On Appearance Day of
Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

‘The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill – all it takes is mercy from gurudev.’

namo bhaktivinodaya sach-chid-ananda-namine
gaura-sakti-svarupaya rupanuga-varaya te

‘Obeisance unto you, Srila Sachchidananda Bhaktivinod Thakur, the embodiment of Sri Gaura’s potency, the greatest follower of Srila Rupa Goswami.’

vanchha-kalpatarubhyas cha krpa-sindhubhya eva cha
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

‘Again and again I offer my obeisance unto the Supreme Lord’s devotees, who are saviours of the fallen, oceans of mercy and wish-fulfilling trees.’

Today, in the absence of Sri Gurupadpadma from our holy temple, I am standing in front of you to offer, on his order, praise to Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. A fallen, lowly, materialistic person like myself has no right, no qualification to chant the glory and speak about transcendental Thakur Mahasaya because ‘aprakrta vastu nahe prakrta-gochara, Veda-Puranete iha kahe nirantar – you can never see that which belongs to the transcendental world with your mundane eyes; all Vedas and Puranas constantly tell this.’ The Supreme Lord or His devotees (associates) are beyond the perception of material senses, and Their Names, forms, qualities, pastimes, associates and everything else are all beyond the perception of material senses, too. This is something that is absolutely impossible to know with the help of the knowledge collected through one’s senses. This truth is extolled clearly in the Vedas and all other scriptures: ‘Nayam atma pravachanena labhyo na medhaya va bahuna srutena. The Supreme Lord is unattainable, no matter how much you discuss about Him, how much intelligence you have or how much you hear about Him’, and so on. Then how can a fool like me introduce this subject matter? Nevertheless, it is only by the merciful order of Gurupadpadma that I have stood today in front of such great learned Vaishnavs as yourselves. ‘Vaishnavera guna-gana karile jivera trana, suniyachhi sadhu-guru-mukhe. I have heard from the lotus mouths of saints and gurus that glorifying Vaishnavs rescues your soul’ – yet I am unqualified. Still, by accumulating the power of Sri Gurupadpadma’s mercy, even a stool-eating crow can attain the position of Garuda, the carrier of the Lord; even a lame man can become capable of climbing a hill; even a great fool can illuminate all ten directions with the light of his erudition and intellectual brilliance; even a mute person, who is devoid of the power of speech, can become a lecturer like Saraswati, the Goddess of learning. Therefore, I am first of all bowing to Sri Gurupadpadma, praying for the power of his mercy, aspiring to serve him.

By the desire of Lord Sri Gaurasundar, Thakur Srila Sachchidananda Bhaktivinod, embodiment of His mercy’s potency, appeared almost 117 or 118 years ago [as of 1955] in the village Birnagar within Gaura Dham, Nadia district.

It can be seen in the scriptures that the signs indicating the time for the Lord or His associates to appear are as follows: whenever there is a decline in religion and uprising of irreligion, the Lord, His associates or His devotees appear in this world to rescue or protect saints, to destroy or restrain the vile and to establish religion. Some time after Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, exactly this dark situation had appeared in the world and among jiva souls. By the influence of time, the purest Vaishnav religion, representing the gist meaning of all scriptures, had gradually hidden itself, and in its place, various new wanton religions of the witch Maya were guiding jiva souls down a very dark, murky path of misconception; as a result, religion was practised primarily based on one’s skin! Ignorance had taken the holy seat of saintliness; yoga, etc. became an oceanic source of enjoyment; cultivation of knowledge ended with the concept of impersonal voidism; people practised japa, etc. for fame and performed various austerities out of envy; people gave charity, etc. to gain prestige; and with all the awful, atrocious behaviour exhibited in the name of loving service to the Lord, even the minds of the intelligent were diverted. Beholding the influence and vehemence of time and their own transpired dangerous position, sadhus became fearful and prayed, appealing anxiously, with heart and soul, to the lotus feet of the Lord for the spiritual benefit of all jiva souls. It was exactly at this time that Srila Sachchidananda Bhaktivinod Thakur, the embodied power of the mercy of Sri Gauranga-sundar who enjoys His pastimes in Nadia, appeared as a source of pure joy to more and more increase the joy in the hearts of sadhus, manifesting himself in the east of Nadia to fulfil his Lord’s cherished desire.

Although the pastimes of birth, etc. of the Lord or His associates can be visible for material eyes, these pastimes are actually transcendental – you have heard this many times. The jiva souls who are situated within the bondage of their own actions have to take birth in this world to reap the result of their own actions, but the Lord or His associates, becoming subject to mercy, accept the pastime of birth by their own will to take jiva souls from the unconscious world (from the material world drenched in danger) to the transcendental blissful abode: i.e. to grant them the treasure of their own spiritual form, which is blissful servitude to the Lord. On the one hand, it is subjection (actuated out of submission); on the other hand, it is independent and deliberate (actuated by Their own free will). As a partial example, it can be compared to a prison where there are convicts and where there can also be teachers who educate and reform the convicts. In addition, whatever caste or family pure devotees are born into, they have no relationship with that caste or family. Hanuman took birth in the monkeys’ family; Garuda, the carrier of the Lord, took birth in the birds’ family; nevertheless, the entire universe always worships them. In this world, it can be seen in the daiva-varnasrama prescribed by the scriptures that no matter what family a person is born into, one must be defined as a brahman, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, etc. based on their qualities, actions, etc. Belonging to a particular social class (varna) is not determined by one’s birth. Therefore, how is it possible to describe the associates of the Lord, who are eternally liberated, based on the family or caste they were born in? That is why Srila Sanatan Goswami, the teacher of all jiva souls, used the term ‘kayastha-kulabja-bhaskarah’ (the sun and the lotus of the kayastha caste) when describing Sri Das Goswami Prabhu’s family: they have as much relation as there is between the sun and a lotus flower – a lotus flower born from water and the sun, a burning ball of fire that illuminates the world. Although there is no comparison or similarity between the two, the sun enters into some relationship with a lotus flower, allowing it to blossom and bloom, by extending its rays; so, Vaishnavs are related to their family to the same extent that the sun is related to a lotus flower. This example can also be accepted in part. Actually, when the Lord’s associates and Vaishnavs accept a certain family and appear in it, that entire family becomes purified – you will see this verse in the scriptures that can serve as a proof: ‘Kulam pavitram janani krtartha vasundhara sa vasatis cha dhanya. The family becomes pure, the mother feels successful, Mother Earth becomes enriched and all the dwelling is blessed.’ ‘Mad-bhakto-pujabhyadhika. Worshipping My devotee is higher than worshipping Me’ – considering the meaning of this expression, we can also understand that the glory of a devotee’s holy appearance day is greater and more auspicious than even the glory of the holy appearance day of the Lord because we get an opportunity to learn very easily and properly about practising spiritual life and the Lord from the lives and characters of devotees, something that cannot be done to the same extent when dealing with the character of the Lord Himself. Therefore, the Supreme Lord mercifully teaches devotion by descending disguised as a devotee in the form of Sriman Mahaprabhu.

This is how Thakur Srila Bhaktivinod’s appearance is gradually changing the tendency of the world, and his symptoms of a great personality rivet the attention of pious souls, giving them much joy. From the ordinary, worldly point of view on his personality, he lost his father at a very early age and spent much time studying, etc. at the house of his maternal uncle. Astonished to see his incredible erudition, captivating efforts, unprecedented poetic power and profound love for religion, his relatives were very affectionate to him. Love for religion was so strong in the life of Thakur that even when he was very young, scholars were enchanted by his unfathomable expert knowledge of religious scriptures. At that time, Thakur Mahasaya composed scriptures in various languages. Also, seeing his youthful beauty, his relatives arranged his marriage.

When he was older, Thakur Mahasaya manifested his pastimes working like an ordinary jiva soul; at that time, he took posts that were rarely achievable for a person of the Bengali origin. When he became Deputy Magistrate, he came to Odisha and lived beside the temple of Lord Jagannath. At that time, he received a very good opportunity to discuss religion. He established Sri Bhakti Mandap at the temple of Lord Jagannath and, just like Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu, discussed Srimad Bhagavatam and other scriptures, severing material bondage of the jiva souls of this world and becoming enriched by the influence of many devotees, scholars and brahmans. He was so deeply pained to see the misery of the jiva souls who were averse to Krishna and disposed to material life that he would sometimes as if forget himself, crying out loud, ‘O Gauranga, O Nityananda! O Lord, please glance just once on all these jiva souls of this world!’ Saying this, he would weep profusely. Owing to Bhaktivinod’s ardent cries to the Lord, one day the residents of this world received the dust from the holy lotus feet of Srila Saraswati Goswami Prabhupad, who came to this world as a worshippable embodiment of Gaura Mahaprabhu’s mercy. Very soon, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur’s name became famous everywhere; and also, while he performed his pastimes as a spiritual teacher, many educated, respected and important persons joined his religious preaching, etc. as servants. Before Srila Thakur’s preaching, the pure Vaishnavism that was preached by Sriman Mahaprabhu had become so much vitiated, distorted and turned topsy-turvy by some people pursuing wrong interests that Vaishnavism became ridiculed as something extremely despicable, repugnant and of very lowly nature; however, owing to Bhaktivinod’s coming into prominence and effort, Vaishnavism was released from its decline and again manifested its pure form, taking the highest place among all religions, emerging effulgently as jaiva-dharma (religion of the soul) in the religious sky of the world like the newly risen morning sun. All pious souls knew that Vaishnavism was the religion of one’s true self, pure, effulgent, devoid of envy and pleasing to Bhakti Devi, Devotion – where there is no duplicity, filth, inferiority – and they also knew: if all religions, individually or collectively, are practised properly, then they will no doubt exist beautifully as steps of Vaishnavism.

In his writing, speeches and all kinds of endeavours, Thakur Mahasaya removed the misconceptions of the proponents of so-called material synthesis (where all conceptions are seen as equal and one) and proved that only the religion preached by Sriman Mahaprabhu can bring all religions into great transcendental agreement. Actually, the way he protected the jiva souls of this world from aversion to the Lord after Sri Chaitanyadev and His associates, it is extremely rare to find another example of that. Nobody ever saw that Srila Thakur Mahasaya envied or spited anyone, yet there was also never even a drop of hesitation in his extolment of unprejudiced truth. He never showed any favour to the pretentious religions practised in the name of devotion or the conceptions of false devotion and non-devotion. His writings undauntedly and loudly proclaimed the truth. He compared mundane name and fame to pigs’ stool. A greatest contemporary Bengali playwright once requested Srila Thakur to inaugurate a play about Gauranga, but he refused to do that straight out, calling it a hodgepodge. When some Odiya mahayogi(?) was moving with his flock down the path of hell, claiming from the top of a mountain of stool (prestige) that he was an incarnation of Mahavishnu and threw thorns on the path of pure religion of the soul (sanatana-dharma), Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur subdued him in a very severe way. When he set out on an expedition to purify various contaminated holy places in India, so many sinful and miserable people considered themselves blessed by coming in touch with his extremely cooling holy feet. How many other examples will I tell? Owing to his travel around India, many antagonistic religious conceptions were terminated. Even from all this, it is not possible for me to even briefly describe his glory. Srila Saraswati Goswami Prabhupad gave a very concise but broad presentation of Thakur Mahasaya’s esoteric nature in a few simple Bengali verses, and those learned personalities who read them can get the proper understanding of who Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur was. Srila Prabhupad wrote in his commentary to Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita:

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.

sri-gaura-ichchhaya dui, mahima ki kaba mui,
aprakrta-parisada-katha
prakata haiya seve, krsna-gorabhinna-deve,
aprakasya katha yatha tatha

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 Kishor 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.

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.

There was no matter, there was no feeling, there was no subject that Srila Thakur did not employ in relation to Krishna. There were two main currents in his endeavours – through the current of the Bhagirathi River (through his own practise and preaching), he purified and engaged the whole world in service to Krishna; and through the current of the Saraswati River, like Vedavyas, he churned the scriptures (the Vedas, etc.) and very easily, simply and open-handedly distributed everywhere the cream of transcendental love for Krishna. There is neither any comparison nor any alternative to the unparalleled gift Srila Bhaktivinod gave to this world. In the scriptural world also, Thakur’s divine glory is and will be remembered eternally, always and everywhere. What is discussed in the holy works composed by him (his sutra scriptures; samhita scriptures; gita scriptures; Bengali scriptures; scriptures on the Lord’s pastimes; scriptures on the science of transcendental mellows; scriptures presenting critical reviews; his various commentaries; scriptures on the fundamental spiritual concepts; poetic, scientific, literary works, etc.) – all kinds of published and unpublished beautiful scriptural works of Thakur Bhaktivinod are illuminated even more today in the extremely affectionate, devotional light of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s expressions, and, as far as the spiritual benefit of all the jiva souls of the world is concerned, they demonstrate that their intrinsic nature is identical with the intrinsic affection of the genuine (devoid of cheating) mercy of the magnanimous source of all incarnations. The time has become very short now; therefore, I will say one–two more things and take your leave.

In his endeavours, Bhaktivinod Prabhu manifested the acme of service to the holy abode of Lord Gauranga – you have all heard about him revealing Mahaprabhu’s holy abode. As far as discovering Sriman Mahaprabhu’s birthplace is concerned, many offenders obstructed him in various ways, but remaining unwavering and unperturbed, he fulfilled Sri Gaurasundar’s cherished desire to reveal His holy abode and did it in such a proper way that all the deceit of offenders’ sinful tongues is stopped today. It is now impossible to find any way to hush up or conceal Mayapur. Now, everyone openly and loudly sings Mayapur’s glories. One more thing we can mention is that Srila Thakur Bhaktivinod was a combined form of simultaneously Sri Svarup Prabhu, Sanatan Prabhu, Rupa Prabhu, Raghunath Prabhu, Raya Ramananda Prabhu, Haridas Prabhu, Sri Jiva Prabhu, Krishna Das Prabhu and Narottam Prabhu because the learned can see within him the full-fledged acme of all endeavours of the goswamis. Whether it is his revealing the holy dham, whether it is his rescuing the lost holy places, whether it is his composing transcendental scriptures, whether it is his devotional conclusions, whether it is his renunciation, whether it is his profound spiritual vision, whether it is his glorification and chanting of Hari-katha, whether it is his pastimes of rescuing jiva souls through congregational chanting of the Holy Name – in all respects, when any fortunate person saw the glory of his supra-mundane capacity, they rolled at his holy feet.

Choosing today’s day, he appeared in this world. Therefore, this lunar day is supremely worshippable, venerable and merciful. I have no means to worship this holy day. You are all great, you are supreme Vaishnavs – please bestow your mercy on me and make me qualified to worship this holy day; may by your mercy a great intense desire to pray for Srila Bhaktivinod Prabhu’s mercy awaken within me; may I become adorned with the internal dignity and honour through chanting the Holy Name, as prescribed by Sri Gaura; and may you eternally engage me in the service to the devotees of Sri Vinoda-Saraswata. This is my prayer.

vanchha-kalpatarubhyas cha krpa-sindhubhya eva cha
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

‘Again and again I offer my obeisance unto the Supreme Lord’s devotees, who are saviours of the fallen, oceans of mercy and wish-fulfilling trees.’

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj commented regarding this article, 'I once gave a lecture about Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur and then published it in Gaudiya Darshan as an article. By my good fortune, Srila Guru Maharaj and Srila Swami Maharaj appreciated it very much. I sat down to write out the lecture and it came out very nicely. I do not know whether or not it is has been published since then. If not, it can be. It is in Bengali but it can be translated. It is a very good article. I like it very much.'

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