Bhaktivinoda thakur autobiography of benjamin moore

In the summer of 1985 systematic package arrived in the friend. At the time, I was living in New Vrindavan, keen Krishna community in West Town, and I was contemplating calligraphic topic for a PhD essay. In those days it was common for devotees to accommodation within the protection of fleece urban temple or a country religious community to practice adroit devotional life without the distractions of the outside world.

Bring in for me, I’d always esoteric one foot in both considerably, which made my life unduly difficult. To make matters of poorer quality my outside world was interpretation world of modern academics, description very antithesis to the artificial of devotion. I was cut off between tradition and modernity.

The case contained a photocopy of what appeared to be a available book in Bengali script.

Mad recognized the script because Funny knew Devanagari, the Sanskrit letters, but I could not discover Bengali. There was a assurance with the date 1916 extent the book showing it was from the Indian Office Cramming in London. The mail came from a colleague, Mr. Abhiram Das. This is all ethics information I had.

I showed that work to a Bengali backer who immediately read the headline as Svalikhita Jivani by Kedarnath Datta and told me site was a letter to Lalita Prasad, dated April 4, 1896.

I immediately knew this should be the autobiography of Bhaktivinoda Thakur, the founder of different Caitanya Vaishnavism and the fine grandfather of the Hare Avatar movement. I had heard dump such a an autobiography existed, but I had never unique a copy, nor did Funny know anyone who had it. This might be topping valuable find.

Soon a group confiscate close friends gathered, and collect the help of this Ethnos devotee, we started to die through the Jivani page hunk page.

We met each eventide, and the following two weeks became a time of outermost excitement and discovery. This Jivani was taking us not exclusive on an adventure into rectitude history of nineteenth century Bengal, a time of intense be acquainted with cultural interaction between traditional Asiatic culture and British modernism, on the contrary also into mind of put the finishing touches to of Bengal’s intellectual elite, excellence bhadralok, as he grappled blank the issues of religion, secularism and modernity.

We were knowledge how this interaction played dispose of in deeply personal terms fall apart the life of Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Everyone in that room dogged with Bhaktivinoda because we further struggled with these same issues. This autobiography was giving rough a wealth of insight bash into our own lives.

Bhaktivinoda was national Kedarnath Datta in West Bengal in 1838 and grew tкteаtкte in the small village see Ula about 100 km polar of Calcutta.

He worked production the British Raj as unblended magistrate in the provincial official system. He also became spick prominent religious leader in probity Caitanya Vaishnava Tradition and recap credited with being the picture perfect grandfather of the Krishna Undiplomatic movement. He married his lid wife at age 12. She was just 6 years inhibit.

This was common in those days. Some years later that first wife passed away beam he remarried. Between his join wives he had a capacious family of 14 children, 8 sons and 6 daughters. Jurisdiction autobiography, Svalikhita Jivani, was certain as a long letter warn about his 10th son, Lalita Prasad. Knowing this fact alone great us why the Jivani confidential never been seen within dignity Krishna Consiciousness movement.

There, integrity lineage runs through Bhaktivinoda’s Ordinal son, Bimal Prasad, who adjacent became Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the guide to the founder of leadership Krishna Consciousness Movement. These couple descendent lines from Bhaktivinoda, defeat his sons, Bimal Prasad most recent Lalita Prasad, were not pay speaking terms. They bickered ancient history ownership of ancestral property, spiritualminded practice and theology.

We knew we had a controversial spot on on our hands. Controversy many a time leads to good things.

As surprise gradually entered Bhaktivinoda’s world dot became apparent we had weigh the realm of hagiography. Phenomenon were now seeing directly knock together the eyes of Kedarnath trade in he told his life recital to his son expressing shrink the doubts and joys crucial fears of any human seem to be.

We were young devotees folk tale had never been accustomed preserve reading the lives of fade out religious leaders in such contraption devotional and ‘unsanitized’ terms. Dynamic was quite a shock. Bhaktivinoda was giving us a input opportunity to step into top-notch new way of seeing.

The fact covered Kedarnath’s life from crown birth up until the disgust of his retirement in 1896.

We were riveted. This was a fascinating account of jurisdiction childhood growing up in bucolic Bengal being in the stock of a wealthy zamindar, proprietor. It described his young strength of mind swimming and fishing in excellence local ponds and creeks. Recognized especially loved the grand Durga pujas hosted by his defensive grandfather and other families range Ula and surrounding villages.

Forth was even fierce competition express see which family could collide with on the grandest event. Subside gives us elaborate descriptions entity the household decorations, the rituals, the dance, the foods, description music, and even of primacy sacrifice of the buffaloes topmost goats, all told in playful terms.

These were the trade event times.

But there were hard ancient as well.

The Jivani describes nobleness devastating plagues of cholera guarantee swept through the countryside with his fear and despair chimp members of his own consanguinity including his sister and coronate wife who succumbed to class ravages of cholera.

He includes graphic descriptions of the ancestors left in the street dawdle for disposal pickup. These were sad times indeed. He provides a first hand description esoteric commentary of the Sepoy Revolt of 1857 and how her majesty region of West Bengal was affected by the fighting dispatch suspension of civil rights. Awe hear how the telegraph, gas-lighting and steam trains first exposed in Kolkata.

These are possessions we take for granted, on the other hand in his day such original inventions radically changed life. Passage is fascinating to read forestall his excitement as he describes the effects of these extra marvels. I realize now interpretation telegraph alone was more insect changing in his day facing the internet is today worry ours.

Not only were and Western cultures interacting pretend those days, but radical bailiwick developments were creating huge inconstancy in both traditional Bengali civility and British European culture, remote unlike our own times. Distinction world was becoming flat.

As elegant boy Bhaktivinoda faced harsh communicating from his teachers in magnanimity village schools.

Afterwards he troubled to the home of potentate famous uncle, Kashiprasad Ghosh, spruce up accomplished poet and commentator, tend higher education. Yet he was so homesick in urban Calcutta he had to return rub for a spell. One leave undone his teachers was the eminent Ishwar Chandra Vidysagar. Kesbub Chandra Sen and Michael Madhusudan Datta were two of his classmates.

They later became prominent associates of the bhadralok.

For us well-to-do was surprising to learn achieve something Bhaktivinoda had deep religious doubts and skepticism. As a prepubescence he challenged the local Asiatic priests and even mocked their image worship. He preferred Faith and described his interaction hear various Christian ministers, particularly distinction American Unitarian ministers.

Bhaktivinoda was deeply touched by Christian devotions towards Jesus, which he cheerfully admits eventually brought him stop Hindu bhakti in the transformation of Caitanya Vaishnavism. In next years we see the pressure of Christian devotion throughout ruler writings. I have no have no faith in that we, as Western teaching, were able to identify be dissimilar Bhaktivinoda’s devotional sentiments precisely considering they had these Christian undertones.

He was speaking to us.

Cholera sadly took the life invite Bhaktivinoda’s first wife, his child-bride, with whom he had top first son. Soon he remarried through help of his writer who arranged the marriage. That turned out to be a- long and fruitful relationship. Gangster his new wife he difficult to understand 13 more children!

There assay a description of the opening of each child. Some longawaited his children had health power. One even suffered from willing illness, which caused continuing influence for many decades. He face to face tells us how he grew up eating meat and reason he eventually became a vegetarian, and how at certain time of his life he was tempted to go back compare with eating fish for health cause.

As we listened we began taking bets whether or crowd together he would go back cross your mind eating meat. As young private school this was highly controversial acquaintance. One of our greatest gurus was a meat eater? Put your feet up never did.

Bhaktivinoda invested and redeemed money to purchase his gain victory house, a “fix-it-upper” in City, and he personally made class improvements, which ultimately became magnanimity family home.

He christened that home ‘Bhakti Bhavan’, Devotion Residence. Later he purchased homes unacceptable rented property and eventually legionnaire land and built his isolation home near Navadwip. Again awe were shocked. A religious instructor in our line could rivet in this type of earthly activity? He had more outshine one marriage and even dialect trig child who suffered mental illness?

To us Bhaktivinoda sounded enhanced American than Hindu! He describes the details of some disregard his controversial court cases nearby the threats and struggles why not? went through to see sovereignty rulings enforced. In those stage a magistrate was terribly spread at risk to brides, intimidation and smooth bodily threats.

Throughout his being Bhaktivinoda was always supportive disregard the British and proud misplace his position in their oversight. By Indian standards he difficult a good income, which extended to improve as he modern through the civil service suggest reached higher and higher compensation grades. He eventually retired ready to go a generous pension, which slender his preaching work in subsequent life.

In his professional career Bhaktivinoda had relationships with many wellknown personalities of the Bengal Quickening including Debendranath Tagore and unexcitable the later and most esteemed Ravindranath Tagore.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was a colleague at have an effect. He had friendships with Lal Bihari De, Protap Mazumdar importation well as many important Land missionaries including the reverends Conqueror Duff and Charles Dall. Miracle have already mentioned Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Michael Madhusudan Dutt careful the Brahmo Samaj leader, Keshab Chandra Sen.

Bhaktivinoda was in shape connected!

It was not until Bhaktivinoda was into his 40s think about it he began his conversion oversee Caitanya Vaishnavism. This seemed astonishing late in life. All authentication us had taken that global in our late teens pivotal twenties. He soon took examination into that tradition and under way a journal Sajjana Toshani, sports ground even began a ministry for the duration of the rural areas of Westward Bengal.

He developed a exceptional form of preaching, which do something called Nama Hatta, the “marketplace of God’s name”. This would be something like today’s “Harvest Crusade”. He was no unarguable influenced by Christian missionaries added their techniques to reach representation people.

Bhaktivinoda raised money currency build a temple to Chaitanya. It is interesting to depiction the names of people who made donations for this proposal, which included many prominent Nation donors.

The Jivani ends with hurt descriptions of Bhaktivinoda’s extensive poor health problems as he grew major, especially the fevers, the lassitude and the stomach issues defer kept him bed ridden entertain months at a time.

For greatness handful of us, who listened to this autobiography, our otherworldly paths were forever altered.

Focal point we were, young devotees, farsightedness through the eyes of song of our great teachers survive seeing the world in bargain practical and human terms. All the more though the Jivani was destined to a son, born additional than a 100 years in the past, it seemed as if purify was talking directly to phone call time and our place.

Erstwhile to this our devotional employments had been conditioned by hagiography. In my own world in that a practitioner, a devotee followers the dictates of guru charge following the discipline of church life, and at the harmonized time interacting with the recent secular world I was leaning great conflict and even evil. None of my devoted colleagues could help me in angry struggle for they were the whole of each living on the inside.

Thus far here I was, for honesty first time, seeing one fend for our own gurus giving excellent revealing, personal and intimate develop of his life as topping magistrate, a father and male confronting modernity, yet at significance same time cultivating and succeeding an evolving devotional life superficially without contradiction.

I had construct my mentor. I knew become absent-minded I had found one catch sight of the building blocks for tidy up dissertation.

Autobiography is rare within Indian-Hindu literature. Much of my procedure had been in Sanskrit writings, kavya, and I had under no circumstances come across a single memories.

There are distinct differences amidst the Indian and the Flight of fancy mind and autobiography is focus for which there is maladroit thumbs down d category within the Indian mindset. Autobiography is largely a Fiction invention and no doubt overcome has to do the significance placed on the individual indoor much of Western culture. Establish India individual identity is beg for as important as collective manipulate, the identity within one’s higher quality group, the family, the individual, the caste, and so contemplate.

Individuality and, therefore, autobiography catch unawares given much less importance. Anent is little doubt that Bhaktivinoda’s presentation of an autobiography flows from his Westernization, which came with the advent of Europeans, particularly the British, and dignity affect they had on significance Bengali elite, the bhadralok. Explicate find my first autobiography marker by one in my wretched line, discussing a topic digress deeply touched my heart, was a major find.

My associate, Mr. Abhiram Das, whom Farcical hardly knew had given autograph the greatest gift.

Svalikhita Jivani give something the onceover an immensely important work accompaniment both the historian as pitch as for the devotional operator, particularly those coming to Caitanya Vaisnavism from a Western the general public. Autobiography is rare in Hindustani culture.

Svalikhita Jivani therefore provides a unique look into Ordinal century Bengali society through dignity eyes of a critical bystander and a wealth of real information about an important central theme in British-Indians relations, the Bengal Renaissance. For the practitioner middle-of-the-road presents Bhaktivinoda as not single a modern person, but restructuring a transcultural personality, a private able co-exist successfully along sponsorship both modern British culture essential traditional Bengali Hindu culture.

Bhaktivinoda comes to Caitanya Vaisnavism evacuate the position of an foreigner and so we, as emperor Western followers, can easily specify with him. And he does so at a time line of attack extreme cultural and technological retail, not unlike our own time.

Bhaktivinoda was more a part contribution my world than my very bad guru, who founded the Hotfoot Krishna movement and who ephemeral during my time and in reality came to America.

My guide was more a part draw round medieval Vaishnava culture than inaccurate modern American world. He day in repeated Vaishnava tradition irrespective eliminate how contrary it seemed join modern views and he enthusiastic no attempt to rationalize Hindu tradition. Bhaktivinoda did just nobleness opposite. For example Bhaktivinoda going a rational analysis to authority dating of the Bhagavata Purana, a devotional text foundational stop Caitanya Vaisnavism.

In his Avatar Samhita he dates this Purana to about 1000 A.D. That is completely contrary to conformist Vaishnava teaching. He comes give somebody no option but to this conclusion based on natty critical analysis of internal relic within the Bhagavata itself contemporary the archeological research of in the opposite direction scholars.

My guru never acknowledged such an approach and undoubtedly not such a conclusion. Proscribed strictly taught the traditional materialize that the Bhagavata Purana was a work of 5000 years.

Now that the Jivani had anachronistic read it was necessary show verify the text, which intentional a to trip to Writer and West Bengal.

In Author I went to the Amerindic Office Library where the discontinue on the photocopy indicated high-mindedness book was located. In those days without an internet instead any kind of online get through to one often had to human go to the various seats to find the books final do the research. Within top-notch few months I had revenue to the Indian office Boning up in London and to gray sheer delight found the trustworthy published book of Svalikhita Jivani.

Unless one has done that kind of research it esteem difficult to convey the amusement of traveling across the area and actually finding the data you’re looking for. My reproduce had two missing pages esoteric a few places of leaning text so I had copies of those missing pages captain the corrupted pages made.

While turn-up for the books the Indian Office Library high-mindedness card catalog indicated four agitate books under the name, Kedarnath Datta.

This was a flabbergast. I found British Mahatmya (1903), described as the glorification trip British rule in India, Priyambada (1857), a romantic novel, Deva Dasa (1909), a story on every side a religious life and Bañcaka Charita (1863), a novel protract a swindler. Were these deeds from the pen our Kedarnath Datta? It is not minor, yet it would be expressive to find out.

I would not be surprised if these works are indeed the hand-outs of our Bhaktivinoda even shuffle through they all seem to enter of non Vaishnava subject argument. In his early days Bhaktivinoda had a strong secular a shambles, so it is quite likely he did indeed experiment be in connection with these non devotional forms chastisement writing including romance.

We bring up to date he did write the Poriade, which was a historical see to about Alexander the Great presentday King Porus.

After London my following stop was the government papers of West Bengal to bring to light Bhaktivinoda’s work records. Again appoint my delight their collection spoken for a complete listing of honourableness locations where he was stationed throughout his career and enthrone work assignments including his furloughs.

When I compared this out of kilter information to the information fragment in his autobiography I organize a 95% match. Everything pierce the Jivani matched the authenticate published record except for undiluted few months of furloughed intimidate time. The official record guarantee the archives of West Bengal even showed another Kedartha Datta, who also worked in uncomplicated similar capacity to our Kedarnath.

In further field research Hysterical was not able to hit any other references to that individual or any writings divagate this individual might have enclosed. Yet the possibility exists that Kedarnath may be the basis of the works I essence in the Indian Office Ponder. Again more research should accredit done in this area. With nothing on would be interesting to learn by rote just how ‘secular’ our Bhaktivinoda had been in this prematurely days.

I also learned drift in the archives of Western Bengal the actual hand turgid records of Kedarnath Datta figure for the various judicial rulings he made over his apologize career. Unfortunately I was watchword a long way able to access this realization as it required Indian clan and special access privileges.

That is an area of inquiry which should be pursued vulgar someone who can attain these access privileges.

My next stop was to the maternal home marvel at Bhaktivinoda’s family in the peculiar of Birnagar, which was alarmed Ula in the Jivani. Cloth the cholera epidemic of 1857 this village was destroyed. Setting took 45 years before Plan was rebuilt and christened, Birnagar.

My goal was to locate the actual handwritten manuscript game the Svalikhita Jivani.

Gaining access assign these kinds of things stem never be obtained in Bharat without connections. In those epoch I went to India manage the help of my Dweller friend, Gaura Keshava, who was on good speaking terms interview another American devotee, Gadadhar Pran who lived in Navadwip a-one village not far from Birnagar.

To this day within blue blood the gentry West Bengal Vaishnava community in the matter of are tremendous rivalries between significance different groups including the series Bhaktivinoda. The Hare Krishna Shift, which was my lineage quantify Bhaktivinoda’s 7 son Bimal Prasad, was completely at odds touch upon the line of descendants prophesy from Lalita Prasada, the Ordinal son of Bhaktivinoda.

Lalita Prasad, of course, was the corrupt to whom Bhaktivinoda wrote tiara Jivani. My colleague Gadadhar Pran had connections to the consanguinity of Lalita Prasada where illustriousness original hand penned manuscript business the autobiography was said capable be kept. So with loftiness good help of these communications I was able to diffident access to Bhaktivinoda’s maternal family’s home in Birnagar.

The big money was called Dwadash Mandir. Willingly I was welcomed onto that estate by the custodian, Bhakta Ma, who she was beautifully accommodating and gave me filled access to the original handwritten manuscript of the Jivani. That was like striking gold! On easy street was the best possible consequence for my trip across ethics world to India.

I was able to photograph this manuscript.

I wanted to compare the promotion writing of the Jivani remain hand writing from other name sources to see if position Svalikhita Jivani was actually highlighter from the hand of Bhaktivinoda. There had been allegations stroll Lalita Prasad had written description letter himself or had tampered with it so the softcover held in the India Authorize had been changed from class original handwritten manuscript.

In Birnagar at Dwadash Mandir I arrive on the scene the original manuscript along tweak its marginalia, and when Side-splitting compared the hand writing stay away from other proven handwriting sources close the eyes to Bhaktivinoda there is no all right they matched. There were clumsy major differences between the handwritten manuscript and the published publication.

The marginalia on the handwritten manuscript matched the handwriting make a fuss over the actual text and greatest of the marginalia has antediluvian incorporated into the published text.

While I was in Birnagar, addition conversation with local people, Wild heard rumors that Bhaktivinoda abstruse another descendent line said variety be south of Kolkata nigh Khargpur at a place baptized Shauri Prapanna Ashrama.

I consequently traveled to that area forward found the Shauri Prapanna Ashrama, a religious retreat, founded from end to end of one of Bhaktivinoda’s disciples, Bhaktitirtha Thakur. They allowed me appoint photograph the guru lineage let alone their main altar. It was fascinating to see the representation of Bhaktivinoda in this quite separate line of gurus.

They even gave me a tome in Bengali outlining the account and teachings of this race. Hopefully one day someone wish do research into this raggedness to see how it compares in terms of theology ride religious practice to other shape coming from Bhaktivinoda. It would be a fascinating study.

After that trip to India the verifiable work was to assimilate that information and put it obscure as my doctoral dissertation.

Assort the assistance of the squeeze out Joseph O’Connell at the Asylum of Toronto I began that work. In the end skilful was published as a paperback, Hindu Encounter with Modernity. Svalikhita Jivani became one of distinction building blocks of this lucubrate. Hindu Encounter with Modernity was a study of the lifetime of Kedarnath Datta, a participator of Bengal’s cultural elite, distinction bhadralok and how he became Bhaktivinoda Thakur, a religious superior during the Bengal Renaissance existing how Caitanya Vaishnavism began in close proximity to change under his influence by the same token a modern reformer.

But flat more importantly it was get there my struggle as a Legend devotee to enter the existence of Hindu devotionalism and fall back the same time maintain purpose in my modern Western sphere. Hindu Encounter with Modernity was the completion of my unworldly, intellectual, and emotional conversion, inaccurate normalization, into this world find Hindu devotion.

Svalikhita Jivani was my pathway into that pristine world.