Sri Prabhodananda Sarasvati and Sri Prakasananda Sarasavti Are Not the Same!!!

[Puru Das Adhikari]

Dandavats to one and all!!! All glories to Sri Guru and Gouranga.

 

I have in my possession, in 5 jpeg files, an original article, originally published in the 23rd year of the Sri Caitanya Vani magazine, in bengali. This article is entitled:

 

"Sri Prabhodananda Sarasvati and Sri Prakasananda Sarsvati" Are Not the Same Person."

 

It was authored by nitya lila pravistha om visnupada paramahamsa parivrajakacarya aaaottara sata sri Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Gosvami many years ago (more than 30). He lived in the Calcutta matha and his room there (his bhajan kutir) is still mantained by his disciples and the president acarya, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvami Maharaj.

 

I was fortunate to spend three days during durga puja this year, Nov. 23-25th, taking His Divine Grace's association and hearing his hari-katha, nightly.

 

One devotee from the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti had some doubt about Srila Bhakti Ballabh tirtha Gosvami Maharaj's earlier discussed remarks concerning why Sri Prabhodananda Sarasvati Thakura is not mentioned in the Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. So on his behalf and for my own education I inquired about the source of this information. His Divine Grace very kindly gave of his time and energy and researched the matter for me yet again. He read to me his orginal statement from his newly published book about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates. He again explained that Prabhodananda Sarasvati Thakura, out of humility, instructed his disciple Srila Gopal Bhatta Gosvami( not to mention him in any subsequent writing. This same instruction ws understood through the heart by Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja Gosvami who wrote the Cc. Therefore this is one explanation why we do not read of Sri Prabhodananda Sarasvati Thakura in the Cc.

As I undertsand the matter this point does neither contradict or diminish other explanations of the same point by other gaudiya acaryas.

 

There is more than one tika (commentary) on the Bhagavat gita. There is more than one explanation of any one fact concerning Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His eternal associates. Sri Prabhodananda Sarasvati Thakura is accepted as Tungavidya manjari in Krsna lila and Gopala Bhatta Gosvami as

Guna manjari.

 

In fact when the brhat mrdunga of the Gaudiya Matha was at its pinnnacle (around 1935) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was publishing over 79 titles in five different langagues. Sri Srila Prabhupada, Nitya lila pravistha om visnupada parmahamsa parivrajakacarya astottara sata Sri Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarsavti Thakura, used to publish (in their original language) the Bhagavad-gita and commentary of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti and also that of his siksa disciple Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. It was Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana, (the defender of our sampradaya in Jaipura against the ramanandi's,) to whom my own beloved diksa guru, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, dedicated his own translation and commentary, The Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

 

But back to the main point of my post:Later upon further inquiry by myself, Tamal Krsna das prabhu, Srla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvami maharaj's private secretary explained that the source of his remarks in his book about the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, concerning why Sri Prabhodananda Sarasvati Thakura is not mentioned in Sri Caitanya Caritamra came from an article by nitya lila pravistha. . .Srila Promode Puri Gosami. An original copy of the article was then provided to me and it is now in my possession. Anyone who wants to examine it can write to me at unclepuru@hotmail.com

and I will be happy to forward it to them] when I have time ( I hav ejust now returned from India and UK ont he 14th of Dec. and am flying to San Diego today) I will try to have this artricle translated by someone trsutworthy when I can and then put up in English on VNN and my website,

The Bhaktivedanta Memorial Libray, bvml.org.

asap.

 

The Sri Caitanya Vani magazine was the regular publication of the Sri Caitanya Gaudiya matha in Calcutta for many years.

nitya lila pravistha. . .Srila Promode Puri Gosvami lived and served there for alsmost 30 years.

 

The matha archives contains the original articles of many exalted vaisnavas.

 

your servant,

puru das adhikari, das anudas

 

n.b. Interestingly enough right next to the matha in Calcutta, for durga puja, the followers of Rabindra Tagore erected a replica of his house and the cue for this display was filled up every night till late in the early morning. One of SBSST's disciples, Srila Siddhanti Maharaj created a riot once in Bengal,when he called Tagore a donkey? Complaint was made about him to SBSST, who remarked, "finally I have a devotee who can preach." and he joined his disciple himself to add his transcendental support. That information is from Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaj, the vice president of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, and my beloved siksa guru and eternal friend.

 

[This message has been edited by Puru Das Adhikari (edited 12-17-2001).]