Today marks the anniversary of the birth—the appearance—of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, “the pioneer of the program for benedicting the entire world with Krishna consciousness.” To honor the occasion, I would like to share a short piece I wrote about Srila Bhaktivinoda and Srila Prabhupada. We pray for their continued guidance and mercy.
“Dedicated to the sacred service of Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who initiated the teachings of Lord Chaitanya in the Western world (McGill Universi
By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
The last instructions of Srila Bhaktivinoda thakura is found in his Sva niyama dasakam:
Sri Sri Sva-niyama-dasakam
“12 Verses of My Own Self-imposed Regulative Principles”
by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura
The 1st Verse
(The Objects of Devotion Birth After Birth)
gurau sri-gaurange tad-udita-subhakti-prakara ne
saci-sunor-lila-vikasita-s utirthe nija manau
harer namni presthe hari-tithisu rupanuga-jane
suka-prokte sastre prati-jani mamastam khalu ratih
No
Today we have gathered for the most auspicious celebration of the appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was one of the most prominent acharyas in the disciplic succession after Lord Chaitanya, and his contribution to Gaudiya Vaishnavism and to the world is so great that one devotee called him the Seventh Gosvami. Much of the present Krishna consciousness movement founded by Srila Prabhupada is being conducted under the guidance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, an
A lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s appearance day, September 3, 1971, London.
Today is a very auspicious day, Thakura Bhaktivinoda’s birthday. Here is the picture of Thakura Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda. He was one of the acharyas of this disciplic succession from Krishna. We have got a succession table from Krishna—a genealogical table. There are two kinds of genealogical tables, one by the semen—the father, his son, hi
By Gopika Radhika Devi Dasi
The Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) is delighted to announce the latest release in its acclaimed Vaishnava Studies Series: a reprint of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts. First published in 1896—the same year as Srila Prabhupada’s appearance—this historic work marked one of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s pioneering initiatives to spread the teachings of Lord Caitanya to the Western world.
In October 1896, Srila Bhaktivinoda Tha
In 1885, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote: “Lord Chaitanya did not advent Himself to liberate only a few men in India. Rather, His main objective was to emancipate all living entities of all countries throughout the entire universe and preach the eternal dharma. Lord Chaitanya states in Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, ‘In every town, country, and village My name will be sung.’ There is no doubt that this unquestionable order will come to pass… . Although there is still no pure society of Vaishnavas, Lor
From Back to Godhead
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914) is a prominent preceptor acharya in our succession of spiritual masters and disciples coming from Lord Krishna. He was a pioneering spiritual leader, a householder, a magistrate working in colonial India under the British rule, a prolific preacher, writer, and poet. He wrote volumes of books reintroducing the pure teachings of Lord Chaitanya at a time when those teachings had practically become lost. He composed hundreds of devotional
My heart is like a desert, hot with the rays of the sun. This is my internal mental condition. The desire for temporary, material things cannot satisfy me because by nature they are death producing. And not one or two, but thousands of such death-producing desires have taken shelter in my mind. So, my subconscious region is always burning. This is my condition. But somehow, by the grace of sadhu and my guru, the holy name of Krishna with its infinite prospect has entered through the holes of my
Lecture given by HH Tamal Krishna Goswami on 11th July 1991 in Dallas.
Today is the disappearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Gadadhara Pandit. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura worshipped the deities of Gaura Gadadhara and chose to leave this world on the same day as his worshippable deity Gadadhara Pandit also left.
We cannot calculate the debt which we owe to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Practically this Krishna consciousness movement is based upon his design because it is he who revived
Today we are observing the disappearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Gadadhara Pandita. I first learned of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura when I visited the Boston temple. At that time there were only two published books in ISKCON—the abridged edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, published by Macmillan, and Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, published by ISKCON. And at the front of Teachings of Lord Chaitanyawas a series of very dignified black-and-white photographs of Srila Prabhupada, Srila
From Back to Godhead
Compiled by Manu dasa
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914) is a prominent preceptor acharya in our succession of spiritual masters and disciples coming from Lord Krishna. He was a pioneering spiritual leader, a householder, a magistrate working in colonial India under the British rule, a prolific preacher, writer, and poet. He wrote volumes of books reintroducing the pure teachings of Lord Chaitanya at a time when those teachings had
An enhanced ancient photo of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and his family, including his son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, formerly known as Kedarnatha Datta, was born in 1838 in Birnagar, West Bengal. Growing up, Kedarnatha Datta preferred to sit and talk with the gate keepers and soldiers, and listen to them recite pastimes of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama than to play outside. Even from a young age, Thakura Bhaktivinoda was attracted to the pastimes of the Lord. Any tim
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written five beautiful prayers in “Sri Navadvipa Bhava Taranga” for receiving the mercy of Lord Narasimha. These prayers are certainly assurance to all sincere devotees that the worship of Lord Narasimha is purely in the line of aspiring love and devotion to Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. Those prayers are as follows.
e dusta hrdaye kama adi ripu chaya
kutinati pratisthasa sathya sada raya
hrdaya-sodhana ara krsnera vasana
nrsimha-carane mora ei to’ kamana
Within my sin
For a divine relationship to manifest, we need three elements:
Bhakta: the devotee
Bhagavan: the Supreme Lord Krsna
Bhakti: the process of devotional service (chanting is a limb of bhakti).
When these three come together, the Holy Name dances on the tongue of the devotee as described by Srila Rupa Goswami, ‘Love (bhakti) makes Krsna dance.
It makes the devotee dance.
It dances itself. The three dance together.’ (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya 18.18) For this kind of magical chanting to take pl
All good qualities automatically appear in a devotee; there is no need to endeavor for them.
In the book Bhakti-rasamrtasindhu, auspiciousness (Subhada) has been described as one of the six glories of bhakti. The question, “How many kinds of auspiciousness are there?” is answered as follows:
Subhani prinanam
sarva-jagatam anuraktata
sad-gunah sukham ity
adiny akhyatani manisibhih
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (Eastern Division, Sadhana-lahari 28)
Learned sages have described the meaning of auspicious
Questions about INATTENTIVE CHANTING and answers by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura from his books:
Q. What is the main impediment blocking one from developing attachment for chanting?
A. If one gives up all the offenses in chanting, but remains inattentive, he can never develop attachment for chanting. (Sajjana Tosani 11/1)
Q. What are the various definitions of inattention while chanting?
A. O Lord! All anarthas are produced when we do not pay attention to our chanting. The exalted devotees have d
