Category: Vaishnava acharyas

Narottam das Thakur – Life and Pastimes | Sripat Kheturi, Rajshahi (Bangladesh)

Post author By gaudiya
Post date September 3, 2018

Kheturi Rajshahi narottama das thakur

Kheturi (Rajshahi), the birthplace of Sri Narottam das Thakur, is decorated with the lotus footprints of the great Gaudiya Vaishnava saints, who had arrived over here to attend the grand Gaura Purnima festival 500 years ago. ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ considers itself the most fortunate and blessed to have been able to visit and relish this exalted dham of Kheturi (situated in Rajshahi, Bangladesh). This festival, renowned as the grand festival of Kheturi, saw the largest congregation of Gaudiya Vaishnavas in those days. During this historic festival, Lord Gaurahari, who had manifested His disappearance pastime by then, reappeared once more, along with His associates, to bestow His all-merciful darsana and causeless mercy upon all. Sri Krishna Caitanya was not able to hold Himself back, hearing the stone melting bhajans of Narottam das in the festival of Kheturi. As Narottam’s bhajana reached its emotional peak, the Pancha-tattva (Gauranga, Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa), reappeared all of a sudden, amidst the devotees and engaged themselves in an ecstatic dancing sankirtana, flooding the devotees with waves of pure love of God. The grandeur of the Kheturi festival resounds till this day in the pages of Gaudiya history. King Santosh Datta, a devout Vaishnava and the brother of Narottam das, made pompous arrangements to receive and serve all of his guests. Great Gaudiya Vaishnavas from all across India attended this festival. Sri Srinivasa Acharya was appointed the head priest and Jahnava Mata, Lord Nityananda’s wife, who graced Kheturi with Her towering presence, was the chief guest. We shall surely delve into the ecstatic details of the Kheturi festival, but before that, let us taste and relish the heart-melting pastimes of our beloved Narottam das Thakur (Thakur Mahasaya), one of the eternal dearmost associates of Lord Gaurahari.

Jessore Rupa Goswami

Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami’s bhajan Kutira | Sripat Prembag, Jessore, Bangladesh

Post author By gaudiya
Post date May 26, 2018

Prembag jessore rupa sanatana

‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ recently visited the exalted spiritual site of Prembag, where Sri Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami used to once perform their bhajana. The sacred tree under which the two brothers rested and meditated continues to exist even today. This holy place is situated within the district of Jessore, in Bangladesh. Jessore is an exceedingly old place ,vibrant with rich cultural history.It once belonged to the ancient kingdom of King Janapada. In the 15th century, Jessore was part of the kingdom of King Pratapaditya.

Sri Kavi Karnapura reveals in Gaura Ganoddesha Dipika that Sri Rupa Goswami was none other than the incarnation of Sri Rupa Manjari, one of the chief assistants of Lalita Sakhi (one of the eight principal Gopis of Vrindavana). Sri Sanatana Goswami was the combined incarnation of Rati Manjari,Lavanga Manjari and Sanatana Kumara.Sri Jiva Goswami has explained the genealogical history of Sri Rupa Goswami’s family. They were the descendants of Sarvagya Jagadguru, a great scholar of the Vedas.He was an expert in Yajurveda. Sri Sarvagya was a brahmin and also one of the kings of Karnataka in the 12th-century sakabda era. In his lineage appeared a great devotee named Kumar Deva who had settled in Jessore (Bangladesh). He got married to a very chaste lady named Revati devi. In course of time Kumar deva and Revati Devi gave birth to many sons. Most illustrious among them were Amara (came to be later known as Sanatana Goswami) ,Santosh(came to be later known as Rupa Goswami) and Vallabha (came to be later known as Anupama). It is believed that Sri Sanatana was born around 1488 AD while his younger brother Rupa, appeared in this world around 1493 AD. Sri Jiva Goswami was the son of Anupama.

Gaudiya Vaishnavism - An overview Vaishnava acharyas

The Twenty-six Qualities of a Vaishnava

Post author By gaudiya
Post date March 11, 2018

vaishnava 26 qualities

Now that we understand the very basics of Bhakti yoga,from our previous article (‘The A B C D of Bhakti’), it is worthwhile for us to invest our time, and realize the magnanimity of an elevated Vaishnava, a pure devotee of the Lord. Reading Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, we come to understand that out of the innumerable godly qualities, there are twenty-six ,which are very prominent within a Vaishnava. Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja, out of his causeless mercy, has listed them down (Madhya Lila 22.78-80) for our meditation and contemplation.

sei saba guna haya vaishnava lakshana
saba kaha na yaya, kari dig darashana
(cc, Madhya, 22.77)

A pure devotee is magnanimous and an inspiration to one and all. It is only by great fortune, that one gets to associate with him. In Fact even a moment’s association with a pure devotee of the Lord is all purifying and it is only by his causeless mercy that one becomes eligible to engage in the service of the Supreme Lord. In this article, ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ shall try to relish and discuss about these glorious super excellent qualities that ornament the devotees of the Lord.

Bhaktivinoda thakur Ranaghat

Ula Birnagar – Birthplace of Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Post author By gaudiya
Post date March 2, 2018

birnagar

Sri Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who is sometimes also referred to as the seventh Goswami, is an eternal associate of the Supreme Lord. His contribution to the Brahma-Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya is invaluable.At a time when the science of pure devotional service (Bhakti) had almost become lost due to the cultural and religious chauvinism of the ruling British, and the essence of Vaishnavism largely discredited due to the perverted actions and lifestyles of a few non bonafide Vaishnava sects, Srila Bhaktivinoda was largely responsible for rescuing and unearthing the timeless teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In Fact it was he who ,after conducting a painstaking research, had rediscovered the long lost birthsite of Sri Gaurasundara (refer – ‘YogPeeth, Mayapur, Navadvipa – The birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’). Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, was not only a magistrate, but also a renowned and recognised scholar in his days, with vast knowledge in english,bengali,hindi,oriya and sanskrit.He was also a member of the royal asiatic society of London. Such was the degraded state of affairs during those days, that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura could not find a bonafide copy of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, the most important literature for understanding Lord Caitanya’s life and teachings, anywhere. It was only after several enquiries and a long wait, that he received a copy of this book. He subsequently published it along with his commentaries (Amrta-pravaha-bhasya). Likewise, he was instrumental in unearthing several ancient manuscripts like Caitanyopanishad ( portion of Atharva Veda) ,Sri Krishna Vijaya, etc. ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ considers itself an insignificant servant of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, whose causeless mercy has enabled us fools to get a glimpse of his elevated stature and pen a few lines in his glorification. We have dedicated a separate article covering the details of the Thakura’s later life (Remembering Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura at Svananda Sukhada Kunja & Surabhi Kunja, Navadvipa (Godrumadvipa)). In this article however, we shall mainly focus upon the birth and the early childhood of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

Kolkata Srila Prabhupada

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s birthplace, Tollygunge, Kolkata

Post author By gaudiya
Post date January 13, 2018

tollygunge

Sri Gour Mohan De and Srimati Rajani devi became the proud parents of Sri Abhaya Caranaravrinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on the 1st of September, 1896. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada or Abhaya Carana ,as he was previously called, was born on the occasion of Nandotsava, at the home of his maternal grandparents, in the suburbs of Tollygunge. The fortunate jackfruit tree under which he was born stands tall this day. Calcutta back then was the capital of British India and the ‘second city’ of the British Empire. The British and the Indians lived in separate portions of the city although they intermingled in work and business. The Indians lived more towards the north of the city while the british lived amongst their theatres ,racetracks and cricket fields in central Calcutta. Sri Gour Mohan De used to reside along with his family in his rented house at 151 Harrison Road (refer – ‘Srila Prabhupada’s pastime places in Central Kolkata’). He was a cloth merchant with moderate income and belonged to the aristocratic suvarna banik (gold merchant) community. ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ cannot help at this point but contemplate upon the exalted pastimes of another eternal associate of the Lord, Sri Uddharana Datta Thakura, who also belonged to this gold mercantile community (refer – ‘Sri Uddharana Datta Thakura Sripat, Adisaptagram (Near bandel)’). Soon after Srila Prabhupada was born ,an astrologer prepared the horoscope for the child and made an accurate prediction. He predicted that when Srila Prabhupada would reach the age of seventy, he would cross over the oceans, become a great preacher of religion and open 108 temples. In this article ,however, we shall try to primarily focus on the pastimes that Srila Prabhupada had enacted here in India ,before he travelled abroad and established this worldwide movement.

Kolkata Srila Prabhupada

A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – Pastime places in Kolkata

Post author By gaudiya
Post date January 13, 2018

HDG AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder acharya of Iskcon, our dear spiritual grandfather, has been and continues to be the greatest proponent of Krishna consciousness in the entire world. A true visionary, Srila Prabhupada, has built a home in which the whole world can live in peacefully. The International society for Krishna consciousness (his brainchild) has expanded its footprints to all corners of this world today, and has been instrumental in distributing the causeless mercy of Lord Caitanya in every town and village. Srila Prabhupada is none other than the commander in chief of Lord Caitanya, and he was empowered by the Lord and His Gurudeva to deliver the fallen souls all over the world. From the time he landed in America (1965) till the time he left his body (1977), Srila Prabhupada had encircled the globe a full 12 times, overseeing the construction of over a hundred Iskcon temples.In addition he has left us with hundreds of his books that continue to provide guidance and inspiration to devotees all around the world.‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ has covered the life and pastimes of Srila Prabhupada in more detail in the article entitled – ‘The birthplace of A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Tollygunge’. In this present article ,however, we intend to provide a brief sketch of his pastime places in central Kolkata ,where he had grown up and spent a significant portion of his life.

Malda Rupa Goswami Vaishnava acharyas

Rupa Goswami & Sanatana Goswami | Sripat Ramkeli, Malda

Post author By gaudiya
Post date January 13, 2018

ramkeli chaitanya mahaprabhu Ramkeli, situated in the town of Malda, has been the erstwhile headquarters of Sri Rupa and Sanatana Goswami before they fully surrendered themselves unto the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (refer – ‘YogPeeth, Mayapur, Navadvipa – The birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’). It was here at Ramkeli, that Lord Caitanya had rested while He was en route to Vrindavana. Mahaprabhu did not travel as far as Vrindavana, though, and returned back only from Kanai Natshala (a place hardly 100 Kms from Ramkeli). The only purpose of His coming to Ramkeli, however, was to bless and unite with His eternal servants Sri Rupa and Sanatana Goswami. The tamal tree under which Lord Caitanya is said to have meditated is still preserved here at Ramkeli. A small temple built under this tree enshrines Sri Gaurahari’s lotus footprints on stone. There are eight sacred ponds surrounding the temple. These ponds (Kunda), dedicated to the eight principal Gopis of Vrindavana, were dug by Sri Rupa and Sanatana themselves when they lived here. ‘the Gaudiya treasures of Bengal’ considers itself greatly fortunate to have been able to enter and serve this cintamani (wish-fulfilling) dham.

Gaura amara, je-saba sthane,
koralo bhramana range
Se saba sthana, heribo ami,
Pranayi-bhakata-sange
–
May I visit and constantly contemplate upon all those places where Lord Caitanya performed His sweet pastimes along with His intimate associates.

We seek blessings and compassion of the Vaishnavas, before attempting to write a few lines in glorification of Sri Rupa and Sanatana Goswami. The readers are requested to kindly excuse any of our unintentional mistakes, as we are mere fools, who, not knowing our limits, are trying to delve deep into this esoteric well, to excavate the mesmerizing jewels that adorn the devotees of Sri Gaurasundara.

Bhaktivinoda thakur Kolkata

Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s house in Kolkata | Bhakti Bhavan

Post author By gaudiya
Post date January 13, 2018

Bhakti Bhavan bhaktivinoda thakur

Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakur, who is sometimes also referred to as the seventh Goswami, is an eternal associate of the Supreme Lord. His contribution to the Brahma-Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya is invaluable.At a time when the science of pure devotional service (Bhakti) had almost become lost due to the cultural and religious chauvinism of the ruling British, and the essence of Vaishnavism largely discredited due to the perverted actions and lifestyles of a few non bonafide Vaishnava sects, Srila Bhaktivinoda was largely responsible for rescuing and unearthing the timeless teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In Fact it was he who ,after conducting a painstaking research, had rediscovered the long lost birthsite of Sri Gaurasundara (refer – ‘YogPeeth, Mayapur, Navadvipa – The birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’). Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, was not only a magistrate, but also a renowned and recognised scholar in his days, with vast knowledge in english,bengali,hindi,oriya and sanskrit.He was also a member of the royal asiatic society of London. Such was the degraded state of affairs during those days, that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura could not find a bonafide copy of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, the most important literature for understanding Lord Caitanya’s life and teachings, anywhere. It was only after several enquiries and a long wait, that he received a copy of this book. He subsequently published it along with his commentaries (Amrta-pravaha-bhasya). Likewise, he was instrumental in unearthing several ancient manuscripts like Caitanyopanishad ( portion of Atharva Veda) ,Sri Krishna Vijaya, etc. ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ considers itself an insignificant servant of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, whose causeless mercy has enabled us fools to get a glimpse of his elevated stature and pen a few lines in his glorification.

Balasore Medinipur and surroundings others Vaishnava acharyas

Syamananda Pandita – Biography | Sripat Kanupur (Near Balasore)

Post author By gaudiya
Post date January 13, 2018

balasore Sri Syamananda Pandita, the dear disciple of Sri Hridaya Caitanya, is one of the great stalwart Vaishnavas to have graced the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya. Showering his causeless mercy, he has been instrumental in delivering countless fallen souls. Sri Prema Vilasa reveals that Sri Syamananda Pandita eternally serves as Kanaka Manjari in Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes. His spiritual master, Sri Hridaya Caitanya, was the incarnation of Sudhira Sakhi. Hridaya Caitanya, in turn, was the dear disciple of Gaudidasa Pandita, the intimate friend of Lord Gaurahari and Nityananda Prabhu. Gaudidasa was the incarnation of Subala, Krishna’s dear cowherd friend. ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ has covered in detail the pastimes of Gaudidasa Pandita in the article entitled – ‘The worshipable deities of Gaudidasa Pandita, Ambika Kalna’.

yam loka bhuvi kirtayanti hridayanandasya shishyam priyam
sakhye shri-subalasya yam bhagavatah preshthanushishyam tatha
sa shriman rasikendra-mastaka-manish citte mamaharnisham
shri-radhapriya-narma-marmasu rucim sampadayan bhasatam

Translation – Sri Syamananda was known in this world as Hridaya Caitanya’s dear disciple; He was the grand-disciple of Subala sakha, the most dear friend of the Supreme Lord; he was the crest-jewel of the enjoyers of sacred rapture. May he appear day and night in my mind, bringing an appreciation for the essence of the joys of the beloved of Sri Radha.
(Syamananda-shataka)

Mayapur Nabadwip dham Vaishnava acharyas

Jagannath Das Babaji – Biography | Samadhi temple at Mayapur Nabadwip dham

Post author By gaudiya
Post date January 12, 2018

jagannatha das babaji Srila Jagannath Das Babaji,was born around the year 1750 AD, at the remote village of Tangail, in the district of Mymensingh (situated in Bangladesh). Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaja, was the most advanced Rasika devotee of his times in all of Vrindavana, Navadvipa and Jagannatha puri.He lived for about 150 years and was a disciple in the line of Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura and Baladeva Vidyabhusana. He used to initially reside at Surya Kunda in Vrindavana, where he used to perform his Bhajana, but towards the end of his manifested pastimes, he shifted to Navadvipa dham. He was famed as Siddha Baba (perfectly realized soul) and used to chant for days altogether ,going without food, water or sleep.In the pastimes of Sri Krishna, Jagannath Das Babaji eternally serves as Rasika Manjari.

His prominent disciples were Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sri Bihari das Babaji, Sri Bhagavata Das Babaji, Sri Ramdas Babaji, Sri Nityananda Das babaji, Sri Hare Krishna das Babaji, Sri Ramhari Das Babaji to mention some. By the initiative of Bihari das ,the residents of Surya Kunda constructed a permanent room for Siddha baba at that place.The deities that are presently being worshipped at Gopal Bagh in Vrindavana (renowned as ‘Sonar Gauranga’), are actually the worshipable deities of Srila Jagannath Das Babaji, who had originally brought them from the Sonarundi village of Bengal (a place about 15 kms from Katwa).The six armed deity (sadbhuja) of Lord Caitanya, that is presently being worshipped at Nidhuvana (in Vrindavana), was also once worshipped by Jagannath das Babaji. Towards the end of his manifested pastimes, Siddha baba, had become bent due to old age, and could hardly keep his eyelids open.However ,with the assistance of his disciples ,he used to daily offer Tulasi leaves unto the Saligrama Sila.Due to his advanced age, he could not see or walk and had to be hence carried within a basket by his disciple Bihari Das ,from one place to the other. Yet inspite of severe physical challenges, he would dance in ecstasy on hearing sankirtana.