Remembering Fakir Mohan Prabhu

We received the news of Fakir Mohan Prabhu's departure in November (2016) with heavy hearts. It seemed as though no time had passed since he had sat with us in our library. 

Fakir Mohan Prabhu was a foremost scholar on the life of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and he re-discovered the family Deities of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sri Sri Radha-Madhava. Read more about this here.


Fakir Mohan Prabhu was a not an exclusive member of a particular group or mission and never initiated any disciples. He was a naistaka (lifelong) brahmachari and intimate friend of many revered Vaisnavas from both ISKCON and Gaudiya Math. He was one out of only 4 initiates of Srila Bhakti Prasad Puri Goswami Maharaj, a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura.


He was born in 1932 at midnight on Janmastami. His best friend from childhood was Srila Gour Govinda Swami, They once made a pact to run away from home and become a sadhus together. After Fakir Mohan Prabhu's parents sent the police after him, they locked him up in a room so he could not escape again. He later convinced his father to donate him to the nearby Gaudiya Math temple when he was aged 12. 


When the temple authorities ordered him to attend school, he was very disappointed because he was only interested in nam-bhajan. Everyone was astounded when he excelled in his studies far beyond the other students. This was the beginning of his life as a devotional scholar and sadhu professor, earning a PhD  in Sanskrit and subsequently taught at several universities in Orissa. He moved seamlessly between Vaisnava and academic circles. He independently published over 35 books, mostly in Oriya language, and traveled all over the world preaching
. 

It is truly a loss from this world to have him depart from our vision, but likely a great delight to those great souls welcoming him to their transcendental place.

Srila Gaur Govinda Swami Maharaj (left) and Fakir Mohan Prabhu (right) in Bhuvenesvar, 1991. (photo courtesy of www.gourgovindaswami.org.)

 Srila Gour Govinda Swami  appreciated Fakir Mohan Prabhu's scholarly research into Vaisnava topics a great deal. He once stated, "no one knows as much about Mahaprabhu as the respected Professor. "




Devotional Writer and Historian Thanks BRC for Assisting His Research

Author of the recently published Bengali book Kumat Kalal, Haripriya Prabhu, made a special visit to BRC Library recently to gather some research materials compiled for him by our staff.

Kumat Kalal describes the historical and philosophical aspects of the Gaudiya and Madhava sampradayas.

He was enthusiastic to share the evidence of his appreciation of our help and opened a copy of his book to a page in which his thanks to BRC staff appeared.

BRC Honored by Visit from His Grace Ravanari Prabhu

Born in Palestine, Ravanari prabhu joined ISKCON in 1973 in Germany. As a young devotee, he heard that it was Srila Prabhupad’s desire to have Bhagavad Gita translated into Arabic, so he began that service immediately. A couple of years later, he met Srila Prabhupada personally in Vrindavan during the opening of the Krishna Balaram Temple in 1975.
“I couldn’t believe Prabhupada wanted to meet me,” he said. “The effulgence coming from him made me speechless. I had no way to converse with him. I was completely awestruck.” “Why are you sitting so far away?” Prabhupada asked him when he entered his room for darshan. “Come closer. Sit next to me.” When Ravanari prabhu saw that Srila Prabhupada had a copy of his translation in his hands, he was overwhelmed. “Read me the translations,” Prabhupada asked. “But Prabhupada, it is in Arabic,” he responded. According to Ravanari Prabhu, Srila Prabhupad then began to recite the entire Arabic alphabet and started to read some of his translation work. Ravanari prabhu spent the entire morning in Prabhupada’s quarters reading out loud his translations while he listened attentively. At the conclusion of the reading, Prabhupada announced, “Print it. Learn how to transliterate the Sanskrit verses as well. Print it as soon as possible”. After this time, he ran a preaching center in Beirut, “in the middle of a military zone” where he was tortured and imprisoned along with Tribhuvanath Prabhu (Ireland,) Omkar Prabhu (Mexico,) and Padmapani Prabhu (Canada.) They were not fed for weeks and almost starved to death in a small cell. “The soldiers beat me only because they considered me a local and suspected me to be the leader of a spy mission,” he explained. “They kicked my head with their boots on and be at their guns into my skull. There was blood coming out of my eyes”. Later, while translating Prabhupada’s books in Cairo, his only son, Shyamasundar, contracted meningitis and left this world at the age of 3. “Somehow I had previously been inspired to bring him to Mayapur at a very young age. He went on parikram with me, took prasadam, and got a lot of blessings.” After this, he moved to Canada and spent his time translating every book of Srila Prabhupada into Arabic. “I took seasonal jobs. I’d work for a few months at a time and then live off that money. I sat and translated for months and then I’d get work again for another few months,” he explained. Ravanari Prabhu currently maintains a website where all of his Arabic translations of Srila Prabhpada’s books and lectures may be accessed: www.ravanari.com. He now spends most of his time in Mayapur.

HG Ravanari Prabhu at BRC holding a copy of Arabic Bhagavad-Gita that he translated

BRC Receives Rare Urdu Bhagavad-Gita

On a recent visit to Mayapur, Hari Sauri Prabhu received a special gift for to the Research Library’s rare books catalogue, a century old Bhagavad Gita with translation and commentary in the Urdu language. It was kindly donated by Ravanari Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada’s first disciple from the Middle East. (Read more about him by clicking HERE).

Urdu is a Persian influenced language spoken primarily by Muslims in North India and Pakistan. It was originally published by a Pandit named Rai Bahadur Madan Dehlavi from Kashmir. 

The edition is replete with several beautiful illustrations, including many esoteric looking diagrams depicting various aspects of Vedic Cosmology annotated in both Sanskrit and Urdu. 

Our Head Librarian, Acyuta Prabhu, contacted a professor of Urdu language at the Univer-sity of Michigan who was provided with the scans. He informed us this edition was published in 1906. 

The first page of the book reads “Janaki Nath composes Persian couplets and quatrains (rubā’iyat) in order to recast the original content of the Gītā. Each verse is followed by Urdu commentary.” The translator added that the illustrations seemed to assign mystical significance to the number of verses found in each chapter. 

To our surprise, he pointed out there were actually two books within the binding, a practice common at that time. The second book, “The Devotion of Viṣṇu”, also composed in Urdu, was published in 1885 and authored by one Munshī Munna Lāl Ṣāheb. 

The Library staff commented how striking it is to hold in your hands old devotional Vaishnava texts written in the exotic cursive Arabic script. 

BRC Welcomes Eminent Guests

left: Hari Sauri Prabhu, Vaiyasaki Prabhu, Malati Devi Dasi, Srutirupa Dasi, Krsnarupa Dasi, and Visakha Dasi, Srila Prabhupad’s disciples. Rameshwar Prabhu, former head of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) also visited that day. He and Hari Sauri Prabhu are pictured below.

HG Pradyumna Prabhu Helps Identify Important Documents

We were graced for several days in December 2012 by the presence of Sriman Pradyumna prabhu, Srila Prabhupada’s Sanskrit editor since 1968. Pradyumna prabhu traveled with Srila Prabhupada more than any other disciple and is probably the foremost scholar on Gaudiya Vaisnava literature in the world today.

He spent considerable time in the library, offering much useful advice and information. However his most exciting contribution was his discovery of a rather battered-looking folder containing some hand written letters and drafts of articles from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura as well as some letters written by some leading disciples such as Sripad Bhakti Pradipa Tirtha Maharaja, Bhakti Hrdaya Bon Maharaja, Sripada Bhaktisaranga Goswami, and others.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati signed his letters [above] “Nityashirvadaka Siddhanta Sarasvati,” i.e., “Your ever-wellwisher” [nitya – eternal; ashirvad – blessings or well-wishes; daka – I am].

The above letter is from Bhaktipradip Tirtha

who was sent along

with Sambidananda dasa to

London in the 1930s to preach.

Sri Mayapur International School Students Visit BRC

One particularly enlivening visit was from a dozen students from the Sri Mayapur International School. A group of teenage girls visited the library and stayed overnight in the guest house. 

As one student put it:

“Coming to this library has really been a life changing experience.  It has inspired me to the utmost level to read only Srila Prabhupada’s books and study them… I am really very grateful to all the devotees who have worked so hard to put this library together. This library has really inspired me!” 

–Gaurangi dasi, aged 15 yrs. 

Note: Gaurangi was so inspired that when she returned home she threw out all her mundane literatures and had her mother buy a full set of Srimad Bhagavatam.

General Secretary of Original Gaudiya Mission at Bagh Bazaar Visits BRC

We were very pleased to welcome Sripad BS Sannyasi Maharaja, the General Secretary of the Gaudiya Mission at Bhag Bazaar, Kolkata. The Bhag Bazaar Gaudiya Matha is of course the first major temple constructed by the Gaudiya Matha under Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. 

Sannyasi Maharaja had a tour of the library and reciprocated by inviting BRC staff to visit the temple at Bhag Bazaar on December 28 2011.

Scholars Welcomed to BRC

As word spreads about our catalogue and facilities for scholars and students, we are beginning to receive a growing number of guests eager to take advantage of the BRC for their studies.

In the summer of 2011, we hosted several scholars doing research for their Ph.D. thesis. Although the BRC is an ISKCON project, it is open to any scholar, student or Vaisnava from any organization who wishes to take advantage of our facilities for their studies.

The following are some of their testimonials:

Dr. William Deadwyler, Ph.D. (Ravindra Svarupa dasa):

I am much impressed, inspired and grateful for the amazing progress of the BRC. This is the manifestation of the desire of Srila Prabhupada and it is wonderful to see it…We are seeing the beginning of what will be a vast and ever-growing endeavour.

Prof. Ashlin Aronin, Wesleyan Uni., CT:

The Bhaktivedanta Research Library was an invaluable asset for my research. I wish I had known about it sooner!

Prof. Ruby Sain, Yadavpur University:

It is impossible to collect such treasure within such a short span of time. … This collection is indeed marvellous for future generations of India and other countries. I must congratulate all those who are working so hard to make this library vibrant.

Prof. Lucian Wong, Oxford University:

The library collection is extremely impressive. Many, many gems. Library staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Overall, a wonderful research experience. I definitely plan to return.

More on ISKCON's History with the Ghosh Family

In the 1970s, as ISKCON was gaining a footing in India, Sri Tarun Kanti Ghosh, a Congress party minister, gave a lot of support to Srila Prabhupada and his disciples. Tarun Babu, as Prabhupada used to refer to him, came in a distinguished line of Gaudiya Vaisnavas. His grand father was Mahatma Sisir Kumar Ghosh a contemporary and friend of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. The two knew each other well and co-edited certain publications and articles.

The Ghosh family owned a prominent line of newspapers including Amrita Bazar Patrika which was established in 1868 and Jugantar, one of the biggest newspapers and presses in Calcutta.

Tarun Kanti would visit our ISKCON center very often and on March 14 1974 Srila Prabhupada sent him the following letter:

“My Dear Tarun Kanti Babu,

“Please accept my blessings. Since I attended the meeting last night I am feeling a new enthusiasm, over how potential the Krishna Consciousness movement is, based on the teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Your good family has very great interest in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and especially your grandfather Mahatma Sisir Kumar Ghose was a great friend of Bhaktivinode Thakura. So we are coming down in disciplic succession from Bhaktivinode Thakura and you are coming in family succession from Mahatma Sisir Kumar Ghose, so if we combine together in preaching the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it will be a great benediction to human society for mitigation of all kinds of problems of material existence.

“This morning you were quoting from Sri Siksastaka, “Ceto darpana marjanam bhava maha davagni nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].”

This is the first installment of the benediction of Sri Krishna Sankirtana. “Param vijayate Sri Krsna Sankirtana.” First of all, people are suffering on account of misunderstanding of self realization. The whole world is moving under the conception of the body in different names are caste, creed, nation, culture, like that. By chanting Hare Krishna Maha Mantra offenselessly, one immediately realizes himself as spirit soul which is described in the Vedas as aham brahmasmi. The Mayavadi philosophers cease to think further than this, but Bhagavad gita teaches us how to realize further advancement in spiritual life in devotional service. This is described in Bhagavad gita as follows:

brahma bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu mad bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

“So bhakti is such a nice thing. Bhakti is transcendental. When one is situated in bhakti life his mission of life is successful. That is called ”ceto darpana marjanam bhava maha davagni nirvapanam
[Cc. Antya 20.12].”

Everyone of us is suffering from the three fold miseries of material existence. Coming to the platform of bhakti, pure devotional service, one immediately ceases the blazing fire of material existence. That is the effect of Sri Krishna Sankirtana. The whole world is in chaotic condition without understanding this philosophy.

“In the material life there must be division of activities. That is accepted in the Bhagavad gita as catur varnyam maya srstam guna karma vibhagasah tasya kartaram api mam viddhy akartaram avyayam
[Bg. 4.13]

“So in the beginning if we start a varnasrama college to teach internationally students from all over the world to learn to be educated as brahmanas, as Ksatriyas, as vaisyas, as sudras, by quality and work, that will be the basic principle of Krishna Consciousness. It is the duty of the government to see that everyone is employed. This is only possible when varnasrama is established.  

At the present moment everyone is sudra. This is not very good for the human society. Everyone has a right to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead but there must be a process for keeping the society in order. The intelligent class of men or the brahmanas, the martial class of men, the ksatriyas, the productive class of men, the vaisyas, and the working class of men, the sudras, all have the right to chant the Hare Krishna Mantra and by such devotional service everyone will be elevated to the transcendental platform. But there must be a division according to quality and work. At the present moment, so many so-called educated persons are unemployed because the division of work is neglected. If this division of society is maintained no one will be unemployed and there will be no unrest in society. It is a very scientific way of keeping peace in the world.

“The brahmana class should be highly cultured in spiritual understanding; by their Vedic knowledge they will be able to educate the ksatriya and the vaisya in the value of life. It is the government’s duty that according the division of human society everyone should be engaged in responsible duties.

On the whole, at the present moment, there is not guidance from the authorized intellectual class. Therefore everyone is in darkness. The Krishna Consciousness movement is supposed to create actual intellectuals to guide society. The process if very simple.

“If you kindly consider on this point and the varnasrama college is started, I am sure the chaotic condition of human society will be completely settled up. You think over this matter and we shall talk more when we meet again. Or if you like to discuss seriously by correspondence with me I shall be very glad to reply to you point by point on the basis of sastra.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg

In 1977, Tarun Babu visited Srila Prabhupada in Mayapur on Gaura Purnima day. He was to be our chief guest but could not stay for the festival due to other commitments. Nevertheless Tarun Babu had a personal darshan and afterwards requested a photo with Srila Prabhupada. He wanted Srila Prabhupada to put his hand on his head in blessings, but Prabhupada was shy. So Tarun Babu sat beside him, took hold of Prabhupada’s hand and placed it on his head and then had the photo taken:

In 1995 when Srila Prabhupada’s Mayapur Puspa Samadhi was officially opened, Tarun Babu came and gave a wonderful speech of appreciation. I remember sitting in the crowd as he got up and showed a full page spread that he had done in the Amrita Bazar Patrika entitled “Why I Love Srila Prabhupada.”

Tarun Babu left this world in 1996, the year of Srila Prabhupada’s centennial. He had requested that his ashes be scattered on the roads of Mayapur so that the pilgrims would trample on them and bless him with their foot dust. In the event, his ashes were brought to Mayapur and scattered in the Ganges with kirtana and due Vaisnava samskara. The family were very grateful to HH Jayapataka Swami and our ISKCON devotees for rendering this service.

Meetings with the Ghosh Family

In November 2010, we were fortunate to meet with Srimati Srilekha Bose, the daughter of eminent Bengal politician Sri Tarun Kanti Ghosh, and grand-daughter of Mahatma Sishir Kumar Ghosh, at her home in Mumbai.

Sri Sishir Kumar Ghosh was a prominent Vaisnava, publisher and personal friend of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

It was he who named Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur the ‘seventh Goswami’. From 1890 to 1898 he published Sri Visnu Priya O Ananda Bazar Patrika under the editorship of the Thakura on a fortnightly basis, and later it became a monthly.

In 1897 Sishir Kumar Ghosh published a two volume glorification of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu called Lord Gauranga or Salvation for All. Smt. Srilekha Bose very kindly donated her personal set of this long-out-of-print book plus two other rare volumes by her grandfather to the BRC.

HH Bhakti Charu Swami receives the rare books from Smt. Srilekha Bose, with BBT Trustee Bhima Dasa and Juhu Temple President Braja Hari prabhu looking on:

Then, in mid-December we were fortunate to have further discussions at the BRC with Smt. Rita Dutta and Sri Tamal Kanti Ghosh, the great-grand children of Sishir Kumar Ghosh.

The Ghosh family at one time had an extensive library inherited from Sri Sishir Kumar Ghosh, but it has now become scattered. Rita and Tamal Kanti have vowed to help us track down the collection and our hope is that we may find some rare Vaisnava books by the Mahatma and other Vaisnava authors and even correspondence or works connected directly to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.