Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura 1838-1914
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Praṇati
नमो भक्तिविनोदाय सच्-चिद्-आनन्द-नामिने
गौर-शक्ति-स्वरूपाय रूपानुग-वराय ते
namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te
TRANSLATION: I offer my respectful obeisances unto Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda,
who is transcendental energy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the
Gosvāmīs, headed by Srīla Rūpa.---------------
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur was the third son of Ananda-chandra and Jagat-mohini Devi He was born in September 2, 1838 and received the name Kedaranath, which is a name of Lord Shiva. His parents lived in the Nadia District, West Bengal, in the ancient city of Birnagar (Ulagram). His father was a generous landlord of great wealth, and was considered second after the king of Nadia.
Kedaranath studied in the elemental school that was founded by his grandmother. At six years old he could read the Ramayana and Mahabharata with great zeal, although his short age, Kedarnath could understand the meaning of these ancient Sanskrit epics. Later on he moved to an English school in Krishnanagar opened by the king of Nadia. Due to the sudden death of his two older brothers due to cholera, Kedaranath had to finish his studies and return to Birnagar.
In 1850 Kedaranath was 12 years old and his mother arranged his marriage with a girl of 7 years older than him. Although they only lived under the same roof until they were adults, this Vedic tradition sometimes wonders the Western outlook of married life. Nonetheless, it has a deep psychological and social meaning, since the family descendants always feel guided and protected by their parents.
Since 1881 Kedaranath Sachidananda Das started his Vaishnava journal Sajjana-tosani, dedicated to spread the divine teachings of Sri Chaitanya through all comers of Bengal. The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of London published the following commentary about him: “Under the title Sri Gauranga-lila-smarana-mangala-sttotram, “The renokwn Vaishnava Sri Kedaranath Bhaktivinoda M.R.A.S. has published a Sanskrit poem about the life and teachings of Sri Chaitanya. It is accompanied by a commentary, also in Sanskrit, where he broadly elucidates the subject. Contains an introduction of sixty-three pages in English where precisely describes in detail the doctrines teach by Sri Chaitanya. His posture, specially opposed to that of the Shankara and Adwaita Vedantists, is broadly explained. The small volume will broader our knowledge about this great reformer. Therefore we express our thanks to Bhaktivinoda for offering us the English and Sanskrit versions instead of Bengali, since it would have been hidden to European students of India’s religious life.”
During the year 1896 on a pioneer spirit, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent the teachings of Sri Chaitanya towards Occident, beyond India’s frontiers. This small book that he wrote in Sanskrit was entitled Sri Gauranga-lila-smarana-strotam. Its Preface in English was entitled: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts. It also contained a commentary of Srila Sitikantha Vachaspati, a well-known Pandit of Nadia. Copies of the book were sent to the library of the McGill University in Canada, the library of the Asian Real Society of London and several other academic institutions. Although a small treatise, it was admired by writers and thinkers of Occident. The learned European R.W. Frazer commented: “Have pass already five hundred years since Sri Chaitanya spread the faith in Krishna’s delivering grace throughout Earth. Nonetheless, until the present day, the same spirit that inspired Sri Chaitanya continues living amongst his followers. On a interesting narrative about the life and precepts of Sri Chaitanya, published by His devote and old follower Sri Kedaranath Datta Bhaktivinoda, we have read how this spirit keeps intact its vitality in the midst of the changes sweeping the all world.
In 1914, during the disappearance day of Sri Gadadhara Pandit, Thakura Bhaktivinoda enter the eternal pastimes of Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha-Madhava.
[Text from the eight-volume Harmonist (As It Is) Magazine]
Thakur Bhaktivinod
(part 1)
Journal 'The Harmonist'
(No. 2, Vol. XXV, July 1927)
Edited by: Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur
THAKUR Bhaktivinode 'the founder of the Sajjanatoshani' made his auspicious advent into this world on the 2nd September 1838. He remained visible to us for a period of seventy-six years.
The seat of the family in which Thakur Bhaktivinode made his appearance is Calcutta but he first saw the light in the village of Birnagar (Ula) within Nabadwipamandal (the circle of Nabadwipa). One of the ancestors was the recipient of the special favour of Lord Nityananda, the Associated Counterpart of Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya. In boyhood Thakur Bhaktivinode resided in his maternal uncle's house at Birnagar in the midst of opulence. He was overtaken by a sudden adversity in his eleventh year. Shortly after this he came to Calcutta.
In Calcutta, Thakur Bhaktivinode studied in the Hindu Charitable Institution for four years and later in the Hindu College. From Calcutta he proceeded to Orissa and took up his residence for a time in the village of Chhuti. There he taught in a school which he established in the neighborhood, at Kendrapara, the headquarters of the sub-division. In 1859 Thakur Bhaktivinode moved to Puri. He next served as a teacher at Cuttack, Bhadrak and Midnapur.
In 1861 Thakur Bhaktivinode's long service under Government began. He was employed in various capacities and at different places. While posted at Puri he disposed of the case of the notorious Bishakishan3 whom he convicted and sent to prison.
Thakur Bhaktivinode was employed by Government to supervise and organize the proper management of the Temple of Jagannath.
During a short leave Thakur Bhaktivinode went to Sree Brindaban where he met Sree Jagannathdas Babaji. While visiting Sree Radha-kunda, Gobardhan and the other holy sites, Thakur Bhaktivinode heard of the oppression that was practiced there at that time by a gang of professional robbers who bore the name of Kanjharhs. By great exertions he was able to reclaim this powerful gang and even induced them to lead moral lives.
The publication of the Sajjanatoshani was begun in 1879. Thakur Bhaktivinode re-established the Vishva Vaishnav Sabha in Calcutta in 1884. In 1887 while posted at Krishnagar, Thakur Bhaktivinode made the discovery of the Site of Advent of Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya. The identification of the site which was in accordance with the transcendent experiences of Sree Jagannathdas Babaji and other siddha (perfect) holy sages was corroborated by the evidence of the records of the Collectorate which were for the purpose, subjected to an exhaustive and searching examination by Thakur Bhaktivinode who in his official capacity had free access to them.
Thakur Bhaktivinode now turned his attention to the active preaching of the Sree Nama (the Holy Name) and journeyed to different places for the purpose. The Nabadwipdham Pracharini Seva was established in 1300 B. S. In that year on the full-moon day of the month of Falgun the Sree Vigrahas (Holy Images) of Sree Gaur and Vishnu-priya were installed at Sree Mayapur the place of Advent of the Supreme Lord. Thakur Bhaktivinode retired from service under Government in 1894.
Thakur Bhaktivinode is the author of a vast number of works on unalloyed devotion, numbering over a hundred, in Bengali, English, Oriya, Hindi, Persian and Sanskrit. This is a superhuman record, especially if we bear in mind the fact that the task involved the close examine of many Sanskrit and Bengali works that were then almost unknown and could be procured only with great difficulty; and several big books had to be copied out in their entirety by the author with his own hand. Some of his works are of immense dimension and everyone of them is a priceless treasure that will ever remain an inspiration to those who choose to walk in the path of unalloyed devotion. It is not possible to deal with the contents of those works here. It is our intention to review them in regular and systematic way in future issues of this Journal.
Thakur Bhaktivinode ceased to be visible in this world on 23rd June 1914.
The above is a brief outline of the exoteric activities of Thakur Bhaktivinode which had as their only object the service of Sree Krishna. He was Sree Gauranga's Own; and his holy impulse of constant service of Hari was manifest in the absolute artlessness of his external conduct as of his inmost thoughts. He made his appearance in this world at a time when Gaudamandal (the holy land of Gauda) had become an arena of the unholy contentions of so-called religious sects of every description which were unanimous only in their relentless hostility to the doctrine of unalloyed and eternal devotion to God. Thakur Bhaktivinode appeared in this world out of divine pity for us with the object of remedying those disorders by the ministration of the healing balm of the loving instructions of Sree Chaitanyachandra. His acts are those of a Vaishnav who is ever pure, ever free from every defect, ever delighting only in the Name of Krishna and ever indifferent to mere worldly values. Those alone are privileged to have the sight of a Vaishnav who have their faces turned towards God.
Thakur Bhaktivinod
(part 2)
Journal 'The Harmonist'
(No. 4, Vol. XXV, September 1927)
Edited by: Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur
THE transcendental nature of Thakur Bhaktivinode as realized by shuddha-bhaktas finds expressions in the following shloka which is repeated by all his followers in making their daily obeisance to him: —
namo bhaktivinodaya sach-chid-ananda-namine
gaura-shakti-svarupaya rupanuga-varaya te
“Obeisance to Thee, Bhaktivinode, by name Sachchidananda,
The Embodiment of Gaur's Love, the great follower of Rupa”.
The mercy of Gaurasundar has the power of establishing jivas in their true nature and thereby enabling them to realize the bliss of eternal service to God. Thakur Bhaktivinode is the embodiment of this shakti (Attribute) of Divine Love, Gaurasundar is Godhead Himself. His Attributes are not separate from Himself. There is no difference between the Attributes of Gaurasundar and Gaurasundar Himself. The bhakta (‘devotee of God’) is the inseparably associated counter part of Godhead. The Attributes of God and the devotee of God are Divine. His relation to God is one of inconceivable simultaneous difference and identity. The difference consists in this that the shakti and the devotee are worshippers (ashraya) and not the object of worship (vishaya). Godhead with all His transcendental paraphernalia ever indwells His shakti and His devotee. They are His own. Out of pity for the apostate jivas, God sends His own Messenger into this world in every age for establishing the pure (shuddha) and eternal (sanatana) religion in the form of constant service of Krishna. Either Krishna or Krishna's own messenger establishes the true and eternal religion in this world. This task is beyond the capacity of those who are not helped by the Grace of God Himself. It will not be possible for us to understand the true meaning of the career of Thakur Bhaktivinode if we do not keep constantly in our mind this all-important fact that Thakur is the embodiment of Divine Love, — a savior of the fallen beings, sent by God Himself into this world for the purpose of establishing the eternal religion of all jivas (sanatana-dharma), which consists in the eternal and incessant service of Krishna; He taught sanatana-dharma to the world by way of propaganda and by practicing it himself in every act of his earthly life. “All (good) qualities of Krishna manifest themselves in His devotee and not at ail in those who are given to selfish enjoyments”. So says the Bhagabatam: —
yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akinchana
sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna
manorathenasati dhavato bahih
He was an ideal father, erudite scholar, practical reformer, and distinguished author. This was realized by everyone who had the good fortune of coming into close personal contact with him. It is realized by an increasing number of people in this country who have devoted their serious attention to the subject. His practice is exemplified by the conduct of everyone of his followers. They exist at the present moment in our very midst; and it is quite practicable for any of us to observe closely their mode of life. Everyone who has really taken the trouble of watching their daily life is bound to be convinced of the transcendental purity of the minutest acts of their lives. Those shuddha-bhaktas fully realize that it is by following the path chalked out by Thakur Bhaktivinode that they have been enabled to attain such perfect purity of body, mind and speech. The purity of the stream is the conclusive proof of the purity of the source.
Thakur Bhaktivinode, in the midst of the multifarious duties of a most active official, found time to propagate the teachings of Shree Gaurasundar and firmly re-establish the practice of sanatana-dharma in this country. His activity was many-sided. A main item was the identification and restoration of forgotten and uncared-for holy sites.
His epoch-making and most momentous discovery in this field was that of the actual site of Shreedham Mayapur, the place of the Advent of Mahaprabhu Shree Chaitanya Deva, which was completely lost sight of for many years. The actual site of the residence of pandit Jagannath Mishra, the father of Shri Gaurasundar, was found out and arrangements were made for the preservation of this Holy Site and for the construction of a permanent shrine on the spot in which Holy Images of Shree Shree Mahaprabhu and Vishnupriya Devi were solemnly installed. Many of the old sites connected with Mahaprabhu in the region of Gauda were discovered and identified and arrangement made for the proper maintenance of the shrines connected therewith. Propaganda-centers were opened at different places of Gauda-desha. Thakur Bhaktivinode established nama-hattas (propaganda-centers of the Holy Name) at different places in the districts of Nadia, Burdwan, Midnapur etc. He also worked hard for the revival of the religion of unalloyed transcendental love of Godhead in the Muttra-quarters. For this purpose Thakur Bhaktivinode constantly traveled from place to place often on foot, begging at every door and always delighting in Hari-sankirtan in the company of a large number of devotees. The closing years of his life were spent at Puri where he built a small house for the purpose of bhajan (‘practice of devotion’) on the sea-beach. He cut himself off from the world during the last four years till his disappearance in 1914. During these years he was visited in his bhajan-kutir by many people of every description and was ever ready to help them with advice and necessary instructions.
It will thus appear that Thakur Bhaktivinode was in his own life indefatigable in the practice of shuddha-sanatana-dharma, taught by Mahaprabhu and was no less strenuously occupied in the work of restoration of the worship of God at holy sites and the establishment of congregational and individual religious life in the country. But at the same time he was aware that his mission was also to expound to the whole world the teachings of Shri Mahaprabhu which had been and is still misunderstood by people in this country and elsewhere He directed his attention in the first instance to Bengal. He found that the people had practically no knowledge of the monumental works of the associates and the most illustrious followers, of Mahaprabhu. The very existence of many of those works was unknown. Those who gave themselves out to be the followers of Mahaprabhu mistook ignorance of the scriptures for devotion and selfish enjoyment (kama) for love of God (prema). The educated people had very little practice of religion in any form. The mass and especially women were addicted to smarta ritualistic practices, the object of which was the attainment of selfish enjoyments. The pandits were mostly either supporters of such fruitive ceremonies or believers in an abstract form of God devoid of all spiritual pastimes, this latter being the bequest of Godless Buddhism and the teaching of Shankaracharyya. Skepticism among the educated classes coupled with the prevalence of polytheistic or neutralists and negative attitudes on the part of the learned among the pandits left the country without a lead on the path of the eternal religion of jiva viz. the incessant service of Godhead who is the Absolute Truth, the Eternal Existence and the Ocean of all transcendental Bliss (rasa).
The embodiment of God's love in the form of Thakur Bhaktivinode out of pity for jiva in his distress and perplexity took up at this stage the task of enlightening him again about the only duty of all jivas which has been proclaimed by all the different scriptures and which was made clearly manifest to the people of this country four hundred years ago by the Supreme Lord Himself, Who playing the role of a devotee taught jiva his duty in its concrete form that there might be no room for misunderstanding.
apani achari dharma jivere shikhaya
apani na kaile dharme shikhana na yaya
“Himself practicing the dharma, The Lord teaches jiva that if
one
does not practice dharma himself, he cannot teach it to others”.
The career of Mahaprabhu embodying the teachings of all the scriptures was the subject that Thakur Bhaktivinode placed before the people of Bengal in clear and simple language and with a wealth of learning and depth of spiritual insight that make his numerous works a part and parcel of the scriptures of all countries, explaining in minutest detail, in unambiguous language, the only true religion of all jivas. They deserve to, rank with the immortal works of Thakur Brindabandas and of Kaviraj Goswami as scriptures of the shuddha-sanatana-dharma.
We have not obtained any comprehensive work on the shuddha-sanatana-dharma directly from the pen of Sri Chaitanyadeva Himself. His teachings were, however, recorded with the most zealous care by His Associates and Followers during the period that He remained manifest in the world and in that immediately following His disappearance. The monumental works of the six Goswamis were composed in Sanskrit under His own direction. The account of His career was recorded systematically in verse in their great works Shri Chaitanya Bhagabat and Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita by Thakur Brindabandas and Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami respectively, both of whom were disciples of Lord Nityananda, the Greatest Associated Counterpart of Shriman Mahaprabhu.
In Bengal, at the time of the appearance of Thakur Bhaktivinode, the works of the six Goswamis were practically unknown. The works of Thakur Brindabandas and Kaviraj Goswami were little known and were almost utterly misunderstood. The so-called vaishnavas of Bengal were then, as a rule, looked down upon by the orthodox Hindu society. But the name of Mahaprabhu was universally venerated. The esoteric meaning of His teachings had been completely forgotten and even the most highly gifted intellects of the country admired vaishnava devotional literature as merely satisfying their poetic fancies. The divinity was con-founded with humanity. This philanthropic attitude was general and was partly responsible for the prevalence of immoralities in so-called many religious practices that ate into the vitals of society.
With the object of dispelling this general ignorance of the principles of shuddha-sanatana-dharma, Thakur Bhaktivinode applied himself to publish systematically important authoritative works dealing with the teachings of Mahaprabhu, with exhaustive explanatory notes in Bengali. A few of these publications may be mentioned here. In 1880 he published Shree Krishna-samhita in Sanskrit with the most learned introduction, appendix and translation in Bengali. In 1886 he published the Gita with commentaries of Shrila Biswanath Chakravarti Thakur and his own annotation ‘Rasik Ranjan’ in Bengali; in 1891, Shrimad Bhagabat Gita with commentaries of Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushan and his Bengali annotation ‘Bidvad Ranjan’. In 1894, Ishopanishad with his Bengali annotation ‘Vedarkadidhiti’. In 1895, Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita with his ‘Amritaprabaha Vashya’ in Bengali. In 1897, Shri Brahma-samhita with his Bengali annotation ‘Prahashini’. In 1898, Shri Krishna-karnamrita with his Bengali annotation. In the same year Shri Upadeshamritam by Shri Rupa Goswami with his Bengali annotation ‘Piyusbarshini Virtti’ and Shri Brihat-bhagabatamritam by Shri Sanatana Goswami with his annotations in Sanskrit and Bengali. In 1901, Shri Bhagabatarka-marichimala. In 1904, edited Sathriasaradipika — a vaishnava smriti by Shrila Gopal Bhatta Goswami.
This was supplemented by the publication of a series of original works in Bengali prose and verse. Some of the most important of them are — in 1881, Kalyan Kalpataru; in 1886, Shri Chaitanya-shikshamrita; in 1890 Shri Navadwipadhama Mahatmya; in 1892, Shri Mahaprabhu and His Shiksha; in 1893, Shri Sharanagati, Shokashatan, Jaiva-dharma; in 1900, Shri Harinama Chintamani; in 1902, Bhajan Rahasya. The Bengali religious monthly ‘The Sajjana-Toshani’ was started by him in 1879 and he continued to edit the paper for seventeen years when it was made over to the present editor who published it for seven years till the appearance of the weekly Gaudiya — the only Bengali organ of the shuddha-bhakti movement ‘The Sajjana-Toshani’, re-appeared this year bearing also the alternative name of ‘The Harmonist’ and has been given by her editor a tri-lingual garb of English, Sanskrit and Hindi. Besides these Thakur Bhaktivinode also wrote a number of works in English, Sanskrit, Persian, Urdu and Hindi.
Thakur Bhaktivinode possessed a style that is easy; invigorating, cheerful, lucid and uniform and enriched with the fresh wealth of an ample vocabulary culled from the inexhaustible store-house of Sanskrit and adapted into Bengali in a natural way. The Bengali language in the hands of Thakur Bhaktivinode has thus been transformed into a powerful vehicle for the conveyance of the sublimes and the most highly philosophical truths of religion with an ease and precision that makes his works highly interesting and at the same time perfectly intelligible to the most ordinary reader including women and children.
Thakur Bhaktivinode is the Pioneer of the shuddha-bhakti movement that is at present sweeping over the country. In his numerous literary works he has supplied the golden key that unlocks 'the region of Eternal bliss' to all jivas. The teachings of Mahaprabhu give in the real meaning of the scriptures, reconciling all differences of opinion that trouble the world. In Mahaprabhu centers the only hope of the future and present of all jivas. But the teachings of Mahaprabhu were not grasped by people of this country and their real significance passed long ago clean out of the memory of the nation. Thakur Bhaktivinode has made the eternal religion live again in his pages. Without his help no body at the present day can understand the teachings of Mahaprabhu or the Absolute Truth. With his help the Absolute Truth can be easily understood. The Absolute Truth alone can reconcile the otherwise irreconcilable differences and discords of this world. It is universally recognized that the Truth is bound to prevail over untruth in the long run. But even the Truth can only be grasped by those whose minds are perfectly free and prepared to receive it when it actually makes its appearance. But most of us are not ready to welcome the Truth for its own sake. Thakur Bhaktivinode tells us that a perfectly pure mind alone is fit to receive the Truth. Perfect purity is not to be found in the world. It belongs to Divinity alone and is imparted by Divine Grace; and God often sends His own beloved to convey His Grace to fallen jivas if only they submit to receive it from him.
The utsabas (religious celebrations) of the vaishnavas are the concrete realization of this Divine Truth. They are the practical recognition of the necessity of honoring God by the method of honoring His beloved; because it is the only way of serving God and obtaining His Grace.
QUOTE: “All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?” (SB, 5.18.12).
Thakur Bhaktivinod
(part 3)
Journal 'The Harmonist'
(No. 4, Vol. XXV, September 1927)
Edited by: Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur
We shall conclude this brief account of Thakur Bhaktivinode by presenting the reader with a few short extracts from the Thakur's writings embodying his views regarding nama-bhajan (Adoration of the Holy Name) which constitutes the fundamental doctrine of the shuddha-sanatana-dharma and the solution offered by him of some of the most pressing problems that confront the generation.
The Holy Name: — “There are many persons who failing to understand the distinction between ‘the dimly perceived Name’ (namabhasa) and the Holy name Himself (shri-nama), suppose that the Holy Name is only an ordinary word made up of certain letters of the alphabet and that, therefore, the taking of the Holy Name without faith (shraddha) is also effective. They adduce as proofs the history of Ajamila and certain passages of the Scriptures such as “sankantyam pari hasyam va” etc. It has already been stated that the Holy Name is the 'Absolute Truth Himself (chaitanya) and 'the embodiment of the elixir of the highest ecstatic emotion (rasa-vigraha); and is not attainable by the organs of sense. This being so, if one dees not seek the help of the Holy Name with a mind free from offence, no good result is possible. The effect of the utterance of the Holy Name by a person devoid of faith (shraddha) is that thereby it becomes possible for such person subsequently to take the Holy Name with faith. Therefore, those who, deliberately misinterpreting for a selfish purpose, explain the Holy Name as being merely the juxtaposition of a number of letters forming only a constituent part of fruitive ceremonials, are utterly impious; and their taking of the Name is an offense against the Holy Name Himself” (Harinama).
“Sriman Mahaprabhu with His associated counterparts, attendants, powers and associates has taught the jivas of the world sankirtan (congregational chanting) of Harinama (the Name of Hari) which is the proper religion in Kali-yuga. It is not the fact that His appearance was for the purpose of the deliverance of a small number of people of India. On the contrary, His purpose was to deliver all jivas by the propagation of the eternal religion to all countries of the world. Mahaprabhu Himself declared this in the following words —
prithivite achhe yata nagaradi-grama
sarvatra prachara haibe mora nama
(Shri Chaitanya Bhagavata, Antya-khanda, 4.126)
‘My Name will spread into all the regions and villages of the Earth’.
There is no doubt that this indisputable command will very shortly turn into a fact. It appears to be absolutely certain that all the religions of the world will mature into one universal church of the sankirtan of the Holy name......
Oh! When will that day arrive, when in England, France, Russia, Prussia and America, fortunate men of those countries, with flags, drums, khole and karatal (cymbals) etc, in their native towns, shouting ever and anon the Holy Name of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu will send a thrill of ecstatic delight all over the world! When will that auspicious day make its appearance when, from one end of the earth white men of Europe and America forming into procession and shouting, ‘All glory to Shri Shachinandana’, will meet halfway and embrace us as brothers and the devotees of our country will reciprocate advancing from the other end! When will that day be when those Europeans will declare, ‘Brothers, we have betaken ourselves to the Holy Feet of Shri Chaitanya Deva — the Ocean of Love; we beseech you to embrace us as a token of your kindness!’ When will that day dawn when the absolutely pure transcendental love of Vishnu will be the only religion of all jivas; and, like rivers meeting the ocean, all the narrow creeds will finally merge in the eternal Vaishnab Religion” (The Sajjana Toshani, vol. IV, page 41).
Varnashrama-dharma: — “It is not the purpose of any patriotic Indian to destroy the varnasrama-dharma (the duties of the four varnas and of the four stages). It is our duty to eliminate the impurities that have crept into the system. In order to rejuvenate varnasrama-dharma, it will be necessary to adopt the following principles — (1) No one's varna will be settled by birth alone (2) the varna of every person should be settled in accordance with the nature formed by the association of early years and by the course of acquisition of knowledge and experience” (The Sajjana Toshani, vol. II, page 123).
The selection of Sadguru (true Spiritual Guide): — “At the time of accepting a preceptor one must satisfy himself that (1) he must be well acquainted with the true significance of the Scriptures that will enable him to dispel the gloom of ignorance from the mind of the disciple and that (2) he must be above all human frailties and ever devoted to the Transcendental Truth. Such a preceptor is doubtless capable of instructing the disciple in knowledge of every kind. The preceptor who initiates should never be renounced except for the two following reasons (1) the disciple should renounce his preceptor when he discovers that his Guru does not possess the above qualities due to the disciple's mistake in choice; (2) the disciple should repudiate his preceptor in case he (preceptor) becomes a hater of Vishnu and Vaishnaba” (Jaivadharma, ch. XX).
“Within the Gaudiya Sampradaya an abundant crop of evils have sprung up during the last four hundred years. The first and foremost duty of an Acharyya is to uproot those evils completely......He alone is an Acharyya who teaches the dharma that he himself practices”.
Thakur's two predictions: —
(1) Some person imbued with the power of God will again establish the true varnasrama-dharma in accordance with the Divine Dispensation.
(2) Within a short time there will exist only one sampradaya (school) in the realm of devotion ‘bhakti’. Its name will be ‘Shri Brahma Sampradaya’. All other sampradayas will merge in this Brahma Sampradaya.
Thakur Bhaktivinod
(part 1)
Journal 'The Harmonist'
(No. 1, Vol. XXVI, June 1928)
Edited by: Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur
IT is not possible to understand Thakur Bhaktivinode by dissociating him from Shri Chaitanya and His most illustrious followers and associates. He did not set up as an Incarnation of God. He led to all external appearance the ordinary life of a householder. He did not claim any originality for himself in his writings nor did he establish any new doctrine or practice. He only walked with a loyal heart in the path which has been followed by all former devotees and which is laid down in the holy Scriptures, the meaning of which was made clear by the teachings and practice of Shri Chaitanya and His associates. His career is, therefore, perfectly simple in its purpose. Thakur Bhaktivinode wrote as he lived. In his books he tried to convey what according to Shri Chaitanya is the real meaning of the eternal religion that has come down to us in the records of the Scriptures through the chain of preceptors. There would have been no necessity for the appearance of Shri Chaitanya if the Scriptures had not been grossly misunderstood. There would have been no necessity for the lifework of Thakur Bhaktivinode if the life and teachings of Shri Chaitanya and His associates had not been misunderstood and misstated. The position of Shri Chaitanya and His associates in regard to our ancient Scriptures and of Thakur Bhaktivinode as their loyal follower, need not wound the susceptibilities of any reader who is not specifically opposed to our ancient Scriptures. Thakur Bhaktivinode’s attitude should also appeal to all exact thinkers as being at best definite and free from ambiguity of method or object. Accordingly the works of Thakur Bhaktivinode can be profitably considered only by those who at best tentatively admit the validity of his general position. The scientifically critical attitude need not start on, or proceed with, the study of a subject with previously formed prejudices. We would, therefore, ask those who may study the works of Thakur Bhaktivinode in the original not to form any conclusion on a large and un-familiar subject: before they have accorded him a patient hearing really free from bias. In the pages of the Harmonist we have been trying to re-state what Thakur Bhaktivinode has told us in a comprehensive manner and from his own experience as a pure devotee of God, in his numerous works.
The kind heart of Thakur Bhaktivinode felt keenly for the sufferings of man and like a competent physician was not satisfied till it could find out the very root of the disease that afflicted humanity all over the world. Once convinced of the nature of the disease and of the method of its real and permanent cure he at once adopted the only way of helping others out of their misery by preaching those principles and practicing them himself in order to be able to realize from actual personal experience the truth that he was to preach.
Thakur Bhaktivinode became convinced as the result of un-biased study of the works of the associates of Shri Chaitanya and the old Scriptures following the method laid down in those works that the words of Shri Chaitanya were nothing but the same language that he could hear God Him, self always speaking to his own heart. He has proclaimed this in no uncertain words in his writings declaring Shri Chaitanya to be no other than the teacher Who is ever present in the heart of everybody and constantly admonishing him from within. He pleads with pathetic earnestness that all may unreservedly believe in this statement which he makes from his own personal experience and which is confirmed by all the Scriptures he had studied. By listening to the voice from within he believed that all will be bound to argue with him some day that the only way of bringing about real harmony in this world is that of chanting together the Holy Name in the manner that has been taught by Shri Chaitanya. His philanthropy was hot confined to sect, creed or country. His kindness extended unstintedly to the whole of animate and seemingly inanimate nature. He was confident that all religions will one day admit the supreme necessity of chanting the Holy Name and range themselves under the banner of Shri Chaitanya.
Turning to his own countrymen he implored them to have faith in the old institution of varnashrama and to set about its re-establishment in a pure form. He has told us that the varnashrama institution is eminently fitted for the spiritual purpose and is superior to any other system that is to be found in this world. Its true significance was missed when it degenerated into a hereditary affair. This degeneracy which characterizes the caste system need not blind us to the merits of the real institution. It is the only machinery that is capable of purifying the heart of the people en masse; and all true patriots should think over this matter with an unbiased mind to be fully convinced of the immediate and imperative necessity of its re-establishment. All the problems of this country and of humanity awaiting solution can be settled by India if it simply re-occupies its spiritual position as featured by the varnashrama institution. All of us can obtain the necessary enlightenment on the subject from the teachings of Shri Chaitanya and His associates as elaborated, we may add, with this special object in view, in the writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode.
Thakur Bhaktivinode does not under estimate work or knowledge. He only warns us against work or knowledge divorced from relation to God. He condemns non-work and non-knowledge which cut at the very basis of life. He is an advocate of the most strenuous work and of knowledge in every form on condition that they are pursued with a mind really alive to its relationship with God for the purpose of serving God therewith. It is Shri Chaitanya alone who can enlighten us about this relationship of the jiva with God. We must, therefore, most attentively listen to what He has to say on the subject. We must not jump to a definition of the kirtan of the Holy Name without hearing from the lips of devotees who alone are truely unbiased in this matter what the kirtan that is proclaimed by Shri Chaitanya as the worship of this age of discord really means and how it is related to work and knowledge. As a matter of fact it is only by chanting the Holy Name in the manner laid down by Shri Chaitanya in conformity with the teaching of the whole body of the Scriptures that we can be aroused to the true knowledge of our relationship with God which is essential in the pursuit of word and knowledge, without which it is not possible to maintain our life in this world, in a way that is not inconsistent with the highest purpose of life viz. the service of God.
Thakur Bhaktivinod
(part 2)
Journal 'The Harmonist'
(No. 1, Vol. XXVI, June 1928)
Edited by: Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur
To those who are opposed to organized sect in any form Thakur Bhaktivinode says that the so-called nonsectarians also form a sect of their own. It is necessary to follow and obey the devotees of God. This is possible only within an organization. It is not possible to lead a holy life by avoiding association with the devotees. The church offers a society of the good consciously pursuing a common spiritual purpose in place of one made up mostly of bad people who have no such purpose. The society of devotees is indispensable. By opposing this not liberalism or nonsectarianism but the anarchical, disruptive, egotistic sentiment alone is displayed. Instead of directing one’s energy against principle of association, without which life in this world is impossible it would be really profitable if we would seriously endeavour to purify the society and make it conform to the true principles. The Sampradaya or church thus understood requires to be preserved and not abolished.
Purity within the congregation will be secured by all its members abstaining on principle from sitting up as a preacher of religion without previous regular discipleship under a true devotee of God qualifying to such service. No one should preach the religion the truth of which he does not realize by his own practice. Those who in imitation of the example of certain great devotees betake prematurely to a life of solitary devotion are less useful to society than those who set about preaching what they have learnt from sadhus and themselves actually practice the same in their own lives.
Thakur Bhaktivinode draws our particular attention to those text of the Scriptures that condemn trade in the name of religion. No one must on any account try to earn his livelihood by selling the Word of God. There are a hundred and one legitimate means of maintaining one’s family approved by the Scriptures that should be adopted for the purpose. It is denounced by the Scriptures as an offence against God Himself to become a preacher on hire. Most of the worst evils of all current religion are traceable to this source. The paid readers of the Bhagabat should be persuaded to adopt some other method of earning their livelihood. The abuse of diversion of religious endowments to secular purposes including the maintenance of the family of the preacher is strongly condemned by our Scriptures and must be prevented by legislation, if necessary, as the very first step in the direction of reform of religion in this country and elsewhere. It is these vested interests that have been the agents of religious corruptions in the past and are the official opponents of their removal at present. The same remarks applies to the mercenary gurus and dealers in mantras. The process is un-scriptural and there is according to the same authority, not only no possibility of any benefit either to the person who practices such a trade or to one who submits to receive the mantram as a marketable commodity, but on the contrary it constitutes a positive offence against the Divinity, and is, therefore, extremely harmful to such guru and disciple.
These are also several other important points to which we have to attend if we want to preserve the purity of communal worship. Those who occupy the pulpit must not deviate from the true principles of the religion and indulge in promulgating the concoctions of their imaginations. No one is fit to be a teacher of religion who is not really free from all taint of any ambition for popular applause or self-conceit.
Thakur Bhaktivinode warns everybody to be extremely cautious in the election of the spiritual guide. The preceptor must be fit in every way to instruct one in the true principles of religion. The preceptor who initiates is to be implicitly obeyed and cannot be discarded except for two definite reasons viz. (l) if the disciple at the time of choice of preceptor failed to choose as his guru one who is ignorant of the principles of religion and is not a Vaishnava, i. e. a true devotee of the Absolute, such a guru has to be discarded for the reason that he is of no practical help; and (2) if the preceptor although he happened to be a Vaishnava and well-versed in the principles of religion at the time when initiation was received from him, subsequently becomes a professor of illusionist doctrines or a hater of Vaishnavas such a guru should also be discarded.
Thakur Bhaktivinode lays special stress on the avoidance of all association with un-godly persons. These un-godly persons fall broadly in two classes viz. (1) those who are carnally addicted to women and (2) those who are without devotion for Krishna. There will be absolutely no spiritual progress if such aloofness is not strictly maintained despite the adoption of every other process that is recommended by the Scriptures.
The central topic of Thakur Bhaktivinode’s teaching, in strict conformity with that of Shri Chaitanya, is the supreme importance, hay the absolute necessity in this age, of worship by the method of taking the Holy Name. Thakur Bhaktivinode’s special contribution to this all important subject is his detailed treatment of every variety of offence that has to be carefully avoided if the Name has to be taken in the proper manner. He ascribes the present corruptions of the Vaisnava church which professes to follow the teaching of Shri Chaitanya mainly to misunderstanding of this cardinal subject. The Name coupled with offence is productive of perdition. The whole subject is minutely treated in very simple language in his Shri Hari-nama-chintamani which is a unique work in the whole range of literature and deserves to be translated into every language of the world.
Thakur Bhaktivinode most strongly opposes the blasphemous practice of the public singing of the devotional amorous hymns by impious persons, and on the authority of the Scriptures, condemns also those who encourage such practice by submitting to listen to such songs.
Thakur Bhaktivinode considers it essential that the spiritual varnashrama institution should be re-established in this country and elsewhere for the benefit of people in general as the status of a Vaishnava is not attainable by any except the spiritual Brahman. The Vaishnava is, however, above varna and ashrama which are again quite different from ‘caste’ in as much as the former serve a purely spiritual purpose while the latter is a product of history and embodies purely distinctions of social grades based on birth.
Thakur Bhaktivinode distinguishes true humility from the caricature of it that ordinarily passes under its name. The humanity of the Vaishnava consists in carrying out the precepts of his religion without minding any wordly discomfort or dishonour to himself. He is prepared to give due worldly honour to everybody without having any interest of his own in such matters for their own sake; but he never defers to the judgment of any worldly person in the matter of the religion. He is as tender as he is firm; but this is realizable only by one who himself possesses single-hearted devotion to Krishna. In preaching the true religion from door to door, despite of all manner of apparent personal discouragement and hardship, with a heart that overflowed with infinite kindness for suffering humanity without distinction of caste, creed or colour. Thakur Bhaktivinode set the ideal to his followers of true philanthropy that brings no evil in its train.
JAIVA DHARMA
by Thakur Bhaktivinod
(from 'The Harmonist')
Bhaktivinode Appearance Day Lecture
CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU - His Life and Precepts