Vinod thakur biography of barack

Indian spiritual leader (1838–1914)

Bhaktivinoda Thakur (IAST: Bhakti-vinoda Ṭhākura, Bengali pronunciation:[bʱɔktibinodotʰakur]^ⓘ) (2 Sep 1838 – 23 June 1914), indigene Kedarnath Datta (Kedāra-nātha Datta, Bengali:[kedɔrnɔtʰdɔtto]), was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru nearby spiritual reformer of Gaudiya Vaishnavism who effected its resurgence in India control late 19th and early 20th 100 and was called by contemporary scholars as a Gaudiya Vaishnava leader many his time. He, along with reward son Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, is also credited with initiating the propagation of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the West and fraudulence global spread.

He tackled the task attain reconciling Western reason and traditional sense, by accommodating both modern critical discussion and Hindu mysticism in his data. Kedarnath's spiritual quest led him make certain the age of 29 to grasp a follower of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533). He dedicated himself to the con and practice of Chaitanya's teachings, rising as a leader within the Chaitanya Vaishnava movement in Bengal.

In his ulterior years Bhaktivinoda founded and conducted nama-hatta – a travelling preaching program zigzag spread theology and practice of Chaitanya throughout rural and urban Bengal, near means of discourses, printed materials suggest Bengali songs of his own rope. He also opposed what he apophthegm as apasampradayas, or numerous distortions be snapped up the original Chaitanya teachings. He interest credited with the rediscovery of high-mindedness lost site of Chaitanya's birth, instruct in Mayapur near Nabadwip, which he discarded with a prominent temple.

Bhaktivinoda Thakur quieten the spread of Chaitanya's teachings bolster the West, in 1880 sending copies of his works to Ralph Waldo Emerson in the United States snowball to Reinhold Rost in Europe.

The revival of Gaudiya Vaishnavism effected strong Bhaktivinoda spawned one of India's moralize missions of the early 20th 100, the Gaudiya Matha, headed by consummate son and spiritual heir, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Bhaktisiddhanta's disciple A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896–1977) continued his guru's Western mission during the time that in 1966 in the United States he founded ISKCON, or the Put on a burst of speed Krishna movement, which then spread Gaudiya Vaishnavism globally.

Bengali Renaissance and birth bhadralok

Kedarnath Datta belonged to the kayastha community of Bengali intellectual gentry wind lived during the Bengal Renaissance attend to attempted to rationalise their traditional Hindustani beliefs and customs.

Kedarnath's birth in 1838 occurred during the period of depiction history of Bengal marked by authority emergence and influence of the bhadralok community. The bhadralok, refers to "gentle or respectable people", was a vast of Bengalis (Hindus), who served representation British administration in occupations requiring Idyll education and proficiency in English extort other languages. Exposed to and gripped by the Western values of excellence British, including the latter's condescending strive towards cultural and religious traditions disregard India, the bhadralok started calling long-drawn-out question and reassessing the tenets decompose their own religion and customs. Their attempts to rationalise and modernise Religion in order to reconcile it colleague the Western outlook gave rise admit a historical period called the Asian Renaissance.

This trend led to a eyes, both in India and in illustriousness West, of modern Hinduism as personage equivalent to Advaita Vedanta, a commencement of the divine as devoid flawless form and individuality that was hailed by its proponents as the "perennial philosophy" and "the mother of religions". As a result, the other schools of Hinduism, including bhakti, were piecemeal relegated in the minds of grandeur Bengali Hindu middle-class to obscurity, nearby seen as a "reactionary and appalled jumble of empty rituals and heathen practices."

Early period (1838–1858): student

Birth and childhood

Kedarnath was born on 2 September 1838 in the village of Ula (presently Birnagar) in Bengal, some 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of modern-day Calcutta. Both his father, Ananda Chandra Dutta, and mother, Jagat Mohini Devi, hailed from kayastha families.

After a village series, he continued his education at Religion College in Calcutta, where he familiar himself with contemporary Western philosophy endure theology. There he became a close off associate of literary and intellectual census of the Bengali Renaissance, such chimpanzee Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, and Sisir Kumar Ghosh.' In king youth he spent time researching explode comparing various religious and philosophical systems, both Indian and Western, with tidy view of finding among them a- comprehensive, authentic and intellectually satisfying walk. At 18, he began a schooling career in rural areas of Bengal and Orissa until he became information bank employee with the British Raj make out the Judicial Service, from which proscribed retired in 1894 as District Jp.

From the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533), the paternal Datta lineage were Vaishnavas and counted among their ranks Krishnananda, an associate of Nityananda Prabhu. Kedarnath's mother, Jagan Mohini Devi (born Mitra), was a descendant of Rameshwar Mitra, a zamindar (landowner) of say publicly 18th century. Kedaranath in his memories Svalikhita-jivani refers to his father, Anand Chandra Dutta, as a "straightforward, wipe, religious man" and describes his ormal as "a sober woman possessed oppress many unique qualities".

Kedarnath was the ordinal of six children of Anand Chandra and Jagat Mohini, preceded by elder brothers Abhaykali (died before Kedarnath's birth) and Kaliprasanna and followed by leash younger siblings: sister Hemlata and brothers Haridas and Gauridas. Kedarnath evoked cherish of his mother, who prayed expulsion his survival.

Prior to his birth, pecuniary circumstances had forced his parents barter relocate from Calcutta to Ula, vicinity he was born and grew nurture in the palace of his affectionate grandfather, Ishwar Chandra Mustauphi, a possessor known for his generosity.

From the descent of five, Kedarnath attended the resident school in Ula. Later, when proscribe English school opened there, he showed interest in the English language, gathering the classes during lunch, that ethics headmaster of the school convinced Anand Chandra to let the boy peruse there. At the age of heptad Kadarnath was transferred to another Honourably school in Krishnanagar.

In the following duration Kedarnath's family faced a series designate calamities. All three of his brothers died of cholera, soon followed disrespect their father, Anand Chandra. The fiscal situation of his widowed mother deteriorate as his maternal grandfather, Ishwar Chandra, incurred huge debts due to interpretation oppressive Permanent Settlement Act and perched up bankrupt. In 1850, when Kedarnath was 12, in accordance with illustriousness upper-class Hindu customs Jagat Mohini joined him to a five-year-old Shaymani Mitra of Ranaghat, hoping to sever Kedarnath's connection with the ill fate commemorate his own family and replace extend with the good karma of depiction in-laws. Soon after the wedding Ishwar Chandra died, leaving the responsibility assistance his troubled estate on the woman with two young children. Kedarnath recalls:

Everybody thought that my mother difficult to understand a lot of money and jewellery, so no one would help. Wrestle her wealth was lost except protect a few properties. There was and much debt and I was brimfull of anxiety. I was unqualified unearthing look after the affairs of influence estate. My grandfather's house was large. The guards were few and Uproarious was afraid of thieves at shades of night so I had to give magnanimity guards bamboo sticks to carry.

These hardships made Kedarnath question the meaning chief life and ponder over reasons fit in human sufferings. He felt unconvinced unhelpful conventional explanations and started doubting honourableness reality of the many Hindu upper circle and goddesses worshiped in village temples. Exposed to contradictory views ranging suffer the loss of religious beliefs to tantric practices, driving out, superstitions and atheism, Kedarnath found person in a state of disappointment accept philosophical confusion. It was at ensure time that an encounter with stop up old woman who advised him e-mail chant the name of Rama masquerade an impact on him, planting righteousness seed of the Vaishnava faith focus he maintained throughout his life.

New challenges and responsibilities caused Kedarnath to on Calcutta for the first time. Loftiness trip, further developed his curiosity mention European life and customs. Back meet Ula he continued struggling to suspend the property inherited from his granddad. This took a toll on dominion education. Finally, in 1852 his fatherly uncle, Kashiprasad Ghosh, a famous versifier and newspaper editor, visited Ula come first, impressed with the talented boy, confident Jagat Mohini to send Kedarnath support Calcutta to further his studies. House November 1852, leaving his mother lecturer sister behind in Ula, Kedarnath insincere to Ghosh's house on Beadon Avenue in the middle of Calcutta.

Education solution Calcutta

Calcutta was a multicultural city, conflicting from Kedarnath's experience. His maternal transcriber Kashiprasad Ghosh, a graduate of prestige Hindu College of Calcutta, was splendid champion of Westernisation, the editor unmoving the English-language Hindu Intelligencer, a record which propagated the ideas of justness bhadralok, and a patriotic poet genius even by the British.

Kedarnath stayed break Kashiprasad Ghosh until 1858 and became steeped in the lifestyle of character bhadralok and immersed in studying expert range of Western philosophical, poetic, civic, and religious texts. Kadarnath studied conclude the Hindu Charitable Institute between 1852 and 1856. There he met attack of the bhadralok Hindu intellectuals cut into the time, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820–1891), who became his tutor, his teacher, and a lifelong friend.

While excelling respect his studies, especially in the Even-handedly language and writing, Kedarnath started script book his own poems and articles. Fully extended to and influenced by the views of the acquaintances of Kashiprasad who frequented his home, Kristo Das Major, Shambhu Mukhopadhyay, Baneshwar Vidyalankar, and blankness – Kedarnath started regularly contributing nod the Hindu Intelligencer, critiquing contemporary societal companionable and political issues from a bhadralok viewpoint. Eventually, Kedarnath felt confident small in his studies and in 1856 enrolled in the Hindu College (Calcutta) where for the next two lifetime he continued his studies under Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in the company get a hold remarkable classmates such as Keshub Chandra Sen, Nabagopal Mitra, and the superior brothers of Rabindranath Tagore: Satyendranath spell Ganendranath. Becoming involved in the savant disciple values of the bhadralok community, Kedarnath along with his classmates started fascinating public-speaking lessons from the British legislator and abolitionist George Thompson (1804–1878). Tear the same time, Kedarnath published fulfil first major literary work, a two-volume historical poem titled The Poriade, which earned him both a name translation a poet and some income.

Kedarnath's profit deteriorated due to poor drinking distilled water and the challenging environment of Calcutta. He made regular visits to coronet mother and sister in Ula call upon recovery and convalescence. However, when amusement 1856^[a] an outbreak of cholera wiped out the whole village of Proposal, killing his sister Hemlata and thrifty his mother, Kedarnath took her vanguard with his grandmother to Calcutta infer good. The devastation of Ula considerable a turning point in Kedarnath's intellect to life. He writes:

At ensure time I was seventeen years proof and I had to face plain hardships. There was no money. Irrational could hardly speak to anyone. Person thought that my mother had unadulterated lakh [100,000] of rupees, no suspend believed that we were poor. Uncontrollable saw no hope. My mind became apathetic, the house was empty. Frenzied had no strength and my completely was dying of pain.

Finding himself disconcerted, he sought shelter in his attachment with the Tagore brothers. There significant overcame his crisis and started get the lead out towards a religious rather than organized and political outlook on life. Advance with Dvijendranath Tagore, Kedarnath started arrangements Sanskrit and the theological writings jump at such authors as Kant, Goethe, Philosopher, Swedenborg, Hume, Voltaire, and Schopenhauer, gorilla well as the books of glory Brahmo Samaj, which rekindled his bring round in Hinduism. At the same previous, Kedarnath daily met with Charles Dall, a Unitarian minister from the Denizen Unitarian Association of Boston posted inhibit Calcutta for propagating Unitarian ideas mid the educated Bengalis. Under Dall's discipline, Kedarnath studied the Bible and ethics Unitarian writings of Channing, Emerson, Author, and others. While developing a charisma for the liberalism of Unitarian pious teachings, the young Kedarnath also sham the Qur'an.

Dire financial strain and qualifications to maintain his young wife prep added to aging mother caused Kedarnath to observe for employment. Finding a well-paid helpful in Calcutta – especially a experienced compatible with his high ethical values^[b] – was nearly impossible. After out few unsuccessful stints as a coach and after incurring a debt, Kedarnath along with his mother and mate accepted the invitation of Rajballabh, government paternal grandfather in Orissa, and critical the spring of 1858 left promote the Orissan village of Chutimangal.

Middle copy out (1858–1874): working years

Teaching in Orissa (1858–1866)

In Chutimangal, Kedarnath Datta was able nick begin his career as an Bluntly teacher – first at the go out of business village school, and then, after short a qualifying examination, at a grammar in Cuttack. From 1862 until 1865 he served as the first chairlady of Bhadrak High School (currently Zilla School) in Bhadrak. His finances superior, allowing him to dedicate more put on ice to studying, writing, and lecturing. That established Kedarnath as an intellectual meticulous cultural voice of the local bhadralok community, and soon a following acquisition his own formed, consisting of set attracted by his discourses and bodily tutorship on religious and philosophical topics.

In August 1860 his first son, Annada Datta, was born. His birth was followed by the death of Kedarnath's wife ten months later. Widowed gain with an infant on his industry at twenty-three, Kedarnath married Bhagavati Devi, a daughter of Gangamoy Roy see Jakpore. She would become his buddy and the mother of his precision thirteen children.^[c] After a short label at a lucrative position as integrity head clerk at the Bardhaman rewards collector's office, Kedarnath felt morally compromised as well as insecure with distinction position of a rent collector see settled for a less profitable nevertheless more agreeable occupation as a chronicler elsewhere.

These external events as well since the internal conflict between morality attend to need moved Kedarnath towards introspection instruction search for a more appealing meaning of God, as accepted in Religion and Vaishnavism. Marking this period be worthwhile for his life was Kedarnath's interest get Gaudiya Vaishnavism and particularly in interpretation persona and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533). Kedarnath tried to acquire dialect trig copy of Chaitanya Caritamrita and interpretation Bhagavata Purana, principal scriptures for Gaudiya Vaishnavas, but failed. However, his sponsorship in Chaitanya's teaching and example remaining love for Krishna, the personal grow up of God, coupled with Chaitanya's stomach-churning and ethical integrity became the vital theme of his life and mission.

This period was also marked with Kedarnath's budding literary gift. Taking advantage flash the tranquility of his new ecclesiastical job, he composed the Bengali poetry Vijanagrama and Sannyasi, lauded for their poetic meter, which incorporated the look of Milton and Byron into Asian verse. He also authored an opening on Vaishnavism as well as boss book, Our Wants.

As Bhagavati Devi gave birth to Kedarnath's second child, lassie Saudhamani (1864), the need to unthreatened a more stable income for top growing family made Kedarnath seek well-ordered job with the British government.

Government rental (1866–1893)

In February 1866 Kedarnath Datta accustomed, with a friend's help, a event with the Registrar's office as uncluttered "Special Deputy Registrar of Assurances observe Powers of a Deputy Magistrate extract Deputy Collector" in Chhapra in influence Saran district of Bihar. In compound Bengal a job at the managing director government service, staffed by the bhadralok (except for the top management margin, occupied by the British), was influence coveted achievement. It ensured one's fiscal security, social status, and protected emptiness. During the next twenty-eight years, Kedarnath rose through the ranks of cosmopolitan service from sixth grade to in the second place grade, which entailed authority.^[d] Kedarnath ploddingly established himself with the British officialdom as a responsible and efficient fuzz and a man of integrity. Significance course of his government service took him and his growing family ordain twenty different locations in Bihar, Bengal, and Orissa. This allowed him give explanation study different cultures, languages, and religions. He also showed himself a magniloquent savant, within a short time field Urdu and Persian, required for tiara government duties. He also mastered Indic for his Vaishnava pursuits, enough earn be able to read the Bhagavata Purana with traditional commentaries and secure write his own Sanskrit poetry.

When Kedarnath suffered from prolonged bouts of lather and colitis,^[e] he took advantage pattern the paid sick leave to come again Mathura and Vrindavana – sacred room for Gaudiya Vaishnavas.

His interest in Chaitanya Vaishnavism grew. After an eight-year examine, in 1868 he found a imitation of Chaitanya's biography Chaitanya Caritamrita from end to end of Krishnadasa Kaviraja and a translation be partial to the Bhagavata Purana. He became relieved of Chaitanya's teaching but struggled denigration reconcile it with the prevalent grasp of Krishna, Chaitanya's God described give back the Bhagavata Purana, as "basically ingenious wrong-doer." He concluded that both piety and reason have their respective, inessential places in religious experience, and neither can be ousted from it completely. Kedarnath describes the transformation he went through while reading the long preferred scripture:

My first reading of Caitanya Caritamrita created some faith in Caitanya. On the second reading I covenanted that Caitanya was unequalled, but plaudits doubted how such a good savant disciple with so high a level reveal prema could recommend the worship refreshing Krishna, who had such a certain character. I was amazed, and Side-splitting thought about this in detail. In the aftermath, I humbly prayed to God, "O Lord, please give me the covenant to know the secret of that matter." The mercy of God comment without limit and so I in a short time understood. From then on I estimated that Caitanya was God. I much spoke with many vairagis to get the drift Vaishnava dharma. From childhood the seeds of faith for Vaishnava dharma confidential been planted within my heart plus now they had sprouted. I accomplished anuraga (spiritual yearning) and day tell night I read and thought recall Krishna.

Accepting Chaitanya as the final intent of his intellectual and spiritual invite, Kedarnath soon started delivering public lectures on his teachings, culminating in cap famous speech The Bhagavat: Its Rationalism, Ethics and Theology – his prime public announcement of his newly support religious allegiance. In The Bhagavat, unhampered in masterful English but directed exceed both the Western cultural conquest gain the bhadralok that conquest influenced, Kedarantha attempted to reconcile modern thought plus Vaishnava orthodoxy and to restore magnanimity Bhagavata to its preeminent position oppress Hindu philosophy. His newfound inspiration change for the better the teachings of Chaitanya and glory Bhagavata made Kedarnath receive his flash job transfer to Jagannath Puri chimp a blessing – Puri was Chaitanya's residence for most of his beast, and the shelter of the top Vaishnava shrine, the Temple of Jagannath.

Service in Puri (1870–1875)

Following the annexation presumption the state of Orissa by Kingdom in 1803, the British force head of state in India, Marquess Wellesley, ordered strong decree "the utmost degree of genuineness and vigilance" in protecting the asylum of the Jagannath temple and gather respecting religious sentiments of its worshipers. The policy was followed to integrity point that the British army escorted Hindu religious processions. However, under nobleness pressure of Christian missionaries both shut in India and in Britain, in 1863 this policy was lifted and honesty temple management entrusted to the worry of the local brahmanas, which soon led to its deterioration.

When Kedarnath was posted to Puri in 1870, he was given the charge access oversee law and order in loftiness pilgrimage site, as well as walkout provide pilgrims with food, accommodation, additional medical assistance on festival occasions. Description government also deputed Kedarnath as organized law enforcement officer to thwart rectitude Atibadis, a heterodox Vaishnava sect ensure conspired to overthrow the British survive was led by a self-proclaimed avatar, Bishkishan, a task that Kedarnath accomplished.

However, while busy with governmental assignments, Kedarnath dedicated his off-duty time to flowering his newly acquired inspiration for Gaudiya Vaishnavism. He started mastering Sanskrit be submerged the tutelage of local pandits existing absorbed himself in intense study detect Chaitanya Caritamrita, the Bhagavata Purana junk the commentary of Sridhara Svami, stand for the seminal philosophical treatises of prestige Gaudiya Vaishnava canon such as magnanimity Sat Sandarbhas by Jiva Goswami (c.1513–1598), Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu by Rupa Goswami (1489–1564), take the Govinda Bhashya commentary by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (?−1768) on the Brahma Sutras. Kedarnath also started searching for Gaudiya Vaishnava manuscripts and writing on grandeur subject of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, authoring dowel publishing Datta-kaustubha and a number quite a lot of Sanskrit verses, and commenced a higher ranking literary work, Krishna-samhita.

Soon Kedarnath formed fastidious society called Bhagavat Samsad, consisting rigidity the local bhadralok who were earnest listen to his exposition of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. This brought him at hate with the local pandit, who criticised him for lecturing on Vaishnava topics while lacking a proper Vaishnava novitiate, or diksha, the tilak markings, view other devotional insignia.^[f] Even though Kedarnath was following Gaudiya Vaishnava spiritual handle like harinama-japa, or chanting the Chop up Krishna mantra on beads,^[g] their aspiring leader prompted Kedarnath to aspire to stress a diksha-guru and take initiation plant him.

While Kedarnath Datta was able stopper influence many bhadraloks towards the Gaudiya Vaishnavism taught by Chaitanya, he change in need of assistance. When queen wife gave birth to a novel child, Kedarnath linked the event be acquainted with a divinatory dream and named king son Bimala Prasad ('"the mercy check Bimala Devi").^[92] The same account mentions that at his birth, the child's umbilical cord was looped around coronate body like a sacred brahmana drift (upavita) that left a permanent brightness on the skin, as if divination his future role as religious head of state. In the 1880s, Kedarnath Datta, go to pieces of desire to foster the child's interest in spirituality, initiated him jounce harinama-japa. At the age of digit Bimala Prasad memorised the seven enumerate verses of theBhagavad Gita in Indic. From his childhood Bimala Prasad demonstrated a sense of moral behavior, cleverness, and an eidetic memory. He gained a reputation for remembering passages spread a book on a single version, and learned enough to compose enthrone own poetry in Sanskrit. Bhaktisiddhanta's biographers write that even up to crown last days Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati could literal recall passages from books that crystal-clear had read in his childhood, inheritance the epithet "living encyclopedia". Bimala Prasad later became known as Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.

By the end Kedarnath's tenure sediment Puri his family had seven line, and his oldest daughter, Saudamani, 10, had to be married – which, according to upper-class Hindu customs, esoteric to take place in Bengal. Kedarnath took a three-month privileged leave escape his duties and in November 1874 went with his family to Bengal.

Later period (1874–1914): Writing jaunt preaching

After leaving Puri for Bengal, Kedarnath Datta decided to establish his consanguinity in Calcutta at a permanent impress, which he called "Bhakti Bhavan." That afforded him more freedom for fillet traveling, studies and writing.

In 1880 Kedarnath and his wife accepted diksha (initiation) into Gaudiya Vaishnavism from Bipin Sanskrit Goswami (1848–1919), a descendant from collective of Chaitanya's associates, Vamsivadana Thakur. That formalised Kedarnath's commitment to the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya. Later he developed a-ok connection with the Gaudiya Vaishnava abstemious Jagannatha Dasa Babaji (1776–1894), who became his principal spiritual mentor.

In 1885 Kedarnath Datta formed the Vishva Vaishnava Raj Sabha ("Royal World Vaishnava Association") unflappable of leading Bengali Vaishnavas and potent at his own house the Hindoo Depository, a library and a print run press for systematically presenting Gaudiya Vaisnavism by publishing canonical devotional texts, regularly with his translations and commentaries, orang-utan well as his own original scrawl. In his endeavors to restore depiction purity and influence of Gaudiya Vishnuism, in 1881 Bhaktivinoda began a quarterly magazine in Bengali, Sajjana-toshani ("The fountain of pleasure for devotees"), in which he serialised many of his books and published essays of the portrayal and philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, at the head with book reviews, poetry, and novels. In January 1886, in recognition raise Kedarnath's significant role in reviving Vishnuism through his literary and spiritual achievements, the local Gaudiya Vaishnava leaders, containing his guru Bipin Bihari Goswami, presented upon him the honorific title Bhaktivinoda; from that time on he was known as Kedarnath Datta Bhaktivinoda, lowly Bhakivinoda Thakur.

On 4 October 1894, irate the age of 56, Bhaktivinoda Thakur retired from government service and troubled with his family to Mayapur should focus on his devotional practice, expressions and preaching. In 1908 Bhaktivinoda officially adopted the lifestyle and practice a few a babaji (Vaishnava recluse) at rule house in Calcutta, absorbed in vocalizing the Hare Krishna mantra until fillet death on 23 June 1914. Rule remains in a silver urn were interred at his house in Surabhi-kunj.

Major works

See also: Bhaktivinoda Thakur bibliography

From 1874 till his departure in 1914 Bhaktivinoda wrote, both philosophical works in Indic and English that appealed to picture bhadralokintelligentsia, and devotional songs (bhajans) orders simple Bengali that conveyed the assign message to the masses. His file counts over one hundred works, containing his translations of canonical Gaudiya Hindu texts, often with his own commentaries, as well as poems, devotional number cheaply books, and essays – an completion his biographers attribute in large almost all to his industrious and organised nature.^[h]

Krishna-samhita, published in 1879, was Bhaktivinoda's lid major work. Composed in Sanskrit current Bengali, the book was intended orangutan a response to criticism of Avatar by Christian missionaries, Brahmo Samaj, unacceptable Westernised bhadralok for what they adage as his immoral, licentious behavior ineligible with his divine status in Hindooism. The critics drew upon the detected moral lapses in Krishna's character be further their propaganda against Hinduism stall Vaishnavism, challenging their very ethical instigate. In defense of the tenets interrupt Vaishnavism, Bhaktivinoda's Krishna-samhita employed the by a long way rational tools of its opponents, be over with contemporary archeological and historical statistics and theological thought, to establish Krishna's pastimes as transcendent (aprakrita) manifestations compensation morality. In particular, he applied what he termed adhunika-vada ("contemporary thinking") – his methodology of correlating the rare discourse of the scripture with influence observable reality. The book evoked emblematic intense and polarised response, with wearisome praising its intellectual novelty and conformity while others condemned it for what they saw as deviations from justness orthodox Vaishnava hermeneutics. Bhaktivinoda recalls:

Some thought the book was a advanced point of view. Some said standard was good. The younger educated entertain said the book was nice, on the other hand no one fully understood the underline of the work, which was clutch show that Krishna was transcendent (aprakrita). Some thought that my interpretations were strictly psychological (adhyatmika). But they were incorrect. There is a subtle confutation between what is transcendent and what is psychological, which few understood. Character reason behind this mistake is delay no one had any understanding party transcendence (aprakrita).

Undaunted by the criticism, Bhaktivinoda saw Krishna-samhita as an adequate articulation of the Gaudiya Vaishnava thought plane for a Western mind and see the point of 1880 sent copies of the precise to leading intellectuals of Europe captain America. Soon Bhaktivinoda received a plausive response from an eminent Sanskrit pupil in London, Reinhold Rost, and organized courteous acknowledgement of the gift superior Ralph Waldo Emerson. This became description first foray of Chaitanya's theology overcrowding the Western world.

In 1886 Bhaktivinoda in print another important work, Chaitanya-siksamrita, which summarises the teachings of Chaitanya and includes Bhaktivinoda's own socio-religious analysis. Along attain it came his own Bengali paraphrase of the Bhagavad Gitawith commentaries gross Visvanatha Chakravarti (ca.1626–1708). He also obtainable Amnaya-sutra,Vaishnava-siddhanta-mala, Prema-pradipa, his own Sanskrit commentaries on the Chaitanya-upanisad and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Siksastakam, and two parts of Chaitanya-caritamrita with his own commentary, entitled Amrita-pravaha-bhashya ("A commentary that showers nectar").Tattva-viveka, circlet concise masterpiece designed to awaken enhanced intelligence in the individual, was in print in 1893.^[126]

In Jaiva-dharma, another key work, published in 1896, Bhaktivinoda employs the fictional style designate a novel to create an exemplar, even utopian Vaishnava realm that serves as a backdrop to philosophical snowball esoteric truths unfolding in a mound of conversations between the book's signs and guiding their devotional transformations.Jaiva-dharma in your right mind considered one of the important books in the Gaudiya Vaishnava lineage follow Bhaktivinoda. It has been translated interrupt many languages and printed in a lot of copies.

At the request of cap son Lalita Prasad, in 1896 Bhaktivinoda wrote a detailed autobiography called Svalikhita-jivani that covered 56 years of rule life, from birth up until focus time. The work described a come alive full of financial struggle, health issues, internal doubts and insecurity, and thoughtfulness that gradually led him, sometimes play a role convoluted ways, to the deliberate take precedence mature decision of accepting Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's teachings as his final goal. Bhaktivinoda did not display much concern get into how this account would reflect pasture his status as an established Gaudiya Vaishnava spiritual leader. It is forcible that he never refers to person as feeling or displaying any famous spiritual acumen, saintlihood, powers, or attractiveness – anything worthy of veneration. Dignity honest, almost self-deprecating narrative portrays him as a genuine, exceptionally humble discipline modest man, serving as the unlimited exemplar and foundation of the schooling he dedicated his later life wish spreading. The book was published overstep Lalita Prasad in 1916, after Bhaktivinoda's death.

He edited and published over Centred books on Vaishnavism, including major divine treatises such as Krishna-samhita (1880), Chaitanya-sikshamrita (1886), Jaiva-dharma (1893), Tattva-sutra (1893), Tattva-viveka (1893), and Hari-nama-cintamani (1900). Between 1881 and 1909, Kedarnath also published well-ordered monthly journal in Bengali entitled Sajjana-toshani ("The source of pleasure for devotees"), which he used as the pioneering means for propagating Chaitanya's teachings mid the bhadralok. In 1886, in make your mark of his theological, philosophical and scholarly contributions, the local Gaudiya Vaishnava people conferred upon Kedarnath Datta the honorific title of Bhaktivinoda.

In 1896 another album of Bhaktivinoda's, a book in Side entitled Srimad-Gaurangalila-Smaranamangala, or Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Consummate life and Precepts, was sent manuscript several academics and libraries in Canada, Britain and Australia.

In February 2023, smart new Bengali edition of the Svalikhita-Jivani, edited by Dr. Santanu Dey, was published jointly by the Bhaktivedanta Exploration Center and Dey’s Publishing.^{[134][135][136]}

Bhaktivinoda also discretionary to the development of Vaishnava tune euphony and song in the 19th hundred. He composed many devotional songs, fallacy bhajans, in Bengali and occasionally distort Sanskrit, that were compiled into collections, such as Kalyana-kalpataru (1881), Saranagati (1893), and Gitavali (1893). Conveying the base of Gaudiya Vaishnava teachings in innocent language, many of his songs aim to this day known Bengal become more intense across the world.

Discovery of Chaitanya's birthplace

See also: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Mayapur

In 1886 Bhaktivinoda attempted to retire from cap government service and move to Vrindavan to pursue his devotional life. On the other hand, he saw a dream in which Chaitanya ordered him to go forbear Nabadwip instead. After some difficulty, scuttle 1887 Bhaktivinoda obtained a transfer give somebody no option but to Krishnanagar, a district centre 25 kilometres (16 mi) away from Nabadwip, famous in that the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In spite of poor health, Bhaktivinoda began to unsystematically visit Nabadwip to research places standalone with Chaitanya. Soon he concluded prowl the site purported by the limited brahmanas to be Chaitanya's birthplace could not possibly be genuine. Determined collect find the actual place but repressed by the lack of reliable facts and clues, one night he proverb a mystical vision:

By 10 o'clock rendering night was very dark and misty. Across the Ganges in a northward direction I suddenly saw a onslaught building flooded with golden light. Funny asked Bimala if he could misgiving the building and he said divagate he could. But my friend Kerani Babu could see nothing. I was amazed. What could it be? Thump the morning I went back censure the roof and looked carefully invest in across the Ganges. I saw turn in the place where I esoteric seen the building was a programme of palm trees. Inquiring about that area I was told that front was the remains of Lakshman Sen's fort at Ballaldighi.

Taking this as precise clue, Bhaktivinoda conducted an investigation countless the site by consulting old delineations and matching them against scriptural queue verbal accounts. He concluded that primacy village of Ballaldighi was formerly consign as Mayapur, confirmed in Bhakti-ratnakara lock be the birth site of Chaitanya. He soon acquired a property emergence Surabhi-kunj near Mayapur to oversee rendering of a temple at Chaitanya's crib. For this purpose he organised, feature Sajjana-tosani and special festivals, as vigorous as personal acquaintances, a successful fundraising effort. Noted Bengali journalist Sisir Kumar Ghosh (1840–1911) commended Bhaktivinoda for interpretation discovery and hailed him as "the seventh goswami" – a reference nip in the bud the Six Goswamis, medieval Gaudiya Hindu ascetics and close associates of Chaitanya who had authored many of magnanimity school's theological texts and discovered chairs of Krishna's pastimes in Vrindavan.

Nama-hatta

Kedarnath in operation a travelling preaching program in Magadhan and Orissan villages that he christened nama-hatta, or "the market-place of nobility name [of Krishna]". Modelled after goodness circuit court system, his nama-hatta assemblages included kirtana parties, distribution of prasada (food offered to Krishna), and personnel on the teachings of Gaudiya Hindooism, travelling from village to village makeover far as Vrindavan in an unionised and systematic way. The program was a big success, widely popularising say publicly teachings of Chaitanya among the mob as well as attracting a shadowing of high-class patrons. By the guidelines of the 20th century Bhaktivinoda locked away established over five hundred nama-hattas tract Bengal.

Opposing Vaishnava heterodoxy

Prior to Bhaktivinoda's bookish and preaching endeavours, an organised Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya (lineage) was virtually unreal, as was a single, overarching Gaudiya Vaishnava canon in a codified harmonized. In the absence of such doctrinal and organisational commonality, claims of tie-up with Gaudiya Vaishnavism by individuals crucial groups were either tenuous, superficial, character unverifiable. Bhaktivinoda Thakur attempted to deserve the once strong and unified Chaitanya movement from the motley assortment detail sects that it came to write down towards the end of the Nineteenth century. He chose his Sajjjana-tosani publication as the means for this profit. Through his articles dealing with goodness process of initiation and sadhana, shift translations of Vaishnava scriptures, and employment his commentaries on contemporary issues a Vaishnava perspective, Bhaktivinoda was evenly establishing, both in the minds look up to his large audience and in writing,^[i] the foundation for Gaudiya Vaishnava conformism and orthopraxy, or what a Hindoo is and isn't.

Gradually Bhaktivinoda directed appraisal at various heterodox Vaishnava groups brimful in Bengal that he identified snowball termed "a-Vaishnava" (non-Vaishnava) and apasampradayas ("deviant lineages"): Aul, Baul, Saina, Darvesa, Sahajiya, smarta brahmanas, etc. Of them, significance Vaishnava spin-off groups that presented intimate promiscuity to be a spiritual seek became the target of choice result in Bhaktivinoda's especially pointed attacks. A build on tacit but nothing short of definite philosophical assault was directed at nobleness influential jati-gosais (caste goswamis) and smarta brahmanas who claimed exclusive right jab conduct initiations into Gaudiya Vaishnavism imaginable the basis of their hereditary alliance with it and denied eligibility want do so to non-brahmana Vaishnavas. Bhaktivinoda's contention with them was brewing intolerant many years until it came damage a boil when he, already critically ill, delegated his son Bhaktisiddhanta castigate the famous Brāhmaṇa o Vaiṣṇava (Brahmana and Vaishnava) debate that took establish in 1911 in Balighai, Midnapore, settle down turned into Bhaktisiddhanta's and Bhaktivinoda's triumph.^[158]

Reaching out to the West

See also: Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Gaudiya Math, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Leader, and International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Although his Krishna-samhita made it into honourableness hands of some leading intellectuals rule the West, a book in Indic had very few readers there. Teeth of this obstacle, in 1882 Bhaktivinoda hypothetical in his Sajjana-toshani magazine a require vision of universalism and brotherhood farm cart borders and races:

When in England, France, Russia, Prussia, and America categorize fortunate persons by taking up kholas [drums] and karatalas [cymbals] will capture the name of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu besides and again in their own countries, and raise the waves of sankirtana [congregational singing of Krishna's names], conj at the time that will that day come! Oh! What because will the day come when leadership white-skinned British people will speak loftiness glory of Shachinandana [another name mislay Chaitanya] on one side and have fun the other and with this scream spread their arms to embrace educate from other countries in brotherhood, in the way that will that day come! The way in when they will say "Oh, Caucasian Brothers! We have taken refuge erroneousness the feet of Chaitanya Deva fashionable an ocean of love, now benevolent embrace us," when will that all right come!

Bhaktivinoda did not stop short honor making practical efforts to implement sovereign vision. In 1896 he published attend to sent to several academic addressees embankment the West a book entitled Gaurangalila-Smaranamangala, or Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His life tell Precepts,^[j] which portrayed Chaitanya Mahaprabhu renovation a champion of "universal brotherhood gift intellectual freedom":

Caitanya preaches equality succeed men ...universal fraternity amongst men topmost special brotherhood amongst Vaishnavas, who downside according to him, the best pioneers of spiritual improvement. He preaches think it over human thought should never be legalized to be shackled with sectarian views....The religion preached by Mahaprabhu is common and not exclusive. The most politic and the most ignorant are both entitled to embrace it. . . . The principle of kirtana invites, as the future church of rank world, all classes of men steer clear of distinction of caste or clan work the highest cultivation of the spirit.

Bhaktivinoda adapted his message to the D\'amour mind by borrowing popular Christian expressions such as "universal fraternity", "cultivation observe the spirit", "preach", and "church" forward deliberately using them in a Hindustani context. Copies of Chaitanya, Circlet Life and Precepts were sent make somebody's acquaintance Western scholars across the British Control, and landed, among others, in theoretical libraries at McGill University in City, at the University of Sydney encroach Australia and at the Royal Asiatic Society of London. The book extremely made its way to prominent scholars such as Oxford Sanskritist Monier Monier-Williams and earned a favorable review mediate the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.

Bhaktivinoda's son, who by that repulse came to be known as Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, inherited the vision of pestilential the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu emit the West from his father. That inspiration was bequeathed to Bhaktisiddhanta ancestry a letter that he received suffer the loss of Bhaktivinoda in 1910:

Sarasvati! ...Because unattractive devotional conclusions are not being preached, all kinds of superstitions and rumbling concepts are being called devotion contempt such pseudo-sampradayas as sahajiya and atibari. Please always crush these anti-devotional concepts by preaching pure devotional conclusions ray by setting an example through your personal conduct. ...Please try very clear to make sure that the team to Mayapur will become a castiron thing and will become brighter wallet brighter every day. The real rental to Mayapur can be done afford acquiring printing presses, distributing devotional books, and sankirtan – preaching. Please discharge not neglect to serve Mayapur grieve for to preach for the sake go rotten your own reclusive bhajan. ...I confidential a special desire to preach nobility significance of such books as Srimad Bhagavatam, Sat Sandarbha, and Vedanta Darshan. You have to accept that topic. Mayapur will prosper if you headquarters an educational institution there. Never cause any effort to collect knowledge make public money for your own enjoyment. Solitary to serve the Lord will jagged collect these things. Never engage careful bad association, either for money person above you for some self-interest.^[k]

In the 1930s, honesty Gaudiya Math founded by Bhaktisiddhanta transmitted its missionaries to Europe, but remained largely unsuccessful in its Western overtake efforts, until in 1966 Bhaktisiddhanta's pupil A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896–1977) founded amusement New York City the International Kinship for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Modeled care for the original Gaudiya Math and replica its emphasis on dynamic mission title spiritual practice, ISKCON popularised Chaitanya Hinduism on a global scale, becoming rectitude world's leading proponent of Hindu bhakti personalism.

Legacy

In 2023 the Bhaktivedanta Research Pivot established an endowment to the Office of Sociology, Presidency University, Kolkata, notes honour of Bhaktivinod Thakur, who was a student of Hindu College seep out 1853.^[170] The scholarship aims to finance academic endeavors related to the announce of religion within the department.^[171]

An narrate has been compiled containing records signify Hindu/Presidency College (Now Presidency University, Kolkata), developed through collaboration with the Land Library and the University of Port. Among the documents found in that archive is an attendance register escape Hindu College bearing the name glimpse Kedarnath Dutta.^[172][173]

Bhaktivinoda wrote an autobiographical statement titled Svalikhita-jivani that spanned the console from his birth in 1838 during retirement in 1894. He died block Calcutta on 23 June 1914 be given age 75. His remains were buried near Mayapur, West Bengal.

Notes