Articles by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
Discover the profound wisdom of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, through our vast collection of his written articles that explore various aspects of Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇavism. Gain valuable insights into the path of bhakti-yoga as you delve into the teachings of this celebrated vaiṣṇava luminary. Our user-friendly interface makes it easy to access and explore the works of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura by topic.
Articles by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
Discover the profound wisdom of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, through our vast collection of his written articles that explore various aspects of Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇavism. Gain valuable insights into the path of bhakti-yoga as you delve into the teachings of this celebrated vaiṣṇava luminary. Our user-friendly interface makes it easy to access and explore the works of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura by topic.
Buddha-Gayā
This article, 'Buddha-Gayā' was written by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol.7, issue 1 in 1895. Bhaktivinoda reports on a meeting amongst the paṇḍita community of Gayā to ascertain the significance of Bodhagayā for Hindus.
‘Hindu’
This article, 'Hindu' was written by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in 1874 for the Ananda Bazar Patrika newspaper. Bhaktivinoda discusses the origins of the word 'Hindu' and explains why it was not used in the Vedas, Purāṇas etc.
Philosophical Treatise (Darśana-Śāstra)
Darśana-Śāstra (Philosophical Treatise) was written by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in 1895 for Sajjana-Toṣaṇi, Vol.7. Issue 1. In this short article, Bhaktivinoda discusses the link between the Six Darśanas of India and the philosophies of the Ancient Greeks. He also briefly discusses the origins of Egyptian mummification.
Talks Regarding the Two Dramas, Śrī Vidagdha-Mādhava and Śrī Lalita-Mādhava (Śrī Vidagdha-Mādhava o Śrī Lalita-Mādhava Nāṭaka-Dvaya Sambandhe Vaktavya)
Śrī Vidagdha-Mādhava o Śrī Lalita-Mādhava Nāṭaka-Dvaya Sambandhe Vaktavya (Talks Regarding the Two Dramas, Śrī Vidagdha-Mādhava and Śrī Lalita-Mādhava) is an undated and unpublished work of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura which first appeared in the 20th volume of The Gauḍīya in 1942. In this article, Bhaktivinoda speaks about Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī's two dramas Vidagdha-Mādhava and Lalita-Mādhava, and examines the rasa within them as regards pārakīya and svakīya bhāva.
Paramārthī Ke? (Who is a Paramārthī?)
Paramārthī Ke? (Who is a Paramārthī?) was published by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol.4, issue 1 in 1892. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains the meaning of the word 'paramārtha' and differentiates between artha (a mundane objective) and paramārtha (the highest objective).
The Instructions of Śrīmad Rāmānuja Svāmī – the Ācārya of the Śrī Sampradāya (Śrī Sampradāyera Ācārya Śrīmad Rāmānuja Svāmīra Upadeśa)
Śrī Sampradāyera Ācārya Śrīmad Rāmānuja Svāmīra Upadeśa (The Instructions of Śrīmad Rāmānuja Svāmī - the Ācārya of the Śrī Sampradāya) was published by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol.7, issues 3 &4 in 1895. Due to the fact that there were not many Śrī Vaiṣṇavas in Bengal, the Ṭhākura wanted to familiarise his readers with the teachings of Śrī Rāmānuja, which are very akin to Gauḍīya Vaiṣnavism. The ślokas that he has included in this article are from Chapter 65 of the Prapannāmṛta-tarpaṇa, an old hagiography of the Āḷvārs and ācāryas of the Śrī sampradāya, written by Anantarāya. The Sanskrit verses from Prapannāmṛta-tarpaṇa are followed by an English translation of Bhaktivinoda's Bengali explanations.
The Dharma of Charity and Padre Dall Saheb (Dāna Dharma u Pādrī Dāl Saheb)
In this article, Dāna Dharma u Pādrī Dāl Saheb (The Dharma of Charity and Padre Dall Saheb), from Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol.1, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura discusses a speech made by Charles Henry Appleton Dall (1816–1886) on the subject of charity in India, and he explains how Dall’s statements are ‘unscientific’ and mistaken. Dall was the first American Unitarian missionary in Calcutta and stayed in India for 31 years until he passed away. He was well-known to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura who was, for a while, part of his church congregation. Bhaktivinoda met daily with Dall and they had many discussions on religion and philosophy together. Under the direction of Dall, Bhaktivinoda studied the Bible and Unitarian works. Dall had hoped to convert the young Bhaktivinoda to Christianity, but their talks on theology eventually gave more of an impetus to Bhaktivinoda to study the path of bhakti.
Sukhera Viṣaya (A Matter of Happiness)
Sukhera Viṣaya (A Matter of Happiness) is a short article by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī Vol.2, Issue 1. in 1885. Bhaktivinoda discusses how the city of Munger in Bihar has been a 'battlefield' of various religions and philosophies.
Śrīman Nimbāditya
The article “Śrīman Nimbāditya” was written by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in 1881 and published in the first volume of Sajjana Toṣaṇī. Bhaktivinoda gives a short introduction about the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas and their philosophies, then explains how he attained a copy of Nimbāditya’s ‘Daśa-śloki’ in Vṛndāvana. He also gives a short narration of Mahāprabhu’s meeting with Keśava Kaśmīri and informs the reader of the date of Nimbāditya.After the introduction, Bhaktivinoda presents the ten verses of Nimbāditya’s ‘Daśa-śloki with a brief explanation for each. At the end of the article, he states that in future, he will present a short commentary on the Daśa-śloki. It should be pointed out here that later, in Sajjana Toṣaṇī Vol. 7, issue 7, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wrote another article on Nimbāditya and gave another explanation of the Daśa-śloki.
Śrī Acyutānanda’s Departure (Śrī Acyutānandera Niryāṇa)
In this amazing article, 'Śrī Acyutānandera Niryāṇa (Śrī Acyutānanda's Departure)' from Sajjana-toṣaṇī, Volume 7, Issue 2 from May 1895, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura narrates the miraculous passing of his eldest son, Annadā Prasāda Datta, also known as Acyutānanda. In this article, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura writes in the third person.