Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada. [1 Attachment]

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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada.

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada was known as 'simha' (lion)

'guru' due to his fearless and ferocious preaching. If an impersonalist saw

him on the street, the impersonalist would cross the road in fear, or turn

off onto another street. Those who didn't, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta would go up

to and shake them violently, his huge body towering over them, and say, " Why

do you say the Lord has no form? Nonsense offender! "

He appeared on February 6th 1874. Father was deputy magistrate of Puri, had

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

pure teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would be usurped by unauthorized

persons, who were members of 13 apasampradayas and so he prayed for a Ray of

Vishnu. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura had started his mission for Lord Caitanya

late in life. He was also very busy with his profession. But he wrote

profusely, and wanted someone to preach boldly to establish these pure

teachings.

The Padma Purana predicted Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati: a very elevated,

pure and learned personality would appear in Purushottama-ksetra to spread

the glories of Lord Jagannatha all over the world. His activities would be

very unique.

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

of Srila Bhaktivinoda's house (which was on the main road between the temple

and the Gundica mandira. The cart stayed there for 3 days. On the 3rd day,

Bhagavati devi (mother of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati) brought out the

child and the 'pujaris' picked him up and put him on the cart. He crawled to

the base of Lord Jagannatha, and touched His lotus feet. Simultaneously a

garland fell from the neck of the Lord and landed around the child. The

pujaris exclaimed that this boy is particularly blessed by Lord Jagannatha.

The 'Annaprasha' festival (first grains ceremony), first grain taken by

children which is usually given when the first sign of teeth are there

something like six-months old, so for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati the

first grain was Jagannatha Prasada. Vimala devi is offered the 'prasada'

after Jagannatha takes; hence his name Bimala Prasada. When during the

'Anna-prasna' ceremony the child is shown the 'shastra' and coins to give

some indication as to his nature by what he goes for baby Bimal chose the

Srimad Bhagavatam as opposed to the gold coins.

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

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

time. Never again took ripe mangos. But he took green mango chutney offered

by his disciples; this was a favourite of his.

When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati was 7 years old, his father Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura moved to Calcutta, to the " Bhakti-Bhavan " house was

building. While digging foundation they found Deity of Lord Kurma. Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave him his first initiation and the name Siddhanta

Saraswati; and initiated his son into the worship of Lord Kurma. He was

doing this every single day without missing. Even when he was admitted into

school.

He was a very expert student. However his preference was to study the

Vaishnava books of his father. He did just that and studied books of Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura, but never fell behind in school - he remembered

everything after hearing it once. His teachers were astonished, and his

father was very pleased.

As a boy, Bimala Prasada delivered his oldest brother Acyutananda from an

offense he'd made in his last life. Acyutananda had a nervous disease, and

once became very sick. Bimala Prasada took 'karatals' and chanted the 'Hare

Krishna mantra' constantly for 6 days without eating. Then

Ramanuja-sampradaya 'tilaka' appeared on Acyutananda's forehead. He said,

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

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

he left his body for dead.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Krsna-lila is Kamalaman-manjari, and Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati is his eternal assistant, Nayana-manjari. At age

13 he started higher education. Once Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura returned

from Puri with Tulasi and initiated his son into chanting Hare Krsna

Mahamantra and he also took 'Nrsingha mantra' initiation, 'ugram bhiram

maha-vishnum'.......etc.

During this time he invented, and developed a shorthand script called

'Vikanta', so much was his genius.

When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati was 22 he left college to avoid taking

householder life. He took up work under the king of Tripura. Tripura had

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

of Narottama dasa Thakur.

So Srila Bhaktisiddhant Saraswati became Raja Pandit there for 3 years. He

retired with full pension, which Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati accepted

for a few years and then voluntarily stopped.

When Siddhanta Sarasvati was twenty six his father, understanding the mind

of his son, guided him to take initiation from a renounced Vaisnava saint,

Gaura Kishora dasa Babaji.

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

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

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

Saraswati had made a vow after taking 'sannyasa' that he would never touch

money. Everything was arranged by his disciples. Many of them wishing to

assist his mission took up responsible jobs, e.g. Kunja Babu became a

post-master.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati did 'nagara kirtana' with disciples and was

invited to programs by the King of Burdwan or the King of Kooch Bihar;

everywhere he established Lord Caitanya's teachings as the most excellent

spiritual philosophy.

He knew all Vaishnava philosophies most expertly. He brought out books on

their 'darshans', e.g. Madhwacharya's arguments against Mayavadis.

As well as other Vaishnavacaryas like Ramanuja. In the temple he

established in Mayapur he built 4 small temples in honor of the 4 Vaishnava

sampradayas. He put the deities of the 4 founder acaryas there; Madhwacarya;

Ramanujacarya; Nimbarkacarya; and Visnu Swami.

In his life he founded 64 Gaudiya Math temples throughout India. For his

further preaching and attempts to spread Krsna consciousness beyond the

bounds of India, as his father had desired too, he sent three disciples to

west, and he gave ten westerners initiation, mostly from young intelligent

men from Germany and a couple of elderly women in St John's Wood in London,

by sending sannyasis to Germany and England(Rupa Vilasa dasa. 1988. " Raya of

Visnu " .).

During this time Abhay Caran De (Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada. He was a young man - a

'khadi' clad follower of Gandhi's national movement. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Saraswati Prabhupada, seeing this bright faced young man before him,

convinced him of a necessity to preach Krsna consciousness. " In this world

there is no shortage of anything, only Krsna consciousness. " Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta also requested young Abhay Caran De, " You are an intelligent

young man. If you ever get money, print books in the English language. " Our

Srila Prabhupada was so impressed that he took this as his life's mission.

Some eleven years later he took diksa initiation from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Saraswati Thakura, who told his other disciples who printed the Sajjana

Tosani newspaper on his order, " Whatever Abhay Caran writes, print it. " He

obviously knew his worth.

His whole life was spent in a mood of loving devotion to the Lord. He was

fully devoted to spreading the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The

numerous publications and commentaries on the works of the previous

'acaryas' establishing the Lord to be 'saccidananda vigraha' is quite

evident of this fact.

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

surface of the water, the water rose seven steps and touched his lotus feet.

Then all the 'brahmacaries' jumped in, to bath in the 'caranamrta'.

When one 'mayavadi sadhu' was preaching his oneness philosophy in the

presence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati and his disciples while they

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

his 'brahmacaries' to feed the 'sadhu' some rotten mangos which had been

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

because Srila Bhaktisiddhanta would not take them due to his vow, and

therefore no disciple would take either). After being obliged to eat four

mangos, that sadhu fell at Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's feet and swore he'd never

preach the philosophy of exclusive undifferentiated oneness again.

In 1936, whilst residing in the holy dhama of Jagannatha Puri at the age of

62, he left this mortal world to again return to the loving pastimes of Sri

Sri Radha Krsna in Brajaloka the topmost planet in the spiritual sky.

 

-- LET US NOT MAKE OUR STOMACH A GRAVEYARD. LET US NOT EAT FLESH. LET US BE VEGETARIANS AND STAY HEALTHY. Animals are to be loved, not eaten. Eating flesh is good neither for the mind nor for the intellect, not even for the body. It distorts the basic character of human. Think Soul is Soul and it came from the Supreme Soul...God Head Krishna

Chant:Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare

 

 

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