Overview
Ṭahala (Patrol) was first published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol. 8, issue 8 in 1896. In this short essay, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura calls his readers’ attention to those who make money through chanting the Holy Name, and explains how this nefarious practice is against the instructions of Mahāprabhu.
(translated by Swami B.V. Giri)
In almost all villages of the land, the custom of patrolling in the months of Kārttika, Māgha and Vaiśākha is prevalent, in other words, one Vaiṣṇava goes door to door of the people of every village and performs hari-nāma kīrtana by playing the karatālas every morning. This ancient tradition is most excellent, but this activity is not done purely. The Vaiṣnava chanting the Name goes to every householder’s residence, begs for some rice, and when the month is over, he makes his living by going to every house once again.
There are many ways to make a living; it is one’s duty to engage in some activity to do that. If villagers voluntarily give some alms after hearing the Name of Hari, it is not wrong to accept that. But it is very unjust and opposed to bhakti to collect money by selling hari-nāma, considering it to be a livelihood. By doing this, both the giver of the Name and the listener will never have the possibility of obtaining the result of prema, and only pāpa will be accumulated. Hari-nāma cannot be bought with money, the only price is śraddhā. Thus, it is advised that everyone should hear and chant with śraddhā.
This issue has been discussed many times in the Sajjana Toṣaṇī magazine, but so far I have not been able to see any good results and thus I am writing about it again.
If the honourable Vaiṣṇava village devotees who have śraddhā give the Holy Name according to their respective qualifications, and try to correct this evil practice of collecting money with hari-nāma, then by patrolling according to Śrī Śrī Mahāprabhu’s instruction and trying to preach door to door, the purpose of hearing and chanting hari-nāma, and the ultimate welfare of the jīvas, will be achieved. The instruction to patrol is this:
prabhura ājñāya, bhāi, māgi ei bhikṣā
bala `kṛṣṇa,’ bhajo kṛṣṇa, kara kṛṣṇa-śikṣā
aparādha-śūnya ha’ye laha kṛṣṇa-nāma
kṛṣṇa mātā, kṛṣṇa pitā, kṛṣṇa dhana-prāṇa
kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi’ anācārā
jīve dayā, kṛṣṇa-nāma sarva-dharma-sāra
(“O brothers, by the order of the Lord, I beg this favour – Chant “Kṛṣṇa,” worship Kṛṣṇa, and follow Kṛṣṇa’s teachings. Being free of offences, take up the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is your mother, Kṛṣṇa is your father, and Kṛṣṇa is the wealth of your life. Abandon unrighteous activities and perform your worldly duties in relation to Kṛṣṇa. Show compassion to other jīvas and chant kṛṣṇa-nāma – that is the essence of all dharma.”)
(‘Ṭahala – Patrol’ by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura – was first published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol. 8, issue 8 in 1896, and translated into English by Swami B.V. Giri)
More Articles by Bhaktivinoda Thakura
The Hindu Idols
This thirty-two page English letter "The Hindu Idols" written in 1899 was in response to the Christian Tract Society of Calcutta who had previously published an article entitled, "Prof. Max Muller on Durgā", in which Kālī, Durgā and Śiva were slandered from an evangelistic viewpoint. Bhaktivinoda wrote an exhaustive response on the true identity of the personalities in question. He concludes by briefly mentioning Mahāprabhu and discusses the true Christian attitude of universal love, devoid of sectarian dogmatism, and discusses the nature of prema. It is interesting to note that, due to the academic nature of this letter, he signs off as ‘Kedarnatha Vidyavinoda’ rather than Bhaktivinoda. In 1901, he rewrote and summarised the same article for Dawn Magazine and renamed it, ‘On Durga, Siva and Kali in Their Exoteric Aspects: A Criticism on Max Muller’.
Viśuddha Bhajana (Pure Bhajana)
Viśuddha Bhajana (Pure Bhajana) was first published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī Vol.11 issue 7 in 1899. This article by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is a concise and important explanation of what is necessary to improve one’s bhajana in order to achieve prema.
Śraddhā
Śraddhā was first published in Sajjana Toṣaṇi, Vol.9, issue 8 in 1897. In this article, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura examines the important topic of śraddhā and its vital importance in the life of a practicing devotee.
On 18th August 2012, on the occasion of his Vyāsa Pūjā, Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja announced to the devotees that he had a strong desire to create a website called “Bhaktivinoda Institute” in honour of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and his teachings in order to preserve and propagate them. 
