Disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

On the fifth day of the dark lunar fortnight of the month of Govinda [corresponding to February 6th, 1874 A.D. by the western calendar], at 3:30 in the afternoon, Bimala Prasad Datta, later to be known as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, made his appearance in Purusottama Ksetra [Jagannatha Puri] in the state of Orissa, not far from the temple of Lord Jagannatha. He was the fourth son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sriyukta Bhagavati Devi.

At the time of his birth, all thirty-two bodily symptoms of a maha-purusa, a great personality, were pointed out by an experienced astrologer. Furthermore, the boy was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck like a Brahmin's thread. The astrologer commented, "I have done many horoscopes in my life, but I have never before seen such a horoscope filled with all the signs of a great personality. This child will become world famous as a brilliant teacher of life's ultimate goal."

"This child will become world famous as a brilliant teacher of life's ultimate goal."

When the child was six months old, Lord Jagannatha's Rathayatra Festival was in procession, and the cart stopped in front of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's house for three days. Following the instructions of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhagavati Devi brought the child before the cart and an offered garland fell from the neck of the Lord, encircling the boy. This was taken as a sign of special favor by all present. The grain ceremony was observed on the cart at this time and was done with Jagannatha prasada. When the boy's vocational inclination was tested, he immediately embraced the Srimad-Bhagavatam, indicating his future as a preacher. Therefore, from the very beginning of his appearance, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura exhibited all the signs of an exalted, eternal associate of the Lord, who had descended in answer to Srila Bhaktivinoda's prayer for a "ray of Visnu" to help him spread the Krsna Consciousness Movement.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada

Ancestral Lineage

Although family lineage may be ultimately irrelevant when considering the appearance of an eternally liberated associate of the Lord, still it is interesting to see what sort of family is blessed with such a transcendental personality. As history shows us, Lord Brahma himself appeared in the family of Muslims as Srila Haridasa Thakura, and there are other instances of exalted persons taking birth in humble families. Still, as a point of interest, we may hear something of the lineage of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

His family line traces back to Lord Brahma from the descendants of Chitragupta, and they are known as the Brahma kayasthas. Bharata is in the 87th generation from Chitragupta, Bharadvaja is the 88th. After him came Angira, and after him appeared Brhaspati. In the 149th generation of descendants, Purusottama, son of Sivadatta, went to Bengal upon the summons of the King of Bengal, Adisura. Purusottama's youngest son took sannyasa and became famous as Kanaka Dandi.

In the 7th and 8th generations of Purusottama's family, Binayaka and his son Narayana Datta both did ministerial work for the king of Bengal. In the 15th generation from Purusottama, Raja Krsnananda, the king of Kheturi (in Bengal), and the father of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, the great Vaisnava acarya, appeared. Raja Krsnananda was also a great devotee and was personally favored by Lord Nityananda Prabhu.

The 7th generation from Raja Krsnananda saw the appearance of Madanamohana Datta, who was very famous in Bengal and Calcutta for his spiritual qualities. His great-grandson was Anandachandra Datta, and his son was Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, whose 4th son was Bimala Prasad. The name Bimala or Shri Bimala Devi refers to the para sakti (internal potency) of Lord Jagannatha, so his name literally means the mercy of the internal potency of the Lord.

Transcendental Childhood & The Mango Vow

Bimala Prasad stayed in Jagannatha Puri for ten months after his appearance and then journeyed to Bengal by palanquin on his mother's lap. He grew up in his early years in Ranaghata in the District of Nadia, hearing about Krsna from his mother.

When he was a small boy, perhaps two or three years old, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura brought some ripe mangoes from the market. Bimala Prasad took one to eat, saying, "This is mine." Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura got up and said in a grave voice, "What is this? New fruit has come into the house. It has not been offered to Giridhari and you have taken it first? Remember, new fruit is to be given first to the Lord. Without giving the first share to the Lord, nothing is to be taken."

The child was very repentant and exclaimed, "Oh, what evil thoughts I have had! Throughout my whole life I shall not eat these again. This is the right punishment for one ruled by greed." He made the promise and observed it throughout his whole life. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada comments on this incident:

"Whenever we offered him mango he said, 'No, I am an offender. I cannot take mango.' He was thinking that 'I have offended [Krsna] in my childhood by taking the mango of the Deity.' So this is the characteristic of the acarya. They teach by their life's action—one should be so much determined. A child took the mango, there is no offense, but he took that vow."

Astounding Education and Astronomy Title

When Bimala Prasad was seven years old, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was constructing the Bhakti Bhavan in Calcutta at Ramabagana. During that construction, a Deity of Lord Kurma was unearthed. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura ordered his son to begin regulated worship of that Deity. By the age of seven he had committed the entire Bhagavad-gita to memory and could wonderfully explain the verses as well.

He possessed an eidetic memory; whatever he would read once he could recall with perfect clarity. He was trained in mathematics and astrology at the Sri Ramapura School, and he achieved such astounding scholarship that he was eventually awarded the title Siddhanta Sarasvati by his tutors, Pandit Mahesh Chandra Chauramani and Pandit Sundar Lal.

In 1892, at the age of eighteen, he entered Calcutta's Sanskrit College. He paid scant attention to the prescribed books, but read all of the philosophical books in the library. In 1895 he left the college to avoid family life pressure. He stated in his autobiography:

"If I remain studying with careful attention at the College, then extreme pressure will be brought upon me to enter family life, but if I am considered to be foolish and inefficient, then no one will put such an inducement upon me for becoming so engaged... I left the Sanskrit College, and, in order to maintain my life for the service of Hari, I was desirous of getting an honest occupation..."

In 1897 he established a small academy called Saraswati Chatuspati where many learned persons from Calcutta attended his lectures and discourses on astronomy. He also published magazines like Jyotirvid and Brihaspati and edited the Bhakti Panjika almanac.

Transcendental Initiation

In 1898, Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja arrived in Navadvipa Dhama. He was extremely renounced and was widely known as a liberated paramahamsa of the highest caliber. Siddhanta Sarasvati was very attracted to his lotus feet at first sight.

At Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's urging, the young man approached Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji for initiation in 1900. Babaji Maharaja expressed reluctance to accept him, knowing Siddhanta Sarasvati to be a great scholar. He repeatedly postponed the initiation, saying he needed to ask Mahaprabhu's permission.

On the third attempt, when Babaji Maharaja said he had not received the command of Mahaprabhu, Siddhanta Sarasvati stood up with a breaking heart and said, "If there is no mercy, weeping and weeping, I can sustain my life no more. If I do not receive your mercy I do not see any need in holding onto life." Seeing his absolute determination, Babaji Maharaja's heart melted. He told him to take a bath in the sacred Sarasvati River and initiated him, giving him the name Sri Varsabhanavi-devi-dayita dasa.

Nama-Bhajana Vow of 1 Billion Holy Names

In 1905, at the age of 31, he began his great vow, following the example of Namacarya Haridasa Thakura, of chanting three lakhs of names (192 rounds) per day. At this rate, it took him about 9 years to complete one billion names.

He resided in a grass hut at the Yogapitha for four years. When the roof of his hut became broken, rather than take time away from his chanting, he would simply use an umbrella when it rained and go on chanting. He strictly followed his vow and observed Caturmasya, cooking rice dried in the sun in ghee and eating it directly from the floor in the manner of a cow.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (The Lion Guru) with his disciples

Preaching the Absolute Truth Without Compromise

Siddhanta Sarasvati was a fierce preacher who never compromised the absolute truth. In 1911, when a controversy challenged that the name "Gaura" in the Gayatri mantra was not found in the original Vedas, he cited proof from the Atharva Veda (Caitanyopanisad) and Svetasvatara Upanisad, completely defeating the opposing scholars.

He also vehemently opposed the caste gosvamis and smartas who believed guru qualifications were hereditary. He established that anyone who knows the science of Krsna, regardless of caste or social status, is a qualified guru. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada commented:

"My Guru Maharaja's contribution is that he defeated the caste gosvamis. He defeated this brahmanism. He did it the same way as Caitanya Mahaprabhu did... So-called saints, avataras, yogis—everyone who was false was an enemy to my Guru Maharaja. He never compromised."

Because of his bold preaching, some opposing groups even conspired to take his life, but he was protected by his spiritual potency and even warned by a righteous police officer who refused to accept bribes from the conspirators.

We celebrate the glorious disappearance anniversary of this transcendental personality to remind ourselves of his absolute surrender, dedication, and uncompromising preaching of Krishna Consciousness.