Six months after the appearance of the child, it was time for the Ratha-yātrā festival. That year, by Lord Jagannātha’s desire, His chariot stopped in front of Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s house and simply would not move forward. Lord Jagannātha stayed there for three whole days. Under Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s direction, a kīrtana festival was held in front of the deity for the entire three-day period. During one of these days, the six-month-old baby came before Lord Jagannātha in the arms of his mother, he grabbed Jagannātha Deva’s feet and took the garland from around the deity’s neck. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gave the child Jagannātha prasāda for the anna-prāśana ritual in which a child eats its first solid food.

The child stayed in Puruṣottama-dhāma for ten months after his birth, after this he went with his mother in a palanquin by land to Ranaghat in Bengal. He went through his entire childhood in the midst of an extended festival of harināma-saṅkīrtana.

While Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was living in Serampore, he came back one day from a visit to Purī with tulasī beads. He gave it to Bimalā Prasād, who was a seventh-grade student at the time and initiated him in the chanting of the Holy Name and the Nṛsiṁha mantra. While he was in the fifth grade, the boy had invented a type of phonetic writing that he called Bicanto or Bikṛnti. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura read him the Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta.

In 1881, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura started construction of Bhakti Bhavana in Kolkata’s Ram Bagan. During the digging of the building’s foundations, a deity of Kūrma was found. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura taught his seven-year-old son the rules for worshipping a deity and the Kūrma mantra, after which Bimalā Prasād started to regularly wear tilak and to perform the deity’s pūjā. In 1885, a centre for publishing Vaiṣṇava literature named “The Vaiṣṇava Depository” was opened at Bhakti Bhavana. From this time, the boy started to gain experience with the printing press and helped with proofreading and other tasks. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also resumed publishing his monthly magazine Sajjana-toṣaṇī that year. He also travelled with his father to many of the Sripats of some of Mahāprabhu’s associates, such as Kulingram and Saptagram, where he heard his father lecture from scriptures on the spiritual truths of the Holy Name.

When Bimalā Prasād was a fifth-grade student, he began to show a natural talent for mathematics and astrology. He went to study the astrological texts with the great scholar Maheśa Candra Cūḍāmaṇi from the Siyakhala village on the Tarakeshwar railway line. In a very short time, he mastered the arts of calculating astrological charts. Later he went on to advanced studies of astrology with Aloya resident, Sundara Lāla Paṇḍita.

Cūḍāmaṇi Mahāśaya was astounded by the talents of the fifteen-year-old boy. From this young age, he was called ‘Siddhānta Sarasvatī’ by his teachers. After taking sannyāsa in 1918, he took on the name Parivrajakācārya Śrī Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī. At other times, he identified himself as Vārṣabhānavī Dayita Dāsa.

In 1885, 399 years after the appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura formed the Viśva Vaiṣṇava Sabhā or World Vaiṣṇava Association at the home of Rāma Gopāla Basu in Krishna Singh Lane, which is today known as Bethune Row. The association organized the 400th-anniversary celebrations of Mahāprabhu’s appearance the following year. Some of its well-known members were Madana Gopāla Gosvāmī, Nīla Kānta Gosvāmī, Bipin Bihari Gosvāmī, Rādhikā Nātha Gosvāmī, and Śiśira Kumāra Ghosh. Śrī Sarasvatī Ṭhākura attended the Association’s weekly meetings every Sunday in the company of his father and carried his father’s copy of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu for him. He would listen attentively to the discussion of scripture that took place at these meetings.

While Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was a student, he never mixed with children, who are ill-natured. Thus from his very earliest life, the determination to avoid asat-saṅga and to associate exclusively with genuine saintly persons was evident in his character. In the early years of high school, he spent more time studying astrology and Vaiṣṇava scriptures than the prescribed curriculum. In fact, he had a hard time maintaining interest in his school’s textbooks. He felt it was unnecessary to even touch these books once outside the school grounds. His reading material consisted mainly of Narottama’s Prārthanā and Prema-bhakti-candrikā, and the books written by his father.

While still a student, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura published Sūrya-siddhānta, Bhakti-bhavana-pañjikā, and other books related to astrology. In the afternoons, he would go to Kolkata’s Beadon Square and engage in debate with other students about religion. In 1891, this debating society took the name “The August Assembly” and all its members took the vow to never get married. People of all ages, including many highly educated and respected members of society, attended the Assembly’s meetings.

In 1892, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was admitted to the Kolkata Sanskrit College. There once again, instead of studying the books prescribed in the curriculum, he started systematically reading all the books in the library. Other than the college hours, he spent most of his time studying the Vedas with the scholar Pṛthvīdhara Śarmā. A few years later, in 1898, when teaching Sanskrit at the Sārasvata Catuṣpāṭhī in Bhakti Bhavana, he studied Siddhānta-kaumudī with the same Pṛthvīdhara Śarmā, and in a brief period went through the entire text. Pṛthvīdhara Śarmā advised him to devote his life to the study of Siddhānta-kaumudī, but Sarasvatī Ṭhākura disagreed with him, saying that human life was meant for worshipping the Supreme Lord and not for studying grammar manuals with their verb roots and conjugations, nor for reading mundane poems.

While studying at the Sanskrit College, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura also came into public disagreement with the opinions of a student of the renowned scholar from Kāśī, Bāpudeva Śāstrī, and with the professor Pañcānana Sāhityācārya.

We can see parallels in the life of Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for Sarasvatī Ṭhākura first engaged in the delights of study and debating during his student life but then turned to exclusively chanting and preaching the Holy Names. In his autobiography, he wrote, “If I go on to study at the university, my family will inevitably harass me terribly to get married. On the other hand, if I present myself to the world as a useless fool, no one will try to interest me in that kind of life. This was the reasoning that led me to quit the Sanskrit College. I then started looking for an honest means of making my livelihood with minimum effort so that I could lead a life of devotion to the Lord.”

In 1895, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura took a job with the royal family of Tripura, which was then an independent state. He was engaged as associate editor of the royal family’s history, Rāja-ratnākara. While there, he had the opportunity to study many important books in the royal library. When the king, Vīracandra, left this world on December 11, 1896, Rādhā Kiśora Māṇikya Bāhādura was placed on the throne. The new king engaged Sarasvatī Ṭhākura as the Sanskrit and Bengali tutor for the crown prince Vrajendra Kiśora. Later, he sent Sarasvatī Ṭhākura to Kolkata with various responsibilities. When Sarasvatī Ṭhākura expressed a desire to permanently leave the employ of the royal family in 1905, the king gave him a full pension equal to the salary that he had been earning. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura received this pension until 1908.

In 1897, the Sārasvata Catuṣapāṭhī Sanskrit School was established at the Bhakti Bhavana. Many educated and important people came there to study astrology, including Lālā Haragaurī Śaṅkara, Dr. Ekendranātha Ghosh, M.B., Sātakaḍi Caṭṭopādhyāya Siddhānta Bhūṣana, Śyāmalāla Gosvāmī (the noted scholar of the Nityānanda Prabhu’s family lineage), Śarat Candra Jyotirvinoda, etc. From the Sārasvata Catuṣpāṭhī, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura published the monthly magazines Jyotirvid and Bṛhaspati, as well as many ancient astrological works.

In October of 1898, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura set off on a pilgrimage with Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura during which they visited Kāśī, Prayāga, and on the way back, Gaya. While in Kāśī, he met Rāma Miśra Śāstrī, with whom he discussed many aspects of the Rāmānuja sampradāya. On this occasion also, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura began to show the spirit of renunciation, which ran throughout his life. Starting in 1897, he had begun to follow the rules of cāturmāsya according to the Vaiṣṇava scriptures, cooking haviṣyānna (boiled food without salt or spices) himself, which he would eat directly off the floor without using a plate and sleeping on the ground without a pillow.

Sarasvatī Ṭhākura first started his fundamental study of Rāmānujācārya and his sampradāya while in Bengal and he published books and articles as the results of his research. In 1898, he wrote about Śrīnātha Muni, Śrī Yāmunācārya and other ācāryas of this school in a series of articles which appeared in Sajjana-toṣaṇī. Prior to this, he had books in the four South Indian languages provided to him by Sundareśvara Śrauti, from which he learned about the Rāmānuja and Madhva schools.

In 1899, he wrote articles on spiritual matters in the weekly magazine, Nivedana, and in 1900, he published a book, Baṅge Sāmājikatā (“Bengali Social Customs”), a study of religious and social behaviour in Bengal, which was the fruit of a great deal of research.

In 1897, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura established his place of worship in Navadvīpa’s Godrumadvīpa area, near the Sarasvatī River, and called it Svānanda Sukhada Kuñja. It was there, in 1898 during the winter season, that Sarasvatī Ṭhākura first saw Śrīla Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. He was attracted by the transcendental character of this Vaiṣṇava paramahaṁsa, who was indifferent to all social conventions. Later, in the month of Māgha (January-February), 1900, on the order of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he took bhāgavatī dikṣā (initiation into bhāgavata parampara) from him.

In March of 1900, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura accompanied Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura on a trip to Baleshwar and Remuna, where he had darśana of Kṣīracorā Gopīnātha. Then they travelled on to Bhubaneshwar and Purī. On this occasion, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura deepened his attachment to the holy city of Purī. When he expressed a wish to establish a maṭha near the samādhi of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the local sub-registrar, Jagabandhu Paṭṭanāyaka and other prominent citizens asked him to take over the service of one of the seven seats of the Sātāsana Math, that of Giridhārī. In 1902, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura himself started construction of a residence not far from Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s samādhi and named it Bhakti Kuṭī. During this time, Kashim Bazaar’s king, Maṇīndra Candra Nandī Bāhādura, in mourning at the loss of a loved one, came to live in a tent on the beach near to this site. He came frequently to hear Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Sarasvatī Ṭhākura speak on the Vaiṣṇava scriptures. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura also regularly read and spoke on the Caitanya Caritāmṛta in the presence of his father.

While in Purī, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura engaged in collecting materials for his book Vaiṣṇava-mañjuṣā. He was introduced to the abbot of the Govardhana Math, Madhusūdana Tīrtha, with whom he had many philosophical discussions. Tīrtha Svāmī held Sarasvatī Ṭhākura in high esteem. Other people whom he met in Purī and with whom he engaged in scriptural discussions included Śrī Vāsudeva Rāmānuja Dāsa and Śrī Dāmodara Rāmānuja Dāsa of Samadhi Math; Śrī Raghunandana Rāmānuja Dāsa of Emāra Math, Jagannātha Dāsa of the Jamāyet (Rāmānandī) sampradāya’s Pāpaḍiyā Math, Oṁkāra Japī Vriddhatāpasa of Svargadvāra Chātā, the scholar Sadāśiva Miśra, the lawyer Hariśacandra Basu, Śrī Bihārīdāsa Pūjārī of Gaṅgāmātā’s Math, Rādhā-kānta Math’s abbot Narottama Dāsa, Ananta Caraṇa Mahānti, etc.

During this time, he would preach door to door to prominent people in Purī, out of which many difficulties and dangers arose. Problems also came up in the responsibilities that he had accepted at the Giridhārī Āsana of Sātāsana Math. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura showed the same attitude as Prahlāda Mahārāja, however, demonstrating exemplary fortitude and turning a deaf ear to the foul-mouthed accusations made against him. In these circumstances, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura advised him to go to Māyāpura and worship in solitude, just as Rāmānujācārya had done at Tirunārāyaṇapura.

When Sarasvatī Ṭhākura arrived in Navadvīpa, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura introduced him to Vaṁsī Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. Not long afterwards, Caraṇa Dāsa Bābājī along with Kalna’s Viṣṇu Dāsa and many others, went with a kīrtana party to Mahāprabhu’s birthplace in Māyāpura to participate in the Dola Pūrṇimā festival there. The following year, Caraṇa Dāsa Bābājī announced to Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that he wished to take a party on a tour of Navadvīpa-dhāma every year. Unfortunately, his disappearance in 1906 made it impossible for him to carry out this wish.

On January 2, 1903, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura engaged in a debate with an accomplished student of Bāpudeva Śāstrī, a professor at a Sanskrit college, and an instructor to a very prominent astrologer. Rāya Bāhādura Rajendra Candra Śāstrī, President of the Royal Society, presided over the debate in which Sarasvatī Ṭhākura so badly defeated his opponent that he passed stool and urine in the assembly out of shock.

In January of 1904, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura visited Sītā-kuṇḍa and Candranātha. In December of the same year he went to Purī and on February 23, 1905, he went on a pilgrimage to South India. He visited Siṁhachalam, Rajahmundry, Madras, Perembadur, Tirupati, Kanjivaram, Kumbhakonam, Srirangam, Madurai, etc., before returning to Kolkata and Śrī Māyāpura. In Perembadur, he learned the scriptural rules and regulations surrounding Vaiṣṇava tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa from a member of that order in the Rāmānuja sampradāya.

While staying in Māyāpura in 1905, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura began preaching the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and, following in the footsteps of Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he undertook a vow of chanting a billion (ten crores) Holy Names, chanting a minimum of three lakhs (300,000) every single day. In 1906, Rohiṇī Kumāra Ghosh, the nephew of Justice Candra Mādhava Ghosh, had an extraordinary dream telling him to go to Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and take initiation from him. Rohiṇī Kumāra Ghosh thus became his first initiated disciple.

In 1909, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura had a cottage in Vraja-pattan built on the site of Candraśekara’s house where he continued to engage in his vow, visualizing himself on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

A crisis arose for the Vaiṣṇava world in 1911. The smārta brāhmaṇas were engaged in a concerted attack on the Vaiṣṇava religion and its ācāryas. Those who claimed descendence from Advaitācārya and other associates of Caitanya Mahāprabhu had taken the side of the smārtas in the hope of extracting some advantage from the alliance. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was performing pastimes of illness at the time, so when an assembly of hundreds of scholars and paṇḍitas was called in Midnapore at Balighai village to debate the issues, he sent Sarasvatī Ṭhākura in his place. In the debate, which was presided over by Viśvambharānanda Deva Gosvāmī, Vṛndāvana scholar Madhusūdana Gosvāmī invited him to speak. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura read an article and gave a discourse on the distinction between brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, which completely destroyed the arguments of the materialistic karmī smārtas.

In the same year, at Baḍa Ākhḍā in Navadvīpa town, a debate was held on the gaura-mantra. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura established on the basis of the Atharva Veda’s Caitanyopaniṣad and other scriptural evidence that a special mantra for worshipping Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu was eternally valid.

On March 21, 1912, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went to a religious conference held at Kashim Bazaar where he gave a speech establishing the characteristics of pure devotional service and criticizing the materialistic ambitions and sycophancy of those who claimed to be the leaders of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava religion. In order to demonstrate non-cooperation with the so-called leaders of the school, he fasted for the four days he was there before returning to Māyāpura where he resumed taking prasāda.

On November 4, 1912, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura took a small group of devotees on a tour of Srikhanda, Jajigram, Katwa, Jhamatpur, Akai Hat, Chakhandi, Dai Hat and other places where Mahāprabhu’s associates had their homes. In every place, he preached the gospel of pure devotional service.

In April of 1913, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura established a publishing house named Bhāgavata Yantrālaya in Kolkata’s Kalighat area. The first book printed was Caitanya Caritāmṛta with his Anubhāṣya commentary. Others that followed were the Bhagavad-gītā with Viśvanātha’s commentary and the Gaura-kṛṣṇodaya-mahā-kāvya of the Odishan poet, Govinda Dāsa.

After Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s disappearance on June 23, 1914, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura took over the editorship of Sajjana-toṣaṇī, the monthly magazine founded by his father. In January of 1915, the press was moved to Vraja-pattana in Māyāpura, and more books continued to be printed. On June 14, 1915, the Anubhāṣya commentary to Caitanya Caritāmṛta was completed at Vraja-pattana. In July of 1915, the printing press was again moved to Krishnanagar, and Sajjana-toṣaṇī and various books written by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura were published from there.

On November 17, 1915, Utthāna ekādaśī, Śrīla Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja entered into his eternal pastimes. Śrī Sarasvatī Ṭhākura established his samādhi in the Nūtana Cadāya neighbourhood of old Kuliya (the present-day town of Navadvīpa) according to the prescriptions of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa’s Saṁskāra-dīpikā.

On March 7, 1918, on the occasion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s appearance day, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura took tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa in Śrī Māyāpura as per the Vedic tradition. Although as an eternally perfected soul, he had already achieved the goals of the renounced order, he took this step in order to preach the gospel of Lord Caitanya everywhere without restriction, to crystallize the conception of the daiva-varṇāśrama social system, and to demonstrate the transcendental character of the paramahaṁsa (Bābājī) dress taken by his gurus, Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja.

On the same day, he consecrated the deities of Guru-Gaurāṅga and Rādhā-Govinda at the house of Candraśekhara Ācārya and established the Sree Chaitanya Math. The Sree Chaitanya Math became the headquarters for the branch Gaudiya Maths throughout the world, the flagship of which is situated in Kolkata.

At the end of March, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gave an exhaustively researched lecture on Vaiṣṇava philosophy in the Krishnanagar town hall. In May, he went to Daulatpur and other places to deliver hari-kathā.

On June 2, 1918, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and a group of twenty-three devotees left Kolkata for Purī. They stopped at Sauri, Kuamara and other places along the way to preach. As they followed the route Mahāprabhu had taken to Purī, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was overcome with ecstatic feelings of separation from the Lord. The party stopped at Remuna where they saw Kṣīracorā Gopīnātha and then at Baleshwar where he gave a lecture on Mahāprabhu’s Śikṣāṣṭaka in the town’s Hari Bhakti Pradāyinī Sabhā. He was welcomed to Baleshwar by the Subdivisional Magistrate, Rāya Saheba Gauraśyāma Mahānti and other distinguished personalities of the town. At Cuttack, he was invited by Diwan Bāhādura Śrī Kṛṣṇa Mahāpātra to stay at his home and preach on the topics of Bhāgavata there. Then in Purī, the party stayed at Bhakti-kuṭī and did the parikramā of Śrī Kṣetra-maṇḍala. Once again, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was in a state of ecstatic separation the whole time.

The former Collector and present Deputy Magistrate of Purī, Aṭala Bihārī Maitra, had heard Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explain Caitanya Caritāmṛta and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. In a great meeting held on the grounds of Hariballabha Basu Rāya Bāhādura’s house, Śaśi Bhavana, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gave a lecture on the difference between personal and impersonal conceptions of the Absolute Truth. He wrote a Sanskrit poem of a few verses about the memorial to Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet enshrined in the Jagannātha Temple.

In August and September of 1918, a spokesman for a group of atheists with little philosophical knowledge sent a list of 29 questions challenging the Vaiṣṇava faith and its ācāryas. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura silenced these critics with answers based on scriptures. The questions and his answers were published in the name Pratīpera praśnere pratyuttararūpe, “Answering the enemy’s questions”.

To increase the preaching activity in Kolkata, in November of 1918, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura established a centre at 1, Ultadingi Junction Road, which he named Śrī Bhaktivinoda Āsana. From there, he travelled to various towns in Jessore and Khulna districts for preaching. On February 5, 1919, he re-established the World Vaiṣṇava Association under the name Viśva Vaiṣṇava Rāja Sabhā at the Bhaktivinoda Āsana. On June 27, 1919, he consecrated a deity of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura at Svānanda Sukhada Kuñja in Godrumadvīpa. The first month-long kīrtana festival was held at the Bhaktivinoda Āsana from August 18 to September 18, 1919.

On October 4, 1919, on the appearance day of Madhvācārya, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura set off on a preaching trip to north and eastern Bengal. In April of 1920, he and the other leaders of the Viśva Vaiṣṇava Rāja Sabhā issued seven questions to the Mahārāja of Kashim Bazaar’s annual convocation of Vaiṣṇava scholars that was held at Kumilla, thereby establishing and propagating the distinction between pure and blemished devotion.

Six years to the day after the disappearance of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, on June 23, 1920, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s mother Bhagavatī Devī left for her eternal abode.

On September 6, 1920, deities of Guru, Gaurāṅga and Rādhā-Govinda, were installed at the Bhaktivinoda Āsana and the first Gaudiya Math was established at that time.

At the request of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śiśira Kumāra Ghosh, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura had been working on the compilation of a Vaiṣṇava encyclopedia, for which he had visited Puruṣottama-dhāma and various places in south India and Gauḍa-maṇḍala since 1900 and collected necessary information. In October of 1920, he came to Kashim Bazaar at the invitation of Mahārāja Sir Maṇīndra Candra Nandī Bāhādura, to whom he described the scope of this Vaiṣṇava encyclopedia. The Mahārāja agreed to donate a monthly stipend for the publication of the encyclopedia, but in the end was unable to fulfil his commitments.

Sarasvatī Ṭhākura left Kashim Bazaar and went with his party to Saidabad, Nowallis Para, Kheturi and other places in the area, which had been blessed by the touch of Mahāprabhu’s associates. Everywhere he went, he preached Mahāprabhu’s message.

On November 1, 1920, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura initiated Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s disciple Jagadīśa Bhakti Pradip, Vaiṣṇava-siddhānta-bhūṣaṇa, Sampradāya-vaibhavācārya, B.A., in the renounced order as a tridaṇḍa-sannyāsi. He was thus the first member of the order in the Viśva Vaiṣṇava Rāja Sabhā and was known thenceforth as Tridaṇḍi Svāmī Bhakti Pradip Tīrtha Mahārāja.

On March 14, 1921, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura revived the annual parikramā or tour of Navadvīpa-dhāma. At the end of March, he left again for Purī on a preaching trip. Meanwhile, Śrīla Bhakti Pradip Tīrtha Mahārāja published a book Ācāra O Ācārya (“Standards of conduct and the spiritual master”) with a profound reflection that caused a great stir amongst the caste Gosvāmīs, most of who were acting as professional gurus.

Afterwards, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura visited Dhanbad, Katrasgarh and Dhaka. In Dhaka, he spoke on the Bhāgavata’s janmādyasya verse for an entire month, explaining it in thirty different ways. On October 13, 1921, he established the Madhva Gaudiya Math in Dhaka. On October 31, deities were installed and a great feast held in Their honour. From Dhaka, he went on to Mymansingh for preaching.

After this, he returned to Navadvīpa where he re-established the worship of Gaura-Gadādhara at Champahati, as well as a deity installation at the birthplace of Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura in Modadrumadvīpa. Then he returned to Kolkata to preach there and in the surrounding area.

According to Vedavyāsa, hy utkale puruṣottamāt, the pure message of the Vaiṣṇava religion would spread out of Jagannātha Purī. In order to do honour to this prediction, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura established the Śrī Purushottam Math at Bhakti-kuṭī on June 9, 1922, installing a deity of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. Then, in the spirit of Mahāprabhu, he and his followers participated in the cleaning of Guṇḍicā, did the parikramā of Jagannātha Purī and went to Ālālanātha during Jagannātha Deva’s anavasara period during which He does not give darśana. He established an annual memorial festival at the Purushottam Math in honor of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī.

He also sent disciples to Cuttack, Baripada, Kuamara, Udala, Kaptipada, and Nilgiri, etc., to preach Mahāprabhu’s gospel of pure devotion.

On August 19, 1922, the monthly magazine and organ of the Gaudiya Math, the Gauḍīya, was published for the first time from the Bhāgavata Press.

On September 28, 1922, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura left for Vraja-maṇḍala with the intention of establishing a preaching centre. Accompanied by his disciples, he visited Mathura, Vṛndāvana, Rādhā-kuṇḍa, and other important holy sites connected to Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. He gave a speech on Mahāprabhu’s teachings and the Vaiṣṇava-dharma at an assembly of learned Vaiṣṇavas at Lālā Bābu’s temple in Vṛndāvana town.

On his return to Bengal during the month of Kārtika, he came to Dhaka where he once again outlined the true character of devotional service. After this, he went to Kuliya where he revealed the site where Mahāprabhu forgave Devānanda Paṇḍita and Cāpāla Gopāla their offences. From there, he went on to the Santal Paragana to preach hari-kathā.

On the appearance day of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, March 2, 1923, work began on the construction of a temple at the Chaitanya Math. It was to be built according to Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s original idea of having deities of Guru-Gaurāṅga and Rādhā-Govinda installed in the main deity room, while placing images of the founders of the four sampradāyas (Lakṣmī, Brahmā, Rudra, the four Kumāras) and their ācāryas (Rāmānuja, Mādhva, Viṣṇusvāmī, Nimbārka) in shrines on the temple’s four corners.

After preaching in West and East Bengal, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura returned again to Purī for the annual festival and, emulating the pastimes of Mahāprabhu in separation from Kṛṣṇa, danced in front of the Ratha-yātrā cart. He also preached to large numbers of devotees, including Rājā Maṇīndra Candra Nandī and Śaśīmohana Gosvāmī of Bhadrak. He sent preachers to Mayurbhanj and Madras Presidency to spread Mahāprabhu’s gospel and himself took a party of devotees to Amlajora in Burdwan and then to Banari Para in Barisal district.

In 1923, just before the annual festival at the Gaudiya Math in Kolkata, the Gaudiya Printing Works was established and the first installments of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam were published with the Gaura kiśorānvaya (word by word translation), Svānanda-kuñjānuvāda (translation), and the Ananta and gopāla-tathya, and Sindhu-vaibhava commentaries.

On February 24, 1924, on the tithi commemorating the 50th anniversary of Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s appearance in the world, the first Vyāsa-pūjā in his honour was held at the Kolkata Sree Gaudiya Math. The speech that he gave on that occasion stands as an immortal jewel in the history of Vaiṣṇava literature.

Not long thereafter, on the occasion of Mahāprabhu’s appearance day, the first edition of the Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata was published from the Śrī Madhva Gaudiya Math in Dhaka.

On July 9, 1924, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura established the Tridandi Math in Bhubaneshwar in Odisha. From there he went to preach in the Madras Presidency where he established the Sārasvata Āsana. There he gave instructions to his disciples and preached Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s writings extensively. In the first part of September of the same year, many distinguished persons came to hear him speak, including Rāut Rāya of Mayurbhanj, His Excellency General Puṇya Samsera Rāṇā Jang Bāhādura of Nepal, and Justice Manmathanātha Mukhopādhyāya.

In October, he set foot in Dhaka for the fifth time and spoke extensively on the Madhva sampradāya, giving a learned explanation of the differences between the Madhva and Pūrṇaprajña doctrines, Madhva’s vision of varṇāśrama-dharma, and the doctrines of the Śrī Madhva Gauḍīya lineage.

On December 16, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura came to the Benares Hindu University to lecture on the position of Vaiṣṇava-dharma in the world’s religions. Amongst those in the audience who greeted his lecture with enthusiasm were the director of the Department of Western Philosophy, Pramathanātha Tarkabhūṣaṇa, and Professor Phaṇī Bhūṣaṇa Adhikārī, M.A. Afterwards, he and his followers went to places in Kāśī visited by Mahāprabhu, then to Prayāga, where he indicated the exact spot (Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa) where Mahāprabhu gave instructions to Rūpa Gosvāmī, and then to Arail, where Mahāprabhu had met with Vallabhācārya.

On January 29, 1925, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura took a large group of devotees on a tour of Gauḍa-maṇḍala to visit the various sites made holy by Mahāprabhu and His associates. Overcome with divine inspiration, he lectured on bhakti in all these places.

In the same year, during the Navadvīpa parikramā, deities of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda were carried on the back of an elephant through the streets of Koladvīpa. The envious leaders of those in the guru business incited a number of ruffians to throw bricks at the deities and the devotees who were accompanying them, including Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, at Poḍāmā Talā. One witness of the event was quoted in the next day’s (Phālguna 24, 1331) Ananda Bazaar Patrika as saying, “Today I witnessed the same pastime that was enacted about four hundred years ago when Navadvīpa’s constables, two thugs named Jagāi and Mādhāi, tried to do injury to Avadhūta Nityānanda Prabhu.”

On April 17, 1925, Paṇḍita Madana Mohana Mālaviya, the leader of the Hindu Mahasabha, a nationalist organization, came to the Kolkata Sree Gaudiya Math and heard Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explain the daiva-varṇāśrama system according to the book, Āgama-prāmāṇya. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura sent preachers to Sylhet and other places.

In 1926, a three-day sacrifice to the Holy Name was performed in Māyāpura to commemorate the appearance of Nityānanda Prabhu. In April of the same year, a maṭha was founded in Chirulia (Midnapore), and given the name Bhagavat Janananda Math. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura sent his tridaṇḍi sannyāsīs throughout India to Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, North and West India to preach the message of pure devotion, while he himself spoke and lectured through Midnapore. This is the time when the large-scale expansion of the Gaudiya Math really started.

In the beginning of November 1926, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura started on a trip throughout India, when he would meet with various learned persons to discuss scriptures and gather information. He was also preaching the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in large assemblies. The ācāryas of many schools acclaimed him as the leading ācārya of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava school. The mahānta of Nathdwar, Gokulanātha Gosvāmī Mahārāja of Bombay, the abbot of the Udupi monastery of the Madhva sampradāya and the abbot of the Salimabad seat of the Madhva sampradāya all received him with the honour due to the spiritual master of a Vaiṣṇava sampradāya.

While on this trip, he established a maṭha in Naimisharanya called Paramhamsa Math. Upon his return, he opened the Paravidyā Pīṭha school in Māyāpura, as well as the newly completed 29 domed temple at the Chaitanya Math. Deities of the ācāryas and Rādhā-Govinda were installed there.

On June 15, 1927, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura started publishing Sajjana-toṣaṇī in three languages—English, Sanskrit and Hindi. The English edition was named The Harmonist. On September 17, 1927, in Dumurkonda in Manbhoom district, the Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math was founded.

At the end of September, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura set out again on a preaching tour of northern India. He visited Kāśī, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jaipur, Galta Parvat, Salimabad, Pushkar, Ajmer, Dvaraka, Sudamapuri, Girnar Parvat, Prabhas, Avanti, Mathura-maṇḍala, Indraprastha, Kurukshetra, and Naimisharanya and preached the message of Lord Caitanya.

In 1928, during the Gaudiya Math festival period, he spoke at Kolkata’s Albert Hall and in other public places, giving access to Mahāprabhu’s message to the common people. The fourth edition of the Caitanya Caritāmṛta was published. On September 26, the foundation of the Bagh Bazaar Gaudiya Math was laid near the banks of the Ganges. On October 7, he went with a large party of devotees to Assam for preaching. From there he went to Shillong, where he spoke to several large assemblies. Amongst those who came to hear him explain the unexcelled doctrines of Caitanya Mahāprabhu was the Rājarṣi Kumāra Śaradindu Nārāyaṇa Rāya.

On November 4, following the mood of separation that was experienced by the gopīs and by Mahāprabhu during the Ratha-yātrā, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went with a party of devotees to Kurukshetra at the time of a solar eclipse. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who had also come there had the good fortune to hear the Gaudiya Math devotees singing the names of Gaura. A deity of Gaurāṅga was installed at the Sree Vyas Gaudiya Math and a spiritual diorama exhibition (the Bhāgavata Pradarśinī) was opened.

On December 30, the great scholar Pramathanātha Tarka Bhūṣaṇa came to the Gaudiya Math and heard an extended explanation of the daiva-varṇāśrama system from Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.

In January of 1929, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura established the Ekayan Gaudiya Math in Krishnanagar. At the opening ceremony, he gave a lecture with an original explanation showing that the single path of exclusive devotion (ekāyana) is the trunk and the various other paths (bahvayana) are the branches of the Vedic tree.

On January 14, 1929, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura met Professor Albert E. Suthers of Ohio State University and explained to him how the Vaiṣṇava religion was an extended and perfect Christianity. On January 16, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was in New Delhi to open the Delhi Gaudiya Math, creating the opportunity for Mahāprabhu’s gospel to be spread to thousands of respectable people in India’s capital.

On March 30, 1929, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gave a lecture on the Holy Name in the Rama Gopala Town Hall building. In May of the same year, he was in Purī where he started Gaurasundara’s Candana-yātrā festival. At the same time, he began repair work on the Ālālanātha temple. On August 11, he spoke at Kolkata’s Albert Hall on the Gauḍīya philosophy.

It was Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s wish to establish 108 shrines throughout India as memorials to the places Mahāprabhu had sanctified by the touch of His lotus feet. These shrines or pāda-pīṭhas would house prints of Gaurasundara’s feet stamped in marble. For this purpose, he went to Kanair Natshala on October 13, 1929, and to Mandar two days later. From there he went on to Rajmahal, Bhagalpur, Nalanda, and Rajgiri to preach Mahāprabhu’s message. Then he proceeded to Kāśī where he discoursed on Mahāprabhu’s teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Many educated and respectable people welcomed him to Kāśī, Faizabad, Ayodhya, Naimisharanya, Karauna, Mishrik, Sitapur and Lucknow. He initiated many seekers of the Truth into the religion of pure devotion. The widely-renowned bar-at-law, Mr. A. P. Sena, the professor Dr. Rādhā Kumuda Mukhopādhyāya, Dr. Rādhā Kamala Mukhopādhyāya, Dr. A. N. Sena Gupta and many other highly regarded citizens came to hear him speak.

On June 1, 1929, a temporary post office was opened at Śrī Māyāpura and made into a permanent branch on November 1. During this time, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura had his devotees establish the “Lord’s garden” (Īśodyāna) that Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had desired in Māyāpura. He also had electricity brought to Māyāpura and electric lights placed on the pinnacle of the Chaitanya Math Temple.

On January 8, 1930, the great scholar Dr. Haraprasād Śāstrī visited Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and discussed many matters with him regarding the history of the various Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas including the Gauḍīya, the advent of many ācāryas, the Pañcarātra, and the teachings of Śrī Caitanya-deva.

In the middle of January, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went to the Pūrṇa Kumbha Melā in Prayāga. He engaged the Chaitanya Math’s preachers in talking about Mahāprabhu’s teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī. He installed Rādhā-Govinda deities, the life and soul of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, at the confluence of the three rivers, Triveni. By the grace of the best of Rūpa Gosvāmī’s followers, the pilgrims who came to Prayāga to bathe in the confluence of the holy rivers were fortunate to be able to hear the message of pure devotion.

From February 3 to March 17, 1930, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura held an unprecedented spiritual diorama exhibition in Navadvīpa-Māyāpura. It was opened by the famous chemist, Dr. Prafulla Candra Rāya. On February 18, on the occasion of Vyāsa-pūjā, a shrine to the ācārya’s feet was inaugurated at the Chaitanya Math.

On May 4, Mr. I. H. Napier came to hear about Indian spiritual philosophy from Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. On May 25, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went to Chatrabhoga, a place that Mahāprabhu visited on His way to Purī, and blessed many seekers of the truth. In July, he went to the Saccidananda Math in Cuttack and spoke about Kṛṣṇa to both learned and general audiences. On August 22, he travelled to Allahabad where he stayed with his entourage at the house of retired Sessions Judge, Manomohana Sānnyāl. He spoke there for several days, attracting Mr. Sānnyāl to Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet. He also resolved many of the questions asked by educated citizens of the town, especially Professor Dr. P. K. Ācārya.

On October 5, 1930, the move with the devotees and deities was made from the Ultadingi Junction Road Math to the new buildings at Bagh Bazaar. At the same time, a festival was held in honour of Rādhā-Madana Mohana, Rādhā-Govinda and Rādhā-Gopīnātha. A transcendental diorama exhibition was also opened and a great spiritual conference was called at the same time. The chief contributor to the construction of the temple, Jagabandhu Bhakti Rañjana, left the world on November 19 of the same year.

On December 25, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was in Jajpur; on the 26th, in Kurmakshetra; on the 27th in Siṁachalam; Kovvur on the 29th and on the 31st in Mangalagiri. In all these places, he installed shrines of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet and preached His gospel. Sir P. S. Shivaswami Iyer, K.C.S.I., Dr. U. Ram Rao and P. N. Subrahmanya Iyer were among the distinguished persons who were attracted by Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s preaching.

On April 3, 1931, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura opened the Bhaktivinoda Institute in Śrī Māyāpura, and to the large assembly of people present for the occasion, spoke on the difference between material and spiritual learning. On May 3, he went to Darjeeling to preach. On June 28, he officially accepted responsibility for the management of the Sripat of Nityānanda Prabhu’s associate, Maheśa Paṇḍita, in Chakdah. At the opening ceremonies, he spoke to a large crowd of seekers.

On July 12, he installed the deity of Gaurāṅga named Gauḍīya-nātha at the Brahma-Gaudiya Math in Ālālanātha. Five days later, he set the foundations of the Purusottam Math temple on land that had been donated by the king of Mayurbhanj. From there he went on to Cuttack where he spoke on Kṛṣṇa at the Sacchidananda Math. He sent a party of preachers to Simla in northern India.

On July 30, he spoke hari-kathā to an audience including the well-known professor Kālidāsa Nāga of Calcutta University at the Bagh Bazaar Gaudiya Math. On September 5, Honorable Justice Manmathnātha Mukhopādhyāya came to listen to Sarasvatī Ṭhākura speak at the Gaudiya Math.

At the time of the Gaudiya Math’s annual festival, on September 6, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura opened a spiritual education exhibition (Sat-śikṣā Pradarśinī) in Kolkata. Over the next few weeks, some of the prominent people who came to hear him speak were Yatindranātha Basu, M.A., M.L.C., Dr. Dīneśa Candra Sena Rāya Bāhādura, Vīrāja Mohana Majumadāra, the Vice Principal of University Law College, Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, the German scholar and world-traveller, and Dr. Stella Kremrisch of Calcutta University.

Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spoke at the Gaudiya Math’s many festivals. On September 29, he spoke on the nature of spiritual sound to the principal of the Calcutta Medical College, Colonel Dvārakā-prasād Goyal, I.M.S., and to the American traveller and scholar A. J. Jacobs on October 9. On October 11, in Prayāga, he met Allahabad University Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Gaṅgānātha Jha, and Allahabad Divisional Commissioner, Vināyaka Nanda Śaṅkara Mehta, I.C.S., and answered their questions on spiritual life.

On October 16, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was welcomed to Benares by its distinguished citizens and stayed and spoke at the king’s Mint Palace. On the 19th and 20th, he spoke at length on Vaiṣṇava philosophy and Kṛṣṇa-līlā to Vasanta Kumāra Caṭṭopādhyāya, Deputy Accountant General of Bengal literary. From there he went on to Lucknow on Oct. 31, and then to Naimisharanya, where on November 9 on Āmāvasyā tithi, he introduced the new Hindi fortnightly, Bhāgavata, published from the Paramhamsa Math.

In the beginning of November, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura sent preachers to the princely state Bhajji in Simla for propagating the gospel of Mahāprabhu. On November 14, he sent preachers to New Delhi to tell the Viceroy, Lord Willingdon, about the Math’s preaching activities. On November 17, he established the annual festival at the Delhi Gaudiya Math and spoke to many distinguished personalities about the life of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He also gave a speech about bhakti at the Gurudwar Bungalow Saheb Hall in New Delhi. On November 29, a great spiritual assembly was held in the garden of Honorable Council of State member, Rāya Bāhādura Lālā Jagadīśa Prasād, at which Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gave a speech. Then on November 30, he went with his entourage to Sukartal, the place where Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī first narrated the Bhāgavatam, and himself spoke from the Bhāgavatam.

On December 6, he installed Rādhā-Govinda deities in the Delhi Gaudiya Math. On the 9th, he came to Kolkata to speak at the first annual memorial service in honour of Jagabandhu Bhaktirañjana, the builder of the Bagh Bazaar Gaudiya Math buildings. The Honorable Justice Manmathanātha Mukhopādhyāya presided over the assembly. On the 13th, Mr. Mukhopādhyāya visited Māyāpura where he again heard Sarasvatī Ṭhākura speak. He also visited the dhāma and the Bhaktivinoda Institute.

On January 10, 1932, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went with a party of twenty devotees to Madras. A large group of devotees and dignitaries, including Madras Corporation President, T. S. Ramaswami Iyer, the Honorable T. Rajan, Mr. S. V. Ramaswami Mudaliyar, the honorable Diwan Bahadur Ji, Narayan Swami Chetiyar, C.I.E. [Companion of the Indian Empire], and T. Punurulla Pillai, greeted him at the Basin Bridge Station and accompanied him in a huge saṅkīrtana procession back to the Gaudiya Math, which at that time was situated in the North Gopalpuram neighbourhood. In the assembly that followed, the honourable Diwan Bahadur Kumarswami Reddiyar delivered a speech in which he indicated the depth of his esteem for the ācārya, Śrī Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.

On January 14, Madras High Court Justice, Diwan Bahadur Sundaram Chettiyar visited Sarasvatī Ṭhākura at the Madras Gaudiya Math and was satisfied by answers to his questions on spiritual matters. On January 23, deities were installed in the Madras Gaudiya Math. On the same day, the cornerstone for a new Math was laid in the Raipetta Palli. On January 24, a huge meeting was held with many important personalities as guests, including Sir P. S. Shivaswami Iyer. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spoke and attracted many of these people to Mahāprabhu’s teachings. On January 27, the governor of Madras Presidency, Sir George Frederick Stanley, laid the cornerstone for the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Kīrtana Hall at the Madras Gaudiya Math.

On January 29, Madras City Corporation extended an official welcome to Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. He gave a speech of thanks in the Corporation’s Rippon Building.

On the 30th, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went to the town of Eluru in the West Godāvarī district, where he was greeted by a huge saṅkīrtana party of townspeople. The Janardana Prārthanā Samāja presented him an official letter of welcome. He gave a speech and then initiated and inspired a large number of people from that region in the practice of pure devotional service. On his 58th birthday, he wrote a speech that was sent to Kolkata to be read at the Vyāsa-pūjā festivities there.

Sarasvatī Ṭhākura returned to Māyāpura before the 1932 Navadvīpa parikramā. On the occasion of Mahāprabhu’s appearance day, he laid the cornerstone for a new temple building at Advaita Ācārya’s house. He gave a speech at the annual meeting of the Śrīdhāma Pracāriṇī Sabhā as well as instituted the examinations for Bhakti-śāstrī and Bhakti-vaibhavācārya degrees. On April 3, he presided over the annual award-giving ceremony at the Bhaktivinoda Institute where he gave a speech on “Altruism and Extended Altruism”.

On May 23, 1932, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura returned to Madras. This time he had the opportunity to explain the particularities of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya to the religious leaders and scholars of the Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja and Madhva schools. On May 25, he spoke to a group of questioners led by Prof. K. Panchapagesan of Pudukottai College and settled their doubts. On May 29, the citizens of Coimbatore welcomed him. He spoke there and on the banks of the Bhavani River to the people of the town of Mettuppalaiyam. From there he went to Udugamandalam in the Nilgiri Hills, where he stayed at the Raṅgavilāsa Bhavana. He stayed there long enough to revise Prof. Niśikānta Sānnyāl’s English book, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, as well as to complete his own English translation of Brahma-saṁhitā, his Gauḍīya-bhāṣya commentary on the Caitanya Bhāgavata, and a short English book on the life of Rāmānanda Rāya.

While in Udagamandalam, several distinguished people came to visit Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and had the opportunity to hear his teachings through his principal disciples. They included Sir Kishan Prasad, G.C.I.E. (Knight and Grand Commander of the Indian Empire), prime minister to the Nizam of Hyderabad, Hyderabad zamindar Dhanaraj Girji, Sir P.S. Shivaswami Aiyar, and the honourable Diwan Bahadur P. Muniswami Naidu.

On June 17, the king of Mysore, Sir Krishnaraj Vadhiyar, G.C.S.I. [Knight and Grand Commander of the Star of India], G.B.E. [Grand Cross of the British Empire] invited Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and his disciples to Mysore where they stayed as his guests in the Rāma Mandira and tirelessly preached the Caitanya gospel throughout the area. On the way from Udagamandalam to Mysore, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura visited various places such as the Liṅgāits Temple Śrīkanṭhasvara and the Madhva Math in Nanjangar. On June 19, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura visited Krishnaraj Sagar and Srirangapattanam (20 km north of Mysore).

In the morning on June 20, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura visited the Mysore Sanskrit College and spoke to the professors on kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That afternoon he was invited to the king’s palace where he gave a discourse on Caitanya Mahāprabhu and answered the king’s questions.

From there, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went to Kovvur, the place on the banks of the Godāvarī where Mahāprabhu met with Rāmānanda Rāya for the first time. On July 5, he installed deities at the Ramananda Gaudiya Math. Hundreds of thousands of people come around that time to take bath in the Godāvarī on the occasion of the Puṣkara and were blessed by the chance to hear the chanting of Gaurāṅga’s names. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spoke on the gradual process of spiritual life and its ultimate goal to the educated people of the locality.

By August 16, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura had returned to Kolkata and Sir Deva Prasād Sarvādhikārī came to hear him speak on “Śrī Caitanya-prema”. On the 28th, during the annual festival held at the Gaudiya Math, he gave a lecture entitled “Relative Worlds” at the Gauḍīya Sārasvata Śravaṇa Sadana.

On August 21, 1932, upon hearing that the samādhi of his guru Śrīla Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, was about to fall into the Ganges, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura sent his disciples to arrange to have his transcendental samādhi transferred in its entirety to the Chaitanya Math in Māyāpura.

In the beginning of September, publication of a monthly magazine in the Assamese language, Kīrtana, was begun out of the town of Dhuburi on Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s orders. On September 3, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura delivered a lecture entitled “The Ultimate Goal of Life” at the Kolkata Sree Gaudiya Math. On the 4th, the Calcutta University professor Sunīti Cattopādhyāya and Nadia District Magistrate T. C. Rāya came to the Sree Gaudiya Math to hear him speak. On September 11, he gave a lecture on the Vedānta. These three lectures were later published. Then on the 16th, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura came to Māyāpura to inaugurate the samādhi temple of Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

On October 9, the appearance day of Śrī Madhvācārya, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and countless devotees undertook the 84 krośa pilgrimage tour of Vraja-maṇḍala. Stopping at every place where Kṛṣṇa had engaged in His pastimes, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and his disciples preached in various different languages for the benefit of the devotees coming from many different places. On the holy place of the confluence of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa, he himself lectured on Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Upadeśāmṛta to a large assembly of Vraja residents and scholars.

On November 4, after finishing the parikramā, he went to Haridwar where he laid the cornerstone for the Saraswata Gaudiya Math. Then on Nov. 21, in Prayāga, the cornerstone for the Rupa Gaudiya Math was laid at his invitation and in his presence by the governor of the United Provinces, Sir William Malcolm Haley. On the 24th, deities of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda were installed in the Sanatan Gaudiya Math in Benares.

On November 27, the second annual memorial festival in honor of Jagabandhu Bhakti Rañjana was held in Kolkata Sree Gaudiya Math, with Sir Manmathanātha Rāy Caudhurī Rājā Bāhādura presiding at the meeting. On December 4, Krishnanagar College professor Dr. Sudhīndra Kumāra Dāsa and Viśvambhara Vyākaraṇatīrtha, Vedānta-śāstrī of Radha-kanta Math in Purī came to Māyāpura where they learnt much about the different Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas throughout India.

On December 12, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura came to Dhaka to open a diorama exhibition. He remained there for over a month, until January 30, 1933, during which time many of the most respectable members of the learned community came to see him and hear his teachings. The diorama exhibition with the theme of spiritual education, unprecedented in Dhaka, was opened on January 6 in the Math in Purana Paltan. His lecture on that occasion, entitled “Exhibition speech”, created a change in the ideas of his listeners about the true nature of religion and its doctrines.

On February 2, on his return to the Kolkata Gaudiya Math, he explained the difference between eka-daṇḍa sannyāsa and tri-daṇḍa sannyāsa after being questioned on the subject by Satīśacandra De, dean of Narasingha College in Howrah, and Professor Raṇadā Caraṇa Cakravartī. On the 8th, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went to Śrī Māyāpura to celebrate Nityānanda Prabhu’s appearance day, Vyāsa-pūjā and the appearance day of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

On Mahāprabhu’s appearance day, 1933, Prof. Niśikānta Sānnyāla’s English-language book, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, was released for distribution. After this event, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura decided that it was now time to preach Mahāprabhu’s message in Europe. He selected three preachers for the job: Śrīmad Bhakti Pradip Tīrtha Mahārāja, Śrīmad Bhakti Hridoy Bon Mahārāja, and Samvidānanda Dāsa, M. A., Bhakti Śāstrī. On March 18, in a meeting presided over by Yatīndranātha Basu M.L.C [Member of Legislative Council], Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gave a farewell speech called “My Message” (Āmāra Kathā), in which he praised these three disciples, bidding them bon voyage before they left to carry out the European mission.

The first news of results of their preaching in London came at the beginning of May: a preaching centre had been opened at 39 Drain Gardens, Kensington, S.W. 10. On May 31, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura answered inquiries on spiritual matters sent from London by the Marquess of Ludian and Lord Zetland, a former governor of Bengal. On June 15, Lord Zetland presided over a meeting of the Society for the Study of Religion at Bedford Square, in which Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s disciples spoke on the glories of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

On June 23, a meeting was held at the London Gaudiya Math in honour of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Many distinguished guests, including the Honorable Justice Bistrow, came there to hear about Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s teachings. In the month of July, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura received letters from several distinguished British citizens thanking him for the great work the Gaudiya Math had undertaken in Great Britain. They included Lord Irwin’s private secretary, Mr. R. A. Butler, the Marquis of Ludian, Sir Stanley Jackson, and Times editor, Mr. Brown.

On July 5, former Viceroy of India Lord Irwin, his wife and representatives of the Joint Select Parliamentary Committee heard from the Gaudiya Math missionaries about their objectives in preaching Mahāprabhu’s message in Europe. At 4 P.M. on July 20, the Secretary of State for India, Sir Samuel Hoare, introduced the Gaudiya Math preachers to King George V and Queen Mary in Buckingham Palace. They had the opportunity to offer their respects to the king and to tell him the purpose of the Gaudiya Mission. On July 14, they met with the head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Then on October 7 and 8, a large meeting was held for the professors and students of Oxford University, in which the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava doctrine of the Holy Names was explained.

The Gaudiya Math’s European preachers gave lectures on Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s gospel at the Eastbourne Theosophical Society on November 24-25, then at the Deutsch Akademi in Munich, Germany, on December 10; at Humboldt House in Berlin on December 12; Koningsburg on the 14th, at the Institut de la Civilization Indienne in Paris between Dec. 16 and 18. On December 20, the London Gaudiya Math moved to 3 Gloucester House, Cornwall Gardens, S.W. 7.

While this was going on, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura opened the Śrī-Kṛṣṇa Kīrtana Hall in Madras. From there he went to Bombay, where he met with the Nepali professor, Sañjīva Kumāra Caudhurī, M.A., and answered his three sincere questions.

Not long afterwards, he opened the Gaudiya Math’s Bombay office in the Jangu Villa on Babul Nath Road. While staying there, he made great efforts to preach Mahāprabhu’s message in the large city. On May 20, in response to a question by a distinguished relative of Dādābhāi Nārajī, he gave his resolution of the problem of the movement for the admission of untouchables into Hindu temples.

Meanwhile, on June 16, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spoke on the uniqueness of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam at the Krishnanagar Town Hall. The occasion was a memorial meeting in honour of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, which was presided over by Ksitipati Nātha Mitra and Dīnanātha Sānnyāla Rāya Bāhādura.

On July 3, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura installed deities of Gaurasundara and Rādhā-Govinda in the newly finished temple at the Tridandi Gaudiya Math in Bhuvanesvar. This was followed by a kīrtana festival.

In August, on the occasion of a solar eclipse, a spiritual diorama exhibition was held for the second time at Kurukshetra. During the time of the Bagh Bazaar Math’s annual festival, a large kīrtana procession was taken through many Kolkata neighbourhoods. On August 12, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spoke on “The ultimate goal of human life”, on the 20th, on “The uniqueness of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu”, and on the 27th, in English on “The Vedānta, its morphology and ontology”. On September 7, he went by motor launch to Navadvīpa, bringing saṅkīrtana to various places along the Ganges.

On October 27, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura made his auspicious entrance into the city of Patna to preach Mahāprabhu’s message to the local populace. Some of the distinguished people who came to hear his instructions were Amarendranātha Dāsa Rāya Bāhādura; Gaṇeśa Candra Canda, the government archeological superintendent for the region of Bihar, Odisha, and Chota Nagpur; the barrister, P. R. Dāsa; advocate Navadvīpa Candra Dāsa; District and Session Judge, Śivapriya Cattopādhyāya. On November 14, Darbhanga Mahārāja, Sir Kāmeśvara Singh Bāhādura, K.C.S.I., opened the diorama exhibition in Patna, attracting some of the most distinguished citizens of that town.

On November 19, the third annual memorial meeting for Jagabandhu Bhaktirañjana was presided over at the Kolkata Sree Gaudiya Math by Sir Vijaya Prasād Siṁha Rāya. At the end of November, the Bhakti-sandarbha, edited by Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, was published in its entirety. On November 24, he spoke hari-kathā in Tetiya Palli near Nrisimha Palli in Navadvīpa-dhāma. On November 26 and 27, he took part in a saṅkīrtana festival at the Ekayan Math in Krishnanagar. By his grace, there was also preaching activity in Amarshigram in Midnapore at this time as well.

During this time, preaching activity was also being conducted in Karachi, now in Pakistan. On December 24, the spiritual exhibition was opened in Benares in the Michir Pokra neighbourhood by Saravati Ṭhākura’s supporter, District Magistrate and Collector, Mr. Pannalal, I.C.S. [Indian Civil Service].

On January 15, 1934, the King of the independent state of Tripura, Vīravikrama Kiśora Devavarma Maṇikya Bāhādura, visited the Kolkata Sree Gaudiya Math with his entourage. He showed his reverence for the Ācārya and at a great assembly that evening gave a speech praising the work of the Gaudiya Math. On February 2, Hetampur’s Kumāra Bāhādura Rādhikā Rañjana Cakravartī, B.A., his private secretary and retinue came to visit Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and to receive his instructions.

On February 4, on his 60th birthday, the Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony was held and printing of a book written by his disciples in glorification of his life, Sarasvatī Jayaśrī, was begun. On February 2, in London, a meeting in honour of the Ācārya was held at Grosvenor House in London’s Park Lane, presided over by Lord Zetland.

On February 25, in Modadrumadvīpa, the new temple at Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura’s birthplace was inaugurated. That year, the Navadvīpa-dhāma parikramā and festival celebrating the appearance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu were held as usual, temple buildings at the site of Śrīvāsa Aṅgana and Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī’s samādhi were consecrated, three devotees were initiated into the tridaṇḍa sannyāsa order, and Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gave regular lectures in the Bhakti Vijaya Bhavana as well as at the annual meeting of the Navadvīpa Dhāma Pracāriṇī Sabhā. Amongst the notable visitors to the Chaitanya Math during this time were Rājarṣi Kumāra Śaradindu Nārāyaṇa Rāya and Rāya Bāhādura Ramā Prasād Candra, who came on February 19, and visited many of the holy places in Māyāpura besides coming to see the Ācārya.

On March 5, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura headed a large preaching party that went to Chanchuri Puruliya in Jessore, the home village of the Gaudiya Math temple manager, Mahā Mahopadeśaka Ācāryatrika Kuñja Bihārī Vidyābhūṣaṇa Mahāśaya. He spent five days there constantly preaching the message of Lord Caitanya.

On March 18, the foundations were laid for the proposed temple at the birthplace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as well as for a temple at Murāri Gupta’s house. Three months later, at 10 A.M. on June 13, 31 Jyaiṣṭha, the four-armed form of Viṣṇu known as Adhokṣaja, was found in the ground while digging the foundations for the new temple at the Yogapīṭha, made possible by the donations of Śrī Sakhīcaraṇa Rāya Bhakti Vijaya Mahāśaya. This was the same deity that Jagannātha Miśra worshipped in his home.

On April 2, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura established a shrine to Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet in Chatrabhoga. The villagers there awarded him special recognition and he gave a speech in response. On April 8, he gave sannyāsa to several disciples. On the 20th he went to Purī from Kolkata.

On April 24, in Westminster’s Caxton Hall, a general meeting presided over by Lord Zetland was held to inaugurate the foundation of the Gaudiya Mission Society.

On May 6, the archeologist Rāma Prasād Canda Rāya Bāhādura gave a lecture on “Navadvīpa at the time of Lord Caitanya” at a meeting presided over by Yatīndranātha Basu, M.L.C.

Throughout the month of May, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura met with a number of important people and spoke to them about Kṛṣṇa. They included the chief lecturer of the Āyurveda department at the Purī Sanskrit College, Ānanda Mahāpātra; the novelist Śacīśacandra Caṭṭopādhyāya, the abbot of Emar Math, Gadādhara Rāmānuja Dāsa; Hanumān Khuṇtiyā; Rāya Bāhādura Gaura Śyāma Mahānti; Rādhā Śyāma Mahānti; Professor Junākara of Dhaka University; Purī Deputy Magistrate Revatīnātha Cattopādhyāya and Magistrate Narendranātha Datta Bāhādura, the founder of the Bodhana Ashram, Girijā Prasanna Mukhopādhyāya; and Khagendranātha Mitra.

On June 27, the Gopīnātha deity was consecrated by Sarasvatī Ṭhākura at the Ālālanātha Brahma Gaudiya Math along with festive kīrtana. The revised and expanded edition of the book Brāhmaṇa o Vaiṣṇava was released on this day.

On July 12, he installed a deity of Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī in Māyāpura. On August 13, he preached to the son of the illustrious O. N. Mukharjee, Yāminī Mohana Mukhopādhyāya. On August 14, he installed deities at the Patna Gaudiya Math.

At the annual Gaudiya Math festival, once again harināma-saṅkīrtana was held in the streets of Kolkata. On September 1, on the day of Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, the book Sarasvatī Jayaśrī was released. On September 4, the English language fortnightly Harmonist was published in a new format.

On September 16, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spoke at the Sree Gaudiya Math on Rādhāṣṭamī in an assembly presided over by Dvārakānātha Mitra, M.A., D.L. Countless visitors to the temple heard Sarasvatī Ṭhākura speak on Kṛṣṇa conscious topics.

Starting October 17, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spent the month of Kārtika, observing the vrata in Mathura with a large group of disciples and followers. During this time, he set the example of discussing Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s aṣṭakālīya-līlā (remembrance of pastimes during eight periods of the day). On October 29, he discovered the place in Mathura city, in the Sātagharā neighbourhood, where Rūpa Gosvāmī would come for darśana of Gopāla.

In the third week of October, his representative preachers visited several German universities to preach the message of pure devotion.

On November 1, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and his party visited Candra Sarovara, Parāsauli, Gaurī Tīrtha, and Paiṭha Grāma, and he was inspired to talk on the līlās that took place in these spots. On November 17, he gave tridaṇḍa sannyāsa to a brahmacārī disciple.

On November 29, at the Rajendra Bhavana in New Delhi, he spoke on “The duty of human life” and “Mahāprabhu’s Mercy and His teaching” to an audience that included N. Chatterjee and Dr. J. K. Sena.

On December 6, Rājā Bhūpendra Nārāyaṇa Siṁha Bāhādura presided over the fourth annual memorial assembly in honour of Jagabandhu Bhaktirañjana. At this time, on his order, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s Andhra disciple, Y. Jagannatham, B.A., published Śrī Caitanya-Śikṣāmṛta in the Telugu language. Meanwhile, the English edition of Jaiva Dharma was also in publication.

On January 15, 1935, the Governor of Bengal, Sir John Anderson, came to visit the birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Māyāpura and, after hearing about the site from Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, himself gave a speech.

Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s 61st birthday was celebrated with Vyāsa-pūjā on February 23 in his birthplace, Purī, amidst the sand dunes near the ocean (Caṭaka Parvata). A huge assembly was held at which the king of Purī, Gajapati Rāmacandra Deva Bāhādura, presided. The following day, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura led a parikramā around Purī and gave a lecture for the occasion. In preparation for the Dola-pūrṇimā festivities, Śrī Sakhīcaraṇa Rāya Bhakti Vijaya Mahodaya had electric lights installed in the Yogapīṭha temple building. On March 4, Sir B. L. Mitra came to hear Sarasvatī Ṭhākura speak on Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

On March 20, Dola Pūrṇimā, the birthdate of Caitanya Mahāprabhu was marked by the inauguration of the newly finished temple. The King of Tripura, Sir Vīravikrama Kiśora Devavarma Maṇikya Bāhādura, came to Māyāpura for the occasion and officially opened the temple doors.

On March 24, the Gaudiya Math ācārya went with a party of devotees to Deruli in Khulna district where he addressed several massive gatherings. On March 31, the King of Burdwan, Sir Vijaya Cānda Mahātāv, came to the Kolkata Gaudiya Math and heard the ācārya speak.

On April 8, he came to Dhaka and placed the foundation stone for the proposed new temple building of the Madhva Gaudiya Math in Narinda Palli. The residents of Dhaka and Narain Ganj welcomed him and eulogized him.

On April 12, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura installed deities at the Jagannath Gaudiya Math in Mymansingh. He stayed there until the 15th at Shashi Lodge on the invitation of the king, Śaśīkānta Ācārya, and preached to many learned and distinguished citizens of the district.

On April 19, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura travelled to Gaya where he visited all the places that Mahāprabhu had been to and spoke to many educated and respectable people. On the 22nd, he established the Gaya Gaudiya Math. On April 30, he sent a few preachers to Burma for propagating Mahāprabhu’s message. On May 31, he was in Darjeeling with a group of devotees and spoke constantly on topics related to Kṛṣṇa. Then on June 9 and 10, in large assemblies presided over by Sir Yadunātha Sarkāra and Colonel Upendranātha Mukhopādhyāya, he had his leading disciples speak. On June 9, he spread Caitanya’s gospel on the Indian Broadcasting Service Center’s radio network.

On June 28, at the Kolkata Gaudiya Math, he received Cooch Bihar Queen, Indirā Devī, the princesses Elā Devī and Gāyatrī Devī, prince Indrajitendra Nārāyaṇa Bāhādura, and the French intellectual Maximilian Poitiers, Ph.D., all of whom heard from the ācārya about Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

On July 8, he installed deities at the Bombay Gaudiya Math on Proctor Street and in a meeting held at the People’s Jinnah Hall spoke on the Bhāgavata and Pañcarātra. At this time, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s disciple Samvidānanda Dāsa, M.A., Bhakti Śāstrī, the expert archeologist, received his doctorate from the University of London in Vaiṣṇava history and literature. From the end of July to the middle of August, the Ācārya was preaching in different places in the Navadvīpa area.

Every Sunday beginning with the annual Gaudiya Math festival, street saṅkīrtana was held and programs about Janmāṣṭamī, Nandotsava, Rādhāṣṭamī and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s appearance day were broadcast on the radio. Then, from Balarāma’s appearance day, the Ācārya spoke on the Bhāgavata for sixteen consecutive days. During the festival itself, at the great assembly presided over by Kashim Bazaar King, Śacīndra Nandī Bāhādura, he spoke on “Devotion and the material world” and in the assembly presided over by Hiraṇya Kumar Mitra he spoke on “Devotion and worldly indifference.”

In Kolkata on September 18, the people of Kolkata welcomed and gave a special letter of appreciation to returning preacher Śrīmad Bhakti Hridoy Bon Mahārāja and two German devotees, who arrived from London.

On September 12, the full moon day of the month of Bhādra, twelve cantos of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam with the vivriti commentary by Srila Sarasvatī Ṭhākura arrived from the press and he gave a lecture on the completion of this service.

From October 1 to 7, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was on a preaching engagement in New Delhi. Then, from the 8th, he spent more than a month in Rādhā-kuṇḍa to keep the vows for the month of Kārtika (niyama-sevā). During this time, he spoke daily on the Upaniṣads, Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, as well as circumambulating the kuṇḍa, and hearing and speaking about Kṛṣṇa’s aṣṭakālīya-līlā. A committee, named the Vraja Dhāma Pracāriṇī Sabhā, was founded to improve opportunities to serve the holy dhāma of Vraja.

On November 4, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura installed deities at the Kunja Bihari Math at Rādhā-kuṇḍa, and two days later, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s puṣpa-samādhi memorial and bhāva-sevā at Vraja Svānanda Sukhada Kuñja.

On November 7, he travelled to Seshashayi in Punjab and then on to Delhi where he preached at the annual festival on the 10th. On the 11th, he was in Gaya where he stayed, telling the good news of Mahāprabhu’s mercy to the people of that town until the 15th. On the 13th, he installed deities in the Gaya Gaudiya Math. During this period, the preaching activity in Burma was meeting with great success.

On December 23, the King of Tripura, Vīravikrama Kiśora Devavarma Māṇikya Bāhādura, presided over the fifth annual memorial festival to Jagabandhu Bhaktirañjana. After the assembly, the ācārya met with Dr. Henry Hand and Mr. S. V. Rossetto of California, barrister S. N. Rudra, retired judge Lalita Mohana Basu and others, preaching to them about knowledge beyond sense perception.

On December 27, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura travelled to Patna where he spoke at the Gaudiya Math. On the 30th, he went on to Allahabad where he spoke on Mahāprabhu’s teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī.

On January 7, 1936, he opened the transcendental diorama exhibition at Prayāga, after which he gave the presidential speech in English before an assembly of learned persons.

On January 11, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura returned to Māyāpura, where he remained for a full two months, preaching daily to the devotees living at the Chaitanya Math and the birth site of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu.

On February 12, in celebration of his 62nd birthday, he established the Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Research Institute or the Kṛṣṇa-anuśīlana-āgāra (“Library for Kṛṣṇa Culture”), and the Daiva Varṇāśrama Saṅgha. The Vyāsa-pūjā was held at Śrīvāsa Aṅgana. The appearance day of the ācārya was also celebrated in London with the London Gaudiya Mission Society chairman, The Right Honourable Sir Sadilal, presiding.

Starting from February 25, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura started establishing deities of the viṣaya and āśraya-vigrahas of each of Navadvīpa’s nine islands. On March 1, he went to Suvarṇa Bihāra where he established the Suvarna Bihari Math and installed deities there. On March 5, he opened the Sarvabhauma Gaudiya Math in Vidyanagar, also installing deities there. On the 7th, the Rudradvīpa Gaudiya Math was opened along with deity service.

On March 8, the appearance day of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, on the Ācārya’s direction, the Burmese education minister, Dr. Bame, opened the Rangoon office of the Gaudiya Math at 29 Brooking Street. At the London Gaudiya Math also, the devotees gave speeches in honour of Mahāprabhu’s appearance, with Dr. Parhi presiding.

On March 15, the Ācārya travelled to Assam where deities were installed at the Sarbhog Gaudiya Math. The residents of Sarbhog gave him a warm welcome and bestowed honours on him.

On March 27, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura travelled to Cuttack where he preached to distinguished people of that town. From March 29, he stayed at Caṭaka Parvata in Purī, establishing a residence for devotees and a temple with deities of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda. In a speech before many learned people of the city, he inaugurated a hundred-day saṅkīrtana festival. On May 4, he celebrated Nṛsiṁha Caturdaśī at Ālālanātha, at the Brahma Gaudiya Math. On May 30, he initiated several brahmacārī preachers into the order of tridaṇḍa sannyāsa.

On June 7, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went to Dhaka where he stayed at the home of Supati Rañjana Nāga M.A., B.L., where he spoke on topics of Kṛṣṇa to an audience of distinguished persons. He also initiated a number of truth-seekers in the service of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.

On June 9, he arrived in Baliyati village in Dhaka district, accepted the welcome of the villagers and gave a speech in thanks. On June 10, he installed deities of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda in the newly constructed Gadai-Gauranga Math temple. On the 13th and 14th, he had his sannyāsī preachers and one of his German disciples speak at Dhaka University and the Dhaka Bar Library.

On June 19th, he celebrated the 22nd anniversary of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s disappearance at Svānanda Sukhada Kuñja in Godrumadvīpa. He spoke on renouncing the company of non-devotees and held a saṅkīrtana festival. On the same day, the Gaudiya Math devotees gave the opportunity to thousands of pilgrims who had assembled at Kurukshetra for the solar eclipse to hear Mahāprabhu’s gospel by visiting the diorama exhibition, Sat Śikṣā Pradarśanī.

On the 27th, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura went to Darjeeling where he stayed at the Gaudiya Math office. He spoke and had his disciples speak hari-kathā to their distinguished guests. He installed Śrī Rādhā-Govinda deities there on July 19, taking the opportunity to speak himself to the assembled guests.

On July 24, he came to Bogra on the insistent invitation of its people. He was given a warm welcome and at the local Hindu Sabhā meeting, he addressed the need for preaching Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava-dharma in northern Bengal, which had previously been blessed by Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura.

After celebrating the appearance day of Balarāma and Janmāṣṭamī in Kolkata, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura decided to spend the month of Puruṣottama (the supplementary month irregularly added to the Hindu calendar to balance the lunar and solar years, also known as mala-māsa) in the Mathura area. He left Kolkata on August 12, 1936. He first stayed in Mathura Cantonment at a building by the name Śivālaya. From there, he went to Vṛndāvana where he stayed at Madhumaṇgala Kuñja, speaking regularly on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. He inaugurated a place of worship in Govardhana. He returned to the Kolkata Gaudiya Math on September 9 for the annual festival.

On October 16, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spoke for nearly an entire hour to Dr. Śivapada Bhaṭṭācārya, M.B. On the 23rd, he bestowed the responsibility for preaching Mahāprabhu’s message in Great Britain and America on Bhaktisāraṅga Prabhu. He blessed him and gave him instructions in the worship of gomatī-śilā, śālagrāma-śilā and govardhana-śilā before leaving for London. Sarasvatī Ṭhākura also gave a speech at the Sārasvata Śravaṇa Sadana.

On October 24, he left for Purī. On November 1, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s dear disciple Tridaṇḍi Svāmī Bhakti Srirupa Purī Mahārāja left this world.

While at Caṭaka Parvat, Purī’s non different manifestation of Govardhana hill, he celebrated the appearance of Madhvācārya and performed puja of Govardhana, which he worshipped with the hymns composed by Rūpa and Raghunātha Gosvāmīs. He also observed a festival of separation from his dear lord, Śrīla Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Each day, his disciples and guests were refreshed after bathing in the holy waters of his discourse. While in Purī, he constantly warned everyone, “Worship the Lord without duplicity, for not much time is left.” He constantly repeated few lines written by Rūpa and Raghunātha Gosvāmīs:

pratyāśāṁ me tvaṁ kuru govardhana pūrṇām

O Govardhana, fulfil every one of my wishes! (Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Govardhanāṣṭakam) nija-nikaṭa-nivāsaṁ dehi govardhana tvam

O Govardhana, please give me residence near you. (Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī’s Govardhana-vāsa-prārthanā-daśakam)

Śrīla Prabhupāda returned to Kolkata on December 9 and spoke hari-kathā to his disciples non-stop.

On December 23, 1936, a few days prior to the setting of the blazing sun of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura spoke to a gathering of his disciples in the morning, at which time he said the following:

“I have disturbed many people because I felt obliged to speak the unadulterated truth. I have told everyone to worship Hari without hypocrisy and because of this, some people have perhaps considered me to be their enemy. So I have caused many people anxiety by telling them to give up other desires and hypocrisy and to sincerely serve Kṛṣṇa. Someday they will be able to understand what I was getting at.

“All of you please preach the message of Rūpa-Raghunātha with great enthusiasm. The ultimate object of our desires is to become specks of dust at the lotus feet of the followers of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. Remain united in following the āśraya-vigraha in order to satisfy the transcendental senses of the one, non-dual Supreme Truth. Make your way through this impermanent, transitory life in whatever way you can, keeping the goal of worshipping the Lord foremost in your minds. Don’t abandon this goal, even in the face of hundreds of dangers, insults, or persecutions. Don’t lose your spirit if you see that the majority of people cannot accept the principle of selfless service to the Supreme Lord. Never abandon your bhajana, hearing and chanting kṛṣṇa-kathā, the be-all and end-all of your devotional life. Please always chant the Name of the Lord, being humbler than a blade of grass and more tolerant than the tree.

“This body is like the ageing cow which in ancient times was meant to be offered up in sacrifice. Only we desire to offer the body to Kṛṣṇa in the sacrifice of the Holy Name established by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and His associates. We do not seek to become heroes performing great works or religious deeds; our true being and our identity is that of a speck of dust at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa Prabhu, life after life. The stream that flows from Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura will never be dammed up. Remember this and vow to double your efforts to fulfil Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s desires. Amongst you are many capable and worthy individuals. We seek nothing for ourselves; our only motto is:

ādadānas tṛṇaṁ dantair idaṁ yāce punaḥ punaḥ
śrīmad rūpa-padāmbhoja-dhūliḥ syāṁ janma-janmani

‘Taking grass between my teeth, I pray repeatedly that I may become a speck of dust at Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s lotus feet, birth after birth.’ (Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī’s Mukta-carita.)

“While living in the world, we encounter many difficulties; but there is no need for us to be bewildered by these difficulties—nor need we make any effort to remove them. What is necessary for us, while we are still here, is to learn what will remain after we have removed all those difficulties—what will be the nature of our eternal life. There are so many things, which we want or don’t want, but we have to come to terms with this duality of attractions and repulsions. The more we distance ourselves from Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, the more these things will draw us in. We can only begin to comprehend the exquisite taste of service to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet after transcending these worldly attractions and repulsions and being attracted by His Holy Name. The doctrines of kṛṣṇa-bhakti seem startling at first, perhaps even perplexing. Knowingly or unknowingly, every human being is struggling to eliminate the adventitious elements in life that interfere with his direct experience of eternal fulfilment. Our only obligation is to go beyond duality and to enter the world of that eternal fulfilment.

“We have no attachment for anyone in this world, nor any hostility. Whatever arrangements we make in this world last but a moment, while the need to search out the supreme fulfilment is equally unavoidable for everyone. May all of you work united and in harmony toward the same goal: to earn the right to serve the root āśraya-vigraha. May the current of ideas propagated by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī flow throughout the world. May we never, under any circumstance, become indifferent to the seven-tongued sacrificial flame of the Holy Name. If our attraction to it remains ever-increasing, we will achieve all perfection. Remain one pointedly faithful to Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s followers and preach Rūpa-Raghunātha’s message enthusiastically and fearlessly.”

In the morning of the day on which he disappeared, Śrīla Prabhupāda asked Tridaṇḍi Svāmī Śrīmad Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhara Mahārāja to sing Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura’s song, śrī rūpa mañjarī pada, and Śrīpāda Navīna Kṛṣṇa Vidyālaṇkāra Prabhu to sing the song tuhun dayā sāgara tārayite prāṇī from Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s translation of the 2nd verse of the Śikṣāṣṭaka. Śrīla Prabhupāda expressed satisfaction and thanks to Śrī Bhakti Sudhakar Prabhu (Prof. Niśikānta Sānnyāl) for his service. He also told Patna’s Śrī Vrajeśvarī Prasād Prabhu to remain enthusiastic in his service.

At about four o’clock in the afternoon, he called Śrī Sakhī-caraṇa Rāya Bhakti Vijaya to tell him that he was very fortunate because of the service he had rendered to Śrī Māyāpura. Later in the afternoon, he said to Śrī Bhakti Vivek Bhāratī Mahārāja, “You are a competent person. Take care of the mission. It is good to have a single and specific purpose for love of godhead. Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura adopted Rūpa and Raghunātha’s understanding. It is best if we live according to that understanding.”

Then Śrīla Prabhupāda said to everyone, “I give my blessings to all who are present here and to those who are absent. Remember always that our only duty and religion is to propagate the service of the Bhāgavata and of Bhagavān.”

At about 5:30 A.M., on Thursday, January 1, 1937, on kṛṣṇā caturthī, Śrīla Prabhupāda entered the eternal abode, joining Śrī Rādhā-Govinda in the predawn pastimes (niśānta-līlā). At the end of every night, Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa lie intertwined in an embrace, becoming as one body. It is at this moment, when Their united form of Śrī Gaurasundara is eternally manifest, that Vārṣabhānavī-dayita Dāsa, Their servant, joined them.

namaste gauravāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe
rūpānuga-viruddhāpa-siddhanta-dhvānta-hāriṇe

Obeisances to you who are the embodiment of Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu’s gospel, the deliverer of the fallen and the destroyer of the darkness of unorthodox doctrines that oppose the conclusions given by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and his followers.

Last Nārāyaṇa 4, 450 of the Caitanya era, at the end of the Thursday night, Pauṣa 16, 1343 of the Bengali calendar, on Friday morning, January 1, 1937, Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda joined his eternal service in the predawn pastimes (niśānta-līlā) of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda. This is the same hour that his own Gurudeva, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīla Gaura Kiśora Prabhu entered into nitya-līlā. Prabhupāda was the great ācārya of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya and its only protector, the ninth in descent from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the best of the followers of Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī.

The meaning of entering into eternal pastimes (nitya-līlā) at this hour is understood clearly by those who are intimate with him for it is directly experienced in their hearts, but a hint, based on the words of realized souls, is being given here. At the end of the night, Śrī Rādhā-Govinda are locked in a divine unbreakable embrace, gāḍhāliṅgana-nirbhedam āptau. Jayadeva Gosvāmī has indicated this situation with the word naktaṁ in the first verse of Gīta-govinda, which begins meghair meduram ambaram. When Śrī Rādhā-Govinda are joined together like this, they take on Their combined form of Śrī Gaurasundara. It is this auspicious moment that Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-dayita Dāsa Prabhu chose to make his entry into Their pastimes.

Śrīla Prabhupāda is like the sun of the Gauḍīya sampradāya, as he is identical with its ācāryas Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara. But now that this sun of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s sampradāya has set, darkness has descended not only on the preachers in the sky of the Gauḍīya lineage but on the entire world. It seems that the direct light of unadulterated devotion will once again be hidden from the view of the world’s people. Our only hope is that this luminary amongst spiritual teachers sufficiently inspired his sincere followers with such an unparalleled desire to serve the feet of Lord Adhokṣaja, with such ever-fresh enthusiasm, and instilled in them such paramount and rare ideals of practice and preaching, that the stream which passed through Śrī Svarūpa and Śrī Rūpa and then through Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura will only continue to gather more force and flow into the world. In our hearts, we consider nothing else to be possible even in our worst imaginings. From the blessings that he gave just before entering into his eternal service, we know that by adhering faithfully to his teachings and propagating them, we will be able to get his direct, personal association and will be able to find all the strength we need. Furthermore, by preaching fearlessly, without any expectation, and with the force of character that comes of sincere service and fidelity, we will be able to practice and preach the gospel of Śrī Gaurasundara, our master’s master, throughout the world. By so doing, we are assured that his blessings will continue to rain down on us even more profusely. This faith is the sole lamppost illuminating the path of pure devotion, which is strewn with countless obstacles.

We, the Gauḍīya’s writers, are today without any shelter, as we will no longer be able to show our articles to him who was the preserver of Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rūpa Gosvāmī’s devotional doctrines. Śrīla Prabhupāda would eagerly read every article that was to be published in the Gauḍīya. He would give us blessings and show the deepest satisfaction with our efforts. Now, even though we will no longer be able to experience this directly, we will not be entirely devoid of his blessings nor of the spiritual strength arising from his mercy. We are not without succour, for he left us the gift of service to those who know the doctrines of pure devotion as taught by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and hence we are not deprived of his eternal blessings and mercy.

Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote the following words in Sajjana-toṣaṇī after the disappearance of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura:

“The purpose of the Sajjana-toṣaṇī remains unchanged. Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has entered the nitya-līlā, but by his blessings, this magazine will continue to bring joy to the pious through hari-kathā, just as before… Some think that accepting the opinion of the material sensualists the path of bhakti is advanced by eliminating the idea of pure devotion; others tarnish pure devotion’s beauty by accepting the facile path of the materialistic devotees as the standard.”

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung in his Kalyāṇa-kalpa-taru,

bhakti-bādhā jāhā ha’te se vidyāra mastakete
padāghāta kara akaitava
sarasvatī kṛṣṇa-priyā kṛṣṇa-bhakti tār hiyā
vinodera sei se vaibhava

‘Fearlessly stomp on any learning which causes obstacles on the path of devotion. The goddess Sarasvatī is dear to Kṛṣṇa, and her heart is full of devotion to the Lord. Such devotion is my wealth and glory.’

Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and Śrīmān Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu can neither condone any words that contradict devotional service, nor any which compromise it. This, we have always experienced, is the matchless characteristic of those teachings. Śrī Caitanya-Sarasvatī (Śrīla Prabhupāda) is most dear to Kṛṣṇa, and, as Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s wealth, is the expansion of the lotus feet of the original āśraya-vigraha, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. The daughter of Vṛṣabhānu has expanded as Mahāprabhu’s gospel, gaura-vāṇī, through Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Thus, service to Gaura’s teachings is identical with the service to Rādhā-Govinda in obedience to the guru, and service to Śrī Gopī-Gopīnātha in compliance with Śrī Rūpa-mañjarī.

Śrīla Prabhupāda has shown the path of the bower where Śrī Gaurāṅga of Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s teachings resides via the light of the devotional lamp and has revealed in our ears, which are forever so long conditioned, the order of Gaura-Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning: ‘Be the servant of Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s followers and always chant the Holy Name.’

We pray to remain constantly dedicated to the glorification of that abode of virtue, Gaurāṅga, Who is Kṛṣṇa Himself residing in that message-bower, with single-minded commitment and great gusto. On this day, we pray to all the Vaiṣṇavas who are obedient to the preceptors in the line of Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī for this blessing.

1. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has revealed our supreme worshipable object in His Śikṣāṣṭaka: paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. (Patrāvalī, vol. 3, page 38)
2. Only Kṛṣṇa, the object of devotion (viṣaya-vigraha), is the enjoyer (bhogī); everyone else is the enjoyed (bhogya). (Ibid., 58)
3. Everyone but the worshiper of Hari is a suicidal fool. (Ibid., 76)
4. One of the maṭha resident’s chief duties is to learn tolerance. (Ibid., 88)
5. The followers of Rūpa Gosvāmī do not place their faith in their own powers, but rather attribute all glory to the fountainhead of those powers. (Ibid., 89)
6. Taking the Holy Name and the direct experience of God are one and the same thing. (Patrāvalī, vol. 2, page 3)
7. Those who follow a jumbled syncretic religious path cannot engage in the service of the Lord. (Ibid., 13)
8. True service to Śrī Māyāpura will be achieved through the establishment of printing presses, the distribution of devotional literature and the establishment of nāma-haṭṭa preaching centres. (Ibid., 51)
9. Stay united and cooperate in the common purpose of serving Hari. (Ibid., 53)
10. A holy place is where the topics of Kṛṣṇa are being discussed. (Ibid., 82)
11. We perform neither pious works nor engage in sinful activity; we are neither learned nor ignorant. We are simple carriers of genuine devotees’ sandals, and are initiated in the mantra, kīrtanīya sadā hari (always chant the Holy Name). (Ibid., 104)
12. My advice is that you not calumniate other people’s nature but rectify yourselves. (Ibid., 106)
13. In the precepts set forth by Mahāprabhu, I cannot find the precepts of the kṣatriyas, vaiṣyas, śūdras or Muslims. From His teachings, I understand that He adopted the highest standards of the seers, the ṛṣis. Following in His footsteps, we also will adopt this religion of the Bhāgavata, which is based on transcendental principles. (Patrāvalī, vol.1, page 27)
14. Our ultimate duty is to serve the residents of Vraja in their mood of intense separation from Kṛṣṇa after He has departed for Mathura. (Ibid., 46)
15. The mahā-bhāgavata knows that everyone is his guru; and that is why he is guru to the whole world. (Ibid., 58)
16. If I seek the path leading to the ultimate good, I must ignore the countless voices of popular wisdom and listen to that of the realized souls—the śrauta-vāṇī. (Lecture, Āṣāḍha 22, 1333 Bengali era)
17. The truly beneficial should only be pleasing. (Lecture, Kārtika 2, 1333)
18. A confidential devotee is greedy for nothing but service to the followers of Rūpa Gosvāmī. (Sajjana-toṣaṇī, 19.10, 380)
19. If, in order to carry out the orders of a Vaiṣṇava guru, I must be arrogant or impolite, or even if I must go to hell for all eternity, I agree to sign the contract. I am arrogant enough to say that on the strength of my guru’s lotus feet, I have the knockout punch for all the world’s spurious philosophies. (Lecture, Āṣāḍha 25, 1334)
20. Other than the ear, there is no route to a vision of the transcendental Supreme Entity. (Lecture, Phālguna 18, 1334)
21. Once we are bereft of a protector, everything around us will turn into a hostile force ready to attack. Our only protection is the hari-kathā of a genuine saintly person. (Ibid.)
22. A flatterer is neither a guru nor a preacher. (Lecture, Caitra 12, 1334)
23. Better to take birth as an animal or bird, a worm or an insect, rather than be a hypocrite. Only one who is free from hypocrisy can attain auspiciousness. (Lecture, Phālguna 18, 1334)
24. Simplicity by another name is Vaiṣṇava-dharma. The servants of a paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇava are unpretentious. This means that they are the best of brāhmaṇas. (Ibid.)
25. The most charitable person is the one whose only duty is to reform the misleading tastes and tendencies of the conditioned souls. If one single person can be rescued from Mahāmāyā’s fortress, then we will have done a charitable work of infinite folds more than that of opening a hundred million hospitals. (Ibid.)
26. Every selfless welfare worker in the Gaudiya Math should be prepared to expend 200 gallons of his own blood to nourish the spiritual body of every person in this human society. (Caitra 12, 1335)
27. Every last farthing of the money collected by the volunteer servants of the Gaudiya Math from dawn to dust with great effort is used for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa’s senses, and thus brings an end to material sense gratification which, based on an error, is a source of suffering. (Ibid.)
28. The association of those whose tendency to serve the Supreme Lord is not constantly awakened in the company of the knowers of the self is not desirable, however pleasing their association may be. (Patrāvalī, vol.1, 73)
29. Preaching without practice should be considered to be nothing more than an aspect of karma. (Lecture, Oct. 23, 1936)
30. We have not established the maṭha to provide fuel for the sense-enjoyer or to follow the clever speculative reasonings of a philosopher. Our assets are not measured in the one or two rupees we collect for the benefit of the maṭha. If we are able to do some real good for someone, then he or she will contribute to the maṭha, which does everything for the service of Kṛṣṇa. (Patrāvalī, 3, 70)
31. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura identified himself as the sweeper in the marketplace of the Holy Name. This is a transcendental līlā, and the work that takes place in cleaning up the material world has countless aspects in which we are engaging our hundreds of followers. Though this and though our refusal to imitate the undesirable example of non-devotees may make us unattractive to the worldly, it is through this work that our ultimate good will be achieved. (Introduction to Gauḍīya-kaṇṭha-hāra)
32. As one serves the Lord and His devotees, one’s entanglement in family duties diminishes. (Patrāvalī, 3, 74)
33. Our basic disease is nothing but the accumulation of things devoid of any relation to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (Ibid., 83)
34. We have not come to this world to be bricklayers or carpenters; we are peons of Lord Caitanya’s message. (Lecture, November 8, 1936)
35. We will not remain much longer in this world. If this body should drop while we are engaged in chanting the Holy Names, our life will have been worthwhile. (Ibid.)
36. The only thing we want in our life is the dust of the lotus feet of Rūpa Gosvāmī, who fulfilled the desires of Lord Caitanya. (Ibid.)

The following is a translation of Hāyanodghāta, the last article of Śrīla Prabhupāda published in Gauḍīya magazine, in Vaiśākha of 1936.

Gauḍīya magazine today enters its fifteenth year. For fourteen years, Gauḍīya has sung Goloka’s incomparable glories just as Lakṣmaṇa served Rāma during his exile. May the readers and hearers of Gauḍīya find eternal ecstasy in joyfully relishing the fruits born by this fifteen-year-old tree. We ask that everyone join us in praying for Lord Gaurasundara’s mercy so that Gauḍīya’s message will soon spread to America. This message is being discussed in Europe, particularly in London, so why should America be left behind?

May Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s songs and transcendental literature, which contain the same essence as those of Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura’s Prārthanā, be distributed in huge numbers throughout Bengal, Odisha and Assam. The translations of Śaraṇāgati into Tamil and Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta into Telugu will certainly help the people of those regions find direction to the highest spiritual truth.

May the tridaṇḍi sannyāsīs of the Gaudiya Math bring joy to Gauḍīya magazine. May Gaudiyas in every stage of life find firm faith in the service of Lord Caitanya.

prthivīte jata kathā dharma nāme cale
bhāgavata kahe tāhā paripūrṇa chale

Whatever is spread on the name of religion in this world is said by the Bhāgavatam to be a complete fraud.

May this statement become the standard by which religons all over the world be measured. May the world’s intelligentsia come to adore Jaiva-dharma and Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta. May they then raise the victory flag of the truly non-sectarian religion and learn that Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, harināma and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam are identical with each other. May the Gauḍīya devotees along with the rest of the world’s people hear, chant and study Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. May this institution for Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s followers be eternally engaged in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s service. All fraudulent conclusions about spiritual life will disappear like a fog from the heart of the human race with the rising of the sun of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

YEAR I (1922-3)

Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-janma – “The birth of Śrī Kṛṣṇa”
Madhura-lipi – “A sweet letter”
Loka-vicāra – “Public opinion”
Paramārtha – “The highest purpose”
Purāṇa-samvāda – “The message of the Puranas”
Nīti-bheda – “Ethical differences”
Ruci-bheda – “Differences in taste”
Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī – “Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī”
Gauḍiye prīti – “Affection for Gauḍīya magazine”
Durgā-pūjā – “Worship of Durga”
Śāradīya vāhana – “Durga’s carrier”
Je dike bātāsa – “Whichever way the wind blows”
Mārute secana – “Drying in the wind”
Smārtera kāṇḍa – “The tricks of the smārtas”
Vicāra ādālata – “The courthouse”
Sevāpara nāma – “The Name devoted to service”
Tridaṇḍi bhikṣu gīti – “The song of the Tridaṇḍi Sannyasi”
Śrī Madhva janma-tithi – “The appearance day of Madhvācārya”
Varṇāśrama – “The social and religious order”
Aprakata-tithi – “Disappearance days”
Vraje bānara – “Vraja’s monkeys”
Sāmājika bheda – “Social differences”
Cyuta-gotra – “The fallible family line”
Nṛmātrādhikāra – “The heritage of every human being”
Bhṛtaka-srotā – “The hired audience” or (“Hearing from the salaried”)
Vaiṣṇava o abhṛtaka – “The Vaiṣṇava and one not hired”
Dīkṣa-vidhāna – “Initiation regulations”
Āsurika pravṛtti – “Demonic tendencies”
Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa – “Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa”
Sadācāra-smṛti – “Scriptures prescribing saintly behavior”
Pañcarātra – “The Pancharatra”
Nigama o āgama – “Vedic and Tantrik scriptures”
Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī – “Visvanath Cakravartī”
Vaiṣṇava darśana – “Vaiṣṇava philosophy”
Varṇāntara – “Changing caste”
Paricaye praśna – “A question about identity”
Asatye ādara – “An attachment for untruth”
Ayogya santāna – “An unworthy child”
Asūdra dīkṣā – “Initiation for non-Shudras”
Pūjādhikāra – “The right to perform deity worship”
Anātma-jñāna – “Knowledge of the non-self”
Nija paricaya – “One’s own identity”
Vaṁśī-praṇālī – “Family disciplic lineages”
Gaura-bhajana – “Worshiping Mahāprabhu”
Dhānya o śyāmā – “Rice and wild rice”
Tṛtīya janma – “The third birth”
Avaidha sādhana – “Illegitimate practices”
Vaija-brāhmaṇa – “The Vaidya caste’s claims to brahminhood”
Pracāre bhrānti – “Mistakes in preaching”
Bhāgavata-śravaṇa – “Listening to the Bhāgavata”
Maṭha ki? – “What is a Math?”
Āche adhikāra – “We have the right”
Śrīdhara Svāmī – “Śrīdhara Svami”
Vyavahāra – “Behaviors and custom”
Kaminā – “Ignobility”
Śakti-sañcāra – “Finding the energy”
Varṣa-parīkṣā – “Annual exam”
Ekajāti – “One race”
Ihaloka paraloka – “This world and the next”

SECOND YEAR (1923-1924)
Varṣa-praveśa – “The new year”
Brahmaṇya-deva – “The Lord of brahminical society”
Guru-bruva – “So-called spiritual masters”
Kīrtane-vijñāna – “A scientific approach to chanting”
Āvirbhāva-tithi – “Appearance days”
Maṭhera utsava – “Math festivals”
Gosvāmī-pāda – “Gosvāmī status”
Kṛṣṇe bhoga-buddhi – “The enjoyer mentality directed to Kṛṣṇa”
Dīkṣīta – “The initiated person”
Gauḍīya bhajana-praṇālī – “The process of performing bhajana in the Gauḍīya sampradaya”
Śrī-vigraha – “The divine form”
Jābālā kathā – “The story of Jabala”
Smārta o Vaiṣṇava – “Smārta brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas”
Sāmājika ahita – “Unbeneficial acts to society”
Prakṛta bhokta ke? – “Who is the real enjoyer?”
Gauḍīyera veśa – “The Gauḍīya dress”
Pratisambhāṣaṇa – “A speech in response to an honor”
Sūtra-vidveṣa – “Enmity of the Sūtras”
Sāmayika-prasaṇga – “Essays on timely subjects” (No.49-50)

THIRD YEAR (1924-1925)
Gauḍīya hāsapātāla – “Gauḍīya hospitals”
Sāmayika prasaṇga – “Essays on timely subjects” (No.7)
Bhāgavata-vivṛti – “Explanations of the Bhāgavatam” Śrī Kulaśekhara – “Śrī Kulashekhar” Meyeli Hinduyānī – “Effeminate Hinduism”

FOURTH YEAR (1925-1926)
Madhura lipi – “A sweet letter”
Śrī Vyāsa-pūjāya abhibhāṣaṇa – “Address on the occasion of Vyāsa-pūjā”
Prapta-patra (rahasya) – “Receipt of a mysterious letter”
Asrauta-darśana – “Philosophy without revelation”
Vedānta-tattva-sārer upodghāta – “Introduction to the Vedānta-tattva-sāra”

FIFTH YEAR (1926-1927)
Patrāvalī –“Letters”
Darśane bhrānti – “Philosophical Misconceptions” (No.38)
Vaiṣṇava-śrāddha-vyavasthā – “Śrāddha regulations for the Vaiṣṇava”
Ālocaker ālocana – “Criticizing the critics”
Nyākābokāra Svarūpa – “The description of a real simpleton”

SIXTH YEAR (1927-1928)
Māna-dāna o hāni – “Offering respects and its dangers”
Pratinivedana – “A counter-request”
Paramārtha – “The spiritual goal of life”
Gauḍapura – “The city of Gauḍa”
Āsala o nakala – “Real and counterfeit”
Ahaituka dhāma-sevaka – “A selfless servant of the dhāma”
Sarva-pradhāna vivecanāra visaya – “The most important thing to consider”
Bhāi kutārkika – “Brother quibbler”
Kṛṣṇa-bhakta nirbodha nahena – “A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is not a fool”
Prācīna kuliyāya sahar Navadvīpa –“The city of Navadvīpa in old Kuliya”
Kapatatā daridratāra mūla – “The source of all poverty is deceitfulness”
Ekaścandra – “Ekashchandra”
Puṇyāraṇya – “Punyaranya”
Goḍāya galada – “A basic error”
Nīlācale Śrīmat Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda – “Śrīmad Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda in Purī”

SEVENTH YEAR (1928-1929)
Sāmayika prasaṇga – “A timely subject” (No.1)
Virakta jaghanya nahe – “The renunciate is not contemptible”
Āmi ei nai, āmi sei – “I am not this one, I am that”
Vyavasādārera kapatatā – “The duplicity of the merchants”
Haṁsajātira itihāsa – “The story of the swans”
Patrāvalī – “Letters”
Mantra-saṁskāra – “The sacrament of receiving the mantra”
Bhoga o bhakti – “Sense enjoyment and devotional service”
Sunīti o durnīti – “Good and evil policies”
Kṛṣṇa-tattva – “Kṛṣṇa, the ultimate truth”
Sridhāma vicāra – “Conclusions about the Holy dhāma”
Ekāyana-sruti o tad-vidhāna – “The Ekayana scriptures and their prescriptions”
Pratīcye kāṛṣṇa sampradāya – “The school of devotion to Kṛṣṇa in the West”
Vijñapti – “An announcement”
Pañcarātra – “Pancharatra”
Nīlācale Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda – “Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in Purī”
Tīrtha Pānḍharapura – “The holy site of Pāṇḍarapur (Maharasthra)”
Māṇikya bhāskara – An article praising the king of Tripura
Vaiṣṇava-smṛti – “Scriptures governing the rules of Vaiṣṇava behavior”
Mahānta guru-tattva – “The doctirine of the highly elevated guru” (No. 42)
Boṣtama Parliament– “The parliament of the so-called Vaiṣṇavas
Alaukika bhakta-caritra – “The transcendental life of a devotee” (No.48)

EIGHTH YEAR (1929-1930)
Sridhāma Māyāpura kothāya? – “Where is Sridhāma Māyāpura?”
Gauḍācale Śrī Bhaktivinoda – “Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in Gauḍa-deśa”
Sātvata o asātvata – “Devotees and non-devotees”
Bhārata o paramārtha – “India and the supreme goal of life”
Paramārthera svarūpa – “The nature of the supreme goal of life”
Patrāvalī – “Letters”
Vyāsa-pūjāya pratyabhibhāṣāṇa – “Speech in response to the Vyāsa-pūjā offerings”
Prācīna Kuliyāya dvārabheta – “Charging admission to Navadvīpa’s temples”
Śikṣaka o Śikṣita – “The educator and the educated”
Viṣayīra Kṛṣṇa-prema – “Krsna-prema of a sense enjoyer”
Ātmahārā pāṭhaka – “The ecstatic lecturer”
Āśramera veṣa – “The appropriate dress of the different stages of life”

NINTH YEAR (1930-1931)
Śrī-bhakti-mārga – “The holy path of devotion”
Pāramārthika sammilanīra sabhāpatira abhibhāṣaṇa – “The presidential address at the spiritual Conference”
Bhava-rogīra hāsapātāla – “A hospital for those with the material disease”
Jagabandhura kṛṣṇānuśīlana – “Jagabandhu’s way of serving Lord Kṛṣṇa”
Patrāvalī – “Letters”

TENTH YEAR (1931-1932)
Gauḍīya mahimā – “In praise of Gauḍīya magazine”
Patrāvalī – “Letters”
Sat-śikṣārthira vivecya – “What every honest student should consider”
Nimba-bhāskara – “Nimbarka”
Ajña o vijñera narma kathā – “The conversation of a fool and a wise man”
Vaiṣṇava-vaṁsa –“The Vaiṣṇava dynasty”
Vārṣika abhibhāṣaṇa – “Speech made at Madras on the occasion of the Vyāsa-pūjā”
Kanph-ucora vicāra – “The philosophy of Confucius”
Patra – “A letter”

ELEVENTH YEAR (1932-1933)
Ekādaśa prārambhikā – “Entering the eleventh year of Gauḍīya”
Patrāvalī (1) – “Letters”
Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhi – “Ascribing caste to a Vaisnava”
Mādhukara bhaikṣya – “Begging from door to door”
Pradarśakera abhibhāṣaṇa – “The exhibitor’s speech”
Patravalī (2) – “Letters”
Dṛṣṭi-vaiklavya – “The defective sight” (No.28)
Āmāra kathā – “My message”
Sat-śikṣā pradarśanī – “The spiritual education exhibit” (No. 35)
Kṛṣṇa bhakti-i śoka-kāma-jādyāpahā-- “Devotion to Kṛṣṇa is the only way to get rid of suffering, desire and lethargy”
Kṛṣṇe matir astu – “May you always think of Kṛṣṇa”

TWELFTH YEAR (1933-1934)
Kṛpāśīrvāda – “Merciful blessings”

THIRTEENTH YEAR (1934-1935)
Sva-para maṇgala – “Auspiciousness for onself and for others”
Vaikuṇṭha o guṇa-jāta jagat – “The difference between Vaikuṇṭha and the world born of nature’s modes”
Bhogavāda o bhakti – “Hedonism and devotion”

FOURTEENTH YEAR (1935-1936)
Nava-varṣa – “The new year”
Patravalī – “Letters”
Baḍa āmi o bhāla āmi – “I am great and I am good”
Tad-vana vāstava-vastu – “The factual substance”

FIFTEENTH YEAR (1936-1937)
Hāyanodghāta – “Bringing in the new year”
Patra – “A letter”

Other than these, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote many other articles, letters, autobiographical accounts, diaries, commentaries, explanations, books and literature. All of these have been preserved in the Gauḍīya head office. Śrīla Prabhupāda also wrote many articles that were published in Nadīyā Prakāśa and The Harmonist.

(1) Sajjana-toṣaṇī or The Harmonist – Śrīla Sarasvati Ṭhākura restarted publication of this magazine in March of 1915 after Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s disappearance.
(2) Gauḍīya – a Bengali weekly published from the Kolkata Gaudiya Math, starting August 19, 1922.
(3) Dainika Nadīyā Prakāśa – A Bengali daily published from Māyāpura starting March, 1926. At first it appeared twice a week in English and Bengali editions. From February 28, 1928, however, it was made into a daily at Śrīla Prabhupāda’s wish.
(4) Bhāgavata – A Hindi monthly published from the Naimisharanya Paramahamsa Math, starting in 1931.
(5) Kīrtana – An Assamese monthly published from Goalpara Prapannashram, starting in 1932.
(6) Paramārthī – Odishan fortnightly, published from the Cuttack Sacchidananda Gaudiya Math, starting in 1932.

(1) Bṛhaspati or Scientific Indian – A monthly in English and Bengali on astrological matters. First appeared in October, 1896.
(2) Jyotirvid – A monthly magazine devoted to astrological matters. Published from Manik Tala Street in Kolkata. The first issue came out in April, 1901.
(3) Nivedana or Sign Board – A weekly published starting in 1899.

(1) Bhāgavata Yantra, Krishnanagar – In 1913, Caitanya Caritāmṛta was published here with Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Anubhāṣya commentary. In January 1914, the Bhāgavata Yantra was moved to Māyāpura in Vraja Pattan. It was moved back to Gowari Krishnanagar in July of 1915 and took the name ‘Bhāgavata Press’.
(2) Gauḍīya Printing Works, Kolkata, 1923.
(3) Nadīyā Prākāśa Yantrālaya, Śrīdhāma Māyāpura, 1928.
(4)_Paramārthī Printing Works, Cuttack, 1936.

(1) Śrī Chaitanya Math (Parent Math), Sridhāma Māyāpura, Nadia.
(2) Śrī Gaudiya Math, P.O. Bagh Bazaar, Kolkata.
(3) Śrī Yogapith Śrī Mandir, Sridhāma Māyāpura, Nadia.
(4) Śrī Advaita Bhavan, Sridhāma Māyāpura, Nadia.
(5) Śrī Srivas Angan, Sridhāma Māyāpura, Nadia.
(6) Chand Kazi’s Samādhi, Sridhāma Māyāpura, Nadia.
(7) Śrī Murari Gupta’s Sripat, Sridhāma Māyāpura, Nadia.
(8) Paravidyapith, Sridhāma Māyāpura, Nadia.
(9) Thakur Bhaktivinoda Institute, Sridhāma Māyāpura, Nadia, 1931.
(10) Thakur Bhaktivinoda Research Institute, Sridhāma Māyāpura, Nadia.
(11) Jayadeva Gaudiya Mathalaya, Srinathpur, Nadia.
(12) Svananda Sukhada Kunja, Godruma, P.O. Swarup Ganj, Nadia.
(13) Suvarna Bihar Gaudiya Math, Nadia.
(14) Śrī Kunja Kutir, Krishnanagar, Nadia.
(15) Tetiya Kunja Kanan, P.O. Krishnanagar, Nadia.
(16) Śrī Bhagavat Asan, Krishnanagar, Nadia.
(17) Śrī Gaura Gadadhar Math, Champahati, P.O. Samudra Garh, Burdwan.
(18) Śrī Modadruma Chatra, Maugachi, P.O. Jannagar, Burdwan.
(19) Sarvabhauma Gaudiya Mathalay, Vidyanagar, Burdwan.
(20) Śrī Rudradvīpa Gaudiya Math, P.O. Śrī Māyāpura, Nadia.
(21) Śrī Ekayan Math, Govindapur, P.O. Hanskhali, Nadia.
(22) Śrī Mahesh Pandit’s Sripat, Kanthalpuli, P.O. Chakdaha, Nadia.
(23) Śrī Madhva Gaudiya Math, Dhaka.
(24) Śrī Gopalji Math, Kamalapur, P.O. Dhaka.
(25) Śrī Gadai Gauranga Math, P.O. Baliyati, Dhaka.
(26) Śrī Jagannath Gaudiya Math, Bara Bazaar, P.O. Mymansingh.
(27) Amlajora Prapannashram Math, P.O. Rajbandh, Burdwan.
(28) Śrī Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Dumurkonda, P.O. Chirkunda, Manbhoom (Bihar).
(29) Śrī Bhagavat Janananda Math, Chirulia, P.O. Basudevpur, Midnapore.
(30) Amarshi Gaudiya Math, P.O. Amarshi, Midnapore.
(31) Brahmanpara Prapannashram Math, Brahmanpara, P.O. Maju, Howrah.
(32) Darjeeling Gaudiya Math, August Villa, Darjeeling.
(33) Ranaghat Gaudiya Mathasan, Nadia.
(34) Punra Śrī Gaudiya Math, 24 Paraganas.
(35) Goalpara Prapannashram, Assam.
(36) Sarbhog Gaudiya Math, P.O. Chakchaka, Kamrup (Assam).
(37) Śrī Purushottam Math, Caṭaka Parvat, Purī.
(38) Bhakti Kuti, Swarga Dwar, Purī.
(39) Tridandi Gaudiya Math, P.O. Bhubaneshwar, Purī.
(40) Śrī Brahma Gaudiya Math, Ālālanātha, P.O. Brahmagiri, Purī.
(41) Saccidānanda Math, Bansgali, P.O. Oriya Bazaar, Cuttack.
(42) Baleshwar Gaudiya Math Pith.
(43) Śrī Ramananda Gaudiya Math, P.O. Kovvur, West Godāvarī.
(44) Chennai Gaudiya Math, P.O. Raipetta, Chennai.
(45) Patna Gaudiya Math, P,O. Bankipur, Kadamkua.
(46) Danapur Gaudiya Mathalay.
(47) Gaya Gaudiya Math, Ramna Road, Gaya.
(48) Śrī Sanatan Gaudiya Math, 42, Faridapur, Benares City, U.P.
(49) Śrī Rupa Gaudiya Math, Allahabad, U.P.
(50) Śrī Paramahasa Math, P.O. Nimsar, Naimisharanya, Sitapur, U.P.
(51) Bhagavat Path Shala, Naimisharanya, U.P.
(52) Śrī Vyas Gaudiya Math, Kurukshetra, Thaneshwar, Karnal (H.P.)
(53) Śrī Saraswata Gaudiya Math, Haridvāra, Saharanapur, Uttarakhānd.
(54) Śrī Krishna Chaitanya Math, Purana Sahar, Śrīdhāma Vṛndāvana, Mathura, U.P.
(55) Śrī Mathura Gaudiya Mathalay, Vishram Ghat, Mathura, U.P.
(56) Śrī Kunja Bihari Math, Radha Kund, Mathura, U.P.
(57) Śrī Vraja Svananda Sukhada Kunja, Radha Kund, Mathura, U.P.
(58) Śrī Radha Kund Gosthobati, Radha Kund, Mathura, U.P.
(59) Śrī Sanket Bihari Math, P.O. Barshana, Mathura, U.P.
(60) Śrī Nandagram Gaudiya Mathalay, Mathura, U.P.
(61) Barshana Gaudiya Mathalay, Mathura, U.P.
(62) Śrī Gosthabihari Math, Sesh Shayi, P.O. Hodol, Gurgaon (Punjab).
(63) Delhi Gaudiya Math, 43, Hanuman Road, New Delhi.
(64) Bombay Gaudiya Math, Kalyan Das Building, Gwalior Trunk Road.
(65) London Gaudiya Mathalay, 3 Gloucester House, Cornwall Gardens, S.W.7, London.
(66) Rangoon Gaudiya Mathalay, 224 Lewis St., Rangoon (Burma).

(1) Mandar. October 13, 1929.
(2) Kanai Natshala. October 15, 1929.
(3) Yajpur. December 25, 1930.
(4) Kurmakshetra. December 26, 1930.
(5) Siṁhachalam. December 27, 1930.
(6) Kovur. December 29, 1930.
(7) Mangalgiri. December 31, 1930.
(8) Chatrabhog. April 2, 1934.

(1) Śrī Bhaktivinoda Asan, founded in Kolkata in November, 1918.
(2) Śrī Vishva Vaishnava Raja Sabha, first established by Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmīs, and then reestablished on February 5, 1919, in Kolkata.
(3) Śrī Saraswat Asan, July 1924.
(4) Gaudiya Sampadak Sangha (The editorial board of Gauḍīya), August 15, 1925.
(5) Nikhil Vaishnav Sammilani, March 18, 1927. This meeting of Vaiṣṇavas was held on Gaura Pūrṇimā in Māyāpura.
(6) Paramarthik Alochana Sammilani. A nine-day meeting held at the Kolkata Gauḍīya Math, starting October 24, 1930.
(7) London Gaudiya Mission Society. Established in London for preaching in Europe at a meeting on April 24, 1934, with India Secretary, Lord Jutland, presiding.
(8) Śrī Vraja Dham Pracharini Sabha (“Society for the Promotion of Vraja-dhāma”). Established October 9, 1935 at Rādhā-kuṇḍa.
(9) Anukul Krishna Anushilnagar (Bhaktivinoda Research Institute), Founded at Śrī Māyāpura on February 12, 1936.
(10) Daiva Varnashram Sangha (“Association for Promoting the Spiritual Varnashram Social System”). Established at Śrī Māyāpura on February 12, 1936.

(1) Kurukshetra Gaudiya Pradarshani. Opened on November 4, 1928.
(2) Śrīdhāma Māyāpura-Navadvīpa Pradarshani. February 9, 1930.
(3) Kolkata Sree Gaudiya Math Paramarthik Pradarshani. November 5, 1930.
(4) Kolkata Sree Gaudiya Math Sat-Siksha Pradarshani. September 6, 1931.
(5) Dhaka Sat-Siksha Pradarshani. January 6, 1933.
(6) Kurukshetra Gaudiya Pradarshani. August 21, 1933.
(7) Patna Paramarthik Pradarshani. November 14, 1933.
(8) Kashi Paramarthik Pradarshani. December 24, 1933.
(9) Prayag Sat-Siksha Pradarshani. January 7, 1936
(10) Kurukshetra Sat-Siksha Pradarshani. June 19, 1936.