Printing - Bhaktivedanta VedaBase 2003.1

had remained concealed in the pages of the Vedas, the Upaniñads, the Puräëas,
and the Bhägavatam. By his action toward divine service and also by his words,
set in simple language to be easily understood by readers in general, he has
given this philosophy to the world. It is his writings and his divine,
unparalleled character that have helped to produce a class of educated and
enlightened men who are now proud of their Vaiñëava faith and of their
acquisition of the spiritual knowledge of the pure and sublime philosophy of
Kåñëa, on which the stern teachings of Çré Caitanya are based.
Though born in opulent circumstances (on September 2, 1838), Öhäkura
Bhaktivinoda, who was given the name Kedäranätha Datta, had to meet many
difficulties in his early life. His childhood was spent at his maternal
grandfather's house at Bérnagar (Ulägräm), from where he came to Calcutta at
the age of thirteen, after the death of his father. After he completed his
education, he was requested to be present at the time of his paternal
grandfather's death. His grandfather, Räjavallabha Datta, had been a famous
personality of Calcutta and had retired to a lonely place in Orissa to spend his
last days as an ascetic. He could predict the future and knew when he would
die, since he could commune with supernatural beings. Öhäkura Bhaktivinoda
was present at the eventful time when that great soul passed away, and after
receiving his grandfather's instructions, he visited all of the major temples and
äçramas of the state of Orissa.
Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura then entered the educational service and
introduced English education into the state of Orissa for the first time. He
wrote a small book about all the äçramas of the state and mentioned an äçrama
which was on his ancestors' property. "I have a small village Choöimaìgalpur
in the country of Orissa of which I am the proprietor," he wrote. "In that
village is a religious house which was granted by my predecessors to the holy
men as a holding of rent-free land. The head of the institution entirely gave
up entertaining such men as chanced to seek shelter on a rainy night. This
came to my notice, and I administered a severe threat that his lands would be
cruelly resumed if in the future complaints of inhospitality were brought to my
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