"Sudha Visnavera Paricaya": Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

It is fair to say that Bhaktivinoda Thakura is one of the most under-studied Vaishnavas of note from the nineteenth century. This is peculiar considering that Bhaktivinoda latin Bengal, at least—the most prominent Vaishnava revivalist in the 1880s and 1890s. This Vaishnava leader published dozens of well-received books on the history and theological implications of Bengali (gaudiya) Vaishnavism. He was recognized by the leading intellectuals of his day as the driving force beliind an emerging Vaishnava revival that continued to gain momentum as the nineteenth cen- tury merged into the twenfieth. He established a number of religious organizations designed to lend institutional credibility to Gaudiya Vaishnavism at a fime when disorganization and disagreeability
threatened to permanently relegate Chaitanya Vaishnavism to the fringes of Bengali society. And, most importantly, Bhaktivinoda inaugurated a Vaishnava reform move- ment that literatly and ideologically gave birth to the world-wide phenome- na of the Gaudiya Math and ISKCON. It is strange that a leader who launched a movement that now counts followers in the millions should be
so httle known and understood. The trandation below is of one of Bhaktivinoda's earliest articles. It represent an attempt to help us better understand this significant historical figure.