Bhakti vinodh thakur.

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Recieved from Iskcon, S.Africa.

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

 

 

 

Bhaktivinoda Thakur is responsible for reestablishing Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu's sankirtan movement which had become almost extinct by the mid

19th century. Due to sahajiya influence, the mission had deteriorated

greatly, and later, by the policy of the British Raj, was further perverted.

Through his tireless efforts, however, the Thakur restored the purity,

prestige and respect of the Vaisnava creed amongst the cultured gentlemen of

his day. He also sowed the seeds for future propagation of the mission

worldwide.

Born Sunday 2 September 1838 of the wealthy Dutta family in the

ancient village of Ulanagar, he is given the name Kedarnath. From early

childhood he is attracted to hearing about Rama and Krsna. He loves to hear

the recitation of Ramayan and Mahabharata at festival times. The village is

very prosperous in these early days.

At seven he excels in reading and reciting, studying Bengali and

mathematics. That year his elder brother and his maternal uncle both pass

away. By his eighth year his two younger brothers also meet their death. He

is obliged to experience the pain of the temporary material world. At nine

he takes up the study of astrology. The family fortunes begin to decline,

however, and by age eleven his father dies. The youngster begins to

question, "What is this world? Who are we?"

His mother arranges his marriage at twelve to a five year old girl.

She hopes to improve the family fortunes by this arrangement. At fourteen

his uncle brings him to Calcutta to further his education. In his first year

at the Hindu Charitable Institution School he takes top honors in the

examinations and receives a medal. He begins to contribute articles to the

Literary Gazette and completes an epic poem called The Poriade in two

volumes at the age of eighteen.

His College years are spent researching the works of western

philosophers. He takes up the study of world religions reading the Bible and

the Koran. Giving lectures around Calcutta, he soon becomes known as a great

debater and logician.

In 1856 he returns to Ula. There has been an outbreak of cholera.The

village is empty and hundreds of people he knew have died, including his

sister. His wife had also been ill but recovers. He takes his mother and

grandmother to live with him in Calcutta. His wife, now 12, remains with her

father. At nineteen his first job is teaching second grade at the Hindu

Charitable institution School for fifteen rupees a month, but he can't meet

expenses. His mother has to sell a gold necklace to pay the back rent.

In 1858, a letter arrives with word that his paternal grandfather is

about to leave this world and wishes to see him before dying. He sets out

with his wife and mother. The old man appears healthy enough on arrival,

sitting upon a bed in the courtyard of his house, leaning against a bolster

pillow, and chanting the holy name continuously. Srila Bhaktivinoda

describes the incident in his autobiography written as a letter in 1896.

"He called for me and said, 'After my death, do not tarry many days

in this place. Whatever work you do by the age of 27 will be your principal

occupation. You will become a great Vaisnava. I give you all my blessings.'

Immediately after saying this, his life left him, bursting out from the top

of his head. Such an amazing death is rarely seen."

Thereafter, he takes his wife and mother to Cuttack and lives

comfortably on a sixth grade teacher's salary of twenty rupees a month. In

1860 he shifts his family to Bhadrak with the position of headmaster for 45

rupees a month. A year later he receives another position in Midnapur. It is

here that he develops a desire to read Caitanya Caritamrta.

"I developed a feeling for pure bhakti, but I did not begin to

practice it. While I was at the school in Midnapur I decided that I would

obtain and read books on the Vaisnava dharma. There was a jati Vaisnava

pandit at the school. I learned from talking to him how Caitanya Mahaprabhu

preached the Vaisnava dharma in Bengal and that the history and teachings of

Caitanya were recorded in the book known as Caitanya Caritamrta. I began to

search, but I could not secure a copy of the Caritamrta. I had faith that by

reading that book I would achieve happiness, but Vaisnava books were not in

print then."

Toward the end of 1861 his wife becomes ill and dies, leaving him

with a ten month old son. "I endured this grief like a warrior according to

the Psalm of Life." His mother tries to raise the child, but she is too old

and finds it difficult. Two months later he remarries Srimati Bhagavati

Devi, a sincere Vaisnavi of noble character, peaceful, and accomplished in

all she does.

In 1863, he writes two poems that are published in the prestigious

Calcutta Review, volume 39. He is highly praised for this work. He is now

the Head Clerk of the Judge's Court in Chuadanga on a salary of 150 rupees a

month. It is here that he passes a law examination. In 1866 he accepts the

position of Special Deputy Registrar of Assurances with powers of a Deputy

Magistrate and Deputy Collector. He is 27 years old!

He takes his first tour of Vrndavan later that year and visits other

holy places including Mathura, Prayag, and Kasi. In March of 1868 he finally

obtains a copy of Caitanya Caritamrta at Dinajpur, where he is appointed

Deputy Magistrate.

"On my first reading of Caitanya Caritamrta I developed some faith

in Sri Caitanya. On the second reading I understood that there was no pandit

equal to Sri Caitanya. Then I had a doubt. Being such a learned scholar and

having manifested the reality of love of Godhead to such an extent, how is

it that He recommends the worship of the improper character of Krishna? I

was initially amazed at this, and I thought about it deeply. Afterwards, I

prayed to the Lord with great humility. 'O Lord! Please let me understand

the mystery of this matter.' The mercy of God is without limit. Seeing my

eagerness and humbleness, within a few days He bestowed his mercy upon me

and supplied the intelligence by which I could understand. I then understood

that the truth of Krsna is very deep and confidential and the highest

principle of the science of Godhead. From this time on, I knew God as Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I made an effort to always speak with renounced

Vaisnava pundits, and I came to understand many aspects of the Vaisnava

dharma. In my very childhood the seed of faith in the Vaisnava religion was

planted in my heart, and now it had sprouted. From the beginning I

experienced anuraga, and it was very wonderful. Day and night I liked to

read about krsna tattva."

Shortly thereafter, Bhaktivinoda writes a short poem out of ecstatic

feeling for Lord Caitanya called sac-cid-ananda-premalankara. From this time

on he becomes famous as Sac-cid-ananda, one who embodies eternity, knowledge

and bliss.

Here we see Lord Caitanya reawakening the feelings of devotion in

Bhaktivinoda, as they had been kept hidden to allow the Thakur to establish

himself within the British Raj. Now his spiritual mission begins to

manifest. Like Arjuna, it is for the benefit of all that come behind him.

 

In 1869 he gives a lecture in Dinajpur to many learned gentlemen of

religion and culture, who have come from all over India. Some interested

Englishmen also attend. This speech later takes the form of a book: The

Bhagavat: Its Philosophy, Its Ethics and Its Theology. In this talk he

criticizes the sectarianism that characterizes the religious strife between

men. He also recounts his own history as a sectarian thinker who ignored the

beauty of the Bhagavatam due to early prejudices imbibed from the English.

He presents himself as a sectarian thinker who has had his eyes opened by

Sri Caitanya. Next he glorifies the Bhagavatam, and finally he explains the

mysterious nature of Krsna's dalliances with the gopis, enlightening the

listener with its profound universal meaning.

What better person could Lord Caitanya choose to preach to the

intelligentsia of his day than the Thakur? He is fully conversant with the

burning issues of the times, well studied in the major philosophies and

religions of the world, and a highly respectable figure in both Hindu and

English circles. His opinions are seriously heard by both camps.

In 1871 he moves to Puri and takes up the study of the Goswami's

literature while serving there as Chief Magistrate. Inspired by the holy

dham, he composes two English poems. The first On Haridas Samadhi, contains

one of his most famous verses.

He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die

When thou art living still in sound.

The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try

To spread a holy life around.

The Thakura's heart is overflowing with deep spiritual emotions as

he visits the holy sites of Mahaprabhu's pastimes. His second poem, the 22

verse Saragrahi Vaisnava, describes the futility of material aspirations

for sensory pleasures, and the soul's journey to the eternal spiritual

realm.

There rests my Soul from matter free

Upon my Lover's arms,

Eternal peace and Spirit's love

Are all my chanting charms!

The same year he writes an essay To Love God wherein he gives a deep

purport to the great commandment of Jesus the Christ; "Love the Lord thy God

with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and with all thy

strength, and love thy neighbor as thy self." He compares this commandment

to the teachings of Vaisnavism, demonstrating how Sri Caitanya further

promulgated the teachings of Lord Jesus.

Within the first year of the Thakur's stay in Puri, the British ask

him to watch over the affairs of the Jagannath Temple on behalf of the

government. Due to his untiring work many bad practices at the temple are

curbed, and the offerings to the Lord are regulated to punctuality.

As the magistrate for Puri he arrests the scoundrel yogi Bisakisen,

possessed of mystic powers, who had proclaimed himself the incarnation of

Maha Visnu. The foolish people of the locality had indulged him, being

fearful of his mystic prowess. Other villages are up in arms about the

yogi's affairs with married women and anxious that this fever might spread

to the women of their own villages resulting in scandal and humiliation.

Bhaktivinoda apprehends the yogi and holds him over in jail for

trial. Fasting from food and drink, the yogi increases his mystic potency to

inflict hardships on the Thakur's family.

"All over Puri there were disturbances. At that time the Puri School

had a fire, and all of the people suspected him. Also at this time Kadur [a

pet name for his daughter Kadambini] came down with fever. Bisakisen, by his

practice of yoga, had by some means attained yogic powers, and I obtained a

lot of evidence against him. For twenty-one days he did not eat or drink

even a drop of water, but he did not show any weakness and gave unfailing

cures to many people."

At last he is brought to trial and sentenced. Thousands of the

yogi's followers are outside the courtroom chanting "Injustice". A young

British officer, who had been reading about the mystic powers of yogis,

rushes up behind the yogi as he is being transported from the courtroom and

cuts off his matted locks with a huge pair of scissors. The yogi immediately

falls down on the floor unable to walk. When his followers see that he has

been overcome simply by having his hair removed, they desert him. The Thakur

continues to prosecute other self proclaimed incarnations and thwarts their

attempts to exploit the innocent public.

During this period Srila Bhaktivinoda carefully studies the twelve

cantos of Bhagavatam, and begins the Krsna-samhita, one of his most famous

works. In great happiness he tours the holy places of Puri and constantly

associates with the most elevated Vaisnavas in the area.

"While in Puri I made much advancement in devotional service. I

became more detached from wordly life. [The idea] that wordly progress

produces anything of lasting value was gone forever. Almost every evening I

would go to the temple to see the Lord, to hear and chant the Holy Name and

associate with the devotees...Just as the Jagannath Temple is very lofty and

beautiful, so also the service to the Deity was wonderful. To see it was

charming to the mind. Daily, from five to seven hundred people, were present

to see the routine festivals like the evening arati, etc. What bliss! Many

kinds of pilgrims came from all over India to attend the religious

festivals. Seeing that, one's eyes are soothed."

On a Friday afternoon at Jagannath Puri, February 6, 1874, Srimati

Bhagavati devi, and Thakur Bhaktivinoda are delighted with the appearance of

a son. He is born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck resembling

the sacred thread. Everyone is astonished. They take it as an auspicious

sign. As Sri Bimala Devi represents the para sakti of Lord Jagannath, he is

given the name Bimala Prasada. Srila Bhaktivinoda had prayed for a ray of

Visnu to help him with his preaching, and this son will fulfill that mission

as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada.

Six months later in July the annual rathayatra festival is in

progress. Inexplicably, the three carts stop at the gate in front of

Bhaktivinoda Thakur's residence and remain there for three days. Mother

Bhagavati Devi decides to take advantage of the situation in order to

benefit her six month old son. She is allowed to ascend the ratha cart since

her husband is manager of the Puri Temple. As she approaches Lord Jagannath,

the child extends his arms to touch the feet of Sri Jagannath Deva, and is

blessed with a garland from the Lord. His annaprasana, first feeding of

rice, is celebrated with the Mahaprasada of Lord Jagannath on the ratha

cart.

In the temple Bhaktivinoda begins regular lectures on Srimad

Bhagavatam. Due to his association many mayavadi brahmanas become devout

Vaisnavas. One day, the Raja of Puri bursts noisily into the temple

disturbing the Thakur's discourse. Unable to tolerate this disrespectful

behavior, the Thakur voices his displeasure.

"You have the right to hold the position of kingship over your small

kingdom, but the Supreme Lord, Jagannath Purusottam, is the King of all

kings. Therefore it is mandatory that you show respect to His Bhakti Mandap,

where His glories are daily sung."

The king, immediately realizing his offense, bows before the

assembled Vaisnavas begging for their forgiveness. Later in 1874, eighty

thousand rupees are misappropriated from the Jagannath Temple by the Raja.

Subsequently Bhaktivinoda punishes the king by obliging him to make fifty

two offerings daily to Lord Jagannath.

Seeing his treasury depleting rapidly, the Raja seeks revenge and an

attempt is made on the Thakur's life. A secret yajna is performed within the

confines of the palace with fifty pandits chanting mantras in order to harm

the Thakur by mystic power. At the end of the thirty day yajna when he is

supposed to die, the only son of the Raja leaves his body instead.

"The king and other persons connected with the temple used to commit

many illegal acts. I would go there to prevent all such things, and thus I

made enemies of the king and the king's men. Because I was helped by Lord

Jagannath no one was able to harm me in any way."

After five years of service in Puri, Thakur Bhaktivinoda is posted

at different areas of Bengal, finally settling in Narail in August 1878.

While residing in Narail he publishes his Krsna-samhita in 1880. Immediately

he receives high critical acclaim for this work. The following year he

publishes Kalyan-kalpataru, a collection of songs describing the various

stages of spiritual life from the earliest to the highest stage of prema

bhakti. It is also highly acclaimed and acceped as an immortal work equal

to the songs of Narottama das Thakur. The Vaisnava journal Sajjana-tosani is

also begun in Narail as a monthly. Its aim is to educate influential and

learned gentlemen about the divine mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

The Thakur now feels a great need to accept Vaisnava initiation.

"I had been searching for a suitable guru for a long time, but I did

not obtain one. I was very unhappy...I was feeling very anxious, and in a

dream Mahaprabhu diminished my unhappiness. In that dream I received a

little hint. That very day I became happy. One or two days later Gurudeva

wrote a letter to me saying, 'I will soon come and give you diksa'."

Subsequently he receives Bipin Bihari Goswami as his guest and

becomes his disciple. In his commentary to Sri Caitanya Caritamrta written

fourteen years later he concludes with this prayer.

"The eminent Bipin Bihari Prabhu, who is the manifestation of the

transcendental energy of Lord Hari, who sports in the forests of Vraja, has

descended in the form of the spiritual preceptor. Seeing me in the dark well

of worldly existence, he has delivered this humble servant of his."

Towards the end of 1881 he again desires to visit Vrndavan after an

absence of fifteen years. He sets out with his wife, his youngest son, and

two servants. Upon arrival he comes down with fever, and prays to the Lord

to relieve him for the duration of his pilgrimmage. After, if Krsna so

desires, He can again purify him with fever. The illness disappears. While

in Vrndavan he meets the exalted Vaisnava, Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaja,

coming in disciplic succession from Baladeva Vidyabhusana. Babaji Maharaja

is a constant source of inspiration and guidance for the Thakur, who becomes

increasingly absorbed in the mission of Lord Caitanya.

Upon his return to Calcutta, he is transferred to Jessore where he

succumbs to a heavy fever in accordance with his prayer in Vrndavan.

Receiving medical leave, he returns to Calcutta, purchases a house, the

Bhakti Bhavan, and holds many meetings there to discuss spiritual topics. He

expresses his realizations in an article for Sajjana Tosani.

"Lord Caitanya did not advent Himself to liberate only a few men of

India. Rather, His main objective was to emancipate all living entities of

all countries throughout the entire universe and preach the Eternal

Religion. Lord Caitanya says in the Caitanya Bhagavat: 'In every town,

country and village, My name will be sung.' There is no doubt that this

unquestionable order will come to pass. Very soon the unparalleled path of

Hari-nama-sankirtan will be propagated all over the world...Oh for that day

when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German and American people will

take up banners, mrdangas and kartals, amd raise kirtan through their

streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh for that day when the

fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of Jai

Sacinandana, Jai Sacinandana ki Jai, and join with the Bengali devotees."

The article is a powerful prayer for bringing the people of the

world together under the banner of the Holy Name. Next he makes a bold

prophecy.

"A personality will soon appear to preach the teachings of Lord

Caitanya and move unrestrictedly over the whole world with His message."

As Advaita Acarya invoked the descent of Lord Caitanya through his

prayer, so Thakur Bhaktivinoda invokes the descent of the person who will

fulfill the ancient prophecy.

In 1887, at age forty nine, he discovers the Sri Caitanyopanisad,

found only in very old manuscripts of the Atharva Veda. He writes a sanskrit

commentary on the work. In 1886 and 1887 he produces ten books and is

awarded the title Bhaktivinoda for his outstanding work of preaching and

writing. He is now known as Sac-cit-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

At this point in his life he considers retiring from government

duties to concentrate on his bhajan. One night Lord Caitanya appears to him

in a dream: "You will certainly go to Vrndavan, but first there is some

service you must perform in Navadvipa. What will you do about that?"

He requests a transfer to Navadvipa and on November 15, 1887 his

transfer to nearby Krishnanagar is granted. He is jubilant on receiving the

news, but experiences high fevers at that time.

"How shall I speak of my misfortune? Returning home in joy, I became

anxious because a horrible fever came on. It did not subside. Collector

Toynbee arrived and expressed a desire to postpone my substitution. But then

I thought, 'I'll live or I'll die, but I will go to Krishnanagar'."

Every Saturday he journeys to Navadvipa to search out the holy birth

site of Lord Caitanya. Most of the locals have no interest in the project

and he becomes a little discouraged. They believe, that due to the shifting

course of the Ganga, the actual site has been lost. Others claim the site is

on the opposite bank of the river. The Thakur is neither satisfied nor

convinced by these assertions. He continues his research and discovers that

the present town of Navadvipa is less than a hundred years old. On an old

map he finds the town Sri Mayapur on the opposite bank, situated at the same

site as the current village of Ballaldighi. Some elderly locals of the

village point out a mound covered with Tulasi as the actual place of Lord

Caitanya's birth.

One day he finds this verse in Sri Bhakti Ratnakara:

"In the center of Navadvipa there is a special place called Mayapur.

At this place the Supreme Lord, Sri Gauracandra, took His birth."

To confirm his discovery, the Thakur requests the elderly Srila

Jagannath das Babaji to come. When he is brought to the site, Babaji Maharaj

becomes overwhelmed with ecstasy and jumps up exclaiming, "This is indeed

the birth place of Nimai." The discovery leads to further research and the

publication of Sri Navadvipa Dham Mahatmyam in 1890 describing the holy

places of Lord Caitanya's pastimes.

He now establishes his own place of bhajan, Surabhi-kunja. From here

he can look out across the Jalangi river towads Mayapur. One day he has a

fantastaic vision, seeing a large golden city rising above the Ganges plane

at the place of Sri Mayapur. He understands he is getting a glimpse of the

fulfillment of Lord Caitanya's prophecy.

In August 1891 Thakur Bhaktivinoda receives a two year furlough from

Government service and begins preaching from Godruma-dvip, which he dubs

Nama Hatta, the market place of the Holy Name. He travels with three other

close friends chanting and lecturing in many places. Altogether the Thakur

establishes over five hundred Nama Hatta sangas. In this period he also

writes prodigiously producing eighteen books!

"We performed nama-sankirtan everywhere. After coming to my house in

Calcutta, I proceeded to Surabhi-kunja and we performed a great deal of

sankirtan there too."

Government service has now become a hindrance to his real work of

sankirtan, preaching the glories of the holy name. He retires to

Surabhi-kunja at age fifty-six. Determined to build a temple in Mayapur, he

goes door to door in Calcutta begging donations. As the foundation for the

temple is being dug, a Deity of Adhoksaja Visnu is found. Referring to the

Vaisnava scriptures, the Thakur discovers that this is the family Deity

worshipped by Jagannath Misra, Mahaprabhu's father. The archeological

evidence further confirms the authenticity of the birth site of the Lord.

On Gaura Purnima, March 21 1895, the temple is opened with an

enormous installation ceremony and sankirtan festival. The occasion is

compared to the Kheturi festival organized by Narottama Das Thakur 450 years

ago to unite the followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakur installs deities of Lord Caitanya and His eternal consort Visnupriya

Devi, as thousands of Vaisnavas attend the celebration to chant, dance and

feast.

The following year, 1896, is certainly one of the momentous moments

in Vaisnava history. A small book entitled Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - His Life

and Precepts is penned by the Thakur in English and sent to major

university librairies around the world. In Calcutta on September 1st of that

year a son is born to Gaura Mohan De and his wife. He is destined to fulfill

the Thakur's prediction. With natural humility, he gives the credit to his

Guru Maharaja.

 

Srila Prabhupada: Thakur Bhaktivinoda also wanted to beget a son who

could preach the philosophy and teachings of Lord Caitanya to the fullest

extent. By his prayers to the Lord he had as his child Bhaktisiddhanta

Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, who at the present moment is preaching the

philosophy of Lord Caitanya throughout the entire world through his bona

fide disciples.

 

The prediction also applies to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

Thakur, but the personality moving "unrestrictedly over the whole world with

the message of Mahaprabhu," certainly is Srila Prabhupada. Therefore we can

say that both of these great personalities fulfilled Lord Caitanya's

prophecy because the sincere disciple is never separate from the

instructions of his Guru Maharaja.

Returning to Puri in 1900 the Thakur establishes a place for his

bhajan near the samadhi of Srila Haridas Thakur which he names the Bhakti

Kuti. In the same year one of his most important books, Sri Harinama

Cintamani, is published.

In 1908 he gives up his household life and accepts initiation into

the babaji order of life from Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaja, a renowned

paramahamsa saint. He puts on the the outer cloth and kaupin previously worn

by Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaja, which he has saved since the

Babaji's maha samadhi. After a brilliant life in which he has single

handedly reestablished the Vaisnava dharma according to the teachings of Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Thakur Baktivinode retires from public life and spends

his final years in solitude ecstatically tasting the nectar of pure Krsna

Prema.

On June 23rd, 1914, on the disappearance day of Sri Gadadhara

Pandit, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur mourns the passing of his

father, Srila Sat-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Immediately, he begins

printing the various books that the Thakur has left unpublished, and also

takes up the republishing of Sajjana Tosani.