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WORLD  Comment on this storyAbout the AuthorOther Stories by this Author Jaiva Dharma Printed BY SRILA BHAKTIVEDANTA NARAYAN GOSVAMI MAHARAJA  INDIA, Oct 6 (VNN) — Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana MaharajaAn Inauguration Ceremony Given at Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha - Mathura, India: September 21, 2001 Transcribed and edited by Sripad Krsna Bhajana dasa Brahmacari Submitted by Jadurani dasi [On September 21, 2001, when Srila Narayana Maharaja returned to Mathura after his two-week preaching tour in Jaipur and Delhi, he received 5,000 newly published copies of Jaiva Dharma by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Over forty years earlier he had translated Jaiva Dharma from the original Bengali into Hindi, and then recently, under his guidance, his disciples translated his Hindi version into English. Now, on the evening after his return, Srila Maharaja held a ceremony inaugurating the new publication. During the ceremony he spoke about the significance and glory of Jaiva Dharma, thanked and blessed the devotees who assisted in its publication, and after expressing his appreciation to them individually, presented each of them with a copy.
Regarding Jaiva Dharma, our Srila Prabhupada said in September 23, 1969, on the divine appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, "Bhaktivinoda Thakura happens to be one of the acaryas, and he has left behind him many books. Caitanya-siksamrta and Jaiva Dharma are very important books. They are in Bengali and Sanskrit. And he has prepared many books of songs. We are trying to present Bhaktivinoda Thakura's books in English, and gradually you will get them. So our adoration, our worship is to Bhaktivinoda Thakura today so that he may bless us to peacefully make progress in Krsna consciousness. Acarya-upasana. Simply by the blessings of the acaryas we can make very rapid progress." Regarding Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's books in general, a conversation took place with Prabhupada on May 13, 1975: "Paramahamsa: Srila Prabhupada, I remember once I heard a tape where you told us that we should not try to read the books of the previous acaryas. Amogha: That we should not try to read Bhaktivinoda's books or earlier books of other acaryas. So I was just wondering· Prabhupada: I never said that. Amogha: You didn't say that? Oh. Prabhupada: How is that? Amogha: I thought you said that we should not read the previous acarya's books. Prabhupada: No, you should read. Amogha: We should. Prabhupada: It is a misunderstanding..we are following the previous acaryas. I never said that." The following is a transcription of the inauguration speech given by Srila Narayana Maharaja on September 21, 2001:] I'm very happy and satisfied that Jaiva Dharma of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has been published and printed in English. It has come from my Hindi translation, and this translation was approved by my Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. It was also approved by Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja, all my God-brothers, and several senior disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja ordered me to translate this book into Hindi. Therefore, in order to read and understand it well, I studied Bengali grammar and language. Later, when Guru Maharaja saw my translation, he wrote a preface, and in that preface he sprinkled his causeless mercy upon me. Jaiva Dharma is a very authentic book for understanding tattva (established philosophical truths), sadhana (the process to attain the perfection of krsna-prema), and sadhya (krsna- prema). Those who will read it under the guidance of any well-trained and qualified Vaisnava will know its glories. When I first published it in Hindi, I thought that it must also be translated into English for the benefit of the entire world, for it will bring about a revolution. Surely now, when it will be distributed throughout the world, that revolution of new thought will come. At that time all will realize that what I am telling about tattva and bhakti, and sadhana and bhajana is true to the extreme. The wrong impressions about jiva-tattva, bhakti-tattva, and all other important truths will be clarified. The siddhanta of Jaiva Dharma is very deep, and those who have spent time with me were able to untie the knots which bound those deep meanings. There are so many English editions of Jaiva Dharma, but most of them have not presented the philosophy clearly. There are many errors in them, and I think those errors will be corrected by this book. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura adopted the same process accepted by Vyasadeva in Srimad Bhagavatam. In Jaiva Dharma he presented tattva in such an interesting way that it appears like a novel. It is not a novel, however. Everything in it is true history. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura saw everything in his Samadhi and then he wrote it down. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura realized all of the written documents of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, the teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the teachings of all the acaryas in His line. He was very expert in rasa-tattva (the science of the relationship between Krsna and the gopis), and the entire Bhaktirasamrta-sindhu and Ujjvala-nilamani is there in Jaiva Dharma. We cannot understand mahabhava (the pinnacle of devotion found only in the gopis) in Ujjvala-nilamani and other books of that nature. They are too difficult for common devotees. Here in Jaiva Dharma, therefore, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has put all such books into very simple language. He has put the ocean in a jar. If anyone wants to enter into the spiritual realm, they should read this book, Jaiva Dharma, thoroughly. They should read it not only one time, but one hundred times, under the guidance of a high-class realized Vaisnava. Otherwise, it is not possible to enter into its deep meanings. In Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya-lila 5.131) it is stated that you should read Srimad Bhagavatam under the guidance of the bona fide Vaisnava, and this fact is also true in relation to Jaiva Dharma. Then you can realize its truths. I am therefore very happy and satisfied by the publication of this book. To those who have helped with the publication of Jaiva Dharma as chief editors, translators, advisors, English and Sanskrit editors, proofreaders, layout persons, computer specialists, and to those who have helped with finances, I want to give my heartly blessings. I pray to Krsna and I pray to Gadadhara Pandita Prabhu who is manifest as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. I request them to sprinkle their mercy on those who helped me in any way. I will pray that the mercy of Sri Guru, Gauranga, and Sri Sri Radha-Vinoda-bihari will fall upon them. Gaura-premanande [In that inauguration ceremony Srila Maharaja told one of the devotees to whom he presented a book, "I would like 40, 000 books distributed as soon as possible." Then, a few days later he told the devotees accompanying him on his morning walk, " I would like to see Jaiva Dharma in all the major western languages as soon as possible."] Please visit the Internet Gaudiya Vedanta Portal: http://www.igvp.com - the official web portal for the Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti About the Author Other Stories by this AuthorRelated VNN StoriesComment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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