sellout when

published.

 

In Calcutta Bhaktivinoda Thakura started the Sri Visva-Vaisnava Sabha,

dedicated to the preaching of pure bhakti as taught by Lord Caitanya. To

publicize the work of the society, Bhaktivinoda Thakura published a small

booklet entitled Visva-Vaisnava-kalpavi. Also he published his own edition

of

the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, with his Amrta-prabhava Bhasya commentary. And

he

introduced the Caitanyabda or Caitanya-era calendar, and gave assistance to

the propagation of the Caitanya Panjika, which established the feast day of

Gaura Purnima, which is the day of Caitanya's appearance in the material

world. He lectured and gave readings on Vaisnava books in various religious

societies. In the Hindu Herald, an English periodical, he published a

detailed

account of Sri Caitanya's life.

 

In the year 1887 Bhaktivinoda Thakura resolved to quit government service

and

go to Vrndavana with Bhaktibhringa Mahasaya for the rest of his life. One

night in Tarakeswara, while on government service, he had a dream in which

Sri

Caitanya appeared to him and spoke, "You will certainly go to Vrndavana, but

first there is some service you must perform in Navadwipa. When will you do

that?" When the Lord disappeared, Bhaktivinoda awoke. On the advice of

Bhaktibhringa Mahasaya he thereupon applied for a transfer to Krishnanagara,

where the government headquarters for the Navadvip district is situated. He

turned down offers of big posts in Assam and Tripura. He even tried to

retire

at this time, but his application was not accepted. Finally, in December of

1887 he managed to trade posts with Babu Radha Madhava Vasu, Deputy

Magistrate

of Krishnanagara.

 

During his stay at Krishnanagara, Bhaktivinoda Thakura used to go to

Navadwipa

and search for the birthsite of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the exact location

of

which had been lost in time. One night he was sitting on the roof of the

Rani

Dharmasala in Navadwipa chanting on his beads, when he spotted in the

distance

a very tall tala tree; near the tree was a small building that gave off a

remarkable effulgence. Soon afterwards, he went to the Krishnanagara

Collectory where he began to study some very old manuscripts of Caitanya

Bhagavata and Navadwipa Dhama Parikrama by Narahari Sarkar, and some old

maps

of the Navadwipa area. He went to the village of Ballaladibhi and spoke with

many elderly people there, and uncovered facts about the modern-day

Navadwipa.

In the year 1887 he discovered that the place he'd seen from the dharmasala

rooftop was in fact the birthplace of Mahaprabhu. This was confirmed by

Jagannatha dasa Babaji, the head of the Gaudiya Vaisnava community in

Navadwipa. A great festival was held there. Bhaktivinoda published the

Navadwipa Dhama Mahatmya, which elaborated the glories of the birthsite of

Sri

Caitanya. Also in 1887, Bhaktivinoda renovated the house of Jagannatha dasa

Babaji at Ravasghata. He took leave from office for two years and acquired a

plot of land at Sri Godadrumadwipa, or Svarupa Ganga. He built a retirement

house there called Surabhi Kunj.

 

In 1890 he established the "Nama Hatta" there. Sometimes Jagannatha dasa

Babaji would come there and have kirtana. Lord Nityananda had established

His

Nama Hatta at the same place and Bhaktivinoda considered himself the street

sweeper of the Nama Hatta of Nitai.

 

When the birthplace was uncovered, Bhaktivinoda and Jagannatha dasa Babaji

would worship Lord Caitanya there. Once one of Bhaktivinoda's sons

contracted

a skin disease and Jagannatha dasa Babaji told the boy to lie down at the

birthsite of Lord Caitanya for the night. He did so, and the next morning he

was cured.

 

In 1888 Bhaktivinoda took charge of the village of Netrakona in the district

of Mayamanasimha, because he could not keep good health in Krishnanagara and

had requested transfer to a more healthful region. From Netrakona he came to

Tangaila and from there he was transferred to the district of Vardhamana.

There he would hold kirtana with the devotees from a place called Amalajora,

headed by Ksetra Babu and Vipina Babu; they would sing poems like

Soka-satana

written by him.

 

He was put in charge of the Kalara subdivision in 1890, and from there would

often visit such holy places as Godadrumadwipa, Navadwipa, Capahati,

Samudragana, Cupi, Kasthasali, Idrakapura, Baghanapara, Pyariganga (the

place

of Nakula Brahmacari) and the place of Vrndavana dasa Thakura at Denura.

Soon

Bhaktivinoda Thakura was transferred for a few days to Ranighata, from where

he came to Dinajapura again. Sailaja Prasada was born there, his youngest

son.

In Dinajapura Bhaktivinoda wrote his Vidva-ranjana commentary and

translation

of the Bhagavad Gita; it was published in 1891 with the commentary of

Baladeva.

 

1891 was the year Bhaktivinoda Thakura took leave from the government

service

for two years. He desired to preach the chanting of the Hare Krsna

mahamantra.

>From his base at Svarupa Ganga he used to visit such places as Ghatala and

Ramajivana to lecture in clubs, societies and organizations. This he'd also

often do in Krishnanagara. In March of 1892 he traveled and preached with a

party of Vaisnavas in the Basirahata District. All the while he was writing

also. He opened many centers of Krishna worship (Nama Hatta) in different

districts of Bengal. The Nama Hatta became a self-sustaining success which

continued to spread even after his return to government service.

 

>From Basirahata he set out on his third trip to Vrndavana; he stopped off at

Amalajora to celebrate the Ekadasi day with Jagannatha dasa Babaji. In

Vrndavana, he visited all the forests and places of pastimes; he continued

to

give lectures and readings on Hari Nama in various places in Bengal when he

returned to Calcutta.

 

In February 1891 he gave a lecture on his investigation into the whereabouts

of the exact birthsite of Sri Caitanya; his audience included highly learned

men from all over Bengal, who became very enthusiastic at the news. Out of

this gathering the Sri Navadwipa Dhama Pracarini Sabha was formed for

spreading the glories of the Yogapitha (the birthsite). That year, on Gaura

Purnima, a big festival was held that witness the installation of Gaura-

Visnupriya Deities at the Yogapitha. All the learned pandits, having

deliberated fully on Bhaktivinoda Thakura's evidence, agreed that the

Yogapitha was the true birthsite of Mahaprabhu.

 

In 1892, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura published the book Vaisnava-siddhanta-

mala from his headquarters in Bengal. Later he printed individual chapters

of

Vaisnava-siddhanta-mala as separate booklets for public distribution. In

1900

he published Hari-nama-cintamani in Bengali poetic form.

 

In October 1894, at age 56, he retired from his post as Deputy Magistrate,

though this move was opposed by his family and the government authorities.

He

stayed at Svarupa Ganga to worship, lecture and revise his old writings.

Sometimes he went to Calcutta; there he begged door to door for funds to

construct a Yogapitha temple. In July 1896 Bhaktivinoda Thakura went to

Tripura at the request of the the king, who was a Vaisnava. He stayed in the

capital for 4 days and preached the chanting of the holy name of Krsna. His

lecture on the first day amazed all the local panditas; on the next two days

the royal family and general public thrilled to his talks on the pastimes of

Mahaprabhu.

 

Back in Svarupa Ganga, Bhaktivinoda Thakura printed a small booklet written

in

Sanskrit under the title Sri Gauranga-lila-smarana-mangala-stotram, with a

commentary by Srila Sitikantha Vacaspati of Nadia. The introduction in

English

was called "Caitanya Manaprabhu, His life and Precepts". This book found its

way into the library of the Royal Asiatic Society in London, the library of

McGill University in Canada and other respectable institutions. It was

reviewed in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society by Mr. F.W. Fraser, an

erudite British scholar.

 

In the rainy season of 1896, requested by the Maharaja of Tripura, he went

to

Darjilim and Karsiyam. In 1897 he went to many villages such as Medinipura

and

Sauri to preach.

 

Sisir Kumar Ghosh was the founder of the Amrta Bazar Patrika and the author

of

the Sri Amiya Nimai-carita. He had great respect for Bhaktivinoda Thakura;

he

also took up the preaching of the holy name throughout Calcutta and in many

villages in Bengal. He published the Sri Visnu Priya O Ananda Bazar Patrika

under the editorship of Bhaktivinoda. In one of his letters to Bhaktivinoda

he

wrote, "I have not seen the six Goswamis of Vrndavana but I consider you to

be

the seventh Goswami."

 

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati had been residing at Puri as a strict renunciate

and

was engaged in worship at the Gandharvika Giridhari Matha, one of seven

mathas

near the samadhi tomb of Haridasa Thakura. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, desiring to

help his son, had the monastery cleaned and repaired when he came to Puri

himself at the beginning of the 20th century. After Bhaktisiddhanta

Saraswati

left Puri for Sri Navadwipa Mayapur, Bhaktivinoda Thakura constructed his

own

place of bhajana on the beach, calling it Bhakti Kuti; Krsnadasa Babaji,

Bhaktivinoda Thakura's devoted assistant and disciple, joined him there at

this time. He was his constant attendant up to the end of Bhaktivinoda

Thakura's life. He began solitary worship (bhajan) at this time; he had many

visitors at this place. Some of them simply wanted to disturb him, whereas

others were sincere and benefitted greatly from his spiritual inspiration.

 

In 1908, 3 months before Bhaktivinoda Thakura renounced the world, one of

his

sons who was working in a Calcutta government office came home to inform his

father that Sir William Duke, chief secretary to the government, was in

Calcutta. Bhaktivinoda Thakura had served under him as a magistrate.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura made an appointment to meet him the next day at the

government building. Sir William Duke greeted Bhaktivinoda Thakura on the

street outside the building and personally escorted him into his office.

With

folded hands, he asked forgiveness for having once planned to remove

Bhaktivinoda Thakura from his post of district magistrate; this was because

he

thought that if such qualified Indians held such important posts, the

British

would not last much longer in India. Formerly Sir William Duke used to visit

to Bhaktivinoda's house and would even take his meals there. Such

familiarity

between British nobility and the native people of India was uncommon. Now

that

Sir William was getting old, he wished to clear his conscience of guilty

feelings from the past, and so confessed to Bhaktivinoda Thakura that he'd

thought ill of him despite their close relationship. Bhaktivinoda Thakura

answered, "I considered you to be a good friend and a well-wisher all

along."

Pleased with Sir William, he gave him his blessings. Later Bhaktivinod

Thakura

admitted he was astonished that Duke wanted to harm him in some way.

 

In 1908 Bhaktivinoda Thakura took vesa (the dress of babaji, or renunciate)

at

Satasana in Puri. Until 1910 he would move between Calcutta and Puri, and

continued to write; but after that he stopped all activity and remained in

Puri, absorbed in the holy name of Krishna. He shut himself up and entered

samadhi, claiming paralysis. On June 23, 1914, just before noon at Puri,

Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura left his body. This day was also the disappearance day

of

Sri Gadadhara Pandita. Amidst sankirtana his remains were interred in

Godruma

after the next solstice; the summer solstice had just begun when he had left

his body.

 

About Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sarada Carana Mitra, Calcutta High Court

Judge, wrote: "I knew Thakura Bhaktivinoda intimately as a friend and a

relation. Even under the pressure of official work as a magistrate in charge

of a heavy district he could always find time for devotional contemplation

and

service, and whenever I met him, our talk would turn in a few moments to the

subject of devotion, dvaitadvaita-vada philosophy and the saintly work that

lay before him. Service of God is the only thing he longed for and service

under the government, however honorable, was to him a clog."

 

In executing his government service, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura would wear

coat and pants to court, with double-size tulasi neckbeads and tilaka. He

was

very strong in his decisions; he would decide immediately. He did not allow

any humbug in his court; no upstart could stand before him. He would shave

his

head monthly.

 

He was always charitable to brahmanas, and equally befriended other castes.

He

never showed pride, and his amiable disposition was a characteristic feature

of his life. He never accepted gifts from anyone; he even declined all

honors

and titles offered by the government to him on the grounds that they might

stand against his holy mission of life. He was very strict in moral

principles, and avoided the luxurious life; he would not even chew betel. He

never allowed harmonium and he never had any debts. He disliked theaters

because they were frequented by public women.

 

He spoke Bengali, Sanskrit, English, Latin, Urdu, Persian and Oriya. He

started writing books at age 12, and continued turning out a profuse number

of

volumes up until his departure from this world.

 

His schedule:

 

7:30-8:00 PM - take rest

10:00 PM - rise, light oil lamp, write

4:00 AM - take rest

4:30 - rise, wash hands and face, chant japa

7:00 - write letters

7:30 - read

8:30 - receive guests, or continue to read

9:30-9:45 - take rest

9:45 - morning bath, breakfast of half-quart milk, couple chapatis, fruit

9:55 - go to court in carriage

10:00 - court began.

1:00 PM - court finished. He'd come home and bathe and refresh.

2:00 PM - return to office.

5:00 PM - translate works from Sanskrit to Bengali

Then take evening bath and meal of rice, couple of chapatis, half-quart of

milk.

 

He always consulted a pocket watch, and kept time very punctually.

 

> His divine character:

> About BVP, Sarada Carana Mitra, Calcutta High Court Judge,

> wrote: "I knew Thakur Bhaktivinode intimately as a friend and a

> relation. Even under the pressure of official work as a magistrate in

charge > of a heavy subdivision he could always find time for devotional

contemplation> and work, and whenever I met him, our talk would turn in a

few moments to the > subject of bhakti and dvaitadvaita-vada and the saintly

work that lay before > him. Service of God is the only thing he longed for

and service under the > government,however honorable, was to him a clog."

>

> His schedule:

>

> 7:30-8:00 PM - take rest

> 10:00 PM - rise, light oil lamp, write

> 4:00 AM - take rest

> 4:30 - rise, wash hands and face, chant japa

> 7:00 - write letters

> 7:30 - read

> 8:30 - receive guests, or continue to read

> 9:30-9:45 - take rest

> 9:45 - morning bath, breakfast of half-quart milk, couple chapatis, fruit

9:55 - go to court in carriage

> He would wear coat and pants to court, with double-size tulasi

> neckbeads and tilaka. He was very strong in his decisions; he would

decide > immediately. He did not allow any humbug in his court; no upstart

could stand > before him. He would shave his head monthly. He never allowed

harmonium and he > never had any debts.

> 10:00 - court began.

> 1:00 PM - court finished. He'd come home and bathe and refresh.

> 2:00 PM - return to office.

> 5:00 PM - translate works from Sanskrit to Bengali

> Then take evening bath and meal of rice, couple of chapatis,

> half-quart of milk.

>

> He always consulted a pocket watch, and kept time very

> punctually. He was always charitable to brahmanas, and equally

> befriended other castes. He never showed pride, and his amiable

> disposition was a characteristic feature of his life. He never

> accepted gifts from anyone; he even declined all honors and titles

offered by > the government to him on the grounds that they might stand

against his holy > mission of life. He was very strict in moral principles,

and avoided the > luxurious life; he would not even chew betel. He dislike

theaters because they > were frequented by public women.

>

> He spoke Bengali, Sanskrit, English, Latin, Urdu, Persian and Oriya.

>

> He started writing books at age 12, and continued turning out a

> profuse number of volumes up until his departure from this world.

 

 

Here is an excerpt from a class given by Srila Prabhupada in London on Sept,

23, 1969, on Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day.

 

...."Your business is to understand Krsna. So, anyone who knows Krsna

perfectly, you have to go there: 'tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet'.

The vedic injunction is not that you have to approach a sannyasi, or a

grhastha, an Indian, or an American. No! a guru means one who knows the

Science of Krsna.

 

So, this Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a grhastha; a very responsible officer, a

magistrate and he was so exalted that he would come from his office,

generally at 5 O'clock, then take his supper and immediately go to bed.

 

Say at seven o'clock in the evening, he goes to bed and he wakes up at

twelve o'clock...It is sufficient sleep: 5 hours. One should not sleep more

than five to six hours. Minimize as far as possible...

 

There are some big politicians, they used to sleep for two hours.

So, especially in spiritual life, we should minimize, as far as possible,

eating, sleeping, mating, minimize...

 

So, this Bhaktivinoda Thakura regularly he was coming from his office, and

after taking his supper, immediately goes to bed and wakes up at twelve

o'clock, and he studies his books.

 

He wrote, he left behind him, about one hundred books and he excavated the

birth place of Lord Caitanya, organized how to develop that birth site,

Mayapura. He had so many business.

 

He used to go to preach about Caitanya's philosophy. He used to send books

to foreign contries...He attempted to send the 'Life and Precept of Lord

Caitanya'in ...University in Montreal. So, he was busy: Acarya.

 

One has to adjust things. Not that because I am grhastha, householder, I can

not become a Spiritual Master. It is the business of the sannyasis or

brahmacaris. No! It is the business of everyone.

 

The whole world is suffering for want of knowledge. The present civilization

is animal civilization. They do not know anything beyong: eating, sleeping,

mating, and defending; that's all! This is animal civilization. The animal

doesn't know beyong these four principles of life.

 

No! Human life is meant for something else: what I am? What is God?

What is my relation with God? What is this material world? Why I am here?

Where I have to go next? One has to learn these things...This is human life.

 

Therefore, there is a need of Acaryas, teachers, for propagating spiritual

knowledge, Krsna-consciousness.

 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura was, although he was a grhastha, householder,

Government officer, magistrate, but he was also Acarya.

 

So, from his dealings, from his life, we should learn how one can become a

preacher, in any stage of life. It doesn't matter..."

 

And the class goes on with wonderful stories, from Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura 's personal experiences as a magistrate in Jagannath Puri.

 

All glories to that self-realized, pure, learned and transcendental grhastha

Acarya. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura KI.....JAYA!

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada

 

THAKUR BHAKTIVINODE

The Harmonist, December 1931, vol. XXIX No.6

 

"We avail of the opportunity offered by the Anniversary Celebrations of the

advent of Thakur Bhaktivinode to reflect on the right method of obtaining

those benefits that have been made accessible to humanity by the grace of

this great devotee of Krishna. Thakur Bhaktivinode has been specifically

kind to those unfortunate persons who are engrossed in mental speculation of

all kinds. This is the prevalent malady of the present Age. The other

Acaryas who appeared before Thakur Bhaktivinode did not address their

discourses so directly to the empiric thinkers. They had been more merciful

to those who are naturally disposed to listen to discourses on the Absolute

without being dissuaded by the specious arguments of avowed opponents of

Godhead.

 

Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode has taken the trouble of meeting the perverse

arguments of mental speculationists by the superior transcendental logic of

the Absolute Truth. It is thuspossible for the average modern readers to

profit by the perusal of his writings. That day is not far distant when the

priceless volumes penned by Thakur Bhaktivinode will be reverently

translated, by the recipients of his grace, into all the languages of the

world.

 

The writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode provide the golden bridge by which the

mental speculationist can safely cross the raging waters of fruitless

empiric controversies that trouble the peace of those who choose to trust in

their guidance for finding the Truth. As soon as the sympathetic reader is

in a position to appreciate the sterling quality of Thakur Bhaktivinode's

philosophy the entire vista of the revealed literatures of the world will

automatically open out to his reclaimed vision.

 

There have, however, already arisen serious misunderstandings regarding the

proper interpretation of the life and teachings of Srila Thakur

Bhaktivinode. Those who suppose they understand the meaning of his message

without securing the guiding grace of the Acarya are disposed to unduly

favour the methods of empiric study of his writings. There are persons who

have got by heart almost everything that he wrote without being able to

catch the least particle of his meaning. Such study cannot benefit those who

are not prepared to act up to the instructions lucidly conveyed by his

words. There is no honest chance of missing the warnings of Thakur

Bhaktivinode. Those, therefore, who are misled by the perusal of his

writings are led astray by their own obstinate perversity in sticking to the

empiric course which they prefer to cherish against his explicit warnings.

Let these unfortunate persons look more carefully into their own hearts for

the cause of their misfortunes.

 

The personal service of the pure devotee is essential for understanding the

spiritual meaning of the words of Thakur Bhaktivinode. The Editor of this

Journal, originally started by Thakur Bhaktivinode, has been trying to draw

the attention of all followers of Thakur Bhaktivinode to this all-important

point of his teachings. It is not necessary to try to place ourselves on a

footing of equality with Thakur Bhaktivinode. We are not likely to benefit

by any mechanical imitation of any practices of Thakur Bhaktivinode on the

opportunist principle that they may be convenient for us to adopt. The Guru

is not an erring mortal whose activities can be understood by the fallible

reason of unreclaimed humanity. There is an eternally impassable line of

demarcation between the Saviour and the saved. Those who are really saved

can alone know this.Thakur Bhaktivinode belongs to the category of the

spiritual world-teachers who eternally occupy the superior position.

 

The present Editor has all along felt it his paramount duty to try to clear

up the meaning of the life and teachings of Thakur Bhaktivinode by the

method of submissive listening to the Transcendental Sound from the lips of

the pure devotee. The Guru who realises the transcendental meaning of all

sounds, is in a position to serve the Absolute by the direction of the

Absolute conveyed through every sound. The Transcendental Sound is Godhead,

the mundane sound is non-Godhead. All sound has got these opposite

aptitudes. All sound reveals its Divine face to the devotee and only

presents its deluding aspect to the empiric pedant. The devotee talks

apparently the same language as the deluded empiric pedant who had got by

heart the vocabulary of the Scriptures. But notwithstanding apparent

identity of performance, the one has no access to the reality while the

other is absolutely free from all delusion.

 

Those who repeat the teachings of Thakur Bhaktivinode from memory do not

necessarily understand the meaning of the words they mechanically repeat.

Those who can pass an empiric examination regarding the contents of his

writings are not necessarily also self-realised souls. They may not at all

know the real meaning of the words they have learnt by the method of empiric

study.Take for example the Name "Krishna". Every reader of Thakur

Bhaktivinode's works must be aware that the Name manifests Himself on the

lips of His serving devotees although He is inaccessible to our mundane

senses. It is one thing to pass the examination by reproducing this true

conclusion from the writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode and quite another matter

to realise the Nature of the Holy Name of Krishna by the process conveyed by

the words.

 

Thakur Bhaktivinode did not want us to go to the clever mechanical reciter

of the mundane sound for obtaining access to the Transcendental Name of

Krishna. Such a person may be fully equipped with all the written arguments

in explanation of the nature of the Divine Name. But if we listen to all

these arguments from the dead source the words will only increase our

delusion. The very same words coming from the lips of the devotee will have

the diametrically opposite effect. Our empiric judgment can never grasp the

difference between the two performances. The devotee is always right. The

non-devotee in the shape of the empiric pedant is always and necessarily

wrong. In the one case there is always present the Substantive Truth and

nothing but the Substantive Truth. In the other case there is present the

apparent or misleading hypothesis and nothing but un-truth. The wording may

have the same external appearance in both cases. The identical verses of the

Scriptures may be recited by the devotee and the non-devotee, may be

apparently misquoted by the non-devotee but the corresponding valuesof the

two processes remain always categorically different. The devotee is right

even when he apparently misquotes, the non-devotee is wrong even when he

quotes correctly the very words, chapter and verse of the Scriptures.

 

It is not empiric wisdom that is the object of quest of the devotee. Those

who read the scriptures for gathering empiric wisdom will be pursuing the

wild goose chase. There are not a few dupes of their empiric Scriptural

erudition. These dupes have their admiring under-dupes. But the mutual

admiration society of dupes does not escape, by the mere weight of their

number, the misfortunes due to the deliberate pursuit of the wrong course in

accordance with the suggestions of our lower selves.

 

What are the Scriptures? They are nothing but the record by the pure

devotees of the Divine Message appearing on the lips of the pure devotees.

The Message conveyed by the devotees is the same in all ages. The words of

the devotees are ever identical with the Scriptures. Any meaning of the

Scriptures that belittles the function of the devotee who is the original

communicant of the Divine Message contradicts its own claim to be heard.

Those who think that the Sanskrit language in its lexicographical sense is

the language of the Divinity are as deluded as those who hold that the

Divine Message is communicable through any other spoken dialects. All

languages simultaneously express and hide the Absolute. The mundane face of

all languages hides the Truth. The Transcendental face of all sound

expresses nothing but the Absolute. The pure devotee is the speaker of the

Transcendental language. The Transcendental Sound makes His appearance on

the lips of His pure devotee. This is the direct, unambiguous appearance of

Divinity. On the lips of non-devotees the Absolute always appears in His

deluding aspect. To the pure devotee the Absolute reveals Himself under all

circumstances. To the conditioned soul, if he is disposed to listen in a

truly submissive spirit, the language of the pure devotee can alone impart

the knowledge of the Absolute. The conditioned soul mistakes the deluding

for the real aspect when he chooses to lend his ear to the non-devotee. This

is the reason why the conditioned soul is warned to avoid all association

with non-devotees.

 

Thakur Bhaktivinode is acknowledged by all his sincere followers as

possessing the above powers of the pure devotee of Godhead. His words have

to be received from the lips of a pure devotee. If his words are listened

from the lips of a non-devotee they will certainly deceive. If his works are

studied in the light of one's own worldly experience their meaning will

refuse to disclose itself to such readers. His works belong to the class of

the eternal revealed literature of the world and must be approached for

their right understanding through their exposition by the pure devotee. If

no help from the pure devotee is sought the works of Thakur Bhaktivinode

will be grossly misunderstood by their readers. The attentive reader of

those works will find that he is always directed to throw himself upon the

mercy of the pure devotee if he is not to remain unwarrantably

self-satisfied by the deluding results of his wrong method of study.

 

The writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode are valuable because they demolish all

empiric objections against accepting the only method of approaching the

Absolute in the right way. They cannot and were never intended to give

access to the Absolute without help from the pure devotee of Krishna. They

direct the sincere enquirer of the Truth, as all the revealed scriptures do,

to the pure devotee of Krishna to learn about Him by submitting to listen

with an open mind to the Transcendental Sound appearing on His lips. Before

we open any of the books penned by Thakur Bhaktivinode we should do well to

reflect a little on the attitude, with which as the indispensable

pre-requisite, to approach its study. It is by neglecting to remember this

fundamental principle that the empiric pedants find themselves so hopelessly

puzzled in their vain endeavour to reconcile the statements of the different

texts of the Scriptures. The same difficulty is already in process of

overtaking many of the so-called followers of Thakur Bhaktivinode and for

the same reason.

 

The person to whom the Acarya is pleased to transmit hispower is alone in a

position to convey the Divine Message. This constitutes the underlying

principle of the line of succession of the spiritual teachers. The Acarya

thus authorised has no other duty than that of delivering intact the message

received from all his predecessors. There is no difference between the

pronouncements of one Acarya and another. All of them are perfect mediums

for the appearance of the Divinity in the Form of the Transcendental Name

Who is identical with His Form, Quality, Activity and Paraphernalia.

 

The Divinity is Absolute Knowledge. Absolute Knowledge has the character of

indivisible Unity. One particle of the Absolute Knowledge is capable of

revealing all the potency of the Divinity. Those who want to understand the

contents of the volumes penned by the piece-meal acquisitive method

applicable to deluding knowledge available to the mind on the mundane plane,

are bound to be self-deceived. Those who are sincere seekers of the Truth

are alone eligible to find Him, in and through the proper method of His

quest.

 

In order to be put on the track of the Absolute, listening to the words of

the pure devotee is absolutely necessary. The spoken word of the Absolute is

the Absolute. It is only the Absolute Who can give Himself away to the

constituents of His power. The Absolute appears to the listening ear of the

conditioned soul in the form of the Name on the lips of the sadhu. This is

the key to the whole position. The words of Thakur Bhaktivinode direct the

empiric pedant to discard his wrong method and inclination on the threshold

of the real quest of the Absolute. If the pedant still chooses to carry his

errors into the Realm of the Absolute Truth he only marches by a deceptive

bye-path into the regions of darker ignorance by his arrogant study of the

scriptures. The method offered by Thakur Bhaktivinode is identical with the

object of the quest. The method is not really grasped except by the grace of

the pure devotee. The arguments, indeed, are these. But they can only

corroborate, but can never be a substitute for, the word from the living

source of the Truth who is no other than the pure devotee of Krishna, the

concrete Personal Absolute.

 

Thakur Bhaktivinode's greatest gift to the world consists in this; that he

has brought about the appearance of those puredevotees who are, at present,

carrying on the movement of unalloyed devotion to the Feet of Shree Krishna

by their own wholetime spiritual service of the Divinity. The purity of the

soul is only analogously describable by the resources of the mundane

language. The highest ideal of empiric morality is no better than the

grossest wickedness to the Transcendental perfect purity of the bonafide

devotee of the Absolute. The word 'morality' itself is a mischievous

misnomer when it is applied to any quality of the conditioned soul. The

hypocritical contentment with a negative attitude is part and parcel of the

principle of undiluted immorality.

 

Those who pretend to recognise the Divine Mission of Thakur Bhaktivinode

without aspiring to the unconditional service of those pure souls who really

follow the teachings of the Thakur by the method enjoined by the scriptures

and explained by Thakur Bhaktivinode in a way that is so eminently suited to

the requirements of the sophisticated mentality of the present Age, only

deceive themselves andtheir willing victims by their hypocritical

professions and performances. These persons must not be confounded with the

bonafide members of the flock.

 

Thakur Bhaktivinode has predicted the consummation of religious unity of the

world by the appearance of the only universal church which bears the eternal

designation of the Brahma Sampradaya. He has given mankind the blessed

assurance that all Theistic churches will shortly merge in the one eternal

spiritual community by the grace of the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna

Chaitanya. The spiritual community is not circumscribed by the conditions of

time and space, race and nationality. Mankind had been looking forward to

this far-off Divine Event through the Long Ages. Thakur Bhaktivinode has

made the conception available in its practicable spiritual form to the open

minded empiricist who is prepared to undergo the process of enlightenment.

The key stone of the Arch has been laid which will afford the needed shelter

to all awakened animation under its ample encircling arms. Those who would

thoughtlessly allow their hollow pride of race, pseudo-knowledge or

pseudo-virtue to stand in the way of this long hoped for consummation, would

have to thank only themselves for not being incorporated in the spiritual

society of all pure souls.

These plain words need not be misrepresented, by arrogant persons who are

full of the vanity of empiric ignorance, as the pronouncements of aggressive

sectarianism. The aggressive pronouncement of the concrete Truth is the

crying necessity of the moment for silencing the aggressive propaganda of

specific untruths that is being carried on all over the world by the

preachers of empiric contrivances for the amelioration of the hard lot of

conditioned souls. The empiric propaganda clothes itself in the language of

negative abstraction for deluding those who are engrossed in the selfish

pursuit of worldly enjoyment.

 

But there is a positive and concrete function of the pure soul which should

not be perversely confounded with any utilitarian form of worldly activity.

Mankind stands in need of that positive spiritual function of which the

hypocritical impersonalists are in absolute ignorance. The positive function

of the soul harmonises the claims of extreme selfishness with those of

extreme self-abnegation in the society of pure souls even in this mundane

world. In its concrete realisable form the function is perfectly

inaccessible to the empiric understanding. Its imperfect and misleading

conception alone is available by the study of the Scriptures to the

conditioned soul that is not helped by the causeless grace of the pure

devotees of Godhead."