Bhaktivinoda Thakura

(a short biography of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura from *Gaudiya 
Vaisnava Samadhis in Vrndavana* by Mahanidhi Swami)

Sri Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in 1838 in a wealthy 
family in the Nadia district, West Bengal. He revealed that he is an 
eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by his extraordinary 
preaching activities and prolific writing. Living as a maha-bhagavata 
Vaisnava, he stayed in the grhasta ashram until the last few years of 
his life. Then he renounced everything, accepted babaji, and entered 
samadhi, totally absorbed in the loving service of Gaura-Gadadhara and 
Radha-Madhava.

"He had a responsible government position as the District Magistrate 
(high court judge), maintained a Krsna conscious family, and wrote 
almost one hundred books on Krsna consciousness. At the same time, he 
served the Supreme Lord in so many ways. That is the beauty of his 
life. After a full day of government service he would sleep four 
hours, get up at midnight and write until morning. That was his daily 
program." (Srila Prabhupada)

Thakura Bhaktivinoda took Vaisnava diksa from Sri Vipinvihari Gosvami 
in the line of Sri Jahnava Mata. Afterwards, he received spiritual 
inspiration and direction from Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji. Holding 
an exalted government post, vast erudition, and spiritual 
accomplishment never disturbed Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He remained 
prideless, always humble, friendly to all. Charity seekers at his home 
always left happy and satisfied. A well-wisher to everyone, he never 
kept grudges, even with opponents to his preaching. In fact, he never 
spoke a word that would hurt another's feelings.

"The Thakura was always courageous and acted for everyone's welfare. 
Keeping personal needs to a minimum, he led the simplest of lives," 
said one pandit. In the following entry from Saranagati, Srila 
Bhaktivinoda, who had all pure divine qualities, takes the role of a 
conditioned soul to teach us how to advance in Krsna consciousness:

"You should always absorb your mind in attentively chanting Krsna's 
glories. By performing Krsna kirtana you'll gain mastery over the 
mind. Give up all false pride. Always think yourself to be worthless, 
destitute, lower and more humble than straw in the street. Practice 
forgiveness like the tree. Giving up all violence toward other living 
beings, you should maintain them. Throughout your life you should 
never give anxiety to others. But do good to them, make them happy, 
and forget about your own happiness.

Thus when you become a pious good soul by possessing all good 
qualities, you should give up desires for fame and honor. And just 
make your heart humble. Knowing that Lord Sri Krsna lives within all 
living beings, you should respect and honor everyone at all times. You 
will attain virtue by being humble, merciful, respecting others, and 
renouncing desires for fame and honor. In such a state, you should 
sing the glories of the Supreme Lord. Weeping, Bhaktivinoda submits 
his prayer at the lotus feet of the Lord. 'O Lord, when will You give 
me such qualifies as these?'"

Always anxious to use every moment in loving service of Krsna, he 
followed a strict austere daily schedule:

8-10 P.M. Rest (two hours)
10-4 A.M. Write
4-4:30 A.M. Rest
4:30-7 A.M. Chant Japa
7-7:30 Correspondence
7:30-9:30 Study sastras
9:30-10 Bath, prasadam (half-liter milk, fruit, 2 capatis)
10-1 P.M. Court Duties
1-2 P.M. Refresh at home
2-5 P.M Court Duties
5-7 P.M. Translate Sanskrit sastras to Bengali
7-8 P.M. Bath, prasadam (half-liter milk, rice, 2 capatis)

Summary Daily Schedule:
Sleep 3 hours
Write 8.5 hours
Japa,study 4.5 hours
Work 6 hours

Srinivasa Acarya praises the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, nana 
sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma samsthapakau, lokanam hita 
karinau... 'The six Gosvamis deeply studied all the sastras in order 
to establish eternal religious principles for the benefit of 
everyone." Similarly, Thakura Bhaktivinoda made unlimited preaching 
contributions to help humanity. And for this he's known as the 
"Seventh Gosvami."

Biographers list three major preaching achievements of Srila 
Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

(1) Wrote 100 authorized spiritual books.
(2) Discovered appearance place of Lord Caitanya.
(3) Introduced preaching innovations.

Besides books (in Bengali, Oriya, English) reviving and explaining 
Mahaprabhu's message, he wrote hundreds of poems and songs full of 
spiritual sentiments and sastric siddhanta (philosophical 
conclusions).

"His writings; have made the sacred teachings of Sri Caitanya 
Mahaprabhu fully available to every modern reader. And they are 
presented in a form which carries, irresistible conviction and 
devotion," said a late disciple of Thakura Bhaktivinoda.

Sri Krsna-samhita, Kalyana Kalpa-taru Sri Caitanya-siksamrta, Sri 
Navadvipa-dhama mahatmyam, Jaiva Dharma, Sri Harinama-cintamani, 
Bhajana-rahasya; Gita-mala, Gitavali, Saranagati, and commentaries on 
Bhagavad-gita and Caitanya-caritamrta are some of his works. The 
following quote comes from Thakura Bhaktivinoda's Gitavali:

"He who has failed to carefully worship the lotus feet of Sri Radhika, 
which are the abodes of all auspiciousness. He who has not taken 
shelter in the transcendental abode of Vrndavana, which is decorated 
with the lotus flower named Radha. He who in this life has not 
associated with the devotees of Radhika, who are full of wisdom and 
love for Radhika. How will such a person ever feel the bliss of 
bathing in the ocean of Lord Syamasundara's sublime mellows?

"Please understand this most attentively. Sri Radhika is the teacher 
of madhurya rasa (mellows of conjugal love). Radha-Madhava madhurya 
prema is meant to be discussed and meditated upon. He who cherishes 
the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani obtains the lotus feet of Madhava, 
which are priceless jewels. Without taking shelter of Radha's lotus 
feet one can never meet Krsna. The Vedic scriptures declare that Krsna 
is the property of the maidservants of Sri Radha. Give up wife, sons, 
friends, wealth, followers, speculative knowledge, all materialistic 
actions. Just become absorbed in the sweetness of serving the lotus 
feet of Srimati Radharani. This is Bhaktivinoda's solemn declaration."

During the last five-hundred years, the original appearance place of 
Lord Caitanya had vanished under the indomitable Ganges River. In 
1888, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura revealed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's 
janmasthana at the Yogapitha in Sridhama Mayapur. Srila Jagannatha 
Dasa Babaji Maharaja, a famous siddha saint, and paramahamsa rasika 
Vaisnava, confirmed the Thakura's discovery. This most auspicious 
event delighted the Gaudiya Vaisnavas from Gaura-mandala to 
Vraja-bhumi. He established the worship of Lord Gauranga and Srimati 
Visnupriya at Yogapitha.

In the mood of innovation, in 1896 he sent to universities around the 
world a book of slokas, Sri Gauranga-lila smarana which had a 
forty-seven page English introduction: "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His 
Life and Precepts." This act rose from a keen desire to spread Lord 
Caitanya's teachings in the Western countries.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura made three predictions concerning a person and a 
phenomena: "A personality will soon appear," wrote Bhaktivinoda 
Thakura, "and he will travel all over the world to spread the 
teachings of Lord Caitanya."

His second prediction: "Very soon the chanting of Harinama sankirtana 
will be spread all over the world. Oh, when will that day come when 
people from America, England, France, Germany, Russia will take up 
karatals and mrdangas and chant Hare Krsna in their towns?"

The third prediction: "When will that day come when the fair-skinned 
foreigners will come to Sri Mayapur dhama and join with the Bengali 
Vaisnavas to chant, Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana. When will that 
day be? " Srila Prabhupada said it's spiritually significant that he 
himself appeared in 1896, the same year Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent his 
book overseas. The will of Lord Caitanya, the desire of Thakura 
Bhaktivinoda, and the mercy of Srila Sarasvati Thakura empowered Srila 
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to spread Sri Caitanya's teachings 
and the chanting of Hare Krsna all over the world. Prabhupada 
fulfilled the Thakura's three predictions!

Devoid of pride, full of humility, radiant with pure love for 
Radha-Govinda, Srila Prabhupada gave all credit to the previous 
acaryas. "We should take it," said Srila Prabhupada, "that Srila 
Bhaktivinoda Thakura was the origin of the Krsna Consciousness 
Movement (ISKCON) in its pure form."

In 1986, just one-hundred years after Bhaktivinoda Thakura's third 
prediction, three-thousand "fair skinned devotees" from America, 
England, France, Germany, Russia, and fifty other countries gathered 
at the ISKCON Mayapura Candrodaya Mandir in Sridhama Mayapur. They 
joined one thousand "Bengali Vaisnavas" to rock the universe by 
chanting Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana, 
Gaura-Hari. Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura ki jaya!

In 1914, on the tirobhava tithi (disappearance day) of Sri Gadadhara 
Pandit (the incarnation of Sri Radha), Thakura Bhaktivinoda entered 
the eternal pastimes of Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha-Madhava. In 
Godrumadvipa (Navadvipa) Sri-Sri Gaura-Gadadhara, the worshipable 
Deities of Thakura Bhaktivinoda, await to bless any visitors to 
Svananda-sukhada-kunja. In Radha Madhava's nitya-vraja lila 
Bhaktivinoda Thakura takes the form of Kamala-manjari to serve Srimati 
Radharani. His puspa samadhi is in his bhajana kutir at Radha-kunda.

