Brief life sketch of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

 

Brief life sketch of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura --

So this Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura was gṛhastha, very responsible officer, magistrate. And he was so exalted that he would come from his office generally at five o'clock, then take his supper and immediately go to bed. Immediately. Say at seven o'clock in the evening he goes to bed, and he wakes up at twelve o'clock. 

So suppose he goes to bed at seven o'clock in the evening and wakes up at twelve o'clock at night; it is sufficient sleep, five hours. One should not sleep more than five to six hours. Minimize as far as possible.

The Gosvāmīs used to sleep not more than one and a half hour, or two hours. Sleeping is not very important thing. Even big politicians, they used to sleep for two hours. So especially in spiritual line, they should minimize as far as possible eating, sleeping, mating, defending. Minimize. Gradually it come to nil. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was eating only a little piece of butter every alternate days, not daily.

So this Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, regularly he was coming from his office, and after taking his supper immediately he goes to bed, and wake up at twelve o'clock, and he used to write books. He wrote..., he left behind him about one hundred books.

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture on Bhaktivinoda Thakura Appearance day Sept 3,1971, London)

1838 Sep: Born in Birnagar, Nadia as Kedaranatha Datta.

1849 (Age 11) : Father passes away.

1850 (Age 12) : Is married. Home schooled in Calcutta by his uncle Kasiprasada Ghosh. Later attends Hindu Charitable Institution high school.*

1856 (Age 18) : Enters college in Calcutta.

1858 (Age 20) : Travels to all the monasteries and temples in Orissa. Works as a teacher in Cuttack. Becomes headmaster of a school in Bhadraka.*

1860 (Age 22) : Wife dies during childbirth. Later marries Bhagavati Devi.

1861 (Age 23) : Accepts the post of deputy magistrate in the Govt. of Bengal.*

1863 (Age 25) : Composes Vijanagrama and Sannyasa, two novel Bengali poems.

1868 (Age 30) : Procures copies of Srimad-Bhagavatam & Chaitanya-caritamrita.*

1874 (Age 36) : Composes Datta-kaustubham. Son Bimala Prasad (Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati) is born.*

1874-93 : Spends much time in seclusion chanting, while also executing his worldly duties. Writes several books in Sanskrit and Bengali.*

1886 (Age 48) : Awarded the title Bhaktivinoda Thakura by learned Vaishnavas.

1887 (Age 49) : Discovers the birthsite of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

1894 (Age 56) : Retires from his post as deputy magistrate.

1908 (Age 70) : Accepts babaji vesha.

1914 23-Jun : Leaves his body in Jagannatha Puri.

Hare Krishna!