Srila Bhakti Bhushan Bharati Goswami Thakur

Om Vishnuspad Paramahansa 108 Sri Srimad Bhakti Bhusan Bharati Goswami Thakur (, lovingly called as ‘Sri Guruthakur’ by the devotees,) is a bona fide Jagat-Guru or World Preceptor appearing in the Preceptorial Line of Succession. He is the only preserver of the pure devotional line of Thakur Bhaktivinode after the disappearance of Srila Bhakti Keval Audulomi Goswami Thakur. He is a genuine custodian of Transcendental Love. Without His mercy, it is utterly impossible for anyone to practice pure devotion, not to speak of attaining the final aim of Radha Dasya, which is the sole goal of all devotees pertaining to Rupanuga (, that is, those following Srila Rupa Goswami) line of devotion.

Srila Guru Thakur is identical with Lord Nityananda. As Lord Gauranga always keeps His dearest Nityananda carefully concealed (--in Sri Chaitanya-Bhagabat, Lord says to Srivas Pandit, “Mor gopya Nityananda janila se tumi”), Srila Guru Thakur is secretly placed by the Lord. In the Divine Garden of Vrindavan, He blooms like a hidden jasmine “embowered in its own green leaves.” But sincere seekers of Truth are attracted by the fragrance of the aforementioned Divine Flower. They may be a few in number, but those fortunate souls will surely attain Divine Love, which is the summum bonum of life. There were, are, and will be many orators, scholars, and preachers possessing a multitude of followers. They can satisfy our intellectual hunger. They may provide temporary mental relief. But only a God-sent Preceptor like Srila Guru Thakur can provide us the food that our soul needs and make us realize the eternal peace and bliss of Golok Vrindavan.

Srila Guru Thakur possesses innumerable transcendental qualities of head and heart. But what impresses one most is his extraordinary humility. It should not be taken in the sense of mundane modesty or good manners.  His dainya or transcendental humility is an eternal property of Srimati Radharani Herself. As an intimate associate of Srimati Radha Thakurani, Srila Guru Thakur had been naturally endowed with the aforementioned transcendental quality. His appearance, clothes, words, and behavior are marked by the divine quality of humility. The famous verse of Lord Goursundar, “Trinadapi Sunichena,” had been amply exemplified in His character.

During His Prakat-Lila, Srila Guru Thakur appeared in a village by the name, Maishali, in the district of Midnapore in 1925. His childhood-name was “Bimalananda,” meaning Unalloyed Joy. As a student, He used to walk across vast, solitary paddy-fields to reach His school. He had a strange feeling of Krishna coming behind him. He would be constantly thrilled with the smell of Tulasi, sandal-paste, and the sound of the jingling anklet of Krishna's lotus-feet.

 He passed his M.A. examination from Calcutta University and researched on a topic titled, “Sri Chaitanya's Concept of PREMA” under Dr. Brahma Swarup Agrawal. Then He founded a High School and became its Principal. He also served several other reputed schools as headmaster. In 1955, Sri Bimalananda first met His Divine Master, Om Vishnupad 108 Sri Srimad Bhakti Keval Audulomi Goswami Thakur, in Sridham Puri. Enchanted by the sweet personality and discourses of Srila Audulomi Thakur, Sri Bimalananda dedicated Himself completely to His lotus-feet. After initiation, He was known as Sri Brajendranandan Das. Renouncing the world, He rendered intimate loving service to His Preceptor. He collected many valuable speeches of his Gurudeva and published them in Srila Guru-Maharajer Sri Harikatha (Ten Volumes) and Srila Guru-Maharajer Upadeshabali (Two Volumes). He wrote an immortal biography of his Divine Master. The huge book entitled, Srila Audulomi Leela-madhuri consists of three volumes, and is a unique contribution to Gaudiya Vaishnava Literature. It was He who composed the daily arati-kirtan of Srila Audulomi Thakur. He acted as the editor of Sri Bhaktipatra, a devotional magazine and was a prolific writer of articles of Vaishnava philosophy. During His prakat-lila, He was a constant companion of His Gurudeva and was famous as ‘the Right Hand of his Preceptor.’ Srila Audulomi Thakur loved Him so much that He could not bear a day's separation from Him. Sri Brajendranandan came to be known as Tridandiswami Srimad Bhakti Bhusan Bharati Maharaj after taking Sannyas-initiation from Srila Audulomi Thakur. Srila Bharati Maharaj toured widely, addressed many meetings in various parts of India, and preached the message of Lord Chaitanya especially to the educated section of the society. Srila Audulomi Thakur selected Him as his private secretary and personal letter-writer. During His life time, Srila Audulomi Thakur indicated that Sri Bharati Maharaj was His able Successor. He would ask His disciples to go to Srila Bharati Maharaj and listen to His discourses and perform devotional services in accordance with His directions. He would often say, “Sri Bharati Maharaj would distribute your respective services. Go and ask for his directions.” Even He asked some of his distinguished disciples to learn the esoteric meaning of the secret Diksha-Mantra from Srila Bharati Maharaj. Everyone knows that the Diksha-Mantra should be heard from none, but the Preceptor Himself.

 After the disappearance of His Divine Master, Srila Bharati Maharaj became almost mad and his pangs of separation were indescribable. He began to wander over various places in search of his beloved Gurudeva, weeping piteously like a fatherless and helpless baby. He began to sing the glory of his Guru day and night. He had not the least desire to act as the Spiritual Head of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. But, besides his Gurudeva's desire and direct order to Him, he received God's direct command in a transcendental vision of Tota Gopinath in Sridham Puri (Gadadhar worshipped this Self-revealed Deity and Lord Goursundar finally merged in this Deity and disappeared from the world). He also received the direct order of Srimati Radharani in Vrindavan and ultimately emerged as the Divine Sun of the Gaudiya Vaishnava world.

After becoming Acharya, He laid more emphasis on the practice of Rupanuga Bhakti (, the unalloyed devotion in the Line of Srila Rupa Goswami,) than preaching thereof. In the company of sincere seekers of Truth, He began to reveal the secret of the most mysterious Nam-bhajan and the loving adoration of the Deity for 24 hours by the example of His own holy life.

 Always absorbed in the Divine Mood of Separation, Srila Guruthakur left no stone unturned to infuse that Mood into the hearts of his followers. A transcendental poet, He has written innumerable poems and songs glorifying the previous Preceptors. He has written an original book on the secret of unalloyed devotion. The title of that authentic book is Kevala Bhaktir Sadhan O Siddhi. He published the lives and teachings of his previous Divine Masters. He spent lakhs of rupees in publishing more than thirty-five books of devotional wisdom. These books are free of cost and distributed among the sincere seekers of Truth only.

True seekers of Truth will always be guided by Srila Guru Thakur with personal care, attention, and affection. He has strained His every nerve in sowing the seeds of pure devotion among bona fide seekers and nurturing those seeds in all possible ways. He silently and secretly preserved the Line of Thakur Bhaktivinode and shouldered incalculable responsibilities as the previous Preceptors did, in the teeth of the opposition of Dark Forces of Kali.

 He built a beautiful temple at Godrum, Sridham Nabadwip and under direct instructions from Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur, He installed the Pancha-tattva Deities in the temple. Srimad Bhakti Keval Audulomi Srikrishna-Chaitanya Sevashram, with headquarters in Swarupgunj, Nabadwip, is an institution of unalloyed devotion founded by him after the disappearance of His Divine Master in 1982.