The Last Instructions of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura



The last instructions of Srila Bhaktivinoda thakura is found in his Sva niyama dasakam:

Sri Sri Sva-niyama-dasakam
“12 Verses of My Own Self-imposed Regulative Principles”
by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura

The 1st Verse
(The Objects of Devotion Birth After Birth)

gurau sri-gaurange tad-udita-subhakti-prakara ne
saci-sunor-lila-vikasita-s utirthe nija manau
harer namni presthe hari-tithisu rupanuga-jane
suka-prokte sastre prati-jani mamastam khalu ratih

No matter whenever and wherever I happen to take birth, let my loving affection and attachment remain unshaken throughout each and every lifetime for the following things: for my divine spiritual master, for Sri Gauranga, for the detailed topics of pure devotional service (and the methods of its execution) as personally instructed by Him, for the holy places of pilgrimage such as Sri Navadvipa, Sri Kshetra, Sri Vrndavana, etc. , which are all blooming with divine sanctity due to His performance of wonderful pastimes therein, for the diksa mantra bestowed upon me by the divine grace of my spiritual master, for the holy name of Sri Hari, for the most beloved eternal associates of the Lord, for the sacred days of celebration throughout the year such as Sri Ekadasi, Sri Janmastami, Sri Radhastami, and the appearance/disappearance days of the great Vaisnava acaryas, for the Lord’s dearmost devotees who strictly follow in the sacred footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and for the holy scriptures narrated by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami such as the Srimad Bhagavatam.

The 2nd Verse
(The Internal Identity of Lord Caitanya, the Eternal Guide)

sada vrndaranye madhura-rasa-dhanye rasa-mayah
param saktim radham parama-rasa-murtim ramayati
sa caivayam krsno nija-bhajana-mudram upadisan
saci-sunur gaude prati-jani mamastam prabhu-varah

The Supreme Lord Sri Krsna is the personified abode of all divinely ecstatic mellow-tastes. And Sri Radhika is the topmost abode of all His divinely potent energies. Indeed, She is the personified form of the highest mellow of love in separation. Within the forest of Vrnda, which is gloriously rich in the all-pervading treasure of the sweetest madhura-rasa, this Lord Sri Krsna is continuously enjoying as

Disappearance Day of Sri Syamananda Prabhu ~ 8th June 2017

Syamananda Prabhu, a disciple of Hrdaya Caitanya, established the temple of Sri Radha-Syamasundara in Vrndavana.



 Gouridas was born at Shaligram, about 18 kms from Shridham Navadwip in Bengal.  His father was Kansari Mishra, mother Kamala Devi.  Suryadas was his elder brother.  Suryadas had two daughters, Vasudha and Jahnavi.

   Suryadas was a boyhood companion of Shri Chaitanya MahaPrabhu.  He was a sadhaka in the sakhya bhava, i.e., in the mood of friendship with God.

   He told Gouridas, “Go and live at Ambika-Kalna and do your sadhana and worship at a lovely place near the river Ganga.”  What could have been more close to the heart of Gouridas?  Joyfully, he left for Ambika-Kalna.

   One day Shri Gauranga was returning from Shantipur.  He took a boat at Harinadi village. Pulling the oars with His own hands, He crossed the wide Ganga and arrived at Ambika.  But He did not leave the oar behind. Carrying it in His hands, He went to Gouridas’ house. Gouridas was astonished.  MahaPrabhu said, “This oar is for you.”

   “What shall I do with it?”

   “What shall you do? You shall take people across the samsar-river with the help of this oar” said the Lord.

   With profound reverence Gouridas accepted the oar with folded hands.  MahaPrabhu embraced him and said, “Come with Me to Navadwip. I shall give you something there.”

   Gouridas became full of bliss with the Lord’s embrace. He could not comprehend what more than this could be there. What as the thing that lay beyond imagination even?

   Indeed, there was something truly beyond imagination. The Lord handed over to Gouridas the Bhagawat Gita written with His own hand. From beginning to end it was written with pearl-like letters.  The nectar of his unblinking eyes was saturated in it. It was sheer bliss just to look at the writing, to hold it in one’s hand. It was a joy flowing from the absorption of consciousness.

   Holding the Gita close to his heart, Gouridas returned to Ambika going over the entire transcendental experience in his mind. “How painstakingly must He (Gauranga) have written it with His own hands, and yet He gave it to me so unhesitatingly” he mused.
Shyamananda Prabhu
Indeed, there was something truly beyond imagination. The Lord handed over to Gouridas the Bhagawat Gita written with His own hand. From beginning to end it was written with pearl-like letters. The nectar of his unblinking eyes was saturated in it. It was sheer bliss just to look at the writing, to hold it in one’s hand. It was a joy flowing from the absorption of consciousness. (In the wallpaper: Arjuna and Shri Krishna in the battle field, Lord Shri Gaurachandra, ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai).

Disappearance Day of Sri Kholaveca Sridhara Pandita ~ 7th June 2017

Kholaveca Sridhara Thakura lived just on the border of Nadia. He maintained himself by selling bananas, vegetables, banana leaves and cups.



khola-becataya khyatah panditah shridharo dvijah
asid vraje hasya-karo yo namna kusumasavah
   (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 133) Shridhara Pandit
Shridhara Pandit was a resident of Navadwip. Navadwip is composed of nine islands, of which the central island is known as Antardwipa. He used to live at the northern extremity of Mayapur and to the southeast of the Chand Kazi’s samadhi, in the place that now goes by the name of Shridhara Angan. During his lifetime, it was a banana orchard...(In the wallpaper: Shridhara Pandit's home, Shri Mayapur dham, banana barks).


   One of the twelve Gopals in Krishna lila was named Kusumasava. He appeared in Gaura-lila as Shridhara Pandit, who was given the nickname khola-becha, “bark-seller.”

   Shridhara Pandit was a resident of Navadwip. Navadwip is composed of nine islands, of which the central island is known as Antardwipa. He used to live at the northern extremity of Mayapur and to the southeast of the Chand Kazi’s samadhi, in the place that now goes by the name of Shridhara Angan. During his lifetime, it was a banana orchard, which nowadays is no longer the case, at least not to our mortal eyes. During this incarnation, Shridhara played the role of a poor Brahmin who made his living selling the produce of his banana garden. In order to keep the memory of Shridhara Pandit alive, the founder of the world-wide Chaitanya and Gaudiya Maths, Nitya-lila-pravishta Om Vishnupada Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, discovered and revealed this site of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes. Deity worship was established there and it continued until after Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur’s disappearance. Now, because of problems with local people, the place is once again losing its beauty. Even so, during the Navadwip parikrama, Devotees still pay their obeisances at that spot to the memory of Shridhara Pandit.

   Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has written as follows in his Nabadvipa-dhama-mahatmya: “Shridhara Pandit’s home comes after the weavers’ neighborhood. Gauranga Mahaprabhu ended the kirtan there.” Nityananda Prabhu says the following to Jiva Goswami:

   “Out of His mercy, Mahaprabhu Gauranga Hari would end the kirtan here so that the Devotees could rest. It is therefore known as vishrama-sthana, or the Lord’s place of rest. So let us also repose

Disappearance Day of Sri Mukunda Datta ~ 7th June 2017

Mukunda Datta, the son of Vasudeva Datta, was a classmate of Lord Caitanya’s. Mukunda Datta had a melodious voice, and he knew the intricacies of musical meters and ragas.



 Shri Mukunda Datta was Shri Nimai Pandit's classmate at Ganga's Dasa's tol (school). Mukunda had a melodious voice and he knew the intricacies of musical meters and ragas. His sweet kirtana would please all the Vaishnavas at Navadwipa.Tuning in to Lord Gaura's heart, he would sing songs matching Lord Gauranga's feelings. Lord Chaitanya took sannyasa amidst Mukunda's kirtana. He served Shri Chaitanya in Puri as one of the Lord's humblest followers.

   Once at the house of Shrivasa Pandit Lord Chaitanya blessed all the Devotees except Mukunda. Mahaprabhu overlooked him because he had offended Bhakti Devi (who gives devotional service). Mukunda placed her on an equal level with karma, jnana, or even Mayavada philosophy whenever he talked to followers of those paths. Acting like a chameleon, Mukunda would glorify bhakti to bhaktas, and then debate useless mundane topics with karmis (nondevotees). And with Mayavadis he discussed impersonalism.
   Mukunda chose suicide as atonement for his serious offense to Bhakti Devi. He asked Lord Chaitanya if he would again receive His mercy in a future life. "You will receive My mercy," said Lord Chaitanya, "after passing one million births."

   Happy to know he would someday get Mahaprabhu's mercy, Mukunda jumped up and down shouting, "Only a million births, only a million births!"

   Lord Chaitanya's heart melted upon seeing Mukunda's devotion and determination. The Lord blessed and accepted Mukunda, "By your faith and conviction in My words all your offenses have been immeditately destroyed."

   In Krishna lila he is Madhukantha, a person with a honey sweet throat, a sweet singer. His samadhi is located within the 64 Samadhis Area.