In the Baṅga-vāsī Patrikā of Jamua last year, we came to know that recently, a brāhmaṇa well-versed in the śāstra named Śrī Kīrtinātha Jhā from the city of Munger, was giving instructions on hari-bhakti to the people there. We are very happy to receive this news. Surprisingly, the area of Munger has been a battlefield of religious wars. Initially, in order to overcome the predominance of Muslim and Christian religions, a huge current of Brahmo dharma flowed there for some time. Later, moral Hindu dharma, which was trying to slow down the influence of Brahmo dharma, dominated Munger for some time. Śrī Kīrtinātha has emerged to establish that even moral Hindu dharma and dry yoga are useless. Kīrtinātha is giving these instructions to the people there. I hope that the all-merciful Bhagavān will manifest further mercy by sending a pure devotee teacher to Munger very soon, which will increase auspiciousness for the residents there.

If we consider the history of Munger, then we will also be familiar with the history of dharma throughout Bengal. Before the rise of pure bhakti, four types of impure dharma gradually became prevalent everywhere. The same was happening in the land of Bengal. Firstly, there was a stream of mlechha-dharma; secondly an outbreak of nirākāra–brahmavāda (the philosophy of formless Brahman); thirdly, the domination of the followers of naitika-īśvaravāda (moral theism); fourthly, a flood of adulterated dharma mixed with bhagavad–bhāva (attraction to Bhagavān), and finally the auspicious presence of paramānandamayī-bhakti (pure devotion, replete with supreme spiritual bliss). It is a matter of happiness that the arrival of the Goddess of śuddha-bhakti is delayed no longer.

(‘Sukhera Viṣaya – A Matter of Happiness’ by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol. 2, Issue 1 in 1885, was translated into English by Swami B.V. Giri)