Remembrances of Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Remembrances of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
Śrīpāda Paramānanda Vidyāratna Prabhu

Overview
The following is from the 19th and 21st Chapters of Sarasvatī Jayaśrī, published in 1935 by Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭha. This is an account given by Śrī Paramānanda Vidyāratna Prabhu (one of the first disciples of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda) of his association with Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.

An artist named Dāmodara Datta Chowdhury of Āndul was making an oil painting of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. At that time, I stayed in Calcutta for a few days and accompanied Śrīla Prabhupāda to Svānanda-Sukhada Kuñja in Godruma on 7th January (1912). We reached Vrajapattana in Śrī Māyāpura on 8th January – on that day, the Emperor of India, George V left Calcutta.

Approximately a month before the Phālgunī Pūrṇimā festival of the year 1318 (of the Bengali calendar), the worshipable Śrīyuktā Vidyullatā Devī, who was endowed with bhakti, came to Śrī Vrajapatanna from Bangram. With the eyes of affection, she saw Śrīla Prabhupāda as a younger brother, and considering him to be a great renunciate and mahā-bhāgavata, it was her great fortune to serve him.

She was skilled in cooking various dishes with different flavours and spices. I had the opportunity to learn many palatable dishes for offering from her, as well as the art of cooking. Śrīla Prabhupāda and Didi Ṭhākurāṇī (Vidyullatā Devī) affectionately called me ‘Paramānanda’ instead of my previous name, hence I am known by this name.

That year, the Śrī Śrī Gaura Janmotsava was celebrated successfully on the Phālgunī Pūrṇimā. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura could not attend this grand festival due to illness. Following his instructions, Śrīla Prabhupāda successfully completed all the activities at the festival.

The most worshippable Śrīyuktā Mātā Ṭhākurāṇī (the mother of Śrīla Prabhupāda) of Bhakti Bhavan came from Kolkata to Māyāpura along with many female devotees, seven or eight days before the grand festival. As Gaṅgā Devī was flowing at the ghāṭa near Bhārui-ḍāṅgā, many of those who had come from Navadvīpa to see the festival, came down to Bhārui-ḍāṅgā Ghāṭa by boat.

I had heard from Śrīla Prabhupāda that sometime before he came to Śrīdhāma Māyāpura (in 1307-1308 of the Bengali calendar), Paṇḍita Śrīyukta Vanamālī Lāla Gosvāmī Mahāśaya of the Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa parivāra from Rādhā-ramaṇa Ghera in Śrīdhāma Vṛndāvana, came with his wife to the birthplace of Śrīman Mahāprabhu and stayed there for some time. He was accompanied by one of his brāhmaṇa servants named Prabhunātha Miśra. Śrīyukta Vanamālī Lāla Gosvāmī Mahāśaya was a gentle devotee and sincere friend of Śrīla Prabhupāda.

When Gosvāmī Mahāśaya returned to Śrī Vṛndāvana, Prabhunātha came to Śrīla Prabhupāda and told him that he was praying to perform the Deity service at Śrī Yogapīṭha. On the order of Śrīla Prabhupāda, Prabhunātha stayed at the house of Mahāprabhu and engaged in Deity worship. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also loved Prabhunātha very much. Due to Prabhunātha’s affection, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wrote his commentary and explanation on Śrī Upadeśāmṛta. Therefore, we see in the conclusion of the Ṭhākura’s Pīyūṣa Varṣiṇī Vṛtti commentary:

ānanda-vṛddhaye śrīmad-gosvāmī-vanamālinaḥ
tathā śrī-prabhunāthasya sukhyātma-nivedinaḥ

This has been written to increase the bliss of Śrī Vanamāli Gosvāmī and his disciple Śrī Prabhunātha.

Prabhunātha had been exclusively engaged in service in the temple, and thus one day, at the birthplace of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, he had darśana of the effulgent form of Mahāprabhu and became unconscious. Prabhunātha was very simple and specifically possessed great faith in Prabhupāda.

In 1319 of the Bengali Era (1912 CE), there was a brāhmaṇa devotee named Gopāla Sāu from Ganjam District who served the Deities at Śrī Yogapīṭha. This pūjārī suffered from severe rheumatism. Due to the agony of his illness, Gopāla fervently cried out the Name of Śrīman Mahāprabhu.

Seeing the pūjārī, Gopāla Sāu, Śrīla Prabhupāda was deeply distressed by his suffering. One night, while Gopāla was lying down due to his illness on the veranda of the temple, he saw an unforeseen, inconceivable sweet light at the birthplace of Śrīman Mahāprabhu. From then on, that excruciating pain did not trouble him.

From the latter part of 1319 of the Bengali Era (1913 CE), for nearly a year, one Oriyan brāhmaṇa named Śrī Kṛṣṇa Pūjārī performed the Deity service at Mahāprabhu’s house on the order of Śrīla Prabhupāda. During the month of Māgha of that year, at the time of Dhūloṭa (a music festival held in Spring), Śrī Kṛṣṇa Pūjārī suddenly arrived one night in Vrajapattana, at 2 o’clock in the morning, wailing loudly.

When the pūjārī was questioned, he explained that he had a dream that night – Mahāprabhu, in the fearsome form of Narasiṁha, was sitting on his chest and told him, “You have been stealing My donations, therefore you must leave My house right now, otherwise I’ll destroy you!”

After saying this, the pūjārī fell on the ground and started crying. Attempts were made to make him understand clearly, but he would not listen to anything (he had two months’ salary due – he wouldn’t take a penny of it). That night itself, he left for Calcutta on foot and went to his own place.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura arrived at Svānanda-Sukhada Kuñja in Śrī Godruma from Bhakti Bhavan in Calcutta on the 20th of the month of Jyeṣṭha of the year 1319. Upon receiving this news, Śrīla Prabhupāda sent me there from Vrajapattana. The next day Prabhupāda also came there. At this time, Prabhupāda went to Krishnanagar to attend jury duty.

After returning that day, we went again to Krishnanagar on the 26th of Jyeṣṭha by boat. During that session there, Śrīla Prabhupāda sat as the foreman of the jury in a robbery case. The trial lasted for three or four days – we spent most of the day on the boat and returned to Māyāpura.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura stayed at Śrī Godruma for a month and then left for Calcutta. The Ṭhākura used to tell his companions well in advance to get ready to go somewhere by train and he would remain ready himself also. In this regard, he would teach that it is essential to prepare oneself well in advance if one wishes to perform hari-bhajana. The Ṭhākura would say:

kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha
durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam

One who is intelligent should, in this life, practice dharma towards Bhagavān from childhood. A human birth is rare and temporary, but full of meaning. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.6.1)

For those who are waiting for their final moments to engage in hari-bhajana, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda composed the following song:

jīvana-samapta-kāle kariba bhajana
ebe kari gṛha-sukha
kakhana e kathā nāhi bale vijña-jana
e deha patanonmukha

“At the time when my life is over, I will do bhajana, but for now I will be happy in family life.” An intelligent person will never speak such words for this body may drop at any moment.

āji vā śateka varṣe avaśya maraṇa
niścinta nā thāka bhāi
yata śīghra pāra, bhaja śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa
jīvanera ṭhik nāi

O brother! Either today or in a hundred years, death is certain, so do not remain so thoughtless! As quickly as possible, worship the feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, for there is no certainty in this life.

At the conclusion of this song, Ṭhākura Śrīla Bhaktivinoda cuts through the hypocrisy of those persons who possess the mentality of a rent collector, and sings:

saṁsāra nirvāha kari yā’ba āmi vṛndāvana
ṛṇa-traya śodhibāre karitechi suyatana

“After finishing this worldly life, I shall go to Vṛndāvana, but for now, I must work very hard to purify myself of the three debts (to the Devas, the Pitṛs and the family).”

e āśāya nāhi prayojana
emana durāśā vaśe, yabe prāṇa avaśeṣe
nā haile dīna-bandhu-caraṇa-sevana

This idea is not the goal. Due to the influence of these wicked hopes, your life-airs will eventually leave and you have not worshiped the feet of He who is the Friend of the fallen.

yadi sumaṅgala cāo, sadā kṛṣṇa-nāma gāo
gṛhe thāka, vane thāka – ithe tarka akāraṇa

If you desire the greatest auspiciousness, then always sing kṛṣṇa-nāma. Remain at home or remain in the forest – these debates are pointless.

(Kalyāṇa Kalpataru)

Śrīla Prabhupāda went to Calcutta with Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura on the morning train on the 2nd of the month of Bhādra (1319 Bengali Era). Śrīla Prabhupāda was seated in a bogie with the renowned land-owner Śrīyukta Debendranātha Singh Roy of Nākāśīpāḍā, who, along with his two young sons (Shibendra and Shachindra), was travelling to Calcutta.

Prabhupāda was fanning the Ṭhākura with a hand-fan. Debendra Bābu requested Prabhupāda for the fan saying, “Give me the privilege to offer a little service to a mahā-puruṣa.” Prabhupāda gave him the fan and Debendra Bābu fanned Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda until they reached Sealdah.

In the latter part of the month of Caitra in the Bengali year 1320 (March 1914), after the conclusion of the Śrī Māyāpura festival, Prabhupāda was stationed there. At this time, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura expressed a special desire to go from Calcutta to Śrī Godruma. He wrote a letter to Śrīla Prabhupāda expressing this desire.

In that letter, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wrote: “There is a great shortage of Vaiṣṇavas here. I have heard that there are many Vaiṣṇavas near you. Send two Vaiṣṇavas from among them to me.” According to the instructions of the Ṭhākura’s letter, Śrīla Prabhupāda sent Paṇḍita Śrī Gaura-Govinda Vidyābhūṣaṇa and Śrī Yajñeśvara Dāsa Adhikārī Mahāśaya, a resident of Lohagaḍa-Jayapur village, to Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.

After having sent the Vidyābhūṣaṇa Mahāśaya elsewhere, the aforementioned Adhikārī Mahāśaya appeared alone at Bhakti Bhavan in Calcutta and served Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura for some time. After this Śrīla Ṭhākura wrote another letter to Prabhupāda from Calcutta: “You are my only Vaiṣṇava son! Free me from their company here and take me quickly to Śrī Godruma.”

On receiving this letter, Śrīla Prabhupāda came to Bhakti Bhavan to take Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura to Godruma. Some individuals at Bhakti Bhavan expressed various obstacles to Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s journey to Godruma, citing his physical illness as a reason against it.

Prabhupāda came alone to Sealdah station to return to Śrī Māyāpura; However, ultimately, those who initially obstructed the Ṭhākura’s exclusive desire could not resist, and some of them arranged for a motor vehicle to take him to the station to meet Śrīla Prabhupāda. When he met Prabhupāda, Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, “You have nothing to be sorry for. Asmābhir yad anuṣṭheyaṁ gandharvais tad anuṣṭhitam (whatever has been arranged by ourselves has already been done by the Gandharvas.” – Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 241.15)

After the Phālgunī Pūrṇimā of 1320 of the Bengali Era (February 1914), on the order of Śrīla Prabhupāda, I had the good fortune to be at the feet of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in order to serve him a little. At that time, when the Ṭhākura’s servant, Śrīyukta Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, fell ill, he came to Śrīla Prabhupāda in Śrī Māyāpura. Three weeks before the revelation of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s aprākṛta-līlā in this world, he instructed me to go to Śrīdhāma Māyāpura to be near Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Following his order, I travelled to Kolkata accompanied by Śrīpāda Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Bābājī Mahāśaya. At the time of leaving, he imparted some instructions to me which are still burn brightly in my memory today. “Paramānanda, I see no need for you to acquire material knowledge in order to become wealthy. Rather than seeking material wealth, you should go to Śrī Māyāpura and serve Sarasvatī (your Śrī Gurudeva). 

By that, you will attain supreme auspiciousness. It is time for me to leave this world – I will depart soon. So, instead of accompanying me to Calcutta now, you should go to Śrīdhāma Māyāpura. While your Prabhu remains in this world, serve him with your body, mind and words. You have taken great care of me – Śrīman Mahāprabhu will bestow auspiciousness unto you.”

Apart from this, Śrīla Ṭhākura also gave me many other instructions. I took the Ṭhākura to Krishnanagar station to get on the train, and returned to the feet of Śrīla Prabhupāda at Śrīdhāma Māyāpura. This was my last darśana of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s divine lotus feet.

On the 9th of Āṣāḍha in the Bengali year 1321 (23rd June 1914), a telegram was received by Śrīla Prabhupāda in Māyāpura from Bhakti Bhavan that his presence was urgently needed in Calcutta. Upon receiving that message, I accompanied Prabhupāda on the journey to Calcutta. The roads and ghāṭas were all flooded due to heavy rainfall. Not only that, Śivera Ḍoba was completely filled with water.

Even though we hurried, we could not catch the first train. After reaching Bhakti Bhavan in the evening by the next train, we heard that on that day at Two o’clock, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had entered nitya-līlā during the afternoon pastimes of Kṛṣṇa at Svānanda Sukhada Kuñja, situated on the banks of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa – and knowing that I would not be able to have darśana of his divine feet again in this world, my heart was broken with sorrow.

On that day, prominent figures like Śrīyukta Śambhunātha Bandopādhyāya and Śrīyukta Nakuleśvara Rāya expressed to Prabhupāda that after the disappearance of the Ṭhākura, Prabhupāda had become their sole refuge and guide.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was a paramahaṁsa-sannyāsī. Thus, following the directions of Śrīla Prabhupāda, the relatives of the Ṭhākura during his pastimes in the gṛhastha-āśrama at Bhakti Bhavan, instead of performing preta-śrāddha on the eleventh day after the departure, donated bhakti-śāstras such as Bhagavad-gītā to Vaiṣṇavas and brāhmaṇas and distributed prasāda-sweets offered to Śrī Giridhārī-jiu.

About fifty to sixty scholars from Calcutta such as Mahā-Mahopādhyāya Caṇḍī-caraṇa Smṛti-bhūṣaṇan etc. were present at Bhakti Bhavan. Sir Deva Prasad Sarbadhikari C.I.E. was also present with his wife: it was my first conversation with him. Since then, he has looked upon me with much affection.

On the 12th of Pauṣa of 1321 (27th December 1914), according to the instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda and following the directives of Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī Prabhu’s Saṁskāra Dīpikā, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s puṣpa-samādhi was made at Svānanda Sukhada Kuñja in Śrī Godruma by the Ṭhākura’s dearmost disciple, Śrīpāda Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Bābājī Mahāśaya. I was present there with Śrīla Prabhupāda on that occasion. By the order of Prabhupāda, I had the privilege of helping Śrīpāda Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Bābājī Mahāśaya in the service of this samādhi-mahotsava of the Ṭhākura.

From the 11th of Pauṣa of 1321, the Ṭhākura’s viraha-mahotsava was held at Śrī Śrī Svānanda Sukhada Kuñja for three days. In the observance assembly, Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke hari-kathā extensively concerning the character of Nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda.

With his unworldly non-duplicitousness, simplicity, unparalleled humility… Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda was blessed to fully possess unlimited transcendental Vaiṣṇava qualities.