ALL GLORY TO THE DIVINE MASTER
AND
THE SUPREME LORD SREE KRISHNA-CHAITANYA

SREE
SAJJANA-TOSHANI
OR
THE HARMONIST

Edited by Paramahamsa Paribrajakacharyya
Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj

A Feeble Warbling

It is the usual practice with Journals to offer greetings at the commencement of a fresh year. We commence our twenty ninth year on the day of her appearance for the new year, and in the commencement we offer our salutations to the Supreme Lord Sree Krishna and His Eternal consort Varshabhanavee, the ever-cool shade of whose feet brings in eternal harmony that could save mankind. The Two moieties are fastened by the Tie of Love that has brought down before our view the Transcendental All-Beautiful Boon-giver of Prema to one and all who do not hanker after any secular interest, save the Transcendental Felicity of the Pair. As they are the Fountain-head of all representative conceptions of Godhead and identical with the Supreme Lord Sree Krishna Chaitanya, all other views entertained by agents of different stages are but manifestations emanating from the same. So we can easily conclude that the conciliatory parts and different aspects of the same are also saluted along with the above offering. The dislocated existences from the transcendental integer are also automatically offered our respective greetings when we pay our reverential homage to the very Fountain-head of all causes. To serve different masters by a service-holder is quite impossible, so we refrain from the idea of satisfying all who bear a quite different interest from the original mine in their metallic aspects. To please men of different temperaments is quite impossible when we stick to a definite harmonious principle.

Pure harmony can only be had if different aspects terminate in one view. The mental world and the physical atmosphere are made up in such a way as to show that their different positions do not act in harmony. So we are found to change our views every moment unless we submit to unite the contending energies in one thread, sometimes neutralising the disintegrated parts and sometimes giving prominence to conspicuous aspects without having a breach.

The transcendental Footmarks of the Loving Fountain-head of all beings will remind us to chalk out our future activities towards the true theistic principle which can secure the boon of eternal peace among us. The differences that are inherent in our mental speculations can only be settled by our devotion to the One without offering any hostile suggestions to check the evil propensities of those who do not subscribe to the true theistic principle. But the Foot-print of the Absolute will ever guide us to leave off volcanic ruptures of the mind.

In this world we are busy to satisfy our senses and to show our different predilections which are detrimental to the One cause of Perfect Peace. Real and true submission to the Absolute Truth is essentially necessary and we will hold this as a cardinal point in our future march. We should be loving to the Absolute aim and His paraphernalia. Whenever there is any departure from this, we are likely to be situated in a different atmosphere. So we welcome our loving friends to join us in our prayer-service to the Absolute.

Thakur Bhaktivinode

Thakur Bhaktivinode appeared in this world in 1838. He disappeared in 1914. He was successful as a student, as a teacher, as a responsible officer of the Government which he served till 1894 and as a house-holder who took every care of his family, relatives, friends, and neighbours. He records in his autobiography that he was put in embarrassing positions on more than one occasion in course of his official duties but was enabled by the grace of God to obtain sufficient support from his superiors and friends to tide over all difficulties, without having to deviate from the strict principles of even-handed justice to all parties.

As regards the events of his religious life he was not initiated till 1880. From 1868 he became seriously interested in Vaishnava principles. About this time he was transferred to Puri and was entrusted with the supervision of the worship of Sree Sree Jagannath Deva during five years. He began to write his devotional books from this time and wrote a great part of his Sree Krishna Sanhita in Sanskrit at Puri. He obtained the title of Bhaktivinode from his Gurus in 1887. In 1887 he was apprised in a dream that it was his duty to serve Sree Nabadwipdham. In 1894 in a public meeting at Krishnagar the identification of the present site of Sreedham Mayapur with the Birth-place of Sree Chaitanya in old Nabadwip, was announced by him and Sree Sree Nabadwip Dham Pracharini Sabha was established for restoration and publicity work in connection with the newly discovered Sreedham Nabadwip. After retirement from Government service Thakur Bhaktivinode resided in Sree Surabhi Kunja at Godrumadwip in Sreedham Nabadwip. From 1891 he began to organise a preaching mission for giving publicity to the teachings of Sree Chaitanya. He might have obtained an extension of service under Government but did not avail of the opportunity being deterred by the purpose of devoting his whole time to the restoration work of Sreedham Mayapur.

The story of his career written in noble and simple language can be read in his published autobiography. Every reader is bound to rise from the study of that charming little book with the conviction that the writer was a person of great social influence and possessed a kind and sincere nature. He was deeply religious by instinct but there was no trace of sectarian acerbity in his composition.

Thakur Bhaktivinode was in close touch with the leaders of the Brahmo movement. He also associated with Christian Missionaries from his infancy. He had read the Koran. He was singularly open to all these influences. He preferred Christianity to Brahmoism on account of the former’s clearer admission regarding the transcendence of Godhead and of the spiritual function. This gives the real clue to his own theological position.

Should the service of Godhead be considered as a continuum of our ordinary worldly activity? Thakur Bhaktivinode holds that the spiritual function transcends the mundane and is not realisable by the mundane aptitude to which the conditioned soul is ordinarily found to be subject in this world. According to him it is not necessary, nor the duty of the soul, to function by mundane categories even during one’s sojourn to this mundane plane. The soul of man can attain to the transcendental function by the Grace of Godhead joined to his own co-operating effort. But the transcendental plane is absolutely free from all reference that is sought to be carried into it from below. In proportion as one’s function ceases to be influenced by worldly experience by reason of the growing realisation of the positive Nature of the Absolute Reality, it tends to be increasingly endowed with the quality of causeless devotion to the Feet of Godhead. There is a concrete realm of the Absolute which can be realised by the soul, if he conceives a sincere hankering for the same by the Grace of Godhead. This sincere hankering itself is generated by substantive discourses on the Absolute Who, although He is inconceivable to our present limited understanding, is symbolically presented to us by the revealed Scriptures enabling us to devote our rational consideration to the subject. But one who is wholly satisfied with his temporary activities on this worldly plane, is not likely to feel any genuine attraction for such quest.

Presidential Address

Third day’s sitting at the All-Theistic Conference

(Continued from p. 367, May-June 1931)

A narrative in the Upanishads runs as follows. Once upon a time Indra on behalf of the devatas and Virochana on that of the asuras, repaired to Brahma for the purpose of learning about the nature of the self. Virochana was led by observation of the reflected image to suppose that his external gross body was the soul. Indra without being in a hurry like Virochana, set patiently about the quest of the self in order to realise the true significance of the words of Brahma. His patience was rewarded by making him acquainted with the real nature of the eternal entity viz., the soul who transcends the physical body and mind. The madness of those who direct their intellectual expedition to the external cases, is what is called asura judgment. The war between the devatas and the asuras is going on at all time. By the mode of worshipping (upasana), of devotion (bhakti), the suris were enabled to realise Vishnu as the Best of all entities. When the evil propensity of transgressing against Vishnu made its appearance the non-daiva mode of judgment engulfed the faculty of pure consciousness of the soul (jiva). When man becomes excessively addicted to the needs of the non-self he sets himself against the worship of Vishnu. Then man falls even lower than the status of the devatas. The devatas also offer opposition to the worship of Vishnu. They are apt to think that the asuras are their rivals to frustrate their own attempt of becoming Vishnu. The denizens of the realms of Satya, Mahas, Jana and Tapas are higher in the scale of creation than the devatas who are addicted to the pleasures of the realm of Svar, for the reason that the residents of those higher realms belong to the community who have renounced the pleasures of the flesh.

According to the judgment of ordinary people Vishnu is only one of the devatas and the other devatas do not derive their powers from Vishnu. If Vishnu is regarded as only one among the devatas such a view gives rise to the cult of the plurality of gods, or polytheism. Polytheism, henotheism (panchopasana) and pseudo-latitudinarianism in effect propose nothing short of ultimate and complete merging in the One viz., the Brahman, of becoming indistinguishable from the Brahman, by breaking all devatas. Persons who are so disposed have a conviction, which they have had prior to the commencement of the process of worship, that the Object of their worship is devoid of all distinctive status of His Own. In other words they seek to prove that there is no need of worshipping Godhead at all. ‘Let us,’ these creeds say in effect, ‘by way of sheer hypocrisy insincerely admit, for the time being, a process of temporary worship and the temporary name, quality and activity of the temporary objects of our worship.’ They are led to judge in this manner by their previous bitter experience of this world, in order to escape the bad consequences of committing themselves for good to any position which is likely to undergo change in the future. Shreemad Bhagabatam has the following shloka which inculcates the method of being saved from such difficulty. ‘Want of forgetfulness of the lotus Feet of Krishna diminishes all evil and fosters our good in the shape of purification of the ego, devotion to the Supreme Soul and Knowledge attended with distinctive realisation of the Truth and consequent aversion to the phenomenal and the transitory.’ To be subject to lust, anger, greed, infatuation, vanity and malice is to be in the evil condition. To be opposed to Krishna and His devotees is to lapse into evil. By attaining to the constant recollection of Krishna it is alone possible to be delivered from evil. If the spark of fire of the recollection of Krishna once flashes on the track of memory, or in other words, if the realisation that I am the eternal servant of Krishna, is once aroused, it sets on fire the whole refuge-heap of evils and burns them to cinders.

If one says only once, ‘Krishna, I am Thine’, Krishna delivers him from the bondage of the limiting Energy (maya). If a person chants the Kirtan of Hari in every way it is only then that he can cease to seek honour for himself, can render due honour to everyone and be humbler than the blade of grass. In the verse regarding ‘humility greater than that of the blade of grass’ the word ‘constantly’ (sada) means undiverted chanting of Hari without offering any opportunity to the operations of lust, anger, etc. A person, who is subject to lust, anger, etc., does not possess the utmost humility which is greater than that of the blade of grass, has a taste for limited material enjoyment, is never humbler than a blade of grass. Utmost humility greater than that of the blade of grass is the characteristic only of him who is unceasingly given to the quest of Krishna i.e., addicted to the uninterruptible mellowing process of the agony of loving separation from Krishna.

‘By constant listening to and reciting the Deeds of Krishna with faith and reverence Godhead enters the heart in no very long time.’ The empiric truth available in this world has a certain characteristic of relativity. The truth that manifests itself in the relative function is not the unalloyed Truth. The service of the Supreme Soul is not service of matter. Krishna alone is the Object of our constant and supreme service. Perform always the chant of Krishna; perform the chant of the Name of Krishna, of His Quality, of the distinctive personality of His Servitors, of His Pastime. He who advises us to do so, viz., the lotus Feet of Sri Guru, is alone the constant object of our worship in every way. He is the eternal associated counterpart of Godhead. Vaishnavas who serve Sri Guru are objects of our worship.

There are many persons who profess the opinion, ‘I am the Brahman’ by disjoined interpretation of the famous Scriptural text. They do not practise the forbearance of accepting the comprehensive interpretation of the mantram of the Sruti. We can easily cross over the impossible expanse of the Ocean of Maya if we take hold of the support of devotion, and can do so only by such submission. The only method that is open to us for gaining our destination is to follow in the footsteps of those great souls who have preceded us on the same path. They are our only Polar Star on the path of spiritual endeavour. Those great souls of former times are possessors of the true knowledge which is attended with spiritual love and detachment from the world. The heart that is brightly illumined by the pure spiritual essence, bears the name of Vasudeva. It is only in such heart that knowledge i.e. the Personality of the pure cognition Vasudeva, super-knowledge i.e., spiritual love, detachment from the world i.e., practice of devotion in the stage of endeavour, manifest themselves. We can get across this realm of un-reason by acting up to such decision. The word ‘Tamas’ means ‘Mayabada’, - the impulse of enjoyment approved by the professors of Utilitarianism. The Sannyasins of the triple staff (Tridandi) ensure their progress in the direction of Truth by accepting the above mode of judgment. Mankind will be assured of progress on the path of spiritual endeavour by acceptance of the triple staff of renunciation and being thereby enabled to join in the chant of the Tridandi Bhikshu of the town of Avanti of the Bhagavatam, - ‘Adopting this unceasing attachment to the Supreme Soul, worshipped by the former great souls, I shall get across this abyss or gloom, which is extremely difficult to cross, by serving the Feet of the Bestower of Salvation.’

Krishna is the sole real Object of worship. He is the only Object of worship of all entities that can or will ever be. Krishna is the sole Object of worship of this dry bamboo stick and of this table made of wood. He attracts His devotee for the purpose of serving His servant. If the function of my mind takes the direction of the service of any other entity than that of the best of the servants of Krishna it should be impossible to find such another fool as myself. He who serves all those who wish to serve Him, is verily that Entity Who has no limit, Who is the Ultimate of the ultimate of ultimates and the Cause of the cause of all causes.

The Ultimate Reality Krishna has been called Swayangrupa, ‘Beauty’s Ownself,’ by obtaining portions of Whose Beauty His servants have become most exquisitely beautiful. The community of the servants of Krishna regard the beauty of form as an offering for His service, by means of which the Divinity is to be served. No beauty is comparable to millionth part of the Beauty of Krishna. When we endeavour to approach Krishna by way of service we have to be possessors of beauty and are actuated by the desire of beautifying ourselves. Then arises the process which is called Abhisara (i.e. proceeding to the secret place of assignation). There are two kinds of Abhisara viz., (1) The Sukla or white Abhisara and (2) Krishna or dark Abhisara. The Gopis (milk-maids) run to Krishna by one method when the moon is risen, by the other method when the moon does not shine. There is the same secret expedition for the quest of Beauty, of the Good Quality, of distinctive individual servitude, of Pastime. I do not wish to speak of these things at this gathering in this language. Although my weak tongue has babbled I shall stop here.

Krishna is Beauty Himself and Sree Baladeva Prabhu is Krishna’s Own Manifest-self.

‘The Soul is not realised by one who is without the Support of Divine Power, neither by austerities, nor again by the avoidance of all ceremonials. The enlightened person, who endeavours to attain to Him by these methods, enters the realm of the Brahman.’

‘The lotus Feet of Nitai are most refreshingly cool like scores of moons. The shade of His Feet relieves from the scorching heat of the world. Leaving out Nitai, Who is so merciful, one must not have Radha-Krishna. May we ever hold firmly to the Feet of Nitai?’