

B. 78. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA:

B. 79.  BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA:

        See "Kedarnath Datta".

B. 80.  BHANJANA ADHIKARI:

        He was a Bhatta brahmana by caste of the Kasyapa clan and a disciple of Syamananda Prabhu.  His Sripata is at Fatepur, postal-zone Gadadharpur in the district of Midnapore.  Because of Bhanjana's exalted spiritual consciousness, Syamananda Pr
abhu awarded him the title `Adhikari'.  The nearest relatives of Bhanjana, Niranjana Adhikari, Jivanakrsna Adhikari, and Paranakrsna Adhikari, were all disciples in Syamananda's line.  All four were accomplished mrdanga players, who regularly accompa
nied Syamananda's kirtana.

        Some of the descendants of Bhanjana Adhikari continue to live in the Sripata at Fatepur, ten or twelve miles from the Kantai road railway station. Descendants of the disciples of Bhanjana live in the surrounding villages of Fatepur, Hasimpur,
 Egada, Kenthad, Erang, Kusunda, Kamiyabag, Dodekhan, Gadia, Kotara, Gopalpur, Badalpur, etc.

B. 81.  BHARATA MALLIKA:

        Mahamahopadhyaya Bharata Sen appeared around the mid-seventeenth century and wrote commentaries on the following books: Kirata, Kumara, Ghatakarpara, Naisadha, Nalodaya, Amarakosa, Bhatti, Medgaduta, Sisupala etc.  Two other treatises entitle
d Candraprabhu and Ratnaprabha record the ancient history of the Vaidya caste. Scholars hold that his book Karakollasa, composed in Anustupa prosody and consisting of 107 sections, was written in the same way as Jiva Gosvami's Harinamamrtavyakarana.
 An incomplete manuscript of his Suvodha tika of Sri Gitagovinda, consisting of chapters two to seven, is available in the collection of Bangiya Sahitya Parisad, Calcutta (ms, No. 39).  From the viewpoint of the depth of rasa this Suvodha tika is far
 superior to Sarvangasundari of Narayana dasa, Rasikapriya of Rana Kumbha, and Rasamanjari of Sankara Misra.  One manuscript of Bharata Sena's on grammar entitled Drutavodha is available in the collection of Sanskrita Sahitya Parisad, Calcutta (ms. n
o. 490, 490A)  Bharata also wrote a tika on this work entitled Drutavodhini.  He wrote two other treatises on Ayurveda entitled Ratnakaumudi and Sarakaumudi.

B. 82.  BHARGAVA ACARYA:

        His name is mentioned in Jayananda's Caitanyamangala p.88.

B. 83.  BHARGAVA PURI:

        His name is mentioned in Jayananda's Caitanyamangala p.2.

B. 84.  BHASKARA THAKURA:
        He was a devotee of Lord Gauranga and possibly a skilled artisan (Vaisnava Vandana).  Gauraganoddesadipika 114 notes that he was Visvakarma in an earlier incarnation.

B. 85.  BHATTATHARI:

        A large population of Nambudri brahmanas live on the Malabar-coast of India.  Persons from the Bhattathari caste serve as priests of these Nambudri brahmana's.  Bhattatharis are skilled in the art of black magic and sorcery.  These priests ar
e said to have hypnotised Krsnadasa, Lord Caitanya's companion, during their pilgrimage in the south (CC. 2.9.223-226).  The word Bhattathari came to be known in Bengal as Bhattamari.

B. 86.  BHATUA GOPALA:

        He was a devotee of Lord Gauranga (Namamrta samudra 226).

B. 87.  BHAVADEVA BHATTA:

        He was an official in the court of the king of Vanga, Harivarmadeva.  He was expert at both wielding weapons and quoting sastra.  He installed the Deity of Anantavasudeva in Bhuvanesvara, and wrote Dasakarma-paddhati.


B. 88.  BHAVAKA CAKRAVARTI:

        See "Govinda Cakravarti".

B. 89.  BHAVANADA:

        He was born in eastern Bengal in the sixteenth century, and wrote an ancient book named Harivansa.

B. 90.  BHAVANANDA GOSVAMI:

        He was the descendant of a subsidiary disciple-line from Gadadhara Pandita.  He was the classmate of Madhu Pandita and a dedicated servant of Gopinatha. (Sakhanirnayamrta 42-43 and Bhaktiratnakara 13.320-321.

B. 91.  BHAVANANDA RAYA PATTANAYAKA:

        Bhavananda Pattanayaka was a devotee of Lord Jagannatha who lived in the village Bentapur in the district of Puri. One day his five sons, Ramananda (the eldest), Gopinatha, Vaninatha, Sudhanidhi, and Kulandidhi accompanied him to the house of
 Kasi Misra to pay respects to Lord Caitanya.  Upon arriving at Kasi Misra's house they all fell prostrate before the Lord as  Sarvabhauma introduced each family member individually.  It is stated by Kaviraja in CC. that Lord Caitanya embraced Bhavan
anda and praised Ramananda. The Lord compared Bhavananda with Pandu and his five sons, saying that there was no difference between him and his sons. Bhavananda replied to the Lord: "I am a low-class worldly minded sudra, yet when you embraced me I un
derstood that You are the Supreme Lord.  From this moment I offer to You everything in my possession; my five sons, all my servants, and anything else I have in this world.  My son Vaninatha will become Your lifelong attendant" (CC. 1.10.134, 2.10.49
,50,52,54,57).

        Kavikarnapura was full of praise for Bhavananda (Caitanyacandrodayanatakam 8.258).  In Gurubhaktigita 3.49.176 Achyutananda describes him as a gopi.  According to Chaitanyacandrodayanatakam 8.2, CC Mahakavyam 12.130, and CC. 2.10.46, Verse No
. 30 and 89 of Padyavali could have been composed by Bhavananda.

B. 92.  BHAVANATHA KAR:

        He belonged to the disciple-line of Advaita Prabhu and was a Kayastha by caste (CC. 1.12.60 and Namamrta-samudra 141).

B. 93.  BHAVANI DEVI:

        She was the sister of King Acyutananda, the mother of Rasikamurari, and the foremost disciple of Syamananda Prabhurabhu. (Bhaktiratnakara 15.29).

B. 94.  BHAVESA DATTA:

        He was the founding father of the family line of Uddharana Datta. He was a trader by profession who migrated from Ayodhya to Suvarnagrama in Vanga. Bhagavati, the daughter of Kanjilala Dhar, was his wife, and Krsnadatta, his son.

        B. 95.  BHIKHA SAHEB:

        He was  Muslim Vaisnava poet. His padavali has been reproduced in "Sant-Sahitya".

B. 96.  BHILA VAISNAVA:

        On the way to Vrndavana, Lord Caitanya passed through Jharakhanda were He converted the violent Bhil tribe. (CC. 2.17.53-54)

B. 97.  BHIMA:

        He was a horrible tyrant from the gopa caste who acted as the Zamindar of Dharend, a village near Khadagpur.  By the grace of Rasikananda he later became a Vaisnava. (Rasikamangala Daksina 4.22-5.36)


B. 98.  BHIMALOCANA SANYAL:

        He translated  Rupa Gosvami's Catupuspanjali into Bengali. (Bangiya Sahitya Sevaka)

B. 99.  BHOLANATHA:

        He belonged to the devotee-line of Advaita Prabhu (Premavilasa 19) and was present at the festival at Katoa. (Bhaktiratnakara 9.403)

B. 100. BHOLANATHA DASA:

        He belonged to the disciple-line of Advaita Prabhu. (CC. 1.12.60, Namamrtasamudra 139)

B. 101. BHUDHARA:

        He was a disciple of Rasikananda Prabhu (Rasikamangala pascima 14.114).

B. 102. BHUDHARA:

        He was another disciple of Rasikananda Prabhu. (Rasikamangala pascima 14.152)

B. 103. BHUGARBHA GOSVAMI:

        The brahmana Bhugarbha and his brother's son, Lokanatha, were among the pioneers who settled in Vrndavana.  According to CC. and Jadunatha, Bhugarbha was included amongst the disciples of Gadadhara.  CC. mentions that Rupa Gosvami, along with
 Bhugarbha and other followers, visited Sri Krsna in the house of Bitthaleswar at Mathura.  In Gauraganoddesadipika he is identified as Premamanjari.  According to Premavilasa 7, at the command of Lord Caitanya, Bhugarbha unearthed all the buried lil
a sites in Vrndavana.  Bhugarbha Gosvami passed away on the 14th day of the bright fortnight in the month of Kartika (Oct-Nov).

B. 104. BHUPATI:

        He was a Vaisnava poet, no further information is available.

B. 105  BHUVANA DASA:

        He was a Vaisnava poet.  His padavali entitled "Baramasi", included in Padakalpataru 4.9, is an excellent and enjoyable work.

B. 106. BHUVANAMOHANA THAKURA:

        He was the brother of Radhamohana Thakura and a descendant of Srinivasa Acarya.  At present the descendants of Bhuvanamohana's family live at Manikyahara in Mursidavad. (See also "Radhamohana Thakura")

B. 107. BHUVANAMOHINI:

        She was the daughter of Viracandra Prabhu, the wife of Parvatinatha, and a resident of Phulia.

B. 108. BRAHMAGOPALAJI:

        Ramaraya Gosvami, previously known as Paramahamsa-Cudamani, was a disciple of Nityananda Prabhu.  Brahmagopalaji was the grandson of Ramaraya's younger brother, Candragopalaji.  He composed "Harilila" in 55 eloquent padas which deal with Asta
kalina lila.  Each pada is preceded by a couplet.  Throughout his composition the poet narrates Astakalila seva in the order of the eight groves of the eight sakhis.  Brahmagopalaji wrote his commentary entitled Vastuvodhini based on the Gaura Vinodi
ni Vritti of Ramarayaji and  Sri Radhamadhavabhasya of Prabhucandra Gopala.

B. 109. BRAHMANANDA:

        He was the younger brother of Nityananda Prabhu (Premavilasa 24).

B. 110. BRAHMANANDA:

        He was a participant in the kirtana recital of Lord Gauranga at Navadvipa. (CBh. 2.8.116, 2.18.9,102-107, 2.28.12,104, 3.2.35)

B. 111. BRAHMANANDA BHARATI:

        He is compared to the very root of the imaginary tree embodying Lord Caitanya. (CC. 1.10.136, 2.10.155-159)

B. 112. BRAHMANANDA GOSVAMI PRABHU:

        Sripada Brahmananda Prabhu (later known as Sri Paramananda) was a fourth generation descendant of Nandakisora.  He established the Sripata of Nityananda Prabhu in Vrndavana.  Brahmananda was very handsome, when he and his cousin-brother, Nris
imhananda, performed kirtana together the audience was so moved they felt as if Lord Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu were personally present.  He was an accomplished kirtaniya and well versed in sastra, and also appreciated these qualities in others.

        Under the guidance of an ascetic Vaisnava named Golokadasa babaji, Brahmananda mastered the art of kirtana. When people heard that Brahmananda was performing kirtana, they left all other work and rushed to hear him.  Everyone, including disti
nguished persons and other kirtaniyas, became so absorbed in his recitals that they forgot the time of day. On occasions when kirtana continued until midnight, Brahmananda would pass a message to his supervisor to arrange food for about forty Vaisnav
as.

        Brahmananda meticulously performed two annual rituals in memory of his parents.  On one such occasion a programme was arranged to hold a day-long kirtana recital, followed by nagara-sankirtana the next day.  The first days kirtana was lead by
 the famous Krsnadasa babaji, accompanied by his brother Gauradasa babaji (father and uncle of Navadvipa Vrajavasi respectively).  At that time kirtana performed by Gaura and Krsnadasa was considered unparalled.

        When the kirtana ended Brahmananda escorted Krsnadasa to his room where a separate bed had been placed alongside his own for Krsnadasa.  Being very tired, Krsnadasa quickly fell asleep whereupon Brahmananda took the opportunity to quietly mas
sage the body of Krsnadasa.  When Krsnadasa awoke and asked what he was doing, Brahmananda put him back to sleep saying that he should be more concerned about the nagara-sankirtana than the massage.

        Brahmananda Prabhu was a close friend of Siddha Jagannathadasa babaji.  He was a dignified, blissful person, devoid of anger.  He had no attraction for material pleasure and accepted whatever food was offered to him with love. Prabhupada Prem
ananda once told his disciple, Madhavadasaji, that Brahmananda had earned more than two lakh rupees yet he had not kept a single paise for himself.

        One day about 12:00 noon at Sripata Purulia, as Brahmananda was completing his sadhana, he came to know that his eldest son had passed away.  Members of his family arrived their crying in grief.  Brahmananda, however, completely unperturbed,
walked across the temple, took prasada from the pujari, and carried on with his routine bhajana session, leaving his relatives and friends to perform the last funeral rites.  Thereafter no one ever heard Brahmananda mention his son.

        Brahmananda was a magnanimous person.  When one of his devotees committed an act unbecoming of a true Vaisnava, Gosvami blamed himself for not properly guiding the devotee concerned.  At the same time he made sure that the person was separate
d from the other devotees, and, if necessary, would send him away to live elsewhere at his own expense.

        Once, in the presence of Brahmananda Prabhu, the second Siddha Krsnadasaji, a disciple of Siddhababa Krsnadasaji of Govardhana, recited Sri Radha's snana-sringara lila for twenty-four hours without cessation.

        Brahmananda Prabhu died on the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of Jaistha in the Bengali year 1305(1898 AD.).  (GBJ:p.187-189)



B. 113. BRAHMANANDA PURI:

        He was one of the nine sannyasis who are considered the main roots of the imaginary tree embodying Lord Caitanya. (CBh. 1.9.170, CC. 1.9.13)

B. 114. BRAHMANANDA SVARUPA:

        He was a sannyasi companion of Lord Caitanya. (Vaisnava Vandana, Namamrta samudra 219)
 
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