Appearance of Universal Guru

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Appearance of Lord Vamanadev, Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu
Kolkata-Worldwide, 30 August 2020, part 7

Tomorrow is Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's appearance day. I want to say something about Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur.

You all know who is Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur—Sad-chit-ananda Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. He is there in our guru-parampara. Our Param Gurudev Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj wrote his pranam mantra, and everything is there in that mantra:

গুরুদং গ্রন্থদং গৈরধামদং নামদং মুদা
ভক্তিদং ভূরিদং বন্দে ভক্তিবিনোদকং সদা

guru-dam grantha-dam gaura-dhama-dam nama-dam muda
bhakti-dam bhuri-dam vande bhakti-vinodakam sada

"He is the giver of Sri Guru; he is the giver of scriptures; he is giver of the holy dham of Gaura; he is the giver of the Name; he is the giver of pure devotion; he is the greatest donor. I always offer my obeisance to this Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur."

(Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhasya, 1.8)

গৌরাঙ্গৈকগতিং গদাধরমতিং স্বানন্দকুঞ্জস্থিতিং
গোবিন্দৈকপতিং ব্রজাশ্রিতরতিং রাধাঙ্ঘ্রিসেবাকৃতিম্ ।
সচ্ছাস্ত্রৈকনতিং কুসঙ্গবিরতিং দুঃস্থ-ব্যথানিষ্কৃতিং
বন্দে ভক্তিবিনোদমাগমতিথিঞ্চস্য প্রজাশংকৃতিম্ ॥

gaurangaika-gatim gadadhara-matim svananda-kunja-sthitim
govindaika-patim vrajasrita-ratim radhanghri-seva-krtim
sachchhastraika-natim kusanga-viratim duhstha-vyatha-niskrtim
vande bhaktivinodam-agama-tithinchasya prajasam-krtim

"I offer my obeisance unto Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, whose only path is Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, whose only object of meditation is Sri Gadadhar Pandit, who resides in Svananda Sukhada Kunja (Godrumdwip, Sri Nabadwip Dham), whose only master of Lord Govinda, who is attracted to the souls who have taken shelter in Vraja, who serves the holy lotus feet of Srimati Radharani, who worships pure conclusions of the scriptures, avoids any bad association and is free from any suffering or pain—I worship the very day when Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, the universal king, appeared in this world."

In the pranam mantra of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, Srila Sridhar Maharaj writes:

Guru-dam. It means Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has given us Guru. If he had not given us Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, how would we have got Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj? How would we have got Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj?

Grantha-dam. You know that Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur wrote and composed so many books, songs, and other works. He wrote Sriman Mahaprabhu's Siksa (Chaitanya-siksamrita), Jaiva Dharma, Datta-kaustubham, Tattva-viveka, Sri Gauranga-smarana-mangal, Sri Harinam-chintamani, Sri Bhagavata Arka-marici-mala, Saranagati, Gitavali, Kalyan-kalpataru, Bhajan-rahasya, Chaitanya-charitamrita's Amrita-pravaha-bhasya, Siksastaka-bhasya, Siksastaka Kirtans, etc. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wrote Siksastakam slokas ("cheto darpana marjanam...", etc.) but Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur composed songs turning those slokas into kirtans. For example, Sriman Mahaprabhu said,

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥

trnad api sunichena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

"One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, who gives due honour to others without desiring it for himself, is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.239)

And Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur sings,

তৃণাধিক হীন দীন অকিঞ্চন ছার ।
আপনে মানবি সদা ছাড়ি অহঙ্কার ॥
বৃক্ষসম ক্ষমাগুণ করবি সাধন ।
প্রতিহিংসা ত্যজি অন্যে করবি পালন ॥
জীবন-নির্ব্বাহে আনে উদ্বেগ না দিবে ।
পর-উপকারে নিজ-সুখ পাসরিবে ॥

trnadhika hina, dina, akinchana chhara
apane manabi sada chhadi' ahankara
vrksa-sama ksama-guna karabi sadhana
pratihimsa tyaji' anye karabi palana
jivana-nirvahe ane udvega na dibe
para-upakare nija-sukha pasaribe

"Give up your false ego, and always consider yourself lower than grass, poor, needy, and mean. Practise tolerance like a tree. Give up vengeance and nurture others. Do not trouble others for your own upkeep, and forget your own happiness in the course of helping others."

Who composed all this? Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. That is why, he is grantha-dam (the giver of scriptures).

Gaura-dhama-dam. Gaura-dham means Sri Dham Mayapur, Nabadwip. Everybody used to say that Gaura-dham had already submerged into the Ganges. It is true, the Ganges can take the land, but the Ganges can also give Prabhu's land back. Who identified that land? Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, with the help of Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj. One day, when Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur was chanting the Holy Name at his Svananda Sukhada Kunja in Godrumdwip, he saw a very exalted light far away. When he came to the place where the light appeared, he saw there were so many Tulasi plants growing there. After that, he had some doubt and he brought Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj to that place. Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj was carried there in a basket by his servitor. When he arrived at the site, he jumped out of the basket and cried, "I have got it! I have got my Prabhu's birthplace! This is Mahaprabhu's place!" Who has given us this place? Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur.

Nama-dam. He has given us the Holy Name! After Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, there was Srila Narottam Das Thakur, Srila Acharya Srivinas, Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Shyamananda Prabhu, but after them so many shops opened at the market of the Holy Name (mano-hari dokan, the shop of imaginary God)—aul, baul, kartabhaja, neda, darvesh, sani, sahajiya, sakhibekhi, smarta, jata gosai, ativadi, churadhari, gauranga-nagari. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur came and declared, "I am the sweeper of the market of the Holy Name! I will sweep away all bad things and throw it all out of the market of the Holy Name!" Later, Sisir Ghosh wrote: we know there are six goswamis, but we can see that Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is the seventh goswami (saptam goswami).

Bhakti-dam, bhuri-dam. He gave devotion, he gave so many things.

Vande bhakti-vinodakam sada. We always bow down in obeisance before this Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur.

Sometimes, we sing one song about Srila Saraswati Thakur, and there it says,

শ্রীগৌরাঙ্গ-পারিষদ ঠাকুর ভক্তিবিনোদ
দীনহীন পতিতের বন্ধু ।
কলিতমঃ বিনাশিতে আনিলেন অবনীতে
তোমা' অকলঙ্ক পূর্ণ ইন্দু ॥

sri-gauranga-parisada thakura bhakti-vinoda
dina-hina patitera bandhu
kali-tamah vinasite anilena avanite
toma' akalanka purna indu

"Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur is an associate of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and a friend of all low and fallen souls—to dispel all darkness of this dark age, he brought to this earth you [Srila Saraswati Thakur], a spotless full moon."

This personality whose name is Thakura Bhaktivinod is an associate of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu (sri-gauranga-parisada), and he is also Guna Manjari. He is a friend of all fallen souls. Demolishing the darkness of Kali, he brought light, he brought the moon to this world (the moon of Mayapur, the moon of Nabadwip—Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur). Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur and his wife went to Bimala Devi in Jagannath Puri and prayed to her, "Please, give us a son who will be able to preach properly about You." Bimala Devi gave them a son, he was named Bimala Prasad, and later he became known as Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has given us our Guru.

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur also composed Saranagati, there are so many songs there, we sing many of them also. Our Param Guru Maharaj Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj also wrote Sri Bhaktivinod-viraha-dasakam. You can find it in our Gaudiya Gitanjali, or the Kirtan Guide. We do not have time now to read it all, but I want to read a little from there now. When Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj composed this Sri Bhaktivinod-viraha-dasakam and Srila Saraswati Thakur saw it, he said, "You did not write this! Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur himself has written this!" I want to read one sloka from there now, it is very important. It is sloka number nine,

শ্রীগৌরানুমতং স্বরূপবিদিতং রূপাগ্রজেনাদৃতং
রূপাদ্যৈঃ পরিবেশিতং রঘুগণৈরাস্বাদিতং সেবিতম্ ।
জীবাদ্যৈরভিরক্ষিতং শুক-শিব-ব্রহ্মাদি-সম্মানিতং
শ্রীরাধাপদসেবনামৃতমহো তদ্দাতুমীশো ভবান্ ॥

srigauranumatam svarupaviditam rupagrajenadrtam
rupadyaih parivesitam raghuganairasvaditam sevitam
jivadyair abhiraksitam sukasivabrahmadi sammanitam
sriradhapadasevanamrtam aho tad datum iso bhavan

"What was sanctioned by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by His descent was intimately known only to Sri Svarupa Damodara Goswami. It was adored by Sanatan Goswami and served by Rupa Goswami and his followers. Raghunatha Das Goswami tasted that wonderful thing fully and enhanced it with his own realization. And Jiva Goswami supported and protected it by quoting the scriptures from different places. The taste of that divine truth is aspired for by Brahma, Siva, and Uddhava, who respect it as the supreme goal of life. What is this wonderful truth? Sri radhapadasevana: that the highest nectar of our life is the service of Srimati Radharani. This is most wonderful. O Bhakti Vinoda Thakur, you are our master. It is within your power to allow them to bestow their grace upon us. You are in a position to bestow the highest gift ever known to the world upon us all. It is at your disposal. O Bhaktivinod Thakur, please be kind to us and grant us your mercy."

What is the meaning of this sloka? "What Sri Svarup Damodar keeps in his heart, what Srila Sanatan Goswami showed full respect to, what Srila Rupa Goswami distributed, what Srila Raghunath Das Goswami tasted and relished, what Srila Jiva Prabhu took care of and protected, what Suka, demigods, Mahadev, Uddhav, Brahma and others worship—you, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, are the perfect person who can give that to us. That gift is the very lotus feet of Srimati Radharani."

What is written by our Param Gurudev Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj is very nice. Thakur Mahasay also composed Nabadwip-dham Mahatmya. He has done so many things, there are so many pastimes in his life—how he became a devotee, how he became so exalted, so many things happened in his life. I am praying to Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, "Prabhu, wherever you are staying now, please give me some mercy, please engage us in your service and in the service to your devotees."

Jay Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur ki jay

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