19830920 Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Ki Jaya

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on September 20th, 1983 in Atlanta Georgia. The lecture is about Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. 

"Regarding Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he was trying to always obtain a transfer near to Navadvīpa Māyāpur, then to his great rejoice, he obtained the transfer to Kṛṣṇanagara, 25 miles from Navadvīpa - Māyāpur. Once stationed at a place near Navadvīpa, he did not let a single free moment pass without visiting the land of Navadvīpa. He had once made enquiries about the exact whereabouts of the different places of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. He soon discovered that the then city of Navadvīpa was a town of only 100 years standing. So he was curious to locate the actual birth place of Lord Caitanya. He was convinced that the town of Navadvīpa was not the authentic location. He had once commenced a vigorous enquiry to find the truth of the matter but he could not easily escape from the people who tried to make him believe that the birth place of Caitanya was in that town. Then after, careful enquiry, he was told that the site was lost under the shifting course of the Ganges. Not satisfied with this explanation, he himself set out to discover the yoga-pīṭha, birthplace.

After great difficulties, he came to know of a place, which was being adored by many realized souls as a true birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and which was then in the possession of Mohammedans. Local enquiry and collaborative evidence from ancient maps, of the later part of the 18th century, showed the name ŚrīMāyāpura. At last, help him to discover the real site of the birthplace. The discovery led to the publishing of a valuable book, book called Navadvīpa-māhatmya. Chapter 5 of this book has appeared in ISKCON's Bengali back to godhead magazine.

The year 1895 is the most eventful in the history of Vaiṣṇava world, and BhaktivinodaṬhākura was the prime mover of the event. It was in this year, he officially memorialized the birth site of Śrī Caitanya and brought its true identity and importance before the public eye. Thousands of visitors were present at a function held at this spot."

Jayapatākā Swami: Then it describes how Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura used to go door to door raising subscriptions to build a Gaura-Viṣṇupriyā temple in Māyāpur.

“The work of preaching the holy name was also in full swing and it spread fast into the distant corners of the globe. The Gaurāṅga-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotra was in English containing the life and precepts of Śrī Caitanya, came out of Bhaktivinoda's pen soon after the discovery of Lord Caitanya’s birthplace, and found its place in all the learned institutes of both hemispheres. The more the names of Lord Caitanya/Lord Kṛṣṇa were preached, the merrier was ṬhākuraBhaktivinoda. He thereafter made annotations of Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, ŚrīKṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta and gave to the world, this immortal and precious work, ŚrīHarināma- cintāmaṇi, and Bhajana-rahasya."

Jayapatākā Swami: Many books, there in addition over a hundred.

"It was in the beginning of the 20th century that he chose to live at Purī and build the house on a beachfront there. Many honest souls have thought that his blessings are rarely obtained when he accepted the renounced order of life. Though he was leading the life of a renounced soul, he could not avoid the men of all descriptions who constantly visited him. All of them received oceans of spiritual training, instructions, and blessing. In 1910, he shut himself up and remained in a perfect stage of samādhi or full concentration on eternal pastimes of the Lord."

We have that place where they mentioned, he spent his last time in Purī, just next to the samādhi of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.  Tomorrow is the disappearance day of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. 

Question: (inaudible) what is that book called?

Jayapatākā Swami: Caitanya-bhāgavata. 

Question: That's Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura? 

Jayapatākā Swami: Yes. It was rebound by Nityānanda Prabhu.  It was falling apart due to reading, traveling. Pocketbook. (laughter)

Question: You're translating it?

Jayapatākā Swami: Later. 

Response: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa Willing.  I'd like to, sometime. You all get Atlanta in the fire of preaching.

Devotees: (laughter) Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Then I'll have more time to sit here and translate.  What happened to our (inaudible)

Reply: (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: Diane is on saṅkīrtana, too?

Reply: No, she had (inaudible) She said she would come. 

Jayapatākā Swami: This is about the early life of Lord Caitanya, the Ādi, Madhya and Antya-līlā. Ādi-līlā means up to the point where Lord Caitanya manifested His ecstasies. Madhya-līlā is in Navadvīpa, up to the point He took sannyāsa, and Antya-līlā, which is very short is His whole sannyāsa-līlā. So, just like in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, in the Ādi-līlā, what is here... Ādi and Madhya is all fit within Ādi-līlā, and it doesn't cover much about Lord Caitanya's latter life, in here. So that's covered in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta is more philosophical. This is a little more pastimes, but the purports are quite philosophical but the verses themselves...

Question: (inaudible) Who's writing the purports, Bhaktisiddhānta?

Jayapatākā Swami: Bhaktisiddhānta. Part of it was by Bhaktivinoda. Yes, it just mentions, "Written by Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura and explained by Bhaktisiddhānta.  I've heard the purport... the introductions of each chapter were written by Bhaktivinoda, but I may be mistaken. It doesn't look like. Why? What would you like to hear? 

When you read it like that, it's a bit slow.  You know, like if you read Caitanya-caritāmṛta, each verse, long purport. To get a whole pastime, you have to read a chapter, so that way, just to take it at random... I'd normally read the whole chapter and tell the pastime. (laughter) How's our friend doing?

Reply: Everything's going fine. 

Jayapatākā Swami: Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? You're still jolly? (laughter)

Reply: (inaudible) I'm always happy!

Jayapatākā Swami: We want you should always stay happy.  That's possible by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Tell us the pastime about how Lord Nityānanda left His house.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Verse 2.3.94-95

āilā sannyāsi-sthāne nityānanda-pitā
nyāsīre dilena putra, noiyā māthā 

nityānanda saṅge calilena nyāsi-vara
hena mate nityānanda chāḍilena ghara

Nityānanda's father took Lord Nityānanda to the sannyāsī, gave his son to the sannyāsī. Nityānanda went with that sannyāsī. At that time... in that way, Lord Nityānanda left His house.

Verse 2.3.96

nityānanda gele mātra hāḍāi paṇḍita
bhumite paḍilā vipra haiyā mūrchita

As soon as Lord Nityānanda left his house, immediately Hāḍāi Paṇḍita fell to the ground, unconscious. 

Verse 2.3.97

se vilāpa krandana kariba kon jane? 
vidare pāṣāṇa kāṣṭha tāhāra śravaṇe 

How he was lamenting and crying, who can express that? It was so intense that even a person made out of wood would melt or burn, just by hearing it.

Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: Who?

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Nityānanda went with a sannyāsī. 

Reply: He didn't take sannyāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: When He was twelve. Sannyāsī came to His father's house, and father received him, requested he stay overnight, they discussed about Kṛṣṇa-kathā late into the night. Then the next morning he gave him... requested him to take a little prasāda before he goes, then they ask if there's anything he'd like. (laughter) and he said that, "There's just one thing, but I don't know if I should ask."

"No no. Whatever you want, just ask."

"Are you sure you want to give?"

Like that the sannyāsī kept apologizing, and he said, "No please you must tell us whatever you want." "Give me your son." (laughter) "Give me Nityānanda."

Actually, Hāḍāi Paṇḍita, to give Nityānanda meant it took his life because Nityānanda was worth more than his life, but he was afraid that, "If I don't give, then I'll teach my son to lie. That might... as a brāhmaṇa (inaudible) so he ended up giving also out of attachment to Lord Nityānanda.

How was saṅkīrtana?

Reply: (inaudible) 

Devotee: (inaudible) ...last time when you gave class you said we should at least do it in the mood of our own purification. (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: Try and also take every opportunity to preach. Kṛṣṇa may give us so many opportunities. We can't let anything pass us by as much as possible.

Are there any questions? 

Not many questions tonight.

Devotee: I was going to ask for some Prabhupāda nectar. Tell us stories about Prabhupāda.

Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, today is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's appearance day.  We should have Bhaktivinoda nectar. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he would... in his writings, we find in his informal newspaper...  He had two newspapers: one like ISKCON World Review, which he would write down all the news about the preaching, and the other newspaper which was less secretly printed, which was just for devotees, discussing philosophical subject matters, which had a relation to the preaching.

So one time Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he was going on Nāmahaṭṭa preaching program and he went from one village to the next, to the next, like that, bringing his party of saṅkīrtana-harināma chanters, and he wrote that how he went by a primary school, and all the kids were sitting there with their slates and their chalks and they were, "A, B, C, D," Bengali, "uh, ah, oo, ooo, i, ee" The Bengali alphabet, Bengali, "oo, ooo, i, ee." kind of funny. (laughter) (inaudible) You see... doing all the academic studies, so when Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura went by...  when the saṅkīrtana party went by, then he saw that all the children jumped up from their studies and looked. They all ran out, running to join the saṅkīrtana.

When Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura saw their spontaneous attraction, he was completely overwhelmed with joy and with ecstasy. The simple things like that, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura took it very significantly.  Here's some schoolchildren, but they were spontaneously attracted to Kṛṣṇa. There's no difference between Kṛṣṇa and His holy name. Chanting

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare 

Kṛṣṇa's holy name and Kṛṣṇa Himself is non-different. So being spontaneously attracted to the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is a very good sign. Even the kids... it might've been attributed to so many things, but because it was Kṛṣṇa, they get the same benefit. [break] ...that you hear the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, spontaneously, if anyone's mind is attracted, if they even think something pleasant, then for that they get special benediction. [break] 

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura at his house, he made a little hut for Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābāji to reside.  Many devotees have seen that, just by the side of the samādhi, just a little grass hut, there's still some... like a cave-type setup. Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī used to sit there, and he would take his prasāda out of any empty dried human skull.

[aside: you alright? (laughter)]

Reply: I'm just (inaudible) don't worry.  No problem.

Jayapatākā Swami: You know why he did that?

Reply: I don't know. (laughter) 

Jayapatākā Swami: Why do you think?

Reply: I'm very happy he did that.  Why he eats prasāda out a...

Jayapatākā Swami: Out of an empty...

Reply: Skull.

Jayapatākā Swami: Skull.

Reply: Well I could relate a skull to a lot. A skull is a symbol of a lot. It could be... You could relate it, you know, but I'm not gonna try. I'm gonna let you tell me.

Jayapatākā Swami: Actually, it's a type of graphic reminder about the temporal nature of the body, and how actually we're not the body, we're pure spirit soul, and that we're meant to serve Kṛṣṇa, not to serve the body which is just going to be a skeleton in no time, or ashes, or worms. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he liked to discuss Kṛṣṇa-kathā, so he would sometimes discuss with Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī. 

In his room he had... in 1800's, he had a fan. I don't think electricity was available yet. So the fan in his room was a kerosene fan, run by a flame. It's still there in his room, but... nobody runs it anymore, but it's quite unique. There were a lot of things. Now they don't let the devotees in that room so much because a lot of devotees nipped different things. There are a lot of relics in his room.

So he used to visit all the sacred places of Lord Caitanya's pastimes, and one of his songs, he said, "Just by drinking... when will I be satisfied just drinking the water of the Jalaṅgī, the Sarasvatī River going through Māyāpur, and taking some simple rice prasādam. When will I see all the residents of the gaura-maṇḍala-bhūmi with four arms?" Sometimes Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura would face certain mental speculators and Māyāvādīs and he would defeat them very strongly.

With his family... he used to tell them that...his children that, "If you don't... once you grow up and you're self-dependent,you can do what you want, but so long as I'm feeding you, you better do as I say, or otherwise I won't feed you. You have to help me in my service to Kṛṣṇa." Something like that. I won't say it's an exact quote, but to that effect. He compelled everyone to help him in his translation and printing of all the books of Kṛṣṇa that he had done. Of course, they all did it out of love.

I remember Śrīla Prabhupāda two or three occasions to the birthplace of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.  Prabhupāda was trying to get that for ISKCON to develop and do some service to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.  It's about twenty miles from Māyāpura. Birnagar, beautiful place. All around is mango orchards. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said it's an extension of Godrumadvīpa, an extension of the land of cows and trees, of Navadvīpa. So we're trying. We tried. I haven't been there for over... people ask me to go frequently... occasionally to see if I can help them, to encourage them to let us develop some.

Śrīla Prabhupāda had a bit of an argument with some of the people there who wouldn't develop the place, couldn't develop the place. He had... When Prabhupāda offered to develop it, they wouldn't allow, so Prabhupāda, one time he was telling different people that, "Isn't it sinful? That here is an important place to be developed for Kṛṣṇa. You can't do it. You won't do it, and then someone who wants to do it... you can't do it, but someone who wants to do it, you won't allow him to." Subsequently, Prabhupāda requested me to donate something there, just as a donation without any conditions. (inaudible) while he was in this world. So, later I gave a donation there and they used it finally. Maybe sometime in the future, we can by Prabhupāda's mercy, develop that place also.

Question: It was his own family, or his son (inaudible) ācārya? 

Jayapatākā Swami: A branch.  Another sub-branch of the Caitanya tree. From the family of Bhaktivinoda.

Question: BhaktivinodaṬhākura had a very large family so (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: One was living up to about four, five years ago.

Question: Lalita Prasāda?

Jayapatākā Swami: But he's no longer (inaudible). Other than that... he was 103, other than that everyone is like nephews and grandnephews, like that. Yadubara said he got some nice photographs of one of their descendants.

Comment: (inaudible) ...Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's nephews.  They look just like him. Very nice...

Jayapatākā Swami: I just gave initiation to Śrīla Prabhupāda's grandniece this Māyāpur Festival, Janmāṣṭamī.  But they don't say... they consider themselves to be granddaughter. Indian families are so close that the brothers live together, and so all the... some of the brothers, they lose track of which is their son. They're all children.

Question: You gave initiation to a daughter of Prabhupāda's...

Jayapatākā Swami: His grandniece. That means his sister's son's daughter.

Question: (inaudible) How come the mouth is so important?  I mean, you know, I know it's one of the most powerful things, you know, through time, you know, speaking, I mean, you know, you, course, there's a lot of different you know, religions or whatever revealing, a lot of material things we hear, you know, and I wonder why, why wasn't it (inaudible), why was it even spoken, why was it breathed?

Jayapatākā Swami: Well originally the scriptures are spoken by God, so they're considered to be the breath of the Supreme Lord. That's a Vedic truth, so everything is coming from the Vedas. So, that's why the words of the scripture are considered very important in every religion.

Question: So is that why it's so important to watch what you... is said out your mouth? 

Jayapatākā Swami: Normally try to hear it more than watch it. 

Reply: Okay (laughter) I always mess up. But you know what I'm saying. Why it's so important to be wise and pick the words that you use and the things that you say.

Jayapatākā Swami: Well, if you chant... if you hear from the right source...

Reply: Right

Jayapatākā Swami: ...properly, then you're going to be able to repeat, or speak properly. If you don't hear from the proper source, then even you try to pick out your words and say the right thing, it doesn't... it won't be correct, because the source is not pure. That's why one is recommended not to hear from a non-devotee, but to hear only from the lips of a devotee, about topics about Kṛṣṇa. To hear the nectar about the Supreme Lord, you should hear from a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then by hearing, you'll be able to repeat and explain, and by chanting, that will purify your mind so you can hear properly. It's a brain tune... tuning into the vibrations.

Question: Try to (inaudible) ...Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Nāmahaṭṭa, how he established it...

Jayapatākā Swami: How he established it? 

Reply: How he described it. (inaudible) 

Jayapatākā Swami: The center for disseminating Kṛṣṇa consciousness was considered to be a storefront or a shop, and the big holy place which has so many temples is considered to be a marketplace. Lord Nityānanda's considered to be the chief capitalist or (laughter) and His partner or major shareholder, and partner-director is Advaita Gosāñī. Then He has different assistant directors like Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa, Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmī in Vṛndāvana, Gadādhara and Rāmānanda Rāya in Purī, then Śrīvāsa and others in Navadvīpa.

In addition, then, he had traveling salesmen, brokers. There were over 20 different posts. Then he had a few extra posts like tailors, laundrymen and barbers. So, the commodity that you could buy in the marketplace of the holy name was love of Kṛṣṇa, pure chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. To get that, you had to pay the price. The price was not in the form of money, ordinary cash, but the exchange rate was that the currency is in the form of love and faith, śraddhā-bhakti, devotion. So, starting with faith as one cent, going up to bhāva as 99 cents and with all the other levels in between. You make the exchange rate. Śraddhā means faith and bhāva means ecstatic devotion. There are eight other stages between them. Prema's considered to be a gold coin similar to our Krugerrand. It's compared to a dollar, the ecstatic devotion.

So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, "Just like in the marketplace, anybody can buy anything if they have the money.  If you have the money you can buy a Rolls Royce in this modern market, so if you have the faith in devotion, no matter what your material situation may be, then you can purchase accordingly faith, or association of devotees or attachment in devotion, or ecstatic devotion. Depending on how much transcendental money you've accumulated.

So, in this way Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he recognized that when a... in a village there was someone who would make his home into a... or there would be a group that would meet in different people's home, he'd recognize them as a Nāmahaṭṭa branch, or prapannāśrama, and then he told them they should go out every morning with a flag and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa in at least five people's houses, requesting them, "Dear sir, please (inaudible) Hare Kṛṣṇa, and lead a holy life." Like that. Five, with a flag. Then coming and doing nagara-kīrtana, harināma on the street. So in this way...

Question: Nāmahaṭṭa flag? 

Jayapatākā Swami: I haven't followed it.  Little flag. You have to go carrying the flags, door to door saṅkīrtana.