(More literary productions)
BVT was transferred from Barasat to
Sriramapura. There he took opportunity
to visit the home of the great associate of Nityananda, Uddharana Datta Thakur,
at Saptagrama. And at Khanakula he
visited the place of Abhirama Thakur, and at Kulinagrama, he saw the home of
Vasu Ramananda.
At Sriramapura he composed and published his
masterly writing, Sri Caitanya Siksamrta, and also the Vaisnava‑siddhanta‑mala,
Prema‑pradipa and Manah‑siksa.
He was also publishing Sajjanatosani on a regular basis. In Calcutta he set up the Sri Caitanya
Yantra, a printing press at the Bhakti Bhavana, upon which he printed
Maladhara’s Sri Krsna‑vijaya and his own Amnaya‑sutra and the
Caitanyopanisad of the Atharva Veda.
Finding the Caitanyopanisada was a difficult
task. Hardly anyone in Bengal had heard
of it. BVT travelled to many places in
Bengal looking for it; finally, one devoted Vaisnava pandita named Madhusudana
dasa sent an old copy he’d been keeping with him at Sambalapura to BVT; BVT
wrote a Sanksrit commentary on the book and called it Sri Caitanya‑caranamrta. Madhusudana dasa Mahasaya translated the
verses into Bengali; this translation was called Amrta‑bindhu. It was a sellout when published.
In Calcutta BVT started the Sri Visva‑Vaisnava
Sabha, dedicated to the preaching of pure bhakti as taught by Lord
Caitanya. To publicize the work of the
society, BVT published a small booklet entitled Visva‑Vaisnava‑kalpavi. Also he published his own edition of the Sri
Caitanya caritamrta, with his Amrta‑prabhava Bhasya commentary. And he introduced the Caitanyabda or Caitanya‑era
calendar, and gave assistence to the propagation of the Caitanya Panjika, which
established the feast day of Gaura Purnima.
He lectured and gave readings on books like the
BRS in various Vaisnava societies; he published in the Hindu Herald, an English
periodical, a detailed account of Sri Caitanya’s life.
It was at this time that the learned Vaisnavas
recognized KD as BVT.
(His dream of Sri Caitanya)
In the year 1887 BVT resolved to quit government
service and go to Vrndavana with Bhaktibhringa Mahasaya for the rest of his
life. One night in Tarak‑eswara,
while on government service, he had a dream in which sri Caitanya appeared to
him and spoke, “You will certainly go to Vrndavana, but first there is some
service you must perform in Navadwipa, so what will you do about that?” When the Lord disappeared, BVT awoke. BBM, hearing of this dream, told BVP to apply
for a transfer to Krishnanagara; he did, even turning down offers of personal
assistanceship to the chief Commissioner of Assam and the seat of the Minister
of Tripura State. He even tried to
retire at this time, but his application was not accepted. Finally, in December of 1887 he arranged for
a mutual exchange of personell: himself for Babu Radha Madhava Vasu, Deputy
Magistrate of Krishnanagara.
(The discovery of Sridhama Mayapura)
During his stay at Krishnanagara, BVP used to go
to Navadwipa and search for the birthsite of SCM. One night he was sitting on the roof of the
Rani Dharma‑sala in Navadwipa chanting on his beads, when he spotted a
very tall Tala tree with some very strange substance attached to it; near the
tree was a small building that gave off a remarkable effulgence. Soon afterwards, he went to the Krishnanagara
Collectory where he began to study some very old manuscripts of CB and
Navadwipa Dhama Parikrama by Narahari Sarkar, and some old maps of Nadia. He went to the village of Ballaladibhi and
spoke with many elderly people there, and uncovered facts about the modern‑day
Navadwipa; in the year 1887 he discovered that the place he’d seen from the
dharmasalla rooftop was in fact the birthplace of Mahaprabhu. This was confirmed by Jaganatha dasa Babaji,
the head of the Gaudiya Vaisnava community in Nadia. A great festival was held there. BVP published the Navadwipa Dhama Mahatmya.
Also in 1887, BVP renovated the house of
Jagannatha dB at Ravasghata. He took
leave from office for two years and acquired a plot of land at Sri
Godadrumadwipa, or Svarupaganga. He
built a retirement house there for his bhajana, and called it Surabhi Kunja; in
1890 he established the “Nama Hatta” there.
Sometimes JdB would come there and have kirtana. Lord Nityananda had established His Nama
Hatta at the same place; BVP considered himself the street sweeper of the NH of
Nitai.
When the birthplace was uncovered, BVP and JdB
would worship LC there. Once one of BVP’s sons contracted a skin disease; JdB
told the boy to lie down at the birthsite of LC for the night ‑ he did
so, and the next morning he was cured.
(In Mayamanasimha)
In 1888 he took charge of the village of
Netrakona in the district of Mayama‑nasimha, because he could not keep
good health in Krishnanagara and had requested transfer to a more healthful
region. From Netrakona he came to Tangaila
and from there he was transferred to the district of Vardhamana. There he would have kirtana with the devotees
from a place called Amalajora, headed by Ksetra Babu and Vipina Babu; they
would sing poems like Soka‑satana written by him.
He was put in charge of the Kalara subdivision
in 1890, and from there would often visit such holy places as Godadrumadwipa,
Navadwipa, Capahati, Samudragana, Cupi, Kasthasali, Idrakapura, Baghanapara,
Piyariganga (the place of Nakula Brahmacari) and the place of Vrndavana dasa
Thakur at Denura. Soon BVP was
transferred for a few days to Ranighata, from where he came to Dinajapura
again. Sailaja Prasada was born there,
his youngest son. In Dina‑japura
BVP wrote his Vidva‑ranjana commentary and translation of the Bhaga‑vad
Gita; it was published in 1891 with the commentary of Baladeva.
1891 was the year BVP took leave from the
government service for two years. He
desired to preach hari nama. His base
was at godadrumadwipa; from there he used to visit such places as Ghatala and
Ramajivana to lecture in clubs, societies and organizations. This he’d also often do in
Krishnanagara. He travelled and preached
in March of 1892 in the Basirahata District together with some other
Vaisnavas. All the while he was writing
also. He opened many branches of Nama
Hatta in different districts of Bengal.
The NH became a self‑sustaining success which continued to spread
even after his return to government service.
Also from Basirahata he set out on his third
trip to Vrndavana; he stopped off at Amalajora to celebrate the Ekadasi day
with Jagannatha dasa Babaji. In Vraja,
he visited all the forests and places of pastimes; he continued to give
lectures and readings on Hari Nama in various places in Bengal when he returned
to Calcutta.
(Establishing Gaura‑Vishnupriya Deities at
the Yogapitha) In February 1891 he gave a lecture on his investigation into the
whereabouts of the actual birthsite of Sri Caitanya; his audience included
highly learned men from all over Bengal, who became very enthusiastic at the
news. Out of this gathering the Sri
Navadwipa Dhama Pracarini Sabha was formed for spread‑ing the glories of
Navadvipa‑Mayapura. That year, on
Gaur Purnima, a big festival was held that witness the installatin of Gaura‑Visnupriya
Dieties at the Yogapitha. All the
learned pandits, having deliberated fully on BVP’s evidence, agreed that the
Yogapitha was the true birthsite of Mahaprabhu.
(He retires to Godruma)
In October 1894, at age 56, he retired from his
post as Deputy Magistrate, though this move was opposed by his family and the
government authorities. He stayed at
Surabhi Kunja and preached, as well as revised his old writings. Sometimes he went to Calcutta; there he
begged door to door for building the Yogapitha temple.
(In Tripura)
In July 1896 BVT went to Tripura at the request
of the the king, who was a Vaisnava. He
stayed in the capital for 4 days and preached hari nama. His lecture on the first day amazed all the
local panditas; on the next 2 days the royal family and general public thrilled
to his talks on the pastimes of Mahaprabhu.
(Outreach to the West)
Back in Godruma, BVT sent out a small booklet,
written in Sanskrit, to Sri Gauranga‑lila‑smarana‑mangala‑stotram,
with a commentary by Srila Sitikantha Vacaspati of Nadia. The intro, “Caitanya Manaprabhu, His life and
precpts”, was in English. This book
found its way into the library of the Royal Asiatic Society in London, the
library of McGill University in Canada and other respectable institutions. It was review in the Journal of the RAS and
Mr. F.W. Fraser, an erudite European scholar.
In the rainy season of 1896, requested by the
Maharaja of Tripura, BVT went to Darjilim and Karsiyam. In 1897 he went to many villages such as
Medinipura and Sauri to preach.
(Sisira Kumara Ghosa and BVT)
SKG was the founder of the Amrta Bazar Patrika
and the author of the Sri Amiya Nimai‑carita. He had great respect for BVT; he also took up
the preaching of the holy name throughout Calcutta and in many villages in
Bengal. He published the Sri Visnu Priya
O Ananda Bazar Patrika under the editorship of BVT. In one of his letters to BVT he wrote, “I
have not seen the 6 Goswamis of Vrndavana but I consider you to be the seventh
Goswami.”
(Return to Puri)
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati had been residing at
Puri as a naisthika brahmacari and was engaged in bhajan at the Gandharvika
Giridhari Matha, one of seven mathas near the samadhi tomb of Haridasa
Thakur. BVT, desiring to help his son,
had the monastery cleaned and repaired when he came to Puri himself at the
beginning of the 20th century.
After Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati left Puri for Sri Navadwipa Mayapur, BVT
constructed his own place of bhajana on the beach, calling it Bhakti Kuti;
Krsnadasa Babaji, BVT’s devoted assistant and disciple, joined him there at
this time, and he became very dear to BVP and was his constant attendant up to
the end of BVT’s life. He began solitary
bhajan at this time; he had many visitors at this place, and some of them
simply wanted to disturb him, whereas others were sincere and benefitted
greatly from his spiritual inspiration.
(Sir William Duke)
In 1908, 3 months before he took sannyasa, a son
of BVT who was working in the writers building in Calcutta, came home to inform
BVT that Sir William Duke, cheif secretary to the government, was in Calcutta;
formerly BVT had served under him as a magistrate. BVT made an appointment to meet him the next
day at the writers building. SWD met BVT
on the street outside the building and personally escorted him in to his
office. With folded hands, he asked
forgiveness for having once planned to remove BVT from office of district
magistrate; this was because he thought that if such qualified Indians take up
such posts, the British would not last much longer in India. In those days, while studying BVT’s
activities, he’d come to his house and would be fed puri, luchi and sweets by
BVT’s wife. But now he was begging
forgiveness as he was getting on in life; BVT answered, “I consider you to be a
good friend and a well wisher all along.”
BVT was pleased with him and gave him his blessings. Later BVT admitted he was astonished that
Duke wanted to harm him in some way.
(Accepting Paramahamsa Sannyasa)
In 1908 BVP took the “vesa” of a babaji at
Satasana in Puri; until 1910 he would move between Calcutta and Puri, and was
still writing books; but during that year he shut himself up and entered
samadhi, claiming paralysis.
(Disappearance)
On June 23, 1914, just before noon at Puri, BVP
left his body; this day was also the disappearance day of Sri Gadadhara
Pandita. Amidst sankirtana his remains
were interred in Godruma after the next solstice; the summer solstice had just
begun when BVP had left his body.
(His divine character)
About BVP, Sarada Carana Mitra, Calcutta High
Court Judge, wrote: “I knew Thakur Bhaktivinode intimately as a friend and a
relation. Even under the pressure of
official work as a magistrate in charge of a heavy subdivision he could always
find time for devotional contemplation and work, and whenever I met him, our
talk would turn in a few moments to the subject of bhakti and dvaitadvaita‑vada
and the saintly work that lay before him.
Service of God is the only thing he longed for and service under the
government, however honorable, was to him a clog.”
(His schedule)
7:30‑8:00 PM ‑ take rest
10:00 PM ‑ rise, light oil lamp, write
4:00 AM ‑ take rest
4:30 ‑ rise, wash hands and face, chant
japa
7:00 ‑ write letters
7:30 ‑ read
8:30 ‑ receive guests, or continue to read
9:30‑9:45 ‑ take rest
9:45 ‑ morning bath, breakfast of half‑quart
milk, couple chapatis, fruit 9:55 ‑ go to court in carriage He would wear
coat and pants to court, with double‑size tulasi neckbeads and
tilaka. He was very strong in his
decisions; he would decide immediately.
He did not allow any humbug in his court; no upstart could stand before
him. He would shave his head
monthly. He never allowed harmonium and
he never had any debts.
1:00 PM ‑ court finished. He’d come home
and bathe and refresh.
5:00 PM ‑ translate works from Sanskrit to
Bengali
Then take evening bath and meal of rice, couple
of chapatis, half‑quart of milk.
He always consulted a pocket watch, and kept
time very punctually.
He was always charitable to brahmanas, and
equally befriended other castes. He
never showed pride, and his amiable disposition was a characteristic feature of
his life. He never accepted gifts from
anyone; he even declined all honors and
titles offered by the government to him on the grounds that they might stand
against his holy mission of life. He was
very strict in moral principles, and avoided the luxurious life; he would not
even chew betel. He dislike theaters because they were frequented by public
women.
He spoke Bengali, Sanskrit, English, Latin,
Urdu, Persian and Oriya.
He started writing books at age 12, and
continued turning out a profuse number of volumes up until his departure from
this world.