At Sri Svananda Sukhada Kunja (2)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day Three
Sri Godrumdwip, 26 March 2021, part 4
Translated from Bengali

During his life, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is known to have mixed with bauls [a class of pseudo-Vaishnavs]. They say if you want to catch a thief, you should become a thief; in the same way, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur said, "If I want to capture bauls, I have to mix with them." That is why, to bring them to this path, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur had to mix with such people. However, Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, who was of a stricter nature, did not do that. Many people used to come to Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, and when Srila Prabhupad was 13–14 years old, one man once asked Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, "Why is your son paying you obeisance from so far?" Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur replied, "He does not come to any mayavadis or sahajiyas nearer than one hundred feet." There are thirteen apa-sampradayas (aul, baul, kartabhaja, neda, darvesh, sani, sahajiya, sakhibekhi, smarta, jata gosai, ativadi, churadhari, gauranga-nagari), and we are warned to never associate with them.

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's writing is very beautiful. If you read his Jaiva Dharma and various songs, you can understand it. [His Divine Grace chants 'Kabe Habe Bolo' from Sri Saranagati.]

kabe habe bala se dina amara
(amara) aparadha ghuchi suddha name ruchi
krpa-bale habe hrdaye sanchara [1]

'Tell me, when will that day be mine? When, by mercy, will my offences go away and when will I have taste for the pure Holy Name?'

trnadhika-hina kabe nije mani
sahisnuta-guna hrdayete ani'
sakale manada apani amani
haye asvadiba nama-rasa-sara [2]

'When will I feel I am lower than a blade of grass, when will I bring the quality of tolerance within my heart, become eager to honour everyone without any desire for honour from anyone and relish the essence of the Name's nectar?'

We do we not always feel taste? If you have some disease—if you have some offences inside—you will not get taste. We make so many offences: Vaishnav aparadh (offences to devotees), Nama aparadh (offence to the Holy Name), dhama aparadh (offences to the hole abodes), seva aparadh (offences to service). No matter how much you chant, you will not get taste if these offences are not removed from your heart. When will my heart become cleansed from offences, and when will the taste for the Holy Name come to me? When will that day be mine? By the mercy, my heart can become pure...

When will I become lower than a blade of grass? When will I be able to give honour to others? When will I learn to be more tolerant than a tree? When will I care to treat others with respect and not care when I do not get respect? When these qualities come to me, I will be able to relish the essence of the nectar of the Holy Name when I hear kirtan.

dhana jana ara kavita sundari,
baliba na chahi deha-sukha-kari
janme janme dao ohe gaurahari
ahaituki bhakti charane tomara [3]

'When will I say that I do not want wealth, followers, erudition, beautiful women, or any other bodily pleasure? O Gaurahari! Please give me birth after birth unconditional devotion to Your lotus feet.'

Mahaprabhu said:

ন ধনং ন জনং ন সুন্দরীং কবিতাং বা জগদীশ কাময়ে ।
মম জন্মনি জন্মনীশ্বরে ভবতাদ্ভক্তিরহৈতুকী ত্বয়ি ॥

na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi

"O Lord (Master of the Universe, Jagadish)! I do not desire wealth, friends or beautiful poetry. My only heart-felt hankering is that I may birth after birth have natural, selfless devotion to You."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.20.29)

Here too, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur says: "I do not want wealth, I do not want followers, houses, cars, I do not want any beautiful women—all I want is to have unending devotion to You, birth after birth."

dhana jana ara kavita sundari,
baliba na chahi deha-sukha-kari
janme janme dao ohe gaurahari
ahaituki bhakti charane tomara [3]

'When will I say that I do not want wealth, followers, erudition, beautiful women, or any other bodily pleasure? O Gaurahari! Please give me birth after birth unconditional devotion to Your lotus feet.'

(kabe) karite sri-krsna-nama uchcharana
pulakita deha gadgada vachana
vaivarnya-vepathu habe samghatana
nirantara netre ba'be asrudhara [4]

'When will my hair stand on end, my voice falter, my complexion turn pale, my body tremble, and tears pour incessantly from my eyes as I loudly chant Sri Krishna's Name?'

Crying and crying, chanting and chanting the Holy Name of Lord Krishna, when will my eyes become flooded with tears? When will all the eight symptoms of ecstasy come to me? 'When will my hair stand on end, my voice falter, my complexion turn pale, my body tremble, and tears pour incessantly from my eyes as I loudly chant Sri Krishna's Name?'

kabe navadvipe suradhuni-tate
'gaura-nityananda' bali' niskapate
nachiya gaiya bedaiba chhute
batulera praya chhadiya vichara [5]

'When will I roam the banks of the Ganges in Nabadwip, sincerely calling out, "Gaura-Nityananda!", dancing, singing, and running about without any thinking as though mad?'

When will sincerely chant the Names of Gaura and Nityananda on the bank of the Suradhuni (Ganga)?...

kabe nityananda more kari' daya
chhadaibe mora visayera maya
diya more nija-charanera chhaya
namera hatete dibe adhikara [6]

'When will Nityananda be merciful to me and make me leave all attachment to material world? When will He give me the shade of His lotus feet and grant me a place at the marketplace of the Name?'

kiniba lutiba hari-nama-rasa
nama-rase mati' haiba vivasa
rasera rasika-charana-parasa
kariya majiba rase anibara [7]

'When will I buy and festively scatter the nectar of the Lord's Name? When will I become intoxicated and overwhelmed with that nectar? When will I touch the lotus feet of a relisher of that nectar and become forever immersed in this nectar?'

kabe jive daya haibe udaya
nija sukha bhuli' sudina-hrdaya
bhakativinoda kariya vinaya
sri-ajna-tahala karibe prachara [8]

'When will compassion for all souls arise within me? When will Bhaktivinod forget his own happiness and wander about respectfully preaching the divine order with a most humble heart?'

We glorify six goswamis in one of the kirtans:

জয় রূপ সনাতন ভট্ট রঘুনাথ ।
শ্রীজীব গোপালভট্ট দাস রঘুনাথ ॥

jaya rupa, sanatana, bhatta-raghunatha
sri jiva, gopala-bhatta, dasa-raghunatha

"All glory to Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatan Goswami, Srila Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami, and Srila Raghunath Das Goswami!"

There are the famous six goswami, and Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is the seventh goswami. Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj wrote many beautiful poems and articles about Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. You can see many of his verses in glorification of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur in our Gaudiya Gitanjali. This is one of the main verses:

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

sri-gauranumatam svarupa-viditam rupagrajenadrtam
rupadyaih parivesitam raghu-ganair asvaditam sevitam
jivadyair abhiraksitam suka-siva-brahmadi-sammanitam
sri-radha-pada-sevanamrtam aho tad datum iso bhavan

"O wonder of wonders! You are capable of giving us even that which, on the order of Sri Gaurachandra, Sri Svarup Damodar knows the internal purpose of; which is adored by Sri Sanatana Goswami; which is distributed by the preceptors, headed by Sri Rupa Goswami, who teach transcendental mellows; which is tasted and enhanced by Sri Raghunath Das Goswami and his followers; which is carefully protected by the votaries headed by Sri Jiva Prabhu; and which (from a respectful distance) is venerated by great personalities, such as Sri Suka, Lord Siva, the chief of the demigods, and Lord Brahma, the grandfather of all beings – that treasure the nectarine rapture of servitude to the holy feet of Sri Radha."

(Sri Bhaktivinod Viraha Dasakam, Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

"You are capable of giving us even that which, on the order of Sri Gaurachandra, Sri Svarup Damodar knows the internal purpose of; which is adored by Sri Sanatana Goswami; which is distributed by the preceptors, headed by Sri Rupa Goswami, who teach transcendental mellows; which is tasted and enhanced by Sri Raghunath Das Goswami and his followers; which is carefully protected by the votaries headed by Sri Jiva Prabhu; and which (from a respectful distance) is venerated by great personalities, such as Sri Suka, Lord Siva, the chief of the demigods, and Lord Brahma, the grandfather of all beings – that treasure the nectarine rapture of servitude to the holy feet of Sri Radha."

Who is capable of giving such things? Srila Sridhar Maharaj says that after Mahaprabhu, nobody except for Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is capable of it. Srila Sridhar Maharaj wrote also at the end of this Sri Bhaktivinod Viraha Dasakam: "Where I am, a foolish and very fallen soul, and where you are, a great soul, the rescuer of the world! O Lord! You will no doubt mercifully forgive me (the author of this eulogy) for committing offences. O ocean of mercy! I am praying now at the soles of your lotus feet that you may make my life successful by counting me amongst the family of your heart's all-in-all, Sri Varsabhanavi Dayita Dasa."

In 1955, our Gurudev, Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, wrote a beautiful article in honour of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's disappearance day. We do not have time to read all of it now, but I will tell you one–two things from it. You know, Srila Prabhupad never called Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur 'father' (baba). Moreover, he said: "Baba badha Radha. Seeing Bhaktivinod Thakur as a 'father' is an obstacle to attaining Srimati Radharani." Even though Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur was his father, Srila Prabhupad saw him as Srimati Radharani's close associate, Sri Guna Manjari, who came to this world assuming the form of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur.

"তাঁহার করুণা কথা সাধব-ভজন-প্রথা
তুলনা নাহিক ত্রিভুবনে ।
তাঁর সম অন্য কেহ ধরিয়া এ নর-দেহ
নাহি দিল কৃষ্ণ-প্রেম-ধনে ॥"

tahara karuna-katha, madhava-bhajana-pratha
tulana nahika tribhuvane
tara sama anya keha, dhariya e nara-deha,
nahi dila krsna-prema-dhane

"There is no comparison within the three worlds to His merciful teachings of the practice of devotion to Krishna. No one has ever assumed a human form and distributed the wealth of Krishna-prema like him."

sei prabhu-sakti pai', ebe 'anubhasya' gai,
ihate amara kichhu nai
yavat jivana rabe, tavat smariba bhave,
nitya-kala sei pada chai

'Receiving energy from his Master, this lowly soul sings this anubhasya; I have no merit in it. As long as there is a sign of life (in this body), I will always remember him, eternally aspiring for his lotus feet.'

'It is the wish of Sri Gaura, but what am I to tell about the glory of these two transcendental associates (Sri Gadadhar and Sri Svarupa Damodar; Srila Bhaktivinod and Srila Gaura Kisor Das Babaji Maharaj)? It becomes revealed when one serves Krishna and His non-different from of Gora, and it is something that should not be spoken publicly anywhere and everywhere.'

(Anubhasya on Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta)

Srila Guru Maharaj writes: When I hear these verses, my mouth or pen just stops; I am thinking, 'What am I doing!' I was going to create Siva but instead created a monkey! What power do I have to sing the glory of Thakur? Where the pure character of that unprecedented for this world great personality is, and where I, a downright fallen soul, am! The only small hope that binds me is that even through just some small relationship with Srila Bhaktivinod Prabhu, it is possible for a jiva souls to attain the highest benefit. Actually, Thakur's mercy, which flows through thousands of mouths and thousands of channels, purifies the entire universe!

Nitai Gaura premanande Hari bol!

[His Divine Grace then speaks briefly in English.]

Sachchidananda Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur came in this world. He not only some deputy magistrate. Mahaprabhu, Sri Krishna, Srimati Radharani sent Their associate Sri Guna Manjari to this world. Param Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj wrote:

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

sri-gauranumatam svarupa-viditam rupagrajenadrtam
rupadyaih parivesitam raghu-ganair asvaditam sevitam
jivadyair abhiraksitam suka-siva-brahmadi-sammanitam
sri-radha-pada-sevanamrtam aho tad datum iso bhavan

"O wonder of wonders! You are capable of giving us even that which, on the order of Sri Gaurachandra, Sri Svarup Damodar knows the internal purpose of; which is adored by Sri Sanatana Goswami; which is distributed by the preceptors, headed by Sri Rupa Goswami, who teach transcendental mellows; which is tasted and enhanced by Sri Raghunath Das Goswami and his followers; which is carefully protected by the votaries headed by Sri Jiva Prabhu; and which (from a respectful distance) is venerated by great personalities, such as Sri Suka, Lord Siva, the chief of the demigods, and Lord Brahma, the grandfather of all beings – that treasure the nectarine rapture of servitude to the holy feet of Sri Radha."

(Sri Bhaktivinod Viraha Dasakam, Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

Param Guru Maharaj writes: What sort of thing you have given to this world? What Brahma, Siva, Suka, Mahadev, Maheswar are giving respect to; what Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu protected; what Srila Raghunath Das Goswami, Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu, Srila Sanatan Prabhu and their followers distributed and relished—Bhaktivinod Thakur is giving to us this sort of gift. Srila Sridhar Maharaj also composed the pranam-mantra of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur:

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."

(Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has given us our Guru! If Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur had not come, we would not have got our Guru Maharaj or Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswat Thakur. There are many external descriptions of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's life and work, but he is not that—he composed so many scriptures. He gave the pure devotion of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu—he distributed Srimati Radharani's divine love for Lord Krishna. When Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur read the poem composed by Srila Sridhar Maharaj in glorification of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, he commented, "Happy style." Moreover, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur was the seventh goswami. There are six goswamis:

জয় রূপ সনাতন ভট্ট রঘুনাথ ।
শ্রীজীব গোপালভট্ট দাস রঘুনাথ ॥

jaya rupa, sanatana, bhatta-raghunatha
sri jiva, gopala-bhatta, dasa-raghunatha

"All glory to Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatan Goswami, Srila Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami, and Srila Raghunath Das Goswami!"

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur came later as the seventh goswami and said: "I am the sweeper at the market of the Holy Name. I am sweeping this market because so many aul, baul, etc. misconception is coming and I am throwing all this garbage from this Nama-hatta (the market of the Holy Name)." After him, on the order of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur started preaching all over the world through his associates, spreading the Holy Name of Lord Krishna all over the world.

Jay Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur ki jay!

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