The Life, Precepts

Saccidnanda

An excerpt from the Introduction to Jaiva-dharma

hen it comes to discussing the life of mahpuruas (great self-realized personalities who are
transcendental to mortal existence), it would be a mistake to
consider their birth, life span and death to be similar to that
of mere mortals, because mah-puruas are beyond birth and
death. They are situated in eternal existence, and their coming
and going from this world is strictly a matter of their own
appearance and disappearance.
rla Bhaktivinoda hkura appeared on Sunday, 2
September 1838, and thus illuminated the sky of Gauya
Vaiavism. He took birth in a high class family in a village
named Vra-nagara (also known as Ulgrma or Ul), which is
located within the Nadiy district of West Bengal, not far from
r Dhma Mypura, the appearance place of r Gaurga.
He disappeared from this world on June 23, 1914, in the city
of Calcutta. At that time, he entered the midday pastimes of
r r Gndharvik-Giridhr, who are the supreme objects
of worship for the Gauya Vaiavas.
In his brief lifespan of seventy-six years, he instructed the
world by personally carrying out the duties of the four ramas
(stages of spiritual life): brahmacrya (celibate student-life),
ghastha (religious householder-life), vnaprastha (withdrawal
from worldly duties), and sannysa (formal renunciation). He
first underwent brahmacrya, and obtained various elevated
instructions. After that, he entered ghastha life, and set an ideal
example of how to maintain family members through honest
and noble means. All householders should follow this example.
During his ghastha life, rla Bhaktivinoda traveled all over
India as a highly placed officer in the administration and justice
department of the British government of India. By his exacting

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and Contribution of
rla Bhaktivinoda hkura
by r rmad Bhakti Prajna Keava Gosvm Mahrja
discrimination and expert administrative skills, this
great personality managed to regulate and bring to
order even those places that were infamous as lawless
states. In the midst of family duties, he astonished all
his contemporaries by the religious ideal he displayed.
Although engaged in pressing responsibilities, he
wrote many books in different languages. We have
recorded the dates of composition in our list of his
books. If the reader studies this, he can clearly deduce
Bhaktivinodas incredible creative power.
Disregarding the opinion of those who might have
had a prejudice about language, rla Bhaktivinoda
hkura has broadcast the transcendental instructions
of rman Mahprabhu in many different languages.
He has written approximately one hundred books
in Sanskrit, Bengali, Oriya, Hindi, Urdu and English.
The names of some of the more important of these
works have been given below along with their dates of
publication:

Sanskrit
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)

Vedntdhikaraa-ml, 1872
Datta-kaustubham, 1874
Datta-vaa-ml, 1876
Bauddha-vijaya-kvyam, 1878
r Ka-sahit, 1880
Sanmodana bhya (ikakam), 1886
Daopaiad-crik, 1886
Bhvval (commentary), 1886

(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
(18)
(19)
(20)

r Caitanyacaranmta bhya (commentary

on r Caitanya-Upaniad), 1887
r mnya-stram, 1890
Tattva-viveka or r Saccidnandnubhti, 1893
Tattva-stram, 1894
Vedrka-ddhiti (commentary on r
opaniad), 1894
r Gaurga-ll-smaraa-magala-stotram, 1896
r Bhagavad-dhmmtam (commentary), 1898
r Bhgavata Arka-marci-ml, 1901
r Bhajana-rahasya, 1902
Svaniyama-dvdaakam, 1907
Brahmamstra bhya (commentary)
ik-daamlam etc.

Bengali prose
(1) Garbha-stotra (translation), 1870
(2) r Sajjana-toa (monthly magazine), 1881
(3) Rasika-Rajana (commentary on Bhagavd
Gt), 1886
(4) r Caitanya ikmta, 1886
(5) Prema-pradpa, 1886
(6) Published r Viu-sahasra-nma, 1886
(7) Vaiava-siddhnta-ml, 1888
(8) Siddhnta-darpaam (Bengali translation), 1890
(9) Vidvad-rajana (commentary on Bhagavd
Gt), 1891
(10) r Harinma, 1892
(11) r Nma, 1892

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(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)

r Nma-tattva, 1892
r Nma-mahim, 1892
r Nma-pracra, 1892
rman Mahprabhura ik, 1892
Tattva-muktval or Myvda-atada
(translated and published), 1894
Amta-pravha-bhya (commentary on
Caitanya caritmta), 1895
r Rmnuja Upadea, 1896
Jaiva-Dharma, 1896
Prakin-vtti (commentary on Brahmasahit), 1897
Pya-vari-vtti (commentary on
Upademta), 1898
r Bhajanmtam (translation and commentary),
1899
r Sakalpa-kalpadrum (Bengali translation),
1901 etc.

(17)
(18)
(19)
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23)

Bengali verse
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)

Hari-kath: Topics of Lord Hari, 1850

umbha-Niumbha-yuddha, 1851
Vijana-grma, 1863.
Sannys, 1863.
Kalya-kalpataru, 1881
Mana-ik (translation and commentary), 1886
r Ka-vijaya (published), 1887
r Navadvpa-dhma-mahtmya, 1890
aragati, 1893
Gtval, 1893
Gtml, 1893
oka-tana, 1893
r Navadvpa-bhva-taraga, 1899
r Harinma-cintmai, 1900
r Prema-vivarta (published), 1906 etc.

rd
(1)

Vlide Rejir, 1866. etc.

nglish
(1) Poriade, 185758.
(2) Mahas of Orissa, 1860.

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(3) Our Wants, 1863

(4) Speech on Gautama, 1866
(5) The Bhgavat: Its Philosophy, Its Ethics, and Its
Theology, 1869
(6) Reflections, 1871
(7) hkura Haridsa, 1871
(8) The Temple of Jaganntha at Pur, 1871
(9) The Monasteries of Pur, 1871
(10) The Personality of Godhead, 1871
(11) A Beacon of Light, 1871
(12) r Caitanya Mahprabhu, His Life and
Precepts, 1896 etc.
When one sees this list, one can easily infer that the
author was a vastly learned scholar of many different
languages. I think it necessary at this point to shed some
light on a special feature of the authors life. Although
he was a pre-eminent scholar of Western thought, he
was completely free from Western influences.
Western educators say, Dont follow me; follow
my words. In other words, Dont do as I do; do
as I say. The life of rla Bhaktivinoda hkura
refutes this principle, for he personally applied and
demonstrated all the instructions of his books in his
own life. Therefore, his instructions and manner of
bhajana are known as bhaktivinoda-dhr (the line of
Bhaktivinoda).
There is not a single instruction in his books that
he did not personally follow. Therefore, there is no
disparity between his writings and his life, between
his actions and his words. They are one in all respects.
It is natural for readers to be curious to learn about a
great personality who possesses such extraordinary
character. Modern readers, in particular, who seek
to know about any subject, cannot have faith in an
authors writings without being acquainted with him.
After retiring from his government responsibilities,
rla Bhaktivinoda adopted the stage of vnaprastha,
and intensified his spiritual practice. At that time,
he established an rama at Surabhi-kuja in
Godrumadvpa, one of the nine districts of Navadvpa.
rla Bhaktivinoda hkura remained there and
performed bhajana for a considerable time.
Later, he accepted the life of an ascetic, and stayed
at Svnanda-sukhada-kuja, which was nearby. While

residing there, he established the appearance place by rman Mahprabhu, r Caitanyadeva. In so doing,
of r Caitanyadeva and many other places of gaura- he brought tremendous welfare and elevation to the
ll. In this, he followed the example of r Caitanya religious domain. Even Western and Far Eastern
Mahprabhu and His followers, the Six Gosvms, countries like America, England, Germany, France,
who had discovered the birthplace and other pastime Sweden, Switzerland and Burma were not deprived of
places of r Ka. If rla
his mercy. He established sixtyhkura Bhaktivinoda had
four Gauya Maha preaching
not appeared in this world, the
centres in India and around
If rla hkura
pastime places and instructions
the world, and from these he
Bhaktivinoda
had
not
of r Gaurga Mahprabhu
propagated the teachings of r
would have disappeared from
appeared in this world, Caitanya. He also circulated all
the world.
the books of rla Bhaktivinoda
the
pastime
places
The entire world of Gauya
hkura, and thus established his
Vaiavas will therefore remain
incomparable fame throughout
and instructions of
indebted to him forever. It is for
the world.
r aur ga
this reason that he has been
By the influence of time and
awarded the highest honour
the onslaught of the age of Kali,
ahprabhu would
in the Vaiava community by
various types of corruption and
being addressed as the Seventh
have disappeared
false doctrines had infiltrated
Gosvm.
Gauya Vaiava dharma. As a
from
the
world
This mah-purua instructed
result, thirteen distorted sects
the world both through the ideal
(apasampradyas) had emerged,
example of his personal life and by writing books in and they are named in this loka:
many different languages. In addition, there is yet
ola bola karttbhaj ne darvea s
another unique gift that he bestowed, and it would be
sahajiy sakh-bhek smrtta jti-gos
a display of ingratitude on my part if I neglected to
atib cdhr gaurga-ngar
mention this. rla hkura Bhaktivinoda brought
tot kahe e teraha saga nhi kari
a great personality into this world, who was the
commander-in-chief in propagating the dharma
Tot says that he will not associate with
revealed by r Caitanya Mahprabhu. This great
the thirteen apasampradyas: ola, bola,
personality is my beloved gurudeva, and he is
karttbhaj, ne, darvea, s, sahajiy, sakhrenowned throughout the world as jagad-guru o
bhek, smrtta, jti-gos, atib, cdhr
viupda paramahasa-kula-cmai aottaraand gaurga-ngar.
ata r rmad Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat Gosvm
hkura. It was an incomparable and unprecedented
accomplishment on the part of r rmad Bhaktivinoda
hkura to bring this mah-purua into the world. The
Vaiava community honours rla Bhaktisiddhnta
Sarasvat hkura with the shorter title of rla
Prabhupda, and hereafter, I will also refer to this
supremely liberated mah-purua as rla Prabhupda.
rla Prabhupda appeared as rla Bhaktivinoda
hkuras son and successor. Throughout the world,
he raised the brilliant banner of r Madhva-Gauya
vaiava dharma, which was practised and propagated

rla Prabhupda significantly curbed the

mischievous activities of these apasampradyas
through his preaching and by publishing the books of
rla Bhaktivinoda hkura.
From the English rendering of
r rmad Bhaktivednta Nryaa Gosvm Mahrjas
Hindi translation of Jaiva-dharma
published by Gaudiya Vedanta Publications
Contents slightly reordered for this publication.

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