(No. 2, Vol. XXV, July 1927)
THAKUR Bhaktivinode 'the founder of the Sajjanatoshani' made his auspicious advent into this world on the 2nd September 1838. He remained visible to us for a period of seventy-six years.
The seat of the family in which Thakur Bhaktivinode made his appearance is Calcutta but he first saw the light in the village of Birnagar (Ula) within Nabadwipamandal (the circle of Nabadwipa). One of the ancestors was the recipient of the special favour of Lord Nityananda, the Associated Counterpart of Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya. In boyhood Thakur Bhaktivinode resided in his maternal uncle's house at Birnagar in the midst of opulence. He was overtaken by a sudden adversity in his eleventh year. Shortly after this he came to Calcutta.
In Calcutta, Thakur Bhaktivinode studied in the Hindu Charitable Institution for four years and later in the Hindu College. From Calcutta he proceeded to Orissa and took up his residence for a time in the village of Chhuti. There he taught in a school which he established in the neighborhood, at Kendrapara, the headquarters of the sub-division. In 1859 Thakur Bhaktivinode moved to Puri. He next served as a teacher at Cuttack, Bhadrak and Midnapur.
In 1861 Thakur Bhaktivinode's long service under Government began. He was employed in various capacities and at different places. While posted at Puri he disposed of the case of the notorious Bishakishan* whom he convicted and sent to prison.
Thakur Bhaktivinode was employed by Government to supervise and organize the proper management of the Temple of Jagannath.
During a short leave Thakur Bhaktivinode went to Sree Brindaban where he met Sree Jagannathdas Babaji. While visiting Sree Radha- kunda, Gobardhan and the other holy sites, Thakur Bhaktivinode heard of the oppression that was practiced there at that time by a gang of professional robbers who bore the name of Kanjharhs. By great exertions he was able to reclaim this powerful gang and even induced them to lead moral lives.
The publication of the Sajjanatoshani was begun in 1879. Thakur Bhaktivinode re-established the Vishva Vaishnav Sabha in Calcutta in 1884. In 1887 while posted at Krishnagar, Thakur Bhaktivinode made the discovery of the Site of Advent of Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya. The identification of the site which was in accordance with the transcendent experiences of Sree Jagannathdas Babaji and other siddha (perfect) holy sages was corroborated by the evidence of the records of the Collectorate which were for the purpose, subjected to an exhaustive and searching examination by Thakur Bhaktivinode who in his official capacity had free access to them.
Thakur Bhaktivinode now turned his attention to the active preaching of the Sree Nama (the Holy Name) and journeyed to different places for the purpose. The Nabadwipdham Pracharini Seva was established in 1300 B. S. In that year on the full-moon day of the month of Falgun the Sree Vigrahas (Holy Images) of Sree Gaur and Vishnu-priya were installed at Sree Mayapur the place of Advent of the Supreme Lord. Thakur Bhaktivinode retired from service under Government in 1894.
Thakur Bhaktivinode is the author of a vast number of works on unalloyed devotion, numbering over a hundred, in Bengali, English, Oriya, Hindi, Persian and Sanskrit. This is a superhuman record, especially if we bear in mind the fact that the task involved the close examine of many Sanskrit and Bengali works that were then almost unknown and could be procured only with great difficulty; and several big books had to be copied out in their entirety by the author with his own hand. Some of his works are of immense dimension and everyone of them is a priceless treasure that will ever remain an inspiration to those who choose to walk in the path of unalloyed devotion. It is not possible to deal with the contents of those works here. It is our intention to review them in regular and systematic way in future issues of this Journal.
Thakur Bhaktivinode ceased to be visible in this world on 23rd June 1914.
The above is a brief outline of the exoteric activities of Thakur Bhaktivinode which had as their only object the service of Sree Krishna. He was Sree Gauranga's Own; and his holy impulse of constant service of Hari was manifest in the absolute artlessness of his external conduct as of his inmost thoughts. He made his appearance in this world at a time when Gaudamandal (the holy land of Gauda) had become an arena of the unholy contentions of so-called religious sects of every description which were unanimous only in their relentless hostility to the doctrine of unalloyed and eternal devotion to God. Thakur Bhaktivinode appeared in this world out of divine pity for us with the object of remedying those disorders by the ministration of the healing balm of the loving instructions of Sree Chaitanyachandra. His acts are those of a Vaishnav who is ever pure, ever free from every defect, ever delighting only in the Name of Krishna and ever indifferent to mere worldly values. Those alone are privileged to have the sight of a Vaishnav who have their faces turned towards God.
The author is unknown
Note:
* Bishakishan belonged to the sect of atibadis, so numerous in Orissa, originally founded by Jagannathdas a brahman of Jajpur who adopting ' mayabad ' (the doctrine ot illusion) fell away from the path of unalloyed devotion and cut off his connection with Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya. A few persons belonging to this atibadi sect of whom Bishakishan was the leader gave themselves out to be a new type of avatars (incarnations) and assuming the role of Krishna indulged in all sorts of profane immoralities under the guise of rasa pastimes. Bishakishan attained yoga-siddhi (miraculous powers acquired by practicing yoga i.e. certain forms of ascetic severities) and gave sundry proofs of it. He predicted correctly future events and his remedies in treating diseases were infallible. His selfish desire for material aggrandizement filled him with worldly ambition and in furtherance of his selfish interests he fomented risings against the Government.
