Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Appearance

        Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was born on Sunday, Sept. 2, 1838 in Biranagara 

(Ulagrama) in the Nadia district of Bengal. He was the seventh son of Raja 

Krsnananda Datta, a great devotee of Lord Nityananda. He was also known as the 

great grandson of Madana Mohana and the third son of his Godfather 

Anandacandra. He would be known as daitya-kulera prahlada (Prahlada in the 

family of demons). This was because Vaisnavism was not very much respected in 

his family; on his mother's side, there was no respect for Vaisnavism at all. 

He was named Kedaranatha Datta by his Godfather. 

  

His childhood was spent at the mansion of his maternal grandfather Mustauphi 

Mahasaya, in Biranagara. His environment at this time was very opulent. He got 

his elementary education at the primary school started by his grandmother. 

Later he attended an English school in Krishnanagara, started by the King of 

Nadia; he left that school when his older brother died unexpectedly of 

cholera. 

  

When he was 11 years old, his father passed away. Subsequently, the grant of 

land that had been conferred upon his grandmother changed owners; at this time 

the family fell into a condition of poverty - their great wealth proved to be 

illusory. Still, Kedaranatha Datta passed over these difficulties with great 

endurance. 

  

His mother arranged a marriage for him when he was 12 (in the year 1850) to 

the 5 year old daughter of Madhusudana Mitra Mahasaya, a resident of Rana 

Ghata. 

  

Around this time Kedaranatha's uncle Kasiprasada Ghosh Mahasaya Thakur, who 

had mastered British education, came to Ulagrama after the death of his 

maternal grandfather. He schooled young Kedaranatha at his home in Calcutta; 

this was at first resisted by the boy's mother, but by the time he was 13 he 

was allowed to go to the big city. 

 

His uncle's house was situated in the Heduya district of central Calcutta. 

Kasiprasada was the central figure of the literary circle of his time, being 

the editor of the Hindu Intelligencer newspaper; many writers came to him to 

learn the art of writing in correct English. Kedaranatha assisted Kasiprasada 

by judging manuscripts submitted to the newspaper. Kedaranatha studied 

Kasiprasada's books and also frequented the public library. He attended 

Calcutta's Hindu Charitable Institution high school and became an expert 

English reader, speaker, and writer. 

  

Kedaranatha became ill from the salty water of Calcutta. He returned to 

Ulagrama and was treated by a Muslim soothsayer who predicted that the village 

of Biranagara would soon become pestilence-ridden and deserted. The Muslim 

also predicted Kedaranatha would become recognized as a great devotee of Lord 

Krsna. 

  

In the year 1856, when he was 18, Kedaranatha entered college in Calcutta. He 

started writing extensively in both English and Bengali; these essays were 

published in local journals. He also lectured in both languages. He studied 

English literature at this time extensively, and taught speechmaking to a 

person who later became a well-known orator in the British Parliament. Between 

the years 1857-1858 he composed a two part English epic entitled "The 

Poriade", which he planned to complete in 12 books. These two books described 

the life of Porus, who met Alexander the Great. 

  

Dvijendranatha Thakur, the eldest son of Maharsi Devendranatha Tagore and 

brother of the Nobel Prize winning poet Rabindranatha Tagore, was 

Kedaranatha's best friend during these years. He assisted Kedaranatha in his 

studies of Western religious literatures. Kedaranatha used to call 

Dvijendranatha "baro dada", or big brother. 

  

He was very taken by Christian theology, and found it more interesting than 

Hindu monism. He would spend many hours comparing the writings of Channing, 

Theodore Parker, Emerson and Newman. At the British-Indian Society he gave a 

lecture on the evolution of matter through the material mode of goodness. 

 

At the end of 1858 Kedaranatha returned to Biranagara and found that the 

Muslim soothsayer's prediction about that place had come true: it was ruined 

and deserted. Kedaranatha brought his mother and paternal grandmother with him 

from there to Calcutta. Soon after he went to Orissa to visit his paternal 

grandfather, Rajavallabha Datta, formerly an important Calcutta gentleman who 

was now living as an ascetic in the Orissan countryside. His days were coming 

to a close, and he wanted Kedaranatha to be with him when he departed this 

world. After receiving his grandfather's last instructions, he traveled to all 

the monasteries and temples in the state of Orissa. 

 

Kedaranatha began to consider the question of the means of his livelihood. He 

was not interested in business, as he'd seen how the "necessary dishonesty" of 

the trade world had morally weakened the merchant class. He decided to become 

a school teacher. He established a school for English education in the village 

of Kendrapara near Chutigrama, in Orissa, thus becoming a pioneer in English 

teaching in that state. He also could see the oppressive power wielded by the 

landowners of Chutigrama. After some time he went to Puri and passed a 

teacher's examination; he got a teacher's post in a Cuttack school and later 

became headmaster of a school in Bhadraka and then in Madinipura. His work was 

noted by the schoolboard authorities. 

  

In Bhadraka, his first son Annada Prasada (Acyutananda) was born, in 1860. He 

published a book that year in English that described all the asramas and 

temples in the state; this book received favorable mention in the work called 

"Orissa" by British historian Sir William Hunter. Hunter praised Kedaranatha's 

moral and religious character. 

  

As the headmaster of the Medinipura high school, Kedaranatha studied many 

popular Bengali religious sects, particularly their philosophies and 

practices. He concluded they were all cheap. He came to understand that the 

only real religion that had ever been established in Bengal was that of Sri 

Caitanya Mahaprabhu; unfortunately, His movement was not well-represented. 

Kedaranatha could not even get a copy of the 16th century Bengali biography of 

Lord Caitanya's activities on earth called Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, despite 

searching in bookshops, libraries and monasteries all over Bengal. 

  

Kedaranatha's first wife died, so in the town of Jakapura he married 

Bhagyavati De. In 1861 Kedaranatha accepted the post of Deputy Magistrate in 

the Government of Bengal. Then he became Collectorate Officer after seeing the 

corruption of the government workers. He established an organization called 

the "Bhratr Samaja". He wrote an English book in 1863 called "Our Wants." At 

this time he also constructed a home in Rana Ghata. Later in 1863 he stayed at 

Burdwan, where he composed two novel poems in Bengali: "Vijinagrama" (deserted village) and "Sannyasi." Volume 39 of the 1863 Calcutta Review praised these 

poems, saying, "We hope the author will continue to give his countrymen the 

benefit of his elegant and unassuming pen, which is quite free from those 

objectionable licenses of thought and expression which abound in many dramas 

recently published. The want of the day is the creation of a literature for 

Hindu ladies, and we trust that many more educated natives will have the good 

sense to devote their time and abilities to the attainment of this most 

desirable aim." The rhyme and style of these two poems were original; they 

gave birth to a new way of writing poetry in the Bengali language. 

  

In the year 1866 Kedaranatha took the position of Deputy Register with the 

power of a Deputy Collector and Deputy Magistrate in the district of Chapara. 

He also became quite fluent in Persian and Urdu. In a placed called Saran in 

Chapara, a clique of tea planters made unjust demands of him; he successfully 

opposed them. And while at Saran he visited the Gautam Asrama at Godana. 

Desiring to establish a school for teaching nyaya-sastra, he delivered a 

speech there (in 1866) which was well-received. The school was successfully 

established, the foundation-stone being laid in 1883 by Sir Rivers Thomson, 

after whom the school was named. Though Kedaranatha had no further part in the 

project after his speech, the talk he gave was instrumental in securing public 

aid for the school. Also in 1866 he translated the Balide Registry Manual into 

Urdu, which was circulated by the government throughout the United Provinces 

of Agra and Oudh; this manual was used by the registration departments of 

those areas. 

  

Kedaranatha was transferred to Purniya from Chapara where he took charge of 

the government and judicial departments; he was then transferred to Dinajapur 

(West Bengal) in 1868, becoming the Deputy Magistrate. At this time he 

received copies of the Srimad Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta from 

Calcutta. 

  

He read Caitanya-caritamrta repeatedly; his faith in Krishna developed until 

he was absorbed in Krsna consciousness day and night. He incessantly submitted 

heartfelt prayers for the Lord's mercy. He came to understand the supreme 

majesty and power of the one and only Absolute Personality of Godhead Sri 

Krsna. He published a song about Lord Caitanya entitled Saccidananda- 

premalankara. In 1869, while serving as deputy magistrate under the government 

of Bengal in Dinajapur, he delivered a speech in the form of a treatise he had 

written on the Srimad-Bhagavatam to a big congregation of many prominent men 

of letters from many parts of India and England. 

  

He was transferred to Camparana, during which time his second son, Radhika 

Prasada, was born. In Camparana people used to worship a ghost in a banyan 

tree which had the power to influence the mind of the local judge to decide in 

the favor of the worshiper. Kedaranatha engaged the father of Pandita 

Ramabhai, a famous girl scholar, to read Srimad-Bhagavatam under the tree; 

after 1 month, the tree crashed to the ground, and many people found faith in 

the Srimad-Bhagavatam. 

  

From Camparana he went to Puri which engladdened his heart no end because the 

holy city of Puri, the site of the famous Krishna temple of Jagannatha, was 

where Caitanya Mahaprabhu had resided for 18 years as a sannyasi (renunciate). 

 

Near Puri, in the town of Kamanala, there lived a yogi named Bisakisena, who 

would lean into a fire while sitting closeby, then return to an erect sitting 

posture. In this way he'd rock back and forth over the flames and would also 

produce fire from his head. He had two companions going by the names Brahma 

and Siva; Bisakisena himself claimed to be Maha Vishnu. Some wealthy 

landowners of Orissa came under his sway and were providing funds for the 

construction of a temple. They also sent him women with whom he engaged in 

"rasa-lila" enjoyments. Bisakisena declared he'd drive the British rulers out 

of Orissa and make himself king. Such inflammatory statements were circulated 

all around Orissa. The British thought him a revolutionary, so the District 

Governor of the National Government of Bengal drew up arrest orders; but 

nobody in Orissa dared to act upon these orders, as they all feared the yogi's 

power. 

 

Mr. Ravenshaw, district commissioner for Orissa, requested Kedaranatha to 

bring Bisakisena to justice. Kedaranatha went personally to Bisakisena, who 

showed some powers and informed Kedaranatha that he knew well who he was and his mission. He warned Kedaranatha that since he (Bisakisena) was the Lord, 

he'd better not interfere with him. Kedaranatha replied by acknowledging 

Bisakisena's accomplishments in yoga and invited him to come to Puri where he 

could see the Jagannatha temple. Bisakisena haughtily said, "Why should I come 

to see Jagannatha? He's only a hunk of wood; I am the Supreme in person." 

Instantly furious, Kedaranatha arrested the rogue, brought him to Puri and 

threw him in jail, where he was guarded by 3 dozen Muslim constables and 72 

policemen from Cuttack day and night. "Brahma" and "Siva" avoided arrest by 

claiming they'd been forced by Bisakisena to do as they'd done; but Mr. 

Taylor, subdivision officer at Kodar, later prosecuted them. 

  

Kedaranatha tried Bisakisena in Puri. The trial lasted 18 days, during which 

time thousands of people gathered outside the courtroom demanding Bisakisena's 

release. On 6th day of the trial Kedaranatha's second daughter Kadambini (age 

7) became seriously ill and nearly died; but within a day she had recovered. 

Kedaranatha knew it was the power of the yogi at work. He remarked, "Yes, let 

us all die, but this rascal must be punished." The very next day in court the 

yogi announced he'd shown his power and would show much more; he suggested 

that Kedaranatha should release him at once or face worse miseries. On the 

last day of the trial Kedaranatha himself became ill from high fever and 

suffered exactly as his daughter had done for one whole day. But Kedaranatha 

pronounced the man guilty and sentenced him to 18 months for political 

conspiracy. When Bisakisena was being readied for jailing, one Dr. Walter, the 

District Medical Officer, cut off all the yogi's long hair. The yogi kept his 

mystic power in his hair and hadn't eaten or drunk during the whole trial, so 

when his hair was shorn he fell to the floor like a dead man and had to be 

taken by stretcher to jail. After 3 months he was moved to the central jail at 

Midnapura where he took poison and died in the year 1873. 

  

In Puri, Kedaranatha studied the Srimad-Bhagavatam with the commentary of 

Sridhara Swami, copied out in longhand the Sat-sandarbhas of Jiva Goswami and 

made a special study of Rupa Goswami's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. 

  

Between the years 1874 and 1893, Kedaranatha spent much time in seclusion 

chanting the holy name (though he still executed his worldly duties 

perseveringly). He wrote several books in Sanskrit such as Tattva-sutra, 

Datta-kaustubha and Tattva-viveka. He wrote many other books in Bengali such 

as the Kalyana-kalpataru; in 1874 he composed Datta-kaustubha in Sanskrit. 

  

While in Puri he established a Vaisnava discussion society known as the 

Bhagavat-samsad in the Jagannatha-vallabha gardens, where the famous saint Sri 

Ramananda Raya stayed in meditation hundreds of years before. All the 

prominent Vaisnavas joined this group except for Raghunatha dasa Babaji, known 

as Siddha Purusha. He thought that Kedaranatha was unauthorized, as he did not 

wear kanthi-mala (neckbeads) or tilaka (clay markings on 12 places of the 

body). Moreover, he advised other Vaisnavas to avoid Kedaranatha's 

association. 

  

But soon thereafter Raghunatha dasa Babaji contracted a deathly illness. Lord 

Jagannatha appeared to him in a dream and told him to pray for the mercy of 

Kedaranatha if he at all wanted release from the illness and death. He did so; 

Kedaranatha gave him special medicines and cured him. Raghunatha dasa Babaji 

was blessed with a true awareness of Kedaranatha's spiritual position. 

  

A well-known saint named Svarupa dasa Babaji did his worship at Satasana near 

the ocean in Puri. Svarupa showed much affection for Kedaranatha and gave him 

many profound instructions on the chanting of the holy name of Krishna. 

  

A popular upstart holy man named Caran dasa Babaji preached and printed books 

advising a perverted style of kirtana (congregational chanting of the holy 

names of God), advising that one should chant the Hare Krishna Mantra in japa 

and Nitai Gaura Radhe Syama Hare Krsna Hare Rama in kirtana. Kedaranatha 

preached long and hard to him; after a long time Caran dasa Babaji came to his 

senses and begged forgiveness from Kedaranatha, admitting his fault in 

spreading this nonsense fashion of chanting all over Bengal. Six months later 

Caran dasa went mad and died in great distress. 

  

Kedaranatha became manager of the Jagannatha temple. He used his government 

powers to establish strict regularity in the worship of the Deity. In the 

Jagannatha temple courtyard he set up a Bhakti Mandapa, where daily discourses 

of Srimad Bhagavatam were held. Kedaranatha would spend long hours discussing 

Krsna and chanting the holy name, especially at the important sites of Sri 

Caitanya's pastimes like the Tota Gopinatha temple, the tomb of Haridasa 

Thakura, the Siddha Bakula tree and the Gambhira room. He made notes on the 

Vedanta-sutra which were used by Sri Syamalala Goswami in the edition of the 

Govinda Bhasya by Baladeva Vidyabhusana that he published. 

 

Near the Jagannatha-vallabha gardens, in a large house adjacent to the 

Narayana Chata Matha, on the 5th day of the dark fortnight of Magha in the 

year 1874, the fourth son of Kedaranatha took birth. He was named Bimala 

Prasada (and would later be known as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 

Prabhupada, the spiritual master of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, 

founder of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness). Two years 

earlier, Kamala Prasada, his third son, had taken birth. 

 

In 1874 Kedaranatha discovered the Raja (king) of Puri had misappropriated 80 

thousand rupees for his own sense pleasures. This money belonged to the 

temple, so Kedaranatha forced the Raja to pay for the offerings of food to 

Lord Jagannatha that are made 52 times daily. This diminished the money 

quickly. The raja was angry at Kedaranatha and therefore, with the help of 50 

brahmin priests, began a yajna (fire sacrifice) meant for killing Kedaranatha 

which went on for 30 days; when the last oblations were offered into the fire, 

the king's own son and not Kedaranatha died. 

  

Kedaranatha left Puri on special business, returning to Bengal where he 

visited the holy towns of Navadwip, Santipura and Kalana. He was put in charge 

of the subdivision Mahisarekha in Haora. After that he was transferred to 

Bhadraka. In August 1878 he was made head of the subdivision Naraila in the 

Yashohan district. 

  

While in Naraila he published two books on Krsna that became famous around the 

world: Sri Krsna-samhita and Kalyana-kalpataru. In a letter dated April 16, 

1880, Dr. Reinhold Rost wrote to Kedaranatha: "By representing Krishna's 

character and his worship in a more sublime and transcendental light than has 

hitherto been the custom to regard him, you have rendered an essential service 

to your co-religionists, and no one would have taken more delight in your work 

than my departed friend Goldstuecker, the sincerest and most zealous advocate 

the Hindus ever had in Europe." 

  

In 1877 Varada Prasada was born, his fifth son; in 1878, Viraja Prasada, the 

sixth son, was born: both appeared at Rana Ghata. 

 

Kedaranatha took formal Vaisnava initiation from Bipin Bihari Goswami, who was 

descended from the Jahnava family of Baghnapara. At the same time, his seventh 

son, Lalita Prasada, appeared at Rana Ghata. 

 

Within a few years after his initiation, Kedaranatha was awarded by the 

Vaisnavas the title "Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura" in appreciation for his 

tireless propagation of the philosophy of devotion (bhakti) to Sri Krsna. 

  

In Naraila, many people had formally adopted Vaisnavism, but they were not 

trained in scriptural conclusions and thus were easily misled by upstarts who 

exploited their devotional sentiments. Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave these simple 

devotees of Krsna shelter and instructed them in Vaisnava-siddhanta (the 

essential truths of Vaisnavism) most exactingly. In 1881 Bhaktivinoda began 

publishing the Sajjanatosani, his Vaisnava journal. 

  

Bhaktivinoda Thakura had previously pilgrimaged to the holy cities of Benares, 

Prayaga, Mathura and Vrndavana in 1866. At the close of his stay in Naraila he 

desired to again see Vrndavana, the land of Krsna. He took three months for 

this purpose. He met Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji there, who moved every 6 

months between Navadwipa (in Bengal) and Vrndavana. Bhaktivinoda Thakura 

accepted Jagannatha dasa Babaji as his eternally worshipable siksa guru 

(instructing spiritual master). During his pilgrimage at this time he dealt 

with a gang of dacoits (highway robbers) known as the Kanjharas who robbed and 

killed many pilgrims; he gave evidence to the government and a commission was 

formed to wipe out this scourge. 

 

From Vrndavana he came to Calcutta and bought a house at 181 Maniktala Street, 

now called Ramasha Datta Street, near Bidana Park. He called the house 

Bhakti-bhavan (place of devotion) and started daily worship of Sri Giridhara. 

He was appointed head of the subdivision of Barasat. 

  

The well-known novelist Bankim Candra met Bhaktivinoda Thakura at Barasat. 

Bankim Candra showed him a book he'd written about Krsna to Bhaktivinoda, who preached to Bankim Candra for four days, taking little food and hardly any 

sleep; the result was Bankim Candra changed his ideas (which were mundane 

speculations about Krsna) and his book to conform with the teachings of Sri 

Caitanya. Bhaktivinoda Thakura used to say that knowledge is power. 

  

During the last year of his stay at Barasat (1886), Bhaktivinoda Thakura 

published an edition of the Bhagavad-gita with the Sanskrit commentary of 

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, which he translated into Bengali (the 

"Rasika-ranjana" translation). He had undertaken this task at the request of 

Babu Sarada Carana Mitra, ex-judge of the Calcutta High Commission. Bankima 

Candra wrote the preface, acknowledging his own indebtedness to Bhaktivinoda 

Thakura; he noted that all Bengali readers would be indebted to Bhaktivinoda 

for his saintly work. 

  

From Barasat, Bhaktivinoda Thakura was transferred to Sriramapur. At nearby 

Saptagram he visited the residence of the great Vaisnava saint Uddharana Datta 

Thakura, a great associate of Lord Nityananda, who lived at the time of Sri 

Caitanya in the 16th century AD. He visited the places of another great 

Vaisnavas of that time, Abhirama Thakura, at Khanakula, and Vasu Ramananda, at Kulinagrama. 

  

At Sriramapura he composed and published his masterly writing, Sri Caitanya 

Siksamrta, Vaisnava-siddhanta-mala, Prema-pradipa and Manah-siksa. He was also publishing Sajjanatosani on a regular basis. In Calcutta he set up the Sri 

Caitanya Yantra, a printing press at the Bhakti Bhavana, upon which he printed 

Maladhara's Sri Krsna-vijaya, his own Amnaya-sutra and the Caitanyopanisad of 

the Atharva Veda. 

 

Finding the Caitanyopanisad was a difficult task. Hardly anyone in Bengal had 

heard of it. Bhaktivinoda Thakura traveled to many places in Bengal looking 

for it; finally, one devoted Vaisnava pandita named Madhusudana dasa sent an 

old copy he'd been keeping with him at Sambalapura to him. Bhaktivinoda 

Thakura wrote a Sanskrit commentary on the book and called it Sri 

Caitanya-caranamrta. Madhusudana dasa Mahasaya translated the verses into 

Bengali; this translation was called Amrta-bindu. It was a sellout when 

published. 

  

In Calcutta Bhaktivinoda Thakura started the Sri Visva-Vaisnava Sabha, 

dedicated to the preaching of pure bhakti as taught by Lord Caitanya. To 

publicize the work of the society, Bhaktivinoda Thakura published a small 

booklet entitled Visva-Vaisnava-kalpavi. Also he published his own edition of 

the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, with his Amrta-prabhava Bhasya commentary. And he 

introduced the Caitanyabda or Caitanya-era calendar, and gave assistance to 

the propagation of the Caitanya Panjika, which established the feast day of 

Gaura Purnima, which is the day of Caitanya's appearance in the material 

world. He lectured and gave readings on Vaisnava books in various religious 

societies. In the Hindu Herald, an English periodical, he published a detailed 

account of Sri Caitanya's life. 

 

In the year 1887 Bhaktivinoda Thakura resolved to quit government service and 

go to Vrndavana with Bhaktibhringa Mahasaya for the rest of his life. One 

night in Tarakeswara, while on government service, he had a dream in which Sri 

Caitanya appeared to him and spoke, "You will certainly go to Vrndavana, but 

first there is some service you must perform in Navadwipa. When will you do 

that?" When the Lord disappeared, Bhaktivinoda awoke. On the advice of 

Bhaktibhringa Mahasaya he thereupon applied for a transfer to Krishnanagara, 

where the government headquarters for the Navadvip district is situated. He 

turned down offers of big posts in Assam and Tripura. He even tried to retire 

at this time, but his application was not accepted. Finally, in December of 

1887 he managed to trade posts with Babu Radha Madhava Vasu, Deputy Magistrate of Krishnanagara.  

 During his stay at Krishnanagara, Bhaktivinoda Thakura used to go to Navadwipa 

and search for the birthsite of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the exact location of 

which had been lost in time. One night he was sitting on the roof of the Rani 

Dharmasala in Navadwipa chanting on his beads, when he spotted in the distance 

a very tall tala tree; near the tree was a small building that gave off a 

remarkable effulgence. Soon afterwards, he went to the Krishnanagara 

Collectory where he began to study some very old manuscripts of Caitanya 

Bhagavata and Navadwipa Dhama Parikrama by Narahari Sarkar, and some old maps 

of the Navadwipa area. He went to the village of Ballaladibhi and spoke with 

many elderly people there, and uncovered facts about the modern-day Navadwipa. 

In the year 1887 he discovered that the place he'd seen from the dharmasala 

rooftop was in fact the birthplace of Mahaprabhu. This was confirmed by 

Jagannatha dasa Babaji, the head of the Gaudiya Vaisnava community in 

Navadwipa. A great festival was held there. Bhaktivinoda published the 

Navadwipa Dhama Mahatmya, which elaborated the glories of the birthsite of Sri 

Caitanya. Also in 1887, Bhaktivinoda renovated the house of Jagannatha dasa 

Babaji at Ravasghata. He took leave from office for two years and acquired a 

plot of land at Sri Godadrumadwipa, or Svarupa Ganga. He built a retirement 

house there called Surabhi Kunj. 

 

In 1890 he established the "Nama Hatta" there. Sometimes Jagannatha dasa 

Babaji would come there and have kirtana. Lord Nityananda had established His 

Nama Hatta at the same place and Bhaktivinoda considered himself the street 

sweeper of the Nama Hatta of Nitai. 

 

When the birthplace was uncovered, Bhaktivinoda and Jagannatha dasa Babaji 

would worship Lord Caitanya there. Once one of Bhaktivinoda's sons contracted 

a skin disease and Jagannatha dasa Babaji told the boy to lie down at the 

birthsite of Lord Caitanya for the night. He did so, and the next morning he 

was cured. 

 

In 1888 Bhaktivinoda took charge of the village of Netrakona in the district 

of Mayamanasimha, because he could not keep good health in Krishnanagara and 

had requested transfer to a more healthful region. From Netrakona he came to 

Tangaila and from there he was transferred to the district of Vardhamana. 

There he would hold kirtana with the devotees from a place called Amalajora, 

headed by Ksetra Babu and Vipina Babu; they would sing poems like Soka-satana 

written by him. 

 

He was put in charge of the Kalara subdivision in 1890, and from there would 

often visit such holy places as Godadrumadwipa, Navadwipa, Capahati, 

Samudragana, Cupi, Kasthasali, Idrakapura, Baghanapara, Pyariganga (the place 

of Nakula Brahmacari) and the place of Vrndavana dasa Thakura at Denura. Soon 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura was transferred for a few days to Ranighata, from where 

he came to Dinajapura again. Sailaja Prasada was born there, his youngest son. 

In Dinajapura Bhaktivinoda wrote his Vidva-ranjana commentary and translation 

of the Bhagavad Gita; it was published in 1891 with the commentary of 

Baladeva. 

  

1891 was the year Bhaktivinoda Thakura took leave from the government service 

for two years. He desired to preach the chanting of the Hare Krsna mahamantra. 

From his base at Svarupa Ganga he used to visit such places as Ghatala and 

Ramajivana to lecture in clubs, societies and organizations. This he'd also 

often do in Krishnanagara. In March of 1892 he traveled and preached with a 

party of Vaisnavas in the Basirahata District. All the while he was writing 

also. He opened many centers of Krishna worship (Nama Hatta) in different 

districts of Bengal. The Nama Hatta became a self-sustaining success which 

continued to spread even after his return to government service. 

  

From Basirahata he set out on his third trip to Vrndavana; he stopped off at 

Amalajora to celebrate the Ekadasi day with Jagannatha dasa Babaji. In 

Vrndavana, he visited all the forests and places of pastimes; he continued to 

give lectures and readings on Hari Nama in various places in Bengal when he 

returned to Calcutta. 

  

In February 1891 he gave a lecture on his investigation into the whereabouts 

of the exact birthsite of Sri Caitanya; his audience included highly learned 

men from all over Bengal, who became very enthusiastic at the news. Out of 

this gathering the Sri Navadwipa Dhama Pracarini Sabha was formed for 

spreading the glories of the Yogapitha (the birthsite). That year, on Gaura 

Purnima, a big festival was held that witness the installation of Gaura- 

Visnupriya Deities at the Yogapitha. All the learned pandits, having 

deliberated fully on Bhaktivinoda Thakura's evidence, agreed that the 

Yogapitha was the true birthsite of Mahaprabhu. 

 

In 1892, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura published the book Vaisnava-siddhanta- 

mala from his headquarters in Bengal. Later he printed individual chapters of 

Vaisnava-siddhanta-mala as separate booklets for public distribution. In 1900 

he published Hari-nama-cintamani in Bengali poetic form. 

 

In October 1894, at age 56, he retired from his post as Deputy Magistrate, 

though this move was opposed by his family and the government authorities. He 

stayed at Svarupa Ganga to worship, lecture and revise his old writings. 

Sometimes he went to Calcutta; there he begged door to door for funds to 

construct a Yogapitha temple. In July 1896 Bhaktivinoda Thakura went to 

Tripura at the request of the the king, who was a Vaisnava. He stayed in the 

capital for 4 days and preached the chanting of the holy name of Krsna. His 

lecture on the first day amazed all the local panditas; on the next two days 

the royal family and general public thrilled to his talks on the pastimes of 

Mahaprabhu. 

  

Back in Svarupa Ganga, Bhaktivinoda Thakura printed a small booklet written in 

Sanskrit under the title Sri Gauranga-lila-smarana-mangala-stotram, with a 

commentary by Srila Sitikantha Vacaspati of Nadia. The introduction in English 

was called "Caitanya Manaprabhu, His life and Precepts". This book found its 

way into the library of the Royal Asiatic Society in London, the library of 

McGill University in Canada and other respectable institutions. It was 

reviewed in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society by Mr. F.W. Fraser, an 

erudite British scholar. 

 

In the rainy season of 1896, requested by the Maharaja of Tripura, he went to 

Darjilim and Karsiyam. In 1897 he went to many villages such as Medinipura and 

Sauri to preach. 

 

Sisir Kumar Ghosh was the founder of the Amrta Bazar Patrika and the author of 

the Sri Amiya Nimai-carita. He had great respect for Bhaktivinoda Thakura; he 

also took up the preaching of the holy name throughout Calcutta and in many 

villages in Bengal. He published the Sri Visnu Priya O Ananda Bazar Patrika 

under the editorship of Bhaktivinoda. In one of his letters to Bhaktivinoda he 

wrote, "I have not seen the six Goswamis of Vrndavana but I consider you to be 

the seventh Goswami." 

 

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati had been residing at Puri as a strict renunciate and 

was engaged in worship at the Gandharvika Giridhari Matha, one of seven mathas 

near the samadhi tomb of Haridasa Thakura. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, desiring to 

help his son, had the monastery cleaned and repaired when he came to Puri 

himself at the beginning of the 20th century. After Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 

left Puri for Sri Navadwipa Mayapur, Bhaktivinoda Thakura constructed his own 

place of bhajana on the beach, calling it Bhakti Kuti; Krsnadasa Babaji, 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura's devoted assistant and disciple, joined him there at 

this time. He was his constant attendant up to the end of Bhaktivinoda 

Thakura's life. He began solitary worship (bhajan) at this time; he had many 

visitors at this place. Some of them simply wanted to disturb him, whereas 

others were sincere and benefitted greatly from his spiritual inspiration. 

  

In 1908, 3 months before Bhaktivinoda Thakura renounced the world, one of his 

sons who was working in a Calcutta government office came home to inform his 

father that Sir William Duke, chief secretary to the government, was in 

Calcutta. Bhaktivinoda Thakura had served under him as a magistrate. 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura made an appointment to meet him the next day at the 

government building. Sir William Duke greeted Bhaktivinoda Thakura on the 

street outside the building and personally escorted him into his office. With 

folded hands, he asked forgiveness for having once planned to remove 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura from his post of district magistrate; this was because he 

thought that if such qualified Indians held such important posts, the British 

would not last much longer in India. Formerly Sir William Duke used to visit 

to Bhaktivinoda's house and would even take his meals there. Such familiarity 

between British nobility and the native people of India was uncommon. Now that 

Sir William was getting old, he wished to clear his conscience of guilty 

feelings from the past, and so confessed to Bhaktivinoda Thakura that he'd 

thought ill of him despite their close relationship. Bhaktivinoda Thakura 

answered, "I considered you to be a good friend and a well-wisher all along." 

Pleased with Sir William, he gave him his blessings. Later Bhaktivinod Thakura 

admitted he was astonished that Duke wanted to harm him in some way. 

 

In 1908 Bhaktivinoda Thakura took vesa (the dress of babaji, or renunciate) at 

Satasana in Puri. Until 1910 he would move between Calcutta and Puri, and 

continued to write; but after that he stopped all activity and remained in 

Puri, absorbed in the holy name of Krishna. He shut himself up and entered 

samadhi, claiming paralysis. On June 23, 1914, just before noon at Puri, Srila 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura left his body. This day was also the disappearance day of 

Sri Gadadhara Pandita. Amidst sankirtana his remains were interred in Godruma 

after the next solstice; the summer solstice had just begun when he had left 

his body. 

  

About Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sarada Carana Mitra, Calcutta High Court 

Judge, wrote: "I knew Thakura Bhaktivinoda intimately as a friend and a 

relation. Even under the pressure of official work as a magistrate in charge 

of a heavy district he could always find time for devotional contemplation and 

service, and whenever I met him, our talk would turn in a few moments to the 

subject of devotion, dvaitadvaita-vada philosophy and the saintly work that 

lay before him. Service of God is the only thing he longed for and service 

under the government, however honorable, was to him a clog." 

  

In executing his government service, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura would wear 

coat and pants to court, with double-size tulasi neckbeads and tilaka. He was 

very strong in his decisions; he would decide immediately. He did not allow 

any humbug in his court; no upstart could stand before him. He would shave his 

head monthly. 

  

He was always charitable to brahmanas, and equally befriended other castes. He 

never showed pride, and his amiable disposition was a characteristic feature 

of his life. He never accepted gifts from anyone; he even declined all honors 

and titles offered by the government to him on the grounds that they might 

stand against his holy mission of life. He was very strict in moral 

principles, and avoided the luxurious life; he would not even chew betel. He 

never allowed harmonium and he never had any debts. He disliked theaters 

because they were frequented by public women. 

  

He spoke Bengali, Sanskrit, English, Latin, Urdu, Persian and Oriya. He 

started writing books at age 12, and continued turning out a profuse number of 

volumes up until his departure from this world. 

His schedule: 

 

7:30-8:00 PM - take rest 

10:00 PM - rise, light oil lamp, write 

4:00 AM - take rest 

4:30 - rise, wash hands and face, chant japa 

7:00 - write letters 

7:30 - read 

8:30 - receive guests, or continue to read 

9:30-9:45 - take rest 

9:45 - morning bath, breakfast of half-quart milk, couple chapatis, fruit 

9:55 - go to court in carriage 

10:00 - court began. 

1:00 PM - court finished. He'd come home and bathe and refresh. 

2:00 PM - return to office. 

5:00 PM - translate works from Sanskrit to Bengali 

Then take evening bath and meal of rice, couple of chapatis, half-quart of 

milk. 

He always consulted a pocket watch, and kept time very punctually.

 

 

 

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