Today we celebrate the Appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, the son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Spiritual Master of our Srila Prabhupada. We will honor it with a half day fast, rememberances and readings. I happened upon the following post on the Sampradaya Sun, and because it was so nicely assembled, we will share it with you here today.
The Appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
by Sun Staff CANADA (SUN)
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura appeared in Purusottam Ksetra, Jagannatha Puri, Orissa, on February 6, 1874. He was born in the family home next to the Narayan-chhata of Sri Jagannatha Temple, which always reverberated with the chanting of the Holy Name. Named Bimala Prasad, He was the fourth son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srimati Bhagavati Devi.
By the age of twelve, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was well versed in astronomy. Hearing news of this, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji summoned him one day and instructed him to make a Vaisnava calendar that included the appearance and disappearance days of all Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s and Visnupriya Thakurani’s associates. Following these instructions, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati made the necessary calculations and began publication of “Sri Nabadvipa Panjica”.
“….So his method of preaching is just according to the, strictly according to the rules and regulation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And as Caitanya Mahaprabhu was called by Advaita Prabhu, similarly, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, when he saw this condition of pseudo Vaisnava all over the country, he also prayed to Lord Caitanya that “You kindly send somebody from Your personal staff so that I can start this movement.” You see? So by the grace of Lord Caitanya, as we pray, sri-gaura-karuna-sakti-vigrahaya namo ‘stu te. Gaura… He is mercy representation of Lord Caitanya. And he appeared as the son of this Bhaktivinoda Thakura. At that time he was known as Kedaranath Datta. Ken Datta. And he appeared in 1867 as the child of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. And the house is still preserved in Jagannatha Puri. At that time Jagannatha Puri, he was magistrate in Jagannatha Puri, and he was… The system in the Jagannatha Puri, the manager, the official manager, is the district magistrate. So he was district magistrate. And in February 1867, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura appeared. And when he appeared, his, this what is called, the intestine?
Madhudvisa: Umbilical cord?
Prabhupada: Cord, cord. What is it called?
Visnujana: Umbilical.
Prabhupada: Embryo cord. That embryo cord was like this. Yes. That means brahmana from the beginning. You see? So when he was a child… He appeared in February. Then… When the Ratha-yatra takes place? In July. So February, March, April, May, June, July. So when he was six months old, the Ratha-yatra festival was held. And by chance the big cart stopped in front of that house. That is generally in the Jagannatha car stops. Just like our car also stops somewhere. And you have some difficulty to push it again? That’s nice. That also happens in Jagannatha Puri. It was stopped, and some people were… Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to push with His head. So that was wonderful. So anyway the car stopped, and mother of our Guru Maharaja, the child Guru Maharaja, so she took the opportunity, and because she was manager’s wife, so everyone respected with the child. So she put the child on the leg of Jagannatha. And as there are so many garlands, one garland immediately fell on the child. Yes. Automatically. So in this way Bhaktivinoda Thakura could understand that “This child is not ordinary child,” and he knew that “I prayed to Gaurasundara to send me somebody. So this boy, this child, is sent by Him.” So he took care of him very carefully. And in this way his name was Bimala Prasada, Bimala Prasada Datta.
“So when he was three years or four years old, he took one mango from the Deity room and ate it. So Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, “Oh, you have done a great wrong thing. You have taken the mango of the Deity before offering Him? It is a great offense.” The child took it very serious, and my Guru Maharaja never took mango throughout his whole life. Whenever mango was offered, he would say, “Oh, I am a offender. I cannot take that.” You see? So there was a big meeting. What is this sound? Somebody’s sleeping? All right. (laughter) In Midnapur district, when he was young man, he was holding meeting. He was a great astrologer, and he opened an astrological school when he was young man. And there are many big students still practicing. They are all students of my Guru Maharaja. And there was a meeting in Midnapur district. The subject matter “Brahmanas and Vaisnavas.” So in that meeting Bhaktivinoda Thakura was invited. At that time he was not very in healthy condition, indisposed. So he asked Sarasvati Thakura that “You go and speak there.” So he spoke on the distinction between brahmanas and Vaisnavas, and he defeated so many learned panditas. Then the whole audience began to take, touch his lotus feet and touch with water and drink it, in this way, when he was young man. That book is also available in Bengali, Brahmana- Vaisnava.”
[Srila Prabhupada Lecture on Appearance Day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, 02-07-69, Los Angeles]
“Devotee: “His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati accepted both Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Gaurakisora as his spiritual master.
“Prabhupada: Gaurakisora dasa… Bhaktivinoda Thakura was his father, and Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was treating Bhaktivinoda Thakura… Although he was householder and Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was renounced order, still he used to offer great respect to Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Bhaktivinoda Thakura saw him a pure devotee; therefore he recommended his son, Bimala Prasada. His former name was Bimala Prasada, and he got this title Siddhanta Sarasvati by writing one thesis on astronomy, astrology, astrological calculation according to solar system. So he got this title Siddhanta Sarasvati. So this Siddhanta Sarasvati, Sarasvati title also accepted by sannyasa. Sarasvati, Bharati, Puri, Aranya, Bon, Parvat–there are ten names of sannyasa according to Mayavadi school, and according to Vaisnava school there are 108 names. So this “svami” and “gosvami,” they’re also included within that 108 names. So he accepted Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja his spiritual master. Yes?
“Devotee: Does our line of succession go directly to Gaurakisora dasa Babaji or to Bhaktivinoda Thakura?
“Prabhupada: No. Because he was treating Bhaktivinoda Thakura as his siksa guru, preceptor guru, so it is in the line.
“Devotee: But is Bhaktivinoda Thakura directly in succession from Lord Caitanya?
“Prabhupada: Yes.
“Devotee: And Gaurakisora dasa Babaji also?
“Prabhupada: Yes….”
[Srila Prabhupada, Questions & Answers, 08-62-68, Montreal]
“My Guru Maharaja was very great scholar, and his Guru Maharaja, from literary point of view, he could not even sign his name, Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. And Bhaktivinoda Thakura asked Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to accept Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja as his, as his spiritual master, that “You go and take your initiation from Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja.” So he thought that “I am a great scholar, and I am son of a magistrate, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and great Vaisnava. He’ll be very much pleased to accept me.” Of course, he was very much pleased. But in the beginning he refused. He refused. Because… Of course, that is only show. He was not proud. Just to teach us. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explained that “I was little proud. So I was thrice refused by Guru Maharaja,” although he was the only disciple. So the scholarship is not a qualification of becoming devotee. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teaching. Scholarship may help, but it is not necessary. Real necessary is that one should be humble and meek and follow the instruction of the spiritual master. This is real qualification.”
[Srila Prabhupada Lecture on Caitanya-caritamrta, 03-13-74, Vrindaban]
Source: http://theharekrishnamovement.org/2016/02/27/the-appearance-of-srila-bhaktisiddhanta/
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